Jalen Hurts Explodes for 686 Yards in Week 1 Win Over Houston; Heisman Odds Improve to +500

• Jalen Hurts accounted for 686 total yards and six touchdowns in his debut
• No. 10 Texas and No. 21 Iowa State are the only ranked teams on OU’s schedule
• Tua Tagovailoa had 336 passing yards and three touchdowns in his debut

Jalen Hurts had an incredible Sunday night debut with the Oklahoma, setting a school record for most total yards in a first appearance as a Sooner.

With that type of performance, he shot up the board in odds to win the Heisman Trophy. Did he just take advantage of a terrible Houston Cougars defense or is Hurts worth a look?

 2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

*Odds taken 09/02/19 .

Hurts Impresses In Debut

Hurts entered the season in the neighborhood of +900 in terms of his average Heisman Trophy odds. Those have now shortened to +500 after his incredible performance in Week 1. Hurts finished the night with 332 passing yards, 176 rushing yards and six total touchdowns.

It’s clear that Oklahoma is going to have an incredible offense this season and Hurts, is going to pile up Heisman-worthy numbers. While he won’t face defenses like Houston’s each week, the schedule is pretty light. Texas and Iowa State are the only two defenses in conference play that should challenge him this season.

I’m still a bit skeptical of Hurts as a passer. I’m not entirely sure if he can stand in the pocket and deliver consistently against a good defense. If he doesn’t have a meltdown against Texas, though, he’ll be among the frontrunners to win the award.

Lawrence Struggles In Week 1

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence hurt his Heisman cause in Week 1 as he had a very shaky outing. Although Clemson stomped Georgia Tech 52-14, Lawrence had just 168 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. A strong performance in Week 2 against No. 12 Texas A&M will wash away those memories, but it was not a good start for him.

Tagovailoa Looked Sharp

Tua Tagovailoa and the Alabama Crimson Tide had a slow start in their game against Duke, but they eventually rolled to an easy 42-3 victory. Tagovailoa looked very crisp, as he finished the day with 336 passing yards and four touchdowns.

If the stats are comparable, Tua figures to have an edge because of the schedules. Alabama faces No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 6 LSU, No. 16 Auburn, along with the rest of their SEC West schedule. Clemson only has Texas A&M and No. 22 Syracuse in terms of current ranked teams, and Oklahoma only faces No. 10 Texas and No. 21 Iowa State, who had to go to triple overtime to beat FCS Northern Iowa this week.

Who’s the Best Bet?

Although Hurts odds have dropped, I see it as a bit of an overreaction after one week. He’s not the passer that Kyler Murray or Baker Mayfield were and I expect him to get exposed in at least one game.

Lawrence’s rough start could hurt his chances – along with a soft schedule – so I’m sticking with Tua Tagovailoa.