College Football Week 15 Recap

This was the last week of the regular season, and it was a fun one. Most of the games were conference championships, but they were fun. We'll get into the playoff forecast and all that, but we will also focus on the Heisman and other things. Since it was a small week, we're shortening the notable games and notable performances sections. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

The biggest game of the week was the SEC Championship, featuring #1 Alabama and #16 Missouri. As I said last week, I believe 'Bama is the best team in the country, and they proved it against Mizzou. The Tide won 42-13 to win the SEC title and secure a spot in the playoffs.

#4 Florida State faced one of their toughest games of the season when they took on #11 Georgia Tech with the ACC Championship on the line. Though the Yellow Jackets put up a great fight, the 'Noles hung on to secure a spot in the playoffs.

#5 Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship after destroying #13 Wisconsin in the title game. Remember, the Buckeyes were being led by their third-string QB, who had thrown only 19 passes in his collegiate career up to this point.

#22 Boise State handed unranked Fresno State their seventh loss of the season when they beat them 28-14 Saturday in the Mountain West championship game. The Broncos are now in the top 20 and have a shot at playing in one of the New Year's Day bowl games.

#2 Oregon and #7 Arizona met for the Pac-12 Championship on Friday night. The Ducks avenged their regular season loss to 'Zona by whooping the Wildcats 51-13 and earning a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoffs.

Notable Performances:

#20 Oklahoma and Oklahoma State met on Saturday in a Big 12 conference game. The Sooners were favored, but the Cowboys pulled out the upset to become bowl eligible. The deciding factor for OSU: a 92 yard punt return touchdown by Tyreek Hill, who had more than 200 yards in the game, which came from receiving, rushing, and returning.

#6 Baylor defeated #9 Kansas State to earn a share of the Big 12 championship. Helping lead the Bears to victory was senior receiver Antwan Goodley, who had nine catches for 116 yards and one score, a kick return for 19 yards, and one rush for 33 yards.

Baylor is co-champions with #3 TCU, who defeated Iowa State to earn a share of the Big 12 title. A big reason the Horned Frogs: Derrick Kindred who had three tackles and one interception, which he returned for 44 yards and a TD.

Heisman Watch:

Marcus Mariota is going to win the Heisman. It's as simple as that. No one has been more outstanding than him this season. It's very possible he could be the first ever unanimous Heisman winner. That's right, no one has ever won the Heisman unanimously, though Reggie Bush and Troy Smith did come close (both got more than 90%). Who else but Mariota deserves a first-place vote? J.T. Barrett suffered a season-ending injury last week, Jameis Winston had a terrible off-the-field season, Melvin Gordon was abysmal against OSU, Trevone Boykin isn't playing in the playoffs, and Cody Kessler lost too many games. Of course, it's no guarantee it will be unanimous. There is always some voter who will vote for someone else, either because they're trying to make a name for themselves or don't believe anyone should win the Heisman unanimously. Be that as it might, let's look at our final Heisman watch. The list is down to four competitors, and the top three are all going to New York. The players who dropped out: Dak Prescott, Cody Kessler, Gerod Holliman (none of them played this week), Jay Ajayi (he had an unspectacular game against Fresno State, and Bryce Petty (who will not be playing in the playoffs).

4. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 4)- Boykin had an excellent game against Iowa State. Not only did he throw for 460 yards and four scores, he also had the first receiving touchdown of his career. If he was playing in the playoffs, he would at least be #3 on this list.

3. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 3)- Cooper didn't score against Mizzou, but he did have 12 catches (an SEC title game record) for 83 yards. In doing so, he set the SEC single-season reception record with 115.

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconin (Last Week: 2)- Gordon could do absolutely nothing against the Buckeye defense, but he stays at #2. Remember, this guy had a fantastic season up to the Big 12 title game.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week- 1)- As I said before, Mariota is going to win the Heisman. He sealed the deal by accounting for five scores and 313 passing yards against Arizona in the Pac-12 title game.

Playoff Picture:

The playoffs are finally set. In the semi-finals, #1 Alabama takes on #4 Ohio State and #2 Oregon takes on #3 Florida State. The winners of those two games will meet in the championship. Ohio State moved into the four spot after TCU fell out of the three spot. What hurt TCU? Some speculate that it was the fact that it was co-champion, instead of winning the Big 12 outright. Baylor, the co-champion, should have won the championship outright. Had they won it, they could have made it into the top four.

How did OSU get into the top 4? Well for one, they destroyed Wisconsin. Had it been close, they might not have gotten the edge over a Big 12 team. The committee is supposed to take injuries into account, and the season-ending injury to J.T. Barrett could have been a crutch for the Buckeyes (no pun intended).

Games to Watch:

There are no games until December 20th, so I have just highlighted five bowl games which should be good.

Texas A&M and West Virginia take each other on in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Both of these teams were ranked earlier on in the season so they are both talented teams.On top of that, they both have talented offenses that could make this game really fun.

Notre Dame and LSU go one-on-one in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. The last time these two met, it was in the Sugar Bowl about eight years ago. LSU doesn't have a great offense, but good enough to make it interesting.

Washington and Oklahoma State are not exactly heralded teams, but they could have a fun encounter when they meet in the TicketCity Cactus Ball. The Cowboys are riding a hot streak since beating Oklahoma, and they could translate that to a win here.

Two top-notch teams clash when Kansas State takes on UCLA in the Valero Alamo Bowl on January 2nd. Both of these teams were considered playoff contenders at one point or another, so expect them to put up a good fight.

Georgia takes on Louisville in the Belk Bowl on December 30th, and this could be a great game. These are two talented teams which could be very good next year. This has the potential to be one of the best bowl games on the schedule.

Thanks for reading. Check back soon for more posts. 

College Football Week 14 Recap

This was the penultimate week of the college football regular season. Next week, most teams are not in action as the bulk of games being played are conference championships. As a result, this was a big week for a lot of teams. This week is also known as rivalry week, as a lot of rivalry games are played this week. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

The biggest game of the week was the Iron Bowl, which featured #15 Auburn travelling cross-state to take on #1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. These two had a great game last year and they had another fun game this year. Auburn kept it close, but 'Bama pulled away in the fourth quarter to seal the deal and avenge last year's loss.

Alabama will be playing in the SEC championship game next year against Missouri, the winners of the SEC East division. Missouri booked their spot in the title game by beating Arkansas 21-14. The Tigers are now ranked 16th.

Stanford has had a disappointing season this year, but they got a great win over #8 UCLA on Saturday. This caused the Bruins to drop seven spots in the CFP and knocked them out of the playoff hunt.

#13 Arizona State and #11 Arizona fought for the Territorial Cup and a spot in the Pac-12 championship game. The Sun Devils put up a great fight, but the Wildcats got a 42-35 win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

For the first time this season, Marshall is ranked. They entered the week at #24 and undefeated but are now unranked and have one loss. That loss came in overtime to Western Kentucky, ending the Thundering Herd's playoff chances.

The Georgia Tech/Georgia rivalry has not been very prevalent in recent years, but it was in full force this year. The #9 Bulldogs gave the #16 Yellow Jackets all they could handle, but Tech managed to pull off the upset and move up four spots in the rankings.

#18 Minnesota traveled to #14 Wisconsin to battle for the Paul Bunyan Axe and a spot in the Big Ten championship game. The Golden Gophers put up a good fight, but ended up losing 34-24. The Badgers will now play $6 Ohio State next week for the Big Ten title.

Notable Performances:

#9 Kansas State is still in the playoff hunt after their crushing 51-13 win over Kansas. Leading the way was QB Jake Waters, who went 21 for 27, accounted for more than 300 total yards, and had five scores. A performance like this next week could lead the Wildcats to a win, the Big 12 championship, and a spot in the playoffs.

Deshaun Watson hasn't been there all season for the Clemson Tigers, but he did account for four total touchdowns and go for 14/19 to end Clemson's streak of five straight losses to South Carolina, their in-state rivals.

#19 Ole Miss beat #4 Mississippi State to win the Egg Bowl and end the playoff dreams of the Bulldogs. A big reason Ole Miss won: receiver Evan Egram, who had five catches for 176 yards, giving him an incredible 35.2 average. Ole Miss is now #14 while Miss. State dropped six spots to number 10.

#25 Utah was challenged by Colorado, but the Utes hung on to make sure the Buffaloes ended their season without a conference victory. Sealing the deal for Utah was sophomore Dominique Hatfield, who had a pick-six in the fourth quarter.

You won't hear a lot about Buffalo's Joe Licata, but he had a great Friday night. Not only did he lead the Bulls to a 41-21 win over Massachusetts, but he went 20 for 27 and threw four touchdowns while doing it.

Heisman Watch:

I expected to make this list shorter, but it didn't happen, even though three players dropped off the rankings. Those three are Rakeem Cato (Marshall lost to Western Kentucky), J.T. Barrett (he suffered a season-ending injury on Saturday), and Brett Hundley (UCLA lost to Stanford). Barrett will probably still get some votes, but the fact that he won't be playing in the Big Ten title game or possibly a New Year's Day bowl game really hurts him. Let's see who made the list this week.

9. Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: NR)- Kessler has been on and off this list more than anyone else, but he earned this spot. However, since his regular season is over, he could drop off again next week, depending on how everyone else does. He could get some wins, however.

8. Gerod Holliman, Louisville (Last Week: NR)- Holliman was on the watch list a couple weeks ago, but he finally gets onto this list after picking up his 14th interception of the season, tying an FBS record. Oh, and that interception came with 35 seconds left in the game to seal the deal for his team.

7. Jay Ajayi, Boise State (Last Week: NR)- It may seem like a stretch to put Ajayi on this list, but he's earned it. He had five touchdowns for Boise State to help them win their division. He is also ranked fifth nationally in rushing yards, second in carries, and tied for second in rushing touchdowns. If he turns in a great performance in the Mountain West championship game, he could get invited to New York.

6. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week: 4)- Prescott didn't have a great showing against Ole Miss and his team lost, but Prescott has had a great season overall. He still has a shot at making it to New York, depending on how many finalists there are.

5. Bryce Petty, Baylor (Last Week: 9)- Petty jumps four spots after accounting for 215 total yards and two touchdowns against Texas Tech. The Bears are now ranked fifth and face #9 Kansas State next week in the unofficial Big 12 title game. A strong performance there could take Petty to New York and Baylor to the playoffs.

4. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 5)- Boykin moves up one spot after leading TCU to a big win over Texas. The Horned Frogs are now ranked #3 and are in position to make the playoffs. Boykin's regular season ends next week against Iowa State, and a great performance then will only help his case.

3. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 8)- Cooper makes a huge jump up the rankings after breaking the Iron Bowl receiving record. The Crimson Tide receiver is fourth in the nation in receiving yards, tenth in receptions per game, and eighth in receptions. Those stats may not seem enough to make him a Heisman finalist, but they don't account for how integral Cooper is to the Alabama offense.

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Gordon has had an absolutely amazing season so far, and he still has to play in the Big Ten title game next week. He leads the nation in rushing yards, yards per game, and rushing touchdowns, and is eighth in rushing yards per carry. Oh, and he also leads the nation in all-purpose yards. Gordon's a Heisman finalist if I ever saw one.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week: 1)- As impressive as Gordon's season is, Mariota is still the Heisman front-runner. Against Oregon State on Saturday, Mariota went 19 for 25, accounted for more than 400 yards, and scored six touchdowns to help Oregon win the Civil War. The Sports Examiner's player of the week is all but guaranteed to win the Heisman this year. However, it's not completely guaranteed. Remember, Mariota had a dud game earlier this season against Arizona, the team he faces on Saturday in the Pac-12 title game. And, Gordon plays Ohio State for the Big Ten title, and the Buckeyes are without QB J.T. Barrett. If Mariota lays an egg against Arizona and Gordon has another Gordon-like performance against ASU, Gordon just might walk away with the Heisman.

Playoff Watch:

Let me start with this: Alabama is the best damn team in the nation. Excuse my language, but it's true. Sure, Oregon may have a more explosive offense and Florida State may have a better special teams unit, but none of them are as complete as the Crimson Tide. So, even if Alabama loses the SEC title game to Mizzou, they will probably drop to #4 and still make the playoffs. Come on, what voter is going to pass up a two-loss 'Bama team over a one-loss Big 12 team?

Alabama is the only near-lock to make the playoffs (they might not make it if Mizzou blows them out of the water). If Oregon and FSU lose, they could be out. But does that mean Arizona and Georgia Tech are in? Not necessarily, as there are other teams to consider, such as TCU and the Big 10 champ. If either one of those teams lose, and #6 Ohio State beats #11 Wisconsin, the Buckeyes should make the playoffs.

So what will happen? Alabama will almost certainly make the playoffs. I think Oregon avenges their loss from earlier in the season and FSU stays undefeated. I think the last spot will go to either Baylor (if they beat K-State) or OSU (if they beat Wisconsin). TCU won't win the Big 12 title, and that hurts them. There's really no room for another SEC team.

Games to Watch Next Week:

Obviously, you have to watch the conference championship games. The biggest one could be the ACC title game between #4 FSU and #11 GA Tech. The 'Noles have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot and the Yellow Jackets are sneaky good, so an expect could be brewing.

On Friday night, #7 Arizona and #2 Oregon clash for the Pac-12 title. The 'Cats beat the Ducks earlier this year, so an upset would not all be surprising. But if the Ducks win, they're in the playoffs for sure.

#9 Kansas State travels to #6 Baylor for one of the biggest Big 12 games of the year. Both of these two teams are 7-1 in conference play and the eighth win would put them at the top. This could be the best game of the week.

#16 Missouri is making their second-straight trip to the SEC championship game. Last year, they gave Auburn all they could handle. This year, they take on #1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide may be the best time in the country, but the Tigers are pretty darn good themselves.

#22 Boise State (10-2) is still hoping to play in one of the six New Year's Day bowl games. In order to be considered for that, they'll need to beat Fresno State for the Mountain West championship. Don't write off Fresno State however, they could make things difficult for the Broncos.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back next week for the final Heisman watch and CFP predictions. 

College Football Week 13 Recap

Let's be honest right from the start: this wasn't a great college football week. There were only two match-ups where both teams were ranked and there were very few games that were really close. Still, it's my job to recap the week in college football, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

We start with #19 USC going cross-town to take on #9 UCLA. If the Trojans won, they would remain atop the Pac-12 South, if the Bruins won, they would move up to the top spot. Unfortunately for the Trojans, the Bruins were in control for most of the game and ended up winning 38-20 and are second in the Pac-12 South.

The biggest upset of the week was by far Arkansas, who has won only one out of their last 18 SEC games, beating #8 Ole Miss. The Bulldogs were at one point considered favorites to make the playoffs, now they're 8-3 and ranked 19.

In the recap for last week, I said to watch the Notre Dame/Louisville game. Not to brag, but that was arguably the best game of the week. The #24 Cardinals jumped out to an early lead, but the Irish came back and made it goal. Unfortunately for ND, they missed a late field goal and lost 31-28. Louisville is now ranked 22. 

Besides UCLA/USC, the only game between ranked Pac-12 teams was between #15 Arizona and #17 Utah. Though Wildcats freshman QB Anu Solomon, went down with an injury, Arizona still picked up a 42-10 win. The Wildcats are now ranked 11 while the Utes fell to 25. They are the only team on the CFP with 4 losses. 

#23 Minnesota edged #25 Nebraska in one of the most exciting games of the week. The Golden Gophers are now 8-3 overall, 5-2 in conference play, and are second in the Big Ten West, behind only Wisconsin. Could we see Minnesota play for the Big Ten title? It's certainly a possibility.

Coming off their upset over Texas A&M, #20 Missouri traveled to Knoxville to keep their dreams of two straight SEC East titles in a row. The Vols did put up a fight, but Maty Mauk and the Tigers held on for a 29-21 fight. Mizzou is now 6-1 in conference play, while Georgia (second in the division) is 6-2. 

While Missouri is trying to secure a spot in the SEC Championship, Wisconsin is trying to secure their spot in the Big 10 Championship. The #16 Badgers narrowly beat unranked Iowa 26-24 and kept their lead atop the Big Ten West. Second behind them is Minnesota, which is 5-2 in conference play.

Notable Performances:

In my recap last week, I told you to watch the Alabama/Western Carolina game, as it looked like it would be a total blowout. It wasn't as big of a blowout as expected, but the Crimson Tide still won pretty handily. Leading the way was sophomore Derrick Henry, who rushed for two touchdowns and had one reception.

UCLA may have beaten USC, but Arizona State is still first in the Pac-12 South. This week, they handed Washington State their eighth loss of the season in a 52-31 showing. The reason they won: QB Taylor Kelly, who threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns to lead the #13 Sun Devils to victory.

I spotlighted Brandon Doughty of Western Kentucky last week for his great performance against Army. His performance this week though, may have been even better. Against UTSA, he threw for 346 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

Florida has been struggling this season, there's no doubt about it. They did however, become bow eligible this week by whooping Eastern Kentucky 52-3. The Gators were led by Jeff Driskel, who was 9 for 11 and threw three touchdowns and zero picks. He also rushed for eight yards and one score. 

Boise State jumped on to the rankings this week after destroying Wyoming 63-14. Junior Jay Ajayi, who has been producing well all season, had three touchdowns and 202 total yards for the #23 Broncos.

Heisman Watch:

I finally did it: I got rid of one spot on the Heisman watch. If I did put someone there (probably Cody Kessler), it would have felt forced. He doesn't have any chance of winning the Heisman or making it to New York. By the way, Kessler was #10 last week, but he falls off after the loss to UCLA. Let's get started. 

9. Bryce Petty, Baylor (Last Week: 9)- Petty didn't have a great week, but he did account for three scores against Oklahoma State. If he wants to get invited to New York, Baylor will have to make the playoffs. 

8. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 6)- Cooper slips two spots after his performance against Western Carolina. He only had three catches for 46 yards before leaving with a bruised knee, The injury is not serious however, and he is good to go. 

7. Rakeem Cato, Marshall (Last Week: 9)- Well, it finally happened. Marshall is now ranked. The Thundering Herd is now ranked #24. Cato however, did not have a huge game against UAB. He only threw two touchdown passes and had one pick. 

6. Brett Hundley, UCLA (Last Week: 8)- Hundley moves up two spots after leading UCLA to a win over USC. He threw for four touchdowns and the Bruins are now ranked #8 and still have a shot at making the Pac-12 Championship game. 

5. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 5)- Boykin and his Texas Christian University Horned Frogs were off this weekend, so Boykin stays put at #5. If he wants to move up, TCU will have to make the playoffs. 

4. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week: 4)- After last week's slip, Prescott rights the ship after Mississippi State cruised to a 51-0 win over Vanderbilt. Prescott had four scores with 220 total yards for the Bulldogs. 

3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- Barrett went 25 for 35, threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 78 yards in OSU's win over Indiana. At this rate, Barrett is going to be invited to New York. 

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Gordon passed the 2,000 yard mark in Wisconsin's win over Iowa. Gordon is now the 17th person in FBS history to pass the 2,000 yard mark. He also had four catches for 64 yards. 

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week: 1)- At this point, Mariota is guaranteed to make it to New York. His performance this year has been nothing short of spectacular and his team is ranked second in the country.

Playoff Picture:

Alabama takes on Auburn in Week 14 in the Iron Bowl. This should be a great game with huge playoff implications on the line. If 'Bama wins, they are going to make the CFP for sure. If they lose, they're out, and Mississippi State could be in. However, if Missouri wins the SEC championship they could make the CFP. The SEC presence in the CFP is up for grabs.

Games to Watch Next Week:

Of course, we have to start with the Iron Bowl. Auburn and Alabama have one of the best rivalries in college football and their game last year was amazing. They should have another great game this year. And of course, there are playoff implications on the line.

The first game of the week for a ranked team  this week is #5 TCU visiting Texas. This could be a potential upset. Remember, Charlie Strong's squad gave UCLA all they could handle earlier this year.

Speaking of UCLA, they take on David Shaw, Kevin Hogan, Ty Montgomery, and the rest of the Stanford Cardinals. Stanford hasn't had a great year, but they still have a talented squad. Look for them to give the Bruins all they can handle.

One of the best games of the week could potentially be #16 Georgia Tech taking on their in-state rivals #9 Georgia. These two teams are still in the hunt for the playoffs, so the loser will be eliminated from the hunt.

The Pac-12 South is still up for grabs, and two of the teams still in the hunt are #13 Arizona State and #11 Arizona. If they still want to go to the playoffs, these teams HAVE to win this game and then beat Oregon for the Pac-12 title.

