Jason Priester All Clemson
Odds and Ends: Do Oddsmakers See Bounce-Back Season Coming for Clemson, Uiagalelei in 2022?
You wouldn't know based on odds to win the next national championship that Clemson was eliminated from the College Football Playoff before the first month of the regular season was even over.
The Tigers, who went 10-3 in 2021 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Poll, are the fourth team on FanDuel Sportsbook's list to win it all in 2022. Only reigning national champ Georgia (+200), runner-up Alabama (+200) and Ohio State (+800) are ahead of Clemson at +1000.
The Tigers were second in odds in May 2021 behind Alabama. It marked the first time Clemson was not the favorite to win it all since 2018.
In the largest separator from one team to the next among the first 10 teams listed, Clemson is ahead of Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Michigan (all +4000).
The next ACC team listed after the Tigers is Miami (+6000), which comes to Death Valley in 2022, followed by North Carolina (+10000). Two other teams Clemson plays in a similar range are Notre Dame (+8000) and South Carolina (+15000.
It's going to be a long offseason, but oddsmakers certainly expect the Tigers to have a better season in 2022 and potentially return to the CFP.
Heisman Odds
Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei spent much of last summer as one of the leading Heisman Trophy candidates. In fact, only former Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler was ahead of the Tiger signal-caller, who had two highly-productive performances as a starter in place of Trevor Lawrence in 2020.
Uiagalelei eventually fell drastically on the list as the 2021 season went along. He was ninth in the ACC in passing yards per game (172.8) and had more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9).
However, oddsmakers like his chances to have a bounce-back junior season. Uiagalelei is in the top-5 Heisman candidates for 2022, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Reigning Heisman winner and Alabama QB Bryce Young (+200), Ohio State QB CJ Stroud (+400), QB Caleb Williams (+1400) and Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke (+2000) are ahead of Uiagalelei (+25000).
Williams doesn't have a home after he entered the transfer portal earlier this month.
Before Uiagalelei, who's supposed to have offseason knee surgery, can worry about the Heisman, he first has to supplant himself as the starter for 2022. He was handed the job with little competition last fall, but Max Preps Player of the Year Cade Klubnik is on campus now and will compete at quarterback in spring practice.
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