Heisman Odds Week 11: CJ Carr Makes Massive Leap as Jeremiah Smith Plummets

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr became the Heisman Trophy favorite entering Week 11 after throwing three touchdown passes in a 31-24 win over No. 1 Miami, a head-to-head result that dropped Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah to second.

Carr shortened from +1175 to +140 after a 29-of-40, 319-yard night without an interception. Mensah drifted from +156 to +300, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith slid to +410 after a second straight loss and Utah quarterback Devon Dampier jumped into the top five at +1500.

1. QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame (+140)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) warms up before the game against the Miami Hurricanes | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W 31-24 vs. Miami. 319 yds, 3 TD
Next: vs. Boston College, Saturday, Nov. 14

Carr helped the Irish build a 24-3 lead early in the third quarter. He hit Jordan Faison for a 27-yard touchdown, found Micah Gilbert from 18 yards out 29 seconds before halftime and connected with Gilbert again from 20 yards after a long Faison punt return.

When Miami cut the deficit to 24-17, Carr converted a fourth down early in the fourth quarter with a 36-yard swing pass to Nolan James Jr. That set up the 1-yard touchdown run that put Notre Dame back up two scores.

His first career start was a 27-24 loss at Miami in last year’s opener. “My Dad called me before this game,” Carr said. “His words were, ‘There was a boy out there playing at Miami.’”

Notre Dame entered the weekend No. 11 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and beating the top-ranked team keeps its playoff path open. The Saline, Mich., native has 2,168 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and one interception for the 8-1 Irish.

2. QB Darian Mensah, Miami (+300)

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah (10) scrambles with the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: L 31-24 at Notre Dame. 276 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Next: vs. Duke, Saturday, Nov. 14

Mensah played without Malachi Toney, who needed surgery on a high ankle sprain suffered in practice Wednesday. Miami trailed 17-3 at halftime with Mensah at 6 of 12 for 49 yards, and the Hurricanes settled for a field goal after reaching first-and-goal at the 1.

He pulled Miami within a touchdown twice with two scoring passes to Cooper Barkate and one to Elija Lofton. But defensive back Luke Talich intercepted him in the third quarter, then broke up a fourth-down throw to Lofton in the end zone with 3:36 left.

“Proud of the guys, the way we fought back,” Mensah said. “Obviously, it wasn’t enough.”

The former Duke quarterback has 28 touchdown passes and two interceptions for the 8-1 Hurricanes, who host his old team next.

3. WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (+410)

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches the ball for a touchdown against Oregon Ducks | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: L 41-28 vs. Oregon. 7 rec., 133 yds, 1 TD
Next: vs. Northwestern, Saturday, Nov. 14

Smith caught a 32-yard pass on Ohio State’s second scoring drive as the Buckeyes opened a 14-0 lead. He then went without a target from the first quarter until late in the third while Oregon scored 38 straight points, and he was seen yelling at coaches and teammates on the sideline as the fourth quarter began.

His 13-yard touchdown catch with 3:25 left came with the game out of reach. Still, the 133 yards gave him 16 career 100-yard receiving games, an Ohio State record.

True freshman Luke Fahey made his second start with Julian Sayin injured, and coach Ryan Day said the staff will “evaluate everything” after back-to-back losses. “There’s just something that needs to change and needs to get fixed,” Day said.

The 6-foot-3 wideout has 69 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns for the 6-3 Buckeyes.

4. QB Devon Dampier, Utah (+1500)

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Brigham Young Cougars | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W 28-20 vs. BYU. 177 yds, 2 TD; 2 rush TD
Next: at Arizona, Saturday, Nov. 14

Dampier accounted for four touchdowns in the first Holy War between top-10 teams. He ran for a 22-yard score on Utah’s opening drive, threw touchdown passes of 46 and 14 yards to Braden Pegan and sealed the win with a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.

He also caught a 29-yard pass on a trick play, and Utah’s defense intercepted BYU’s Bear Bachmeier four times. The win snapped a three-game losing streak in the rivalry and left Utah and UCLA as the only unbeaten FBS teams.

Utah lost 24-21 at BYU last season. “I definitely felt some type of way about last year,” Dampier said. “Just me not being at my healthiest, me not being able to show up when my team needed me.”

The New Mexico transfer has 2,053 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions, plus seven rushing scores, for the 9-0 Utes.

5. QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State (+1750)

Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17) does a live shot after the game against Kansas State Wildcats | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: W 66-28 at Kansas State. 313 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush TD, 1 rec. TD
Next: vs. Texas Tech, Saturday, Nov. 14

Mestemaker shortened from +4000 after becoming the first FBS player with four touchdown passes, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game since Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong in 2021. He went 22 of 28 and caught a 5-yard score from Wyatt Young as Oklahoma State built a 49-14 halftime lead.

It was his eighth straight 300-yard passing game, breaking the program record he shared with Mason Rudolph a week earlier. New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey attended the game in Manhattan, Kan.

“Playing a game like that gets everyone back on track,” Mestemaker said one week after a 51-49 loss at Iowa State.

The North Texas transfer and the 6-3 Cowboys host Texas Tech, the reigning Big 12 champion.

Who rounds out the top 10?

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) dives for the end zone against the Mississippi Rebels | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton shortened from +5500 to +2300 after accounting for five touchdowns in a 42-7 win at Ole Miss, which snapped the Rebels’ 16-game home winning streak. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss went 18 of 34 for 170 yards with an interception and five sacks, falling from +1375 to +4500.

“It was surprising how poorly we started, it’s embarrassing,” Chambliss said.

Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell returned to the top 10 after throwing three touchdown passes in a 31-13 win at LSU. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers ran for a clinching 41-yard touchdown on an injured ankle in a 17-9 win over Texas A&M.

Duke running back Nate Sheppard rushed for 217 yards and three scores in a 41-3 win at NC State and set the program’s single-season rushing touchdown record. Toney fell out of the top 10 after his surgery, as did Oregon State’s Jesse Legree, LSU’s Sam Leavitt and Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez.

6. QB Gunner Stockton, Georgia (+2300)
7. QB Keelon Russell, Alabama (+2400)
8. QB Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (+4500)
9. QB LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (+6800)
10. RB Nate Sheppard, Duke (+7000)

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