Pac-12 Heisman Watch: USC's Caleb Williams jumps back into solo lead after Week 5

Conference play continued for the Pac-12 and its teams in Week 5 of the season, and there was plenty of stellar quarterback play to enjoy.

USC and quarterback Caleb Williams survived a late comeback attempt from Shedeur and Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes, and the Washington Huskies won a close one over the Arizona Wildcats. Oregon dominated Stanford en route to a 5-0 start, and Oregon State upset Utah at home.

A year before the conference is set to become all but obsolete, the Pac-12 is having one of its best seasons. Six of its 12 schools are ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 5 action. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, plays for USC, and he's just one of five Pac-12 quarterbacks in the top 20 players with the best Heisman odds in 2023.

As conference play continues, the competition is only going to heat up. We'll be keeping track of the Pac-12 and its Heisman hopefuls all year long.

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Williams is the favorite to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy, according to the BetMGM college football odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023.

All odds listed are from BetMGM as of Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Caleb Williams, QB, USC

2023 Heisman odds:

After Week 5, Williams once again stands alone atop the Heisman odds board among all players in college football. His current odds stand at +175.

Most recent performance:

Williams and the USC Trojans dominated the Deion Sanders-led Colorado Buffaloes early but had to fight off a comeback attempt to take the victory, 48-41.

Though he threw his first interception of the season on Saturday, Williams was otherwise impressive in the box score. He completed 75% of his 40 pass attempts for 403 yards and tied a career high with six touchdown passes.

Through five games, the D.C. native and the Trojans are 5-0, and he has thrown an FBS-leading 21 touchdowns to just one interception.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

2023 Heisman odds:

Penix moved out of a tie with Williams for the Heisman odds lead after a close win over Arizona, but he still ranks second in the nation with +450 odds to win college football's most prestigious trophy.

Most recent performance:

Michael Penix completed 30 of his 40 pass attempts for 363 yards as the No. 8 Washington Huskies managed to survive a comeback attempt from the Arizona Wildcats. Penix did not throw a touchdown pass nor an interception in the game.

The Huskies are 5-0 entering their Week 6 bye, and Penix leads FBS with 1,999 passing yards. He's also thrown 16 touchdown passes, tying him for second in FBS with LSU's Jayden Daniels.

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Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

2023 Heisman odds:

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix's impressive performance in a rout of the Stanford Cardinal were enough to boost his odds to +800. He's still fourth in the nation behind Williams, Penix and Texas' Quinn Ewers.

Most recent performance:

It was a slow start, but the Ducks eventually dominated the Cardinal, 42-6, thanks in part to a strong Nix performance to begin the second half. The quarterback was 27-32 passing with 290 yards and four passing touchdowns.

Nix is now tied for fourth in FBS with 15 passing touchdowns, and he and Williams are the only FBS quarterbacks with at least that many touchdowns and only one interception.

Cameron Ward, QB, Washington State

2023 Heisman odds:

Cameron Ward sits just outside the nation's top 10 in Heisman odds, tied for 11th with Ohio State's Kyle McCord at +3500 to win the trophy.

Most recent performance:

The Cougars enjoyed a bye this week, so Ward's most recent performance was still a week ago against Oregon State.

In that game, Ward was 28-34 passing with 404 yards and four passing touchdowns. He added an additional touchdown on the ground as well, making him responsible for all five Washington State touchdowns.

After a week of inaction, Ward has dropped from third to 22nd in FBS with 1,390 passing yards on the season, though he's only about 300 passing yards away from jumping back into the top five. Of the quarterbacks on this list, Ward also has the distinction as the only one to have not thrown an interception.

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

2023 Heisman odds:

Shedeur Sanders is 20th in the nation in Heisman odds at +10000, making him a bit of a longshot after two straight losses to Oregon and USC.

Most recent performance:

Sanders was on the other side of USC's close win over the Buffaloes and, despite the loss, did plenty to help his case for the Heisman and NFL Draft stock.

Sanders completed 30 of his 45 pass attempts, throwing for 371 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, his second of the season. He rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown as well.

Thanks to Sanders' efforts late in the game, the Buffaloes stormed back from a 34-14 halftime deficit to make it a much more respectable, 48-41, loss.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2023 Heisman Trophy candidates in Pac-12 continue to lead nation in odds