Week 9 - The Best Games and My Top 5 Heisman Candidates

(Rankings based off AP Poll)

  1. (8) Oregon @ (13) Utah - Usually this game wouldn’t be the first ranked matchup, but in a little bit of a quieter week for marquee matchups, this is what we get. GameDay is coming to Salt Lake for a top 15 matchup, and it shouldn’t disappoint. Oregon suffered a devastating loss two weeks ago to Washington. Bo Nix led them down the field and were getting ready to kick the game tying field. They kicked it, but Camden Lewis missed, giving Washington the win. Dan Lanning made some questionable calls, and the bad mojo seemed to stay with them into the Washington State game. The score was tied after the first quarter, and Wazzu eventually took the lead, scoring the first touchdown. Oregon responded with 2 touchdowns of their own, before Washington State kicked a field goal to go into the half. Oregon was up 17-14, and the second half was really where they separated from Wazzu. 3 touchdowns, and only 11 allowed points. Bucky Irving had himself a game, with 15 carries for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also getting into the end zone through the air. Irving now has 87 carries for 649 yards and 7 touchdowns, and I would call him the best running back in the Pac 12. Irving has also been active in the pass game, with 27 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown. Those catches are third on the team, which is another reason why I think he’s the best back in the conference. I wouldn’t say that he’s spilling carries, but some of his potential carries have gone to Jordan James. James has 58 carries for 463 yards and 1 more touchdown. both put a wrinkle in this offense that makes it hard for defenses to stop, and another one of those players is Troy Franklin. Franklin leads the team in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He has 44 receptions, 768 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He’s only had two games this season where he’s had less than 100 receiving yards, one of those games being last week. He had 79 yards, but only 4 catches. He didn’t have to do much as the running game took over, but after his other game where he didn’t have 100 yards,  he went out and had 2 touchdowns. He should go for over 100 yards again. Maybe not two touchdowns, but still a good game. Franklin and others in the passing game are a big reason why Bo Nix is being considered for the Heisman. He will be making his 55th start his 5th year. He broke the record for most starts as a FBS quarterback last week. He’s had a roller coaster of a career, but a good one in Eugene. So far this year, he’s thrown for 2,090 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He had much better rushing stats last year, with 510 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s had only 105 yards and 2 touchdowns this year. I talk more about him I. My Heisman segment of this post, so go check that out. Oregon has what could be the best offense in all of college football. Their defense isn’t bad either, allowing 312.6 yards per game, 95 of those being rush yards, as they stop the run the second best in the Pac 12. First is Utah, who allows 78 rush yards per game. Their stifling defense has carried them pretty much the whole year, but they didn’t need to last week against USC. Utah had their yearly win against USC, something that’s happened for the past 3 year. They’ve also beat them in a conference championship game. Utah’s offense did the job last week, putting up 34 points and 482 yards. USC had 32 points and 401 yards. Utah’s offense had their best game without Cam Rising, but this offensive explosion started the week before with a 34-14 win over Cal. Can Rising won’t play for the rest of the year, but if Utah’s offense can keep this momentum, they can win a few games behind the offensive, not just the defense. With Bryson Barnes’ better play than Nate Johnson and safety Sione Vaki erupting as a two-way player as a running back on offense, Utah can turn around their season. They still average 345 yards per game, but they have improved. Their defense is one of the best in the country, allowing 295.4 yards per game. 78 of those are rushing yards, which is 6th in the country. The most points they’ve allowed in a game is last week against USC, which was 32. USC has a really good offense, but has allowed only 15 points per game this whole season. Utah is going to try their best to slow down one of the best offenses in the country, but Oregon just can’t be stopped. The Ducks win, 29-25. Odds: ORE -6.5, O/U 47
  2. (20) Duke @ (18) Louisville - Duke was ahead of Florida State last week, and had a very good chance to win. Louisville has had 2 weeks to get better after their upset loss to Pitt. Against Pitt, Louisville was up at half, but didn’t score one in the second half. Jack Plummer went 29/52, which is an absolutely horrendous amount of passes. He did throw for 350 yards and 1 touchdown, but did throw 2 interceptions. On the year, he’s thrown for 1,900 yards, but 13 touchdowns to 8 interceptions. He hasn’t struggled with interceptions in his career, as he only threw 9 last year. He’s thrown the 47 most passes in FBS, and for players around him in attempts, they haven’t thrown significantly a close amount of interceptions to him. He has a top tier receiver in Jamari Thrash to throw to, who’s came down with 39 passes. He also has 640 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also has a rushing touchdown. Thrash is the only player on the team with 20+ catches or 300 or more yards. Another player that’s by far their best in their respective position is Jawhar Jordan. Jordan has  89 carries for 661 yards and 8 touchdowns. He had a monster game against Notre Dame which led them to that upset win. He did get injured against Pitt, and is questionable for this one. In his place will be Isaac Guerendo, who has 52 carries for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns. Against Pitt, he had 2 of Louisville’s touchdowns, so look for him to have a big game. Another player that’s been good but is injured is Riley Leonard. Duke’s star quarterback got injured at the end of the Notre Dame loss. He missed the next week against NC State, which was a win. He came back against Florida State, but reaggravated the injury. Against Florida State, he threw for 69 yards and a pick, while running for only 13 yards on 1 attempt. After Leonard left the game in the third quarter, Duke could only out up 35 more yards. Leonard will still be day to day, and the same that happened before the game last week will probably happen again. Henry Belin IV has been nothing other than a game manager, but not a good one. Belin has thrown for 144 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 pick in the Florida State game and the game against NC State. He’s only completed 5 of his 18 passes, so if he gets the start, Louisville can expose that. If he does get the start, it’s going to be an ugly start because against NC State, Duke held the ball for only 23 minutes. They did put up 24 points, but 301 yards and 12 first downs. They need to work on that when Belin is starting, because the offense is a whole different beast when Leonard isn’t starting, even the running game. I wrote the stat about the yards Duke had after Leonard left against Florida State, and leading back Jordan Waters struggled. He had 13 carries for 39 yards. The 13 carries were tied for the most he’s had all season. He’s has 78 carries for 465 yards and 9 touchdowns. Leonard was a valuable contributor to the running game when he was healthy, but last week Jaquez Moore had a big game. He had 16 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown. He has 69 carries for 390 yards and 3 touchdowns. If Waters can back on track, this duo should help out Belin. However,Louisville is really good at stopping the run, which results in Louisville winning, 28-27. Odds: LOU -6, O/U 46
