The Josh Innes Show - Heisman Sleepers

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

I'm Jonesing for Football. I'm Jonesing to bet on football. Some dude from USA Today has a list of Heisman Sleeprs..I'm so desperate for football that I will discuss this... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Dazone. For the first time ever, the 32 best soccer clubs from across the world are coming together to decide who the undisputed champions of the world are in the FIFA Club World Cup. The world's best players, Messi, Holland, Kane and more are all taking part. And you can watch every match for free on Dazone, starting on June 14th and running until July 13th. Sign up now at Dazone.com slash FIFA. That's D-A-Z-N.com slash FIFA. I never thought that I would be the guy that's like, ooh, it's X number of days until football season,

but here we are. Like I long for it. Like my joy comes from Sundays, gambling on football, watching football, Saturdays. I don't sit around all day and watch football on Saturdays. I'm more of a Saturday night football guy and then all day Sunday football guy. I just I want it I long for it and I'm hoping that it gets here fast. You know, it's fucking wild that we're

only a couple weeks away from the Hall of Fame game. It is in this month that there will be a Hall of Fame game. So I am one of those dudes like I like other sports. I can watch other sports. You know I watch basketball and I paid attention to free agency and the trades and everything and all that. That's all well and good. None of it gets me going like football stuff does. Speaking of I have a story here in front of me that has some Heisman Trophy Sleepers. As you know I did blow a massive opportunity

to make big cash one time on one of these kind of bets and I'll never live it down and I'll regret it forever. But let's play a couple commercials and get into that. So here we go Heisman Trophy Sleepers, five unlikely contenders for college football's top award that according to Blake Topmeyer of USA Today. I'll never forgive myself for not betting on Joe Burrow when I had the chance to bet on Joe Burrow. I was just drunk enough to do it. I guess I wasn't. I was not quite drunk enough to take my winnings and bet on Joe Burrow to win the Heisman Trophy. I didn't have the balls. But and I don't fully remember how it all played out, but I know that in May of 2019, me and Jilly went to Vegas and got married.

While I was there, I placed a bet on the NHL. I placed a bet on the Blues to win some series. I want to say it was against the San Jose Sharks and they won. So when we went home, I'm like, well, I need to fly back and get my money for that because I think I won like a decent amount of change for that. So we fight I say a decent amount like 1500 bucks or something, whatever the number was, we fly back. And I forgot what else I did. But I ended up with a decent amount of money I forgot exactly how much it was maybe a thousand maybe 1200 1300 I forgot how much money I had but we were in Vegas and it was at least late enough in the summer

Where I could get I could bet on the Heisman Trophy and I'm waiting in line We're about to get on a plane at like midnight. I'm waiting in line At the betting window. I forgot what hotel we were at. I'm standing there and I'm in line. I'm like, I'm going to bet on Joe Burrow who at the time I want to say was like plus 250 or 250 to one to win the Heisman trophy. Whatever the bet was that Joe Burrow's dad made and won is the bet that I was going to make. I'm in line. I'm like, I love Joe Burrow.

I just watched him in the fiesta bowl, just get eviscerated on a play in the fiesta bowl and then get up and say, screw you guys and just sling it. I'm like, I like this guy. I'm going to put all this money I have on Joe Burrow to win the Heisman. And then by the time I got to the window, I crapped out, didn't even put anything on Joe Burrow to win the Heisman. Because I'm like, you you know what I'd rather just leave us some money which is something I never do like it's the most rare thing ever for me to know when to say when I'm like no I'm not gonna do it and then I get on the plane fly back week one okay they're fine then week two they're in Texas and we go to see them play the Longhorns in Austin and

Burrow has this epic fucking game and the odds go from like 250 to one to like damn near the favorite to win the Heisman and I'm like I blew this one guys. I could have won. I forgot how much it was 250 thousand if I would have put a thousand bucks on it would have won 250 thousand I guess but I didn't do it. Joe Burrows dad did do it made some life changing money and I did nothing and probably just lost I guess. But I didn't do it. Joe Burrows' dad did do it, made some life-changing money, and I did nothing and probably just lost a bunch of money gambling that year. But let's look at the Heisman Trophy Sleepers. Five unlikely contenders for college football's

top award. Now the favorites are Arch Manning who's 6-1, Garrett Nussmeyer who's the quarterback at LSU is 8-1. Cade Klumnik from Clemson, 9 1 1. One of those guys will have their number change in week one because they're playing against each other. Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, 10 1 1. Drew Aller is 14 1 1 from Penn State. So it appears that by this guy's logic, he's going to take a long shot or a sleeper as guys who are 15 to one. Now if any of those guys are going to win, like here's what this sounds

