When it comes to betting on college football awards, everyone tends to focus on the Heisman Trophy and nothing else. While the Heisman Trophy is clearly the biggest award, you are going to find some other options at BetOnline as well.
There are actually a ton of awards handed out at the end of the year, and there is good betting value in many of those races. Here is a look at three awards besides the Heisman Trophy, and the player or coach that you should be backing.
2023-24 Bear Bryant Award
The Bear Bryant Award is handed out annually to the best coach in college football, and this sport is full of great leaders. You think about coaches like Nick Saban, but there are other coaches having a great year with their teams.
Kalen DeBoer of Washington is currently the favorite to win the Bear Bryant Award at +300, and it’s for good reason. Washington is currently on top of the Pac-12 Conference, and they have been a massive surprise.
While Deboer might be the current favorite, here are some other coaches in the mix:
- Mike Norvell (Florida State) +550
- Ryan Day (Ohio State) +700
- Dan Lanning (Oregon) +700
- Steve Sarkisian (Texas) +800
- Brent Venables (Oklahoma) +900
- Troy Calhoun (Air Force) +1200
- Jeff Brohm (Louisville) +1200
- Curt Cignetti (James Madison) +1200
These odds are all from one of our trusted sportsbooks, BetOnline!
There is still time for other coaches to creep up this list as well, but you can also get the winner from this group. Mike Norvell of Florida State is going to be tough to ignore this season, especially as the Seminoles might not be tested the rest of the way.
Team success matters a ton when handing out this award, and Norvell is going to have his Florida State team in the College Football Playoffs to win the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award is handed out to the best running back in college football, and there are a ton of them this season. Running backs tend to get overlooked when it comes to the Heisman Trophy, and so winning this award means a ton to those players.
There is actually a surprising name on the list when looking at the betting odds for this award as Olli Gordon II is the clear favorite at +200. The Oklahoma State star has been racking up 100 yard games, and he’s starting to pull away in this race.
It’s certainly not over though, and there are other players in the mix as well. Audric Estime of Notre Dame is next on the list at +300, and he is a beast with the football.
While you can look down the list of odds and see a ton of great options for this award, you are going to want to focus on the top two players. Estime is playing for the better program, but it is Gordon that is having the better season.
Bet on Olli Gordon at +200 and get that bet in now before the odds change again.
Fred Biletnikoff Award
You can’t forget about wide receivers when looking at college football, and the Fred Biletnikoff Award is handed out to the best player at this position. You don’t really have to spend a ton of time with this one either as there is a pretty clear leader at this time.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to be a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and he has been having a monster season for the Ohio State Buckeyes. You can bet on Harrison at -150, and that’s actually more value than you might expect at this time.
There are some other great wide receivers in college football this season, but Harrison has this award locked up as long as he stays healthy.