  3. (6) Oklahoma @ Kansas - Oklahoma barely survived last week, and the hard part of their schedule starts now. Kansas’ biggest question so far this year is how will Jalon Daniels play, and can he come back? Starting with Oklahoma, they’ve already played Texas, but still have to take on Kansas, then Oklahoma State and West Virginia. The Oklahoma State game is also on the road, as is the BYU game, which is after West Virginia. Oklahoma is already missing their top receiver, Andrel Anthony, as he’s out for the rest of the year. Players like Jalil Farooq and Nic Anderson have stepped up, but Oklahoma needs to stay healthy. Farooq is now their leading receiver with 23 catches for 438 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Anderson has 387 yards, but 8 touchdowns on 16 catches. For players that have 8 or more receiving touchdowns, no Tiber player has 16 or less catches. In fact, the closest player in catches to Anderson is Michigan’s Roman Wilson, who has 27. Drake Stoops leads OU in catches with 36, but he only has 318 yards and 5 touchdowns. All of these players are reasons why Dillon Gabriel is making noise in the Heisman conversation. He’s thrown for 2,130 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He’s completed 71.2% of his passes, which is 7th by starting quarterbacks. but his receivers aren’t the only reason why he’s in the talk for the Heisman. He’s been able to put up stats on the ground, with 230 yards and 5 touchdowns. they yards are third on the team, with both Marcus Major and Tawee Walker having more. Major has 78 carries for 308 yards and a touchdown, while Walker has 53 carries for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns. Even though those yards aren’t the most, especially in a conference that runs the ball a lot and well, OU still averages 168 rush yards per game. As for Kansas, to answer the question I posed earlier, Jalon Daniels has missed the past 3 games, and will be questionable for this one. Jason Bean, who’s taken over for Daniels, isn’t bad, but Daniels is just better. Bean has thrown for 913 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 2 picks. Jalon Daniels has thrown for 705 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Kansas has a two-headed monster at running back, those being Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr.. Neal has 90 carries for 660 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Hishaw has 68 carries, 437 yards, and also has 6 touchdowns. Dylan McDuffie has also added 3 touchdowns on the ground. With a solid group of receivers, regardless of which quarterback plays, then can get bailed out if they make a bad throw or two. Both offenses are great, and so are the defenses. Kansas allows 396 yards per game and 27.4 points, while Oklahoma allows 360 yards per game and 16 points. Oklahoma survives another close one, 27-21. Odds: OU -8.5, O/U 66
  4. (21) Tennessee @ Kentucky - The Kentucky-Tennessee rivalry was a blowout last year. Tennessee, as of late, struggled heavily. As for Kentucky, they have dropped two straight, but are coming off a bye week. Their first loss came in a 51-13 game against Georgia. The could only muster 183 yards and 12 first downs before the clock hit zero. Speaking of the clock, Kentucky only held the ball for 22 and a half minutes, so they didn’t have that much time to score or move the ball. This was off the heels of one of the best rushing performances we’ll see all season. Against Florida, Ray Davis ran for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also catching a touchdown. Against Georgia, Davis only had 59 yards on 15 carries. However, he also caught a touchdown. He did have a better game against Missouri, with 128 yards on 20 carries. He had no rushing touchdowns, but caught another touchdown. He’s caught 5 total touchdowns, while rushing 8 in. He also has 781 yards and 111 carries.  He’s tacked on 193 receiving yards as well. That’s 13 touchdowns, which is tied for second in FBS. Hopefully Davis can have another big game, because Devin Leary has not been able to. Leary has thrown for 1,377 yards, but 14 touchdowns and 7 picks. Leary’s completed only 54.4% of his passes. In Kentucky’s past 3 games, he’s hasn’t thrown for 200+ yards. In Kentucky’s first four games, he had 200 or more yards. Those were against weaker opponents, and against a really good defense is Tennessee’s, will the struggle? Tennessee allows only 201 passing yards per game, so Leary might throw for less than 200 yards again. However, they’ve had some problems. After allowing only 1 score in the first half, Tennessee allowed all the points in the second half, which was 27 points. Outside of the Alabama game, they’ve been pretty good, forcing 10 turnovers and 28 sacks. On offense, Joe Milton has been great. Throwing for 1,545 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s also ran for 232 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tennessee is a primary rushing team, averaging 217 rush yards per game and 221 pass yards per game. Jaylen Wright has ran for 593 yards and a touchdown on 91 carries. Jabari Small has ran for 383 yards and 2 touchdowns o. 73 carries. Those 2 are big reasons why Tennessee is ranked and 5-2, but against better competition, they’ve fallen, like against Alabama and Florida. Sure, they beat Texas A&M, but struggled and only won by 7. Because of this, Kentucky gets the upset after losing 2 straight in this matchup and this season. Kentucky wins, 31-27. Odds: TENN -4, O/U 51
  5. (3) Ohio State @ Wisconsin - It seems like every year these two play, Wisconsin is rolling, and come into this Ohio State game, ready to fight. In fact, their only loss in 2017 was to Ohio State in the Big Ten championship. However, Wisconsin is missing starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai. Braedyn Locke started last week, tossing 41 passes, but he only completed 21 of them. He did thrown for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns though. He should have a similar game, but only if Wisconsin can start off fast. Last week against Illinois, Wisconsin started down 21-7 before putting things together in the fourth quarter and coming back to win. Wisconsin didn’t even score until the last 30 seconds of the first half. Against a fast Ohio State team with a crushing defense, Wisconsin has to get the ball first, and take it down and score. Chez Mellusi is already out for the year, so Braelon Allen has to carry this offense. He has 120 carries for 704 yards and 8 touchdowns, and is coming one of his best games so far this season. Ohio State doesn’t have one great runner, but does have a great wide receiver. That’s Marvin Harrison Jr., who has caught 42 passes for 766 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s one of the best receivers in college football, and is projected to be a top pick in this year’s upcoming NFL draft. After a slow start, he had the best game of his year last week, catching 11 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Paired with his sidekick, Emeka Egbuka, and the second best tight end in college, Cade Stover. Egbuka has 22 catches for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Stover has 27 catches and 429 yards. He also has 3 touchdowns. Those 3 have been a big help to Kyle McCord, who’s struggled with consistency all season. With 1,937 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 2 picks on the season, McCord isn’t in the Heisman consideration, but has kept Ohio State in games. Last week against Penn State, he threw for 286 yards and a touchdown. Against Maryland, he threw for the most yards so far this season, with 320 and 2 touchdowns coming off his arm. Sure, he’s had his fair share of struggles, but has improved through the season. Ohio State has been banged up, but their defense that allows only 100.6 rush yards per game leads them to a 21-17 win. Odds: OSU -14.5, O/U 45.5
