Week 6 - The Best Games and My Top 5 Heisman Candidates

(Rankings based off AP Poll)

  1. (12) Oklahoma Vs (3) Texas - The Red River Rivalry means two physical teams that are fighting for control of the Big 12. Burnt Orange and Oklahoma Crimson clash in the stands. The state fair and GameDay are the best pairing in College Football, and it shows once again. This will certainly be one of the games of the year. Texas is ranked 3 for the first time since 2009, which is the same year that they were also ranked 2 and made it to the National Championship game. Some people might think that Texas should be ahead of Georgia, and I agree but the AP Poll voters don’t. OU has looked like a top 10 all season, and have put up 50 or more points 3 times. That includes last week, when they beat Iowa State 50-20 and scored 49 of those points in the first half. They scored on Iowa State’s first drive, as Billy Bowman Jr. returned a pick 44 yards for a touchdown. The scoring continued, tacking on 2 more touchdowns in the first quarter. Oklahoma is 3rd in the country in points per game with 47.4, and only allow 10.8 points per game, which is tied for fourth. Dillon Gabriel went for 5 total touchdowns last week, which means he has 19 total touchdowns this year. 1,583 yards on 118 completions means that he has an average of 10.1 yards every completed pass. He also has a 75.2 completion percentage. The completion percentage is 6th by quarterbacks that have started more than one game. Dillon Gabriel has had more than a year to prepare for this game because he didn’t play in it last year. Texas torched Oklahoma 49-0, in Quinn Ewers first game back from injury. Brent Venables’ defense has improved, allowing 319 yards per game from 461 yards per game last year. Something that has gotten worse is their running game. Eric Gray had 213 carries for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns. He left for the league, and now Oklahoma’s leading rusher, Marcus Major, has 200 yards and a touchdown. The backup for Gray last year was Jovantae Barnes, who had 519 yards last year. He also had 5 touchdowns. He has 122 yards and only one touchdown in only 3 games. A lot can change in the rushing game of OU, but for right now it’s not working. Oklahoma has a talented wide receiver room, with Andrel Anthony has 387 yards and Nic Anderson has 5 touchdowns. Drake Stoops has 4 touchdowns and the most catches on the team, with 25. On defense, Danny Stutan leads the team in tackles with 49, sacks with 2, and also has a pick six and a fumble recovery. Billy Bowman Jr. has 2 picks, which leads the team. The defense is physical and doesn’t let up a lot of points, but that might change this week against the Heisman contender Quinn Ewers. Ewers has thrown for 1,358 yards, 10 touchdowns and one pick. He also has 5 rushing touchdowns. He had 2 rushing touchdowns last week in a 40-14 win over Kansas. Ewers has great numbers, and I think without him, Texas wouldn’t win the Alabama game, but Jonathon Brooks might be the best running back in all of College Football. He has the third most rushing yards in the country, and the most in the Big 12. He has 86 carries for 600 yards and 5 touchdowns. He went for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns last week, while averaging a first down every carry. I’m excited to see what Brooks will do this week and in the future. I’m expecting a big day out of him, just like I am with Texas’ defense. They allow 290.8 yards per game, but only 94.6 rush yards. That means that they allow 196.2 pass yards per game, which is phenomenal. They forced 2 turnovers against Bama in their big win, and didn’t let Kansas get a single 3rd down or 4th down conversion last week. Texas also held the ball for 49 minutes and put up 661 total yards. A big reason why they got all of those yards is because of Adonai Mitchell. He caught 10 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. Mitchell has 22 catches for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns. Although the touchdowns are first on the team, the yards and completions aren’t. Xavier Worthy is Texas’ leading receiver in those two categories, with 26 receptions for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns. Along with Tight End Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jordan Whittington, Ewers has talented pass catchers. Texas has been unstoppable and is ranked 3rd. OU has also been unstoppable, but their lack of a running game leads the second straight Texas win in this rivalry, 56-48. Odds: Texas -5, O/U 60.5
  2. (23) LSU @ (21) Missouri - These teams have only played 3 times before, but the last time these two teams played it was a close one. That was back in 2020, when LSU was starting Myles Brennan. Missouri won 45-41, and now that both teams are ranked, it should be better. Starting with LSU, they are coming off a close loss to Ole Miss, where they allowed for 706 yards. The two combined for 1,343 yards and 104 points. The offense was great, but the defense was horrible. Let’s start with the good. They put up 637 yards and 33 first downs. Jayden Daniels threw for 414 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also rushing for just under 100 yards and a touchdown. He now has 1,710 yards, 19 total touchdowns and only 3 picks. The yards are 1st in the SEC and 3rd in the country. He has 16 passing touchdowns, which is tied for second in the country. LSU fought back from a early 14-0 hole, and took the lead in the 3rd quarter, eventually going up by 2 scores in the fourth on a controversial touchdown call. That touchdown went to Brian Thomas Jr., who had 8 catches for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns. Malik Nabers, Daniel’s’ best and most reliable target, had 8 catches for 102 yards, but no touchdowns. Nabers had two back to back 2 touchdown games against Mississippi State and Arkansas, but it had to end eventually. Nabers has 40 catches for 625 yards and 5 touchdowns, which is second in the country and the SEC. The guy in front of him is Luther Burden III of Missouri, who we’ll get to later. Logan Diggs was also really good, with 19 carries for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has 57 carries for 354 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s also LSU’s leading rusher. Now for the bad. The defense let up 706 yards, 55 points, and didn’t get a turnover. They only thing that they did good was stopping Ole Miss on a two point conversion that would’ve tied up the game. They let up 317 rushing yards, 177 of those coming from Quinshon Judkins, who also had 33 carries for a touchdown. Judkins didn’t go over 100 yards before this game, and he almost went for 200. The defense was also bad back in week one against Florida State, when they let up 45 points and 500 yards. They also couldn’t get Arkansas of the field 2 weeks ago, as they held the ball for 9 more minutes than LSU. The Tigers are pretty much eliminated from the playoffs, but a team who’s not is Missouri. Although they still have to play Kentucky and Georgia on the road, Mizzou is 5-0 and are trying to knock LSU out of the rankings. These Tigers are 5-0 for the first time since 2013 with wins over Kansas State and Vanderbilt. Luther Burden III has 43 catches for 644 yards and 5 touchdowns. That leads both the SEC and the country. He’s the third best wide receiver in my opinion, but if he balls out in this game like he did against Memphis, he might rise on that list. He caught 10 passes for 177 yards against Memphis. That led to a 17.7 average per catch. He had the most catches in a game last week, with 11, and also had 149 yards and 2 touchdowns. Because of Burden, Brady Cook has looked good, as he’s thrown for 1,468 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns. But it’s not all because of Burden. Cook has done a better job at not turning the ball over, as he threw 7 picks last year. He has thrown 141 passes, but not a pick. Only one player has more passes and hasn’t thrown a pick, which is Cam Ward. Ward had a bye week last week though, so Cook has the most completions and played in the most games without throwing a pick. Cody Schrader has been outshined by Burden and Cook, but he’s been one of the better SEC running backs with 81 carries for 463 yards and 3 touchdowns. The carries and yards are both second in the SEC. The offense has been good, but what about the defense? The defense lets up 74.8 rush yards per game, and 242.4 pass yards per game. Missouri’s signature win came against then number 15 ranked K-State when Harrison Mevis kicked a 61 yard field goal with time expiring to win. LSU’s defense is good, but can they keep up with Burden and Schrader? I think not at Mizzou gets the upset at home, 34-33. Odds: LSU -5.5, O/U 64
