Week 13 - The Best Games and My Top 5 Heisman Candidates

(Rankings based off CFP Poll)

  1. (2) Ohio State @ (3) Michigan - Kicking off rivalry week with a classic like no other, one of the best rivalries in all of college football can be described in two simple words. “The Game”. That’s the name of the rivalry, and it’s lived up to that standard the past two years. Michigan has been underdogs both years, but start as the favorites this year. Other than 2020, when the game was canceled due to COVID, these two teams have faced each other every year since 1918. Now, over 100 years later, whoever wins gets to play in the Big Ten championship game and probably the CFP. It’s going to be a cold one, which should keep it relatively low scoring. That would probably be true without the weather, as these are two of the best defenses in the country. Michigan only allows 9 points per game, best in the country. Ohio State is right behind them, allowing 9.3. That’s second in the country. Michigan allows 235 yards per game, while Ohio State allows 253. Michigan is first in the country, Ohio State is third. Michigan has 27 sacks, tied for sixth in the Big Ten, while OSU is slacking a bit with 21. That’s tied for the fifth worst in the conference. Michigan’s leader in sacks is Jaylen Harrell, who has 5.5. Ohio State’s is JT Tuimoloau, with 4. Mike Sainristil from Michigan leads the conference with 5 picks. Only one player on Ohio State has multiple interceptions, and that’s Jordan Hancock, with 2. Both defenses are stacked, and although it’s seems like Michigan might have the edge, Ohio State has shut down two top 10 ranked teams this season. They allowed only 14 points to Notre Dame in 35 minutes. Against Penn State, they allowed only 12 points and 240 yards, while letting Penn State hold the ball for just 25 and a half minutes. Penn State’s only touchdown came within the last 30 seconds. Notre Dame didn’t even score in the first half. On top of that, they’ve only allowed 3 points in both of their last 2 games. As for Michigan, their only win against a quality opponent was 24-15 over Penn State. Michigan allowed the 15 points, but also 240 yards in just 27 minutes. They struggled even more last week, allowing 24 points. That’s the most either teams have allowed this season. JJ McCarthy struggled, but Michigan picked off Taulia Tagovailoa two times, both going to Sainristil. Michigan also returned a fumble for a touchdown and got a safety to secure the win. This was Michigan’s first game this season where they had to rely on their defense to win. Like I stated earlier, JJ McCarthy struggled. It seems like JJ McCarthy gets into bad games often, but he rarely does. If you were wondering why he wasn’t on my Heisman candidates list, games like this are why. He went 12/23, which is a completion percentage of 52.2%, for 141 yards and a pick. He’s only had 3 bad games this season, and one wasn’t even his fault. Against Penn State, he went 7/8 for 60 yards. Because Michigan was great at running the ball in that game, he didn’t even need to throw a pass in the second half. His third bad game was a long time ago, when Michigan bludgeoned Bowling Green. He went 8/13 for 143 yards, 2 touchdowns, but 3 interceptions. In both the Maryland and Bowling Green games, McCarthy struggled at running the ball. Obviously it’s a team game, and the team got the win, but your “star” quarterback has to play better. McCarthy hasn’t really been anything better than a glorified game manager,  throwing for 2,335 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns. That’s because Blake Corum has been carrying Michigan through most of the season. Although all but one of his touchdowns have came inside the 10 yard line, he still has 20 touchdowns. That’s the most in the country. He also has 180 carries for 890 yards. Corum has scored a touchdown in every game, and only has 4 games where he’s scored 1 touchdown. It also doesn’t help McCarthy when your top receiver has fallen off. In just 5 games, Roman Wilson had 8 touchdowns and 326 yards on 19 catches. Since, he has 2 touchdowns and 286 yards on 18 catches. He didn’t catch a pass against Penn State. The week before, he had 9 catches for 143 yards. The week later, he only had 1 catch for 23 yards. He did get injured against Maryland last week, so hopefully he can come back against Ohio State, because they’ll going to need him. Following Wilson is Cornelius Johnson, who has 28 catches for 470 yards and a touchdown. If Wilson can’t go, that’s going to be a big hit for Michigan’s offense. Ohio State’s offense, however, has a multitude of receivers. The obvious one is Marvin Harrison Jr., who has 62 catches for 1,090 yards and 13 touchdowns. I talk more about him in the Heisman section of this post, so go check that out. Following up Harrison for the wide receivers is Emeka Egbuka, who has 32 catches for 430 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had 5 catches for 83 yards last week, but has lacked good numbers this year. He’s missed a few games, but if he can get back to his 2022 form this game, Michigan’s defense is going to be in a world of hurt. Ohio State also has the second best tight end in all of college football, Cade Stover. He has 38 catches for 534 yards and 5 touchdowns. There’s other players as well, but those three are the main reasons why Kyle McCord has the numbers he has. He’s thrown for 2,900 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. McCord has one of the best receiving corps in the country, and also a solid running game. He’s definitely not better than McCarthy, but has more options than him. TreVeyon Henderson has missed 3 games, but has ran for 118 carries for 794 yards and 10 touchdowns. Chip Trayanum and Miyan Williams have both been plagued with injuries this season, but both have 3 touchdowns. Williams hasn’t played since the Penn State game, and is out for the season. Henderson ran for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns last week, so if he can keep playing like that, it’s going to be tough for Michigan. He’s scored a touchdown in every game he’s played except for week one, so expect for him to get into the end zone this week. Michigan’s struggles as Ohio State’s experience against tough teams are both going to show this week, and a mix between the good defenses and the bad conditions leads to a Big Ten West type of game, but Ohio State gets it done, advances to the Big Ten championship game, and stays undefeated, 22-20. Odds: MICH -2.5, O/U 46.5
  2. (16) Oregon State @ (6) Oregon - In what could be the last matchup for a while between these two teams, it should go down as a classic. This rivalry has gone through multiple name changes, and is currently sitting without one. It might stay like that for a bit, as Oregon is leaving for the Big Ten at the end of the season. This is also Oregon State’s final Pac 12 game, while Oregon still has a chance at making the Pac 12 championship game. The Ducks are led by potential Heisman winner Bo Nix, who threw for 6 touchdowns and 404 yards last week. Pretty much all of that came in the first half, including all of his touchdowns. He’s thrown for 3,540 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 2 touchdowns. He’s also ran for 5 touchdowns. I talk more about him the Heisman section of this post, so go check that out. His top receiver is Troy Franklin, who’s been the best receiver in the Pac 12 this year. He’s caught 68 passes for 1,220 yards and 13 touchdowns. His yards and touchdowns are the most in the conference, while the catches are tied for the fourth most. Franklin went for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 catches last week, with his touchdowns coming from 16 yards and 45 yards out. In all but 2 games, he’s caught a touchdown. The least amount of yards he’s gotten in a game is 80, which has happened twice. Even in Oregon’s only loss, he was great, with 8 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. If not for the missed field goal which would tie the game, Oregon would’ve won that game, at least in my eyes. Following Troy Franklin is Tez Johnson, who’s been a sneaky good receiver. He has 59 catches for 805 yards and 9 touchdowns. He was high school teammates with Bo Nix, and the connection has travelled over to Eugene as Johnson transferred in this season from Troy. He caught a touchdown last week for 16 yards. he also had 6 catches for 80 yards. He’s had 3 straight games with a touchdown, and against both Cal and USC, he had 2. His 2 touchdowns against USC were 21 yards and 77 yards. Both Terrance Ferguson and Gary Bryant Jr. have 3 touchdowns, and both have 350 or more yards. Bryant has 370 and Ferguson has 350. In between those two is Bucky Irving. He’s caught 43 passes for 360 yards and a touchdown. Irving has been a talented pass catcher, but is an even better rusher. He has 149 carries for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Even though Nix barely played in the second half last week, the passing game was still supreme, as Irving only had 63 yards on 11 carries. Even though that’s his third least amount of rushing yards this season, he