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Entering this past weekend, it had been nearly two decades since Tennessee defeated a top-10 team. It had been just as long since it had beaten rival Alabama, which was a perfect 15-for-15 in this matchup under Nick Saban and had won 132 straight contests overall when scoring at least 49 points.
Then Hendon Hooker happened, and the rest – quite literally – was history.
The Volunteers’ star quarterback was sensational on Saturday, throwing for 385 yards and five touchdowns to key Tennessee’s historic 52-49 win over third-ranked Alabama, which hadn’t allowed that many points in a game since 1907. Unsurprisingly, it added even more fuel to a Heisman candidacy that was already burning bright before Saturday.
Sure enough, oddsmakers have taken notice, pricing Hooker as the second choice (+600) in the Heisman market at BetMGM as of Monday. He trails only Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (-110), who entered the year as the preseason favorite and whose Buckeyes are the slim favorites to win it all ahead of Week 8.
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Heisman Trophy odds entering Week 8 (via BetMGM)
Hendon Hooker’s Heisman Trophy case
Fittingly, Tennessee jumped to the No. 3 spot in the polls this week behind Ohio State, and there’s room to climb from there. After a tune-up this week against Tennessee-Martin, the Vols host No. 19 Kentucky before traveling to face No. 1 Georgia in a game that could ultimately decide the playoff picture.
It could decide Hooker’s fate in the Heisman market, too. The fifth-year senior has been brilliant through six weeks, ranking second in the nation in passer rating (187.7) and yards per attempt (10.7) behind only Stroud. He’s also one of just three players to rank in the top 25 among quarterbacks in passing yards (1,817) and rushing yards (287), and his 18 total touchdowns rank among the best in college football, too.
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And, of course, he boasts arguably the biggest Heisman moment of all with last week’s win over the Crimson Tide, capped off with a last-minute drive to set up the winning field goal. With the win, Tennessee became the first team in college football history to start 6-0 with four wins over ranked teams and at least 30 points in every game.
That, like so many stats coming out of Saturday, underscores the historic nature of the Volunteers’ season and Hooker’s own campaign. And if he can keep up this pace, he’s a solid bet to rewrite history in the Heisman race, too.
