The Heisman Memorial Trophy – or more simply, the Heisman or the Heisman Trophy – is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football and always goes to a player at the NCAA Division I FBS level.

The award was launched in 1935 by the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan, New York City to honor “the most valuable college football player east of the Mississippi” and was first awarded to University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger.

The player depicted on the cast bronze trophy was Ed Smith, a star for the now-defunct New York University football team in 1934.

Only one player has ever won the Heisman twice – Ohio State running back Archie Griffin, who won in 1974 and 1975 – although many players have been finalists multiple times.

Here is a description of the voting process (Heisman Balloting: How it Works – Heisman), but basically the voters consist of members of the college football media and previous trophy winners. There is also a fan vote, which counts as one vote and is added to the media and former winners’ votes.

The top four players are announced as the finalists, and several days later the winner is announced — typically the second Saturday in December.

Heisman Trophy Favorites for 2023 

The race for the Heisman can be a close one, with all the great signal-callers leading national title-contending teams, and here are the top favorites this year, with stats as of Nov. 17:

Jayden Daniels (LSU QB) -113 

Daniels is the highest-rated quarterback in college football, with a 202.1 QB rating. He is also third in yards (3,164) and first in touchdowns (30) and has completed over 71 percent of his passes for No. 15 LSU.

B.O. Nix (Oregon QB) +135 

The Ducks’ signal-caller is ranked sixth in the nation with 3,135 yards passing, with 29 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He has the fourth highest QB rating for the Ducks, who are ranked sixth in the College Football Playoffs rankings.

Michael Penix Jr (Washington QB) +600 

The Huskies’ signal caller has his team on the verge of a spot in the College Football Playoff, and is No. 1 in the nation in passing yardage, with 3,533 yards passing to go with 28 TDs.

Marvin Harrison Jr (Ohio State WR) +4000 

The only non-QB among the favorites, the son of former NFL legend Marvin Harrison (Colts) has amassed 1,063 receiving yards and is second in the country with 12 TD receptions. He has helped set up No. 2 OSU for a possible chance at the national title.

Carson Beck (Georgia QB) +6000 

The field general for the No. 1 Bulldogs is ninth in the nation with 3,022 passing yards and has thrown 18 TD passes.

Jalen Milroe (Alabama QB) +15000 

Milroe has passed for 2,070 yards and rushed for another 333 yards to go with 12 TDs on the ground. He has thrown 16 touchdown passes.

How to Bet on the Heisman 

Heisman voters can be swayed by big performances in big games. Look for Heisman candidates who perform their best against top teams and who seem to be getting better as the season progresses. Players who have mid-season flops can be a major negative to Heisman voters.

Normally, there is usually a consensus among college football analysts as to which players are the main candidates – usually one or two – but it might also be wise to sprinkle some money on a darkhorse, especially if you think they’ll come up big in a major game later in the season.

Choose the Best Sportsbooks 

Here at Tipico, we’ve got the Heisman Trophy odds, as well as odds for other NCAAF awards, and also odds for awards for other sports. Click here to get started ,and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to strike your own Heisman pose!