got 3 catches for 33 yards. Irving is still one of the most talented backs in the country, and one bad game shouldn’t affect him in this one. In a game as big as this one, Oregon is going to need their leading rusher to step up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes over the game and ends up getting 20+ carries and 200+ yards. However, he’s going to have some carries taken away from him. Jordan James has 86 carries, but it hasn’t taken away from Irving. James also has 620 yards and 9 touchdowns. Most of James’ touchdowns have came in the red zone, so Oregon State has to watch out for him in the red zone. Even though they have one of the most balanced offenses in the country, averaging 350 pass yards per game and 196.6 rushing yards per yards per game, which are both second in the Pac 12, they’re not lacking on defense either. They allow 16.7 points per game, tied for first in the Pac 12, and 310 yards per game, second in the conference. They also had 31 sacks, tied for third. The production is spread evenly across most of the players in the defense, with the leader in sacks, Brandon Dorlus, only having 5. No one has more than 2 interceptions. As for Oregon State, they also have a great defense. They allow 327.5 yards per game, 20.6 points per game, and have 36 sacks. All three stats are top 5 in the Pac 12. They’re also full of studs on defense. Easton Mascarenas-Arnold leads the conference with 95 tackles. He also has 2 sacks and 2 picks. He’s tied for the most picks on the team, and 4 other players have the same amount. One of those players is Andrew Chatfield Jr., who has 9 sacks, third in the conference. Oregon State shut down Washington’s offense last week, holding them to just 22 points and 272 total yards. They also forced and recovered a fumble. Some of this could be considered not Oregon State’s work, as the conditions were horrible. However, Washington’s defense didn’t have a problem. Oregon State turned the ball over 3 times, and DJ Uiagalelei threw 2 picks. He went 15/31 for 164 yards and the 2 interceptions, no touchdowns. He did have 53 yards on the ground though. Oregon State possessed the ball for 37 and a half minutes, and Uiagalelei could barely do anything with it. It was mainly Damien Martinez, who had 26 rushes for 123 yards, both of Oregon State’s touchdowns, and 2 catches for 44 yards. He’s been practice unstoppable, with 181 carries for 1,150 yards, and 9 touchdowns. He’s second in the Pac 12 in yards and carries. The least amount of yards he’s had in a game is just 65 yards, but he also had a touchdown that game. He’s been a touchdown machine the past two week, with 2 last week and 4 against Stanford the week prior. He’s been a great duo with Deshaun Fenwick, who has 89 carries for 500 yards and 5 touchdowns. Fenwick was shut down last week, with 3 rushes for 0 yards. These two are the main reasons why 192.5 rush yards per game. That’s third in the conference. Uiagalelei has also helped out in the rushing game. He has 206 rush yards and 6 touchdowns this year, but hasn’t ran for a touchdown in the past two weeks. He’s thrown for 2,420 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Once again, he was horrible last week. He needs to play better if Oregon State wants to beat Oregon this week. Most of his passes have gone to Silas Bolden and Anthony Gould. Bolden has 47 catches for 660 yards and 4 touchdowns. Gould has 38 catches for 630 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both had alright games last week, Bolden had 5 catches for 64 yards and Gould had 34 yards on the same amount of catches. Jack Velling, who has 28 catches for 420 yards and 8 touchdowns, had only one catch for a yard last week. 6 of his touchdowns have came from the red zone. He needs to get more involved, as he’s been keeping this receiver corps together. Oregon has a Heisman contending quarterback, a top 3 running back in the conference, and the best receiver in the conference as well. Oregon also has one of the best defenses in the Pac 12, and either the best or second best offense in the country. Oregon wins, 42-35. Odds: ORE -14, O/U 62.5
  3. North Carolina @ (22) NC State - After weeks of being underrated, NC State is finally ranked. In their first ranked game, they can beat the rival by a lot, as North Carolina’s defense looked bad last week. That caused them to drop out of the rankings. UNC allowed 31 points last week, and 466 yards. On top of that, they only had the ball for 22 minutes, as they could not stop the running game. Clemson ran the ball 55 times, for 250 yards. Both touchdowns in the second half from the Tigers were on the ground. One thing North Carolina did good, however, was their play on third down. Clemson went 6-19 on third downs, and 2-4 on fourth. It seemed like the UNC defense got better on third downs. However, North Carolina’s offense also got shut down on those downs. They went 4-14 on third downs and 2-5 on fourth. Pretty much just like Clemson, they ran the ball well. They had 250 yards on just 32 carries, which is 7.8 yards per carry. After Drake Maye threw a 33 yard touchdown to JJ Jones on the first quarter, the offense was bad for the rest of the first half. Omarion Hampton lost 2 fumbles, although one was before the touchdown. Those were his first fumbles this year. He did redeem himself, as he had 19 carries for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both of the touchdowns came in the first half. However, Drake Maye kinda threw the game away for UNC. He went 16/36, a completion percentage of 44.4%. He threw for 210 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 pick. He did have 70 rushing yards, however. His interception came on North Carolina’s last drive. In two of North Carolina’s losses, he’s thrown a pick late. Against Virginia, his only pick came in North Carolina’s last drive. Against Georgia Tech, North Carolina’s last drive resulted in a fumble from Tez Walker. These turnovers have killed North Carolina, and without them, North Carolina could be in the mix of the playoffs. Another thing that hurt UNC’s chances at beating Clemson was their penalties, which they had 10 of for 75 yards. Maye was supposed to be in the Heisman race this season, but has been mediocre. He’s thrown for 3,354 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 7 picks this year. Sure, that might look like good numbers, but hasn’t put more than two games together against a competitive opponent. He has ran for 340 yards and 8 touchdowns, however. It’s been Omarion Hampton carrying the offense. He has 225 carries for 1,414 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those are all at the top of the ACC. Although Maye does led the ACC in passing yards, he has a great group of receivers to help him. Tez Walker has played in just 7 games, but leads UNC in receiving yards. He has 39 catches for 670 yards and 6 touchdowns. JJ Jones has 38 catches for 600 yards and just 2 touchdowns. However, his two touchdowns have came in the last 3 games. Tight end Bryson Nesbit has 38 catches for 540 yards and 5 touchdowns. UNC is currently averaging 515 yards per game and 38 points per game, and take that offense into Raleigh. Their rivals haven’t had the same success in offense. NCSU averages 332 yards per game, third worst in the conference, and 26 points per game. Since being the starter again, Brennan Armstrong has been great. In the year, he’s thrown for 1,290 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 6 picks. He was bad for his first 5 games, which was the reason he got benched. However, he threw for 110 yards and a touchdown two weeks ago and ran for 100 yards and another touchdown. Then last week, he threw for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, while running for 90 yards and 2 more touchdowns, as NC State beat Virginia Tech by a touchdown. Armstrong leads the team in rushing yards, with 529 yards and 6 touchdowns. The leading running back, Michael Allen, only has 250 yards. However, Delbert Mimms III has 7 touchdowns. Armstrong has only one main target, and that’s Kevin Concepcion. He’s caught 57 passes, by far the most in the team, for 636 yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s also tacked on 240 yards on 27 carries. NC State’s defense has been carrying them to their ranking and record. They allow 20 points per game, 318 yards per game, and 31 sacks, all top 5 in the ACC. The Wolfpack are going to try to shut down North Carolina’s offense, but Omarion Hampton is going to be to much to handle, as he runs for over 200 and North Carolina wins, 27-21. Odds: UNC -2.5, O/U 55.5
