By Larry Rupp
It wasn’t exactly a tale of David & Goliath, but the Georgia Bulldogs finally got the job done for the first time since 1980. Head coach Kirby Smart got the best of his former boss Nick Saban and guided his team to a 33-18 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2021 College Football National Championship.
With the season officially complete and in the rear view mirror, it is time to start looking ahead. Odds are already up on VegasInsider for which player will take home the Heisman Trophy in 2022. Let’s take a look at the two quarterbacks that can be found far and away at the top of the list.
Bryce Young (+250)
It shouldn’t be surprising to see the reigning Heisman Trophy winner check in with the best odds here. Bryce Young led Alabama to the title game by passing for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns. He also completed a reliable 67.0% of his pass attempts and threw only 7 interceptions. There’s very little reason to believe that he cannot replicate his success with an entire summer to improve on his weaknesses.
Yes, the Crimson Tide are set to lose a number of playmakers to the NFL such as offensive lineman Evan Neal and wide receiver Jameson Williams. However, Saban boasts the No. 2 2022 recruiting class in the nation that includes numerous 4-star wideouts. Young is going to have the offensive skill players around him to achieve greatness. It’s not unrealistic to think he could put up 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns next season.
The 20-year-old out of California is the guy to beat and could become the second player in history to take home the Heisman in back-to-back seasons. Ohio State running back Archie Griffin earned the honor in both 1974 & 1975.
It was a Heisman-worthy season for Bryce Young 👏 🏆
— ESPN (@espn) December 12, 2021
( 📍 @NissanUSA) pic.twitter.com/JQFixc0rTZ
CJ Stroud (+500)
The only other player relatively close to Young in the odds is Ohio State starter CJ Stroud. The Buckeyes quarterback was shaky to start this past season and initially struggled with his accuracy. He bounced back in a big way during the second half of his freshman year, though. Stroud ended the season completing an impressive 71.4% of his pass attempts for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns (6 interceptions).
The 20-year-old eventually came in fourth in the Heisman voting. By the end of the season, Stroud was placing the ball where only his receivers could catch it. He even posted a school record 573 passing yards in the Rose Bowl to top it all off.
Stroud wasn’t a four-star recruit by chance. Head coach Ryan Day knew what this dual-threat QB could bring to his offense. His arm talent rivals that of anyone in the country and his ability to scramble out of the pocket comes in handy when blitzed. Stroud joins running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in what is sure to be an explosive offense in 2022.
C.J. was slinging it. 🎯
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) January 2, 2022
We have all of his @rosebowlgame record 6 TD passes in the video below.@CJ7STROUD // @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/iLioTbUCea
The rest of the top six is rounded out by quarterback Caleb Williams (+800), Texas running back Bijan Robinson (+1600), quarterback Tyler Van Dyke of Miami (+2000), and Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (+2000).
Picture Credit: Flickr
