What Does CJ Stroud Need to Do Against Michigan to Lock Up Heisman?

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is the new odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after last week’s impressive win over Michigan State. Stroud went 32-for-35 with six touchdowns and 432 yards; a 91.43 competition percentage for those keeping track at home.

That performance was enough to vault Stroud over Alabama’s Bryce Young and into the top spot on the odds board. The freshman signal-caller now has 3,468 passing yards and 36 touchdowns against five interceptions. 

Young also had an impressive game last weekend and even set the single-game passing record at Alabama with 559 yards in the Crimson Tide’s 42-35 victory over Arkansas. 

Stroud joins an elite group who have led the Heisman odds this season including Spencer Rattler and Matt Corral. 

Here are the current lines at WynnBET Sportsbook for the Heisman Trophy:

• CJ Stroud -350
• Bryce Young +260
• Field +5000
• Matt Corral +5000
• Desmond Ridder +8000
• Brian Robinson Jr. +50000
• Chris Olave +50000

It’s pretty clear even with just a glance that this is a two-horse race between Stroud and Young. So, what does the Buckeyes QB need to do to secure his Heisman?

First, Ohio State has to march into the Big House and beat Ohio State. If they do, then Stroud not only has the stats to win the Heisman but also will have set his team up to win a national title. The Heisman is a regular-season award so the results of the playoff shouldn’t matter. But, leading your team to the CFP and the Big Ten title game still looks good on a resume.

The one thing standing in his way is the Michigan Wolverines' defense. UM has the sixth-ranked defense in the nation in points per game allowed (16.3) and opponent yards per game (306.2). Opponents are averaging 5.8 yards per pass against them which is fifth-best in the country and just 178.4 yards per game. Now, Stroud is not an average player but even still he has to be a little concerned about this defense. 

Win or lose, I think that last week’s performance cemented Stroud as the Heisman Trophy winner. Unless he goes out and lays an egg or Young has some godly performance, this is Stroud's year. The only knock against him is he struggled early on and didn’t really turn it on until mid-season. To me, this makes his stat lines that much more impressive and should be viewed as a positive. Stroud didn’t succumb to his early-season struggles and broke out in an incredible fashion.