  6. Colorado @ (23) UCLA - Colorado has been the headliner of the college football season, and under a new coach, new quarterback, and a whole new team, they’ve had so many ups and downs. Starting with that brand new quarterback, it’s Shedeur Sanders, who has 2,420 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 3 picks. Sanders is 4th in the country in passing yards, and has also ran for 3 touchdowns, putting him at 24 total touchdowns. However, Sanders has been sacked the most out of every quarterback in the country, being sacked 34 times. Colorado’s offensive line is bad in general, as Colorado’s leading rusher, Dylan Edwards, has only 250 yards and 1 touchdown. He has 217 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns, so it’s safe to say he’s better receiver than rusher. He’s only had 54 carries, but 23 receptions. Even though Colorado’s offensive line has been horrible, Sanders still has plenty of people to throw to. Xavier Weaver has 50 receptions, 631 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Jimmy Horn Jr. has 44 receptions for 436 yards and 4 touchdowns. Of course, he also has star athlete Travis Hunter to throw to. Hunter has 29 catches for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns, and also has an interception. He’s been one of the only bright spots on defense, but another one has been Shilo Sanders. Sanders missed a few games with injury, but has a pick six and a forced fumble, while tacking on 36 tackles, which is tied for the most on the team. Colorado concedes 474 yards per game, and only produces 432.4 yards per game. On top of that, Colorado allows 36 points per game, and puts up 34.4. UCLA is on the opposite point of the spectrum. Their defense is incredible, one of the best on the country. On offense, they average 31.3 points per game, and allow only 15. They put up 464.4 yards per game and allow 282.6. Even in one of UCLA’s loss, which was against Utah, they allowed only 7 points because Utah’s other touchdown came on defense. Even when they’re down, UCLA’s defense doesn’t break. Freshman Dante Moore has been commanding this offense, throwing for 1,330 yards, but 10 touchdowns and 7 picks. He still has time to grow, but Carson Steele being a beast in the running game helps. Steele has 113 rushes for 600 yards and 6 touchdowns, a complete flip of Colorado’s rushing game. Colorado blew a big lead to Stanford on a Friday night, and ended up losing. The next week, Colorado had a bye week, while UCLA throttled Stanford, 42-7. Colorado’s struggles are UCLA’s strengths, as the Bruins win, 34-28. Odds: UCLA -15, O/U 61
  7. BYU @ (7) Texas - With news of Quinn Ewers missing time for an injury, Texas turns to Maalik Murphy. Ewers has in the back of the Heisman consideration, but if he could play for the rest of the season, he could jump up to my top 5. He’s thrown for 1,915 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 3 picks. He’s also ran for 5 touchdowns. Ewers is a talented player, but it’s a shame he can’t stay healthy, as he got injured last year if you remember. Murphy threw 2 passes and completed 1 of them last week, for 7 yards. Murphy’s only a freshman, but I believe he can get it done at a good level. Jonathan Brooks will help him out, as he’s ran for 825 yards and 6 touchdowns on 128 carries. Brooks is third in the Big 12 in rushing yards. Other players like Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Ja’Tavion Sanders should help him out as well. Texas is going to have to pass it at some point, but we’ve seen only limited action from Murphy. If he can play great, that’s good, but we know that Ewers is out day to day, so if Texas needs Murphy to lay for longer, it could end up in a loss. As for BYU, they’re not missing their quarterback, and that’s Kedon Slovis. Slovis has 1,519 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions on the year. BYU averages 222.6 pass yards per game, mainly because of players like Chase Roberts. Roberts has 29 catches, 430 yards, and 4 touchdowns. However, BYU averages only 79 rush yards per game, last in the Big 12. The Cougars are also the only team in the Big 12 to average less than 100 rush yards per game. Leading rusher LJ Martin has 438 yards, and no other player has 100 or less rushing yards. BYU’s struggles at running the ball can make or break their season, and paired with a bad defense, Texas doesn’t get upset and win, 24-21. Odds: TEX -20, O/U 50
  8. (1) Georgia Vs. Florida - This classic rivalry enters another episode, as the number one Dawgs take on the Florida Gators. Starting with Georgia, the’ve been absolutely dominant. They’re undefeated after winning 2 straight national championships, but have some problems. One problem is their slow starts. Other one game, Georgia has only scored in the first quarter one time or not at all. That’s led to them falling behind, like against South Carolina and Auburn. However, the one game when they scored twice or more, was against Kentucky, the only ranked team they’ve played so far. They trounced the Wildcats 51-13, and Carson Beck threw for 4 touchdowns. Auburn was very close to pulling off an upset, but a late touchdown from Brock Bowers was the nail in the coffin for Auburn. Speaking of Brock Bowers, he’s the biggest problem Georgia has in this game. Bowers has caught 41 passes for 567 yards and 4 touchdowns. Last week against Vanderbilt, he hurt his ankle, and had surgery. Georgia will be without Bowers for this week, and Ladd McConkey is questionable. McConkey has only played in 3 games. He’s caught 9 passes for 107 yards and no touchdowns. Last year, McConkey was the second leading receiver, so if both McConkey and Bowers can’t go, Beck is going to have a tough game. Beck has thrown for 2,147 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Georgia does run the ball well, as Daijun Edwards leads the team with 460 yards and 6 touchdowns. But the real star of the show is Georgia’s defense. We all now how good they’ve been during Georgia’s time at the top of College Football, and even though they lost a lot of talent to the NFL, they’ve still been very good. They allow 91.4 rush yards per game, 11th in the country. On top of that, they allow 171 pass yards, 9th in the country. They also have 9 interceptions as a team, so you can’t beat Georgia through the air or on the ground. Georgia only concedes 14 points per game, best in the SEC. Florida is very similar to Georgia, at least in offense. Graham Mertz has similar numbers to Carson Beck, as he’s thrown for 1,900 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 2 picks. Mertz also has his top receiver, that being Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall has caught 44 passes for 619 yards and 3 touchdowns. The next closest player to Pearsall is yards is Eugene Wilson III, who has 251 yards. One state Pearsall doesn’t lead the team in is receiving touchdowns. That’s Arlis Boardingham, who has 4 touchdowns. Florida’s leading rusher, Montrell Johnson Jr., is around Daijun Edwards in yards. Johnson has 85 carries for 438 yards and 4 touchdowns, but has been splitting carries with Trevor Etienne. Etienne has 69 carries for 407 yards and 3 touchdowns. Both should have a big game, even though Georgia is good at stopping the run. Even though Georgia is missing Brock Bowers, their defense can carry them to wins, and they do just that, winning 24-13. Odds: UGA -24, O/U 49