  4. (5) Florida State @ Florida - After both teams lost their quarterbacks, it’ll be a battle of backup quarterbacks, and although it seems like Florida has nothing to play for, they want a bowl game, while Florida State wants an undefeated regular season, and a win for Jordan Travis. Travis’ college career is no over, and he’s thrown for 2,755 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions this year. He’s also ran for 7 touchdowns, his fourth straight year that he’s had that exact amount. Travis was the MVP of this game last year, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown, but also running for 83 yards and a touchdown. His crazy run in the second half that was almost a touchdown set up another touchdown run for Travis, and that’s what switched the flip for FSU to win. Without him, it’ll be Tate Rodemaker for at least 3 more games, as FSU are going to the ACC championship game and potentially the playoffs. This is Rodemaker’s fourth year in the program, so he’s not new. He’s played in 6 games this year, and has thrown for 376 yards and 5 touchdowns. In his only meaningful snaps this year, he threw for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, he had a completion percentage of 56.5%, something that Florida should take advantage of. He has two top-tier receivers to throw to, Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. Coleman, possibly the best transfer in college football this year, has caught 45 passes for 615 yards and an insane 11 touchdowns. I’m saying it’s insane because the next closest amount of touchdowns that a player has caught is only 2. It’s a four way tie, and I won’t get into all of those players, but one of them is Johnny Wilson. Wilson has 33 catches for 530 yards and the 2 aforementioned touchdowns. Both have been banged up this year, but should be good for this one. FSU’s running game scored 5 touchdowns last week, however, and we should see more of that this week. Troy Benson has 119 carries for 740 yards and 11 touchdowns this year, while Lawrence Toafili has 54 carries for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns. Both had a touchdown last week, and Benson has scored a touchdown in the past four games. 5 more players had more yards than Benson last week. One of those was CJ Campbell Jr., who had 3 rushes for 80 yards and a touchdowns. Samuel Singleton Jr. had 6 rushes for 52 yards last week. North haven’t made much noise in the running game this year, and it might jus be an over reaction as Florida State blew out an FCS team, but they looked good and should be productive this week. FSU’s defense has also been one of the best in the ACC, just like their offense. They allow 17 points per game, first in the conference, 323 yards per game, fourth in the ACC, and 32 sacks, tied for first in the conference. Their game is going to be a bit easier, as Graham Mertz won’t play, as he’s also injured. Max Brown will start, and he’s played even less than Rodemaker. Against Mizzou, he went 4-4 for 56 yards, and if he keeps playing like that, Florida could knock off FSU. Graham Mertz has thrown for 2,900 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 3 picks. He’s been one of the more underrated players this season, and has looked the complete opposite of his days at Wisconsin. Brown’a main target, just like Mertz, will most likely be Ricky Pearsall. He’s caught 64 passes for 850 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had only 2 catches last week, but for 72 yards. Trevor Etienne will help out the young quarterback, and he’s ran for 710 yards and 8 touchdowns on 121 carries. He’s tied with Montrell Johnson Jr. for yards, and they’re have the same exact amount of yards, not rounded up/down. Johnson has 134 carries for 710 yards and 4 touchdowns. Outside of these two, there isn’t really much noise in the running back room. Florida’s defense is also going to struggle, as they allow nearly 400 yards of total offense per game, sitting at fourth worst in the SEC. They also allow 28 points per game, second worst in the SEC. Florida’s going to play their hardest for this bowl game, but it won’t be enough as Florida State wins, 24-20. I think it’ll be tough for both teams at the start of the game as they get adjusted to the new quarterbacks, but it starts to take off in the second half. Odds: FSU -6.5, O/U 49.5
  5. TCU @ (13) Oklahoma - With their eyes set on a bowl game, TCU can get there and upset Oklahoma is the process. OU is looking for a win and other scenarios to happen so they can make it to the Big 12 championship. I’ll start with TCU, who are led by their running back, Emani Bailey. He has 202 carries for 1,060 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s third in carries and sixth in yards in the Big 12. He’s scored a touchdown in his past 3 games, and has scored twice in 2 of them. He had 2 touchdowns last week, but only 53 yards on 16 rushes. He also lost a fumble last week. Although he struggled, TCU didn’t. Josh Hoover finally looked good, going 24/29 for 410 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran a touchdown. Since taking over for Chandler Morris, he’s thrown for 1,860 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. TCU ended up with 42 points, and they did that in just 26 and a half minutes. They also had 530 yards of total offense. Hoover found Jared Wiley a lot, as he came down with 7 catches for 180 yards and both of Hoover’s touchdowns. He’s caught 39 passes for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns. The top receiver for TCU has been Savion Williams, however, and he has 38 catches for 525 yards and 4 touchdowns. Regardless of how well Emani Bailey plays, the TCU offense is going to have a tough time, as OU allows just 20 points per game and 378.5 yards per game. Those are both top 5 in the Big 12. Danny Stutsman is the leader of the defense, with 91 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 pass deflections, a pick returned for a touchdown, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He had 10 tackles last week, his fourth game this year with double digit tackles. Billy Bowman Jr. leads the team with 5 picks, and 2 of them have gone back for touchdowns. The offense is equally as good. Dillon Gabriel has thrown for 3,260 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just 5 picks. He’s also ran for 340 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, he got hurt last week, and it was Jackson Arnold who stepped in. Arnold didn’t play bad, going 5/9 for 33 yards. However, Gabriel got hurt late in the first half, and the offense kinda stagnated from there. It got even worse when Jalil Farooq, a top receiver for Oklahoma, went out. Hopefully both play, as it’ll make Oklahoma’s road to the Big 12 championship game even easier. Farooq has caught 40 passes for 630 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Drake Stoops has 66 catches for 755 yards and 9 touchdowns. Both will be big help to a potentially still injured Gabriel or Arnold, and another guy will be Nic Anderson. He has 27 catches for 630 yards and 9 touchdowns. He’s been a touchdown machine, and after his first 6 games, he had 16 catches and 8 touchdowns. It’s been slowed down recently, but caught one last week. It should be a big game through the air, but OU’s defense shuts down TCU, and they’re win, 24-17. Odds: OU -9.5, O/U 64.5
  6. Texas A&M @ (14) LSU - We all remember the classic 2018 game between these two, and while it might not be a game like that again, this could be iconic. Jayden Daniels is on an incredible streak, as he’s thrown for 1,004 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just 1 interceptions in the past three games. It doesn’t stop there, however as he’s ran for 493 yards and 5 touchdowns. This is the reason why he’s at the top of my Heisman list, and I talk more about him there, so go check that out. He’s thrown for 3,577 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He’s ran for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading LSU and all quarterbacks in the country. Daniels is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country, and he has two top receivers to throw to. Malik Nabers has came down with 80 catches for 1,424 yards and 12 touchdowns. He caught 8 passes for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns last week, his fourth game this year with 2 receiving touchdowns. His touchdowns came from 18 and 40 yards away. Most of Nabers’ touchdowns this season come from their opponents 39-20 yard line, which is where one touchdown last week nearly came from. Nabers has also had more than 100 yards the past 4 games, and all were more than 120 yards. He’s only had 3 game where he had less than 100 yards. Teaming up with Nabers at wide receiver has been Brian Thomas Jr., who has 55 catches for 1,020 yards and 14 touchdowns. He hasn’t been as flashy as Nabers, but his touchdowns lead all players in the SEC. Coming in at number 2 is Nabers. Both are top 5 in receiving yards, with Malik Nabers at one and Thomas at fourth. This offense reminds me a lot of 2019 LSU. Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels were both dominant, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson are the original Nabers and Thomas, and while Burrow didn’t lead LSU in rushing, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is pretty comparable to Daniels. Don’t sleep on current day LSU running back Logan Diggs, as he’s ran for 635 yards and 6 touchdowns on 113 carries. He hasn’t played since the Alabama game, but is expected to play in this one. Another underrated player on this LSU team is Kyren Lacy, who caught 5 passes for just over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns last week. He has 23 receptions for 450 yards and 6 touchdowns this year. A comparison for Lacy would be Terrance Marshall Jr., who was the third option for Burrow in 2019. Although Lacy hasn’t been as big as a threat as Marshall was, he’s still going to be underrated by the Texas A&M defense. Defense is something A&M excels at, why the opposite is true for LSU. Texas A&M allows 19.5 points per game, third in the SEC, 286.5 yards per game, first in the SEC, and have sacked opposing quarterbacks 40, times, not only first in the conference but tied for third in the country.A&M also has the best rush defense in the conference, allowing 102.4 rush yards per game and have allowed just 5 rushing touchdowns this year, both at the top of the SEC. On top of that, they’ve recovered 10 fumbles this year, tied for the third most in the SEC. However most of these stats are because of Jimbo Fisher. Can the Texas A&M defense play good against one of the best offenses under Elijah Robinson? They looked good last week, allowing just 10 points and 242 yards of total offense, but they played a FCS team. This is their first real test. Like I stated earlier, LSU is horrible on defense. They allow 411 yards per game and 27.5 points per game, both bottom 3 in the SEC. In all 3 of their losses, they allowed lots of points. Against Alabama, they allowed 42. Against Ole Miss, it was 55. Against Florida State, LSU allowed 45. They’ve also allowed a lot of points in some of their wins, like 39 against Mizzou, 35 to Florida, and 31 to Arkansas. If they can out together a solid game, LSU will win comfortably. A&M’s offense will hopefully test the LSU defense, and then we’ll get a better game. Max Johnson has been day to day, so hopefully he can play. Since taking over for Conner Weigman, he’s thrown for 1,450 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He’s had 2 good receivers to throw do, Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart. Smith gas 45 catches for 736 yards and 2 touchdowns, but is a dangerous punt returner, already returning one this season. However, whoever starts will most likely be without Evan Stewart, as he’s considering transferring out of A&M. He’s caught 38 passes for 514 yards and 4 touchdowns. That’s going to make the game tougher for A&M, and regardless of how good their defense is, LSU still pulls it out, 35-28. Odds: LSU -11.5, O/U 66.5
  7. Iowa State @ (19) Kansas State - Farmageddon is one of the longest running rivalries in college football, and the 107th installment of this classic rivalry. Kansas State still has an outside shot at making the Big 12 championship game, and it all hinges on if they win. Iowa State is 6-5, and has nothing better to play for than a rivalry win. Starting with K-State, Will Howard had an incredible play last week, where he faked the handoff and kept the ball himself for a touchdown run. That gave Kansas State the lead, and was also the last points of the game. K-State won their rivalry game against Kansas, and now look to do the same this week. He’s thrown for 2,355 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions this year. He’s struggled with injuries at times, but is healthy right now. He’s ran for 320 yards and 8 touchdowns as well. His top receiver, Phillip Brooks, only had one catch for 9 yards last week. He’s caught 50 passes for 560 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also adding a score on the ground. It was Jayce Brown who stepped up for K-State, catching 4 passes 96 yards. He’s only caught 17 passes for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns, the third most yards on the team. Ben Sinnott is in between Brooks and Brown, with 540 yards. He also has 5 touchdowns on 39 catches. K-State is much better in the ground, as DJ Giddens has 164 carries for 960 yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s also caught 28 passes for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns. He only had 2 catches for 4 yards last week, but 21 rushes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Treshaun Ward has 113 carries for 595 yards and 4 touchdowns. Those 2, along with Howard, make up the fifth best rushing offense in the Big 12. They average 200 rush yards per game, and have 27 rushing touchdowns. The rushing touchdowns are second in the conference. They also have a top 5 defense, allowing 19 points per game, tied for first in the conference, 360 yards per game, third in the conference, and have 24 sacks, tied for third. Iowa State might have a better defense, allowing 20.5 points per game, 336 yards per game, but just 21 sacks. Their 15 picks, however, is second in the Big 12. Rocco Becht has thrown for 2,444 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. His top receiver is Jayden Higgins, who has 42 catches for 714 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 7 catches for 104 yards last week, but didn’t get into the end zone. He hasn’t scored in the past 3 games. Unlike K-State, ISU doesn’t run the ball as well. They average 118 rush yards per game to KSU’s 200. Kansas State is going to run the ball better and control the clock, leading to their 25-17 win. Odds: KSU -10, O/U 46.5
  8. Kentucky @ (10) Louisville - After 5 straight years on Loserville, the tenth ranked Cardinal look to end their four game losing streak in the rivalry, and finish the season 11-1. Jack Plummer, who some called the weak link of this team, showed he wasn’t last week. He threw for 308 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception in the back and forth win over Miami. He’s thrown for 2,710 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 10 picks this year. He might be the glue that keeps it all together for Louisville, not the weakest link. Jawhar Jordan, the star running back for Louisville, was shut down last week, with only 33 yards in 9 carries. He ran for 1,010 yards and 11 touchdowns on 150 carries this season for the Cards. Once again, it was Isaac Guerendo who carried the bulk of the load for Louisville. He had 15 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown. He has 92 carries for 585 yards and 8 touchdowns this season. Jamari Thrash has been one of the best transfers in college football this season, with 50 catches for 740 yards and 6 touchdowns. He only had one catch last week for 7 yards. He’s caught 50 passes for 740 yards and 6 touchdowns this year. Hopefully he can get going this week, as Louisville is going for an 11-1 regular season. As for Kentucky, they also have a star running back, Ray Davis. He has 172 carries for 990 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s also been a help in the passing game, with 25 catches for 266 yards and 5 touchdowns. He’s been a big help to Devin Leary, as Leary has struggled when it comes to completing the ball. He has a 56.4% completion percentage, and has thrown for 2,234 yards, but 20 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. The completion percentage is probably the biggest concern, as it’s the lowest of his career since his freshman year. Leary is in his fifth year of college football. Kentucky is going to ride the wave of Ray Davis, but Louisville is too strong and they win, 34-24. Odds: LOU -7.5, O/U 50.5
  9. (1) Georgia @ Georgia Tech - Clean, Old Fashioned Hate has never been beaten as the best SEC-ACC rivalry. Prove me wrong. You might think Georgia has dominated Tech, but that’s couldn’t been farther than the truth. Although Georgia leads the all time series, it’s only 70-41-5. Georgia has won 5 straight, however. They have also won 28 straight, while Georgia Tech is limping into this game at 6-5. However, they have been the upset kings this season, beating both North Carolina and Miami, sticking with Ole Miss early, and nearly beating Louisville. They’re led by Haynes King, throwing for 2,600 yards, 26 touchdowns, but 15 picks. He threw 4 picks two weeks ago and 1 last week. However, his woes when it comes to not turning the ball over comes from when he runs the ball. He’s ran 624 yards and 7 touchdowns this year. He’s scored a rushing touchdown in his last 3 games, including a 19 yarder last week. If King could cut back on the picks, to just 5 or 6, he would be in the Heisman race, no matter how bad his team is. His top receiver is Eric Singleton Jr., has 43 catches for 610 yards and 6 touchdowns, and he’s doing this just as a freshman. He had 30 yards last week and 28 the week prior. If he can get back on track, the number one team will go down. However, Georgia’s defense is one of the best in the country, and should shut down Georgia Tech. They allow 15 points per game and 288 yards per game, both top 2 in the SEC. They’re also dominant on offense, averaging 502 yards per game, fourth in the country. Carson Beck has thrown for 3,320 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. His top receiver, Brock Bowers, is the best tight end in college football, and for good reason. He’s caught 51 passes for 660 yards and 6 touchdowns. He caught 7 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown last week, as Georgia destroyed Tennessee, 38-10. Daijun Edwards leads the rushers with 726 yards and 10 touchdowns on 134 carries. Because Georgia’s defense has been so dominant, it opens up the offense to throw it deep and make big plays. 5 of Beck’s touchdowns have came in between the 40 yard lines. Georgia Tech also has a great rusher, Jamal Haynes. He’s ran for 850 yards and 7 touchdowns on 141 carries. GT’s defense is nearly as good as Georgia’s, allowing 438 yards per game, worst in the ACC, and 30.5 points per game, second worst in the conference. Georgia’s offense is going to be able to run wild and free, as the Bulldogs win 29 straight, 42-24. This will be Georgia toughest game yet. Odds: UGA -24, O/U 59.5