  3. (20) Kentucky @ (1) Georgia - Kentucky has jumped into the rankings after the thrashing of Florida, while Georgia fought back from 10-0 deficit to beat Auburn 27-20. Georgia has won 13 straight in this rivalry, but UK are trying to disrupt another long streak in games against SEC East opponents, whether it be a rivalry or not. Ray Davis looked like the best running back in college football last week, as he put up 289 yards off 26 carries for 3 touchdowns and an average of 10.8 yards per carry. He had a 75 yard touchdown run and was breaking big runs the whole game. He also caught a touchdown, adding do his dominance in the 33-14 win over Florida. Davis now has 76 carries for 594 yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s first in the SEC for yards and 4th in the country. he’s also tied for the second most rushing touchdowns in the country, 1st in the SEC. Davis had 289 total yards last week, while Florida only had 313. Kentucky had 400, so roughly 110 yards for Kentucky did not come from Davis. But for how good Davis was last week, Devin Leary struggled. Leary went 9/19 for 69 yards and a touchdown. Kentucky didn’t need to pass the ball, but 9/19 is a 47.4 completion percentage, and he now has a 57.7 completion percentage on the year. That’s second worst in the SEC. Leary had a 65.7 completion percentage back in 2021 and a 61.1 completion percentage last year. It might be the new system, but against Georgia’s defense, you can’t miss an opportunity. Leary has 1,129 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 picks on the year. The defense has been pretty good, letting up 297.2 yards per game and 15.2 points per game. Trevin Wallace leads the team with 3.5 sacks, and a pick from last week. He also has 4 tackles for loss. He’s second in tackles on the team, and number one is Maxwell Hairston, who has 33. Hairston also leads the team in interceptions, with 3, 2 going back for touchdowns against Vanderbilt. He’s definitely going to try to pick off Carson Beck Saturday, but if Beck looks like Brock Bowers’ way, it’s game over for Kentucky. Bowers has 8 catches last week and 9 two weeks ago. He also caught the game winning touchdown over Auburn last week. Bowers has 30 catches for 413 yards and 3 touchdowns, which makes him the best tight end in my eyes. Bowers has helped out Carson Beck in a big way, as Beck now has 1,497 yards, 7 touchdowns and 2 picks. But even those these numbers are pretty good, Georgia has gotten out to some pretty slow starts. Down 10-0 to Auburn at the start of the second quarter, being down 14-3 to South Carolina at halftime, and not scoring in the first quarter against Ball State. Auburn was the only so far that’s capitalized on Georgia’s slow start and have played them pretty close the whole game. Kentucky was good at driving down the field and scoring last week, but only one touchdown didn’t come from the red zone. If Kentucky can do more of that this week, they will win, but I think Georgia’s defense that only allows 13 points per game gets the 24-21 win. I don’t think Georgia should be number one, but a win is a win. Odds: Georgia -14.5, O/U 47
  4. (11) Notre Dame @ (25) Louisville - Notre Dame had another close game last week, but after 4 tuneup games, should they be in these games? Louisville is undefeated in their first year under Jeff Brohm, but can they stay that way this week? There are a lot of questions coming into this game but let’s start with Notre Dame. Notre Dame played in week 0, so they are 5-1. That one loss was to Ohio State, who is a good team, but they probably would’ve beat the Buckeyes if Marcus Freeman put 11 people on the field. That loss was at home, but they went into Wallace Wade Stadium to beat Duke while GameDay was in town. They needed a 10 play, 95 yard drive to beat the Blue Devils off a 30 yard Audric Estime run. Speaking of Estime, he has 95 carries for 672 yards and 7 touchdowns. He leads the country in yards, but without the week 0 game, he has 577 yards. That would be 6th in the country. Sam Hartman has been electric, throwing for 1,458 yards and 14 touchdowns, no interceptions. He’s also ran for 2 touchdowns. Hartman was a little shaky last week, going 15/30 for 222 yards, 0 touchdowns. He was also like that against Ohio State, going for 175 yards and a touchdown off 17/25 passing. Those are 2 good defenses, but Hartman has to play good against good defenses if he wants to be in the Heisman consideration. 10 different players have caught touchdown passes, wether that be from Hartman or backup Steve Angeli, who’s thrown 2. Something interesting to know is that Notre Dame’s leading receiver, Tight End Mitchell Evans, doesn’t have a touchdown catch. Defensively, they have forced 9 fumbles, but have only recovered 1. They forced 2 turnovers last week, including the fumble. They also only allow 271 yards per game, but Louisville, who averages 500 yards per game will try to take advantage of the Notre Dame defense. Jeff Brohm and his brother, Brian Brohm, look like offensive geniuses. Louisville has the 9th total yards in the whole country, but 8 for teams that have played 5 games, with Notre Dame being that team that played 6 games. They also average 37 points per game. They’ve put up 56 points twice, but only 13 points last week. It was a sloppy game, with 6 combined turnovers, but they came back from being down 10-0 at halftime. Credit to the Cardinals for coming back, but they turned the ball over 3 times, with Jack Plummer throwing two picks. Plummer has 1,406 yards, 11 touchdowns and 6 picks on the year, and another rushing touchdown. They couldn’t rush the ball, gaining 20 yards in 29 carries. It hasn’t been like that all season, as Jawhar Jordan now has 66 carries for 510 and 6 touchdowns. He also has a receiving touchdown. He had 16 carries for 32 yards last week, the worst game of his season. Hopefully he can get back to his old ways this game, Notre Dame only allows 124.2 rush yards per game. Louisville’s defense is a little worse, allowing 327.8 yards per game, but 109.6 rush yards per game. The Cardinals offense is pretty good, but the defense allows too many yards. Notre Dame gets into a close one, but still wins 35-29. Odds: Notre Dame -6.5, O/U 53.5