  9. (11) Oregon State @ Arizona - Oregon State might be the deadliest team that can ruin a team’s season left this year, but Arizona is trying to do just that to the Beavers. Sitting at 11th in the Polls, if Oregon State can run the table, which would include wins over Washington, Oregon, and another team in the Pac 12 championship, they could sneak into the playoffs. Even if that did happen, they would only have a 41% chance to make the playoffs. They don’t have high odds to beat either Washington or Oregon, so I doubt that happens, but Oregon State is still really good. DJ Uiagalelei has been great compared to his career at Clemson. He’s thrown for 1,573 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s also ran for 5 touchdowns.  Oregon State has been a primarily rushing team all season, averaging 195 rush yards per game, 4th in the Pac 12. Damien Martinez leads the team in rushing yards, with 105 carries for 676 yards and 3 touchdowns. I wouldn’t say he’s splitting carries with Martinez, but Deshaun Fenwick has a solid amount of carries. Fenwick has 67 rushes for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns. Martinez, Fenwick, and Uiagalelei are big reasons why Oregon State are just outside the top 10. But just because Oregon State runs the ball well, doesn’t mean they lack a passing game. Silas Bolden leads the team in catches and yards, with 32 and 456, respectively. He also has 4 touchdowns. Anthony Gould is right behind him, with 32 catches for 443 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jack Velling leads the team in touchdowns with 7. He also has 223 yards and 16 catches. OSU averages 444 yards per game, and lets up 344 yards per game. Under backup Noah Fifita, Arizona’s offense has been so much better than under Jayden de Laura. De Laura has played in 4 games, and in those games, the most points they’ve put up is 38, against a FCS team. However, under Fifita, the offense has scored more than 40 points twice, including a 44-6 win over Washington Stats. The other game was against USC, and they took them down to the wire. Arizona did end up losing 43-41, but started up 17-0, mainly because of the offense. The defense was great too, but the offense under Fifita has been clicking. Fifita has thrown for 946 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Jayden de Laura was available to play against Washington State, but Jedd Fisch stayed with Fifita. Hopefully he does the same this week, because with Fifita, they nearly beat Washington and USC. With two top receivers, whichever quarterback plays will have a good game. Tetairoa McMillan has 49 catches for 592 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Jacob Cowing has 55 receptions for 425 yards and 8 touchdowns. With an improved offense and a defense who just allowed 6 points the last time Arizona played, the Wildcats have a great shot at an upset. The odds are in Oregon State’s favor, but are way too close. Pac 12 after dark strikes again, and Arizona pulls off the upset, 45-35. Odds: ORST -3, O/U 56
  10. South Carolina @ Texas A&M - These two teams have a lot of questions to answer, not for only this week, but for what happens after this year. Starting with South Carolina, Beamer Ball has not looked so good this year. South Carolina finished last year with upsets over Tennessee and Clemson, and nearly won their bowl game against Notre Dame. Most of the focus on South Carolina has been Spencer Rattler. He’s been under a lot of pressure, ever since the start of his college career. From being benched at Oklahoma to being wildly inconsistent at South Carolina, Rattler leaves at the end of the season. But I don’t want to focus on the future, just what’s happening this week. Rattler has thrown for 1,940 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5 picks. Rattler has been pretty good this season, but his numbers start to drop at some points. Obviously you’re not going to have great numbers when you lose a game or when you’re down big, but if you look at his completion percentage only, you start to see a big shift. When  up anywhere from 1 to 7 points, Rattler completes 89.3% of his passes. When losing by those same numbers, he has a 75% completion percentage. When losing by 15-21 points, a situation Rattler’s been in a lot this year, he has a 66.7% completion percentage. He needs to be able to handle the pressure when losing, because you can easily drop a few game because of that. Another question is how is Shane Beamer going to fix the rushing game. It’s gotten so much better throughout the year, but it’s still very bad. SC averages 94 rush yards per game, second worst in the SEC. However, because Vanderbilt has played one more game than South Carolina, the Gamecocks have the least amount of total rushing yards, with 656. Nearly 2/3 of those yards come from Mario Anderson. Anderson has 400 yards and 2 touchdowns on 76 carries. SC has to fix it, even though it has gotten better, so that’s a step in the right direction. South Carolina might not be good at running the ball, but they sure are good at passing it. I already talked about Spencer Rattler, but Xavier Legette has been one of the best receivers in the SEC. Legette has 38 catches for 736 yards and 3 touchdowns. He should have another big game, and Texas A&M’s offense should too. SC’s defense is horrendous, allowing 447 yards per game. A&M averages 400 yards of total offense, even through a quarterback change. Conner Weigman got injured against Auburn, and Max Johnson started out strong, but has struggled in their past 2 games. Johnson has thrown for 900 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Against Auburn and Arkansas, he had 333 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Against Alabama and Tennessee, Johnson has thrown for 462 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 picks. Sure, it’s more yards, but the touchdowns to interceptions are not where you would want it to be. He’s also been sacked 7 times in their past 2 game, and only once against Auburn and Arkansas. What Bobby Petrino has done for this offense has been great, but from the passing standpoint, it’s got to better. Evan Stewart and Ainias Smith both have the same amount of receiving yards, with 451. Stewart has more catches, with 31, while Smith has 27. Stewart has 4 touchdowns, while Smith doesn’t have a single receiving touchdown. He does have a punt return for a touchdown though, and has been electric there all season as well, with 263 punt returning yards. Defensively, they have gotten in the backfield fast and sacked the quarterback 29 times. That’s tied for second in the country, and first in the SEC. They also have 65 tackles for loss, tied for first in the country. Rattler has been sacked 30 times so far this year, so he should be under pressure all game. All in all, Texas A&M’s crushing defense leads them to the 31-21 win. Odds: TA&M -17, O/U 52
