Week 2 - The Best Games and My Top 5 Heisman Candidates

(Rankings based off of the AP Poll)

  1. (11) Texas @ (3) Alabama - GameDay is coming to Tuscaloosa! This is a rematch of last year’s game, when Texas fell by one, 20-19. Quinn Ewers got hurt in that game, but this time Bryce Young isn’t at Alabama anymore. Instead, Nick Saban started Jalen Milroe last week against Middle Tennessee State, and he played amazing. Milroe went 13-18 for 194 yards and 5 total touchdowns, 2 of them on the ground. Alabama put up 56 points, grabbed one pick, forced 2 fumbles, and sacked Middle Tennessee State 3 times. Milroe also led Alabama is rushing yards last game with 48 on 7 carries, while Jase McClellan, Bama’s top back, had 10 carries for 39 yards and one touchdowns. Milroe does have to work on some things, like taking care of the ball. When Young got hurt last year, Milroe started against Texas A&M and fumbled the ball twice, but he did turn a bad snap into an electric 21 yard touchdown last week, so he does have plenty of upside. Ewers is trying to upset Alabama again after going out injured last year, and after throwing for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns, and rushing for another touchdown, Texas might have a chance. As I previously mentioned, Ewers threw for 260 yards, 90 of those going to Xavier Worthy and his longest pass going for 37 yards to running back Jonathon Brooks. Texas had a good two back game last week with Brooks getting 12 carries and 52 yards and Jaydon Blue getting 10 carries and 55 yards. At the end of the day though, Nick Saban is 28-2 against his former assistants, so he beats Steve Sarkisian, a former assistant coach, 35-31. Odds: Alabama -7, O/U 53.5
  2. (20) Ole Miss @ (24) Tulane - A rivalry matchup that should definitely deliver, when the Green Wave host the Rebels of Mississippi. These two teams last played in 2021, when Ole Miss throttled Tulane 61-21. Ole Miss is coming off of a 73-7 win over Mercer. Jaxson Dart started the game, went 18/23 for 334 yards and 4 touchdowns, with all four of them going to Tre Harris, who also went for 133 yards. After being replaced in the middle of the 3rd quarter, Lane Kiffin put in Spencer Sanders, who threw for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns. Quinshon Judkins rushed for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns, and other running back Matt Jones rushed for another touchdown. Tulane just beat South Alabama, and quarterback Michael Pratt looked perfect. He completed 14 passes on 15 attempts for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tulane won 37-17, and their defense grabbed two picks and sacked South Alabama’s quarterback, Carter Bradley 5 times. They are definitely one of the best group of 5 teams, and are trying to make another New Years Six bowl game. Can this Tulane defense slow down Jaxson Dart and Quinshon Judkins? I think they do, and Tulane win, 21-17. Odds: Ole Miss -7, O/U 66.5
  3. (23) Texas A&M @ Miami - Texas A&M looked like what we thought they were going to look like last year. Even though it was against New Mexico, Conner Weigman threw for 236 yards and 5 touchdowns. Evan Stewart caught 8 balls for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. Noah Thomas caught 6 balls for 74 yards and 3 touchdowns. The defense also played well, getting 2 sacks, 1 interceptions, and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper had 3 tackles for loss. Bobby Petrino is calling the plays on offense, and they played well, so why shouldn’t that continue? It will, because the A&M offense was so good, but the Miami Defense also looked good. They got 3 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, and got after Brett Gabbert. Tyler Van Duke, Miami’s quarterback threw a touchdown on the first play of the game for the U, but then threw a pick as Miami focused on the running game. They got 3 rushing touchdowns, and 250 total rushing yards last week. Bobby Petrino keeps this offense rolling for Texas A&M, and Jimbo has his team rolling into a 35-21 win. Odds: Texas A&M -3, O/U 50.5
