From +15000 Odds to +750, Joe Burrow Heisman Hype Reaches Insane New Heights

• Joe Burrow had 417 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception against No. 9 Texas
• His Heisman odds have improved more than any other player in the nation since the season started
• Burrow is worth a flier at +1800 as he’ll be in the running if LSU loses once or less this season

Joe Burrow has been very impressive through his first two games of the season. After carving up the Texas Longhorns in primetime last Saturday night, his Heisman Trophy odds shortened significantly.

OVer the course of the week, they have kept trending in the same direction. A +15000 afterthought in the offseason, he’s now as short as +750  and +1200, on average, in the updated 2019 Heisman odds.

However, sportsbooks still have him up at +1800. Is he worth a bet at that comparatively long price?

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

*Odds taken September 09/11/19.

Burrow’s Shines Versus Texas

Nobody was overly impressed with Burrow when he threw for 278 yards and five touchdowns in LSU’s opener because it came against Georgia Southern. However, he showed his growth and precision in Week 2, leading the Tigers to a win over No. 9 Texas.

Burrow finished with 471 yards, four touchdowns and one pick in one of the best performances ever by an LSU quarterback.

When Burrow came onto the scene last year, it appeared LSU had finally found a competent passer.  But at that point, he was still seen as a game manager who avoided mistakes, for the most part.

On Saturday, the LSU coaching staff put the game in his hands – especially in the fourth quarter with the game on the line – and he delivered.

With new “passing game coordinator” Joe Brady, the Tigers showed that they’re not only going to be aggressive this season, but they’re going to put the ball in Burrow’s hands a lot. They trust him.

As a result of that relationship and his performance, Burrow has now entered the Heisman Trophy conversation in a huge way.

LSU’s Schedule Will Get Much More Challenging

There’s no question that Saturday was a great game for Burrow and he’s likely to have a fantastic season. However, LSU’s schedule is going to get a lot tougher in the coming weeks and I’m expecting him to stumble. I don’t think he’ll continue to put up video-game numbers as he works his way through the SEC part of the calendar.

Things start to get tougher on October 12th when the Tigers get a visit from No. 9 Florida. While the Gators have a weak offense, their defense is among the best. Starting with the  Florida tilt, LSU will face three top-ten opponents in a span of four weeks (Florida, Alabama and Auburn) along with a date against a good Mississippi State team.

The issue here is two-fold: Burrow could slip up and Burrow could have good-but-muted offensive numbers. In either case, it could really hurt his standing for the Heisman – especially when players like Tua Tagovailoa should have ridiculous numbers almost every week.

Speaking of Tua, he’s got a much easier schedule to deal with this season, while Trevor Lawrence has already played his toughest games. He should be able to put up big numbers without breaking much of a sweat the rest of the way.

What’s The Best Bet?

At +1800, Burrow is worth a small flier. If LSU beats Alabama and finishes with one loss or fewer, he’ll be in the conversation. At +1800, that’s worth a bet. However, I still think someone else ends up winning the award.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDZkJynpRZE

Jalen Hurts (+700) is in great shape as he probably won’t face a good defense all year in the Big 12.

He’ll have ridiculous stats under Lincoln Riley, and he’ll be hard to contend with if Oklahoma only loses once this season.