Thanks for reading. 

College Football Week 12 Recap

As the college football season draws closer to an end, every game becomes more and more imperative. One single play can derail an entire season. In light of this, The Sports Examiner will now have a playoff section where we will look at the playoff picture in detail. Also, the rankings that we use will be the CFP rankings instead of the AP Poll. Since we don't want to make the post too long, the notable games section will be shortened a little bit. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

The biggest game of the week was #1 and undefeated Mississippi State taking on #5 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Tide D really stepped their game up here, as they forced three turnovers and got a safety. As a result of this game, Alabama jumped four spots back up to #1 (their first time at the top of any poll this season) while the Bulldogs tumbled three spots.

TCU entered the week at #4, but slipped after their meeting with Kansas. The Horned Frogs did pick up the victory, but the 3-7 Jayhawks kept it very close, prompting the voters to drop Texas Christian a spot.

After their huge win over Notre Dame last week, many people believed Arizona State was going to make the playoffs. Instead, the #6 Sun Devils lost to Sean Mannion and Oregon State 35-27.  With that loss, ASU dropped to #13 and lost their perch atop the Pac-12 South.

Speaking of Notre Dame, the #18 Fighting Irish lost in OT to the Wildcats of Northwestern. This was ND's third loss of the season and it knocked them out of the rankings completely. Just a month ago, ND was one of only six undefeated teams left. Now, they're not even ranked.

Duke also fell off the rankings this week. Their tumble came as a result of a loss to Virginia Tech, which came into the game 4-5. The Blue Devils were once seen by many as the last possible team that could beat FSU before the playoffs, but now it looks like they will not get that shot.

Another team to fall off the polls: #24 Texas A&M. Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies were coming off a huge win over Auburn last week, but could not parlay that momentum into a win against Missouri. The Tigers won 34-27 and picked up their eighth win of the season. They are now ranked at 20 and are in position to repeat as SEC East champions. 

Arkansas entered the week at 4-5 and with a streak of 17 straight conference losses. After some close calls this season, they finally broke that streak by upsetting #17 LSU 17-0. That was the Tigers' fourth loss of the season and sent them spiraling off the rankings.

Notable Performances:

Florida State kept their perfect season alive by beating Miami (Fl) 30-26. It was very close, but the Seminoles eeked out the win. A big reason was freshman Dalvin Cook, who rushed for 92 yards and two scores. 

USC started the week unranked, but now find themselves at #19 after their 38-30 win over California. The gameball went to (or at least should have went to, I'm not really sure who it actually went to) QB Cody Kessler, who threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns. 

Western Michigan won their seventh game of the season by laying the smackdown on Eastern Michigan. Leading the way  was sophomore QB Zach Terrell, who went 17 for 19 through the air,  threw for 357 yards (leading to a great 18.8 average), threw four scores and zero picks, ran six times for 41 yards (a 6.8 average), and ran for a TD. In fact, his performance was so good, The Sports Examiner gives him their official seal of approval. 

Like USC, Oklahoma started the season unranked but are now ranked (they're now 21). The reason they're ranked: a 42-30 win over Texas Tech. The main reason they won:  Samaje Perine. His 213 yards on the ground made up for a shaky Sooners passing game.

Finally, let's give some love to Brandon Doughty of Western Kentucky. His three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown led WKU to a 52-24 win over Army. That gave WKU their fifth win of the season.

Heisman Watch:

Even though the season is drawing to a close, we still have ten players on our Heisman Watch, though this will no doubt change as the end of the season approaches. Like last week, Gerod Holliman of Louisville sits on the bubble. He'll need to pick off Everett Golson at least once on Saturday to get on this list. We also have one guy dropping off the list: Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska. His 69 rushing yards against Wisconsin simply didn't cut it.

10. Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: NR)- This may seem like a weird pick, but Kessler (a dark-horse Heisman candidate at the beginning of the year) has had a great year. Only eight players have more TD's than him and he has only thrown three picks.

9. Bryce Petty, Baylor (Last Week: 8)- If both Petty and Hundley had the week off, how did they switch places? Simple, UCLA moved up to second in the Pac-12 South, meaning that if they beat USC on Saturday, they'll most likely play Oregon for the Pac-12 championship. But if Petty puts up big numbers against Oklahoma State on Saturday, he could move right back up.

8. Brett Hundley, UCLA (Last Week: 9)- As I just stated, the opportunities for Hundley to shine are right there, If he can take advantage of them, he'll move up nicely in the Heisman Watch. First off: a game for control of the Pac-12 South with USC.

7. Rakeem Cato, Marshall (Last Week: 7)- It seems like no one is paying attention to Cato or Marhsall anymore, but Marshall is still undefeated and Cato is still playing quite well. Against Rice, he threw for four touchdowns and accounted for more than 300 yards.

6. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 6)- Cooper had a nice game against the Bulldogs (eight catches for 88 yards and a score), but he stays put at #6. If he puts up big numbers against Western Carolina (which he should), he should crack the top five.

5. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 5)- TCU struggled against Kansas, but they still won. Boykin's passing game was good (330 yards, one touchdowns, and one INT) but he struggled on the ground (11 rushes for two yards).

4. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week: 2)- Prescott falls two spots after being picked off thrice by the Crimson Tide. If he wants to reclaim his top spot, he'll need a big showing against Vandy on Saturday.

3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State (Last Week:4)- If you look at the season this guy has had, it's really hard to argue that he should not make the trip to New York. And remember, this guy has only been the starting QB for about 85 days.

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (Last Week: 3)- Gordon moves into the two spot after a simply phenomenal showing against Nebraska. He rushed for four scores and an FBS-record 408 yards, leading his Badgers to an impressive 59-24 win.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week: 1)- As good as Gordon's week was, Mariota still stays in the top spot. He'll have a chance to bolster his stats next week against Colorado as he waits to see who he will face in the Pac-12 title game.

Playoff Picture:

After their win against Mississippi State, Alabama moved up to #1. In order to keep their top spot, they'll need to win the Iron Bowl and the SEC Championship. If they do lose one of those games, they could miss the playoffs entirely, seeing as they already have one loss.

Right after Alabama are Oregon and Florida State, respectively. Out of the two, FSU has an easier path to the playoffs. Georgia Tech is sneaky good, but not on the level of UCLA and USC. It's the fourth spot that is tricky. Right now, it's occupied by Mississippi State, which makes sense. They've only lost once, and that was to the current top team. If they don't win the SEC Championship however, expect the voters to give the last spot to either TCU or Ohio State (depending of course, whether or not they win their conferences).

But what if neither Alabama now Mississippi State win the SEC title? What if Missouri or Georgia wins. Missouri is currently ranked 20, but it is unfathomable to think of the playoffs without an SEC team in there. If 'Bama were to beat Auburn, Ole Miss were to beat Mississippi State, and Missouri beat 'Bama in the SEC title game, we could even see both the Tigers and Tide in the playoffs.

Games to Watch Next Week:

#24 Louisville goes up to South Bend to take on the Irish. The Irish are still smarting after two straight losses, and a win over Louisville would most likely put them back in the rankings. This could be one of the best games of the weekend.

A lot of FBS teams trip up against Division II and Division III teams, such as Florida last year. Alabama however, has absolutely no problem against these teams. In fact, they completely dominate them. That's what makes it fun to watch. Expect a brutal beat-down when they take on Western Carolina on Saturday.

Duke and North Carolina will be meeting on Thursday in what should be an interesting match. Neither of these teams are ranked, but they're both talented teams and should have an interesting encounter.

There is only one top ten team going against another ranked team this week, and that would be #9 UCLA taking on #9 USC. This is going to be the biggest game of the week, as Pac-12 South supremacy is on the line. If the Bruins win, their playoff dreams become a little bit more real and clearer.

Quick, who leads the FBS in passing yards? Not Boykin, not Petty, and not even Barrett. It's Connor Halliday of Washingston State. You'll get a chance to see his arm at work against #13 ASU on Saturday. The Sun Devils are ranked 26th in passing offense, so this could be a fun offensive-minded showdown.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check out other articles on this page and look for next week's recap. 

College Football Week 11 Recap

On paper, this looked like it would be a great week for college football. There were some match-ups between ranked teams with big playoff consequences. In reality, it was an exciting week, but not as good as it could have been. There was a lot of shake-up in the rankings. Speaking of which, we will now be referring to the CFP rankings, instead of the AP. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

LSU and Alabama have had some of the best games in recent years. They even played for the national title a few years ago. Their game on Saturday was no different. Blake Sims led a 50 yard drive in 50 seconds, capped by a game-tying field goal by Adam Griffith. The Tide then won the game in overtime, sending the Tigers to sixth in the SEC West.

The only other great game of the week featuring a ranked team featured #3 Auburn and Texas A&M. Kevin Sumlin has loved to play spoiler these last few years, and that continued on Saturday. Behind a great game by freshman Kyle Allen, the Aggies picked up a 41-38 win, seriously hurting Auburn's playoff chances. A&M meanwhile, moved up to 24.

#10 Notre Dame and #9 Arizona State were supposed to have a classic. Instead, the Sun Devils took a 34-3 lead in the second quarter and never looked back. ASU ended up winning 55-31 and now sits  at #6. ND meanwhile, dropped all the way to 18. Could we see two Pac-12 teams in the playoffs? It's certainly a possibility, with both Oregon and ASU playing well.

Speaking of Oregon, the #4 team in the country had an easy going against #17 Utah, dropping the Utes to 6-3, fifth in the Pac-12 South, and to #23 in the rankings. Oregon meanwhile, leapfrogged to the two spot and clinched the Pac-12 North.

The week started off with #21 Clemson visiting Wake Forest. Though the Demon Deacons kept things interesting, the Tigers broke away and won 34-20. Clemson is now ranked #19 and is behind only Florida State in their division.

#7 Kansas State took on #6 TCU in a battle of top ten Big 12 teams. Unfortunately for K-State, things went downhill pretty quickly. The Horned Frogs jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first and ended up winning 41-20. TCU is now ranked fourth and is second in the Big 12, only to Baylor.

Baylor meanwhile, easily dispatched of #15 Oklahoma quite easily. The #12 Bears won 48-14 and moved into the top ten. Oklahoma meanwhile, dropped off the rankings completely, even though they are 6-3.

Brett Hundley led #18 UCLA to a win over Washington, becoming the school's all-time leader in career touchdown passes. The Bruins are now ranked 11 and still have a shot at making the playoffs, though it will be tough.

