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's 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 | +2000 | 4.8% |
DraftKings | +2000 | 4.8% |
Caesars | +2000 | 4.8% |
BetMGM | +2200 | 4.3% |
ESPN Bet | +2200 | 4.3% |
FanDuel | +2200 | 4.3% |
BetRivers | +2500 | 3.8% |
*Odds as of Sept. 24, subject to change
After three games wearing the scarlet and gray, Howard has helped the Buckeyes to an undefeated start. His best value for Heisman Trophy odds is available for folks using the BetRivers Ohio Sportsbook promo code, at +2500. Caesars, bet365 and DraftKings have Howard at +2000 to win the highest individual honor in college football.
Howard is 51-for-74 passing (a 68.9% completion percentage) for 795 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. OSU has easily beaten nonconference opponents Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall. Howard has not compiled gaudy stats partly because he hasn't had to; backup QB Devin Brown has seen action in all three games. Howard is fourth in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (265 yards ypg) and his favorite targets so far are freshman Jeremiah Smith and senior Emeka Egbuka, who have 14 receptions each. See where Smith ranks on our best true freshman in college football list at BetOhio.
At DraftKings, Howard is tied for eighth in Heisman odds with Colorado's Travis Hunter. Miami QB Cam Ward is the new favorite at +450 odds, but there's a long way to go in the season.
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 +100 to +110.
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. The QB has run eight times for OSU, gaining 22 yards with two TDs. OSU is happy to let TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins share most of the running responsibilities, but Howard does add an extra wrinkle.
Ohio State is a -900 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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