  5. (13) Washington State @ UCLA - Washington State is the underdog of the Pac-12, and I couldn’t be more excited for this game. Wazzu and UCLA were both off last week, allowing the teams to rest up. Both of these teams should be fresh, so this one should be high scoring. Cam Ward is the leader of the Cougars, with 1,390 yards, 13 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He’s is my top 10 for Heisman, but not the 5 listed at the bottom of the post. Ward also has 109 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Ward had an incredible career at Incarate Ward, and has played pretty good at Washington State. Wazzu upset Wisconsin at home, and Oregon State, beating Wisconsin by 9. They were up 35-14 against Oregon State at one point, but the Beavers ended up getting back into the game. It didn’t matter though, as Washington grin State won 38-35. Wazzu averages 406 passing yards, which is second in the Pac-12 and the country. They only have 127.8 rushing yards per game, which is a subtle improvement from last year, when they averaged 106.8. Nakia Watson, who had 769 yards and 9 touchdowns last year, only has 128 yards and 2 touchdowns on 35 carries this year. Most teams have that stat line in a game. He was named to the preseason Doak Walker Award list, but he has not lived up to that so far this year. Wazzu has transitioned to kind of an air raid offense, but when you have a good of a running back that Watson is, you can’t just abandon the run. Washington State has 3 receivers with over 300 yards, those being Lincoln Victor, Josh Kelly, and Kyle Williams. These 3 are the only ones with multiple touchdowns. Victor has 3 touchdowns, 342 yards and 24 catches. Kelly has the most touchdowns, with 5, 336 yards, and 21 catches. Williams has 16 receptions for 301 yards and 4 touchdowns. They stop the run pretty well, and only one team, that being Oregon State, have ran for more than 200 yards. They held Wisconsin, who has one of the best running back duos, to only 91 rushing yards. They’re going to get all the help they need though, as Carson Steele, who rushes for 1,556 yards last year, will try to bounce back after a bad game against Utah. He had 11 carries for 29 yards, which is an average of 2.6 yards per carry. Steele now has 41 carries for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns on the year. TJ Harden, the other running back, has 36 rushes for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns. That leads to the 4th most yards per game in the conference. Steele and Harden have helped out the freshman, Dante Moore, in a big way. Moore has thrown for 850 yards, 8 touchdowns and 2 picks. He sacked 7 times, which led to a pick six for Utah and a fumble from Moore. The Utah defense is good, but the offensive line couldn’t block or create holes for the running game. They need to that this week, so Moore can get the ball to J. Michael Sturdivant, the leading receiver. He has 12 receptions for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sturdivant is also the only receiver for UCLA with over 200 yards. The defense is top 3 in the Pac-12 allowing only 11 points per game and 263.8 yards per game. The yards are second in the conference, while the points are first. They’ve also allowed the least amount of passing yards and rushing yards. They are also 5 in sacks, with 15. 4 of those come from Laiatu Latu, who got 3 in week one and 1 in week two. He had 10.5 sacks last year, and will try to do even better this year. He has been kind of quiet the past 2 weeks, but will try to have a big one Saturday. Linebackers Darius Muasau  and Kian Medrano have 3 and 2 sacks, respectively. The UCLA defense are going to try their best to slow down Cam Ward, but Ward throws for 375 or more yards in the 27-17 win. Odds: UCLA -3.5, O/U 59.5
  6. Maryland @ (4) Ohio State - I can’t believe that Maryland isn’t ranked. Sure, their hardest opponent is either Michigan State or Charlotte, but Taulia Tagovailoa has been on a tear so far. He leads the Big 10 in passing yards and passing touchdowns, with 1,464 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s also only thrown 3 picks, while rushing it in 3 times. He’s the reason Maryland averages nearly 500 yards of total offense and 38.6 points, which is second while the yards per game is first. The offense also averages 297.4 pass yards per game, which is second, but only by 1.1 yards. There is so much to gush about when it comes to the Maryland passing game, but their running game is elite as well. Running Back Roman Hemby has 64 carries for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’s only rushed for 100 yards once, and had 10 carries for 12 yards against Michigan State. He needs to run well if Maryland wants to upset the Buckeyes. Maryland is 5th in points allowed in the Big Ten, allowing 13.2 points per game. They’re tied for 4th in the conference for sacks with 13, and only allow 328.2 yards per game. They’re going to need to shut down Ohio State if they want even a chance at winning. Ohio State has an even better defense, with 8.5 points per game allowed and 255.5 yards per game. The most points they have allowed is 14, which was to Notre Dame 2 weeks ago. They had a bye week last week, so they are going to be ready for this one. Quarterback Kyle McCord has thrown for 1,055 yards, 6 touchdowns and a pick. He struggled in week one against Indiana, which is when the threw his only pick. I’ve been skeptical of McCord since, and week 4 reaffirmed my assumptions, when he went 21/37, which is a 56.8 completion percentage, 240 yards, no touchdowns and no picks. He has a talented group of wide receivers to throw to, but leading receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. only has 336 yards, which is tied for 64th in FBS. Emeka Egbuka has 263 yards for 3 touchdowns, which is the same amount of touchdowns as Harrison. Cade Stover and Julian Fleming are also really talented. TreVeyon Henderson has 44 carries for 300 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Chip Trayanum and Miyan Williams both have 2 touchdowns. Ohio State’s defense is a little better, but Maryland’s offense is more explosive. Ohio State pulls it out, winning 35-31. This feels like a ranked game, and it delivers. Odds: Ohio State -19.5, O/U 57
  7. (11) Alabama @ Texas A&M - The rat poison is going to be in Tuscaloosa this week, but is it needed. Texas A&M was ranked 23 entering their game against Miami, but they lost. They fell out of the rankings, and haven’t jumped back in yet. They demolished Auburn to start SEC play, and then picked up a rivalry win over Arkansas last week. Quarterback Conner Weigman is out for the season with a broken foot, so it’ll be Max Johnson the rest of the way. Johnson played well when he came in against Auburn, and played pretty well last week against Arkansas. Weigman has 979 yards 8 touchdowns and 2 picks on the season. Max Johnson has 436 yards, 6 touchdowns and 1 pick. Johnson is more than capable when it comes to leading this team, especially when he has talented wide receivers like Evan Stewart and Ainias Smith. Stewart has 24 receptions for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns, in only 4 games as he didn’t play against UL Monroe. Smith doesn’t have a receiving touchdown, but has 22 receptions for 343 yards. The reason I said receiving touchdown is because he returned a punt for 82 yards and a touchdown last week. The Aggies average 443.4 yards per game, and a big reason why is Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels. Moss has ran for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. Daniels has ran for 270 yards and also has 2 touchdowns. They both have just under 50 rushes. The offense is good, but the defense has been transformed. They let up 253.8 yards per game and are tied for the third most sacks in the country with 20. For context, the defense last year allowed 365 yards per game. The Aggies defense has notched 14 sacks and 30 tackles for loss the past two games, and they are going to eat against an offensive line that’s allowed 15 sacks on Jalen Milroe. That’s tied for 10th in the country. Speaking of Milroe, he’s thrown for 838 yards, 6 touchdowns and 3 picks. He was benched after the Texas loss, but after the offense had a horrible game against USF, he was out back into the starting qb role. Milroe’s also ran for 3 touchdowns and 189 yards. He had 2 of them last week against Mississippi State. Jase McClellan has been a bright spot on this offense, and has scored a touchdown in the both of the past two games. McClellan has 67 carries for 326 yards and 3 touchdowns. Only 4  receivers have over 100 yards, and none of them have 200. The offense has been bad at times but bounced back last week. but the defense were the true winners of last week, forcing 3 turnovers and allowing only 269 yards. Bama’s star Linebacker Dallas Turner is 4th in the country in sacks, with 5.5. Another linebacker, Chris Braswell has 3.5 sacks and a pick six. Alabama and Texas A&M’s defense are both really good, but the SEC West is crazy, and you need an offense to survive. Texas A&M gets the upset, 31-28. Odds: Alabama -2, O/U 46