One of the biggest upsets of the week was unranked Texas taking down #23 West Virginia. This is the best win so far of coach Charlie Strong's first year at Texas. This moved the Longhorns up to fourth in the Big 12 and moved West Virginia (now unranked) to fifth.

Not many people have paid attention to the American Athletic Conference now that East Carolina dropped off the rankings, but the conference does have some good teams. Leading the pack right now is 6-3 Memphis, who knocked off Temple 16-13. If Memphis does win the conference, they will surely be ranked.

Notable Performances:

We start with Army's Angel Santiago. He was only 2/3 for 38 yards, but his main contribution was on the ground. Santiago rushed 25 times for 97 yards and two scores, helping Army beat Connecticut 35-21.

Many experts believed Georgia was out of the playoff race after their star running back Todd Gurley was suspended, but the Bulldogs have actually done quite well since then. Their most recent win: A 63-21 thumping of Kentucky. Leading the way was Hutson Mason, who went 13-16 for four scores and zero picks.

Arizona entered the week at 19, but moved up five spots after beating Colorado 38-20. A big reason was freshman QB Anu Solomon, who accounted for 316 total yards and four passing touchdowns. Is it time he get a little Heisman love?

Isaac Blakeney had only three catches for #22 Duke in their conference game against Syracuse, but they went for a total of 94 yards and two scores. The Blue Devils are now ranked #19 and are one of the favorites to win the Coastal division.

You probably didn't know this, but Lousiana Tech is 6-0 in conference play and 7-3 overall. Granted, they do play in Conference USA, but that's still impressive. Their seventh win came over UAB in a game mainly controlled by the Bulldogs. Junior Kenneth Dixon had three scores on the ground and 17 yards receiving to help the Bulldogs win.

Heisman Watch:

We had a big shake-up this week, as two top six candidates (Everett Golson and Nick Marshall) fall off the list completely. We have two returning players to the list and only one guy on the bubble: Gerod Holliman of Lousiville, who had three interceptions against Boston College. He's a dark horse candidate, but he has a shot.

10. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska (Last Week: 10)- Abdullah stays at number 10 after a week of inactivity. Remember, he was injured in his previous outing, so that could affect his status for next week against Wisconsin. If he misses that game, his Heisman quest is done.

9. Brett Hundley, UCLA (Last Week: NR)- Hundley moves back into our list after putting up great numbers against Washington. Not only did he throw for 302 yards and two touchdowns, he also ran for 18 yards and two scores.

8. Bryce Petty, Baylor (Last Week: NR)- Petty is the second returning player on our list. He only threw one touchdown against Oklahoma, but his Bears are ranked #7 and first in the Big 12. If Baylor does make the playoffs, it can only help Petty's Heisman dreams.

7. Rakeem Cato, Marshall (Last Week: 8)- Marshall is 9-0, and Cato is a big reason why. Against Southern Mississippi, Cato had three scores and accounted for 278 yards of offense. If Marshall goes undefeated, Cato could get invited to New York.

6. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 7): Cooper didn't have a fantastic game against LSU, but the Crimson Tide won and Cooper had 8 catches for 83 yards and a score. Receivers are always long shots to win the Heisman, but Cooper definitely has a chance.

5. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 9)- Boykin enters the top five after leading TCU to a huge win over #7 Kansas State. The Horned Frogs are now ranked 4 and if they win out, will probably make the playoffs. If so, Boykin is a near lock to be a Heisman finalist.

4. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State (Last Week: 5)- Barrett moves up after showing up the stout Michigan State defense. Barrett accounted for five total touchdowns, leading his Buckeyes to a huge win over #8 MSU.

3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (Last Week: 3)- Gordon leads the country with 1,501 rushing yards and 166.8 yards per game. Those numbers won't guarantee him the Heisman, but they sure will help his case.

2. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week: 2)- Prescott had 260 total yards and three scores for Mississippi State in their win against Tennessee-Martin. The real test however, comes next week when he takes on Alabama. If the Bulldogs win, Prescott could once again become the Heisman front-runner.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week: 1)- The junior accounted for 300 yards and four scores as Oregon trounced #20 Utah. If Oregon wins the Pac-12 title, it's all but guaranteed that Mariota will be a Heisman finalist.

Games to Watch Next Week:

Notre Dame is still reeling from their loss to ASU. Northwestern is a sneaky good team that is ready to prey upon the unsuspecting Irish. The #18 Irish are heavily favorite, but the Wildcats could pull off the upset.

Duke Johnson has had a pretty great year so far. In fact, he could even be in the Heisman race. To further his candidacy, he and his Hurricanes of Miami (Fl) will have to beat #3 Florida State on Saturday.

The biggest game of the week is undoubtedly #1 Mississippi State travelling to take on #5 Alabama. The Bulldogs are undefeated while 'Bama has only one loss, so the winner's playoff aspirations will get a big boost.

#19 Clemson and #22 Georgia have been under-the-radar this season, but they are ranked (obviously). These two will clash in Week 12, and the loser will likely have their ACC Championship dreams dashed.

Texas A&M is now ranked #24 after upsetting Auburn last week. However, they now have to contend with 7-2 Missouri, who could actually win the SEC East. This could possibly be one of the best games of the week.

Thanks for reading, If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe, comment, and share. And of course, be sure to check in for next week's recap. 

College Football Week 10 Recap

This recap is a little late (sorry about that), but it's never too late to recap the week. Well sometimes it is too late, but in this case it's not. Week 10 was an interesting week in college football. It was the first week with the CFP rankings, so there was extra pressure to impress the committee. Let's get started with out weekly recap. As always, all rankings will be AP unless otherwise stated.

Notable Games:

The best game of the week was #4 Auburn visiting #7 Ole Miss. Both of them are ranked in the top four in the CFP, so this game had BIG playoff implications. These two teams gave everything they had, but it was Auburn that pulled out the win. Ole Miss dropped five spots while Auburn moved up to #3.

The first game of the week for a ranked team was #2 Florida State taking on Louisville, who was ranked 25th on the CFP. Louisville jumped to a 21-0 lead, but the Seminoles won 42-31. This dropped the Cardinals out of the rankings completely, while Florida State is still ranked second in both polls.

Arkansas gave first-place Mississippi State all they could handle. The Razorbacks jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but Dak Prescott threw for a career-high 331 yards to lead the Bulldogs to their eighth win of the season.

The biggest upset of the week was unranked Florida beating #9 Georgia. The Bulldogs came into this game as the favorites to win the SEC East division while Florida coach Will Muschamp was supposedly in danger of losing his job. Instead, the Gators rushed for 418 yards and snuffed out any chances Georgia had of making the playoffs.

Another big upset: 6-1 East Carolina (ranked #23 in the CFP) lost to Temple, ending any chances ECU had of making the playoffs. A big reason the Pirates lost: five turnovers, while Temple had zero.

The last game of Saturday night was Utah (ranked 17 in the CFP) and Arizona State (ranked 14 in the CFP) battling for control of the Pac-12 South. ASU won in overtime, moving them up to #9 in the CFP.

One of the best games of the week featured #10 Texas Christian University taking on #20 West Virginia University. The Mountaineers jumped to a 13-0 lead, but a field goal by Jaden Oberkrom as time expired lifted the Horned Frogs to a 31-30 victory. TCU is now ranked #6 in both polls and West Virginia is now ranked 24 in the AP.

Oregon has had some problems with Stanford in recent years, but there was no problem for the Ducks on Saturday. The fifth-ranked Ducks trounced Stanford, sending them to 5-4. Oregon is now ranked #4 in the CFP.

#11 Kansas State picked up a big conference win over Oklahoma State. The Wildcats looked very impressive in their 48-14 win over the Cowboys. K-State is now ranked #7 in the CFP and has a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

#24 Duke picked up a tough win over Pittsburgh in 2OT. The Blue Devils won 51-48, earning their seventh win of the season. Duke is on top of the ACC Coastal Division and will probably face Florida State for the ACC Championship.

Notable Performances:

In his first career start, freshman Brian Hill of Wyoming rushed for 281 yards and caught 106 yards. His two scores helped Wyoming beat Fresno State 45-17. The Cowboys are now fifth in the Mountain West Mountain division.

#19 Oklahoma picked up a huge win against Iowa State this week. Leading the way was QB Trevor Knight. He accounted for six total touchdowns, three from the air and three from the ground. In total, he had 376 yards.

#12 Baylor picked up a 60-14 win over unranked Kansas. Bryce Petty threw for three touchdowns, including two to Corey Coleman. Including one kick return, Coleman accounted for 188 total yards. The Bears are now ranked tenth.

Vanderbilt may be last place in the SEC West, but they beat Old Dominion 42-28. A lot of credit goes to freshman quarterback Johnny McCrary who went 20 for 29, 281 yards, and five touchdowns, all of which went to different receivers.

It's been a touch season for Michigan so far, but they did pick up a nice win over Indiana. Helping them win was #20 running back Drake Johnson, who rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns. U of M is now 4-5, meaning they will probably make a bowl game.

Heisman Watch:
There wasn't a lot of mix-up on the Heisman watch this week, though we did have one player slip six spots. The only player to fall out of the list this week: ECU's Shane Carden, who was scoreless against Temple. Unfortunately for the senior QB, his Heisman candidacy is dead. Now, let's look at the ten players who have the best Heisman shots.

10. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska (Last Week: 4)- Abdullah drops six spots after sustaining an injury in the first quarter against Purdue. Abdullah did not return, and his stats up to that point were disappointing: six rushes for one yard.

9. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 9)- Boykin stays locked into the ninth spot after a win over West Virginia. Boykin's stats weren't phenomenal (166 passing yards, two scores, and a pick) but he did help TCU pick up a good win.

8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall (Last Week: 8)- Marshall was off this week, so Cato remains at #8 on our list. If the Thundering Herd are able to stay undefeated and Cato continues to put up solid numbers, we could see him become a Heisman finalist.

7. Amari Cooper, Alabma (Last Week: 7)- 'Bama was off this week, but Cooper remains in the seventh spot on our Heisman watch. In order to move up this list, he'll have to put up big numbers against LSU in Week 11.

6. Nick Marshall, Auburn (Last Week: NR)- The Tigers QB finds his way back onto our rankings after Auburn's impressive win over Ole Miss. Marshall threw for a season-high 254 yards and had four touchdowns. If he keeps this up, look for him to get invited to New York.

5. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State (Last Week: 6)- The Buckeyes absolutely dominated Illinois, winning 55-14. Barrett only played for one half, as Urban Meyer decided to let sophomore Cardale Jones get some reps. However, Barrett still managed to rack up more than 200 all-purpose yards and throw for two touchdowns.

4. Everett Golson, Notre Dame (Last Week: 5)- Golson moves up one spot after accounting for six total touchdowns against Navy. If Golson wants to be a Heisman finalist, the Fighting Irish will have to win out and Golson will have to put up big numbers, both of which are very possible.

3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (Last Week: 3)- Gordon had a relatively quiet game against Rutgers, picking up 128 yards and two scores on 19 carries. He did leave the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury, but head coach Gary Anderson said later that he was fine.

2. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week:1)- The Bulldogs did beat Arkansas, but it was not an impressive win. Mississippi State is #1 in the country and Arkansas hasn't won an SEC game in two years. Prescott wasn't very impressive either (he had two picks), and slips out of the top spot as a result.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week: 2)- Mariota regains the top spot after an impressive win against Stanford. Not only that, the Ducks QB leads the nation in efficiency rating, is second in yards per pass attempt, and and is sixth in completion rate, At this point, this is Mariota's race to lose.

Games to Watch Next Week:

One of the biggest games of the week: #8 Notre Dame taking on #11 Arizona State. This game has big playoff implications, as both of these teams are on the bubble. The loser will have their playoff dreams dashed.

The best game of the week will probably be #4 Alabama and #14 LSU. These two teams are among the best in the country and will no doubt be giving it their all, as the winner will have great standing in the SEC West.

The biggest Big 10 game of the week is #13 Ohio State and #7 Michigan State. Both of these teams have playoff hopes, so this game has big implications. Both the Spartans and Buckeyes are 4-0 in conference play.

#6 TCU and #9 Kansas State square off in the biggest Big 12 game of the week. Both of these teams are on the playoff bubble, and a win here would add some steam to their campaigns. This has potential to be a really good game.

The best Pac-12 game of the week (notice a pattern here?) is between #5 Oregon Ducks and #20 Utah Utes. Oregon is one of the top teams in the country right now, but don't expect Travis Wilson and Utah to go down easily.

Week 11 has the potential to be a really exciting week, and hopefully, it is. 

College Football Week 9 Recap

First of all, sorry for the late recap, it took a while to get this post started. Now, let's get down to business. The last week of football wasn't as great as previous weeks. There were no real upsets and not a lot of games between ranked teams. Still, it was a fun week with some great games, exciting finishes, and prolific performances. We'll cover all that and more in this recap. Note: all rankings are AP polls, unless stated.

Notable Games:

One of the best games of the week was #5 Auburn taking on South Carolina. The Gamecocks may be unranked, but they still have talented players like Dylan Thompson and Mike Davis. Steve Spurrier's team pushed the Tigers to the brink, but a late INT by Jonathan Jones (his second of the game) sealed the deal for Auburn. The Tigers are now third in the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Another ranked team that was pushed to the brink by an unranked team was #25 UCLA. They beat Colorado (who is now 2-6) 40-37 in 2OT. Remember, USC beat Colorado 56-28 last week, so this is by no means an impressive win for the Bruins. They still stand at 25 on the polls.

Michigan State and Michigan squared off in their annual rivalry game. The Spartans have dominated the series as of late, and they continued that trend. MSU rolled to a 35-11 win behind Jeremy Langford's three running scores. Michigan State is #8 in both polls and has a great shot at making the playoffs.

Marshall continued its undefeated season by beating Florida Atlantic 35-16. The Thundering Herd trailed for the first time this year, but they managed to come back and keep their playoff dreams alive. They are ranked #23 in the AP Poll but unranked in the CFP.

Marshall, Florida State, and Mississippi State are the only undefeated teams left after #3 Ole Miss failed to leave Death Valley with a win. Bo Wallace threw a last-second interception to seal the deal for #24 LSU. The Tigers are now #16 while Ole Miss is now #7 and less than a hundred points behind #6 Notre Dame.

#13 Ohio State needed two periods of overtime to beat unranked Penn State. OSU is now ranked #16 in the CFP and ranked second in their division, the Big Ten East. The only team ahead of them in the division: Michigan State.

Clemson has been kind of an afterthought this season, but they are now ranked #22. They entered the week at #21, but they struggled against unranked Syracuse. They won 16-6, but they were not very impressive in the win.

The only game between top twenty teams was between #20 USC and #19 Utah. This was one of the best games of the weekend, as these two Pac-12 teams fought it out for Pac-12 supremacy. Utah won 24-21, propelling the Utes to #18 in the AP poll while knocking the Trojans off the rankings completely.

West Virginia wasn't expected to contend for the Big 12 Championship at the beginning of the season, but they are now ranked at 20 in both polls and second in the conference (behind only Kansas State). On Saturday, the Mountaineers beat Oklahoma State 34-10.

As for Kansas State, they struggled against Texas, but managed to win 23-0. The Wildcats are now ranked #9 in the CFP and #11 in the AP Polls. They're 6-1 and undefeated in conference play, making them real contenders for the playoffs.

Notable Performances:

Let's start with Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon, who threw for five touchdowns against Washington State on Saturday. Arizona is now ranked #12 in the CFP and is first in the Pac-12 South.

Alabama QB Blake Sims led the Crimson Tide to a 34-20 win against Tennessee. The senior threw for two scores and ran for another. Alabama is now 6-1, ranked third in the AP Poll, and third in the SEC West.

#14 Arizona State picked up its sixth win of the season by beating Washington 24-10. A big reason was freshman DB Armand Perry, who returned an interception 61 yards for a score. The Sun Devils are now ranked #14.

#1 Mississippi State kept its championship hopes alive by staving off unranked Kentucky. The Bulldogs held on for a 45-31 win. The difference? Josh Robinson, who ran for two scores and had one catch for 11 yards.

Western Kentucky may be 3-4 and sixth in their division, but they had an impressive 66-51 win against Old Dominion. Leading the way for them was quarterback Brandon Doughty, who threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns.

Heisman Watch:

First, let's give some love to some of the guys who missed out on the list, including Nick Marshall, who led Auburn to a 42-35 win over South Carolina. Now, the guys who dropped off the list: Kevin White (who had only 27 receiving yards on Saturday) and Bo Wallace (who threw three picks in a loss to LSU). And now, the updated Heisman watch.

10. Shane Carden, East Carolina- Carden didn't have a perfect game against Connecticut on Thursday, but he did throw for 445 yards and two touchdowns. He still has a shot at making it to New York, especially if ECU keeps winning.

9. Trevone Boykin, TCU- Boykin makes his debut on our list after throwing for an amazing seven touchdowns against Texas Tech and ran for 28 yards as his Horned Frogs accumulated 82 points in a romp.

8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall- Cato stays at #8 after a good, but not great, effort against Florida Atlantic. Marshall is still undefeated and ranked #23, and if they continue this streak, Cato's Heisman candidacy can only strengthen.

7. Amari Cooper, Alabama- Cooper dropped off the rankings on Week 8, but makes a return after a great showing against Tennessee. The WR had nine catches for 224 yards and two scores. It is hard for a wide receiver to win the Heisman. The last receiver to win the award was Desmond Howard in '91.

6. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- The OSU quarterback didn't have a great showing against Penn State (he accounted for three scores and two interceptions) but he did lead them to a win in a closely contested game.

5. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- The senior QB was out of action this week, but he returns on Saturday to play Navy. Golson will need a great game to continue his Heisman bid, a loss will send him spiraling down the rankings.

4. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- Abdullah accounted for 341 all-purpose yards, setting a new Nebraska record. The senior running back has accounted for nineteen total touchdowns this season and has been a big reason Nebraska is ranked #15 in the CFP.

3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Wisconsin may be unranked, but Melvin Gordon is still putting up great numbers. He accounted for 134 yards and three touchdowns, helping propel Wisconsin to a 52-7 win over Maryland.

2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- The Ducks QB had a great game against California. He went 18 for 30, threw for 326 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for 36 yards. While he did throw his first interception of the season, he led his team to an impressive victory.

1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- His team may still be undefeated and ranked #1, but Prescott is losing his grip after an up-and-down game against Kentucky. He passed for one score and had one pick while his Bulldogs barely won against Kentucky.

Games to Watch Next Week:

Notre Dame beat Navy 43 times straight before the Midshipmen righted the ship (ha). They have won three of the last seven meetings and could throw a wrench into Notre Dame's playoff dreams. The Fighting Irish are expected to win, but don't expect Navy to go down without a fight.

The biggest game is no doubt #4 Auburn visiting #7 Ole Miss. Both of these teams already have one loss, and another loss would almost definitely end playoff dreams. Ole Miss is expected to win, but don't expect the defending SEC champions to lose easily.

One of only two games between ranked Pac-12 teams is between #14 Arizona and #25 UCLA. Both of these teams are still in contention for the conference title, so the loser will most likely be dropped from the Pac-12 race.

#24 Duke is #1 in the ACC Coastal Division and has a great shot at meeting Florida State for the ACC Championship game. However, they have yet to clinch the division. What will help them do that is a win on Saturday against Pittsburgh, who is better than their 4-4 record suggests.

The best Big 12 game of the week will be between #10 Texas Christian University and #20 West Virginia. Both of these teams have dynamic offenses that are capable of putting up big points on the scoreboard.

This has the potential to be a great week, as there are some excellent games on the slate. Be sure to tune in and check out some of the games. 

College Football Week 8 Recap

Another fall weekend has come and gone, and with it came another exciting weekend of college football. Then again, when was the last time a week of football wasn't exciting? There are always notable games and big moments. We started the week with six undefeated teams and greeted the new week with only four. Heisman stocks rose and fell. Playoff hopes were born and crushed. You get the point. Let's get cracking.

Notable Games:

There was no bigger game than #5 Notre Dame and #2 Florida State. Both teams came in at 6-0 and had Heisman contenders who had never lost a regular season game at quarterback. It was a close game throughout, but Florida State squeaked out a win, 31-27. There is still a debate raging as to whether Notre Dame should have won, but a loss is a loss. The Irish are now #7, but their playoff dreams are still very much alive.