  10. (8) Alabama @ Auburn - The Iron Bowl has never looked less shiny. Sure, Auburn’s 6-5, but just paid New Mexico State 1.8 million dollars to beat down on the Tigers in Jordan-Hare. Auburn lost 31-10, and the offense struggled. Sure, their defense didn’t do them any favors, as Auburn only held the ball for 21 minutes. The offense only put up 213 yards of total offense, and had just 12 first downs. They also went 2-10 on third downs. They could not run the ball, something that’s been the opposite for Auburn this year. They average 194 rush yards per game and just 163 pass yards per game. Jarquez Hunter has ran for 770 yards and 7 touchdowns on 132 carries. Payton Thorne has thrown for 1,580 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He’s been a more valuable runner than passer, with 463 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. As for Alabama, they’re led by Heisman candidate Jalen Milroe. As always, I talk more about him in the Heisman section of this post, so go check that out. He’s thrown for 2,270 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.  He’s ran for 330 yards and 12 touchdowns, by far the most on the team. The next closest to Milroe is Jase McClellan, who has 6. He also has 151 carries for 740 yards. Just like Auburn, Bama runs the ball well. They average 176 rush yards per game, fifth in the conference. Alabama and Auburn’s defense are about the same, with both top 5 in points per game in the SEC. Bama allows 17.4 points per game, while Auburn allows 21.5. Alabama allows 310.5 yards per game and Auburn allows 353. Alabama is third in the conference while Auburn is sixth. Alabama is star studded on defense, and that’s what drives the win for the Crimson Tide, 34-21. Odds: ALA -13, O/U 47.5
  11. Texas Tech @ (7) Texas - All Texas needs to do is win and they’re in. If they can beat Texas Tech, Texas will be in Arlington for the Big 12 championship. Quinn Ewers has thrown for 2,510 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s also ran for 5 touchdowns. He’s done all of this in just 9 games. CJ Baxter stepped up last week as Jonathan Brooks is out for the year. He ran for 120 yards on 20 carries last week. He’s ran for 510 yards and 3 touchdowns on 107 carries. Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Ja’Tavion Sanders have all been great this season as well. Worthy has 63 catches for 834 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Mitchell has 43 catches for 670 yards and 9 touchdowns. Sanders has 28 catches for 460 yards and just one touchdown, which came in Texas’ first game. It should be more of the same this week for Texas, and the same thing should be true for Texas Tech. Tahj Brooks has been the star for this team, with 250 carries for 1,350 yards and 9 touchdowns. He’s scored a touchdown in the past 7 games, and has reached 100 yards in all of those weeks. In 8 games, Behren Morton has thrown for 1,410 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s been a game manager, with pretty mediocre to above numbers this season. Texas allows just 18 points per game and 336.6 yards per game, both top 2 in the Big 12. Texas is going to shut down TTU, and the Longhorns win, 24-11. Odds: TEX -13.5, O/U 52.5
  12. Maryland @ Rutgers - This game will start a run of Big Ten matchups, and although none of them matter because the Big Ten championship game is nearly set, the Ohio State-Michigan game just has to be played. Both teams are 6-5, and are looking for winning seasons. Starting with Rutgers, they’ve lost 3 straight, but to 3 of the best teams in the conference, Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State. They’ve scored a combined 22 points and have allowed 84 points. They run the ball very well, averaging 163 rush yards per game. Kyle Monangai has ran for 980 yards and 7 touchdowns on 197 carries, but has had 2 straight games with 40 yards and no touchdowns. He’s had some really bad games this year, and other really good games. Hopefully this is a good game for him. Gavin Wimsatt has ran for 440 yards and 7 touchdowns. Wimsatt has also thrown for 1,486 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He’s been worse than Monangai the past 2 game, with 2 picks, no touchdowns, just 29 yards rushing, and 223 yards passing. Rutgers has been in a funk recently, and it’s going to help hard for them to get out. Taulia Tagovailoa leads the Big Ten in passing yards with 3,016 yards. He’s also thrown for 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Maryland has also been struggling lately, as they’ve lost 5 of their last 6 after starting 5-0. Maryland turned the ball over 3 times last week, and Tagovailoa threw 2 picks. Maryland’s struggled when it comes to running the ball, but all 3 of their touchdowns came on the round. They were all 1 yard rushes from Billy Edwards Jr., however. Edwards is also the backup quarterback. Roman Hemby leads the team with 550 yards and 4 touchdowns, all on 120 carries. Maryland’s only win in this streak of losses was a 13-10 win over Nebraska. Maryland turned the ball over 3 times, but forced 5 turnovers. They’ve forced 20 turnovers this year, and should do that this game, as Wimsatt only has a completion percentage of 49.2%. Maryland wins, 17-7. Odds: MD -2, O/U 44.5
  13. Northwestern @ Illinois - Northwestern clinched a bowl game last week, and now Illinois needs to win this one to make a bowl game. The Fighting Illini barely lost to Iowa last week, 15-13. After throwing for 500 yards, John Paddock only threw for 215. It was a tough defense, so hopefully he can bounce back against a much softer defense. Northwestern allows 342 yards per game and 22 points per game. Although Indiana, the team that Paddock threw for 500 yards against, was a worse defense than Northwestern, Paddock can still have a good game. He’s thrown for 944 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interceptions in relief of Luke Altmyer’s injury. 105 of Paddock’s 215 went to Isaiah Williams, who now has 1,000 yards and 5 touchdowns on 76 catches. He’s had 3 straight games where he’s had 100 yards, and had 2 touchdowns in the first two games. He didn’t have one last week, but should get back into end zone this week. Pat Bryant leads the team with 6 touchdowns, and also has 38 catches for 520 yards. As for Northwestern, Cam Porter was the star of the show last week. He had 2 touchdowns and 95 yards on 17 carries. His touchdowns were from the 7 yard line and the 34 yard line. Porter has 140 carries for 550 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season, and should continue to have good numbers in this game and the bowl game. Ben Bryant also threw for a touchdown, with Cam Johnson doing most of the work, as he ended up with 88 yards, the 1 touchdown, all on just 3 catches. Bryant threw for 230 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He’s battled injuries at times this season, but has thrown for 1,350 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. His top receiver, Bryce Kirtz, has caught 40 passes for 590 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 4 catches for 60 yards last week, but didn’t get into the end zone. He hasn’t reached the end zone in his past 3 games, but hopefully he can get into the end zone this week. Paddock is going to throw the ball a lot this week, which will result in some turnovers. Northwestern forced 4 turnovers last week, and that’s was a big reason why they beat Purdue, 23-15. The same thing happens this week, with Northwestern forcing turnovers. The Wildcats win, 27-13. Odds: ILL -5.5, O/U 47.5
