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.
