Jalen Milroe's Heisman Trophy odds plummet for the same reason that he became the front-runner
So much for Week 6 being a week slate of college football action. Within a span of a few hours, No. 1-ranked Alabama fell to Vanderbilt, 40-35. While the Crimson Tide will be licking their wounds for quite some time, no singular player will be affected more than Alabama QB Jalen Milroe. Milroe had surged […]
So much for Week 6 being a week slate of college football action. Within a span of a few hours, No. 1-ranked Alabama fell to Vanderbilt, 40-35. While the Crimson Tide will be licking their wounds for quite some time, no singular player will be affected more than Alabama QB Jalen Milroe.
Milroe had surged to the top of Heisman Trophy odds rankings after last week's thrilling home win against Georgia. Although Milroe wasn't close to the sole reason why Alabama fell behind Vandy in the first half and ultimately lost, he bears the brunt in a race for which he has tremendous competition.
Even throwing for 310 yards with six incompletions, Milroe will see his Heisman odds drop in favor of Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty. Here's why.
While completing 18-of-24 passes for 310 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, plus adding a rushing touchdown, would be a solid enough showing for most players, Alabama's 2024 team needed more. This is not Nick Saban's defensive juggernaut that consistently wins games like this.
Instead, first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer has resorted to putting the world's pressure on his junior quarterback and freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams. Some of this is beyond DeBoer's control, as he inherited the vast majority of this depleted roster. He's also been busy finding success on the recruiting trail, so help is coming.
But living and dying by Milroe would always lead to a razor-thin margin all season long. The Tide successfully ran with Jam Miller and Justice Haynes, but the two totaled 11 touches for 68 yards. Kudos to Vandy here, but in no world should that have happened.
Even Milroe's running efforts were for little. It was the first game he finished with fewer than 10 attempts, two touchdowns, and the second with under 75 yards. Call it a letdown game if you'd like, but the defense's inability to force turnovers and stops created too much pressure for Milroe.
This would've happened eventually, and Vandy proved ready for the opportunity. Milroe coughed up and lost a fumble and threw a pick, but it was not a bad outing for him. With a gauntlet against South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, LSU, and Oklahoma, we may see a couple more hiccups coming.
DeBoer must shift and evolve the offense beyond his dependence on his quarterback in order to avoid several losses and missing the playoffs completely. While the wider window helps, not making the SEC title game would be a huge hindrance in their case.
