CJ Stroud is a long-shot to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday. The Ohio State quarterback has the fourth-best odds at winning college football's top individual honor at +4000, according to FanDuel, far off prohibitive favorite Caleb Williams of USC and also behind TCU's Max Duggan and Georgia's Stetson Bennett.
Don't take Stroud's current standing or ultimate finish in Heisman Trophy voting as any indication of his place in Buckeyes lore, though. The junior, remember, was also a finalist for the award last season, becoming the first player in Ohio State history to be invited to New York City for the ceremony two years in a row—and Stroud is acting like it after admitting he was “nervous” a year ago.
“This year, I’m more relaxed and just being myself,” Stroud said, per Joey Kaufman of The Columbus Dispatch . “I know where stuff is. It’s kind of weird, but it’s kind of cool. I’m just blessed to be here again and represent my school.”
Stroud finished fourth in the Heisman race as a first-year starter, earmarked as the award's potential recipient in 2022 from the moment last season ended. He's largely lived up to those sky-high expectations this season, throwing for 3,340 yards, 37 touchdowns and six interceptions to an 11-1 record.
But Stroud threw a pair of second-half interceptions in the Buckeyes' pivotal loss to rival Michigan in late November, and his gaudy numbers actually don't stack up compared to those he put up in 2021. Still, the significance of Stroud's back-to-back seasons as a Heisman Trophy finalist isn't lost on him, nor is the role his teammates played helping him get there.
“It’s amazing,” Stroud said. “I’m definitely blessed. I put in the work to be in this moment, but at the same time, I’ve had teammates that have been right there with me. I wouldn’t be here without any of my teammates, my linemen, my receivers, my defense, my running backs, my tight ends, everybody.”
The 2022 Heisman Trophy ceremony starts at 5:00 p.m. (PST) on ESPN.
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