Why Hendon Hooker should still lead the Heisman race despite Tennessee’s loss to Georgia

“Heisman winner Hendon Hooker” is still a very real possibility.

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker has been the favorite for the Heisman for some time now.

However, Georgia’s dominant 27-13 win against Tennessee on Saturday showed Hooker wasn’t immune to the Bulldogs’ elite defense.

Will Hooker’s struggles Between the Hedges hinder his Heisman Trophy hopes? While Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud could finish with a perfect record, history still swings in the Vols QB’s favor.

At the moment, Vegas is putting the best odds on Stroud (+150) with Hooker right behind him (+175). Though, it could very well still be Hooker who hoists the trophy come December.

He’s still got a lot going for him in the Heisman race.

The Heisman voters love a good story, and Hooker’s got the best one of anybody vying for the trophy this year.

While Tennessee 7-6 campaign in 2021 led some folks to believe the Vols would definitely be improved this season, nobody in Knoxville or beyond could have seen Tennessee emerge as one of the towering programs of 2022.

A lot of that is on the combination of Hooker and head coach Josh Heupel, who might still be the favorite to win Coach of the Year honors for his role in leading the Vols’ shocking resurgence.

Grinding out any college football schedule can be a cruel process, particularly one as daunting as Tennessee’s. The team’s monumental defeat of Alabama last month cemented the Vols as the college football world’s new “it team” — along with wins over Florida, LSU and Kentucky — but running into Georgia’s buzzsaw defense seems to have dimmed the Rocky Top excitement.

An accomplished quarterback like Stroud might lead Hooker in the statistical department, but he won’t have the narrative, the goodwill, the strength-of-schedule arguments and the sheer force of recognition Hooker has forged for himself at Neyland this year.

Plus, the Buckeyes — who are on a bye in Week 10 — still have their own lofty test against Michigan on November 26 in what might as well be the Big Ten title game. With a trip to the SEC championship game likely off the table now, the Vols only have Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt left on the schedule.

Tennessee fans might be deflated by the team’s loss to Georgia, but things are still looking up for the Vols. A College Football Playoff spot is still well within reach if the team takes care of business, and Hooker’s Heisman is still well within reason.

It’s not the lock some would’ve expected if the Vols had topped the Bulldogs. Stroud will likely go before Hooker in the 2023 NFL Draft, but Hooker could still in the driver’s seat for college football’s top individual honor.

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