When Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa launched his fifth touchdown pass Saturday in the Iron Bowl victory over rival Auburn, CBS sportscaster Brad Nessler dusted off a call from the past.
“Hello, Heisman!” Nessler declared, invoking the call of the late Hall of Fame sportscaster Keith Jackson.
Jackson first used the phrase in the 1991 Ohio State-Michigan game, in which Desmond Howard returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown for the Wolverines, seemingly clinching the Heisman.
Whether Tagovailoa nailed down this year’s Heisman in a six-touchdown (five passing, one running) performance against Auburn will be announced Dec. 8, but heading into the final week before the ballots are counted, the Saint Louis School graduate is the leader by most accounts.
Between betting odds and polls of Heisman voters, Tagovailoa takes his nearly three-month lead into this week. Online sportsbook Bovada improved Tagovailoa’s odds from 1/4 last week to 1/5 this week.
Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray remained his only serious threat. Murray’s odds went from 9/2 to 7/2.
West Virginia quarterback Will Grier and Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins are positioned to be invited to New York as possible finalists, being pursued by Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew II and two Clemson teammates, running back Travis Etienne and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Depending upon the separation of votes, three to six players are designated as finalists and invited to New York by the Heisman Trust.
The voting deadline is Monday, the day the finalists will be announced.
All but Grier and Minshew have games this week. Alabama plays Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game, while Oklahoma plays Texas in the Big 12 title game. Ohio State meets Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game and Clemson plays Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.
Electronic ballots went out Monday to the more than 900 voters, a mix of media, past Heisman winners and a composite “fan” vote via the Nissan Heisman House.
Heisman Odds
Betting odds on leading Heisman contenders
PLAYER, POS., SCHOOL PREVIOUS NOW
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama 1/4 1/5
Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma 9/2 7/2
Will Grier, QB, West Virginia 12/1 20/1
Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State 50/1 33/1
Gardner Minshew II, QB, Washington St. 33/1 50/1
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson 60/1 100/1
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson 50/1 100/1
McKenzie Milton, QB, UCF 50/1 OTB
Source: Bovada
