I can confidently say that there will be a few changes in an important college football poll on Tuesday.
Week ten of the college football season showed us why the playoff committee was completely wrong on Texas A&M, that the Washington Huskies are a national championship contender, and why Alabama is Alabama.
The Ohio State Buckeyes demolition of Nebraska has also created an interesting debate as to who deserves the number four spot on the College Football Playoff poll. Along with the Bucks, the Huskies have opened our eyes and turned our heads enough to stake a true claim of that same spot. Meanwhile, Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong lives to coach another Saturday as the weekly segment of “Will Charlie Be Fired This Week?” continues.
There was a quick synopsis of your week ten in college football. Let’s highlight the top performers of this past week.
Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes – 36/59, 367 yards, three TDs, INT: Mahomes has proven week-by-week how valuable he is to the Red Raiders program and even in a loss to in-state rival Texas, Mahomes was able to keep the Red Raiders into the contest as it came down to the final seconds of the game. His three touchdown tosses gives him 31 on the season and his sixth game on the season with three or more touchdown passes.
Louisville QB Lamar Jackson – 12/15, 231 yards, four TDs, INT, 15 carries, 185 yards, three TDs: Ok. It’s past the ridiculous stage now. Jackson is literally embarrassing defenses on a weekly basis and his performance against Boston College was captivating also. Jackson had a hand in Louisville’s first five touchdowns, which all came by the six minute mark of the second quarter. His 12.3 yards per carry average was a personal season-high.
East Carolina WR Zay Jones – 13 catches, 206 yards, TD: The Pirates haven’t had a ton of good go their way this season but Jones has been one of the best receivers in the country and Saturday was clear proof. Jones averaged 15.8 yards per catch and out of nine games played, Jones has posted double digit catches in eight of them including the 13 this past weekend against Tulsa.
Miami QB Brad Kaaya – 32/47, 356 yards, four TDs: In a game where the Hurricanes truly needed a win to stop a four-game losing streak, the junior quarterback showed up in a big way. Kaaya connected with receiver Stacy Coley and tight end David Njoku on a pair of first quarter TDs and connected with the pass catchers again late in the second half to help give Miami a huge win.
Texas RB D’Onta Foreman – 33 carries, 341 yards, three TDs: Yes, you read that correctly. Foreman gashed the Red Raiders defense for 341 yards and is coming on the heels of torching Baylor for 250 yards and two touchdowns. His carry, yardage and touchdown totals against Texas Tech this past weekend are career-highs in all three categories and was also his tenth straight game of over 100 rushing yards this season.
Western Michigan WR Corey Davis – 12 catches, 272 yards, three TDs: I have been an advocate for Davis and his stellar play for quite some time and this past week, Davis proved why he is one of, if not the, best receivers in the country. His 272 yards is a Mid-American Conference record and caught touchdown passes of 57, 35, and 62 yards during the Tuesday night matchup with Ball State.
Alabama Defense: 125 total yards allowed, 4-for-15 third down conversions, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, one interception: The Crimson Tide defense has been excellent on the season but this performance against the LSU Tigers may have been their best outing. The Tide limited LSU RB Leonard Fournette to 35 rushing yards and LSU QB Danny Etling to just 92 yards passing on the night while also posting a shutout against one of their biggest rivals.
