The Ole College Try

 

This is why we love football.  Even during a week in which there are not very many marquee matchups, three of the unbeaten fall.  Always something exciting going on, and I am here to try to recapture some of it.

Welcome to the Ole College Try, which is my take on college football via a weekly column on college football after each weekend's games.  The column is meant to be a recap of the season to date, with an emphasis on last week's games.  I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous (is there any other kind of ludicrous, besides Ludacris?) that the networks, including the World-Wide Leader, nay, especially the World-Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season at the expense of everything else.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Darian Mensah - Miami - Many expected Miami to struggle against a Pittsburgh defense that many think is the best in the NCAA, which it certainly is against the run.  How did Miami and Mensah fare in their first week occupying the number 1 spot in the polls?  Miami won 52-23, and all Mensah did was go 31/37 for 387 yards and 4 TDs.  Easily the highest ranked QB in the Heisman watch.

Rising - Keelon Russell - Alabama - This freshman is GOOD!!!  He went 19/30 for 311 yards and 3 TDs as Alabama bounced back to defeat Texas A&M 31-20.  He does not have much margin-for-error, however, as a third loss likely knocks the Crimson Tide out of the playoffs.

Sleeper - Sam Leavitt - LSU - Is it possible that now that the Lane Kiffin Hype Train has evened-out some that we can actually watch this team be good without all of the unnecessary Lane Kiffin?  Leavitt was 32/45 for 287 yards and 3 TDs as LSU routed Auburn 38-17.

Falling - Connor Weigman - Houston - He didn't play a bad game against Utah (19/35 for 282 - 0TDs/0INts), but any chances he had were always tied to winning, and Houston's second loss of the season knock them out of the playoff conversation.

Running Back Edition

Favorite - DeSean Bishop - Tennessee - Keeps the train running with 120 yards and 1 TD on 32 carries, leading the Volunteers to a 27-24 victory over South Carolina.

Rising - Kendrick Raphael - SMU - Raphael is helping keep the Mustangs in the ACC and playoff conversation with his running, this time with 104 yards and 2 TDs in SMU's 59-20 victory over California.

Falling - Turbo Richard - Indiana - As the love for the Hoosier's repeat dips thanks to a narrow victory over Michigan (13-6), Richard has to do better than 68 yards on 19 carries for Indiana to keep winning, and make the playoffs.

Sleeper - Anthony Woods - UCLA - The Bruins remain unbeaten in large part to Woods running (112 yards on only 14 carries) as UCLA defeated Michigan State 28-10.

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Jeremiah Smith - Ohio State - Still the overall favorite for the Heisman, even after a bye week!

Rising - Malachi Toney - Miami - Toney torched Pittsburgh defense setting a team record for single-game receptions with 16, for 194 yards and 3 TDs.

Sleeper - Ryan Wingo - Texas - Has fast become Arch Manning's favorite receiver, and the Longhorns needed every one of his 7 catches for 111 yards and TD to defeat Mississippi 34-27.  

Falling - Cam Coleman - Texas - Still falling, as he has been replaced as Texas' number 1 receiver (See Wingo, Ryan).  Coleman - who was widely seen as the third-best receiver behind Jeremiah Smith and Malachi Toney coming into this season - had a single catch for 12 yards in this week's victory.

Defensive Edition

5.  Colin Simmons - EDGE - Texas - The best defensive player in college football, but currently out with an ankle injury.  Still the NCAA FBS leader in sacks, though, with 10 1/2 sacks.

4.  Kaleb Beasley - DB - Louisville - Now up to 5 interceptions on the season, tying him for the FBS lead.

3.  Andrew Zock - EDGE - Toledo - Of all of the leaders on the sack board (Zock is T-4th with 8), he has the most tackles on the season with 46, showing that he isn't just a pass rusher.  

2.  Stone Hala - LB - San Diego State University - Hala has taken over the FBS lead in tackles, with a total of 83 on the season.

1.  Malik Hartford - S - UCLA - Had a superb well-rounded game in the defensive backfield, finishing the game with 7 tackles, 1 pass defensed, an interception and a touchdown, and finished with a 91.8 PFF grade, as UCLA remains undefeated.