  11. Clemson @ NC State - Clemson has been one of the most disappointing teams so far this year. They were picked to win the ACC in the preseason, but are sitting at 4-3. All 3 of their losses come inside the conference, meaning they’re 8th in the ACC between teams like Boston College and Georgia Tech. Since moving on from DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson is 5-3. Cade Klubnik isn’t bad, as he’s thrown for 1,684 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns. He’s tied with leading rusher Will Shipley in rushing touchdowns. Shipley has 106 carries for 494 yards and 5 total touchdowns. Last year, he had 15, all on the ground. Shipley needs to get into the end zone more, because that’s a reason why Clemson is 4-3. Last year, Clemson averaged 178 rush attempts yards per game, the Tigers average 166 rush yards per game. It is the first year under Garrett Riley, but Riley lead TCU’s offense all the way to the national championship.  Phil Mafah has also cooled off, but still has good numbers. He has 57 carries for 355 yards and 4 touchdowns, leading the team. He ran for only 14 yards last week in the loss to Miami. He needs to be more productive this week, otherwise Clemson will get upset again. Antonio Williams is out for nearly the rest of the year, and Williams the leading receiver last year. He’s only played in 4 games, coming back last week against Miami. It was a different injury than the prior one, so Williams might be juggling two injuries, hurting his chance at coming back in the season.  Most of the wide receivers are tightly packed together, so no standouts. Clemson’s defense is still good, allowing the least amount of yards per game in the ACC. They also allow 20.6 points per game, tied for 4th in the conference. They will definitely be able to shut down NC State, but the Wolfpacks can still poke out and potentially get a win. After Brennan Armstrong was benched, MJ Morris is trying to rebuild this offense mid-season. Morris has thrown for 458 yards, 4 touchdowns, but 4 picks. Even though Brennan Armstrong wasn’t the best in the passing game, Armstrong was the leading rusher, with 281 yards. In fact, he’s still the leading rusher, as Michael Allen only has 230 yards. Morris can’t do much to rebuild the running game-he only has 36 yards on 20 carries. There’s also one main receiver, that being Kevin Concepcion. He has 37 catches for 419 yards and 4 touchdowns. The next closest player to Concepcion, Terrell Timmons Jr., has only 9 catches and 172 yards. With 2 main players on offense, all Clemson has to do is stop MJ Morris, and Concepcion will also be slowed down. NC State got embarrassed last week to a backup quarterback, so no upset for them this week. Clemson wins, 34-18. Odds: CLEM -9.5, O/U 44
  12. Mississippi State @ Auburn - Another SEC matchup between two disappointing teams, with both teams on a slump. Starting with Mississippi State, quarterback Will Rogers’ status is in question, and the offense looked horrible last week. Mississippi State scored a total of 7 points last week, but won. Mike Wright started for the Bulldogs, and threw for 85 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 pick, and ran 11 times for 60 yards. Mississippi State, in total, had 205 yards and 10 first downs. The running game also struggled, with Jo’Quavious Marks running the ball 17 times for 42 yards. On the year, Marks has 97 carries for 500 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also has 140 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. The whole offense was bad, but Arkansas was worse, and at the end of the day, your team just has to better than your opponent. Mike Wright has came in before to run for touchdowns, and now has 3 on the year. If Wright does end up starting, he needs to get into the end zone on the ground, because then the scoring can open. Both Mississippi State’s and Auburn’s defenses are at the same spot. MS State allows 367 yards per game and 26 points per game. The Tigers allow 24 points per game and 371 yards per game. This game is either going to be very high scoring or very low scoring, and we’ve seen Mississippi State get into both types of games. As for Auburn, they are coming off a close loss to Ole Miss. Auburn fell by 7, but were out-played in pretty much every single stat. Ole Miss had more yards, a lot more first downs, and held the ball for 8 more minutes. One thing Auburn did do better on is converting third downs. Auburn had only 10 total first downs, but went 4-14 on third downs, while Ole Miss went 2-11. Auburn also completed 2 fourth die s efficiently, so more than half of Auburn’s first downs came on third and fourth downs. That has to change, because not only can you expect to win a game with only 10 first downs, you also can’t get more than half of your first downs to come on the last two downs. The starting quarterback spot has been a revolving door, with both Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford getting meaningful snaps. those two will probably both get snaps again this week, which leads to this stagnant offense. Both can run it, Thorne has 260 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Ashford has 180 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those touchdowns from Ashford are tied for the most in the team with Jarquez Hunter, who also leads the team in yards with 309. Only two players have 10 or more catches, those being Jay Fair and Rivaldo Fairweather. They both have 20+ catches, with Fair having 22 and Fairweather having 21. Auburn averages 337 yards per game, second last in the SEC. The 151 pass yards per game are last, but the 186 rushing yards per game are 4th in the conference. Auburn is still searching for their first conference win, but they don’t find it. Mississippi State wins, 20-13. Odds: AUB -6.5, O/U 41
  13. Houston @ Kansas State - Houston had a great shot to upset Texas last week, while Kansas State had a dominant win. Starting with K-State, they destroyed TCU, 41-3. In the first half, Kansas State had 27 points, 416 yards, and 19 first downs. TCU had only 3 points, 122 yards, and 8 first downs. Kansas State also held the ball for 20 minutes and 14 seconds. No matter what TCU tried to do, Kansas State would shut it down on defense m, and then the offense would go right out there and score. One first half touchdown came on a 61 yard touchdown pass to DJ Giddens from Will Howard. Howard threw for 3 touchdowns, and it looked like his injury didn’t affect him too much. Howard’s injury has affected his play a little bit so far this season, but he still has good numbers. He’s thrown for 1,464 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 7 picks. He’s also ran for 289 yards and 6 touchdowns. Houston has the worst secondary in the Big 12, allowing 260 pass yards per game, dead last in the conference. They do have 7 interceptions, but the yards allowed are enough to be classified as the worst in the Big 12. K-State isn’t bad in the rushing game, as DJ Giddens leads the team with 626 yards and 5 touchdowns. Giddens has 103 carries, while Treshaun Ward has 77. Ward also has 426 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both Ward, Giddens, and Will Howard should run all over Houston, as allows 159 rush yards per game. That’s 4th worst in the Big 12. All together, Houston allows 419 yards per game, worst in the Big 12. That’s going to be a problem, but Donovan Smith brought Houston back into the game last week. After starting down 21-0, Donovan Smith threw 3 straight touchdowns to tie the game up. Houston never took the lead and ended up losing, but Smith tossed for his career high in yards last week. He had 378 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 pick. On the year, he’s thrown for 1,979 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s also ran for 4 touchdowns. Houston averages 291 pass yards per game, but only run for 117. Their leading rusher, Parker Jenkins, has 265 yards. He has 3 touchdowns, while Stacy Sneed has only 1. Named also has 211 yards, and has been split g carries with Jenkins. Sneed has 40 carries, while Jenkins has 56. Those two need to have a good game if Houston wants a shot at winning. Regardless of if they play well, Houston’s bad defense gives Kansas State the 31-17 win. Odds: KSU -17.5, O/U 60