  8. Arkansas @ (16) Ole Miss - Another SEC West matchup, Ole Miss is coming off the heels of a crazy win over LSU, while Arkansas has lost 3 straight. Starting with Arkansas, they lost close ones to BYU and LSU, before falling to Texas A&M in a rivalry game by 12 points. KJ Jefferson has thrown for 1,050 yards, 10 touchdowns and 4 picks. He also has 65 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown. Because of the injury to Rocket Sanders, the leading rusher is AJ Green. He only has 195 yards, but Sanders came back for last weeks game. The running game was still bad  last week, with 42 yards on 39 carries. The whole offense was bad last week, with only 174 total yards. They also went 5 for 14 on 3rd downs, while not completing their only 4th down attempt last week. They might not struggle on offense, as Ole Miss let up a lot of yards and points last week, but you never know. The defense will struggle, as they’ve been out gained in the past two weeks. They let up 25 points per game and 339 yards per game. Star Linebacker Jaheim Thomas leads the team in tackles, with 48, and 3 sacks. But he can’t stop Ole Miss’ offense by himself. The Rebels from Oxford won 55-49 last week, and the offense put up 706 yards of total offense. Jaxson Dart had 5 touchdowns, 4 of them through the air. Dart has 1,458 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 2 picks, while also rushing 4 scores in. Quinshon Judkins went back to his 2022 form last week, notching 33 carries and he went for more than 100 yards the first time this season. He had 177 yards, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown. The most yards he had in a game this season before last week was 60, and that was in the opener. Ole Miss bounced back from the Alabama loss, and if they win and Alabama loses, the Rebels will be first in the SEC West. Judkins now has 90 carries for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns. Judkins has the 4th most receiving yards on the team, with 84. Ahead of him are Jordan Watkins, Dayton Wade, and Tre Harris. Watkins has the most yards, with 450, he also has 2 touchdowns on 29 receptions. Wade has 367 yards, only one touchdown, and 23 catches. Tre Harris has 16 catches, 341 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Harris missed 2 games, but has caught a touchdown in all 3 of his games, including 4 back in week one. Even though they let up a lot of points and yards last week, the Landshark defense has been pretty good. 17 sacks, and clutched up after being down 17-7 at one point in the first half against Tulane. They only allowed a field goal from that point on, and Ole Miss won 37-20. Ole Miss is faster and hasn’t lost 3 straight, so Arkansas’ losing streak continues. Arkansas is currently the best 2-3 team in the country, but Ole Miss is too good. Ole Miss wins, 42-24. Odds: Ole Miss -1, O/U 61.5
  9. Rutgers @ Wisconsin - Rutgers is out to a 4-1 start, which is the best start since 2014, when they started out 5-1.  Wisconsin is out to a 3-1, coming off a bye week last week. Starting with the Badgers, their last game came against Purdue, where they dominated. They won 38-17, and forced 3 turnovers. Their running game was also great last week, with 195 yards, while they only had 193 passing yards. Both Tanner Mordecai and Braelon Allen ran for 2 touchdowns, while Allen had 116 yards. Mordecai went 17/27 for 174 yards and a pick. Mordecai has thrown for 876 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 picks. He has ran for 4 touchdowns so far this year. Mordecai  has managed games while the two running backs, Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi have carried games. Allen has 52 carries for 371 yards and 6 touchdowns. Mellusi has 51 carries for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wisconsin averages 201.8 rush yards per game, which is second in the Big Ten. When they played Washington State, Mellusi and Allen combined for 70 yards and one touchdown. If they get down, Luke Fickell needs to keep the run going, because Tanner Mordecai can’t take over a game. As for the defense, they let up a lot of yards, but have forced 9 turnovers in their last two games and don’t allow that many points. Hopefully they can cut down on the yards allowed this week. As for Rutgers, their only loss came against Michigan, when they started up 7-0. They ended up losing 31-7. Just like Wisconsin, Rutgers running game is better than their passing game. They average 195.2 rush yards per game, and only 151.2 pass yards per game. The rush yards per game is 3rd in the Big Ten, mostly because of Kyle Monangai. Monangai has 88 carries for 471 yards and 6 touchdowns. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt is behind him in rush yards with 187. He also has 4 touchdowns. Wimsatt has thrown for 733 yards, 5 touchdowns and a pick. It’s amazing how he only has one pick, but a 53.8 completion percentage. Only two wide receivers have over 100 yards, one has 200 yards and another has just under 200 yards with 195. The defense for Rutgers is pretty good, only allowing 267.8 yards per game. 98.6 of those are rushing yards. They can both stop the run, and they can run the ball. Wisconsin does it better and they win, 24-16. Odds: Wisconsin -13, O/U 44
  10. Syracuse @ (14) North Carolina - If Syracuse won last week, this game would probably be a ranked matchup and a top 5 matchup, but they lost. And it wasn’t close too. Clemson won 31-14, and Syracuse turned the ball over 3 times. The Orange also held the ball for 26 minutes and 39 seconds. Syracuse only gained 14 first downs, 9 of them in 3rd downs. Garrett Shrader, who was on a rushing tear for a quarterback the past two weeks, was shut down. He had 15 carries for 24 yards, after putting up 50 yards against Army and 195 yards and 4 touchdowns against Purdue. Shrader went 15/29 for 176 yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick last week. He has 1,148 yards, 8 touchdowns and 4 picks on the season. He has a total of 61 carries, 340 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground this year. Both Damien Alford and Donovan Brown have over 200 yards, just under 20 receptions and both have a touchdown. Alford has 282 yards and 18 catches, while Brown has 19 catches for 273 yards. The whole receiver room is talented, but Oronde Gadsden II, who had 969 yards last year, wasn’t played since week 2. He’s out for the season, so that’s a big hit for the offense, and we saw it last week. The main attraction of the Syracuse offense is the running game, and I already talked a little bit about Garrett Shrader and his running game. The leading rusher for the Orange is LeQuint Allen has 76 carries for 363 yards and 6 touchdowns, and also has a receiving touchdown. If Shrader can get back to his old rushing ways, Syracuse will have a chance at upset. But Drake Maye will try to go toe to toe with Shrader. Maye has thrown for 1187 yards, 5 touchdowns and 4 picks, in just 4 games. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns. The yards are good for 4 games, but only 5 passing touchdowns and 4 picks is not helping his Heisman odds. Maye’s main target is J.J. Jones, who has 16 catches for 296 yards. I would call him Maye’s main target, but Jones has the 3rd most catches on the team. Nate McCollum has the most catches, with 21. He also has 220 yards and a touchdown. Kobe Paysour has 19 catches for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running Back Omarion Hampton is tied for 8th in the country in rushing touchdowns, and is second in the ACC. He has 73 carries for 383 yards and the 7 rushing touchdowns. Both of these teams put up yards and points, while Syracuse’s defense lets up significantly less yards. So why would I not pick Syracuse to win? College Football is all about momentum, and Syracuse is coming off a big loss while North Carolina had a bye week last week. North Carolina can also put up points and stay in close games, forcing the other team to score. Syracuse kind of folded last week, as they didn’t score in the second or third quarter. North Carolina wins, 41-27. Odds: UNC -9.5, O/U 59.5
  11. Marshall @ NC State - I was not thinking that Marshall was going to start 4-0 this season, especially with Virginia Tech on their schedule. As for NC State, they are 3-2, and are coming off a loss to Louisville. Starting with NC State, they lost 13-10 after starting up 10-0 at halftime. Brennan Armstrong threw 2 picks, but did lead the Wolfpack in rushing yards last week. On the year, Armstrong has 971 yards, 5 touchdowns and 6 picks. He also has 286 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. He has a 58.8 completion percentage, and hasn’t been able to recreate the magic he had in 2021 with his old offensive coordinator, Robert Anae, who is also his OC this year. Armstrong leads the team in rushing yards, and the next closest rusher is Michael Allen, who has 138 yards. Delbert Mimms III has 5 rushing touchdowns, but only 92 yards. Kevin Concepcion is pretty much the only target for Armstrong, with 23 receptions for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns. The defense lets up only 95.6 rush yards per game, only allowing 20 rushing yards last year. They’re going to try to slow down Marshall’s Rasheen Ali. Ali has 91 carries for 475 yards and 9 touchdowns. He is tied for the most rushing touchdowns in the country. He only played in 3 games last season, but back in 2021 he had 24 total touchdowns, 23 on the ground. He’s going to go crazy again this week. Cam Fancher has thrown for 890 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s been more of a game manager, while also rushing for 162 yards. The defense allows only 142.8 pass yards per game, but Armstrong and NC State seal the deal, winning 21-13. Odds: NCSU -6.5, O/U 44
  12. UCF @ Kansas - UCF blew a 28 point lead last week, while Kansas was destroyed by Texas. Starting with UCF, they were up 35-7 over Baylor, but Baylor came back and won 36-35. Colton Boomer missed a 59 yard field goal to win it with time expiring. UCF has now lost 2 straight, and the first 3 weeks might of mislead a lot of us. The offense averages 545.8 yards per game and 37.6 points per game. The yards are 5th in the country, and an average of 255.2 rush yards per game is 3rd in the country and 1st in the Big 12. This offense has been electric, and the transition from John Rhys Plumlee to Timmy McClain has been solid. Plumlee has missed the last 3 weeks with injury, so hopefully he will be ready to go this week. McClain has thrown for 872 yards, 7 touchdowns and only 2 picks so far, while Plumlee has thrown for 553 yards, 3 touchdowns and 4 picks.  He also ran for 163 yards and a rushing touchdown in 2 games. They have an electric duo of running backs, that being Johnny Richardson and RJ Harvey. Richardson has 45 carries for 394 yards and a touchdown, while Harvey has 73 carries for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns. Harvey also has 8 catches for 172 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. He’s the third leading receiver for the Knights, as Kobe Hudson has 21 catches for 468 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Javon Baker has 17 catches for 332 yards and 2 touchdowns. The offense is electric, but the defense has been torched the past two games. They let up 36 points last week and 44 to Kansas State. They have to shut down Kansas this week if they want the upset. Kansas’ quarterback Jalon Daniels didn’t play last week due to an injury in his back, which was the same reason he didn’t play in week one. He missed Monday practice, and is still day to day. He has thrown for 705 yards, 5 touchdowns and a pick. Jason Bean played in week one and last week, and has thrown for 412 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bean went 9/21 for 136 yards and a touchdown last week, so if he does play this week, he needs to complete more passes. Kansas has an elite running back duo as well, that being Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr.. Neal has 65 carries for 439 yards for 5 touchdowns, while Hishaw has 41 rushes for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns. This duo is going to play well against a bad defense, but Kansas also has a bad defense. The least amount of points they’ve allowed is 17, and that was back in week one. The amount of points the’ve let up has just increased every week, but they do get a 34-27 win. Odds: UCF -2, O/U 64
  13. Wake Forest @ Clemson - It feels like Clemson will go out and have one bad game, then a few good ones before having a bad one, and that cycle continues. Starting in week one, Clemson turned the ball over 3 times in a 28-7 loss to Duke. They then started the next game down 14-7. They ended up pulling it out, winning 66-17. They then destroyed FAU before losing to Florida State. Dabo Swinney put a kicker that he said hasn’t kicked since April to kick the game winning kick. He missed, and Florida State won in overtime. They won last week at Syracuse, 31-14. Cade Klubnik has been the engineer of this roller coaster of a season. Klubnik has thrown for 1,239 yards, 11 touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns, and 2 picks. Klubnik lost a fumble against Florida State that was returned for a touchdown, letting FSU tie it up. He has 3 really talented wide receivers, that being Tyler Brown, who has 21 catches for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Beaux Collins, who has 19 receptions for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns. The other receiver is Antonio Williams, who has 15 catches for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns. He hasn’t played the past two weeks, so hopefully he’ll play this one. The passing game isn’t all of Clemson’s offense, as they also have a good duo of running backs. Will Shipley has 72 carries for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns. Phil Mafah has 43 carries for 278 yards and 4 touchdowns. Shipley got into the end zone 15 times last year, but only 4 so far this year, as he has 2 receiving touchdowns. Just like Clemson, Wake Forest has two good running backs. Demond Claiborne has 63 carries for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Justice Ellison has 44 carries for 259 yards. Mitch Griffis has tried to get into the running game, with 50 carries for 39 yards. It could be because he has been sacked 18 times, so he needs to escape the pocket. As for Griffis’ passing stats, he has 1000 yards for 9 touchdowns and 6 picks. Defensively, Jasheen Davis has been a monster, with 4.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss. He didn’t get a sack last week, but he will try to this week. It doesn’t matter though, as Clemson wins 35-20. Odds: Clemson -21, O/U 52.5
