Bryce Young Retakes Lead in Heisman Odds; Ridder Surges

• Bryce Young has retaken the lead in the Heisman odds after beating Matt Corral’s Ole Miss in Week 5
• Desmond Ridder’s odds improved after he led Cincinatti past Notre Dame
• Read below to see the updated Heisman Trophy odds after Week 5 of the season

Alabama’s Bryce Young is back on top in the Heisman odds after beating Matt Corral and Ole Miss in Week 5. Corral had a slight lead on the Alabama pivot entering the big showdown in Tuscaloosa.

Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder is rising in the odds after leading his Bearcats past Notre Dame over the weekend. Texas running back Bijan Robinson also made a major leap after torching TCU.

The table below shows the updated Heisman odds following Week 5 of the season.

2021 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds as of  October 3rd, 2021, at DraftKings. 

Young Outduels Corral

In a Week 5 showdown between the two Heisman Trophy favorites, it was the young sophomore who took down the experienced senior. Bryce Young passed for 241 yards and two TDs with one interception as Alabama beat Ole Miss 42-21. Young entered the game as the second-favorite in the Heisman odds behind Matt Corral.

Heisman favorites Matt Corral and Bryce Young go head-to-head today 🍿

Which QB1 is balling out? pic.twitter.com/CBxXJ2popq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 2, 2021

Young got the better of Corral, but it wasn’t the type of superstar performance required to lock up the Heisman. The Crimson Tide relied heavily on running back Brian Robinson Jr., who rushed for 171 yards and four touchdowns. His monster performance was the latest example of why it’s been so hard for an Alabama QB to win a Heisman trophy.

Corral was kept in check by Alabama’s elite defense, passing for 213 yards and one TD while losing a fumble. He also added a rushing score. Corral only faded from +150 to +180, which speaks to how impressive his season has otherwise been. One mediocre showing against the top team in the country isn’t going to end his Heisman campaign.

Ridder Defeats Fighting Irish

Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder is rising in the Heisman Trophy odds after leading his team past Notre Dame in Week 5. Ridder passed for 297 yards and accounted for three touchdowns in a huge 24-13 victory. The Bearcats handed the Fighting Irish their first home loss in over four years.

DESMOND RIDDER AIN’T WORRIEDpic.twitter.com/YaVqJkWi1G

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 2, 2021

While Ridder’s Heisman odds improved from +1500 to +1000 after the victory,  he still remains a significant distance back of the two favorites. It’s typically very hard for any Group of Five player to get near the Heisman conversation, which makes Ridder all the more impressive. No G5 player has even won the trophy and the last top-three finalist was NIU’s Jordan Lynch in 2013.

Ridder’s going to be hard-pressed to actually win the Heisman, but there’s value betting on him to be one of the finalists. Cincinnati is undefeated through four games and has a good chance at running the table. There will be conversations about whether the Bearcats deserve a spot in the CFP, which means there should also be talks about Ridder and the Heisman.

Robinson Catching Fire

Week 5 was very good for players with the last name “Robinson”. Alabama’s Brian Robinson Jr. and Texas’ Bijan Robinson both saw their Heisman odds improve to +3500 after Week 5. The Robinson in orange is the one you want to turn your attention towards, as he doesn’t have the Heisman front-runner as a teammate.

Bijan Robinson put the Longhorns on his BACK 😤

⭐️ 35 carries (career-high)
⭐️ 216 yards (career-high)
⭐️ 2 TDs @Bijan5Robinson (📸: @TexasFootball) pic.twitter.com/wzz8d6USGy

— Overtime (@overtime) October 2, 2021

Longhorns’ Bijan Robinson rushed for a career-high 216 yards on 35 carries in a 32-27 victory over TCU. The explosive sophomore put the team on his back in the fourth quarter, rushing six consecutives times on Texas’ final drive to secure the victory. Robinson has now rushed for at least 100 yards in four of five games.

There is a large group of elite running backs this season, but Robinson’s 652 rushing yards rank only behind MSU’s Kenneth Walker III (680). Robinson could become the leader of this group if he shows out against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game next weekend. The Longhorns beating the Sooners would do wonders for Robinson’s Heisman hopes.

Other Week 5 Notes

After Young and Corral, the Heisman race is still fairly wide-open. Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud are both trending up after slow starts to the season. Stroud was the bigger mover this weekend, going from +4000 to +2200 after lighting up Rutgers. Stroud threw for 330 yards and a career-high five TDs in a 52-13 drubbing of the Scarlet Knights.

🔥🌰 @OhioStateFB QB @CJ7Stroud was in his bag today. pic.twitter.com/HWMBH16qTs

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 2, 2021

Rattler, meanwhile, passed for 243 yards and two TDs in a 37-31 win over Kansas State. It was a much-needed bounce-back performance from the preseason Heisman favorite, who was booed by his own fans the previous week against WVU. Through five games, Rattler has thrown for 1,260 yards and 10 TDs with four picks.

Michigan State’s Walker III was another notable riser following Week 5. The junior rushed for 126 yards and three TDs in a 48-31 victory over Kentucky. Much like Texas’ Robinson with OU, Walker can cement his name in the Heisman conversation by showing out against powerhouses Penn State and Ohio State later in the season.

This is a great look at what makes @MSU_Football star @Kenneth_Walker9 so good. 😱 pic.twitter.com/DVII51E2eM

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 3, 2021

Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett has made his first appearance in the Heisman top-15 after throwing for 389 yards and four TDs in a win over Georgia Tech. The fifth-year senior has passed for 19 TDs with just one interception this season. He’s been flying under the radar, but will get a chance for a “Heisman moment” in Week 8 against Clemson.