  14. West Virginia @ UCF - West Virginia and UCF are both coming off of losses to the Oklahoma teams, and while UCF played a closer game, West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene shined. For WVU, Greene played phenomenal last week against Oklahoma State. He threw for 249 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and ran for 117 yards. Greene did enough for West Virginia to win the game, but when the team turns the ball over 3 times and you allow nearly 50 points, it’s hard to win. On the year, Greene has thrown for 1,184 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 2 picks. He’s missed 2 games with injury, so those are really good numbers for someone coming off an injury. Greene’s also ran for 349 yards and 5 touchdowns. West Virginia has a very good offense, averaging 394 yards per game. However, they allow 366 yards per game and 26 points per game. UCF’s defense is like WVU’s but much worse. They let up 395 yards on average and 28 points per game. Compared to their offense, it doesn’t look bad, but that’s because their offense is amazing. Scoring 34 points per game and putting up nearly 500 yards of total offense, both stats are in the top 5 for Big 12 teams. Even through John Rhys Plumlee’s injury, the offense has been great. Plumlee has thrown for 833 yards, but 5 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He’s also ran for 2 touchdowns. The tandem of RJ Harvey and Johnny Richardson leads to the second best rushing game in the Big 12. Harvey has 112 carries for 612 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Richardson has 59 carries for 456 yards and 1 touchdown. Plumlee will also add to the rushing game, as he ran for 862 yards last year. West Virginia isn’t playing like a 4-3 team, but UCF’s offense covers up the defense’s mistakes, leading them to their first Big 12 win. The Bounce House will be rocking and jumping, especially after they win this one, 45-31. Odds: UCF -6.5, O/U 60
  15. Michigan State @ Minnesota - Michigan State and Minnesota are both coming off of rivalry games, and while Minnesota won, should they’ve won? There was a controversial call that would’ve given Iowa the lead and probably would’ve won the game because Minnesota’s offense is bad. They average 303 yards per game, third worst in the Big Ten. Athan Kaliakmanis has thrown for only 923 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 6 picks. Only two players have 100 or more receiving yards. One of those players is Daniel Jackson, who has 29 catches for 387 yards and 5 of the 6 touchdowns. Minnesota is slightly better at running the ball. Darius Taylor has ran the ball 103 times for 591 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he’s been a bright spot on Minnesota’s offense. Sean Tyler has 55 carries for 222 yards and no touchdowns. Minnesota’s defense is a complete flip of their offense, as they allow only 338 yards per game. They don’t stop the teams from scoring outside of 3 games, and 2 of those games were in the first two weeks. Just like Minnesota, MSU also has a good defense. They allow 354.4 yards per game, but just like Minnesota, they allow a bunch of points. They’ve lost their past 5 games after starting 2-0, including their last game to Michigan. A big reason why they’ve lost their past 5 games is because of the play from Noah Kim. Kim has thrown for 1,090 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 6 picks. Kim was benched after the Iowa game, which thrusted Katin Houser into a bad spot.  On the year, he’s thrown for 392 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Nathan Carter has been a bright spot through the losing streak, as he’s ran for 565 yards and 4 touchdowns on 130 carries. He hasn’t ran for 100+ yards since their third loss on the season to Iowa, so needs to be more productive to take pressure off of Houser. Carter is also the only player on MSU with 100 or more yards so far this season. Both defenses are good, both running games are good, but the home field advantage and inconsistent quarterback play from MSU leads to the 24-13 win for Minnesota. Odds: MINN -7, O/U 41.5
  16. Washington State @ Arizona State - Washington State has lost 3 straight after starting out 4-0 with a Heisman contender, while ASU has been bad all season. Starting with the Sun Devils, they barely escaped week one with a 24-21 win over a FCS team. Since then, they have lost every single game, but some have been close. Losing by 3 twice, losing by 14 to USC, and nearly beating Washington show that Arizona State is still competitive, and have an upset gene. With quarterback changes, Cameron Skattebo seems like the only player in offense that can perform well. He’s ran the ball 104 times for 413 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s also caught 19 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. The receiving yards are second on the team, with only Elijhah Badger having more with 472. He also  has 42 catches and 2 touchdowns. Look for both of them to have a big game, but Washington State needs the win. They are going to play physical and mad, so it’s safe to say that Cam Ward will play extra well. He’s thrown for 2,217 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 3 picks. He hasn’t played the best in their 3 straight losses, but he looked better against Oregon than he did against UCLA and Arizona. Wazzu averages 352 pass yards per game, which leads to the second best passing offense in the Pac 12. That comes at a cost however, as they have the second worst rushing offense in the conference. They average 88 rush yards per game, and after starting the season as a player on Doak Walker Award watchlist, Nakia Watson has been so underwhelming. He’s ran the ball 59 times for only 173 yards, but does have 4 touchdowns. He’s going to have to play good if Washington State wants to rebuild this season and a make a run for a NY6. Even with a bad defense, the offense bounces back after 3 straight losses to win, 38-14. Odds: WSU -5.5, O/U 49.5
  17. Cincinnati @ Oklahoma State - Oklahoma State is probably the most surprising team in the Big 12, while Cincinnati has been the most disappointing. The Bearcats are 2-5, with 5 straight losses. They’re also winless in their first year in the Big 12. The main problem has been the play of Emory Jones. Jones has thrown for 1,484 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He’s also ran for 408 yards and 3 touchdowns. 7 of his interceptions have came during the losing streak, while only 1 of his rushing touchdowns have came in that period. Cincy looked so good after week one, but have since fallen off a cliff, and now their defense has a big task in taking on Ollie Gordon II. Gordon has ran the ball 116 times for 816 yards and 8 touchdowns, carrying this offense to 3 straight wins. His past two weeks have been phenomenal, so good in fact to the point where I put him in my top 5 Heisman contenders. Go check that out because I go more in-depth about his season. Gordon has led OKST to averaging 404.4 yards per game. However, their defense allows 404.6 yards per game and 26 points. Those points allowed are the same as Cincinnati. Both defenses are going to have their hands full, but Oklahoma State’s offense leads them to a 34-18 win. Odds: OKST -7, O/U 53
  18. (17) North Carolina @ Georgia Tech - North Carolina is coming off an upset loss to Virginia, and upsetting teams is what Georgia Tech has done. That one upset came against Miami. Sure, they wouldn’t have won if Miami took a knee, but it’s not like they returned the ball back for a touchdown. They got the ball back and got the points on offense, which is another thing they do well. Haynes King has thrown for 1,835 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He’s also ran for 362 yards and 3 touchdowns. He leads the offense, which averages 434 yards per game. That’s 5th in the ACC, but their defense is last. They allow 453 yards per game, and no other team in the ACC allows 400 or more yards. Georgia Tech allows 30 points per game, but UNC allows only 22.4. UNC’s offense is also slightly better, sitting at the top of the ACC and 5th in the country. They average 500 yards of total offense, with Drake Maye throwing for 2,249 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He’s also ran for 200 yards and 5 touchdowns. He led North Carolina in rush yards last year, and this year he’s second. It’s by a huge margin, with Omarion Hampton having 770 yards and 8 touchdowns on 131 carries. Those rushing yards are first in the ACC and thirteenth in the country. With Tez Walker being able to play, Maye’s numbers and the offense are going to skyrocket. North Carolina wins, 31-16. Odds: UNC -12, O/U 64.5