The other undefeated team that lost this week was #4 Baylor, and unlike Notre Dame, their game wasn't close. The Bears fell 41-27 to Clint Trickett and unranked West Virginia. Not only does this hurt Baylor's playoff hopes (they are now 12th in the polls and third in the Big 12), but West Virginia now has playoff hopes (though slight). The Mountaineers are now ranked #23 and second in the Big 12.

#3 Ole Miss found themselves down 3-0 to 3-3 Tennessee in the second quarter, but managed to pull it together. They picked up 34 unanswered points (including 14 in the second quarter) to stay undefeated.

The only new team in the top ten is #10 TCU, which started the week at 12. Why the boost? The Horned Frogs manhandled #15 Oklahoma State, sending the Cowboys spiraling out of the rankings. TCU is now 5-1 (their sole loss coming to Baylor last week), fifth in the Big 12 conference, and have a pretty good shot at making the playoffs.

The biggest win of the week was by #7 Alabama over #21 Texas A&M. The last two matches were close, but that was when Johnny Manziel played for the Aggies. Now, they are led by Kenny Hill, and Hill underwhelmed BIG TIME. His Aggies only drummed up 172 yards of total offense and put up a goose egg on the scoreboard.

Auburn didn't play on Saturday, but they still moved up to #5. Right behind them is #6 Oregon, who beat Washington 45-20. Many people had the 5-1 Huskies getting the upset, but the Ducks cruised to a great win. They are now less than 100 points from the top five, but also only nine points ahead of #7 Notre Dame.

The only meeting between two ranked Pac-12 teams this week was between #17 Arizona State and #23 Stanford. ASU lost to UCLA earlier this season, while Stanford picked up losses against USC and Notre Dame. So, both of these teams needed wins to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Sun Devils managed to keep their dream alive by winning 26-10. ASU is now in the top 15 and second in the Pac-12 South.

Taking Stanford's place at 23, is Marshall, who moved up two spots on the polls. They did so after beating Florida International 45-13. The Thundering Herd is now 7-0 and have a great shot at finishing the regular season undefeated. Next week, Marshall QB Rakeem Cato has the chance to become the first QB in NCAAF history to throw for a touchdown in 40 straight games.

LSU jumped back into the top 25 courtesy of their 41-3 win against Kentucky on Saturday. The Tigers had trouble earlier in the season, but are now 6-2 and look to be heading in the right direction. They do have some ground to cover, however. The Tigers are in the bottom half of the SEC West.

#13 Ohio State put on a great display against Rutgers. The Buckeyes won 56-17, giving them their 18th-straight Big Ten regular season win. OSU is behind only #8 Michigan State in their division, the Big Ten East.

Notable Performances:

The week started off in a big way, as #20 Utah took on Oregon State. This was a close game, but the Utes held on to pick up their fifth win of the season. Leading the way for them was running back Devontae Booker, who rushed for 229 yards and three touchdowns. The Utes are now ranked at 19.

When the season started, expectations for USC QB Cody Kessler were mixed. Some expected him to be a dark horse Heisman contender, others thought he would drop the ball. On Saturday, Kessler proved his doubters wrong by throwing for an amazing seven scores and 300+ yards to lead #22 USC over Colorado.

Readers of my blog know I'm a fan of Andrew Hendrix of Miami (OH), but this week it was the QB of the other side of the team that stole the show. Drew Hare of Northern Illinois was 12 for 16 and threw for one touchdown, ran for 180 yards and two scores, and had one catch for 18 yards.

Another guy who had a great day: Jaquez Johnson. The junior quarterback of Florida Atlantic threw for 325 yards and three scores. He also ran for 95 yards and two scores. FAU picked up its second conference win and is now third in its division.

One team that's been completely off the radar this season: Minnesota. This is surprising, seeing as the Golden Gophers are 6-1 and first in the Big Ten West. QB Mitch Leidner has been the leader of this team. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another one on Saturday against Purdue. Minnesota is now less than 60 points in the polls behind #25 UCLA.

Heisman Watch:

First off, let's give some love to the guys who just missed out on the list, including TCU QB Trevone Boykin, USC QB Cody Kessler, and UCLA QB Brett Hundley. And, let's look at the guys who dropped off: Todd Gurley (looks like he'll be suspended for the rest of the season), Jameis Winston (the public outcry against him has all but derailed his Heisman campiagn), Bryce Petty (he lost to West Virginia on Saturday), and Kenny Hill (he accounted for zero scores on Saturday). Now, to the new top ten list.

10. Shane Carden, East Carolina- Carden's East Carolina Pirates are ranked #18, mainly due to Carden's great work this season. He's accounted for 19 touchdowns and more than 2,200 yards of total offense. If ECU continues to win, expect Carden to move up this list.

9. Kevin White, West Virginia- White makes his debut on the list after a great showing against Baylor this week. He's been great this whole season too, 69 catches and 7 touchdowns. He leads the nation in receiving yards per game and is second in catches per game. It is tough for a wide receiver to win the Heisman, but White certainly has a shot.

8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall- There are only four undefeated teams left, and Cato is the QB of one of them. Furthermore, he has 2,135 yards of total offense and 24 total touchdowns. If Marshall finishes undefeated, which is looking extremely probable, look for Cato to get invited to New York.

7.  J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- When Braxton Miller went down with a season-ending injury, many thought Ohio State was doomed. In came Barrett, who has played sensationally. On Saturday, he threw for 261 yards and ran for 107 more. Barrett has a great shot at becoming the front-runner if he continues to play well and the Buckeyes keep winning.

6. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss- Wallace just misses out on the top five, though he does move up from last week. He didn't have a really great game against Tennessee on Saturday, but he did throw for 199 yards and lead his team to a 34-3 win.

5. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- Abdullah makes a huge leap into the top five after a productive weekend. The Nebraska back ran for four touchdowns and caught four passes. His Cornhuskers are now ranked #16.

4. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- He did lose to #2 Florida State on Saturday, but he played quite well. He threw for more than 300 yards and three scores, though he also had two picks. Nonetheless, Notre Dame is still in the top 10 and has a shot at making the playoffs.

3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Another Big Ten running back who is a true Heisman contender at this point, Gordon ran for 175 yards and four scores against Illinois on Saturday. If any back is going to make it to New York, it's this guy.

2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- The Oregon QB stays in the second spot after a great showing against Washington. He had a pretty poor ground game, but he did go 24 for 33, 336 yards, and two scores in the win.

1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- Prescott stays in the top spot after a week off. He'll be back in action next week on Saturday against Saturday. The real test however, comes in November 15th against Alabama.

Games to Watch Next Week:

The week starts off with a bang, as #18 East Carolina takes on UCONN. The Huskies are huge underdogs, but with former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco as their head coach, they could put up a fight.

There are only four undefeated teams left in the country, and the one most likely to fall on Saturday is #3 Ole Miss. They take on #24 LSU, a team that is very much on the rise. It'll be interesting to see if the Tigers can pull off the upset.

The Great Lakes State will be watching with bated breath as Michigan takes on #8 Michigan State in a big rivalry game. Michigan has been struggling this season, but beating the Spartans would really get their season back on track.

Besides LSU/Ole Miss, the only game between ranked teams is #20 USC and #19 Utah. These two teams need a win to keep their playoff and Pac-12 championship hopes alive. This could potentially be the game of the week.

The best Big 12 game of the week could be between #22 West Virginia and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys just dropped off the rankings recently, but are still a good team. They are definitely capable of picking up the win.

The slate doesn't look great for next week (especially compared to other weeks), but it could surprise us. You never know in college football.

College Football Week 7 Recap

After an absolutely crazy week last Saturday, a lot was expected of this week. Upsets were extremely possible and big games abounded. Week 7 may not have been as crazy as Week 6, but it was still a great week. There were some great games and a nice shake-up on the rankings, including a new top five. We also had a huge Heisman shake-up following the suspension of Todd Gurley (more on that later). As we always do, we'll take a look at the biggest games, individual performances, Heisman rankings, and a quick preview of next week.

Notable Games:

There was no bigger game this week than #2 Auburn and #3 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs came in to this game as the hottest team in the nation and left this game with even more fire. With a huge 38-23 win, the Bulldogs leapfrogged to #1 in the rankings with 45 first-place votes. Are the Bulldogs the new team to beat? It certainly looks that way.

Florida State was #1 at the start of the week, but now finds itself at #2, even though they beat Syracuse 38-20. It was a great win for the team, but the voters found the Bulldogs more worthy of the top spot. The 'Noles have been losing steam steadily over the last few weeks. They'll need to turn that around if they want to remain unbeaten.

Arkansas came into this week with 15 straight SEC losses. No one was really expecting them to challenge Alabama, but that's exactly what they did. They pushed the Crimson Tide to the very brink, but #7 Alabama hung on for the one-point win. It's been a heartbreaking season for the Razorbacks so far. They came so close against Alabama on Saturday and came even closer against Texas A&M last month.

The only other match-up between top ten teams was between #5 Baylor and #9 TCU. The Horned Frogs were coming off a huge win against Oklahoma and were looking to knock off another top Big 12 team, Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Coach Art Briles and Baylor came back for a 24-point deficit to keep their undefeated season going. The Horned Frogs meanwhile, dropped out of the top 10 and into the bottom half of the Big 12.

Taking TCU's place at #9 is Oregon, who entered the week at #12. The Ducks were still hurting from their shocking loss to Arizona last week, but managed to channel that into a statement win over #18 UCLA. The Bruins meanwhile, dropped out of the top 25.

The other new team in the top 10 was Georgia. Even though their top running back (and player) Todd Gurley has been suspended indefinitely, the Bulldogs completely dominated Missouri. Georgia is now ranked tenth and at the top of their division.

#22 Georgia Tech suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils. Duke won 35-21, sending the Yellow Jackets flying out of the rankings. GT is now second in their division (behind Virginia) and Duke is ranked third.

#6 Notre Dame continued its bid for a second perfect regular season in three years. The Fighting Irish were taken to the edge by unranked North Carolina. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but ND won 50-43. The Irish are now ranked fifth and one of only six unbeaten teams left (along with Mississippi State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Baylor, and Marshall).

Speaking of Marshall, the Thundering Herd is now ranked 25th. Their win this week, which made them bowl eligible, came over Middle Tennessee, handing the Blue Raiders their first conference loss of the season.

The Michigan Wolverines have been struggling as of late, but they turned it around with an 18-13 win over the Nittany Lions of Pennsylvania State University. U of M is now 3-4 and ranked fifth in their division. Penn State meanwhile, is ranked right below Michigan.

