About one year ago, Alabama football quarterback Jalen Milroe was benched after throwing two interceptions in a 34-24 loss to Texas. Milroe had completed just 14 of his 27 passes in the loss and was benched for one game against South Florida.
Just over a year later, Milroe has overtaken the lead in the Heisman Trophy odds after he put up nearly 500 total yards in a win over previously No. 2 Georgia.
During a primetime game against the Bulldogs, considered one of the best teams in the nation, Milroe delivered one of the biggest victories of his career in the limelight.
Milroe led the Crimson Time to a 28-0 lead over Georgia early in the second quarter. He sealed the four-touchdown lead when he rushed for a 35-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 quarterback keeper.
Alabama began to surrender their lead in the second half, and Georgia took a one-point 34-33 lead over the Crimson Tide with three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Just when the Bulldogs had gained the momentum and the lead, Milroe came through with another huge play. Milroe completed a 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams, which ultimately sealed the victory.
Milroe finished the game completing 27 of his 33 pass attempts for 374 yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception. He also led his team in rushing, carrying the ball 16 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Overall on the season, Milroe has completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 964 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception. He has also rushed for 273 yards and eight touchdowns.
Thanks to the performance of Milroe, Alabama is now 5-0 and has surpassed Texas as the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll, the first time they have ranked No. 1 in nearly two years.
Milroe has subsequently taken the lead as the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Milroe currently has +175 odds to win the Heisman Trophy, after ranking third-best the week prior with +700 odds, per Bet MGM. Milroe previously ranked behind Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Ward has dropped to second in the Heisman odds and currently has +500 odds to win the trophy. Ward dipped one spot after throwing two interceptions against Virginia Tech, and following the dynamic performance of Milroe. He still ranks second in college football in passing yards, and first in touchdown passes.
More Newsweek Sports: College Football: Alabama Rises, Texas Falls, Georgia Stumbles in New AP Poll
The other significant riser in the Heisman trophy odds was Colorado’s dual cornerback and wide receiver, Travis Hunter. Hunter now ranks third with +700 odds. He rose after catching a touchdown pass and intercepting another in Colorado’s win over UCF on Saturday.
This season, Hunter has already recorded four games with at least 100 yards receiving, six receiving touchdowns, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and three pass deflections. He ranks top-five in the nation in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
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