Heisman In Depth : Odds Favor Manziel over Te’o, Klein

To say that Johnny Manziel was heavily favored to win the most prestigious of individual college football awards would be an understatement. In truth, the Texas A&M quarterback has an almost unchallenged shot. The redshirt freshman’s 1/15 odds of winning the 2012 Heisman Trophy dwarf those of his fellow finalists, reminding fans and critics alike of just how special the Aggies’ campaign really was.

One thing that college football betting fans have to keep in mind heading into the Heisman winner announcement on Saturday, however, is that although there may be a thin line between heavily favored and guaranteed, the line is there nonetheless.

Manziel’s competition for the honor, it’s worth noting, is nothing to sneeze at.

Although Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein is an admirable choice to fill out the ballot with 25/1 odds, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o is the one that the Manziel camp ought to fear the most.

While Manziel’s 43 touchdowns, 3,419 passing yards and 1,181 rushing yards helped power the once-unranked Aggies to a 10-2 finish and Cotton Bowl appearance next month, Te’o’s defensive presence allowed the originally unranked Fighting Irish to scorch up the polls and slide into the top spot in the BCS standings.

Although Manziel defenders will argue that team success isn’t everything when it comes to winning the Heisman – a personal accolade – it’s hard to overlook the big fat No. 1 beside the Notre Dame name when evaluating Te’o. Might the Fighting Irish product defy expectation once again?

Odds to win the 2012 Heisman Trophy

Johnny Manziel (QB Texas A&M) 1/15

Manti Te’o (LB Notre Dame) 4/1

Collin Klein (QB Kansas State) 25/1

by Bovada