Whoa, did you see what just dropped in the Heisman market? Miami star receiver Malachi Toney absolutely shredded defenses to kick off his second season, and bettors noticed instantly. He was sitting at 40/1 coming into the Canes’ cross-country clash with Stanford, and after that performance, you can kiss those odds goodbye. Sportsbooks slashed him down to 10/1, making him the biggest mover in the whole Heisman race this week!
College Football’s Early Shocks and Massive Downgrades
While Toney was lighting up the scoreboard, some major programs were crashing hard. Remember last week when everyone was on SMU -3/-3.5 against Florida State? That money line *crushed* sportsbooks, with SMU doing whatever they wanted on offense, racking up 585 total yards, even with four turnovers. “We got crushed on SMU moneyline,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews told FOX Sports. The wise guys who make the power ratings? They were impressed with SMU, but *way* more unimpressed with FSU. One former bookmaker, Slice, said he’s already “downgraded Florida State six points in two weeks.” Six points! That program is “heading in the wrong direction,” no doubt about it.
But FSU wasn’t the only one taking a beating. Holy Clemson! LSU absolutely annihilated them 51-10 in Baton Rouge. Lane Kiffin’s Tigers outgained Dabo Swinney’s Tigers by a staggering 499 yards and won the first down battle 38 to eight. That was an old-fashioned beatdown, plain and simple. Slice took Clemson from the level of Florida and dropped them to the level of Pittsburgh and Illinois. He called it “alarming,” and honestly, who could argue?
Heisman Hype and the One-Game Puzzle
Back to the Heisman race, because Toney’s jump wasn’t the only move. His teammate, Darian Mensah, is now the Heisman favorite at +550. Texas’ Arch Manning, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss are right there in the mix.
Still, while everyone’s reacting to these massive shifts, Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel brings some needed perspective. It is tough to tell how good or bad a team really is after just one game. He pointed to last year’s FSU vs. Alabama game, where FSU looked great, Bama looked terrible, and it turned out neither was quite what that single result suggested. Clemson definitely showed “no positives” in their game, but Feazel says it is critical “to let more information develop before making drastic adjustments.” So, while Toney blew up the odds, and FSU and Clemson tumbled, the early season is all about watching for those true trends. What will we see next week that proves or disproves these initial reads?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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