  14. Wisconsin @ Minnesota - Both teams are going for Paul Bunyan’s Axe, with Minnesota trying to keep it. They’re also looking to win their sixth game, clinching a bowl game. Wisconsin just needs one more win, either this week or in their bowl game, for their 22nd straight winning season. They’re led by Braelon Allen, who’s ran for 820 yards and 10 touchdowns on 155 carries this year. He’s been banged up at times, and only had 3 rushes for 3 yards two weeks ago in the loss to Northwestern. He bounced back last week, with 22 carries for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns. It seems like the injury is still affecting him, as he only had 60 yards, but the touchdowns mean he’s getting back on track. Hopefully he can get back to early season form. Another player that wants to get back to early season form is Tanner Mordecai. Although he threw just his fourth touchdown last week, he was a much better runner and had more passing yards then. He’s thrown for 1,540 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 picks. He’s ran for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns as well. Mordecai broke his hand, but he’s consistently throwing 30-40 passes every game. He hasn’t scored on the ground since his fourth game. Will Pauling has caught 64 passes for 675 yards and 3 touchdowns this year, and went for 80 yards last week. As for Minnesota, they have the same offensive makeup as Wisconsin. Athan Kaliakmanis has thrown for 1,670 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. His top receiver is Daniel Jackson, who’s caught 48 passes for 710 yards and 7 touchdowns. He only had 3 catches for 30 yards last week, coming off a game where he had 7 catches for 120 yards. Both players are going to have to have a big game if Minnesota wants a bowl game. Darius Taylor is another player that needs to play well, as he has 590 yards and 4 touchdowns on 103 carries. He’s done all of this in 4 games, and he’s questionable with an injury. He should return this week, but if he can’t, it’s going to be tough sledding for Minnesota. Regardless of if he plays or not, Wisconsin wins, 21-10. Odds: WIS -3, O/U 43.5
  15. Miami @ Boston College - Both teams have clinched a bowl game, and are now looking for winning regular seasons. Miami is trying to turn things around, as they’ve lost 3 straight. Before that streak, they beat Clemson then Virginia, both in at least one overtime. Before that, they had 2 straight losses. Since the fumble near the end of game against Georgia Tech, Miami hasn’t really looked the same. Tyler Van Dyke was benched against FSU, but because the backup got hurt, he’s been put back in as the starter. He’s thrown for 2,410 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Van Dyke has a talented group of receivers, Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, and Colbie Young. Restrepo has caught 68 passes for 876 yards and 5 touchdowns, George has 49 catches for 760 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Young has 44 catches for 530 yards and 4 touchdowns. All of the running backs are packed together, as Henry Parrish Jr. and Mark Fletcher Jr. are tied, while Donald Chaney Jr. is one yard behind them. Parrish and Fletcher both have 468 yards and 4 touchdowns. Parrish has 78 carries, while Fletcher has 91. He’s tied with Chaney in the carries department, and Chaney 467 yards and 2 touchdowns. It can be a revolving door at running back at any time, so BC needs is going to be kept on their toes all afternoon. They allow 190 rush yards per game, second worst in the conference. They’re also really good at running the ball, averaging 197.5 rush yards per game, second in the conference. Thomas Castellanos leads Boston College with 830 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s thrown for 2,000 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions as well. He’s a much better runner than passer, and we see that in his interception numbers. He’s thrown 11 of them, and has been sporting a 56.8% completion percentage. He was sacked 6 times last week, and his rushing numbers struggled, with only 21 yards. His top receiver is Lewis Bond, who’s caught 42 passes for 565 yards and 6 touchdowns. Hopefully he can have a big game. Miami is going to run the ball more than BC, so they control the clock, winning 30-10. Odds: MIA -9.5, O/U 48.5
  16. (17) Iowa @ Nebraska - I know I rip the Big 12 for some insanely mid matchups, but the Big Ten has a lot more of them this week. Nebraska is trying to get to a bowl game, while Iowa is going for a 10 win season. Starting with Iowa, they once again got by last week. Kaleb Johnson had a 30 yard run to give Iowa the lead late, while the defense did their thing, allowing just 280 yards. Johnson has ran for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns on 94 carries, while Leshon Williams has 139 carries for 670 yards and just a touchdown this year, carrying the offense. Cade McNamara and Iowa’s top two tight ends have been out for the season, and Deacon Hill has stepped up at quarterback. He’s thrown for 880 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions this year. He’s done all of this on a completion percentage of 49.7%. He’s had three straight games with a completion percentage over 60%, which means he is getting better, but he doesn’t have any quality receivers, and that’s why his yards are so low. Iowa has forced just 12 turnovers this year, while Nebraska turns it over a lot, 28 times this season. 15 of them have came through the air. Heinrich Haarberg has thrown 7 of those, and also has 970 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s also ran for 480 yards and 5 touchdowns. Nebraska averages 186 rush yards per game, while Iowa only allows 108.4 rush yards per game, fourth in the Big Ten. Iowa shuts down Nebraska, 11-3. Odds: NEB -3, O/U 24.5
  17. (11) Penn State Vs. Michigan State - Although it may seem like there is nothing less to play for for Penn State,  but if they win, it will most likely solidify their chances at making a NY6. Drew Allar has thrown for 2,044 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just 1 interceptions. This is his first year starting, and he’s shown high levels of patience. He’s also ran for 4 touchdowns. Allar did get hurt last week, but will start on Friday. Penn State ran the ball very well, with 234 yards, 130 of them coming from Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Allen had 16 carries for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Singleton had 11 carries for 61 yards. Allen has ran for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns on 147 carries, while Singleton has 145 carries for 584 yards and 7 touchdowns. Singleton has also tacked on 154 yards and a receiving touchdown. Singleton also lost a fumble last week, his second this year. As for Michigan State, they’re coming off a 24-21 win over Indiana last week, with Katin Houser throwing 3 touchdowns, but 2 picks. He also threw for 280 yards. He’s thrown for 1,045 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, in about 5 games. Maliq Carr caught 7 passes for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game winner. He’s caught just 26 passes for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns, all in 8 games. Since starting the season as one of the best Big Ten rusher, Nathan Carter has had a pretty big fall off. He’s ran for 750 yards and 4 touchdowns on 178 carries. In his first 5 games, he only had one game under 100 yards. Since that fifth game, he’s only gone over 50 yards twice, both for 52. His carries have also gone down, from about 20 to around 10. He had 11 carries for just 42 yards last week. Carter is the only player on MSU with over 100 yards. Michigan State averages a conference worst 100 rush yards per game. Penn State is great at running the ball, while Michigan State is the exact opposite. Penn State will start running the ball early, and will most likely always have fresh legs when swapping Allen and Singleton out. Penn Stats wins big, 42-13. Odds: PSU -22, O/U 42.5
  18. (24) Clemson @ South Carolina - Both are on 3 game winning streaks, as they enter the Palmetto State’s biggest rivalry. Starting with Clemson, they jumped up into the rankings with a win at home over North Carolina, 31-20. They ran the ball and controlled the clock, while forcing 3 turnovers. Cade Klubnik has thrown for 2,480 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He’s also ran for 4 touchdowns. Like I stated earlier, Clemson ran the ball very well against UNC. Most of that came from Phil Mafah, who had 84 yards and a touchdown last week, all on 23 carries. On the year, he has 149 carries for 805 yards and 9 touchdowns. Will Shipley is right behind him, with 141 carries for 720 yards and 5 touchdowns. Shipley hasn’t gotten into the end zone as much this season, but has still contributed a lot to Clemson’s season. As for South Carolina, they just need one more win for bowl eligibility. Spencer Rattler has thrown for 3,074 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He’s also ran for 4 touchdowns. Rattler has slightly worse numbers last year, but has been sacked 7 more times this year. The rushing game has also fallen off, going from nearly 120 rush yards per game to 87.6 this year. Mario Anderson leads the team with just 672 yards. He also has 130 carries for 3 touchdowns. After Anderson, Dakereon Joyner has just 115 yards. He does, however, has 5 touchdowns. Xavier Legette has been a star, with 1,190 yards and 7 touchdowns on 65 catches. Just like the rest of the season, he should have a big game. Clemson runs the ball better, and Will win the game because of that, 31-17. Odds: CLEM -7.5, O/U 49.5