  4. App State @ (17) North Carolina - This game delivered last year, and it should certainly deliver again. Drake Maye played kinda mid last week against South Carolina, throwing for 269 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 picks, and only rushed the ball 4 times after leading North Carolina in rushing yards last year. UNC does have a rushing game though, as British Brooks comes back after missing last year due to injury. He rushed for 103 yards on 15 carries and caught the ball 3 times for 18 yards. There is still good for North Carolina and I think Drake is going to hang around with Caleb Williams and Jordan Travis in the Heisman Trophy race. App State destroyed Gardner-Webb in the second half, after the score being 14-10 at half. Gardner-Webb had the lead twice, 10-7 in the second quarter and 24-21 in the 3rd. Backup quarterback Joey Aguilar came in went 11-13 and threw for 174 yards and 4 touchdowns. Running back Nate Noel ran the ball 24 times for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 5 different receivers caught a touchdown pass. Because starter Ryan Burger will be hurt, Aguilar gets the start, but North Carolina gets the win, 42-24. Odds: UNC -19, O/U 58
  5. (19) Wisconsin @ Washington State - This is one of the more sneaky games this week, but it should be one of the better games of the week. Wisconsin beat Buffalo 38-17, while Washington State rolled over Colorado State, 50-24. Against Buffalo, Wisconsin played like Wisconsin of old. The Badgers rushed for a combined 314 yards, with 298 of those coming from Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen. Mellusi had 157 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Allen had 141 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tanner Mordecai went 24-31, 189 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 picks. Mordecai has to cut down on the turnovers, especially because Wazzu got two picks last year. the offensive line is also really good for Wisconsin, as Mordecai was only sacked once. But like I said, Washington State’s secondary was pretty good. On the offensive side, Cameron Ward was really good, and looked like one of the best Pac-12 quarterbacks. He threw for 451 yards, 4 touchdowns, and also lead Wazzu in rushing yards. That’s not good because running back Nakia Watson has put on the Doak Walker Award Watch List, after rushing for 769 yards and 9 touchdowns last year. He only got 7 carries for 15 touchdowns. Washington State needs to take a page out of Wisconsin’s book, and run the ball better. Cameron Ward is better than Tanner Mordecai, but Wisconsin’s rushing attack is too strong, and they win, 31-24. Odds: Wisconsin -6, O/U 58
  6. Auburn @ Cal - This game will be tiff for Auburn as this is a PAC-12 after dark game. Auburn won their first game under Hugh Freeze, as they demolished UMass. Robby Ashford, the backup quarterback rushed for 3 touchdowns, and their defense ate, getting 4 sacks and 1 interception. Payton Thorne threw for 141 yards and 1 touchdown, which isn’t bad, but when the most points scored come from your backup quarterback, you have to wonder if he might get a few games starting. Cal’s offense was also really good. Quarterback Ben Finley threw for 279 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Running back Jayden Ott ran the ball 20 times last week for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns in last weeks win over North Texas. The Golden Bears had 669 total yards last week, 30 first downs, and had the ball for 37 minutes and 7 seconds. If Cal can stay dominant and hold the ball for most of the game, they should win. I think they do, and they win, 35-20. Odds: Auburn -6, O/U 54.5
  7. Arizona @ Mississippi State - Both of these teams are coming off of wins against FCS schools, and unlike Arizona State, they both destroyed their opponents. Mississippi State was playing their first home game since the death of Mike Leach, and they played their hearts out for him. Will Rodgers went 20/29 for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns. Along with Rodgers, running back Jo’Quavious Marks ran for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries. Arizona beat Northern Arizona 38-3 last week, and Jayden de Laura played amazing. He threw for 285 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception on 18 completions. He also ran for a 53 yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter. He put Arizona on his back when he didn’t have to against an FCS team. If he can do that again against a SEC school, he should be taken a lot more seriously. But I think that Mississippi State will overpower Arizona in places where Arizona can’t keep up, and they win, 28-17. Odds: Mississippi State -9, O/U 59.5
