Week 7 - The Best Games and My Top 5 Heisman Candidates

(Rankings based off AP Poll)

  1. (8) Oregon @ (7) Washington - GameDay is coming to Seattle for what is the best Pac-12 game so far. Washington and Oregon will certainly decide the front runner in the conference. Washington has the best offense in the country by far, but Oregon is right behind them. Washington is lead by Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr., and their incredible trio of wide receivers. Penix has 2000 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 2 picks. In Washington’s last game, which was 2 weeks ago against Arizona, Penix didn’t throw a touchdown pass and only had 363 passing yards. 363 passing yards is still good, but in 3 of the 4 other games, he had over 400 yards and at least 3 touchdowns. The last time Penix didn’t throw a touchdown in a game was last year against Arizona State. Washington still won, but only by 7. All 4 of their touchdowns were rushing touchdowns, and all came from the 5 yard line or closer. That was Washington’s closest game, and Rome Odunze, Washington’s best receiver, was shut down. Odunze had 5 catches for 64 yards and 0 touchdowns. That’s the least amount of yards he’s had in a game this season. Odunze has 608 yards and 4 touchdowns, putting him at 5th in the country. Along with Odunze, there’s Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan to complete the trio of wide receivers. Polk has 468 yards and 4 touchdowns, while McMillan has 311 yards and 3 touchdowns. McMillan hasn’t played the past 2 games, as he’s been out due to injury. He will be back for this game, and Odunze will play after he was also injured against Arizona. Outside of those 3 are 2 other reliable pass catchers, those being Germie Bernard and Tight End Jack Westover. Bernard has 17 catches for 231 yards and a touchdown, while Westover has 13 catches for 125 yards and 4 touchdowns. Bernard has steeped up while McMillan has been out, and had the most receiving yards on the team in the Arizona game. His numbers should take a small step back, but he’s only a sophomore, so we’ll see more out of him. Their running game hasn’t been the best, their leading rusher only has 240 yards, but have 12 rushing touchdowns as a team, more than 7 other teams in the Pac-12, while have the fourth worst rushing offense. They had a good rushing game against Arizona, which is going to have to play well to beat Oregon. Defensively, they only have 6 sacks, but 8 picks. They have to get after Bo Nix in this game, and that will force him to have to throw balls into spaces where Washington can capitalize. Washington allows only 18 points per game, but can they do it against the nations second best offense? Oregon averages 558 yards and 51.6 points per game. They average .2 points less than USC, putting them at the second most points per game in the country. Bo Nix  has 1,459 yards, 15 touchdowns, and only 1 pick. He was a monster in the rushing game last year, with 14 rushing touchdowns and 510 yards. He only has 87 yards and a touchdown so far this year, which has kind of taken a step of surprise for defenders to stop this offense. They still have a very good rushing game, and Nix was even 3rd in rushing last year. Bucky Irving is the leader with 400 yards and 4 touchdowns off 50 carries, while Jordan James is right behind him with 300 yards and an astonishing 7 touchdowns, all on 34 carries. James is tied for first for the most rushing touchdowns in the Pac-12, and has been pretty good. The third player that adds depth to the Oregon rushing game is Noah Whittington. Whittington has 20 carries for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns. Oregon has the 8th best rushing yards per game in the country with 227 rush yards per game, and have the best team rushing average in the country, with 7.1 yards per rush. It’s nearly 1 more yard than the next closest team, which is Tennessee. Troy Franklin has been a beast and one of the best receivers in the Pac-12, with 32 receptions for 535 yards and 7 touchdowns. He caught 2  touchdowns in Oregon’s past 2 games. The next closest to Franklin in receiving yards is Gary Bryant Jr., who has 227 yards, but 18 catches. Something of note is that 7 different players, including Irving and Whittington, have 10 or more catches, and 6 have 15 or more. Nix does a really good job at spreading the ball out, which might be tough against Washington’s secondary. Oregon has an even better secondary, as they allow only 153 pass yards per game to Washington’s 234. Oregon also does a slightly better job at stopping the run, allowing 102 rush yards per game to Washington’s 121. Oregon’s defense allow the 6th least yards per game in the country and are second in the Pac-12. Oregon has a better running game and slightly better defense, combined with the fact that Bo Nix has only been sacked 3 times, gives them the 63-59 win. If you’re a better, definitely take the over, because this game is going to be high-scoring and close. Odds: WASH -3, O/U 66
  2. (10) USC @ (21) Notre Dame - This game was looking like a colossal matchup, and while both teams are still ranked, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. How will USC’s defense perform against a better opponent? Can Notre Dame bounce back? If USC losses, how will this affect Caleb Williams Heisman hopes and their CFP hopes? Starting with the first question, for a team that is ranked in the top 10,  USC’s defense is really bad. They allow 421 yards per game, which is 3rd worst in the Pac-12. They have the 4th worst passing defense and the 2nd worst rushing defense. They have allowed 942 rushing yards so far this season. They allow 27 points per game, which is 5th worst in the conference, and 81st in FBS. Their defense is the main reason they started down 17-0 last week against Arizona, although you do have to put some blame on the offense. They went to 3 overtime’s last week, and allowed 41 points to Arizona. Colorado also came back, scoring 41 points as well. Arizona State scored 28, just like San Jose State. With 4 more ranked teams on their schedule after this game, USC will drop at least 2 games, because their defense won’t be able to keep up with Washington and Oregon’s offense. Something good for USC’s defense is they have 22 sacks, which is first in the Pac-12 and is tied for 3rd in the country. Notre Dame has a very good offensive, which averages 438 yards per game. They let Noah Fifta throw for 5 touchdowns last week. Hopefully Alex Grinch can fix some things this game, and that continues throughout the year. Now for the second question, Notre Dame has lost 2 of their 3 past games. They lost to Ohio State 17-14 and Louisville 33-20. In between those 2 games, they beat Duke 21-14, but needed a 10 play, 95 yards and drive to win the game. Credit where credit is due, Notre Dame did go down the field and win the game, but blew a 13-0 lead. Last week against Louisville, they were playing it close, going into the 4th quarter down 17-13. The first 4 scores of the 4th quarter went to Louisville, and they were up 33-13 until Notre Dame scored a touchdown late to make is 33-20. Sam Hartman had his first interception thrown this year against Louisville, and he threw 3 of them. Hartman still has good numbers, with 1,712 yards, 176 touchdowns, and the 3 picks. He also has 2 rushing