College football, more than ever, is about roster turnover. Programs have always dealt with dozens of players graduating each year, to be replaced by new players fresh out of high school.
But nowadays, the transfer portal plays just as vital of a role in roster composition. One issue of interest for Ohio sports betting and Ohio State Buckeyes fans popped up at the end of last season, with quarterback Will Howard transferring into Columbus, where he'll be the signal-caller for new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
The new Buckeyes quarterback arrived from Kansas State not long after previous starter Kyle McCord transferred to Syracuse. How do Howard’s 2024 Heisman Trophy odds look?
Sportsbook | Odds | Percent Chance |
Bet365 | +1400 | 6.7% |
FanDuel | +1400 | 6.7% |
BetMGM | +1400 | 6.7% |
Caesars | +1500 | 6.3% |
DraftKings | +1500 | 6.3% |
ESPN Bet | +1600 | 5.9% |
BetRivers | +1600 | 5.9% |
*Odds as of Aug. 15, subject to change
As of the second full week of August, a few weeks before the 2024 Ohio State football season begins, Will Howard’s best value for Heisman Trophy odds is available for folks using the BetRivers Ohio Sportsbook promo code, at +1600, or at ESPN Bet for the same price. Caesars and DraftKings have Howard at +1500 to win the highest individual honor in college football. FanDuel, BetMGM and bet365 have the shortest odds on the Buckeyes newcomer, at +1400.
Ohio State Heisman Trophy history is rich, with OSU players having earned the honor from voters seven times through the decades. One Buckeye stands alone as the only two-time Heisman winner – Archie Griffin, who earned the award in 1974 and 1975. OSU’s most recent Heisman winner was Troy Smith in 2006.
Check out our Ohio State 2024 win total story to see how teams have fared entering a season with an over/under win total of 10.5, as Ohio State has for the 2024 season.
McCord passed for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions in 12 games as Buckeyes QB last season. But the loss on Nov. 25 against Michigan was his last appearance in scarlet and gray before he announced his intention to transfer. McCord was 18-of-30 for 271 yards and two TDs in that fateful game in Ann Arbor, but two interceptions were costly as the Buckeyes fell to the Wolverines for the third year in a row.
Ohio sportsbook apps list OSU as the favorite to win the Big 10 this year, with odds ranging from +125 to +155.
Howard was at Kansas State for four seasons but he only became the full-time starter for the Wildcats last year. In 2023, Howard passed for 2,643 yards with 24 TDs and 10 INTs. Howard adds an element to the game with his legs that McCord didn’t. Howard ran for 351 yards and nine TDs for KSU last season as the Wildcats went 9-4 and finished 18th in the final Associated Press poll.
Ohio State is a -650 favorite to make the 2024 College Football Playoff with DraftKings Sportsbook Ohio, the shortest odds of any team.
This is a year of expansion in college football. The 2024-25 season is the first with a 12-team CFP. Had there been a 12-team Playoff field last year, the Buckeyes – who went 11-1 in the regular season with the only loss at Michigan – would have made the field comfortably. The B1G is also bigger, adding USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon to become an 18-team league. An Oct. 12 trip to Eugene, Oregon, might be the biggest hurdle OSU has this season as far as winning the Big 10 and lining up a CFP spot.
Check out the best Ohio sportsbook promo codes with BetOhio.com as the 2024 college football season approaches.
USA Today photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
Author
Ohio native Jim Tomlin has 30 years of experience in journalism, mostly in sports. He lends his expertise to BetOhio.com as a writer and editor after previous experience at the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition.
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