Arch Manning Heisman odds sink as Texas QB struggles in opener vs. Ohio State
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Arch Manning was the outright preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Some shops like BetMGM had him priced at +600 to win the most coveted individual award in college football.
Following a third-quarter interception, Manning’s Heisman odds sank across the board.
The latest Heisman odds show Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik as the new favorite. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is also near the top of the board at most shops. Things will stabilize a bit in the days ahead, but Saturday’s live odds shift underscored just how much Manning struggled in his unofficial starting debut.
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At the time of publication, Manning had dropped from +600 prior to the game to +1200 at BetMGM early in the fourth quarter. Ohio State almost picked Manning a second time in the fourth, and that might have sent his odds tumbling even more, but the pass from Manning was ruled incomplete.
FanDuel priced Manning at +1300 at the time of publication. His odds were tied with Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and trailed the 2 passers from LSU and Clemson.
Smith had slightly shorter odds (+1200) than Manning (+1400) at DraftKings at the time of publication.
According to ESPN’s David Purdum, Manning dropped from a pregame price of +650 to a live +1800 at ESPN Bet.
Manning was the outright favorite everywhere prior to the start of the game between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State, and he had been for months leading up to the start of the season.
In a scoreless (and historic) first half, Manning completed 5 of his 10 pass attempts for 26 yards. He completed 4 of his 5 pass attempts in the third quarter, but those 4 completions only gained 12 yards. Ohio State also drove 68 yards in 7 plays for a touchdown after picking Manning off late in the third.
There’s still plenty of time for Manning to recover, and for some, the underwhelming opener might create a buy-low opportunity. Manning will get a few weeks against significantly weaker defenses to recoup, as Texas will play 3 straight home games against San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston throughout September.
But the start certainly didn’t inspire much confidence the third-year passer could actually meet the sky-high expectations he faced.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