  14. Purdue @ Iowa - Purdue has had some growing pains with first year head coach Ryan Walters, and Iowa’s offense is still bad. Starting with Iowa, they won last week 26-16 against Michigan State off the heels of what might be the worst offensive performance in a college football game. Iowa scored the last 4 scores last week, but a punt return from Cooper DeJean gave them the lead. Iowa’s offense was still bad, putting up 222 total yards, turned the ball over twice, and only scored one offensive touchdown the whole game. It’s still somehow better than the Penn State game, when they ran 33 plays on offense, which resulted in 0 points, 76 yards, 4 first downs, 4 turnovers, going 1-9 on third downs, and holding the ball for an astounding 14 minutes and 33 seconds. This Iowa offense is historically bad, so bad that OC Brian Ferentz has to get 7 wins and average at least 25 points per game, or he will be fired. So far Iowa is averaging 21.2 points per game this year, so he’s not on track. It’s not all his fault though, as Cade McNamara, the Michigan transfer is most likely out the rest of the year with an ACL injury. It’ll probably be Deacon Hill the rest of the way, who went 11/27 for 115 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 pick last week. He got into one game for Wisconsin, last year, where he was sacked. This will be his first start, but it’s against a defense that has allowed almost the same number of yards Purdue produces in a game. Purdue averages 399 yards per game, and allows 398.2 yards per game. They put up 28 points per game, and allow 29.6. This was even more true if you look at the stats from the Wisconsin game. Wisconsin had 38 points and 388 yards, while Purdue had 396 yards and 17 points. Purdue also turned the ball over 3 times to Wisconsin’s 1. They dominated last week, winning 44-19 over Illinois, and they will try to bring that momentum into this one. Hudson Card has thrown for 1,244 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 picks, while also rushing it in 3 times. Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Dylan Mockobee have been a nice tandem at running back, and hopefully one of them will get over 1000 yards, as Purdue hasn’t had an 1000 yard rusher since 2008. I’ve been wrong about Purdue in the past, but they are playing a team with a horrible offense and Iowa’s quarterback is getting his first ever start. Purdue wins, 34-16. Odds: Iowa -2.5, O/U 38.5
  15. Georgia Tech @ (17) Miami - Miami is one of 4 undefeated teams in the ACC, but it is week 6 and they haven’t started conference play yet. As for Georgia Tech, they’ve switched defensive coordinators, and it hasn’t gone well. Kevin Sherrer is the new DC, and Georgia Tech has allowed 427.8 yards per game. That is the whole season, but it shows how bad both DC’s were. In Georgia Tech’s wins, the defense seems to play good. They allowed 16 points to Wake Forest and 13 to South Carolina State.  However, in their losses they have allowed a lot of points. 39 point to Louisville, 48 to Ole Miss and 38 to Bowling Green. They do put up lots of yards, 467.4 per game. Haynes King has thrown for 1,480 yards, 15 touchdowns and 4 picks. This is already the best season of his career, and he should continue to score more throughout the year. His main target has been Eric Singleton Jr., who’s caught 18 passes for 335 yards and 5 touchdowns. He’s also been a bright spot of Georgia Tech, and another one of those bright spots is Defensive Lineman Kyle Kennard. Kennard leads the team in tackles with 28, leads the team in sacks with 4, has a pick, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. He can’t shut down all of Miami’s offense though, because Miami averages 519 yards and 43.8 points per game. Tyler Van Dyke has been playing really good, with a 74.7 completion percentage, 1,042 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only 1 pick. He’s gotten the ball out to three main guys, that being Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, and Colbie Young. Restrepo has 24 catches for 355 yards and 1 touchdowns, while George has 21 catches for 292 yards and 4 touchdowns. Young has 17 receptions for 242 yards and 3 touchdowns. These are the only guys over 100 receiving yards for The U, so Georgia Tech has to slow down these three. They’re a solid team on defense, allowing 273 yards per game. They allow only 48 rush yards per game, which is second in the country, but first in power 5. Georgia Tech keeps it close at the start, but Miami pulls away winning 48-20. Odds: Miami -20, O/U 57.5
  16. (2) Michigan @ Minnesota - Michigan stays in the road and try to grab the number one ranking this week against Minnesota. Starting with the Golden Gophers, they have the fourth worst offense in the Big Ten based off yards per game, with 342.2. They average 24 points per game, and both Running Back Darius Taylor and Wide Receiver Daniel Jackson have scored that much so far. They both have 4 touchdown, which is 24 points because they don’t kick the extra point. Jackson has 29 receptions for 252 yards and the 4 touchdowns, while Taylor has 87 carries for 532 yards and the 4 touchdowns. Both have only played in 4 games, and that stat is even crazier because Taylor leads the Big Ten in rushing yards. Taylor didn’t play last week, but he’ll hopefully play this one. Athan Kaliakmanis will have a big task this week, and he already hasn’t played well. He’s thrown for 745 yards, 5 touchdowns and 4 picks. He’s had two solid weeks in a row, but against a Michigan defense that allows 6 points per game, I doubt he plays well. That average is first in the country, and the most points they have allowed this season is 7, which 3 teams could get, including the past 2 weeks. They allow 245.8 yards per game, 85.2 of those being rushing yards. Offensively, J.J. McCarthy has thrown for 1,071 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 picks. 8 of his passing touchdowns have gone to Roman Wilson, who also has 19 catches for 326 yards. That’s tied for first in the country and first in the Big Ten. Just like Wilson, Blake Corum also leads the league in rushing touchdowns. Corum is in a 3 way tie for first, with 9 rushing touchdowns. He also has 74 carries for 425 yards. Corum and Wilson are a big reason why Michigan averages 34.4 points per game and are undefeated. Michigan wins once again, 35-14. Odds: Michigan -18.5, O/U 46
  17. Kansas State @ Oklahoma State - Oklahoma State is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and much like the name, their defense has been still. They allow 371.3 yards per game and allow 23.8 points per game. They have allowed 95 points in total this year, while only putting up 88. That’s a big reason why they are 2-2, as they haven’t been able to get into the end zone. South Alabama came to them, and hung 33 points on the Cowboys. Oklahoma State only scored a touchdown, which happened in the 4th quarter. Mike Gundy finally played 1 quarterback 2 weeks ago, and that was Alan Bowman. Bowman now has 513 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 picks on the year. He also has a 53% completion percentage, so that is something he needs to work on. As for Kansas State, they’ve had Will Howard as the quarterback the whole year, as he’s thrown for 1,072 yards, 8 touchdowns and 4 picks. He also has 28 carries for 123 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, the most on the team. He isn’t the leading rusher though, as DJ Giddens has 66 carries for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had a monster game two weeks ago, with 30 carries for 207 yards and all 4 of his touchdowns. Hopefully he’ll have another big game. Defensively, Khalid Duke has 4 sacks and a forced fumble. The defense only has 2 picks, and they allow 264.3 pass yards per game. The secondary needs some fix, but the front 7 is crazy good. They average 73.3 rush yards allowed per game and are second in the Big 12 in sacks. The rush yards allowed are first in the Big 12, and they should have another big game this week. Kansas State wins, 38-17. Odds: KSU -12, O/U 54 
