Heisman Trophy Watch: Updated odds, top contenders to win 2021

The Heisman Trophy race enters its final week and the race is still open for the top contenders.

The award will be presented on December 11, with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, the favorite, going to play Saturday against Georgia’s top-ranked team in the SEC championship game. Young led a last-minute comeback in Alabama’s four-overtime win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Nov.

THAN: How Bryce Young, Alabama stunned Auburn by winning 4OT Iron Bow

There are still two other potential candidates who will compete on Saturday. Pitt’s Kenny Pickett will lead the Panthers in the ACC championship game, and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson has a chance to make the final impression in the Big Ten championship game.

The race remains complicated throughout the season, on par for the course in 2021. Here’s a look at current Heisman odds, potential finalists and other must-knows for the Heisman race:

Current Heisman Ratio

Here are the current Heisman odds based on FanDuel.com.

Heisman Top Candidates

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (-220)

Stats for 2021: 3,901 yards, 40 touches, 4 interceptions

Young is in a position to become the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy following Heisman’s finalists AJ McCarron (2013), Tua Tagovailoa (2018) and Mac Jones (2020). He’ll be handing out consecutive winners of the Crimson Tide after DeVonta Smith won the award as a recipient last season. Young took the lead against Auburn at the Iron Bowl last week – a sequence that could be his Heisman moment, depending on how he plays against No. 1 Georgia in the SEC championship game. Young has 20 touchdowns and one interception in five 300-yard games since the Texas A&M loss. He was still the usual front runner in a chaotic race.

CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State (+450)

Stats for 2021: 3,862 yards, 38 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

Stroud is in position as the third consecutive Ohio State quarterback to reach the Heisman Trophy final after Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins. He’s covered more than 300 meters in eight of his 11 starts and is efficient at making an attack averaging 45.5 points per game. Stroud’s best was a 434-yard, 6-touch performance against Michigan State, but the downside would be a loss to Michigan. Stroud had 394 passes and two touches in the loss, but he was not the dominant player on the field. Like Haskins (2018) and Fields (2019), Stroud will likely have to settle to make it to the finals.

THAN: Ohio State vs. Michigan State: 5 crazy stats from the Buckeyes’ halftime break against Sparta

Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss (+2000)

Stats for 2021: 3,334 yards of passing, 20 touches, 4 interceptions, 597 yards forward, 11 touches

Corral is the candidate to eliminate Lamar Jackson in the race. He doesn’t have the benefits of a conference championship game, but he has the stats with 597 yards of dash and 11 touchdowns along with his passing stats. Ole Miss is likely to hit a six-bowl on New Year’s Day in the second season of Lane Kiffin. Corral hasn’t had a single special moment, and he hasn’t played well in the losses to Alabama and Auburn. However, if you’re looking for one of those winable team MVP type contenders by default, Corral has a chance.

Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt (+2000)

Stats for 2021: 4,066 yards, 40 touches, 7 interceptions, 221 dashes, 4 touches

Pickett was an interesting contender last weekend who could impress in the ACC championship game. The elderly quarterback has eight games at 300 yards or more, and he led the Panthers to thrilling victories over Clemson and North Carolina at home. The Panthers have lost two games, and the Western Michigan game is still a battle of wits. But Pickett could win some votes by leading Pitt past Wake Forest in the conference title game. He is a safe bet to at least make it to the final.

Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan (+2000)

Stats for 2021: 51 tackles, 14 tackles conceded, 12.5 tackles, 8 midfield saves, 2 forced fumbles

Looking for late voting candidates? Hutchison impressed with a three-bag performance against opponents Ohio State on Saturday (also drawing two penalties), and that came two weeks after a three-bag performance against Penn State. Hutchinson emerged as a major player in the spotlight games and he got one more chance to build on that in the Big Ten championship game against Iowa. Charles Woodson is the only major defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Could this be the year another Michigan player follows in his footsteps?

Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State (+2000)

Stats for 2021: 263 attempts, 1,636 meters, 6.2 meters each, 19 touches in total

Walker led Michigan State to 10 wins during the season and delivered one of the best performances of the 2021 season against Michigan on October 30. He finished with 23 executions for 197 yards and 5 times. touch the ball in a 37-33 win. Walker, however, was a no-factor with six 25-meter runs in a 56-7 loss to Ohio State three weeks later. Walker finished second in FBS in the rush measures, and with four finalists, he’d put a pretty good bet on going to New York, depending on which quarterback is likely to earn the prize.

THAN: Who is Kenneth Walker III? Meet Big Ten’s Newest Star RB

When does the Heisman Cup ceremony take place?

The Heisman will be awarded on December 11, a week after the conventions hold their conference championship games. Last year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was held virtual, and has until January 5. This year, the ceremony returns to normal in mid-December.

Will this be the closest Heisman race?

With no clear front runner, this year’s race could be the same as 2009. That’s when Alabama re-run Mark Ingram (1,304 points) over Stanford’s Toby Gerhart (1,276) to win the prize, despite a loss. Doak Walker Award (Best Back Run) for the Cardinal Fast Runner.

Texas’ Colt McCoy (1,145) finished third, and Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska (815) finished fourth. This race may not come close, but it could look like the same field if two quarterbacks, Walker and Hutchinson end up in the final.