touchdowns. Hartman is still a good player, but last week was just a very tough game for him and will certainly bounce back against USC’s poor defense. As for the rushing game, Audric Estime has been pretty good this season, with nearly 700 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. But last week, he had 10 carries for 20 yards. He wasn’t the leading rusher, as that was Jeremiyah Love leading the team with 37 rushes, only on 5 carries. The rushing game needs to be able to play better in not only this game, but the rest of the season because 44 rushing yards as a team is unacceptable. Even going back to the Ohio State game, you have to make a better call than putting 10 men on the field to save yourself from a penalty. You would be fine if you made sure that 11 people went in the field. Now for the 3rd and final question, Caleb Williams is in an interesting spot here. Williams had only 1 passing touchdown, but 3 rushing touchdowns, including the game winner. USC’s first 4 drives were really bad though. First drive was a punt after a 3 and out. The second drive was another punt. The third drive was another punt, also in a 3 and out. The 4th drive was a fumble. They then picked Noah Fifta on defense, and only needed 12 yards to get their first touchdown. The next drive was also a 3 and out punt. Their first few drives were horrible, which is something they have to change to win this one. I talk more about Williams I. The Heisman segment of this post, so check that out. If USC does end up losing, that will be very tough as they have 4 more ranked opponents, and I think they drop at least 2 of them, eliminating them from the CFP. Notre Dame and USC both had bad games last week, but USC does a better job at rebounding and win 45-32. If Hartman can keep Notre Dane in the gam, that’s great, but how will he respond after the worst game of his year. Last year, he couldn’t do that. Odds: ND -2.5, O/U 60.5
  3. (18) UCLA @ (15) Oregon State - Both of these teams had wildly different games against Washington State, with UCLA coming out on top and Oregon State fighting their way back into the game just to lose. Starting with UCLA, they had 2 weeks to sit on the Utah loss, and they came back to beat Washington State by 8. UCLA’s defense had another big game, forcing 4 turnovers, and picking off Cam Ward twice. UCLA also only allowed 216 yards and 11 first downs. UCLA also held the ball for 38 and a half minutes, which was 17 more minutes than Wazzu. Dante Moore did struggle, completing half of his passes for 290 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 picks. Carson Steele had a big game in the win, with 30 carries for 141 yards, but it was Keegan Jones who had 3 touchdowns. Keegan Jones is a wide receiver, who has 3 catches for 25 yards in the season. Steele had 11 rushes for 29 yards in the Utah loss. If UCLA can run the ball consistently this game, they will have a good chance to win, and will take a big pressure of Dante Moore, who’s struggled the past 2 games. Moore has thrown for 1,140 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s completed just over 53% of his passes so far. But you can’t talk about UCLA without mentioning their defense. They allow 254 yards per game, which is 5th in the nation and 1st in the Pac-12. They allow 12 points per game, which is tied for 8th in the country. The most points they’ve allowed is 17, only allowing 7 in the loss to Utah, as one of Utah’s 2 touchdowns came on defense. UCLA does a good job at stopping the run especially, allowing 64 rush yards per game, the third best in the country. It’s going to be tough to stop Oregon State, because they run the ball as well as anybody. Damien Martinez has 90 carries for 586 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Deshaun Fenwick has 58 carries for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns. Along with those 2, Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has 33 carries for 131 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns s. All together, the team averages 205.5 rush yards per game. That’s 3rd in the Pac-12. Uiagalelei hasn’t been too back in the passing game either, with 1,300 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He hasn’t played his best all season, but has still been pretty solid. He has 2 main pass catches, those being Silas Bolden and Anthony Gould. Bolden has 27 catches for 369 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Gould has caught 20 passes for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight End Jack Velling has also been reliable, with 13 catches and 5 touchdowns. No other player on Oregon State have more than 10 catches or multiple touchdowns. Oregon State is obviously a running team, but they are going to have to be able to pass the ball this game due to UCLA’s defense. Defensively, Oregon State is also good at stopping the run, allowing 96 rush yards per game, while also stopping the pass efficiently. They allow 230 pass yards per game. The Beavers allowed 40 points and 450 yards last game, but that was just a fluke. Uiagalelei threw for 5 touchdowns, and OregonState held the ball for 37 minutes and 17 seconds. If they can control the ball this game, they can potentially blow out UCLA. UCLA is very good at stopping the run, so I don’t think that happens, but Oregon State still gets the 24-17 win. Odds: ORST -3.5, O/U 54
  4. (25) Miami @ (12) North Carolina - Mario Cristobal made what might be the worst coaching decision in all of College Football. Miami was up by 3 points with 33 seconds left. It was 3rd and 10, and all you had to do was take a knee and the game would be over. Instead, Miami ran the ball and Donald Chaney Jr. ran the ball and fumbled. Georgia Tech than took the ball 74 yards on 4 downs and scored, winning 23-17. Offensive Coordinator Shannon Dawson did take the blame, saying he called the play. It’s a very bad play call, and Miami is not going to be able to live that play down for a while. Miami was 19 point favorites, and red hot entering the game. They are going to be disappointed, but not defeated. Tyler Van Dyke has thrown for 1,330 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s had 3 main targets, those being Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, and Colbie Young. Restrepo has 36 catches for 478 yards and 2 touchdowns. George has 23 catches for 337 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Colbie Young has 21 receptions for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. These 3 guys have been phenomenal m, and are the main reason why Miami averages nearly 300 passing yards. No other Miami player has 7 or more catches and 100 or more yards. If North Carolina can even stop 2 of these 3, Van Dyke is going to have to get creative, and that’s where Miami has to turn to the running game. Miami does run the ball well, averaging 211 rush yards per game. Henry Parrish Jr. has 59 carries for 380 yards and 4 touchdowns. The guy who fumbled the ball, Donald Chaney Jr., has 51 carries for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. Miami’s defense was pretty good last week, only allowing 250 yards and forcing 2 turnovers, but Miami turned the ball over 5 times. If you turn the ball over 5 times, you shouldn’t expect to win. They nearly did, but a turnover ruined their game. Miami has done a good job