like, like I don't want Arch Manning to win. I have nothing against the Manning's I have nothing against the Manning cast. I love the Manning cast. I have nothing against Eli Payton Cupper Archie. I don't care. And I have nothing against Arch either. But I hate the University of Texas. And I hate the height like people are talking about this guy like I saw the other day that Paul Feinbaum is like this guy is the best quarterback we've had since Tim Tebow. How the fuck do you know the guys never played? He might suck and I hope he does in the same way that I hope that dude that was going to go to LSU and then and then like at the last minute took a bag of cash to go to Michigan, I hope he sucks too. They're just certain guys that you hope suck and one of them is Arch Manning. I want Arch Manning to blow, notably because I don't want Texas football fans to have joy because I don't think they deserve joy because they walk around

like they're the biggest shit on the planet, like they're the greatest football program on the planet. They think about this in every sport, by the way, baseball, they lose, but they think they're big shit. Basketball, they think they're big shit, but football, they really think they're big shit. And people talk about Texas, like it's this all time amazing football program when in reality, it's really not. And they've been pretty mediocre. And now obviously, they're kind of on an upswing now. But they had the quarterback last year Quinn

Ewers who was slinging and played his balls off. You had all of these people hated this guy and talk shit about him. All this dude did is have one of the greatest seasons in the history of the program. Not like they have a long history of tons of incredible dudes like yeah, they had VY, yeah, they've had some other guys, but it's not like Texas has won like 30 national championships. You're not Alabama or somebody has won like 30 national championships you're not Alabama or somebody like that but you think you are so Alabama or rather Texas fans are over your

shitting on Quinn Ewers when Quinn Ewers was out here slinging for you guys and giving everything he's fucking got for you and balling out for you it's not his fault they called a bad play in that game but anyway so they love this arch manning they want to see arch manning blah blah blah arch manning this arch manning that arch manning, blah, blah, blah, Arch Manning this, Arch Manning that, Arch Manning. I want Arch Manning to suck. And this is not an Arch Manning, anti-Arch Manning play. This is not an anti-Manning family play. This is an anti-Texas football fan play because I despise the University of Texas. It is an over bloated, overhyped,

overfunded, under achieving football program. I like Matthew McConaughey. This is not a Matthew McConaughey play. His book is sitting on my toilet. It's a lovely book. It's called Green Light. You should read it. It's a nice book.

None of that has anything to do with this. It is an anti Texas fan, anti Texas football play. I want Arch Manning to be the biggest dud ever. I want them calling for whoever his backup is, which they will if he struggles because that's what college programs do. So I hope he does not win the Heisman. I hope he plays terrible and doesn't even factor into the race doesn't get invited doesn't even sniff New York. So

let's see this guy's sleepers. I have not looked at this yet, but 15 to 1 odds. To me, the one that kind of stands out and maybe he'll have a drop off after last year because he played really well and he became kind of a darling is my man with the specs, Lenoris Sellers at South Carolina. The schedule is going to be set up where he can have some big stat games against some mediocre teams. Then they're going to have a wave in there in the middle where they got Bama and LSU and Ole Miss. They're going to have some tough games in there. If he plays well in those and South Carolina is

winning those games, he's in the mix. I like Lenoris a lot. So if you're looking at a guy that's 15 to one odds or lower or higher, however you want to word it. Dude, Lenores is my guy but let's see what this dude from USA Today says. Says, full disclosure I'm a Heisman voter I do not wager on the award. Here are my top Heisman sleepers. His first is Carson Beck of Miami who's 25 to 1. Here's the thing about Carson Beck from Miami. Carson Beck was also Carson Beck at Georgia. Carson Beck sucks. Like you can sit there and tell me how good you think Carson

Beck is. And last year was more of an outlier. I don't buy Carson Beck. They felt his backup was better than him at one point. No, and they had no issue letting Carson Beck walk from Georgia. And maybe they think that they got themselves another dude that's going to go out there and sling for 5000 yards. It ain't happening. So I would I would be against that. It sounds good in theory, right? It sounds good to say you're taking a guy that's a national championship type of

player that played at one of the biggest programs on the planet in Georgia. It now makes sense that he's going to another power program that plays in a very winnable conference. Why couldn't he put up these numbers? Because I don't believe in Carson Beck. I think Carson Beck's a poon. So I would say no to the 25 to 1, but I understand why you would look at that because you're looking for a sleeper. I can see that kind of being in play, but that no way in hell I'd take that. Ah, here we go. Lenoris Sellers quarterback South Carolina. His odds are 18 to one. So what would that be 100 bucks would win you 1800 bucks right? Would that be the play? I think I'd take an opportunity on that 18 to one for Lenoris. I mean, he had some games last year there was one one of the coolest fucking things they're playing Missouri at South Carolina last year. There was one one of the coolest fucking things. They're playing Missouri at South Carolina last year and this dude's making play after play late in the game to win.

