Love-ly leap: Notre Dame RB now No. 2 in Heisman race

Left for dead in the Heisman Trophy conversation following Notre Dame’s 0-2 start to the season, running back Jeremiyah Love is suddenly back in the picture after rushing for 171 yards and three touchdowns in the Fighting Irish’s 70-7 dismantling of Syracuse.

The performance vaulted Love from a +4000 longshot just last week to +375 at BetMGM, where he now holds the second-shortest Heisman Trophy odds.

Love was mired at +5000 for multiple weeks after the 0-2 start, but he remained on the fringe while those odds slowly shortened thanks to Notre Dame’s resurgence and the struggles of several marquee quarterbacks. Then came Saturday, when Love romped over and through the Orange’s defense and back toward the top of the Heisman race.

While it might earn him a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony, Love is still unlikely to surpass Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The -115 favorite last week, Mendoza’s odds lengthened slightly with the Hoosiers off, but at -105 he still widened the gap from his closest competitor.

Mendoza has one regular-season game remaining at Purdue, which will take a nine-game losing streak into Friday’s matchup.

HEISMAN TROPHY ODDS*

PLAYER, POS, TEAM, OPEN, WEEK 13, CURRENT

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana (+5500), (-115), (-105)

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (+5000), (+4000), (+375)

Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State (+2000), (+225), (+400)

Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt (+12500), (+2200), (+600)

Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M (+4000), (+500), (+1300)

Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia (+3500), (+2500), (+4000)

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech (N/A), (+12500), (+15000)

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (+1300), (+6600), (+25000)

*BetMGM

Love’s sudden resurgence as a legitimate candidate is cause for concern for many sportsbooks. He is the biggest Heisman liability at BetMGM, where Love has been backed by 4.8% of the money wagered on this year’s winner since opening at +5000. He’s second among all players in drawing 7.0% of the total bets.

That’s behind only the 8.2% who have backed Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He is the third biggest liability but, while still on the board, Smith is an extreme longshot at +25000.

The second biggest liability is Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, whose Heisman hopes were dashed in a recent home loss to Oklahoma. Simpson has been backed by 14.8% of the total money while briefly emerging as the Heisman favorite, but he is now being offered at +50000.

The second most money has been placed on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore with 11.5%, but he is also sitting as a +50000 longshot.

–Field Level Media