at stopping the run, potentially the best in the country. They allow 58 rush yards per game, and haven’t allowed 100 rush yards in a game, including allowing only 11 rush yards against Temple. North Carolina doesn’t run the ball that much, averaging 174 rush yards per game compared to their 326 pass yards per game. Drake Maye has thrown for 1,630 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He has 52 carries for 174 yards and 4 touchdowns, only 3 less than last year. He had 38 passing touchdowns last year, and unless he goes off, he’s not going to get that much this year, which is still why he’s not on my top 5 Heisman list. Omarion Hampton has revitalized the running game, with 88 carries for 460 yards and 7 touchdowns. Henry had the same amount of carries last year, but 60 yards less and 1 less touchdown. Although Hampton has done a better job at changing this running game, it still isn’t the best, and this offense is on the higher end of mediocre. UNC does sit at 12th in the country and have this game at home, so that gives them a bit of an edge. UNC got into a close game with App State, but then turned around and destroyed their last 3 opponents, including a 40-7 win last week against Syracuse. UNC put up 644 yards of total offense, and held the ball for 37 minutes and 16 seconds. UNC will hopefully be dominate like that Ute rest of the season. I don’t think they’ll be like that this game, as Miami will put up a fight, but the Tar Heels ended up coming out on top, 36-24. Odds: UNC -2.5, O/U 57
  5. Missouri @ (24) Kentucky - Both of these teams suffered a bad loss last week, and Kentucky’s especially. Missouri kept it close, but it ended up falling apart down the line. Both of these teams can still compete in the SEC East if they can both knock of Tennessee and Georgia loses to either Tennessee, Ole Miss, or Missouri, although they could lose to another team. Starting with Kentucky, they lost by 38 points last week to Georgia, and let up 608 yards of offense, while Georgia held the ball for 37 and a half minutes. Kentucky only had 183 yards of total offense and had only 12 first downs. Ray Davis had a monster game against Florida, running for 280 yards off 26 carries, while having 4 total touchdowns. He followed that up by running the ball for 15 carries for 59 yards. It’s not the worst, but we were all expecting a big game out of him and a big game out of Kentucky. He did catch a touchdown, which was his 4th of the year. Davis has 91 carries for 653 yards and 8 touchdowns, while catching 13 passes for 182 yards and 4 touchdowns. Davis was stud on both Temple and Vanderbilt, so it’s no surprise he’s been good so far this year. Devin Leary has struggled a bit, throwing for 1,260 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 5 picks. He has a 54.8 completion percentage, which is the second worst in his college career. The worst was his freshman year, so that is understandable. He threw 2 picks against Vanderbilt, but didn’t throw one against Georgia. Kentucky lets up on average nearly as much as they produce. They average 361 yards per game, and let up 349 yards per game. It’s not the same for points, as the offense averages 33 points per game, but allow 21 per game. It’s going to be hard to stop Missouri though, as they average also average 33 points per game. There are 3 main players that are big parts of Mizzou’s offense. Brady Cook has thrown for 1,880 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 2 picks. His 2 picks came last week, but I think he’ll bounce back. He threw 4 touchdowns in the win over Vanderbilt. Cook is 5th in the country in passing yards, and 3rd in the SEC. Cook has completed 71.8% of his passes, 5th in the SEC. The second player I want to talk about is Running. Back Cody Schrader. Schrader has 94 carries for 577 yards and 6 touchdowns, second in the SEC for yards, and he’s behind Ray Davis. He had 3 rushing touchdowns in the loss last week, and will have another big game this time around. The third and final player that has been a big help in engineering this great offense is Wide Receiver Luther Burden III. Burden leads the SEC and the country in receiving yards with nearly 800 yards, 793 to be exact. He also has 54 catches and 5 touchdowns. He’s broken out this season, and if he stays in college, he will have an incredible few more years at Mizzou. Burden is a top 3, maybe top 2 receiver in college football. Missouri’s defense isn’t half bad either, allowing 353 yards of total offense per game, but 108 yards of rushing per game, which should hopefully stay true against the SEC’s leading rusher. Mizzou’s offense is just too good though, and regardless of the defensive play, Missouri wins, 38-30. Odds: UK -2.5, O/U 50.5
  6. Texas A&M @ (19) Tennessee - A&M had a really good chance to upset Alabama for the second time in 3 years, but they fell short, while Tennessee has laid low ever since the Florida loss. Starting with Tennessee, they lost to Florida 4 weeks ago in the swamp. They lost 29-16, but then destroyed both UTSA and South Carolina before a bye week, and now have Texas A&M. Joe Milton III has thrown for 1,164 yards, 9 touchdowns, and only 3 picks, while also rushing for 4 touchdowns. He threw 2 picks last week, but he has a very good chance at bounce back this week, because he’s been good all season. When Tennessee gets into the red zone, Milton kinda folds, going 12/23 passing, 99 yards, but 6 of his passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns have came from there. But Tennessee is a rushing team, averaging 235 pass yards and 231 rushing yards per game. Jaylen Wright has ran for 435 yards and a touchdown off 61 carries, while Jabari Small has ran for 317 yards and 2 touchdowns off 53 carries. Dylan Sampson has also been a huge help, as he has 6 touchdowns and 248 yards, while running the ball only 36 times. No receiver has been outstanding, but Ramel Keyton leads the team in touchdowns with 3. While the offense is good, the defense lets up 308 yards per game and 18 points per game, both top 5 in the SEC. The yards per game are 5th while the points per game are 4th. They are going to have to play like that to slow down Max Johnson and the rest of the Aggies offense. I’ll get the offense soon, but Texas A&M’s defense is even better than Tennessee’s. They allow only 269 yards of total offense per game, which is first in the SEC. They also lead the conference is team sacks, with 26. Tennessee is 4 behind with 22. The 26 team sacks are also first in the country. It seems like these recruiting classes from the last few years are finally finding their rhythm, but it wasn’t working as well as Jinbo Fisher wanted it too last week. A&M let up nearly 200 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns from Jermaine Burton, who hasn’t gone over 100 receiving yards in a SEC game since 2020, when he was at Georgia. However, A&M shut down the run, allowing 23 rush yards on 26 carries. Losing Conner Weigman for the rest of the year is going to be a major hit for this offense, and it showed in the second half last week, A&M threw a pick, missed a field goal, Alabama got a safety, only to make a field goal on their last drive. Johnson came in against Auburn, and has thrown for 675 yards, 7 touchdowns and 2 picks, but has big help in the receiving game. Evan Stewart and Ainias Smith both over 400 yards, Stewart has 403 and Smith has 431, and Stewart has 4 touchdowns. Smith has been an incredible punt return, with returns of 46 yards and 82 yards the past 2 weeks, including the 82 yard return going for a touchdown against Arkansas. I think A&M should still be ranked in the top 24, and they get that ranking back with a 31-26 win. Odds: TENN -3, O/U 54.5