  8. Iowa @ Iowa State - In the newest addition of rivalry, a total of 11 players were either kicked off their teams or suspended by the NCAA due to a gambling scandal. In addition, Iowa still doesn’t have an offense. They had 284 yards last week, which is an improvement, but after beating Utah State by 10, you would expect them to have more yards than Utah State, right? Wrong. Utah State finished the game with 329 total yards, and 2 more first downs. Iowa did start out good with a Cade McNamara throwing a 36 yard touchdown, but after going to halftime up 17-3, they won 24-14. Obviously Iowa has much to get better at, but let’s move on to Iowa State. Iowa State also had the same problem last week. They had 250 total yards and 11 1st downs, while Northern Iowa had 279 yards and 19 first downs. Now Iowa State did win 30-9, so they didn’t really need to put up yards or score in the second half, so no need to worry about Iowa State’s offense. They did get a pick six, so they’re doing good defensively, especially getting 5 sacks and another pick. This game should be a total slugfest, but Iowa pulls out a win, 14-10. Odds: Iowa -3.5, O/U 36.5
  9. Nebraska @ (22) Colorado - Colorado shocked the world last week with a big time win over TCU, and are now ranked. You might call it buying into the hype, but I call it Deion Sanders’ master plan. Led by his son Shedeur Sanders, who threw for 510 yards and 4 touchdowns, setting a new record for someone playing in their first FBS game for passing yards. The passing yards was also a new school record at Colorado. Travis Hunter also had a fabulous game. He played a total of 144 snaps according to 247Sports. He played 64 snaps on offense, leading to 11 catches for 119 yards. He played 80 on the defensive side, notching him 3 tackles and one of the best interceptions you will ever see. Between Deion’s other son, Shilo Sanders and linebacker Marvin Ham II, they had 16 tackles. Colorado also had 4 players go over 100 receiving yards, running back Dylan Edwards who caught the ball 5 times for 135 yards and 3 touchdowns. The other 3 were Hunter, Xavier Weaver, and Jimmy Horn Jr. They didn’t do so well in the rushing game, but that won’t matter if they can keep throwing the ball and playing elite defense. Unlike Colorado, Nebraska could only run last week. Quarterback Jeff Sims ran the ball 19 times, the same amount of times he threw the ball, for 91 yards. Sims went 11-19 for 114 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. Their defense got 3 sacks, 4 pass deflections, including 1 pick. I think that Nebraska has to throw it less, and if Jeff Sims keeps on running it, he’s going to get hurt. Colorado wins, 31-15. Travis Hunter should shut down Jeff Sims in the passing game. Odds: Colorado -3, O/U 58.5
  10. (10) Notre Dame @ NC State - This game should be interesting, as it’s Sam Hartmans first real test at Notre Dame. Even though he has years of experience at Wake Forest, it’s a whole different offense, so you never now how hard it’ll be. As for N.C. State, quarterback Devin Leary left in the transfer portal, N.C. State got their own transfer quarterback, Brennan Armstrong. He had a great year in 2021, but looked bad last year. Last week, he threw for 155 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He did rush for 2 touchdowns and 96 yards on 19 carries. The Wolfpack beat UConn by 10 last week, which isn’t good, and this team has a lot to improve on. As for Notre Dame, they’ve played 2 games, beating Navy in Ireland 42-3 and beating Tennessee State 56-3 last week. In those two combined games, he was thrown for 445 yards and 6 touchdowns. Running back Audric Estime ran for 211 yards, and two touchdowns. Notre Dame looks unstoppable right now, and their ranking shows it. Notre Dame Wins, 34-17. Odds: Notre Dame -7.5, O/U 49.5
  11. Purdue @ Virginia Tech - Purdue is coming off of a disappointing loss to Fresno State in Ryan Walters first game as head coach. They lost 39-35, but Hudson Card played pretty well, going 17-30, for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns. Devin Mockobee also rushed for 1 touchdown. Wide receiver Deion Burks caught the ball 4 times for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns. If he can do more like that this season, he could join the list of Purdue Wide Receivers that have exceeded expectations in the past years Rondale Moore, David Bell, and Charlie Jones come to mind. As for the defense, they got 2 sacks and 1 pick. That isn’t bad, but they did let up 487 total yards and let Mikey Keene throw for 366 yards and 4 touchdowns. The non-conference doesn’t get much better, so they need to be able to slow down Virginia Tech’s passing offense. Quarterback Grant Wells threw for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns, in a 36-17 win over Old Dominion. Wells also ran for 7 times for 27 yards and 1 touchdown. Running back Bhayshul Tuten ran the ball 19 times for 55 yards, and running back Malachi Thomas ran the ball 12 times for 22 yards. That stat line might not be good, but he ran the ball 12 times, resulting in Virginia Tech keeping the ball for longer, controlling the ball for 33 minutes and 40 seconds. If Virginia Tech can do the same thing, they should win, especially because this game is home, so they have the crowd. I think Purdue does pull it out, 24-21. Odds: Virginia Tech -2.5, O/U 49.5
