Less than two months ago, he was the Heisman favorite. In fact, Spencer Rattler had all the key ingredients one looks for when scouting for the award.
Quarterback? Check.
Favorable offense with an offensively charged head coach? Check.
Major college football program? Check.
I didn’t bet Rattler to win the Heisman. But I understand why people did, even if they did so at 3/1 or 4/1. But now? He can be yours for 80/1 at BetMGM.
Do not — and I cannot emphasize this enough — bet him. Take that money and give it to charity. Bet on ping-pong. Whatever. Just not this.
For an undefeated team coming off its most exciting win of the year, Oklahoma has a fascinating quarterback conundrum brewing. After calls from Sooners fans for the backup quarterback a few weeks ago, Lincoln Riley finally benched Rattler on Saturday in favor of freshman Caleb Williams after another slow start against Texas.
Williams responded with 212 yards passing, 88 yards rushing and three touchdowns. More importantly, he led Oklahoma to a thrilling 55-48 victory over its rival.
At this point, one has to assume that Williams will start moving forward. If Riley goes back to Rattler, the fans will self-combust. So will I, for that matter.
Regardless, it’s hard to find a parallel to the kind of season Rattler has endured. While plenty of Heisman favorites have disappointed in the past, I can’t think of many who have been outright benched. The fact that his team is still unbeaten makes it even weirder.
Players underperform. Teams disappoint. I’ve had countless Heisman wagers go sideways over the years. But Rattler is in his own category: a former five-star recruit with loads of talent who could still end up in the NFL come spring, stay with his program or transfer out of Oklahoma in need of a fresh start.
I’d actually prefer to bet on this, quite frankly.
The friction is fresh, and so much is still to be decided. But one thing is clear: Anyone holding a Rattler Heisman ticket might as well toss that thing away. And the drama in Norman for an unbeaten team, still very much in the mix of a College Football Playoff appearance, is just beginning.
Tidbits & observations
- We need to talk about Kenneth Walker. Michigan State’s star running back is having an absurd season, and he is doing it for an unbeaten team. Against Rutgers, Walker ran for 233 yards — his second 200-yard game of the year — and through six games, he has 933 yards. Walker has run his way into the Heisman conversation, and at 14/1 odds to win the aforementioned trophy, his performances are no longer a secret. What an awesome, fun player.
- Iowa, what a win! As a homer for the Hawkeyes, that is about as thrilling of a football outcome as I can remember. With that said, the loss of Penn State QB Sean Clifford flipped that game immensely. If he doesn’t exit, Iowa doesn’t win. I still think the Hawkeyes are a great team, but they have to find more offense. The passing game has to get better, or they will stumble in one of these games.