Each passing year the tradition of the Heisman Memorial Trophy grows. John W. Heisman was a man who studied the dynamics of football, its evolution, and knew everything there was to know about the gridiron. He helped the game's development and will be forever memorialized with a trophy. The Heisman is an award that goes to the most outstanding college football player of the year.

Many people feel that it's way too early to be talking about who is going to win the Heisman Trophy this year. The college football season does not even start until late May. Right now no one is thinking about college football, so this is why I think there is some value in making an early selection for Heisman futures. The Heisman Trophy may be viewed as a great achievement but I feel the winner is overvalued. Each year the winner seems to be almost ignored by the NFL. The success rate is very small. Of recent winners only Carson Palmer has truly established himself as a superstar after winning the award.

Another important thing to mention is that the award usually goes to a top ranked team. The recipient's team usually has a very good record. A player has won the award on an undefeated team 15 times. Also on a team with one loss it has been won 19 times, two losses 26 times, three losses seven times and only six times with a team that had four or more losses. This is a key stat that has to be taken into account when placing a wager. In the past 20 years, the lowest loss total of a winning player has been three. If a team has a tougher schedule or is not expected to be competitive you want to stay away from betting a player representing that team. Stick with a talented player on a top team and you will be successful.

With all this said I still think many people are intrigued and interested in who is going to win this year. There are many opportunities to bet on the Heisman Trophy winner and if you limit you selections and choose wisely you can be very profitable. Now let's take a look at possible winners and best odds (All odds are from Bodog):

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (3:1) - Tim Tebow took home this award last season and is the early favorite to repeat this feat again. He is a threat with both his arm and his legs. He's a very versatile quarterback and can hurt you in many ways. He is going to be hard to beat if he puts up numbers similar to last season. Last year he had a quarterback rating of 172.5. He had 3,286 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and a completion rate of 66.9 percent. His rushing game is also very strong. Tebow had 210 attempts for 895 yards and had 23 touchdowns. His resume is excellent and I think that he is the best quarterback in college football.

Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State (6:1) - Chris Wells' arrival at Ohio State has been one of the most anticipated ever. He has lived up to his hype and proved his worth. Last season as a sophomore he became Ohio State's starting running back. He started every single game and put up some impressive numbers. Wells averaged 5.9 yards per carry for over 1,600 rushing yards total and had 15 touchdowns. If Ohio State can have a good season, then look for Wells to be a top candidate to win the Heisman Trophy this year.

Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri (8:1) - Chase Daniel will be heading into his senior year with the Missouri Tigers. He's very experienced and will be hungry to play well in his final year. He had a breakout season last year, throwing for an impressive 4,306 yards and 33 touchdowns. He has also rushed for a net 253 yards and had four touchdowns. In 2007 he he was named Offensive Player of the Year. He also led Missouri to a school best 12-2 record. He is going to have another great season this year and he is deffinalty a good bet for your money.

Field (5:1) - With the field option you may see some good solid choices. I don't really think that there is much value here at these odds. Many of the players considered in this field don't have a big national profile or the general public does not know about them. For this reason I don't think that it is worth placing a wager on the field. Many of the players are solid athletes and put up good numbers, but this alone won't win them the Heisman, so I would avoid choosing this option.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburg (20:1) - LeSean McCoy is one of the long shot picks to win the Heisman. It wouldn't be a complete list if I didn't include an underdog. McCoy defiantly has a chance to win at these odds. He is an excellent athlete and will only continue to get better with experience. If you are a fan of the underdog, maybe consider placing a wager.