  18. Texas Tech @ Baylor - Texas Tech and Baylor are both 2-3, and this should be a close one. Starting with Texas Tech, head coach Joey McGuire returns to Baylor for the first time since he became the head coach of the Red Raiders, and Texas Tech has a good shot at winning. With Tyler Shough out for the rest of the year, Behren Morton has been the quarterback. In 3 games, he’s thrown for 391 yards, 5 touchdowns, and a pick. He doesn’t need to play phenomenally, because Tahj Brooks has been a huge help. Brooks has 83 carries for 518 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s third in the Big 12.  TTU’s defense isn’t too bad, allowing 375.8 yards per game and 24.8 points per game. They had a pretty good shot at upsetting Oregon, but they turned the ball over 4 times. If Brooks and Morton can get things going early, they have a good shot. As for Baylor, their quarterback, Blake Shapen came back from injury, so he’s now played in 2 games, because he got hurt in week one. He’s thrown for 596 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Sawyer Robertson threw for 647 yards, a touchdown, and 4 picks while he was the starter. Unlike Texas Tech, Baylor does not have a good rushing game. They average 142.4 rush yards per game, and their leading rusher, Richard Reese has only 225 yards. Baylor allows nearly 400 yards of total offense every game, and let up 469 total yards last week in their crazy comeback over UCF. Both of these teams put up and let up lots of yards, but Texas Tech wins, 34-21. Odds: TTU -1, O/U 59.5
  19. TCU @ Iowa State - The third straight Big 12 game on this list will have the Horned Frogs traveling to Ames to face the Cyclones. Starting with Iowa State, they’ve had a roller coaster of a season. They started out 1-0 before losing to Iowa and Ohio. They only put up 7 points against Ohio, but fought back and beat Oklahoma State. They were then destroyed by Oklahoma last week, losing 50-20. Rocco Becht has thrown for 1,085 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. His main targets have been Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Noel has 24 catches for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Higgins has 16 catches for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns. These guys are going to have a big day. As for TCU, they  are obviously not the same team that went to the National Championship game last year, as they lost a close one at home to Colorado in week one. They then won 3 straight, but lost last week to West Virginia. They’re trying to get another win this week. Chandler Morris has thrown for 1,419 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Two of his picks came week one, so he’s done a good job on not turning the ball over since. Morris has also ran for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns. But for how good Morris is, Emani Bailey adds another level of depth to this offense. He has 100 carries for 538 yards and 2 touchdowns. The carries are first in the Big 12 and the yards are second. TCU is a better team in offense, so they win 27-14. Odds: TCU -6.5, O/U 51.5
  20. Virginia Tech @ (5) Florida State - Florida State has been riding high, and with quality wins over LSU and Clemson, they have a shot at the National Championship Game. Virginia Tech has not had the same season as Florida State, as they sit at 2-3. Just because Florida State is ranked 5th and are undefeated doesn’t mean they don’t have flaws. Starting with their defense, they allow 400 total yards and 22.5 points per game. That is bad, but when the offense averages 427 yards and 43.3 points per game, it doesn’t really matter. Another flaw is their rushing game. They average 147 yards per game, which is 81st in FBS. Their leading rusher is Trey Benson, who has 189 yards off 40 carries. He does have 4 touchdowns though. The rushing game was pretty good last year, just like their 3rd down conversions. They are the 85th worst team at completing 3rd downs, with 38%. They need to run the ball and convert 3rd downs if they want to win down the line. As for other points on their offense, everyone knows how well Jordan Travis has been playing. Travis has thrown for 1028 yards, 10 touchdowns and a pick. He’s also ran for 2 touchdowns. Travis should have a big game against Virginia Tech. Tech has allowed 335 yards per game, and are coming off the heels of a win over Pitt. Their other win came in week one, and they have since changed quarterbacks due to injury. Kyron Drones has played in all 5 games, but got limited action in week one and two. He struggled in his first two starts, but shined last week. He threw for 228 yards on 12 completions for 3 touchdowns and also rushed for 2. VT won that win 38-21, meaning that he scored all of their touchdowns last week. Hopefully he can do more of that this game. The rest of the team have been pretty good, with an average running game, Drones has 205 yards and leading back Bhayshul Tuten has 301 yards. There’s also now own crazy receiver m, as the leading receiver is Da’Quan Felton, who has a solid 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. Florida State struggles early, but wins 34-17. Odds: FSU -24, O/U 52.5
  21. Nebraska @ Illinois - The second Friday game on this list and the second Friday game for Illinois. The first Friday game for the Illini ended up in a 34-23 loss to Kansas. They’re going to try to reverse the rolls in this one, just like they’re hoping to do with the defense. The defense was one of the best in the whole country last year, but after Devon Witherspoon, their top 3 leading tacklers left, and DC Ryan Walters left for the NFL and a head coaching job, the defense has fallen flat in its face. Another big change is their rushing game, which was lead by Chase Brown last year. He ran for 1,643 yards of 328 carries and had 13 total touchdowns last year. their leading rusher this year is Reggie Love III, who has only 248 yards and a touchdown so far. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has ran for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns, but has also thrown 7 picks. He’s going to need to play better if he wants Illinois to get their first Big Ten win this year. Nebraska is also looking for that win, but Heinrich Haarberg has playing exceptional. He’s only started 3 games, but has thrown for 477 yards, 4 touchdowns and a pick. He’s also ran for 270 yards and 2 touchdowns, making him the leading rusher on the team. When Jeff Sims comes back from injury, I think Haarberg should still be the starter, but that decision is up to Matt Rhule. Nebraska is much better at running than passing, but Illinois is worse at stopping the pass. We’ll see if Rhule changes it up for this game. Nebraska’s defense has also been torched through the air, allowing only 86.8 rushing yards per game, but 238.8 passing yards per game. Nebraska needs to key in on this, because Illinois throws a lot more than last year. Haarberg gets Nebraska’s first Big Ten win, 33-20. Odds: ILL -3, O/U 41.5