  12. Oklahoma State @ Arizona State - This is also a Pac-12 after dark game, but after barely beating an FCS school, I don’t think Oklahoma State will be intimidated by Arizona State. At the end of the day, they did win, so at least they can look back and see a win. They did have more total yards and first downs than Southern Utah, but winning 24-21 is just inexcusable. Quarterback Jaden Rashada threw for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first college football game, but he had 18 completions on 31 attempts. Running back Cameron Skattebo rushed for 71  yards and 1 touchdown, while wide receiver Xavier Guillory caught 5 balls for 73 yards and 1 touchdowns. The offense was alright, but the defense wasn’t. Against a FCS school you would expect to get a few sacks and 1 or two picks, but Arizona State got no sacks and no picks. As for Oklahoma State, the first game after Spencer Sanders transferred out to Ole Miss was a slugfest. They beat Central Arkansas 27-13, and starting quarterback Garret Rangel threw for 1 touchdown and 1 pick, and 118 yards. Other quarterbacks Gunnar Gundy thre for 106 yards and Alan Bowman threw for 80 yards, but went 13-24. Depending on who played the best in the eyes of Mike Gundy will get the start, but the other two will probably play. Oklahoma State did get 2 rushing touchdowns and their defense got a total of 5 sacks. I think Oklahoma State gets home on Jaden Rashada, and they win, 24-10. Odds: Oklahoma State -3, O/U 53
  13. Illinois @ Kansas - Illinois barley survived last week at home against Toledo, and now they go on the road to Kansas on Friday night. Jason Bean hit the start last week due to Jalon Daniels injury. It could be either quarterback this week, so we’ll see what we get. Bean had 276 yards, 2 touchdowns, and rushed for 41 yards last week. This is his 6th year of College Football after starting off his career at North Texas. There was 4 rushing touchdowns between 4 different players last week, including running back Devin Neal, who rushed for 94 yards. Neal also caught a receiving touchdown. Wide receivers Lawrence Arnold and Quentin Skinner both caught 4 balls for 77 yards, and no touchdowns. As for Illinois, they beat Toledo 30-28 on a last second field goal by Caleb Griffin. Quarterback Luke Altmyer threw for 211 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and also led Illinois in rushing yards with 69 yards on 9 carries. On the defensive side of the ball, Illinois notched 1 sack for 16 yards and one pick six. Toledo did have more yards and first downs than Illinois, but after the losses of Sydney Brown and Devon Witherspoon to the league and Ryan Walters to Purdue, this is an expected fall off. Kansas wins, 31-21. Odds: Kansas -3.5, O/U 57.5
  14. (13) Oregon @ Texas Tech - Oregon just put up 81 points, and Texas Yech lost to Wyoming. These teams couldn’t be in more different directions than right now, which might make it a really good game. Like I said, Texas Tech lost to Wyoming in 2 overtime’s last week, on the road, after a lightning delay, but Tyler Shough did through for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interceptions. TTU had 431 yards and 26 first downs, while getting 2 turnovers, both of them being fumbles. As for the running game, running back Tahj Brooks ran the ball 11 times for 39 yards and 1 touchdown. Jerand Bradley caught 8 balls for 88 yards and 1 touchdown. This is a little bit of a revenge game for Shough, as he transferred from Oregon before the 2021 season, but I’m sure there is no bad blood. Bo Nix torched Portland State, throwing for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bucky Irving ran the ball 4 times last week for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns. Another running back, Jordan James had 10 carries for 86 yards and 3 touchdowns. Two more running backs also had rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Troy Franklin caught 7 balls for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns, and another wide receiver, Gary Bryant Jr. also caught 7 balls for exactly 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Oregon also had 729 yards of total offense last week, including 37 first downs. Oregon didn’t have any sacks or picks, but that didn’t really matter. Oregon has a little bit of a harder game before Hawaii next week, but I think Texas Tech can keep up in the first half, but Oregon pulls away, 45-17. Odds: Oregon -6, O/U 69
