Bo Nix solidifies his spot as Heisman favorite

Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels entered the final week of the regular season as the favorites to take home college football’s most prestigious individual award. Both had outstanding performances, meaning this year’s Heisman Trophy race could be one of the closer votes in recent memory.

Nix led No. 6 Oregon to a dominant 31-7 win over Oregon State on Friday night, throwing for 367 yards and a pair of touchdowns while clinching a spot in the Pac-12 title game. Meanwhile, Daniels had another impressive outing of his own, totaling 355 yards (235 passing, 120 rushing) and four touchdowns in LSU’s 42-30 win over Texas A&M on Saturday.

While Nix and Daniels appear to be the clear-cut leaders to take home this year’s Heisman Trophy, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe also had a big game on Saturday, throwing for 259 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding 107 yards on the ground in Alabama’s comeback win over Auburn.

Let’s take a look at how the Heisman favorites performed in Week 13, and how that could shake up the odds next week.

1. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: -115

“I think I made my case to get invited up there,” Daniels said when asked if he felt he did enough to get invited to New York for this year’s Heisman Trophy presentation. The dual-threat signal-caller had another outstanding outing in a 42-30 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. Daniels completed 16 of 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 120 yards on the ground. It marked the ninth game this season that Daniels has totaled at least four touchdowns. Through 12 games, Daniels has 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns through the air, in addition to 1,134 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores.

Next: TBD

2. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: +130

With a spot in the Pac-12 championship game on the line, Nix delivered once again. The Ducks’ senior QB connected on 33 of 40 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns in Oregon’s 31-7 win over Oregon State on Friday night. Nix also added 31 yards and a score on the ground as the Ducks improved to 11-1 and will now face Washington in the final Pac-12 championship game before both the Ducks and Huskies head to the Big Ten. Nix finished the regular season completing 79% of his passes for 4,273 yards and 39 passing touchdowns. 

Next: Vs. Washington in the Pac-12 championship game on Dec. 1.

No. 6 Oregon blows out No. 16 Oregon State in 31-7 win

3. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: +600

Penix did not do much to boost his Heisman Trophy campaign on Saturday, but he did do just enough to lead the Huskies to a 24-21 win over rival Washington State and complete a 12-0 regular season. The senior signal-caller completed just 18 of his 33 passes for 204 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Penix missed on several throws throughout the game, but he answered the bell when his team needed it, connecting with Rome Odunze for a 21-yard touchdown strike on the final play of the third quarter, which gave the Huskies a 21-14 lead. Penix will have the chance to flash his passing skills when Washington battles Nix and Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.

Next: Vs. Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game on Dec. 1.

4. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: +4000

Harrison had a chance to boost his Heisman stock with a huge game and a victory over rival Michigan on Saturday. The All-American wide receiver hauled in five catches for a game-high 118 yards and a touchdown, but unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it came in a 30-24 loss to the Wolverines. Harrison has now topped the 100-yard receiving mark in eight of OSU’s 12 games this season. He finished the regular season with 67 catches for 1,211 yards and a jaw-dropping 14 touchdown catches.

Next: TBD

5. Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: +8000

Beck’s first season as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback has been a major success up to this point. The junior signal-caller capped off the regular season with a solid performance in Georgia’s 31-23 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday night. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown as the Bulldogs improved to 12-0 and completed a third straight undefeated regular season.

Next: Vs. Alabama in the SEC championship game on Dec. 2.

6. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: +15000

Milroe might not win this year’s Heisman Trophy, but he could argue that he has played as well as any player in the country in the second half of the season. The dual-threat QB had another memorable performance on Saturday, with his best moment coming late in the game with Alabama’s season on the line. Trailing 24-20, Milroe dropped back and found Isaiah Bond on fourth-and-31 with 32 seconds left to give the Crimson Tide a 27-24 win over Auburn and their 10th straight victory. Milroe finished 16-of-24 for 259 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding a game-high 107 yards on the ground. 

Next: Vs. Georgia in the SEC championship game on Dec. 2.

7. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan: +20000

Corum returned to Michigan for his senior season with huge expectations, and that included beating rival Ohio State for a third straight year. Mission accomplished. The do-it-all running back rushed for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes 30-24 while completing a perfect regular season and stamping their ticket to the Big Ten championship game. Corum now has 22 rushing touchdowns this season, which leads the country and is a single-season school record.

Next: Vs. Iowa in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 2.

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T8. Ollie Gordon III, RB, Oklahoma State: +30000

Gordon put on a rushing clinic as Oklahoma State rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat BYU, 40-34, securing a spot in the Big 12 championship game. The Cowboys’ sophomore back carried the ball 34 times for 166 yards and an eye-popping five touchdowns. Gordon entered the week as the nation’s leading rusher, and he now has 1,580 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground this season.

Next: Vs. Texas in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2.

T8. Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State: +30000

McCord didn’t have his best game on Saturday, but he did make plenty of clutch throws, helping keep the Buckeyes in a tight battle with the Wolverines. The junior signal-caller finished the game 18-of-30 for 271 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His second interception came on the Buckeyes’ final drive of the game as they were moving down the field and looking to take the lead. McCord finished the regular season with 3,170 yards and 24 passing touchdowns.

Next: TBD

T8. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: +30000

McCarthy likely won’t win this year’s Heisman Trophy, but that shouldn’t take away from his memorable 2023 season. The junior signal-caller completed 16 of 20 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown in the Wolverines’ 30-24 win over Ohio State. McCarthy improved to 24-1 as a starter at Michigan. Through 12 games this season, he has completed 74.3% of his passes for 2,483 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Next: Vs. Iowa in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 2.

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