Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has been on steady decline when it comes to his prospects of winning this year's Heisman Trophy, dating back to the early summer when he was listed with the fifth-shortest odds overall – and notably the shortest among all Big Ten quarterbacks.
After four weeks of action, a Big Ten quarterback is now indeed the favorite to win the prestigious award this December for the first time this season.
But after a rocky start during which he's racked up just 626 passing yards and four touchdowns against Nevada, FIU, and Villanova, three teams Penn State was favored to beat by at least 40 points each, Allar is not that quarterback.
As Big Ten play looms for the Nittany Lions, Allar's +2500 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook now place him only fifth among Big Ten quarterbacks (and sixth among all Big Ten athletes).
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza now the Heisman favorite
Leading the way nationally at +850, from seemingly out of nowhere, is Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who transferred to Bloomington from Cal after two seasons ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Indiana's 2024 season was very similar to Penn State's in that the Hoosiers were criticized for beating up on "easy" teams and losing when they actually faced challenging opponents.
But against the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday night, Mendoza and the Hoosiers made a statement and lit up the scoreboard with a 63-10 win, a "Cignature" Curt Cignetti victory that elevated IU from No. 19 to No. 11 in this week's AP Poll.
For Mendoza, it marked his second consecutive five-touchdown game, and he's now thrown for 975 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. In addition, he's run for 76 yards and two touchdowns. He is leading an offense that is averaging 63.8 points per game, tops in the nation.
From a Penn State perspective, a lot of the talk this season has been about how the No. 3 Nittany Lions will be able to perform against the No. 6 Oregon Ducks in Happy Valley this Saturday night and against the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus come November.
But Penn State fans should probably also circle the game scheduled to take place in State College one week after the Ohio State clash, as that's when Indiana is set to come to town.
Heisman odds wrap-up before Penn State starts Big Ten play
The other three Big Ten quarterbacks now listed with shorter odds than Allar to win the Heisman Trophy are Oregon's Dante Moore (+1100), USC's Jayden Maiava (+1400), and Ohio State's Julian Sayin (+1700).
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is also listed at +1100, tying him for second overall with Moore behind Mendoza. Allar's +2500 odds place him in a 13th place tie nationally and a 12th place tie among signal callers.
Full Heisman Trophy odds can be found here. All odds and availability are subject to change.