  15. (12) Utah @ Baylor - Just like the last matchup, it’s a ranked Pac-12 team against a Big 12 team that’s coming off of a loss. Baylor, unlike Texas Tech, is coming off of a bad loss. They were down by 15 twice, and never came back. They lost to Texas State 42-31, at home. Blake Shapen went 21-31 for 303 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Shapen also rushed for a touchdown. Tight End Drake Dabney caught 6 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Jonah Burton, a wide receiver caught 5 passes for 88 yards. They let up 441 yards of total offense and 20 first downs. Baylor also had two turnovers. As for Utah, they beat Florida at home last week Thursday. Because Cameron Rising is still coming off of a ACL injury in last year’s Rose Bowl against Penn State. In his spot was Bryson Barnes, who threw a 70 yard touchdown pass to Money Parks on his first play. He took a back seat from there, and finished the game with 159 passing yards and that touchdown being his only one. He did run for a touchdown though. Utah’s 3rd touchdown in a 24-11 win was a Nate Johnson 27 yard touchdown run. Utah got after Graham Mertz, and sacked him 5 times, including getting 1 interception.  Rising is day-to-day, but Blake Shapen is missing this game for Baylor, so it’ll be interesting to see who starts. Utah is just the better team, and they win, 27-14. Odds: Utah -7.5, O/U 46.5
  16. Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest - The matchup between the Gold and Black teams should be fun. Vandy is 2-0 for the first time since 2018, and is looking at their first 3-0 start since 2017. They beat Hawaii 35-28, and Alabama A&M 47-13. AJ Swann is actually looking pretty good, especially in his first full year as a starter. He’s thrown for 452 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception in the 2 games. They’ve put out a dual running back strategy, between Sedrick Alexander, who’s ran the ball 14 times for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns and Patrick Smith, who has 17 carries for 80 yards and 1 touchdown. We’ve obviously seen more of Vandy, so we know what they might look like this year, but we’ve only seen one game of Wake Forest. In that one game, they beat Elon 37-17 in Wake Forest’s first game after Sam Hartman left. Wake started the game off 27-0, with 3 touchdown passes from Mitch Griffis. He threw for 329 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 pick last week, but definitely looked like he can take the reins at Wake Forest. He was also sacked 4 times, so the offensive line has a lot to fix. Running Back Demond Claiborne ran for 70 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 carries. 3 different receivers went over 75 receiving yards, and all 3 of them caught a touchdown. Wake also got 3 sacks and 2 picks. I really like what Mitch Griffis did last week, and I think Wake wins, 31-24. Odds: Wake Forest -10, O/U 57
  17. UCLA @ San Diego State - UCLA is coming off of nice win over Coastal Carolina, where backup quarterback Dante Moore threw for 143 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Carson Steele, the transfer from Ball State, looked good last week, running for 76 yards. SDSU is 2-0, with a 7 point win over Ohio in week one, which might separate them as one of the better Group of 5 teams. They are led by quarterback Jalen Mayden, who’s thrown 251 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he also leads SDSU in rushing yards with 166 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the two games, Sn Diego State has gotten 6 picks, while UCLA threw 3 last week. UCLA did get 2 picks last week, and 4 sacks, including 3 from Defensive Lineman Laiatu Latu. Regardless of who starts at quarterback for UCLA, this should still be a good game. UCLA wins, 21-14. Odds: UCLA -13.5, O/U 48.5
  18. UCF @ Boise State - These teams were once the best group of 5 teams, but now UCF joined the Big 12, and after a big win over Kent State. They won by 50. John Rhys Plumlee went 22-30 for 281 yards, 3 touchdowns, but he did throw 2 interceptions. Running Back Johnny Richardson ran 12 times for 100 yards. Another running back, RJ Harvey, had 10 carries for 84 yards and 1 touchdown.  Plumlee also ran the ball 8 times for 90 yards and a touchdown. UCF also got 4 sacks and a pick. As for Boise State, they got destroyed by Washington on the road, and are coming back home for this game. Washington won 56-19, but there was some highlights. Quarterback Taylen Green threw for 244 yards and 1 touchdown, but did throw 2 picks. Running Back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 1 touchdown, but was way more productive in the passing game, as he caught 4 balls for 109 yards and a touchdown. The defense was pretty bad, but when you’re facing one of the nations best offenses, you can’t do to much. UCF wins, 45-28. Both of these teams should put up points and yards, but UCF’s defense is just a bit better, even if UCF played Kent State and Boise State played Washington. Odds: UCF -3.5, O/U 58