  19. Cal @ UCLA - This is the last Pac 12 after dark game ever. More than a century of Pac 12 football won’t end Saturday night, it’ll end after the Pac 12 championship game, but this is the last ever Pac 12 after dark and regular season Pac 12 game. Cal’s looking for Bowl eligibility, while UCLA are looking for third straight 8 win season, as well as keeping Chip Kelly in Los Angeles, as some rumors suggest that Kelly will be fired. They’re 7-4, and although all their wins haven’t been pretty, 7-4 with a good shot at going 8-4 should not mean your coach gets fired. If this isn’t Big Ten worthy play from the Bruins, then don’t fire Kelly. They still have the offseason to get great recruits, Dante Moore is going to get better, and the Pac 12 was also insanely strong this year. So instead of this turning into me defending Chip Kelly, let’s talk about the players. Carson Steele has ran for 794 yards and 6 touchdowns on 155 carries. He had another bad game last week, with 12 carries for 50 yards. TJ Harden was the main back last week, with 22 carries for 142 yards and a touchdown in UCLA’s 38-20 win over USC. He’s ran for 675 yards and 6 touchdowns on 126 carries this year. Ethan Garbers was the starter last week, and although he had only 155 yards and a completion percentage of 58.1%, he threw for 3 touchdowns. He’s thrown for 940 yards, 9 touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions in just 6 games this season. Dante Moore, the true freshman, and Collin Schlee have also played at times, with Moore leading the team in passing yards. UCLA’s defense returned a fumble last week for a touchdown, something they’ve done so well at this season. They’ve forced 21 turnovers this season and have sacked opposing quarterbacks 40 times, tied for third in the country. They’re also one of the best teams at stopping the run, allowing just 64.6 rush yards per game, second in the country, first in the Pac 12. It’s going to be a tough matchup for Jaydn Ott, Cal’s leading rusher. Ott has 208 carries for 1,180 yards and 11 touchdowns. Ott had 36 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown last week, along with 2 catches for 22 yards. Ott leads the Pac 12 in rushing, but against a really good rushing defense, he gets shut down. UCLA wins, 28-7. Odds: UCLA -9, O/U 51.5
  20. Washington State @ (4) Washington - After surviving last week, Washington has their eyes set on the CFP. They take on Wazzu in the Apple Cup this week, and have a much tougher test against either Oregon or Arizona in the Pac 12 championship game. The Apple Cup started in 1900 and these teams have playing each other every year since 1945. It’s a big game for both teams, more so for Washington, as if they win, they would be undefeated in the regular season. As for Washington State, things looked bleak after losing 6 straight. However, they rallied to destroy Colorado last week, and because of their 4-0 start, they could reach bowl eligibility. Starting with Wazzu, they beat Colorado 56-14. Cam Ward threw for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also running for 2 touchdowns. He’s thrown for 3,415 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He’s also ran for 8 touchdowns. His 3,415 passing yards are fifth in college football. At the top of that list is Michael Penix Jr. He’s thrown for 3,695 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. I talk more about him in the Heisman section of this post, so go check that out. The exact opposite of Ward, Penix had a down game. He had a completion percentage of 46.4%, and also only had 162 yards. He did throw 2 touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown, however. Majority of his passes went to Rome Odunze, who caught 7 passes for 106 yards and both touchdowns. He’s caught 66 passes this year for 1,206 yards and 11 touchdowns. Jalen McMillian, who’s struggled with an injury came back, but didn’t record a stat. Ja’Lynn Polk and Germie Bernard also didn’t get a catch. It was pretty much all Odunze, which has to change this week. Wazzu has to shut down Odunze as well. The conditions were bad, but you would think with one of the best quarterbacks in the country that the ball would be spread evenly. going back to Washington State, they also have a great receiver. Josh Kelly has 53 catches for 820 yards and 7 touchdowns. Just like Washington’s corps, Wazzu also has a great trio. Lincoln Victor has caught 78 passes for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kyle Williams has 56 catches for 760 yards and 5 touchdowns. Washington’s defense had a big game last week, with Jabbar Muhammad getting 2 interceptions. If he can shut down one half of the field, it’s going to be worst case scenario for Ward and Washington State. Washington wins big, 34-10. Odds: WASH -16, O/U 66.5
  21. Virginia Tech @ Virginia - Playing annually since 1970, UVA and Virginia Tech play for the Commonwealth Cup. Virginia Tech has gotten better over the course of the season, and so has Virginia. UVA has only beaten 3 teams, but 2 have been upsets. They upset both North Carolina and Duke. That Duke win came last week, with Malik Washington having a big game. He caught 8 passes for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s been one of the more productive receivers this year, and sneakily one of the best. He has 96 catches for 1,310 yards and 9 touchdowns. He has the second most catches and the second most yards in the country this season. Regardless of who’s been starting at quarterback, he’s performed. Rounding up, he’s gotten 100 or more yards in every game except one this year, and that’s was Virginia’s first game against Tennessee. He only had 25 in that game. Anthony Colandrea, who had the best game of his season last week, has only played in 6 games, but still leads UVA in passing yards. He’s thrown for 1,715 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He threw for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns last week, making it his first game this year where he hasn’t thrown an interception. If he can play like that again this week, UVA is in line for another win. As for Virginia Tech, they’re looking for bowl eligibility. They can get that if they win. Kyron Jones has thrown for just 1,750 yards, but 12 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. However, he’s also ran for 590 yards and 4 touchdowns. Drones does a whole lot for this offense, so Virginia is going to have to key in on him. However, they allow 401 yards per game, second worst in the ACC, and 32 points per game, worst in the conference. Drones and leading rusher Bhayshul Tuten, who’s ran for 610 yards, are going to exploit this bad defense en route to a 24-7 win. Odds: VT -2.5, O/U 52.5
  22. Colorado @ Utah - The Rumble in the Rockies hasn’t felt like a rivalry as of late. Utah’s won 6 straight, and none of them have been close. The closest one in that streak has been 28-13. The way it’s looking this year, it shouldn’t be a close one. Colorado has a great offense, with Shedeur Sanders, who’s thrown for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions, and Xavier Weaver, who has 68 catches for 910 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, Sanders  was injured last week, so hopefully he can go for this one. Regardless of who’s starting, they’re going to be under pressure a lot. Sanders has been sacked 52 times, by far the most in the country. Utah has sacked opposing quarterbacks 31 times, tied for third in the SEC. With a lack of running game, the backup, either Ryan Staub or Gavin Kuld, are going to struggle if they start. There is still Weaver, along with Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., but that’s still not enough. Utah only allows 20 points per game and 313 yards per game, both third in the Pac 12. Colorado allows 36 points per game and 462.6 yards per game, both worst or tied for worst in the Pac 12. Utah’s offense isn’t anything like their defense, however. Bryson Barnes has thrown for 1,520 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He’s also ran for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had a weird game last week, throwing 53 passes. He completed 31 of them for 320 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He had 44 rushing yards, but on 19 carries. He was only sacked 3 times. Utah averages 362.6 yards per game, and their offense not moving the ball has been a common theme throughout their losses. They’ve lost 3 of their last 4, but their defense clutches up and wins them the game, 30-17. Odds: UTAH -20.5, O/U 48.5