Notable Performances:

Following their win over Kansas, Oklahoma State is now ranked in the top 15. A big reason they won: junior Tyreek Hill. The WR compiled 280 yards of receiving and returns. Not only did he lead the Cowboys in receiving yards, he returned one kick for 99 yards and six points.

As mentioned before, Ole Miss is one of six teams left that are still undefeated. This week, they beat #14 Texas A&M. A lot of credit goes to #25 Cody Prewitt, who returned an interception for 75 yards and a touchdown.

The second game of the week featured Washington State and #25 Stanford, who was coming off a close loss to Notre Dame. The Cardinals rebounded nicely, beating WSU 34-17. Helping in a big way was Ty Montgomery, who compiled 134 return yards and had seven receptions for 72 yards.

Kenny Hill is getting most of the freshman love right now, but some should also be given to Darius Phillips of Western Michigan. The wide receiver had one catch for 52 yards, 2 carries for 27 yards, and four punt returns for 95 yards. Look for him to be a featured part of the Western Michigan offense for the next few years.

The UAB Blazers picked up their fourth win of the season by beating North Texas 56-21. Leading the way was quarterback Cody Clements, who threw for 316 yards, two scores, and zero picks. UAB is currently ranked fourth in their division and are at 4-2.

Heisman Standings:

As we said before, Todd Gurley has been suspended indefinitely for allegedly receiving payments for signed memorabilia. How does that affect the Heisman standings? Let's check it out. But first, a nod to the two players who fell off of our rankings: Amari Cooper, who had only two catches for 22 yards on Saturday, and Nick Marshall, who threw two picks in a loss to Mississippi State.

10. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- The running back was out of action on Saturday, and that keeps him pinned at the ten spot. He'll need a great game against Northwestern in Week 8 if he wants to move up the ladder.

9. Kenny Hill, Texas A&M- The Aggies suffered their second straight loss this week, sending Hill four spots down our rankings. The freshman did put up some solid numbers however, throwing for 401 yards and two scores. He'll need a win and a great outing against Alabama next week to stay in the race.

8. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss- Wallace makes his debut on our list coming off an impressive day against Texas A&M. He accounted for three total touchdowns as Ole Miss stayed unbeaten and in the top three,

7. Bryce Petty, Baylor- In one of the best games of the week, Baylor rallied from a 24-point deficit to beat #9 TCU. Guiding them was Petty, who threw for 510 yards and six TDs. The Bears are now ranked fourth.

6. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Not only did the Badgers win, but Gordon ran for 175 yards and four touchdowns. If Gurley's suspension continues, Gordon might be the only running back invited to New York.

5. Jameis Winston, Florida State- Though the character card is definitely hurting Winston's repeat chances, his on-the-field performances are only helping him. His performance against Syracuse was the best individual performance of the week (according to The Sports Examiner, at least). The sophomore QB went 30 for 36 and had three touchdowns.

4. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- Once again, Golson led his team to a win, but his performance was spotty. He did throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, but he also had three turnovers. The main reason he's in the top five is because he's kept Notre Dame undefeated. If he can do the same next week (more on that later), he'll be top three on this list for sure.

3. Todd Gurley, Georgia- Yes, Gurley has been suspended indefinitely, but he did practice today with the team. This gives hope to Bulldog fans that he will return soon. Until then, his stock will continue to drop.

2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- Mariota had the second-best performance of the week (once again, according to The Sports Examiner). He accounted for four total touchdowns as his Oregon Ducks dominated #18 UCLA. His performance was almost good enough to vault him back into the top spot, but not quite.

1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- For the first time this season, Prescott takes the top spot in our Heisman countdown. He does so after the Bulldogs picked up their straight win over a top ten team, a truly incredible feat.

Games to Watch Next Week:

The biggest game of the week is undoubtedly #5 Notre Dame at #1 Florida State. Both of these teams are undefeated and are led by Heisman contenders. The Seminoles are expected to win, but don't expect the Irish to just roll over. A win here could push FSU back in the top spot, while a win for ND could push them in the top 4.

Unranked last week, Clemson is now #24. On Saturday, they face conference rival Boston College. Both teams are 4-2, and you know BC would love to take Clemson's place in the rankings. This could potentially be one of the best games of the week.

#19 Nebraska takes on Northwestern in a Big Ten battle. Northwestern is ranked third in their division, just ahead of Nebraska. The Cornuskers need this win if they want to keep their Big Ten title hopes alive.

Games between ranked SEC teams have been some of the biggest stories almost every week, and that trend continues this week, with #7 Alabama and #21 Texas A&M. When Johnny Manziel was at the helm, the Aggies beat the Crimson Tide once and put up a great showing in the other game. Can Kenny Hill lead Texas A&M to the victory, or will 'Bama signal caller Blake Sims keep his team in the playoff hunt?

The first game of the week with a ranked team features #20 Utah and Oregon State. Both teams are 4-1 and in the top four of their divisions (Pac-12 South and North, respectively). A win for either one of these programs would fuel their Pac-12 championship dreams.

Thanks for reading this recap. As always, feel free to comment if you agree or disagree with something.

College Football Week 6 Recap

On last week's recap, I noted that it wasn't a particularly excited week. This week, that completely changed. It was one of the most exciting weeks in recent memory. Almost every exciting possibility that could have happened happened. For the first time in history, five of the top eight teams in the AP poll fell. In total, eleven ranked teams lost on Saturday. This provided for an awesome Saturday of football. In this recap, we'll look at ten big games that took place the day before yesterday, notable performances, an updated look at the Heisman race, and a preview of next week. Let's get going.

Notable Games:

The week of upsets started on Thursday, when #2 Oregon played host to the team that beat them 42-16 last year, Arizona. The Wildcats managed to stun the Ducks for the second year in a row, possibly ending the Ducks' championship hopes. Arizona was rewarded for their efforts by the AP voters, who put them at #10 in the new poll.

Fans didn't have to wait long for the next upset, as it took place on Friday when Utah State knocked off #18 BYU. The 2-2 Aggies won convincingly, dropping the Cougars off the rankings completely. On top of that, BYU lost its star QB Taysom Hill for the season.

One of the biggest upsets of the week was #11 Mississippi taking down #3 Alabama. Before the game, Alabama was considered a near-lock for the playoffs and the Rebels weren't even considered real contenders. Now Ole Miss is ranked #3 and a definite contender.

Ole Miss is not the only team ranked #3, however, They share that distinction with their in-state rivals Mississippi State. The Bulldogs knocked off undefeated #6 Texas A&M, knocking the Aggies down to #14. The Bulldogs also received two first-place votes for their troubles.

The third battle between ranked SEC teams was #15 LSU visiting #5 Auburn. Last year, LSU was #6 and handily beat unranked Auburn. LSU would finish at #14 while Auburn played in the national championship game. This year, Auburn blew out LSU to move to #2 in the polls and send LSU off the top 25. At this point, Auburn is considered a favorite for the playoffs.

One of the best games of the week was #9 Notre Dame and #14 Stanford. These two had one of the best games of the year in 2012 en route to the Fighting Irish competing in the title game. This year's game was just as good. ND ended up with the win thanks to a 23 yard touchdown pass from Everett Golson to Ben Koyack with 61 seconds left.

Notre Dame is now #6, only 72 points behind Baylor. The Bears are now 5-0 after handing Charlie Strong his first career Big 12 conference loss. Texas now has a record of 2-3 and in the bottom half of the Big 12.

There was only one meeting this week between two ranked Big Ten teams. That was between #10 Michigan State and #19 Nebraska. The Spartans jumped out to an early lead, but the Cornhuskers made it interesting in the fourth, only to fall short in the end. MSU is now ranked eighth while Nebraska dropped two spots.

Michigan's woes meanwhile, continued this week. The Wolverines, expected to contend for the Big Ten championship at the beginning of the year, lost 26-24 to the Rutgers. While the Scarlet Knights picked up their first Big Ten win in program history, Michigan dropped to 2-4.

East Carolina played its first game as a ranked team since 2008 when it took on 0-4 Southern Methodist. The Pirates won handily, 41-25, and are now ranked 19 in the polls and are first in their division.

Notable Performances:

Nebraska wasn't the only ranked team from the Big Ten to lose this week. #17 Wisconsin was shocked by 2-2 Northwestern, dropping them from the rankings. A big reason the Wildcats won: safety Godwin Igwebuike picked off QB Joel Stave three times.

#23 Kansas State, smarting off a tough loss to Auburn last week, recovered from their disappointment to beat conference foe Texas Tech by 32. Leading the way for K-State was QB Jake Waters, who threw for four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Last week, UCLA laid a beat down on the Sun Devils. Still smarting from the loss, Arizona State paid a visit to the Coliseum this week and emerged with a hard-fought victory. Quarterback Mike Bercovici led the way for his team with five touchdown passes, including a Hail Mary to win the game.

Andrew Hendrix isn't a name known my many football fans, but his performance on Saturday definitely increased his fan base. The senior accounted for five total touchdowns as Miami (Ohio) beat Massachusetts 42-41 to get the RedHawks their first win of the season.

Let's also give some love to Devon Johnson of Marshall. The junior running back rushed for 198 yards on 20 carries (a 9.9 average) and scored thrice. His efforts helped the Thundering Herd improve to 5-0.

Heisman Watch:

The Heisman race has really started to heat up now, and it was difficult to limit this list to only ten players, as there are a lot of contenders at this point. Before we get to the top 10, let's acknowledge the two contenders who dropped off the list: Brett Hundley (whose Bruins lost to Utah) and Taysom Hill, who suffered a season-ending injury against Utah State.

10. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- The Cornhusker running back slips four spots after a decent outing against Michigan State. He had only 67 total yards for two touchdowns. If he wants to stay in the race, he'll need a great performance against Northwestern in two weeks.

9. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Wisconsin may have lost to Northwestern, but Gordon still played quite well. He ran for 259 yards and one touchdown. His performance should give hope to Abdullah, who hopes to light up the Wildcats next week.

8. Jameis Winston, Florida State- Winston accounted for two total touchdowns in a win against Wake Forest. It wasn't a great performance, but it got the job done. Unless he steps it up dramatically, his dream of back-to-back Heisman trophies will come to an end.