  19. (4) Florida State @ Wake Forest - Florida State’s offense has been on an explosion. Going back to last year, they’ve scored 30 or more points in the past 13 games. They’ve also won all 13 games. Jordan Travis is a big reason why. So far this year, Travis has thrown for 1,750 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 2 picks. He’s also ran for 5 touchdowns. FSU puts up 445 yards per game, while only allowing 350. Keon Coleman has caught 31 passes for 472 yards and 7 touchdowns. He should have a big game. A complete flip of Florida State, Wake Forest are last in the ACC in points per game. They average 23 points per game, while Florida State averages 41.6. Demond Claiborne has ran the ball 99 times for 471 yards and 5 touchdowns, spitting carries with Justice Ellison. Ellison has 76 carries for 348 yards. Both of them should have a big game as Wake has leaned more on the running game than passing game. Mitch Griffis has thrown for 1,211 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Griffis didn’t play last week against Pitt due to injury, but will play in this one. It doesn’t matter if he plays or not, as Florida State wins, 48-20. Odds: FSU -20.5, O/U 52
  20. Iowa State @ Baylor - This will be the “Big 12 Mid Game of the Week” (cue angelic music). I’m calling it that because either the other Big 12 games have at least one interesting and intriguing storyline or is just a marquee matchup. A game like this has seemingly happened every week, so I decided to start this series inside of a series. Unless you’re a fan of these teams, you’re not going to watch this game. Also, both teams are also mediocre, with maybe 1 or 2 real star players that get non-local media attention. Now that you’re briefed on what this game means, let’s get into the teams. Iowa State was affected by a gambling scandal this offseason, and much like gambling, their season has been a roller coaster. Iowa crushed FCS Northern Iowa, before 2 straight losses, one of them being a rivalry game against Iowa. They snuck by Oklahoma State to open up conference play, before a 30 point loss to Oklahoma. They’ve won 2 straight, and had a bye week last week. They now sit near the top of the Big 12 standings, which is right where their defense is. They allow 329 yards per game, first in the Big 12. They also allow 20 points per game, which is fourth. Iowa State only has 12 sacks, which is tied for second worst with Houston. However, they make up for this with 12 interceptions, tied for first with Oklahoma. Jeremiah Cooper has 5 of those, leading the Big 12. The offense isn’t nearly as good as the defense. They average 329 yards per game, the same amount their defense allows. 117 of those are rush yards, with their leading rusher, Eli Sanders, only having 263 yards. He also has 2 touchdowns and 59 carries. He has been spilling carries with Cartevious Norton. Norton has 218 yards and 61 carries, no touchdowns. The Big 12 is a very run-happy conference, so this is really bad when compared to conference opponents. As for Baylor, they’re just like Iowa State, with some rushing concerns. Their leading rusher is Dominic Richardson, who has 63 carries for only 255 yards. He’s also spitting carries with someone else, that being Richard Reese, who has 52 carries for 241 yards and 2 touchdown. Baylor averages 115.6 rush yards, and 285 pass yards. They’ve had a revolving door at quarterback because of injury. Blake Shapen has came back from his injury, throwing for 1,236 yards and 5 touchdowns in just 4 games. He’s also ran for 3 touchdowns. Baylor’s offense is much better than Iowa State’s, but the Bears’ defense is their Achilles heel. Iowa State wins, 28-17. Odds: ISU -3, O/U 47
  21. Maryland @ Northwestern - Maryland has a nice surprise this season, and Northwestern has done slightly better than everybody expected. An offseason scandal and a bad 2022 led to many people picking Northwestern to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten. They were destroyed week one against Rutgers, but then blew out UTEP the next week. UTEP is bad, so that’s not surprising. The next week the lost to Duke, and we’re down by 21 twice the next week against Minnesota. They came back, eventually winning 37-34. They got destroyed by Penn State the next week before barely beating Howard. Coming off the bye week, they faced Nebraska, and lost, even though you could make the claim that they played better. Nobody was expecting them to win 2 of their games, because the media, including me, thought they might be the worst power 5 program. Even though they’re not, their offense is really bad. 300 yards of total offense per game is second worst in the Big Ten, with only Iowa having less. 100 of those are rushing yards yards, and only 2 players have 100 or more rushing yards. one of this players is Anthony Tyus III, who only has 103 rush yards, so just barely over 100. The other player is Cam Porter, who has 83 carries for 319 yards and a touchdown. He had a bad game last week, so look for him to get a lot of touches. As for Maryland, they’ve been led by star quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa has thrown for 1,926 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 picks. He’s also ran for 4 touchdowns. Maryland won 8 games last year, and with a win Saturday, they can reach bowl eligibility. Roman Hemby, their leading rusher, has 84 carries for 414 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’s another big reason why Maryland has been so good this season. Not much to say about Maryland other than what I already mentioned and that their defense gets it done when they need to. Maryland reaches a bowl game, winning 34-21. Odds: MD -14, O/U 48.5
  22. Purdue @ Nebraska - Purdue and Nebraska will square off in what will be one of the most stereotypical Bug Ten West matchup this week. Starting with Purdue, it’s their first year under new head coach Ryan Walters, so not everything is going to go right, but there is time. One thing that’s not going right is the play of Hudson Card. Card’s thrown for 1,617 yards, but 7 touchdowns and 5 picks. He has  also ran for 3 touchdowns. Card’s pool of wide receivers to throw to isn’t bad, as Deion Burks has 5 touchdowns. Nebraska needs to key in on him. Another bad thing for Purdue is their defense. They allow 395 yards per game, second worst in the Big Ten. They also allow 30 points per game, worst in the conference. Purdue is also really bad on 3rd downs, which is something Nebraska should also key in on. Since taking over for Jeff Sims, Heinrich Haarberg has looked so much better. He’s thrown for 716 yards, but 5 touchdowns to 4 picks. he also leads Nebraska in rushing with 424 yards and 4 touchdowns, all on 85 carries. He struggled last week, going 8/17 for 85 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. He did have 16 rushes for 72 yards and a touchdown. If he keeps on running out, the hits are going to pile up. He’s only completed 51.3% of his passes, so Purdue can hopefully force more incompletions from him. Nebraska is much better at running than passing, as Anthony Grant is their leading running back, with 70 carries for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns. Nebraska is good at stopping the run, but inconsistent play from Haarberg leads to the 24-18 win for Purdue. Odds: NEB -1.5, O/U 39.5
