Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker is the surprising new candidate for the Heisman Cup heading into his team’s showdown with the #1 Georgia Bulldogs. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
climb ladder
Several major sportsbooks including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Caesars have named Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker as the favorites for the Heisman Cup heading into the ninth week of the college football season.
Jump to the top of the ranking
Hooker started the season with an outside shot in winning the award, but there were no real expectations of competing with heavy hitters like CJ Stroud, defending champion Bryce Young, and Caleb Williams. However, a stellar weekly performance, and his crowning moment in a 52-49 win over Alabama, saw him top the rankings.
Hooker and the #2 Volunteers face Georgia #1 this weekend in a match that is sure to decide the SEC East regular season championship, potentially determining whether or not he wins the sport’s most sought-after singles award.
Heisman Chances of Hendon Hooker
Hooker experienced a meteoric rise during his two years in Tennessee after moving from Virginia Tech. His season stats read that he had 2,338 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and only one interception, along with 338 rushing yards and four TDs on the floor.
No player in Tennessee’s acclaimed history as a show has won a Heisman Award, not even all players like Peyton Manning and Reggie White.
All of the above sportsbooks contain Tennessee QB either -110 or +100 Favorite to win the prize, with Ohio QB Stroud being the only one in close contact. Michigan trailing Blake Corum, USC QB Caleb Williams and Oregon QB Bo Nix are out of the top five, though all three are at least +1,500 in weighting.
The best match of his prosperous career came against Alabama, who was ranked third at the time
Hooker has all the ingredients for a Heisman winner, including stats, team record, and shining moments. The best game of his burgeoning career came in the standoff with third-placed Alabama at the time, throwing for 385 yards, five touchdowns and running for 56 yards. He also threw a game-equalizing touchdown with 3:26 on the clock and then led a game-winning campaign, which culminated in a field goal with the time out.
It now appears that a prostitute is only one win from the prize lockup. It will be his toughest challenge yet, but he and the rest of the Tennessee crew seem ready for it.
Important weekend
Any pro-Tennessee bettor should head to the sports betting book as soon as possible. Volunteers are 8.5 vulnerabilities on FanDuel and +260 on the money line and will be given big payouts if they complete their surprise offer.
The biggest discrepancy in No. 1 vs. No. 2 matches since 2013
The streak has already turned down after opening at nine points, which ties the biggest discrepancy at No. 1 to No. 2 games since 2013 when top-ranked Florida was also favored by a nine over rival Auburn.
The Bulldogs allow for the third-lowest number of points per game (12) among all Division I football teams and have not allowed anyone to score more than 22 points this season. On the other hand, Tennessee ranks first in the country in points per game (49.4) and yards per game (553.0) on offense. Georgia ranks sixth and second in those categories.
UGA won last year’s game 41-17 thanks to a stifling defensive performance. Hooker was limited to 244 yards, touchdowns and interceptions to 24-37 passes.
