Following in the footsteps of Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza, Josh Hoover is off to a great start as a Hoosier. Through six games, Hoover has completed 68.2% of his passes for 1,364 yards and 17 touchdowns without a single interception. He's led Indiana to a perfect 6-0 start to the season, and helped extend the Hoosiers' winning streak to 22 games.
Despite a great start to the season, Hoover's spot in the Heisman race has shifted in the wrong direction. Entering Week 1, Hoover has odds of +1500 to win the Heisman on DraftKings Sportsbook. That placed him tied for the fourth-best odds among all players in the country.
Now heading into Week 7, Hoover's Heisman odds sit at +4800 on DraftKings. With those longer odds, the Hoosier gunslinger now has the10th-shortest odds on the Heisman Trophy odds board. But that can change dramatically if Hoover leads Indiana to a massive win over Ohio State on Saturday afternoon.
Josh Hoover’s Heisman stock will soar if Indiana beats Ohio State
There's no denying this the marquee matchup of Indiana's regular season schedule. It's officially a Top-5 matchup, as the Hoosiers enter ranked as the No. 5 team in the country while Ohio State is one spot ahead at No. 4.
A lot has been made about Indiana's schedule up to this point, but the Hoosiers can make a serious statement by walking away with a victory in this one. Perhaps Indiana's schedule has played a part in Hoover's Heisman odds getting longer as well. But if Hoover thrives on Saturday against the Buckeyes, he could find himself near the top of the Heisman odds boards.
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Ohio State's defense is one of the best in the country. The Buckeyes are holding opposing offenses to just 246.8 total yards and 13.2 points per game so far this season. On the other side, the Indiana offenses is putting up 462.7 yards and 40.2 points per game. If Hoover leads the IU offense to a big day and a win, he will instantly go from an under-the-radar Heisman candidate to a legit contender.
Hoover has been able to complete passes at a high rate while preventing turnovers and finding the big plays when needed. He's shown excellent chemistry with both Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, who are arguably the best 1-2 WR punch in all of college football. With those weapons at his disposal, Hoover is poised to thrive against the Buckeyes.
It's also worth noting that the current Heisman frontrunner on DraftKings is Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith with odds of -220. Smith has been going off all season long, but if Indiana slows him down and beats the Buckeyes, his Heisman odds will likely take a hit while Hoover's skyrocket. The same goes for Buckeye QB Julian Sayin, who currently has odds of +3600.
Along with Smith and Sayin, Hoover also trails Miami's Darian Mensah (+950), Notre Dame's CJ Carr (+1000), Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss (+1500), Georgia's Gunner Stockton (+1600), Alabama's Keelon Russell (+1700), , Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor (+4000), and Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker (+4000) on the DraftKings' Heisman odds board.
Betting odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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