With Oregon losing to Arizona at home on Thursday night, Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota lost his grip on the favorite role to win the Heisman Trophy. Meanwhile, another stellar performance from Dak Prescott sparked Mississippi State to a dominant 48-30 win over Texas A&M.
Prescott becomes the new 'chalk' this week with yet another showcase game on deck Saturday. Auburn brings its unbeaten record to Starkville with its own Heisman candidate in quarterback Nick Marshall.
As quickly as Mariota and Texas A&M QB Kenny Hill saw its candidacies take hits last week, both can right back into the picture with wins and big performances in huge showdowns against UCLA and Ole Miss, respectively.
1. Dak Prescott (Mississippi State QB, 2/1 'chalk). Even without his best wide receiver and starting center, Prescott led Mississippi State to an easy win over previously undefeated Texas A&M. Prescott has 1,223 passing yards to go with a 13:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has 455 rushing yards and six TDs on the ground, in addition to a TD reception.
2. Todd Gurley (Georgia RB, 3/1 odds). Gurley has rushed for 773 yards and eight TDs with an 8.2 yards-per-carry average. He ran for 163 yards and a pair of scores in an easy home win over Vandy this past weekend. Gurley also had a kick return for a TD, in addition to a slew of big games upcoming, including Saturday's showdown at Missouri (Update: News came Thursday that Gurley has been suspended indefinitely for an alleged NCAA rules violation).
3. Nick Marshall (Auburn QB, 4/1 odds). Marshall accounted for 326 yards (207 passing, 119 rushing) and four TDs (two apiece rushing and passing) in leading unbeaten Auburn to a 41-7 win over LSU. If Marshall outplays Prescott and leads AU past Mississippi State on Saturday, he might be the 'chalk' a week from now.
4. Everett Golson (Notre Dame QB, 7/1 odds). After beating Stanford, Notre Dame now has my attention. Likewise, Golson has to be considered a legitimate candidate while the Fighting Irish remain unbeaten. He has 1,383 passing yards and a 13/3 TD-INT ratio. Golson also has four rushing scores to his credit.
5. Marcus Mariota (Oregon QB, 8/1 odds). Mariota still has amazing numbers, including 15 TD passes without an interception. However, Oregon's loss to Arizona was a big hit to his Heisman hopes. With that said, Mariota has plenty of time to impress voters.
The fringe contenders include Texas A&M QB Kenny Hill (15/1), Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah (18/1), FSU QB Jameis Winston (20/1) and Baylor QB Bryce Petty (22/1).
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Brian Edwards is a college football handicapper who contributes a weekly column to The Linemakers on Sporting News. For more valuable information and insight, follow him on Twitter @vegasbedwards and visit his website, BrianEdwardsSports.com.
While Las Vegas sports books are not allowed to accept bets on voted-upon events such as the Heisman Trophy, the wagering option can be found elsewhere, and Brian is providing updated mock odds throughout the college football season.
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