  7. NC State @ (17) Duke - Duke has been one of the surprise teams in college football, and with 0 conference losses, they have a chance at the ACC championship game. However, they have sneaky good NC State team before Florida State and Louisville, and still have to play North Carolina. All 3 of those games are on the road, so is this game a potential trap game? Mike Elko is optimistic on Riley Leonard’s injury, but if he can’t go, it’ll be Henry Belin IV, who would be making his first career start. We saw him in the Lafayette game, and he threw for 118 yards in perfect accuracy. He also threw a touchdown, and ran one in. Leonard has thrown for 912 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 pick, but leads Duke in rushing with 326 yards and also had 4 rushing touchdowns. The leading back, however, is Jordan Waters, who has 303 yards and 8 touchdowns. The 8 rushing touchdowns are tied for first in the ACC and tied for fourth in the country.  Along with Waters, Jaquez Moore is going to be able to take pressure off of the freshman if he starts, as he’s rushed for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns so far this year. Jordan Moore is the best receiver on the team, with 313 yards and 3 touchdowns. The defense hasn’t been too bad, but not amazing either. They allow just under 300 yards per game and allow only 11 points per game, which is first in the ACC. Another quarterback that leads their team in rushing is Brennan Armstrong. Armstrong has thrown for 971 yards, but 5 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. He has 281 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. He was benched before the Marshall game, and the whole offense was revitalized. MJ Morris threw for 265 yards and 4 touchdowns last week, but did throw 3 picks. If he can keep up the yards and touchdowns, but even throw one or two less interceptions, NC State has a good chance at winning this game. I mentioned earlier that Armstrong was the leading rusher let for this team, and that’s without playing last week. The leading running back is Michael Allen, with 209 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. He had the most rushing yards so far this season last week, with 70, so hopefully he can get up to 100 this week. The offers gotten better with MJ Morris, but his turnover  prone style of play gives Duke the 29-17 win. Odds: DUKE -3.5, O/U 44
  8. Auburn @ (22) LSU - Auburn has had a tough 2 games, with a loss to Texas A&M and blowing a lead to Georgia. This is happened because Payton Thorne has been wildly inconsistent. Against A&M, he threw for 44 yards and completed half of his passes. Against Georgia, he completed 52.6% of his passes, for a grand total of 82 yards. He’s been alright when running, with 200 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. On the year, he’s thrown for 643 yards, 4 touchdowns and 4 picks. It was a step in the right direction last week, but still not the best. The passing game is not working, and Auburn even averages more rush yards per game than pass yards. They average 202 rush yards and 156 pass yards per game. Their leading rusher, however, is Jarquez Hunter, who has only 202 yards so far this season. No receiver has 200 yards for Auburn, just showing how bad their pass game is. The defense isn’t too bad, allowing only 323 yards per game and 18 points per game. The points are 5th in the SEC and the yards 6th. The defense is going to be tested in this game, as LSU averages nearly 500 yards of total offense per games. Jayden Daniels has thrown for nearly 2000 yards, and is first in the SEC and third in the country with exactly 1,969 yards. He’s also thrown for 19 touchdowns and only 2 picks, while rushing for 422 yards and 4 touchdowns. Even though they’ve lost 2 games already, LSU has a really good chance to run the table and potentially win the SEC. Malik Nabers is a top 5 receiver in college football, with 46 catches for 771 yards and 6 touchdowns. Brian Thomas Jr. had a big game against Ole Miss, and has 37 catches for 603 yards and 9 touchdowns. No other player has over 200 yards, but Mason Taylor has 17 catches, and has kinda been Daniels’ safety valve. Even with the 422 rushing yards, Daniels is not the leading rusher, as that is Logan Diggs. Diggs has 81 carries for 488 yards and 4 touchdowns. Everyone I’ve mentioned should have a big game, as LSU wins, 42-17. Even though LSU’s defense is pretty bad, Auburn’s offense is just worse. Odds: LSU -11, O/U 60
  9. Arkansas @ (11) Alabama - Arkansas has been one of the more disappointing teams so far this season, and I would call them either the best or one of the best 2-4 team so far. As for Alabama, they haven’t looked their best or even the strongest after the Texas lost, but have gotten better and better since. The Texas game exposed their flaws, and Alabama has bettered themselves afterwards. The USF game was horrible, but it was bad conditions, so blowing out Mississippi State the next week was a big boost. Jalen Milroe has thrown for 1,159 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 4 picks, while also rushing for 158 yards and 4 touchdowns. Remember, he was benched for the USF game, but when he came back against Mississippi State, he played phenomenal, rushing for 2 touchdowns. He threw 3 touchdowns last week, 2 of them going to Jermaine Burton. Burton has caught only 17 passes, but has 386 yards and 4 touchdowns. Isaiah Bond leads the team in catches, with 19. He also has 275 yards and 2 touchdowns. The running game is no joke either, with 371 yards from Jase McClellan and 251 yards coming from Roydell Williams. McClellan also has 3 rushing touchdowns. These players spearhead this offense, and having Dallas Turner and Kool-Aid McKinstry on defense makes it a scary one. Turner leads the team with 6.5 sacks, and also has 2 forced fumbles. The sacks are tied for third in the country, and first in the SEC. McKinstry has only 4 passes defended so far, but is very physical and smart. As for Arkansas, they lost Rocket Sanders in week one, and that’s derailed their season. Sanders did come back against Texas A&M, he hasn’t been able to do much the past 2 weeks. Against A&M, he had 11 rushes for 34 yards and against Ole Miss he had 8 carries for 15 yards. That’s a 3.2 average against A&M and 1.9 against Ole Miss. he’s helped more the pass game than the rush game. Hopefully he’ll be back to his old self this week, but hasn’t been able to break a big run yet. KJ Jefferson has been practically their whole offense, with 1,300 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 6 picks. He’s also ran for only 136 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 640 yards and 9 touchdowns last year. The Arkansas offense is pretty mediocre, and their defense is also mediocre. This leads to better teams just pulling out small wins, and we saw that against BYU, LSU, and Ole Miss. I think that Arkansas keeps it close at the start, but Alabama wins, 35-21. Odds: ALA -19.5, O/U 46