  23. (9) Missouri @ Arkansas - Missouri has been the Cinderella team in college football this season, taking over Arkansas’ job from the past few years. The Hogs went 9-4 in 2021, and although they regressed last year to 7-6, they nearly upset 3 ranked teams, and destroyed ranked Ole Miss. They’ve had a hard fall from grace this season, sitting at 4-7, with their line conference win coming against Florida. They destroyed their cupcake that pretty much every SEC team has near the end of the season, 44-20. Arkansas is sticking with head coach Sam Pittman, but without a win this week, things are going to get even worse for the Head Hog. Mizzou is 9-2, with their losses coming to Georgia and LSU, both great teams. Brady Cook has gone from a game manager to one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, but it also helps when you have the best running back in the conference. Cody Schrader has 220 carries for 1,270 yards and 12 touchdowns. The carries and yards are the most in the SEC, while the touchdowns are tied for second. He’s also been a valuable pass catcher, with 22 receptions for 190 yards. Cook hasn’t just ridden the coattails of Schrader. He’s thrown for 3,080 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He’s also ran for 240 yards and 7 touchdowns. He has 2 of the best receivers in the conference as well, Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. Burden has 77 catches for 1,140 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Wease has 44 catches for 624 yards and 6 touchdowns. Wease only had one catch in the close win over Florida, but it went for 77 yards and a touchdown. Burden had 9 catches for 160 yards. Both should have some good numbers this week. As for Arkansas, they don’t have much of anybody on their offense. KJ Jefferson has regressed a lot, and has thrown for 2,105 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He leads Arkansas in rushing as well, with only 430 yards and 2 touchdowns. Raheim Sanders has came back from his injury, but hasn’t looked good. He has 62 carries for just 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. The most rushing touchdowns a player has in Arkansas is 2, a three way tie. They’ve combined for 8 rushing touchdowns, worst in the SEC. Missouri is going to shut down Arkansas and destroy them through the running game, and the Tigers win, 34-14. Odds: MIZ -9, O/U 54.5
  24. BYU @ (20) Oklahoma State - Even on rivalry week the “Big 12 Mid Game of the Week” doesn’t take a week off. Although this isn’t a rivalry, this is a big one for Oklahoma State. Although it’s complex, it could still happen. If Ollie Gordon II gets back to his old form, however, they have a great chance at making it. He’s ran for 1,414 yards, tied for the most in college football, and 15 touchdowns on 211 carries. After only 25 yards against UCF, he had 164 yards and 3 touchdowns last week in the 43-30 win over Houston. Alan Bowman threw for 350 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He’s thrown for 2,490 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He’s been a game manager at best, but Oklahoma State needs him to play his best this week. As for BYU, they suffered their fourth straight loss. They’re 5-6, with only one of their losses being by one score. That was last week, against Oklahoma. BYU lost 31-24, and turned the ball over 3 times. One of those was a pick thrown by Jake Retzlaff. It went back for 100 yards. Retzlaff threw for 170 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Since taking over for Kedon Slovis, he’s thrown for 490 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. BYU also hasn’t won a game. BYU went from 5-2 to 5-6 and now have one last game to make it to a bowl game. That’s going to be a tough task, but if BYU can run the ball like they did last week, it’s going to be easier for them to win. BYU averages 102 rush yards per game, worst in the Big 12. However, BYU ran for 220 yards last week. Aidan Robbins led the way with 22 carries for 180 yards. Retzlaff also added a rushing touchdown. Oklahoma State and Ollie Gordon are going to run the ball and control the clock, leading to a 42-20 win. Odds: OKST -17, O/U 56.5
  25. Jacksonville State @ NMSU - After a crazy upset last week and an appearance in the CUSA championship game clinched, New Mexico State is looking to end the regular season 9-3. Jacksonville State hasn’t gotten the same recognition at James Madison, but they should still be in a bowl game. Their season ends after this game. Starting with NMSU, they went to Jordan Hare to beat Auburn, 31-10. Diego Pavia threw for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also running for 35 yards. He’s thrown for 2,460 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions this year. He’s also ran for 740 yards 5 touchdowns. New Mexico State loves to run the ball, averaging 207.5 rush yards per game. That’s third in the CUSA. Right ahead of them is Jacksonville State, averaging 245.6 rush yards per game. Malik Jackson has 125 carries for 820 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Zion Webb, the quarterback, has ran for 650 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s thrown for just 1,030 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 4 picks. Both teams are going to run the ball a lot and well. Jacksonville State’s average time of possession is 26 minutes and 44 seconds, while NMSU’s nearly 31 minutes. New Mexico State will control the ball, and are much better team through the air. They win, 24-10. Odds: JVST -3, O/U 49.5


My top 5 Heisman candidates

  1. Jayden Daniels - After another great performance by Daniels, he looks like the clear Heisman winner. Daniels threw for 410 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also running for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns. Although it was against Georgia State, that are incredible numbers. Two weeks ago, he combined for 6 touchdowns and 606 total yards. He’s ran for a touchdown in each of his last 4 games, and 2 in both last week and the week before that. His 8 touchdowns last week are tied for most in LSU history, when Joe Burrow threw for 7 and ran for one in the semifinal against Oklahoma in 2019. That’s great company to be with if you’re Daniels. He’s thrown for 3,580 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He’s ran for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns. On top of all this, he’s been sacked 20 times. He not only leads the SEC in passing yards, he’s second in rushing yards in the conference. He’s also one of two players with more than 1,000 rushing yards in the conference. He can do so much, and he’s going to torch Texas A&M’s defense this week and whoever they play in their bowl game. Daniels is the clear Heisman winner, cut and dry.
  2. Bo Nix - Along with Jayden Daniels, Nix jumps Michael Penix Jr. Nix torched Arizona State’s defense last week, throwing for 404 yards and 6 touchdowns en route to a 49-13 win. All of his passing touchdowns also came in the first half. That means that he’s tied for the most passing touchdown in a game in Oregon history. Not a half, a game. He’s thrown for 3,540 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions. He’s also completed 78.1% of his passes, best in the country. He had slightly worse passing numbers last season, but also ran for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s only ran for 130 yards and 4 touchdowns this year. He can run if he needs to, but because he’s been so dominant through the air, there is no need to do. It’s partially the reason why Daniels is ahead of him. 
  3. Michael Penix Jr. - Penix, who’s been at the top of my list for most of the season, falls all the way down to third. Obviously the conditions were bad, and his numbers suffered. He went 13-28, which is a completion percentage of 46.4%. Not only is that his worst completion percentage this year, but his worst at Washington. He also had just 162 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown. Most of his passes went to Rome Odunze, who caught 7 passes for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns. If Washington State or whoever Washington plays in the Pac 12 championship game shuts down Odunze, Penix is going to struggle. He has one of the best receiving cores in the country, but has turned away from that at times and just focused on one or two receivers, like he did last week. He’s thrown for the most yards in all of college football, which 3,695. He has a very good shot at getting to 4,000 yards. he also has thrown for 30 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns. If Penix can bounce back from a bad week, then he will most likely be back at number one.
  4. Marvin Harrison Jr. - Harrison has been off my list for a while, but with bad performances and injuries to other key players in the Heisman consideration, Harrison is sitting at fourth. He’s caught 62 passes for 1,090 yards and 13 touchdowns. Although he had a down game last week, with 3 catches for 30 yards, he also caught a touchdown. Ohio State has their biggest game of the season this week against Michigan, and he’ll be a key player in that game. If they win, they’ll take on Iowa in the Big Ten championship. Iowa has one of the best defenses in the Big Ten, and if Harrison can break through, he will be in New York as a Heisman finalist.
  5. Jalen Milroe - Even though Milroe is in the top 5, it’s a huge gap between him and the other four. He’s thrown for 2,270 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He’s also ran for 330 yards and 12 touchdowns. He didn’t play all game last week, as Alabama took on their yearly cupcake near the end of the season. He still played well, throwing for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. Alabama takes on Auburn before a big showdown with Georgia in the SEC championship game. His performance against Georgia will determine where he ends up in this list at the end of the season.
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