7. Amari Cooper, Alabama- Cooper may still be one of the top receivers in the nation, but it didn't always show on Saturday against the Bulldogs of Ole Miss. The junior had nine catches for 91 yards and zero scores.

6. Nick Marshall, Auburn- Marshall makes his debut on our list after throwing and rushing for two scores each against LSU. The Tigers are now ranked second, and Marshall's stock can only increase if they stay in the top two.

5. Kenny Hill, Texas A&M- Despite throwing for 365 yards and four touchdowns, Hill threw three picks and his Aggies fell to Mississippi State. His eye-popping stats are keeping him in the race for now, but that might change if A&M accumulates more losses.

4. Everett Golson. Notre Dame- Golson's last two games haven't been perfect, but they've gotten the job done. The junior also got a potential Heisman moment with his game-winning TD pass against Stanford on Saturday.

3. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- Prescott makes a very impressive debut on our rankings. The junior QB was 20/26 for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Add on the fact that he plays for a top three team, and you have the formula for a Heisman front-runner.

2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- Last week, Mariota was the clear leader for the Heisman Trophy. Now, he finds himself dethroned and feeling a lot of pressure from behind. His performance against Arizona on Thursday was mixed. He did throw for two touchdowns but was sacked five times.

1. Todd Gurley, Georgia- Thanks to his great performance against Vandy on Saturday (163 rushing yards, 24 receiving yards, and 50 passing yards), Gurley is now our Heisman front-runner. If you want outstanding, look no further.

Games to Watch Next Week:

Next week has the potential to be almost as exciting as this week was. One game that has upset alert written all over it is #10 Arizona vs USC. Following a last-second (literally) loss to Arizona State, the Trojans will look to bounce back in a big way.

#2 Auburn at #3 Mississippi State could possibly be the biggest game of the week. These are two undefeated SEC teams that need a win to further their championship dreams. It also has Heisman consequences for both teams' QBs, Nick Marshall and Dak Prescott.

Auburn vs. Mississippi State isn't the only meeting between top 10 teams, however. #5 Baylor plays host to #9 TCU in their biggest test of the season so far. The Horned Frogs are pumped after knocking off Oklahoma, so look for them to push Bryce Petty and co. to the limit.

Oklahoma meanwhile, looks to rebound against the Texas Longhorns. A dominant win against Charlie Strong's team could put the Sooners back in the title picture and top 10 (they're currently ranked #12).

The Duke Blue Devils defense gave Johnny Manziel everything he could handle last season in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Now, they'll look to upset undefeated Georgia Tech, who is sitting pretty at 22. A win here could put Duke back in the top 25.

Agree or disagree with anything I wrote? Comment and let me know.

College Football Week 5 Recap

The last weekend of September wasn't a great one for college football, especially compared to last week's surprisingly exciting week. There was only one upset, and that wasn't even a major one. We'll cover all of the big stories in this recap, including big games next week, great performances, and a Heisman watch. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

As mentioned before, there was only one upset. That was unranked Missouri handing #13 South Carolina their second loss of the season. This one came down to the wire, as the Gamecocks had a chance to take the lead on their final drive, but QB Dylan Thompson threw four incomplete passes to snuff SC's chances of winning. The loss dropped SC off the rankings and pushed Missouri (the leader of the SEC East) up to #24.

The other team that dropped off the rankings was Arizona State, who got blown out by the Bruins of UCLA. ASU also dropped to fourth in their division (the Pac-12 South) while UCLA took Notre Dame's spot at #8 in the rankings. Bruins QB Brett Hundley reinserted himself into the Heisman race after accounting for five touchdowns and more than 400 yards of total offense.

Notre Dame dropped down to #9 after a not-so-perfect win over Syracuse. The Irish did win 31-15. but they did commit five turnovers, while the Orange had only one. Nonetheless, the Irish are still undefeated and very much in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Florida State is still ranked at #1 even though they struggled mightily against the unranked North Carolina State Wolfpack. The 'Noles ended up winning 56-41 to keep their national title hopes alive. A loss would certainly have sent them tumbling down the rankings.

Michigan's woes meanwhile, continued. The Wolverines lost to Minnesota, dropping them to 2-3. This is the first time in Michigan's storied history that the team has lost three games before October. The loss prompted even more "Fire Hoke" cries, something that will probably happen before the season ends.

Notable Performances:

Jared Goff of Cal isn't probably the first name you think of when naming top quarterbacks in the game right now. Even so, he sure played like one on Saturday. The Bear threw for 458 yards and 7 touchdowns while leading his team to a win against Colorado. Goff won't be considered a Heisman contender anytime soon, but this was a great performance.

J.T. Barrett is another QB that also isn't getting any Heisman love right now, but that could change. Barrett threw for 330 yards, rushed for 79 yards, and threw four touchdown passes to lead the Buckeyes of Ohio State to a spot in the top 20.

Let's continue the QB love and give some to Logan Woodside of Toledo. He didn't have an amazing game, but he did throw for 339 yards and account for three touchdowns. His performance helped Toledo win and keep their lead in the MAC West.

Let's move on from quarterbacks now, Tyler Varga, the senior running back from Yale, rushed for 185 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to an overtime win against the Army Black Knights.

Duke Thomas of Texas picked off Kansas's Montell Cozart twice and had one tackle to help Texas pick up the win in their first conference win of the season. Cozart was picked off four time by the Longhorns, who combined for 25 interception return yards.

Heisman Watch:

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- He didn't play on Saturday, but has a big game against Arizona next week.

2. Todd Gurley, Georgia- The running back accounted for 238 yards and two touchdowns as #12 Georgia picked up the win against Tennessee,

3. Kenny Hill, Texas A&M- Hill has 17 TD passes (four more than Mariota) and the Aggies are off to a great 5-0 start.

4. Amari Cooper, Alabama- Arguably the best receiver in the college game right now, Cooper has five touchdown catches for undefeated 'Bama.

5. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- Despite throwing two interceptions, Golson completed 25 straight passes (a new school record) and led the Irish to a 31-15 win over Syracuse.

6. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- The Cornhusker has 10 total touchdowns this season for his undefeated team.

7. Jameis Winston, Florida State- The defending Heisman Trophy winner threw four touchdowns in a win against NC State.

8. Brett Hundley, UCLA- Hundley looked very impressive in a rout against Arizona State on Thursday, sending the Bruins into the top 10.

9. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- One of the best RBs in the game, Gordon has more than 600 rushing yards this season for the #17 Badgers.

10. Taysom Hill, BYU- Hill has 13 total touchdowns this season for the #17 Cougars, who are undefeated.

Games to Look Forward to Next Week:

#2 Oregon vs. Arizona- The Ducks look to keep their spot atop the Pac-12 North, but will have to beat a team that beat them 42-16 last year.

#3 Alabama vs. #11 Ole Miss- Championship dreams could possibly end for the loser of this clash between two undefeated SEC teams.

#9 Notre Dame vs. #14 Stanford- The Irish face their toughest test of the season so far as they continue their bid for their second undefeated regular season in three years.

#10 Michigan State vs. #19 Nebraska- The best Big Ten matchup of the week should be a good one. It will be interesting to see Ameer Abdullah try and run against the stout Spartan defense.

#5 Auburn vs. #15 LSU- Not only should this be a great match, but it will have big consequences for the SEC West.

Thanks for reading this recap. Be sure to check back next week for the next one.

10 Stars of the World Cup

The 2014 World Cup ended yesterday with Germany, widely regarded as the best team in the tournament, defeated Argentina to win its first World Cup since 1990. Overall, it was a great tournament that drew the attention of people all over the world. There were plenty of storylines throughout the tournament, including the U.S.'s surprising run, Ghana's players demanding payment, poor officiating, possible corruption by FIFA, and Brazil's surprisingly poor performances in its last two games. In this article however, we'll be looking at individual efforts, ten of them to be specific. They may not have had the best stats during the tournament, but they made their presence felt nonetheless. All ten of these players can definitely be considered stars of the World Cup.

1. Miroslav Klose- With his two goals in this Cup, Klose now has scored 16 World Cup goals, an all-time record. He may not have been a big name at the start of this tournament, but he is certainly a notable name now.

2. Tim Howard- The U.S.'s goalkeeper was easily the team's biggest star. While he gave good performances in the group stage, his performance against Belgium in the knockout round was simply amazing. Even though he let in two goals and the Americans lost, Howard had sixteen saves, tying the all-time American World Cup record.

3. Arjen Robben- The Dutch winger was an integral part of his team earning third place. Not only did he record two goals against Spain in the first match (arguably the best individual performance of the tournament), he was a huge part of the Dutch offense. He's easily one of the biggest stars on the international stage.

4. Lionel Messi- The Barcelona star led his team to the finals, but couldn't win the big one. It would have been a big boost to his legacy had he won, but he still had a great tournament. Not only did he win the Golden Ball, he recorded four goals in the group stage.

5. James Rodriguez- One of the biggest surprising stars of the tournament, Rodriguez led Colombia to the quarterfinals. He won the Golden Boot award  as the best scorer in the tournament by recording six goals. He also had two assists. He may not have been popular before, but he's now very popular with fans. Look for him to be a big star on the world stage next Cup.

6. Robin van Persie- The forward was an integral part of the Dutch campaign. He scored the first goal against Brzail and recorded three in the group stage. He also scored in the penalty kick round against Costa Rica.

7. Tim Krul- On the surface, it looks like he had a very unordinary World Cup. After all, he only played in one game, and that wasn't even during normal game time. But that one appearance was in penalty kicks against Costa Rica in the second round, and that was a great appearance. He saved two shots to seal the deal for the Dutch.

8. Sergio Romero- One of the finalists for the Golden Glove, the Argentinian goalie let in only four goals throughout the entire tournament. His best performance came against the Dutch in the semi-finals, where he had a shut-out (in fact, he had a shut-out in the first and second rounds as well) and was named Man of the Match.

9.Guillermo Ochoa- One of the best goalies in the tournament, Ochoa became a big fan favorite. His best performance came against Brazil in the group stage, where he had five saves and let in zero goals. He let in only one goal in the group round and two in the first round against the Netherlands.

10. Manuel Neuer- The German Neuer was the best goalie of the tournament. Not only did he win the Golden Glove, but he let in only four goals and posted four shut-outs, including one in the finals against Argentina.

Of course, there are plenty of other stars, including Paul Pogba, Neymar, and Clint Dempsey, but I couldn't everyone in this article. Please comment and tell me who your favorite players of the World Cup were.