  10. (23) Kansas @ Oklahoma State - Oklahoma State had a bumpy start to the season, but after a key win against Kansas State, can that momentum carry over into this one? As for Kansas, they were destroyed by Texas, but came back and destroyed UCF before a bye week. Star quarterback Jalon Daniels hasn’t played the past two game, and after a bye week, Daniels is doubtful. Jason Bean will be starting his third game straight, and he’s thrown for 503 yards and 4 touchdowns, since he also played back in week one. Daniels is really good, but he can’t stay healthy, which is disappointing. Kansas is a primarily rushing team, averaging 232 rush yards per game. Devin Neal has 77 carries for 593 yards and 6 touchdowns. That’s fourth in the Big 12, which is home to a bunch of great rushers. Neal also has 169 yards and a receiving touchdown. Daniel Hishaw Jr. has 60 carries for 413 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Dylan McDuffie has 3 rushing touchdowns. Kansas has some good receivers, but no standouts. The defense has monsters like Austin Booker and Jereme Robinson. Booker has 5 sacks and Robinson has 4.5 sacks. Cobee Bryant has 2 sacks, but both came in week one and three. The Kansas defense will have to stop this Oklahoma State offense, and they’ve only had 2 good games. Those games were week one, which was against a FCS team, and against Kansas State last week. They put up 412 yards, no turnovers, and held the ball for 34 minutes and 42 second. They only had one offensive touchdown, with a defensive pick six being their second touchdown. All other points came from field goals. They picked off Will Howard 3 times, one going back for a touchdown like I said earlier. However, Alan Bowman has thrown for 748 yards, 2 touchdowns. And 3 picks. Mike Gundy played 3 quarterbacks for the first 3 games. He settled on Bowman, who’s had 2 alright to subpar games. Ollie Gordon II has been alright, with 366 yards and 3 touchdowns on 58 carries, but in a stacked Big 12, especially for running backs, it doesn’t look well. Kansas is still the better team, but Oklahoma State’s momentum carries over. It doesn’t matter, and KU wins 31-17. Odds: KU -3, O/U 55
  11. Iowa @ Wisconsin - Iowa and Wisconsin are both big players in the Big Ten West, but with Iowa’s horrific offense, this game will be a slug fest. Starting with Iowa, we all know about the drive for 325 and Brian Ferentz contract, so I won’t talk about that. They beat Purdue by 6 last week, but Deacon Hill was horrendous. He went 6/21 for 110 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 pick. It was his first start, but against a talented Wisconsin defense, it’s going to be worse. A bright spot on this offense is Tight End Erick All. All has 280 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading Iowa in receiving yards. Even though Iowa let up 343 yards last week, they forced 2 turnovers and stopped Purdue on 3rd downs 10 times. Iowa only held the ball for 24 and a half minutes, so in prefer to win. This one they need to control the clock better. Wisconsin has only 4 players that have ran the ball, including Braelon Allen. Allen has 73 carries for 472 yards and 7 touchdowns. Chez Mellusi had 51 carries for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he’s likely out for the season with an injury suffered against Purdue. Tanner Mordecai is going to have to step up in the rushing game, and he already has 153 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’s a gunslinger, with 1,021 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 picks. He threw 10 picks last year, but had 33 passing yards. It’s obviously a different system, but you would still expect him to put up numbers. On the defense, Ricardo Hallman has 4 picks so far, and should probably get one or two this week against a bad quarterback. Wisconsin plays an ugly game, but still win, 18-13. Odds: WIS -9.5, O/U 34.5
  12. Florida @ South Carolina - Florida upset Tennessee, only to fall back to earth against Kentucky. They took care of business against Vanderbilt, winning 38-14. They are going for back to back SEC East wins before playing Georgia in 2 weeks. Graham Mertz has thrown for 1,474 yards, 9 touchdowns, and only 2 picks. He’s also ran for 2 touchdowns. He’s looked Ricky Pearsall’s way a lot this year, and he has 34 catches for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight End Arlis Boardingham leads the team with 3 touchdowns. Montrell Johnson Jr. has 74 carries for 388 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Trevor Etienne has 60 carries for 358 yards and 2 touchdowns. They are going to be a handful for South Carolina to stop on Saturday. South Carolina allows 443 yards per game and 29 points per game, both near the bottom of the SEC. South Carolina also has the worst rushing offense in the SEC, averaging 87 rush yards per game. Only 2 players have over 100 rush yards, and 1 of them has 200. That player is Mario Anderson, and he has 230. He has 2 touchdowns, while Dakereon Joyner has 4 touchdowns. He also has a 2.5 average per rush, as he has 100 yards on 40 carries. Spencer Rattler hasn’t been too bad, with 1,411 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 3 picks. His main target is Xavier Legette, who has 32 catches for 606 yards and 3 touchdowns. Florida has a better running game, better defense, but South Carolina has this game at home. That only gives them a slight edge, and Florida wins 27-14. Odds: SC -2, O/U 51
  13. Cal @ (16) Utah - The Cam Rising comeback and rehab story has been well documented, but Kyle Whittingham and Utah have said little to nothing about it. Their offense is stagnant without him, as his backups have combined for 769 passing yards. Utah doesn’t even have a receiver over 200 receiving yards. Utah is slightly better at running the ball, but still bad, because two running backs have suffered season ending injuries and the offensive line have also been banged up. The leading back is Ja’Quinden Jackson, who has only 239 yards. Nate Johnson, the quarterback has the most rushing touchdowns, with 3. Utah does do a really good job at stopping the run, averaging 67 rush yards allowed. Jonah Elliss has 7.5 sacks, which is second in the country. I don’t think that this defense can carry Utah without Cam Rising to more than 8 wins, and especially not a Pac 12 championship game appearance. As for California, they’ve also had quarterback injuries. Sam Jackson IV started the year as the starter, but he’s been getting injured, so Ben Finley has came in. Finley has thrown for 533 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 4 picks. Jackson has thrown for 556 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 2 picks. But Cal is primarily a running team, as Jaydn Ott leading the with 556 yards. Ott ranks second among backs in the Pac 12. He also has 5 rushing touchdowns. Isaiah Ifanse leads the team in rushing touchdowns, with 7. Those two should have a big game, but Utah’s front 7 will give them a big challenge. Defensively, there’s no real standouts, Cal allows 383 yards per game, but 31 points per game. I don’t think Utah is going to score anywhere near that, but still get the 17-13 win. Odds: UTAH -11, O/U 44
