College Football Craziness!

Nathan Masgras '24

November 14, 2023

There is plenty of drama and controversy to unpack following another action-filled Saturday of college football. Michigan has caused the most drama throughout the FBS due to the continued investigation into their sign-stealing accusations. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is suspended for the remainder of the regular season, a punishment coming directly from the BIG 10 conference. The NCAA has yet to take any significant action. Despite the suspension of Harbaugh, Michigan was able to pull off a momentous 24-15 victory against 10th-ranked Penn State solidifying their spot as a legitimate playoff contender much to the dismay of other programs. Many teams feel Michigan should be banned from a playoff berth, but Michigan players have used this controversy as even more motivation to win football games.

SEC teams Georgia and Missouri both had massive victories over ranked opponents, the Bulldogs beating #9 Ole Miss 52-17, and the Tigers shocked the country by beating 13th-ranked Tennessee 36-7. Missouri is now 8-2 on the year and a surprise candidate for a New Year’s Six bowl game. Alabama also continued their recent run of dominance with a 49-21 victory over a 6-3 Kentucky side. There were not too many significant upsets this week, however, UCF took an impressive 45-3 victory over #15 Oklahoma State.

From massive victories for top 10 teams, fumbles at the goalline, and scandalous actions, week 11 in college football was nothing short of entertaining. We’re going to take a closer analysis of how everything should look following this week regarding the top 4 teams, Heisman candidates, and so much more.

The Top 4:

Masgras’ Top Four:

Georgia
Ohio State
Michigan
Florida State

Next 3 Out: Washington, Alabama, Oregon

The top four teams have gotten very comfortable atop the college football hierarchy over the past few weeks, as nothing much has changed. Each team is now 10-0, and with Michigan’s win over Penn State, and Georgia’s past two victories over ranked teams, every top-four team has made it clear that they can beat anybody in the country. The only change that I believe will happen within the top four is that Georgia will jump Ohio State and take the #1 spot. With a perfect record, and now arguably stronger wins than Ohio State, Georgia has looked to be the more complete football team. The Bulldogs have won 27 straight games now, including two consecutive national titles. Georgia is experienced, and despite Ohio State’s dominant victory over Michigan State, the Bulldogs will most likely take over the number one spot.

Heisman Candidates:

Masgras’ Top 3:

Michael Penix (Washington)
Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)
Jayden Daniels (LSU)

The Case for Penix:

After yet another loss, USC’s Caleb Williams seems to surely be out of the running for the Heisman trophy, leaving just a few candidates to narrow down. One of them is Michael Penix Jr., who continues to make his case as the Heisman front-runner, leading a Washington side to a surprise 10-0 season so far. He has 3,533 total yards with 28 touchdown passes on the year. Most recently he passed for 332 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Huskies to a 35-28 victory over Utah.

The Case for Harrison:

Marvin Harrison Jr. takes the #2 spot in my Heisman rankings. Harrison has been the deciding factor in many of the Buckeyes games this season, tallying 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. He averages an astounding 18 yards per catch and in seven out of the ten games that the Buckeyes have played, Harrison has had over 100 yards receiving. Bias aside, he is arguably the best player in college football this year.

The Case for Daniels:

If I’m an NFL team looking for a quarterback, I’m looking at Jayden Daniels before anybody else. Daniels has proven that he is in the conversation for the best quarterback in the NCAA. To see this, however, you must overlook the Tiger’s record. LSU’s defense is ranked 106th in the FBS, and despite this Jayden Daniels has led the Tigers to a 7-3 record on the year. He has 3,164 yards 30 TDs and just 4 interceptions thrown this season. The kid is also lethal when running, at times reminiscent of a Lamar Jackson-type player. He currently has 918 rushing yards and counting this year and only continues to improve. If LSU had two fewer losses, Daniels would most likely be the front-runner for the Heisman.

Top Performing Players This Week:

John Paddock (Illinois) vs Indiana

I was able to watch this thrilling game in person, and Paddock’s performance for the Illini was nothing short of brilliant. His throws were on point and confident, and he finished the day with 507 passing yards and 4 TD. He completed the game with a walk-off passing touchdown to Isaiah Williams, leading the Illini to a 48-45 overtime victory over the Hoosiers

Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio St.) vs Michigan State

Maserati Marv has done it again. Two receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown were the highlights of his 168-yard game in a win over a struggling Michigan State side. Marvin Harrison finds a new way to gain even more love from the Buckeye faithful every week.

Damien Martinez (Oregon St.) vs Stanford

Martinez had a standout game against Stanford, rushing for 146 yards and tallying a whopping 4 TDs in a massive 62-17 victory over the Cardinal.

Jalen Milroe (Alabama) vs Kentucky

After being benched in week 3, Milroe has begun to play like a Heisman candidate in Tuscaloosa. The Alabama QB tallied 234 passing yards and 36 rushing yards and had 6 out of the 7 touchdowns scored by the Crimson Tide.

Top 25 Scoreboard (Week 11)

#1 Ohio State 38-3 Michigan State

#2 Georgia 52-17 #9 Ole Miss

#10 Penn State 15-24 #3 Michigan

#4 Florida State 27-20 Miami

#5 Washington 35-28 #18 Utah

#6 Oregon 36-27 USC

Texas Christian 26-29 #7 Texas

Kentucky 21-49 #8 Alabama

#11 Louisville 31-24 Virginia

#12 Oregon State 62-17 Stanford

#14 Missouri 36-7 #13 Tennessee