ESPN writer baffled by Trevor Lawrence losing Heisman steam |
Trevor Lawrence has other concerns on his mind at this point, but one week out versus Boston College and at least one ahead at No. 4 Notre Dame meant a change at the top of the Heisman betting odds this week.
Alabama QB Mac Jones led the way in Monday's odds (5/4), with Ohio State's Justin Fields next (3/2) and Lawrence next (5/2). Coinciding with those trends, Lawrence lost eight of his 14 first-place votes on ESPN's Heisman Watch this week, where Jones surged to the lead and Fields is third -- and USA TODAY has the same top-3. A voter in ESPN's Heisman Watch, longtime ACC and college football writer Andrea Adelson, wasn't pleased with many of her colleagues switching votes so easily. "I'm not quite sure what voters are thinking right now. I refuse to penalize Trevor Lawrence because he missed a game for testing positive for the coronavirus," Adelson said, who hopes the award will reward the most outstanding player this season. "I'm not sure how one week off all of a sudden started changing everybody's minds about who Trevor Lawrence is as a quarterback. Nothing about last week made me suddenly think, 'You know what? Trevor Lawrence isn't the best player in the country anymore because he did not play.'" Minimum two starts, Lawrence (91.3) grades a touch below the other two main contenders according to Pro Football Focus, Jones (93.8) and Fields (92), and seventh nationally. With a big national showcase ahead, Travis Etienne has longer betting odds (50/1) but sits in fourth among ESPN's panel of Heisman trackers. "There's been some great, great running backs come through Clemson, and also through this league," Swinney's words were noted in ESPN's Heisman Watch. "I'm just proud of Travis and just his total development. He's such a complete player now and he was a one-dimensional player when he first got here, and now he's a Swiss Army knife. He can do it all." "I refuse to penalize Trevor Lawrence for missing a game because he tested positive for the coronavirus." @aadelsonESPN on why she is sticking with @Trevorlawrencee as her Heisman front runner ??#PackerAndDurham pic.twitter.com/j1okvnL3vT
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