  14. Arizona @ (19) Washington State - Washington State was looking like a surprise team in the Pac 12, but after a loss to UCLA, they’ve been set back tremendously. As for Arizona, they nearly upset USC last week off the back of the backup Noah Fifta. Fifta has only started 2 games, but he’s been electric. He’s thrown for 604 yards, 8 touchdowns and only 2 picks. He threw for 303 yards, 5 touchdowns, and only 1 pick last week in Arizona’s near upset of USC. Arizona only lost to Washington by a touchdown, and I think if Jayden de Laura was starting, Washington would’ve steamrolled Arizona. Jayden de Laura has thrown for 1,069 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 5 picks in only 4 games. He’s a game time decision for this one, but if I’m head coach Jedd Fisch, I’m starting Fifta. Tetairoa McMillan has caught 33 passes for 524 yards and 5 touchdowns. Jacob Cowing has 47 catches for 400 yards and 8 touchdowns, and he caught 4 last week. Both of them should have a big game, regardless of quarterback. As for Washington State’s there’s no quarterback controversy. Cam Ward went from an Incarate Ward and FCS standout to a potential Heisman candidate. Ward has thrown for 1,587 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only 2 picks. He also has 3 rushing touchdowns. Ward threw his first two picks last week, and only threw for 197 yards, the least he’s had so far this season. There’s no doubt Ward will bounce back in this one. Wazzu has ran an air raid system, but it’s a shame because Nakia Watson is really good. He ran for 769 yards last year, but only has 153 yards so far this year. There is still time in the season for him to finally break through, because his longest rush is only 17 yards. Ward andJosh Kelly, who leads the team with 5 touchdowns, should bounce back for a 28-18 win. Odds: WSU -7.5, O/U 58
  15. Syracuse @ (4) Florida State - With Texas’ loss, Florida State is in a golden spot to make it to the CFP. As for Syracuse, these past two weeks have been tough. Syracuse started out 4-0, but were then destroyed by both Clemson and North Carolina. Garrett Shrader has thrown for 1,272 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 5 picks. Shrader has thrown a pick in the past 4 games, but only 3 touchdowns. Shrader has 368 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, looking like a better running back than quarterback. Shrader has get to get back on track, especially if Syracuse is still in ACC contention. LeQuint Allen hasn’t been too bad, running for 400 yards and 7 touchdowns off 87 carries. If Allen and Shrader can have a big game, there’s going to be an upset brewing in Tallahassee. As for Florida State, Jordan Travis has been in the Heisman consideration, with 1,200 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only 1 pick. He’s also ran for 2 touchdowns. Travis played okay in the win last week, but FSU didn’t need to throw the ball, as Trey Benson ended up with 200 yards, the most in his career.  Benson has 390 yards and 6 touchdowns off 51 carries so far, all three being the most on the team. Leading receiver Johnny Wilson came out of last week’s game with an injury, but he could be back for this one. If not, it’ll be Keon Coleman as WR1, and he caught 3 touchdowns back in week one. Regardless of who plays for FSU, they still win, 31-21. Odds: FSU -18.5, O/U 53.5
  16. Iowa State @ Cincinnati - Iowa State and Cincinnati are both really mid. Cincinnati was looking like a dark horse in the Big 12 after week one, but after 3 straight losses, including one to Miami of Ohio, they won’t be winning much in the conference this year. The offense is still good, averaging 490 yards of offense, 270 of them coming through the yard. Emory Jones has thrown for 1,226 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 6 picks. He also has 280 yards and 3 touchdowns in the ground. If he can cut down on the turnovers, Jones can turn the season around for Cincy. His main target is Xzavier Henderson, who has 30 catches for 414 yards, but only one touchdown. Braden Smith leads the team with 3 receiving touchdowns. The defense allows 328 yards and 24 points per game, continuing the midness. As for Iowa State, they allow 28 points per game and 348.5 yards per game. On the offense, Rocco Becht has thrown for 1,223 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 5 picks. He’s completed only 60% of his passes, so he needs to step that up. His main target is Jaylin Noel, who has 31 catches, but only 284 yards. Back to the defense, their two leading tacklers are also the best. The leading tackler, Beau Freyler has 45 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 picks. The second leading tackler is Jeremiah Cooper, who has 31 tackles and 4 picks, one going back for a touchdown. Even though these teams are really mid, the home field advantage gives Cincinnati the 24-13 win. Odds: Cin -5, O/U 43
  17. Michigan State @ Rutgers - Michigan State is in the bottom of the Big Ten East, where Rutgers has been most of the time since they joined the conference back in 2014. MSU still has two wins, back in week one and two. In the two wins, Noah Kim didn’t throw a pick, but threw 3 against Iowa and 2 against Maryland. On the year, Kim has thrown for 1,090 yards, and 6 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. In the rushing game, Nathan Carter is the only practically the leading rusher, with 477 yards and 4 touchdowns off 93 carries. No other players on MSU has 100 rushing yards. If Rutgers can stop or even slow down Carter, it’s going to be tough for them to win. Rutgers also has a great running back of their own, but he’s not the only good rusher on the team. Kyle Monangai has 96 carries for 487 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has 230 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wimsatt has thrown for 914 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 2 picks. Rutgers’ defense is slightly better, allowing 283 yards per game on average, while Michigan State allows 342. Both teams don’t throw it often and can stop the run, so this one becomes a 17-10 slug fest, going in favor of Rutgers. Odds: RUTG -4.5, O/U 39.5
  18. BYU @ TCU - BYU and TCU both bring different things to the table that will make this a weird, twisted, but fun matchup. Starting with BYU, they are excellent in the air. Kedon Slovis has thrown for 1,240 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 3 picks, while running for 3 touchdowns. Because of Slovis’ numbers, Chase Roberts has 358 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Darius Lassiter also has 3 touchdowns. However, with all the success they have in the passing game, the rushing game is going to get neglected. They average 63 rush yards per game to 256 pass yards per game. LJ Martin has 72 carries for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns, and is the only player on BYU with more than 100 yards. The defense is not bad at all, allowing 361 yards of total offense per game, but 152 of those are allowed rushing yards. As for TCU, they can run the ball as well as anybody in the Big 12. Emani Bailey has 121 carries for 690 yards and 2 touchdowns. The carries are first and the yards are second in the conference. TCU averages 192 rush yards per game and 280 pass yards per game. Chandler Morris has thrown for 1,513 yards, 12 touchdowns, but 5 interceptions. Morris has also ran for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns. The player with the most rushing touchdowns on the team is Trey Sanders, who has 4. BYU has a slightly better defense, but TCU gets the win off a big game from Bailey, and TCU wins, 31-16. Odds: TCU -5, O/U 52