  23. Miami of Ohio @ Ohio - Another MAC matchup, this one is surprisingly not on a Tuesday night. Both are 6-2, and whoever wins this game takes control the East division in the MAC. Both teams are led by their star quarterbacks. For Ohio, it’s Kurtis Rourke, who’s thrown for 1,343 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 5 picks. He’s also ran for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns. For Miami of Ohio, it’s Blaine Gabbert, who’s thrown for 1,634 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 5 picks. He’s ran for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both of these players are the reason why their teams are at the top of the MAC East, but Ohio’s better defense might give them the edge. M-OH allows 331 yards per game, while Ohio allows 261. Ohio also allows 81.4 rush yards per game, which is a main reason why Ohio pulls out the win, 24-16. Odds: OHIO -7.5, O/U 39
  24. (5) Washington @ Stanford - Washington had the worst game of their season last year, scoring only 15 points, and their only touchdown came on defense. Everybody knows how well Michael Penix Jr. has played, but he struggled last week, and I talked more about him in the Heisman section, so go check that out. Just as it seemed like Washington’s rushing game was improving, they fell back to earth in the close win. They had 13 total rushing yards. That stat is even worse when you realize that those yards all came from one player, that being Will Nixon. Dillon Johnson is their leading rusher, with only 346 yards and 5 touchdowns. He did have 6 yards last week, but the rest of the team nullified that by losing yardage. It was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless. They’ve been dominate all season, but if it becomes a habit of playing down to lesser competition, they’re going to get upset. That might happen this week, as Stanford has already came back to upset a team earlier this season. That was against Colorado, and Elic Ayomanor had a big game against the Buffs. He caught 13 passes for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. He followed that up with another good performance, which included 8 catches for 90 yards against UCLA. Look for him to have a big game. Stanford has been destroyed by pretty much every team they’ve lost too, so I doubt there is going to be an upset this week. Stanford allows 466 yards per game, which when matched up with one of the best offenses in the country, it’s not going to end well. They have one of the worst defenses in the country, and Washington bounces back, winning 49-17. Odds: WASH -27.5, O/U 61
  25. (24) USC @ California - It seems like USC’s defense will just continue to get worse and worse. We all know how bad Utah’s offense has been without Cam Rising, but that didn’t stop Alex Grinch from acting like the grinch. It’s like he stole USC’s season from them, because their defense is the reason they aren’t winning. Sure, Caleb Williams has struggled, like in the first quarter against Arizona and the whole Notre Dame game, but it’s mainly the defense. Against Utah’s horrific offense, they allowed 482 yards and 34 points. I’m sure that if the USC defense faced Iowa’s offense, Iowa would score on more than half of the drives. That’s impressive for the Iowa offense. Everybody knows the story of Caleb Williams, and because he’s not in the Heisman section, I’ll talk about him for a little bit. He’s thrown for 2,277 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 4 picks. He’s also ran for 7 touchdowns. He’s had his struggles of recent, but is still one of the best quarterbacks in college. He’s one of the reasons why USC averages 480.4 yards per game, but when you have a defense as bad as USC’s you kinda have to put up yards and points. The defense allows 407.6 yards per game and 30.5 points per game. They have to fix that, but that’s what I’ve been saying for a while now, just like everyone else. Cal also has a bad defense, allowing 393.4 yards per game and 31 points per game. Cal isn’t under a microscope like USC is, so you don’t really hear much about it other than if you’re a fan of the team. They do it slightly better on offense, with Jaydn Ott being one of the best running backs in the Pac 12. He has 104 carries for 602 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Isaiah Ifanse has 7 touchdowns. Ifanse also has 357 yards off 65 carries. With all of the negative momentum USC has, you might be inclined to pick Cal to win it. I disagree, as USC wins, 42-28. Odds:  USC -10, O/U 66.5


My top 5 Heisman favorites


  1. Michael Penix Jr. - Penix, to put it lightly last week, struggled. Entering the Arizona State game, he had a 72% compl percentage, 384 pass yards per game, 20 passing touchdowns, and 3 turnovers. Last week, he completed 64.3% of his passes, had 275 yards, 0 passing touchdowns, and 3 turnovers, one of them being his first fumble on the year. He now has 2,576 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 5 picks. He leads the country in passing yards, which always helps his chances at the Heisman. There’s nothing wrong with a down game, but the Heisman is his to lose. If Penix continues to play bad, he could fall on this list. 
  2. Bo Nix - Nix and Oregon started out slow last week against Washington State, but got things going in the second quarter. Nix threw for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns last week, while adding 1 on the ground. Nix made his 54th career start, the most in NCAA history. Nix has now thrown for 2,090 yards, 19 touchdowns, and an interception. Oregon is now bowl eligible, and still has a good chance to make the CFP. Not much to say about Nix other than he has the weapons around him, and if Michael Penix Jr. slips up again, he can jump up to number one.
  3. Dillon Gabriel - Gabriel and Oklahoma survived, and have a tough schedule the rest of the way. Last week, against UCF, Gabriel threw for 253 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a pick against his old team. Oklahoma won 31-29, but they have a tough schedule coming up. Gabriel has thrown for 2,131 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He’s also ran for 230 yards and 5 touchdowns. He already had a statement win and a Heisman moment, but with 2 close wins back to back, it’s going to be interesting to see how Gabriel plays down the line. 
  4. Jayden Daniels - I haven’t put Daniels in this list because of LSU’s two losses, but Daniels has been playing great. He’s thrown for 2,573 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 3 picks. He’s also ran for 521 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was the reason why LSU were that close to beating Ole Miss, but LSU’s defense took them out of it. LSU has a bye week this week before taking on Alabama, which is LSU’s last real test on the season. I doubt they make the SEC championship, but could squeak into a NY6 bowl game. The play of Daniels directly impacts their chances. 
  5. Ollie Gordon II - This might be far-fetched, and it probably is, but Gordon is only in his second year of college football, but he is special. It seems like every week, he gets better and better. Against Kansas, he had one of the best running back stat lines you’ll ever see. He had 29 rushes for 168 yards and a touchdown. That’s nothing special, but he had 6 catches for 116 yards and another touchdown. He followed that up with 29 more rushes for 282 yards. He didn’t have any catches, but he made up for it with 4 rushing touchdowns. Gordon is the first Oklahoma State player with 250 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in a game since 2010. Half of his touchdowns came from outside the red zone, including a 53 yard touchdown run to seal the win. Gordon now has 116 carries for 816 yards and 8 touchdowns. The yards are 8th in the country and 4th in the Big 12, but most teams in the Big 12 run the ball very well.  His appearance on this list might be short lived, but for right now, he has all the momentum.
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