While Week 8 of the 2026 college football season did not see as many upsets as Week 7, there was still enough chaos to shake up the rankings and in turn, the Heisman Trophy race. BYU fell on the road to UCF, Texas Tech lost to Cincinnati and Tennessee fell to South Carolina. USC couldn't get anything going against Wisconsin, and Minnesota took down Iowa. However, the most consequential result may have been Texas beating Ole Miss in Austin.

The Longhorns kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive while also putting a serious dent in Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss' Heisman case. Chambliss completed less than 50% of his passes and threw three interceptions, including one to seal the game on the final play. The Rebels still have SEC and CFP aspirations but they no longer have any margin for error after the loss.

Miami has avoided a negative result for most of the 2026 season. There's a trip to Notre Dame looming but the Hurricanes have been focused enough to avoid looking ahead to the Irish. Darian Mensah has seen his stock rise, and now receiver Malachi Toney is picking up steam. Toney has 952 yards and 11 touchdowns through seven games.

We'll take a look at the latest Heisman Trophy prediction markets available at the best prediction market apps after Week 8 and highlight which players could be worth backing at their current price. Get a $55 bonus with the latest Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 when you trade $25+:

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2026 Heisman Trophy winner markets (via Kalshi)

The Buckeyes had an open week, so Smith's Heisman case wasn't impacted. It's hard to tell how Ohio State's offense will look without Julian Sayin, and until that question is answered, Smith will likely remain the frontrunner in this market. However, Toney is catching up to him significantly and has the benefit of playing with his top quarterback. If the Hurricanes beat the Irish again, Toney and Mensah will likely be together at the Heisman ceremony as long as they avoid an upset somewhere else.

Carr and the Irish need that win to avoid more CFP drama. Notre Dame's loss to BYU means the margin for error is gone, especially since there's no conference title game the Irish can participate in. The SEC might have up to four teams with two losses each and they'll all have more quality wins than the Irish. Carr's Heisman case can get a massive boost if he leads Notre Dame past Miami, but for now, he's not worth looking at as a longshot opportunity.

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If you're looking for a deep sleeper candidate, Mestemaker is probably the best player to back. Oklahoma State does have two losses but one was not in the conference. That means the Cowboys are still in contention to win the Big 12 title even if they have one more defeat. Mestemaker has a signature win over Oregon and he's putting up great numbers with 20 touchdowns to just six interceptions. If Oklahoma State beats Texas Tech, Mestekmaker has a clear path to the Heisman ceremony and the Cowboys might find themselves back in the Big 12 title game.

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