  19. Illinois @ Maryland - Illinois is 2-4, but the odds on this game are closer than you might think. Starting with Illinois, they average 377 yards per game, but allow 401.5. On top of allowing a lot of yards, the defense has only gotten 8 turnovers, while the offense have turned the ball over 14 times, including 8 picks from Quarterback Luke Altmyer. Altmyer has thrown for 1,365 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 8 picks. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns.   Maryland’s quarterback is much better, as that’s Taulia Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa has thrown for 1660 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 5 picks. Maryland has been dominant out of the Ohio State game, and will win this one after Illinois puts up an early fight, but turns the ball over multiple times. Maryland wins, 34-14. Odds: MD -13.5, O/U 50.5
  20. Wake Forest @ Virginia Tech - Wake Forest and Virginia Tech are of the more mediocre teams in the ACC, which should make this a good one. Starting with VT, they only have 2 wins, over Pitt and Old Dominion. They’ve had a tough schedule, playing Florida State and Marshall, while sitting through a 5 and a half hour delay against Purdue, which kills all the momentum. Kyron Drones has been a bright spot, with 721 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 pick. He has only started 4 games because Grant Wells has an injury. He has ran for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns. Drones had a tough game last week, but it was against a tough team. Hopefully he’ll bounce back in this game, just like the defense. The defense allows 354.8 yards per game and 26.7 points per game. They let up 452 yards last week, but the defense hasn’t been all bad. Two different players have 3 sacks, while Keli Lawson leads the team in tackles with 54. That’s second in the ACC. Just like Virginia Tech, Wake has some defensive prowess. Two players, Jacob Roberts and Jasheen Davis are in the top 5 in the ACC for sacks. Roberts has 5 sacks, coming in at number 2 and Davis has 4.5 sacks, tying him for 3rd place. Wake Forest has only played 5 games, meaning that they are playing at this high of a level in 1 less game. wake has lost their past 2 games to Georgia Tech and Clemson, but they only lost by 5 to Clemson. The offense was a problem last week, putting up 239 total yards and Mitch Griffis only had 137 passing yards. Sure, it’s against a very good defense, but you can’t be the started for a Power 5 school and throw for that many yards unless you play for teams like Virginia or Indiana, because they are truly bad. Griffis has 1,150 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 5 picks. Wake has a pretty good defense, but a lackluster offense won’t get you anywhere in the ACC. I think the offense improves this game, but Kyron Drones shows more flashes, and VT wins 24-17. Odds: VT -1.5, O/U 48.5
  21. Kansas State @ Texas Tech - Kansas State had so much momentum coming into the Missouri game. They went 9-3 in the regular season, won the Big 12 over undefeated TCU, finished 10-4, and were ranked 15th going to Columbia. They lost by 3, and the wheels have kinda fallen off since. They did win the next week against UCF 44-31, but had some problems. They then lost after a bye week to Oklahoma State last Friday. Will Howard threw 3 picks, and were torched defensively. Howard now has 1,224 passing yards, 9 touchdowns, but 7 picks. He also has 227 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns, which are good numbers, but if he gets hurt from all these hits he’s taking, it’s going to be a problem for K-State. As for Texas Tech, they lost to Wyoming and Oregon in the first 2 weeks, but are 3-1 since with a 2 straight wins. Behren Morton has taken over for Tyler Shough, and has thrown for 571 yards, 8 touchdowns, and only 1 pick. But Morton and Texas Tech’s passing game is the focal point. That’s Tahj Brooks, who has 114 carries for 688 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’s 5th in the country in yards and 3rd in the Big 12. In carries, he’s 7th in the country and second in the conference. TTU had a shot at upsetting Oregon, but they turned the ball over 4 times. Brooks and Morton will do their job in offense, while the defense will ball out. 4 different players have multiple sacks on the team, and Malik Dunlap has 3 picks and a pick six. Texas Tech was a popular underdog pick in the Big 12 this offseason, and after the Oregon loss, it seems like the team has been switched and will compete. Texas Tech gets the win, 27-18. Odds: TTU -1.5, O/U 58
  22. (1) Georgia @ Vanderbilt - Georgia played the best game of their season last week, while Vanderbilt is on a 5 game slide. The Dawgs hosted a red hot Kentucky team, but they started fast, something that they’ve struggled with this season, and eventually scored 51 points. The defense did their thing, only allowing 183 yards and 12 first downs, while forcing them to go 2-11 on 3rd downs. Georgia held the ball for 37 minutes and 28 seconds. Georgia played their minds out, which led to Carson Beck throwing for 389 yards and 4 touchdowns. Beck now has 1,886 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 3 picks. Brock Bowers is continuing his great college career, as he has 37 catches for 545 yards and 4 touchdowns in the year. He hasn’t been able to get 1000 yards in a season, but I think he will this season. Daijun Edwards has 5 rushing touchdowns and 314 yards, showing why Georgia is the number 1 team in the country. They have more talent and skill than any body else, and this is even more evident in defense. They have 11 sacks and 8 picks on defense, while only allowing 103.7 rush yards per game. If Georgia doesn’t start slow, they should have another big game. As for Vanderbilt, they barely beat Hawaii in week 0 and that’s when the alarms should’ve started going off. All the momentum Vandy had entering the season has gone out the window. Vandy hasn’t had a bye week, meaning their are going to play 8 games straight after this one, and are going to be tired and sluggish for this one. AJ Swann might be back for this game, especially because Clark Lea said he was available to play against Florida, but didn’t. Backup Ken Seals didn’t play bad, but Vanderbilt only scored 14 points. Will Sheppard has been a bright spot, with 35 receptions for 550 yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s a top 3 receiver in the SEC, but Vanderbilt can’t keep up with Georgia offensively or defensively, as the Dawgs win 56-21. Odds: UGA -32.5, O/U 55
