NFL 2015 Playoff Predictions

The 2014-2015 NFL regular season is done, which means it is time for the playoffs to start. Wild-card weekend starts tomorrow, with Arizona taking on Carolina and Baltimore facing Pittsburgh. In this article, I'll give my predictions for the post-season, complete with Super Bowl MVP pick. Let me start with my predictions at the beginning of the season: I picked Seattle to beat Denver again, with Russell Wilson to win MVP. I correctly picked eight of the 12 teams to make the post-season, whatever that's worth. Let's get started.

Wild-Card Weekend:

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys- Thanks to Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, and Dez Bryant, the Cowboys offense has been fantastic this year. Their defense (projected to be among the worst in the NFL at the beginning of the season) has been surprisingly good. The Lions also have a great offense (thanks to guys like Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, and Matthew Stafford), and their defense is to-notch. New coach Jim Caldwell has done a great job of keeping this team together and focused.

This game will probably come down to the Lion's run defense against the Cowboys' run game. Ndamkong Suh will be playing on Sunday, which means Detroit does have a shot at slowing down Murray and Joseph Randle. Even if that happens however, Dallas still has its passing game. Remember, no QB had a higher QBR this season than Romo this season, and look for him to prove why on Sunday. The Lions' secondary has improved since last year, but it's still not an elite unit.
Pick: Dallas Cowboys

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers sneak into the play-offs after winning the disappointing NFC South with a losing record. The Cardinals meanwhile, are on a bit of a downward streak. Just a few weeks ago, they were on top of the NFC. Now, they're the fifth seed in the playoffs.

The Cardinals have a great defense, but the fact that they're playing with their third-string QB (Ryan Lindley) really hurts them. Lindley has yet to prove he can effectively run Arizona's offense, which is quite dangerous (especially with weapons like Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and John Brown). The Panthers meanwhile, have a good offense and good defense (headed up by last-year's Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly). The Cards will put up a fight, but it won't be enough.
Pick: Carolina Panthers

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers: These division rivals (the AFC North, arguably the best division in the league) have had one of the biggest rivalries in the game over the last number of years. These two teams split their regular season meetings this year, with the Steelers winning the most recent one.

The Steelers are without their Pro-Bowl back Le'Veon Bell, so replacement Ben Tate (who they signed this week) will have to do. The Big Ben/AB combination has been lethal this season, and it should continue in the post-season. The Ravens are hot (their Week 17 win secured them a playoff spot), but they just can't match up to Pittsburgh.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts: The Bengals travel to Indy to take on the Colts, who won the AFC South (arguably the worst division in the NFL). The Bengals are 0-4 in the playoffs with Andy Dalton at the helm, and the fact that he got paid this summer probably won't change things. The Colts meanwhile, are lead by Andrew Luck, who plays well in big games. Neither one of these teams are really hot, so the winner will get some much needed momentum.

Based on those two things alone (and the fact that the Colts blew out the Bengals in October), I'm picking Indy. The Colts defense will probably be able to force some turnovers from Dalton, who threw 17 picks this season. This is a tough pick, but I'm going with the Colts.
Pick: Indianapolis Colts

Divisional Round:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers; Seattle didn't get off to a great start at the beginning of the season, but they have rebounded quite nicely, especially after parting ways with troubled WR Percy Harvin. The fact that the 'Hawks have home-field advantage definitely helps as well.

The Panthers just don't have what it takes to beat Seattle. Their passing game is no match for the Legion of Boom and their defense will find it hard to contain Beast Mode. This should be an easy win for Pete Carroll and Seattle.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks

Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys: This could be one of the best games of the playoffs, as these are two great teams. The Packers are hot after beating the Lions in Week 17 to win the NFC North and secure a first-round bye.

Aaron Rodgers had a great season and his offensive line (featuring guys like Josh Sitton and Bryan Bulaga) is arguably the best in the entire NFL. The 'Boys defensive front line will have a hard time going up against this, so look for the Packers' offense to shine.
Pick: Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts: Like the Seahawks, the Patriots struggled at the beginning of the season but rebounded very nicely. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick worked their magic yet again this year and are looking to win their fourth Super Bowl together.

Like with the Seahawks and Panthers, the Colts just don't match up to the Pats. Without Ahmad Bradshaw (who was injured in Week 12), the Colts' run game is pretty much neutralized and the Colts' defense isn't good enough to stop Touchdown Tommy.
Pick: New England Patriots

Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Last year's first seed, the Broncos are once again in possession of a first-round bye. They still have one of the best offenses in the league (arguably better, since tackle Ryan Clady is back) and their defense (featuring the likes of Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, and Aqib Talib) is markedly better since last year.

Bell should be back for this game, so the Steelers offense will be running on full-throttle. An upset is very possible, but the Broncos should be able to hang on for the win. The Steelers defense is not as formidable as it used to be, so Peyton Manning and the offense should be able to rack up the scoreboard.
Pick: Denver Broncos

Conference Championship:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers: These are the two best teams in the NFC, so it's only fitting that they should meet for the NFC title. They met in the first game of the season, which Seattle handily won. This time though, the result could be different.

I'm going with the upset here. The Packers have a good enough offense to survive the LOB and the Seahawks don't have a good enough passing game to match up with the Packers secondary. Of course, Seattle could prove me wrong and dominate, but an upset is certainly possible.
Pick: Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos: Like with the Pack and Seahawks, these are the two best teams in the AFC, so they should meet for the AFC title. Both of these teams are going to give everything they had, so this will be a good one.

I predict that the Denver secondary will shut the Pats' passing game down (with the obvious exception of Rob Gronkowski). The Pats' defense meanwhile, will struggle to shut down Manning and his receivers.
Pick: Denver Broncos

Super Bowl:

Green Bay and Denver will undoubtedly be a big game. These are two excellent teams with great coaches and two of the best quarterbacks in recent years. The press and fans will certainly be buzzing about this one.

Denver will no doubt have some extra fire, as they will want to prove all of their doubters from last year wrong. I think it is that extra fire that will push them over the edge, and give them a little extra oomph.
Pick: Denver Broncos MVP: Peyton Manning

Thanks for reading, enjoy the playoffs everyone. 

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.