  19. Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - After an 11 year hiatus, the River City Rivalry is back on! Cincinnati looked stellar last week against Eastern Kentucky, especially Emory Jones. He went 19-23 for 345 yards and 5 passing touchdowns. He rushed for 2 more touchdowns, in what was probably the best stat line of his career. Running Back Cory Kiner ran the ball 13 times for 105 yards, while Xzavier Henderson, a wide receiver, caught 7 balls for 149 yards and a touchdown. The defense were also monsters, getting 3 turnovers against the FCS team. As for Pittsburgh, they ran Wofford into the ground. Pitt had 4 rushing touchdowns, including 2 from Rodney Hammond Jr. For a team who lost Israel Abanikanda to the NFL, you  would think that Pitt would have some trouble replacing one of the best running backs last year, but they haven’t. Phil Jurkovec played pretty well, but was more of a game manager, throwing for 214 yards, 1 touchdown, and running for another touchdown. If the offensive line can keep on winning down by the goal line Pitt should win this game. Cincinnati’s offense is just too strong though, and they win 35-14. Odds: Pitt -6.5, O/U 45
  20. SMU @ (18) Oklahoma - Oklahoma played like a boss last week. They beat Arkansas State 73-0. Dillon Gabriel went 19-22 for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns. Backup Quarterback Jackson Arnold went a perfect 11-11 for 114 yards and 1 touchdown. They also had 6 rushing touchdowns, 2 of them coming from Running Back Tawee Walker. There is so much to rave about this Oklahoma team, but other than them just being dominant on offense and defense, there isn’t more to talk about. SMU took down Louisiana Tech, 38-14 last week. Quarterback Preston Stone went 22-37 for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running Back LJ Johnson Jr ran 14 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. SMU were also beasts on defense, getting six sacks. SMU is good, but Oklahoma is better, so Boomer Sooner gets the win, 56-21. Odds: Oklahoma -14.5, O/U 68.5
  21. James Madison @ Virginia - James Madison was one of the better group of 5 teams, playing 11 games and going 8-3. They are in the second year of the FCS to FBS transition, so they can’t play into a bowl game, but they did torch FCS Bucknell 38-3. As for Virginia, this is their first home game since the the shooting that killed 3 football players and injured another. Although that is a sad situation, I’m not here to talk about that. Virginia got destroyed by Tennessee last week in Nashville, and nothing looked good. Quarterback Tony Muskett went 9-17 for 94 yards, while their only touchdown was a rushing touchdown from Perris Jones. Not a lot of good is coming on the field for Virginia, but they should play their hardest this game, but James Madison’s still gets the win, 24-14. Odds: James Madison -6.5, O/U 40
  22. Troy @ (15) Kansas State - Kansas State were expected to beat Tulane last year in their non-conference games, but lost at home. They’re trying to do the opposite this year. The Wildcats shut out Southeast Missouri last week, 45-0. Will Howard played pretty well, going 18-26, resulting in 297 yards and 2 touchdowns, but did throw a pick. I really like Howard, and think he and Kansas State will make a big difference in the Big 12 this year. DJ Giddens ran the ball 15 times for 128 yards, while two receivers got 100 yards or more, with RJ Garcia Jr, who got 119 yards getting the touchdown. The defense was obviously good, not letting up any points. But can Troy break that defense? They put up 48 points against Stephen F. Austin, but also allowed 30. Quarterback Gunnar Watson threw for 198 yards, but 4 touchdowns. He also threw a pick going 14/22. Running back Kimani Vidal ran the ball 25 times for 248 yards, but surprisingly no touchdowns. He also led Troy in receiving yards with 54, but didn’t get a touchdown there either. Troy did have 4 turnovers, so they have a lot to improve on. Because of some inconsistency from Troy, I think Kansas State should win big, 45-27. Odds: Kansas State -15.5, O/U 49