  22. Vanderbilt @ Florida - Florida was destroyed last week by Ray Davis and Kentucky, while Vandy has lost 4 straight. Starting with Vanderbilt, they barely beat Hawaii week one, and even though they won week 2, it was against an FCS school. The wheels have fallen off since, with AJ Swann throwing a pick in the first three of these four losses. Swann didn’t play last week due to an injury, and hopefully he’ll be ready to go this week. It was Ken Seals last week, who threw for 260 yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick in the loss. All he needs to do though is throw it up to Will Sheppard, and he’ll come down with it. Sheppard has caught 32 passes for 443 yards and 7 touchdowns. He had 9 touchdowns last year, which he will probably double this year. Vandy can’t run the ball though, S they only have two players over 100 yards. The defense is also really bad, allowing 408 yards per game. As for Florida, their defense allowed 400 yards and 4 touchdowns from Ray Davis. 3 were in the ground while 1 was through the air. Graham Mertz has played well though, throwing for 1,220 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 picks. Florida also has a dominant receiver, that being Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall has 30 catches for 419 yards and 2 touchdowns. They have a duo of running backs, that being Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. Etienne has 358 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Johnson has 253 yards and 3 touchdowns. This game is at the swamp, and Florida is a better team, even with their defensive woes. Florida wins 33-13. Odds: FLA -18.5, O/U 51.5
  23. Colorado @ Arizona State - Colorado started out 2-0, but have lost two straight. Their offensive line and defense have been ran through and torched. They did comeback against USC last week, but it didn’t matter, the damage was already done. Shedeur Sanders has been pretty good, throwing for 1,781 yards, 15 touchdowns and just 2 picks. He will once again be without Travis Hunter, which will be a big hit on offense and defense. Colorado still cannot run the ball, averaging 83.2 rush yards per game. As for the defense, they allow 480.2 yards per game, which is more than what the offense averages. The least amount of points they’ve let up is 14, and that was to a Jeff Sims lead Nebraska. They have allowed points in the 40’s the past two weeks, but it shouldn’t continue this week. ASU averages the least amount of points in the Pac 12, with only 17.6. They also average 89 rush yards per game, but Cameron Skattebo has 318 rushing yards. Skattebo also has 228 receiving yards. Skattebo is their whole offense, even though they average 243.2 passing yards per game. I think the odds are way too close, and Colorado wins 37-16. Odds: COLO -3.5, O/U 59
  24. Arizona @ (9) USC - Led by Heisman Trophy winner and front runner in my eyes, Caleb Williams has been electric. I get into more depth about him in the Heisman section, so go there. The Trojans average 555 yards per game, which is 3rd in the country, but also in the Pac 12. They also average 53.6 points per game, which is first in both. Their defense is a concern though. They were up 34-7 against Colorado at one point last week, but Colorado came back, making the score 48-41. USC did win by that score, but their defense can’t allow things like that to happen to them. They allow 404 yards of total offense a week, which probably won’t happen this week, right? Arizona averages 428 yards per game, and Jayden de Laura has thrown for 1069 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 5 picks. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns. Just like USC, Arizona’s defense has had some struggles. They let up 347 yards per game, but only 99 rushing yards. They played Washington really close last week, only losing by a touchdown. Michael Penix Jr. didn’t even score. That prior success doesn’t matter, as USC is also really good and has a heisman winner on their team. They win, 45-21. Odds: USC -21, O/U 72
  25. NIU @ Akron - These two teams might be the worst in the MAC. Both are at the bottom of their divisions, and both are 1-4. NIU’s only win came against Boston College, but that was by 3 and back in week one. They then lost to a FCS team the next week. As for Akron, their only win came in week 2 against an FCS team. That was also by 3 points, and they even took Indiana to 4 overtime periods. Starting with Akron, DJ Irons has thrown for 722 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 picks. He’s also ran for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. Akron averages 303 yards per game, but allows 314. 218.2 of those are pass yards, so they need to stop the pass on Saturday. As for Northern Illinois, they also let up more yards that they produce. They allow 347.6 yards per game, and put up 317.2. Rocky Lombardi has thrown for 824 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s also rushed for 2 touchdowns. I don’t know much about the teams, but Northern Illinois has a win over a power 5 team, while Akron’s only win came against a FCS team. NIU wins, 24-13. Odds: NIU -5, O/U 43


My top 5 Heisman candidates


  1. Caleb Williams - Williams had another amazing game last week, going 30/49 for 403 yards, 6 touchdowns, and one pick. He now has 1,603 yards, 21 touchdowns and only one pick. He also has 3 rushing touchdowns. The passing yards are 6th in the country and 3rd in the Pac-12, while the passing touchdowns are first in the country. USC massacred Colorado on offense, but USC’s defense is Williams achilles heel. If USC loses a 2 or 3 games, Williams might drop on this list.
  2. Jordan Travis - Travis and Florida State had a bye week, so nothings changed from last week. Florida State has 3 home games against Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and Duke before going on the road for the Wake Forest and Pitt, all of this leading up to the clash with Miami. Duke is tough, but with Riley Leonard’s injury, Travis and Florida State should hopefully be undefeated going into the Miami game.
  3. Michael Penix Jr. - Penix had his first game with 0 passing touchdowns and 0 picks since a 2021 season game against Western Kentucky when he was still at Indiana. The running game took over for Washington, while Penix threw for 363 yards. Penix has thrown for 2,000 yards, the most in the country, 16 touchdowns and 2 picks. Washington has Oregon in 2 weeks, which will hopefully house Penix’s Heisman moment. Washington also ends their season with 4 ranked teams, so Penix has to play well in those to win the trophy.
  4. Quinn Ewers - Ewers is making his debut on the list, as he led Texas to a dominant win over Kansas. Ewers had a 30 yards rushing touchdown to kick off the scoring for Texas, and they ended up scoring 40. Ewers had another rushing touchdown to end the game, and he also threw a touchdowns. He did throw a pick, but that was the first of the season for him. He now has 1,358 yards and 15 total touchdowns. Texas is ranked 3rd and they have a big game against Oklahoma this week. Last season against Oklahoma, Ewers threw for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns. Hopefully he can do the same this week.
  5. Bo Nix - Nix and Oregon got out to a slow start last week, taking them just under 20 minutes to get their initial first down. But Oregon won 42-6, and Nix went 27/32 for 290 yards and 4 touchdowns. He now has 1,459 passing yards, 16 total touchdowns and only 1 pick. Oregon has a bye week before facing 3 ranked teams, so hopefully Nix will ball out, but for right now he’s number 5.
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