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USC's Pac-12 South chances increased over the weekend when Arizona State lost to Oregon State. However, at 7-3 overall and 6-2 in Pac-12 play, the Trojans still aren't on the board for national championship odds. Vegas still isn't giving the Trojans the potential to sneak into the Pac-12 championship game and then somehow into the College Football Playoff.
Instead of USC, it was UCLA that saw its national championship odds increased. The Bruins hold their own destiny in their hands. This weekend's Crosstown Showdown is a de facto elimination game between USC/UCLA. With a win this weekend and a win next weekend against Stanford, UCLA punches its ticket to Santa Clara for a rematch with Oregon, who has already locked up the Pac-12 North title.
The Ducks saw their national championship odds increase in Vegas, but after being in front of Alabama two weeks ago and even last week, the Crimson Tide has passed them. Oregon's odds increased from to 4/1 to 15/4. Following its defeat of No. 1 Mississippi State, Alabama's odds moved from 4/1 to 5/2. Mississippi State's odds only dipped from 15/2 to 17/2.
Arizona State is no longer on the board.
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is still the heads above favorite in the Heisman Trophy odds. But he saw his dominate advantage shrink following Melvin Gordon's NCAA record 408 yards rushing in three quarters. Mariota's odds slipped from 1/5 to 1/3 while Gordon improved from 14/1 to 5/2. Surprisingly, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has moved up to third best on the list at 15/1.
USC running back Buck Allen had another 100+ yards from the scrimmage, but he's still not on the Bovada (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV) board, which now only has seven players after Amari Cooper, Ameer Abdullah and Nick Marshall were each taken off.
Here are the latest odds courtesy of Bovada (second number is current line, first number is last week's line):
Top 7 Heisman Candidates
Player | Pos. | Team | 11/10 | Current |
---|---|---|---|---|
Marcus Mariota | QB | Oregon | 1/5 | 1/3 |
Melvin Gordon | RB | Wisconsin | 14/1 | 5/2 |
J.T. Barrett | QB | Ohio State | 20/1 | 15/1 |
Dak Prescott | QB | Mississippi State | 13/2 | 33/1 |
Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State | 33/1 | 40/1 |
Bryce Petty | QB | Baylor | 50/1 | 40/1 |