  23. (3) Ohio State @ Purdue - I keep on trusting Purdue, but time and time again it does work out. Ohio State silenced the doubters last week, pulling ahead of Maryland and eventually winning 37-17. Ohio State and especially Kyle McCord have been inconsistent at times, but if they can put it together this week, they will hopefully do the same for Penn State next week. McCord has thrown for 1,375 yards, 8 touchdowns, and one pick. Marvin Harrison Jr. has 25 catches for 500 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Cade Stover and Emeka Egbuka have also been threats. The running game isn’t the best, but also not the worst. OSU pulled ahead last week, and that might happen again, but if the Spoilermakers have something cooking. Ohio State has Penn State and Wisconsin in the two weeks after this one, and while Wisconsin isn’t the toughest opponent, they are still tough. This is a trap game, but can Purdue pull another 2018 upset?Purdue could’ve upset Ohio State 2 years ago after already upsetting number 2 Iowa and number 5 Michigan State in the same season. Speaking of Iowa, Purdue lost by 6 to them last week. Purdue held the ball for 35 and a half minutes and out gained Iowa, but turned the the ball over twice, both of them being picks from Hudson Card. Card now has 1500 yards, but 6 touchdowns and 5 picks. He also has 3 rushing touchdowns. Card has to stop turning the ball over if Purdue wants a shot at a bowl game. Purdue’s defense is also pretty bad. They let up 380 yards per game, and 226.5 pass yards per game. Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr. should take advantage of this bad defense, so Ohio State gets the 34-16 win. Odds: OSU -18, O/U 52
  24. Marshall @ Georgia State - Marshall was really close to beating NC State last week, but they fell short. Georgia State is also 4-1, with their only loss coming 2 weeks ago against Troy. They had a bye week last week. Marshall’s Rasheen Ali has been on a tear, and it’s been like that his whole career. This season, he has 105 carries for 538 yards and 9 touchdowns. Back in 2021, he had 24 total touchdowns that year, and only played in 3 games last year due to injury. He had the worst game of his season last week in the 7 point loss to NC State, with 14 carries for 63 yards. In all the other games they’ve played, Ali has scored multiple touchdowns. Just like Marshall, Georgia State also has a great running back. That’s Marcus Carroll, who has 115 carries for 583 yards and also has 9 rushing touchdowns. The Sun Belt has a lot of good rushers, but Carroll is 4th in the conference with yards and Ali is 5th. Unlike Marshall, Georgia State’s defense is pretty bad. They allow 402.8 yards per game, and 300.6 pass yards per game. In their loss to Troy, they allowed 410 yards and 21 1st downs. Troy also held the ball for 34 minutes and 48 seconds. Georgia State only forced 1 turnover to their 3. Both of these teams have good running backs, but Marshall has a better defense, so they get the 31-18 win. Odds: GAST -1, O/U 53
  25. Wyoming @ Air Force - Wyoming and Air Force are both getting just over 40 votes to enter the AP Poll, but they haven’t. Wyoming has one loss, which was to Texas. They upset Texas Tech in week 1 and upset Fresno State last week. Andrew Peasley has thrown for only 758 yards, but has 9 touchdowns and 2 picks. He didn’t play against Texas, but 9 touchdowns to only 2 picks is a great stat line. Harrison Waylee has 75 carries for 540 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Peasley also has 3 rushing touchdowns. The offense is pretty stagnant, averaging only 325.3 yards per game. The defense allows 374.8 yards per game, which is going to be a problem as Air Force averages 330 rushing yards per game. Emmanuel Michell has 91 carries for 400 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Quarterback Zac Larrier has 62 carries for 362 yards and 3 touchdowns. Not only can Air Force run the ball, they can shut it down too. They only allow 70.6 rush yards per game, and also do a pretty good job at stopping the pass. They allow 153.2 pass yards per game, so they can take time off the clock and also get the ball back faster. Air Force and their running game have been practically unstoppable, as the least amount of rushing yards they’ve put up is only 244. Air Force has a better defense, while Wyoming’s offense is mediocre. Air Force win, 31-20. Odds: AFA -11, O/U 42.5


My top 5 Heisman candidates 


  1. Michael Penix Jr. - Penix moves up to number one on this list because of mediocre games from Jordan Travis and Caleb Williams. UW had a bye week last week, but take on Oregon this week. In Washington’s last game, Penix didn’t throw for a single touchdown, which he has to do if he wants to win and beat the Ducks. Penix has thrown for 2000 yards, 16 touchdowns and 2 picks. The yards are second in the country, but he’s played one game less than Shedeur Sanders. He should throw for 425+ yards against Oregon. 
  2. Caleb Williams - Williams was uncharacteristically bad last, and USC only won by 2. It was partly the defenses fault, but Williams only had 219 passing yards and 1 passing touchdown. He went 14/29, and that stat line is his worst at USC. He did have 3 rushing touchdowns and the game winning two-point conversion run. He now was 1,822 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only 1 pick. He does have 6 rushing touchdowns, which puts him 1st among quarterbacks and 3rd in the Pac-12 for rushing touchdowns. Williams is last year’s Heisman winner, so he only falls one, but if he was  the would’ve probably dropped 2 or 3. USC is lucky they won, and that won’t fly the rest of the way, with Notre Dame this week, Utah, Oregon, and Washington still on the schedule. 
  3. Jordan Travis - Travis didn’t have to do much last week, but still tossed 2 touchdowns in the 39-17 win over Virginia Tech. Travis went 18/24 for 170 yards for the 2 touchdowns, but Florida State had an easy opponent and had a really good running game last week. Travis has now thrown for 1,200 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 1 pick. He’s also ran for 2 touchdowns. Travis doesn’t have eye popping numbers, but still stays on this list as he’s been pretty consistent. Florida State only has 2 ranked teams left on the schedule, those being Duke and Miami. Who knows if Miami will still be ranked by the time these two teams play, but Travis and Florida State have a real shot at the College Football Playoff.
  4. Bo Nix - Nix had a bye week last week, but two weeks ago Nix was on fire. He threw for 4 second half touchdowns, 290 yards, and completed 84.4% of his passes. Nix has 1,459 yards, 15 touchdowns, and a pick so far through the air. He has only 87 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown this year, but last year he had 510 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. It seems like Nix is switching the roles from last year, as he was a better runner last year in my opinion, but has dazzled through the air. Nix and Oregon have Washington this week, so Nix will have to put up points to keep the Ducks in the game.
  5. Dillon Gabriel - Gabriel makes his first appearance in this list this year after Oklahoma’s upset over Texas last week. It was an incredible game and impressive performance from Gabriel, as he threw for 285 yards and a touchdown, but he led Oklahoma in rushing with 113 yards and a touchdown. His only passing touchdown was the game winner to Nic Anderson, but Gabriel had thrown for 15 touchdowns coming into this game. He now has 1,878 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 2 picks. He also has 208 yards for 5 touchdowns. Oklahoma has an easy schedule the rest of the way, so the next true test they’ll probably have is in the Big 12 championship game, if they make it. Oklahoma is off this week. 
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