  23. UTEP @ Northwestern - Northwestern is just horrible and after a 24-7 loss to Rutgers, things aren’t getting better against UTEP. Northwestern shouldn’t even have scored a touchdown, but Rutgers let one up with under 20 seconds left. UTEP is 1-1 after losing to Jacksonville State and beating Incarnate World. Quarterback Gavin Hardison has thrown for 302 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Northwestern’s leading rusher last week had 11 yards., and that was their backup quarterback. Ben Bryant threw the ball 36 times, and got sacked 5 times. Northwestern’s defense, and especially their offensive line need to improve. UTEP wins,17-10. Odds: Northwestern -1, O/U 40
  24. Tulsa @ (8) Washington - Washington’s offense is elite, and Michael Penix Jr threw for 450 yards last week, plus 5 touchdowns. In addition, Washington has one of the best receiving core in the nation. 2 of them, Rome Odunze and Ja'Lynn Polk both had over 100 yards, and both a touchdowns. Jalen McMillan had 8 catches for 95 yards and 2 yards. As for Tulsa, they have a pretty rough non-conference schedule, with Washington this week and Oklahoma next week. They beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week, but Tulsa did have 3 turnovers and let Arkansas-Pine Bluff control the ball for 7 more minutes than them. Quarterback Cordell Williams played perfect, going 13/14 for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns. I think Tulsa can put up points, but their defense won’t be able to get Washington off the field, so Washington wins 56-14. Odds: Washington -32.5, O/U 65
  25. Ohio @ FAU - The final game on my list is between two group of 5 teams that are looked pretty good in their first games. Ohio has played 2, losing to SDSU in week 0 and beating Long Island last week. FAU beat Monmouth 42-20, in a game where Casey Thompson, who played at both Texas and Nebraska threw for 280 yards and 5 touchdowns, and completed 80% of his passes. One of those incompletions was pick. Even so, FAU dazzled, especially because of Larry McCammon who ran the ball 13 times for 125 yards and a touchdown. Ohio has looked good, but this is a home game for FAU, and they’re favored, so they get the dub, 28-14. Odds: FAU -3.5, O/U 61.5


My top 5 Heisman candidates

A lot have changed due to week 1, so here we go:


  1. Caleb Williams - No surprise, Caleb Williams is topping this list after winning the trophy last year and having a strong first two games. In the two games, he’s thrown for nearly 600 yards, 9 touchdowns, and no interceptions. These games were against San Jose State and Nevada, so we’ll see how well he’ll plays against a little bit of a tougher opponent in Stanford. I assume he’ll do well, but you never know. 
  2. Shedeur Sanders - If Caleb Williams wasn’t a Heisman winner, Sanders would be number one on this list. I talked about him in the Nebraska-Colorado section, so I’m not going to talk a lot about him. Anyways, Sanders threw for 510 yards and 4 touchdowns. The yards set a school record, so if Sanders can keep on playing like that, he might over take Caleb Williams.
  3. Jordan Travis - Jordan Travis just took over against LSU. He threw for 342 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 pick. 3 of those touchdowns went to Keon Coleman, including one from 40 yards out. Travis also had a one yard touchdowns rush, so that bolsters his stats and chances at the Heisman. The only thing that separates Travis from Williams and Sanders was his pick, but Travis played against a much harder defense than TCU, San Jose State, and Nevada. 
  4. Michael Penix Jr. - Michael Penix Jr. shined last week against Boise State. He threw for 450 yards and 5 touchdowns, and 4 different receivers caught touchdown passes, including 2 to Jalen McMillan. Washington has Tulsa this week, and Michigan State next week. Penix should go off against those 2 teams, and based off of the first week, Penix and Shedeur Sanders should go toe-to-toe for the passing yards crown. 
  5. Drake Maye - Drake Maye dropped for 2nd to 5th on my list because one, Sanders, Travis, and Penix all had better games than Maye, and two, Wide Receiver Tex Packer was ruled ineligible to play this season because of his second transfer, which will be a huge hit to this offense. Maye threw for 269 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions last week in a 14 point win over South Carolina. He also lead UNC in rushing yards last year, but only ran the ball 4 times for 24 yards last week. Maye came into the season as the second best quarterback, but after only 1 week, he looks like the fifth best and fifth in the Heisman. 
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