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Matt Corral Becomes Heisman Favorite After Week 3; Rattler’s Odds Plumett

Brady Trettenero

by Brady Trettenero in College Football

Updated Sep 19, 2021 · 3:21 PM PDT

Ole Miss practice
Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral (2) hands off to running back Jerrion Ealy (9) during a morning NCAA college football practice on the Oxford, Miss., campus, Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
  • Ole Miss QB Matt Corral is the new Heisman Trophy favorite after Week 3
  • Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler has faded to +2500 after underwhelming vs Nebraska
  • See the updated Heisman Trophy odds after Week 3 along with betting analysis below

Ole Miss Matt Corral is the new favorite in the Heisman odds following Week 3 of the CFB season. The senior pivot moved passed Alabama’s Bryce Young in the odds after a monstrous performance against Tulane.

Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler saw his odds length to +2500 after underwhelming against Nebraska, while two new running backs have entered the race.

The table below shows the updated Heisman Trophy odds following Week 3 of the season.

2021 Heisman Trophy Odds

Player Odds at FanDuel
Matt Corral (QB, Ole Miss) +150
Bryce Young (QB, Alabama) +400
CJ Stroud (QB, Ohio State) +1600
Sam Howell (QB, UNC) +2000
Desmond Ridder (QB, Cincinnati) +2000
CJ Verdell (RB, Oregon) +2000
Spencer Rattler (QB, Oklahoma) +2500
JT Daniels (QB, Georgia) +2500
TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State) +4000
Anthony Brown (QB, Oregon) +5000
Bijan Robinson (RB, Texas) +5000
Sean Clifford (QB, Penn State) +5000
DJ Uiagalelei (QB, Clemson) +5000
Malik Willis (QB, Liberty) +5000
Kenneth Walker III (RB, Michigan State) +5000

Odds as of September 19th, 2021.

Corral Takes Control 

Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral overtook Alabama’s Bryce Young as the Heisman favorite after showing out against Tulane in Week 3. The Rebels’ pivot accounted for a school-record seven touchdowns in a 61-21 victory over the Green Wave. Corral ran for four TDs and passed for three scores.

Corral accounted for 403 of Ole Miss’ 707 yards of total offense against Tulane. The monstrous performance increased Corral’s Heisman odds from +400 to +150. While the Green Wave aren’t a top G5 program, they gave Oklahoma everything they could handle back in Week 1. This was impressive from Corral and the Rebels.

Corral should be considered the clear Heisman frontrunner entering Week 4. He’s putting up video game numbers on a dynamic Ole Miss offense. The Rebels lead the nation in total offense with 158 points and 1,906 yards through three games.

Ole Miss gets a bye in Week 4 to prepare for Alabama in Week 5. Corral could become the odds-on Heisman favorite if he leads the Rebels to an upset victory over the Crimson Tide. Mississippi lost 63-48 to Alabama last season, but with an improved defense in 2021, they have a better chance at winning this time around.

Young Handles Florida

In his first road game of his collegiate career, Bryce Young handled the pressure and didn’t disappoint. The sophomore pivot completed 22 of 35 passes for 233 yards and two TDs in a 31-29 victory over Florida. Young wasn’t phased by the hostile environment at the Swamp.

Young saw his odds lengthen to +400 after the game, but that was mainly due to Corral’s huge performance. The Tide QB could very well take back that top spot when Ole Miss and Alabama clash in Week 5. The former five-star QB recruit will also get the chance to pad his stats in Week 4 against Southern Miss while Corral is out of action.

Young has thrown for 811 yards and 10 TDs with zero interceptions this season. He’s going to have a hard time matching Corral’s numbers due to Ole Miss’ electric offense, but there’s still a path for him to secure the trophy.

Only one of Alabama and Ole Miss can make the SEC Title game. Given how impressive Georgia’s defense has been, the QB on the top SEC West team could have a huge showcase opportunity in December. The Tide are the top ranked team in the country and have much better odds than Ole Miss of playing for the SEC Championship.

Rattler’s Odds Plummett 

Preseason Heisman Trophy favorite Spencer Rattler of Oklahoma has underwhelmed in the opening weeks of the college football season. Oddsmakers lengthened Rattler’s Heisman price to +2500 after he accounted for two touchdowns in a 23-16 victory over Nebraska. The Sooners entered the game as 22-point favorites and were expected to blowout the Cornhuskers.

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Rattler hasn’t necessarily been bad this season, but he’s been disappointing given the preseason hype and how strongly he finished the 2020 season. Through three games this season, Rattler has thrown for 761 yards and seven touchdowns with two interceptions.

While Rattler hasn’t looked like a Heisman favorite thus far, keep in mind that he started slow last season as well. If you still believe in the former five-star quarterback, you’ll want to take advantage of his new Heisman longshot value before he plays big games against Texas and Iowa State.

Walker, Henderson Enter Race

Two new running backs have entered the Heisman conversation after Week 3. Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III and Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson are both listed among FanDuel’s top-15 after popping off in Week 3. Only one running back has won the Heisman in the past 10 years.

Henderson racked up 277 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-20 Ohio State victory over Tulsa, while Walker III rushed for 172 yards and caught a TD pass in Michigan State’s 38-17 victory over Miami. The Spartans entered the game as touchdown underdogs.

Betting on a running back is always risky, but Walker (+5000) is the better play. He’s been more consistent on a week-to-week basis and isn’t overshadowed by star-studded teammates like Henderson is at Ohio State. Michigan State is undefeated through three games and on track for a special year, which should keep Walker’s name in the conversation.

Other Week 3 Notes

Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei and Miami’s D’Eriq King were the two players who hurt their Heisman stock the most in Week 3. DJ Uiagalelei faded to +5000, while King plummeted to +10000. DJ didn’t have a TD in Clemson’s 14-8 win over Georgia Tech, while King threw two picks as Miami fell to the Spartans.

UNC’s Sam Howell is making a resurgence in the Heisman odds following a disappointing Week 1. Howell’s Heisman odds improved to +2000 after he led his team past Virginia in Week 3. The senior threw five TD passes and ran for 112 yards in a 59-39 victory. With Clemson clearly in a down year, don’t sleep on Howell and the Tar Heels in the ACC.

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