Before The Snap: Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud jumps Alabama’s Bryce Young as Heisman favorite

Welcome to Before The Snap, For The Win’s college football series where we’ll break down the sport’s trending storylines, examine each week’s biggest matchups and track the College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy races.

After college football’s Week 12 games, the Heisman Trophy race has a new frontrunner in Ohio State freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

And he’s a slight favorite over Alabama sophomore quarterback Bryce Young, who’s been in the mix all season.

As Ohio State destroyed Michigan State last weekend in a lopsided 56-7 win, Stroud had a standout game, completing 32-of-35 passes for 432 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions. And clearly after that, his Heisman stock skyrocketed.

Stroud’s 3,468 total passing yards have him ranked No. 8 among FBS quarterbacks, and his 36 passing touchdowns put him in a tie for fourth with Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, who’s also on the Heisman watch list. The Buckeyes passer also has the eighth-best completions percentage at 71.1 percent.

However, none of that means he’ll ultimately edge out Young, who continues to have a stellar season for the Crimson Tide.

In Week 12 during Alabama’s 42-35 win over Arkansas, Young set the program’s single-game record with 559 passing yards while adding five touchdowns to help the Crimson Tide secure its spot in the SEC championship game against Georgia. And to compare him with Stroud, Young is ranked sixth in passing yards (3,584), tied for second with 38 passing touchdowns and sixth with a 71.7 completion percentage.

What has morphed into a two-man Heisman race will boil down to how they play over the next two weeks, assuming Ohio State beats Michigan on Saturday, wins the Big Ten East and advances to the Big Ten title game.

If the Buckeyes lose to Michigan and miss out on a conference championship opportunity, it seems like Young would have a clear advantage with an additional game to pad his resume. But if both Ohio State and Alabama play two more games, then Stroud could have the edge because no Big Ten West opponent could challenge the Buckeyes in a way comparable to the Bulldogs’ powerhouse defense against Young and the Crimson Tide.

So going into Week 13, here’s a look at the latest 2021 Heisman Trophy odds, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

• C.J. Stroud, Ohio State QB -200
• Bryce Young, Alabama QB +170
• Matt Corral, Ole Miss QB +2500
• Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State RB +3000
• Kenny Pickett, Pitt QB +5000