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Heisman Trophy odds update: Burrow jumps Tua as new favorite

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It's been brewing for weeks, but after another stellar performance Saturday, it's official: Joe Burrow is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

The LSU quarterback threw for another four touchdowns in a blowout win at Mississippi State, shortening his Heisman odds from 3-1 to 6-5 as of Monday - ahead of Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts (7-5) and Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa (7-2). Burrow is tied for the FBS lead in touchdowns (29), ranks second in passing yards (2,484), and leads all quarterbacks in completion percentage (79.4%).

Burrow opened the year as a 200-1 long shot but immediately put the nation on notice with a five-touchdown performance against Georgia Southern. A week later, his 471 yards and four touchdowns in a win at Texas cemented his spot in the Heisman standings, which he's slowly climbed en route to a 7-0 record for No. 2 LSU.

This week, he finally jumped Tagovailoa, who had matched Burrow's pace all year but left Saturday's win over Tennessee with a high ankle sprain. Coach Nick Saban said the injury will cost his star quarterback one-to-two weeks, which is enough to bump him below Burrow and his former teammate Hurts, who leads the nation in passer rating (226.1) alongside 705 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

Here's the updated oddsboard to win the Heisman Trophy, with a few other notable movers from last week:

Players with 100-1 odds or shorter

PLAYER ODDS PREVIOUS
Joe Burrow 6-5 3-1
Jalen Hurts 7-5 3-1
Tua Tagovailoa 7-2 5-7
Justin Fields 10-1 14-1
Jonathan Taylor 40-1 20-1
Justin Herbert 40-1 80-1
Sam Ehlinger 60-1 60-1
D'Andre Swift 80-1 100-1
Chuba Hubbard 100-1 10000-1
Trevor Lawrence 100-1 40-1

Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State (10-1)

With Burrow taking over as the front-runner, the unofficial Heisman dark horse label now belongs to Fields, who's still a 10-1 shot despite leading a dominant Ohio State squad to a 7-0 record. The Georgia transfer hasn't seen the passing volume of Burrow and Tagovailoa or the rushing attempts of Hurts, but he still ranks in the top five in passing touchdowns (22), quarterback rushing touchdowns (8), passer rating (190.2), and ESPN's QBR (94.5) while throwing just one interception on the year.

The Buckeyes have yet to face a real scare on their schedule, but they host Wisconsin this week and will end the season against Penn State and at Michigan. If Fields continues putting up video-game numbers against stout competition, he could see a Burrow-like ascension in the final weeks.

Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon (40-1)

Is Herbert finally having his Heisman moment? The Ducks quarterback staked his claim in the race Saturday, outshining Washington's Jacob Eason to engineer a 14-point comeback in Seattle and keep Oregon's playoff hopes alive. Herbert finished the game with 280 yards and four touchdowns, both his highest since Week 3, and he ranks sixth in passing TDs (21) with just one pick.

Herbert's case looks a lot like Fields' but with worse efficiency, so it's hard to see the Ducks QB actually cashing a 40-1 ticket even after halving his odds from 80-1. Still, he's got the talent to rip off a stellar run against so-so defenses to end the year.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin (40-1)

Taylor's candidacy was always going to be beyond his control as a running back, and the worst-case scenario happened Saturday. The Badgers back still rushed for 132 yards and a score, extending his touchdown streak to eight games, but three Wisconsin turnovers and two long Illinois touchdowns swung the balance of Saturday's loss and knocked the Badgers from serious playoff contention.

A big performance this Saturday against Ohio State - and a win, too - could change things, but that's Taylor's only chance to restore his stock at this point. With how the Buckeyes are playing, don't count on it.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson (100-1)

It might be time for those who bought Lawrence in the preseason to abandon ship. The Clemson quarterback's odds have been steadily declining despite an undefeated season for the Tigers, and they took their biggest hit this week after a shaky start in Saturday's blowout win over Louisville.

Lawrence, who was the preseason favorite at some books, is now tied on the oddsboard with Chuba Hubbard - who, apologies to Chuba, has no shot of winning. At this rate, neither does Lawrence, who has eight interceptions and a grisly 63.7 completion percentage. His remaining schedule doesn't boast enough quality wins to get cute here; simply stay away.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State (100-1)

Speaking of Hubbard, he may have no shot to win the Heisman, but boy is he fun to watch. The Oklahoma State speedster ripped off another 171 yards and two touchdowns Saturday, slashing his odds from 1,000-1 to a respectable 100-1. He now leads all players with 1,265 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the year - no other player has rushed for 1,000 yards, and only Taylor can match 15 scores.

The issue with Hubbard's case is two-fold: As a running back, he didn't enter the year with enough hype (think Taylor or Travis Etienne) to swing voters this late. Also, his team isn't good enough, having lost three of its last four games. But Hubbard deserves the respect from oddsmakers, even if he's not worth your money.

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.

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