  

Player(s) to Watch

Javion Mallory - RB, Miami.  Sharing the backfield with the Uber-talented Mark Fletcher, Girard Pringle and Jordan Lyle, Mallory is very noisely making his appearances felt and really making the coaching staff call his number, this week with 47 yards and 2 TDs on only 7 carries.

My New Favorite Player
Noah Fifita - QB - Arizona - Not only does he have a really fun name to say, Fifita is balling for the ranked Wildcats, finishing this week's 39-3 victory over Iowa State with 308 yards and 2 TDs on an efficient 27-37 passing.

Players of the Week

6.  Tayven Jackson - QB - North Texas - Threw for 305 yards and 3 TDs against Navy, and compiled PFF's highest offensive grade of the week.

5.  Keelon Russell - QB - Alabama - 19-30 for 311 yards and 3 TDs.

4.  Charlie Smith - QB - Harvard - He finished 22/28 for 230 yards and 2 TDs, as the Crimson coasted to an unexpectedly easy 35-7 victory over Princeton, which was then tied for first with Harvard for the Ivy lead.

3.  Keyone Jenkins - QB - UCF - 25-41 for 293 yards and 3 TDs in the air, an additional 35 yards on the ground, and a 39-31 upset over then #2 ranked and previously unbeaten BYU.

2.  Darian Mensah - QB - Miami - 31-37 for 387 yards and 3 TDs.

1.  Malachi Toney - WR - Miami - 16 catches, 194 yards and 3 TDs.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Everyone involved in the ending of the UCF upset of BYU.  Yes, including the winning Knights.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
See above!

Seriously Mike Locksley (Maryland)/Dave Doeren (NC State)/Dave Aranda (Baylor)

All three gentlemen were fired by the administrations listed besides their name.

Predicted Playoffs Semi-Final Match Ups (By Seeding Only)

(1) Ohio State v. (4) Miami/Notre Dame (2) v. Georgia (3) 

Final Unbeatens

FBS - Miami, UCLA, Utah

FCS - Harvard, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State

Rant(s) of the Week

What the Hell Went on at the end of the BYU-UCF game?  Just egregious!

 

Under Performance of the Week

BYU Cougars.  I get it; an emotional comedown after a very emotional home win late against Notre Dame, then traveling cross-country to an average-at-best UCF team is difficult.  But, if you want to stay in the playoff conversation in a conference that has A LOT of teams within a game or two, you have to find a way to win these games.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

This was upset week, so let's ask a question about upsets.  When was the last time an AP #1 ranked team lost to an unranked opponent, who lost and who won?

September 26, 2008 (149 games) - Oregon State beat USC 27-21 in Corvallis, Oregon

Trivia Question of the Week

Malachi Toney set a University of Miami single-game record for receptions with 16 against Pittsburgh this week.  Whose record did he break?  Meaning, who previously held the Miami single-game record for receptions?

Match-up(s) to Watch

6. Harvard v. Dartmouth - As has been the norm, so long as Harvard is undefeated, they will remain on this list.  For the second week in a row, Harvard plays the team that sits just below it in the conference standings; albeit this time it is the Dartmouth Big Green.  This game fills the coveted "Ivy League Friday Night" time slot - so all eyes of the conference will be on this matchup.

5. Minnesota v. Indiana - Both teams have one conference loss in a league with 6 such teams with one loss or better.  The winner of this game makes a strong play for the conference championship game.  The loser has a way bigger hill to climb.

4. Arizona v. Texas Tech - With Texas Tech losing at Cincinnati this week, this becomes a ranked-on-ranked matchup, with both teams in serious contention for the Big 12 conference championship game.

3. Miami v. North Carolina - Can the defensive genius that is Bill Belichick do anything to stop Malachi Toney?

2. Utah v. Cincinnati - Cincinnati hosted and defeated one of the last six undefeated teams in Texas Tech this week.  Can they do it again with one of the last three undefeated teams?

1. Florida v. Georgia (in Atlanta) - The Artist Formerly Known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party!