They fall behind they come back. It's an amazing game. I'm listening to it on the radio because I would say I had to go run an errand, but my errand was I had to go back across the river to Illinois to go put in another bet Lord, please let me move somewhere where I can sit around and make my bets at home and never have to leave. I would save tons of gas and And I'm listening to the game on the radio. And it's coming to like a clutch point in the game, right, like a big moment where they need a defensive stop or something

needs to happen for South Carolina, they're at home, which when they're right is one of the underrated environments in college sports. Fun fact that stadium was at Williams Brice Stadium, that is where they filmed the program, which is a wonderful football film but I'm listening and they start playing the beginning of Allison Chains the Rooster and like you may not think that that would be an intense moment in a game like because it's kind of goofy that their mascot is like, you know a rooster and You know, like they make like car sounds like you know, a rooster. And you know, like they make like, sounds like, you know, and they make jokes about cocks and the

douchebags wear the hats and say cocks and hoo hoo, it's cooked. But there's a point where they start playing the intro to the rooster like right before a big play against Missouri, and I'm hearing it on the radio and I'm like, and the crowds just fucking revved up and I'm like, fuck dude, that's intense. That's kind of killer. like there are certain things that you don't think are going to be like intense cool things like I went to see LSU just throttle Arkansas last year we drove to

Arkansas Fayetteville to watch the LSU Arkansas game and well by the time the game was over people had left LSU beat the shit out of them but and that was right around the time that LSU was kind of a sleeper to maybe make a move but then you know they lost a couple and the season was over. But we're sitting there. I think they won that then the next week they played A&M and had the lead at halftime and then homeboy came in and beat the shit out of them

and that was all she wrote. But anywho, at the beginning of the Arkansas game and like the teams about to run on the field, they start playing War Pigs. And like it sounds goofy because you're like, oh wow, here come the hogs, whatever. It's kind of fucking intense because that's an intense song anyway and that's you know Black Sabbath and it's fucking intense. But it kind of ruled and like things like that like you don't expect to be awesome.

Like you don't expect when you go to these SEC stadiums where there's 100,000 people and they're singing like 80s country songs or like you'll call him Baton Rouge or Dixieland delight. You're like, that's not gonna be that cool. But then when you're in it, it's really fucking cool. And so like certain things like you would anticipate being cool. Like you would think that like inner sandman in a giant football stadium lights out players run on the field

like that would be intense. You're not thinking the beginning of the rooster and if you can find it, go Google it and see if it's on YouTube or something. If they have an example of that, but listening to it through the radio and they were playing Missouri and you start hearing the fucking Ooh, like this rules. Anywho, I think Lenores is a good play. He might also be the really trendy play so it may not work out. And maybe he'll fall off a cliff. Maybe last year was the moment where nobody knew and now they all know. Let's see Julian

Smith, the quarterback or Julian saying I should say Julian saying the quarterback at Ohio State is 18 to one. I don't know. I wouldn't run the risk of taking someone who hasn't been the quarterback, so we'll see John Matier from Oklahoma's 25 to one and then Ryan Williams. Ryan Williams is the young cat from Alabama. I don't know that a receiver will win. I mean look, it's happened recently, so it can happen. But 18 years old, he'd be the youngest player to win the award.

I mean, he had dude dude balled last year, so we'll see. Alabama is never going to be Alabama again, and I take joy in that. There'll be a fine program and they'll win games, but the aura is gone because Nick Saban is gone. So it won't be as easy to be a Heisman candidate at Alabama because Alabama is going to be a team that's going to start losing two and three games regularly, instead of being a team that's in the college football playoff and dominant every year. But to me,

and like Ryan Williams is fine, he's got to get someone to get in the ball though, like that the part about being a receiver, the risk you are at whenever you take a receiver to win that award and look the odds are 35 to 1 so you get a good return, someone's got to get him the ball. That's the biggest factor there. That's why I hate going with wide receivers. I want the guys who are going to touch the ball the most and that's going to be the quarterback and depending on the team and the era is running back

so I'm taking a quarterback to win the award. And if you're again, if I had to pick one, I'd probably go Homer on it and say Garrett Nessmeyer, because I'm being a 100% Homer pick on that one, although he's second best odds to win it. So it's not like it's a ridiculous pick. I would go Nessmeyer and I'm anticipating him bawling out against Clemson on the road putting people on those. Like I don't know that the world is on notice about Nessmeyer and I'm anticipating him balling out against Clemson on the road and putting people on those like I don't know that the world is on notice about Nussmeyer like if you watch LSU

games, you know the guy can sling a little bit now question marks are going to be there like he's going to lose a guy that's a really good safety blanket and Mason Taylor who's a great safety blanket tight end. Kyron Lacey is dead. So I mean, we'll see. I have a lot of belief in this dude though and I think he can sling and that's going to be an epic first week of the season when you get at Clemson LSU at Clemson LSU is due to win one of these fucking

games. So we'll see. And I think he'll put the world on notice on that one, although I guess he kind of did. I know they lost last year in their first game, but he slung in that game too and kind of let let let the world see that was the only game on the planet at that time. So I think he's kind of done that already, but he's going to sling. My biggest question for Lenor is is there a follow-up to last year? Do people figure out who you are? But if I had to take one of those guys on this guy's list of the five, I'd go with Lenor

as an 18 to one. But anywho, we will continue.