Pre-Season Heisman Odds

The college football season is quickly approaching and fans should have already begun to think about the players they feel have the best chance of winning the 2009-2010 Heisman Trophy.

The Heisman Trophy, which goes to the best performing college football player of the year, is often times won by either a running back or a quarterback. This upcoming football season bring three potential quarterback winners of the Heisman in Texas’s Colt McCoy, Florida’s Tim Tebow and Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford.

Let’s take a look at the Heisman Trophy Futures.

 Heisman Trophy Futures

1. Colt McCoy, Texas, +275 - - The Texas quarterback gets to play behind an offensive line with tons of experience. Not only that but he has been fantastic the past two years and no doubt is going into his best season. He can potentially improve off of the amazing 173.5 quarterback rating. Great offensive weapons, a BCS winning coach, and a super defense means that McCoy takes home the trophy.

2. Tim Tebow, Florida, +200 - - Tebow won the Heisman in 2007 and probably should have won it last year, but quarterback Sam Bradford got the award. Still, two Heismans in the last 3 years is good enough for Tebow and the Gators. Florida is a +175 favorite to win its second straight BCS Championship in 2009-2010. The only way it does that is if Tebow provides the magic. He’ll be playing behind an inexperienced offensive line, but that shouldn’t hurt his chances.

3. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, +275 - - Bradford won the Heisman Trophy in 2008 and will be looking to do the same in 2009, but winning back to back Heismans is almost impossible to do. Not only that but Bradford’s offensive line won’t be nearly as dominating and Oklahoma was exposed in the BCS Championship last year. I like the Sooners and I like Bradford but at the odds, McCoy is the better wager.

4. Evan Royster, Penn State, +1200 - - One of two things will happen to the Penn State running back. One, because his offensive line is inexperienced, he will be absolutely pummeled early and often and won’t even be in the discussion for the Heisman by mid-season. Two, because his offensive line is inexperienced, Joe Pa and the rest of the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff will lean on him with regularity and go back to Big Ten pounding the ball and sending him into the flat and he’ll have a huge season. I’m betting that number two happens.

5. Jahvid Best, California, +1000 - - The Golden Bear running back carried the ball 20 times for a 9.3 average, 186 yards and scored 2 touchdowns in California’s 24 to 17 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the Emerald Bowl last season. He plays in the Pac-10 where defenses are virtually non-existent and there’s no doubt that Cal knows their only chance of winning the Pac-10 is to lean heavily on him.

6. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State, +800 - - Yes, he’s flashy, fast, and flat out good, but he plays for a traditional Big Ten team and will have to do his running in the cold. I say running because the jury is still out on Pryor as a passer. He’s got the guts to be a star but his offensive line is inexperienced and the Big Ten…well, the Big Ten just hasn’t produced big time playmakers since Braylon Edwards. He could get lost on this list.

Best Long Shot

Joe McKnight, USC, +3000 - - A great offensive line and an inexperienced quarterback means that the bigger, some say faster, Reggie Bush gets the ball more often in 2009. USC will want to keep their star happy and the running back by committee way that they do things in L.A. looks good but really didn’t produce the needed results in 2008. If Pete Carroll goes with one guy and one guy only in the backfield, it will be McKnight. At 30 to 1, a wager might be a good idea.