Coming into the college football season, the Heisman Trophy favorites were Ohio State QB CJ Stroud and Alabama QB Bryce Young. Through the first four weeks of the season Stroud has now taken over as the consensus favorite to win the award.
Although both the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide remain undefeated, Stroud’s dominant performance in a 52-21 win over Wisconsin last weekend (281 yards, 5 touchdown passes) solidified his standing as one of the most elite passers that we’ve seen in college football in recent memory.
Young, last season’s Heisman winner, does remain right behind Stroud in the current Heisman odds. Check out the full updated list ahead of Week 5 of the college football season below:
Last season, Stroud forced his way into the Heisman conversation, finishing fourth in the voting, despite losing to rival Michigan and missing out on the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State was a force down the stretch, and in the Rose Bowl, Stroud put together one of the best performances we've ever seen out of a college quarterback, throwing for 573 yards and six touchdowns in a 48-45 win over Utah.
“Just because he did it last year doesn't mean it's just gonna happen this year. If anything else, he’s got a bull's-eye on his chest,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said on 97.1 The Fan recently. “So he's gonna have to bring it right from the jump, and there's a lot that comes with that. A lot of it has to do with leadership and the guys that are around him, and it's got to take everybody on that offense.”
With the Big Ten in full swing, Stroud and the Buckeyes will face off against Rutgers on Saturday at home. But their first true test will come the following week when they travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State.
