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| Saquon Barkley leads the Heisman race through 4 weeks (photo via roarlionsroar.com) |
Saquon Barkley, Junior RB, Penn State
66 carries, 518 yards rushing, 4 TD; 23 catches, 335 yards, 2 TD
Barkley has looked like the clear-cut best player in college football so far this season, and he looks like one of the premier talents in the 2018 NFL draft class. He carried the Nittany Lions in a nail-biting win over Iowa last Saturday night, rushing for 211 yards (on 28 carries) and a touchdown, and catching 12 passes for 94 yards. Barkley contributed over half of Penn State's 579 yards of offense in its 21-19 win in Iowa City. I tweeted last Saturday night that I call him "Deceptiquon Barkley", because he's a machine, he's deceptive, and he transforms an offense. The corny nickname may be questionable, but I don't think there's any question that he is a deceptive, transformative machine.
Baker Mayfield, Senior QB, Oklahoma
76-101, 1329 yards passing, 13 TD, 0 INT; 21 carries, 17 yards rushing
Baker's feeling quite confident these days. Two weeks after sticking an Oklahoma flag in the middle of Ohio Stadium following a big win over the Buckeyes, The Bake Man was trash-talking Baylor players before the game, saying, "You forgot who daddy is! I'm gonna have to spank you today!" Those words almost came back to bite him, but the Sooners escaped with a 49-41 win, and Mayfield continued his quest for the Heisman with 283 yards passing and four total touchdowns.
Rashaad Penny, Senior RB, San Diego State
91 carries, 716 yards rushing, 7 TD; 12 catches, 87 yards receiving, 1 TD
After losing running back Donnell Pumphrey to the NFL, San Diego State hasn't missed a beat, thanks to Rashaad Penny. Penny is a big reason the Aztecs are 4-0. He has scored at least one touchdown in each game, and his lowest rush yardage total is 128. Last week against Air Force, Penny ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns to lead SDSU past the Falcons 28-24.
Lamar Jackson, Junior QB, Louisville
94-149, 1387 yards passing, 10 TD, 3 INT; 65 carries, 337 yards rushing, 4 TD
Based solely on statistics, Lamar Jackson would be higher on this list. But since the Heisman also often depends on the quality of the team (and because it's hard for Jackson to replicate last season), it doesn't look like there will be a repeat. Lamar has still been spectacular, but Louisville isn't a Playoff contender, and voters are interested in something new.
Sam Darnold, Sophomore QB, USC
98-146, 1225 yards passing, 9 TD, 7 INT; 15 carries, 0 yards rushing, 1 TD
I'm not counting out my preseason Heisman pick just yet, but statistically, he has not been as impressive as others. However, he is still very talented, and his team is still unbeaten. Darnold will have to cut down on the interceptions and avoid an upset loss that has almost victimized USC multiple times.
Play of Week 4: "Highsman"
On a 3rd and 8 midway through the fourth quarter, Saquon Barkley took a carry to the right side. He cleared Iowa defensive back Joshua Jackson with a hurdle, then was hit by Amani Hooker as he was coming down. However, he was still able to land on his feet and run for the first down.
(Mis)Play of Week 4: "Kentugly"
Kentucky had lost its last 30 games to Florida going into last Saturday, but it looked like the Wildcats might finally break the Gators' streak. They were up 27-21 with less than a minute left to play. Florida had 3rd and 1 from the Kentucky five yard line with 49 seconds left. For some reason, Kentucky decided to bring the all-out blitz. It was literally all-out, as nobody was even covering Florida receiver Freddie Swain, who caught an easy pass from Luke Del Rio to tie it up. The extra point put the Gators up one, and a 56-yard Kentucky field goal attempt as time expired fell short, extending Florida's run over the Wildcats to 31 games in a row.
Picks:
Record
Last Week 15-5 vs. Spread: 9-11 O/U: 8-12
Season: 60-14 vs. Spread: 23-29 O/U: 26-26
(Home Teams Listed Last)
Friday
#14 Miami 32, Duke 24 (7:00 PM, ESPN)
Line: MIAMI -6.5 O/U: 55
Both the Blue Devils (4-0) and the Hurricanes (2-0) are unbeaten, and people shouldn't count out a Duke team that has beaten Northwestern, Baylor, and North Carolina. This will be Miami's toughest test to date (the Canes have played Bethune-Cookman and Toledo). Duke sophomore quarterback Daniel Jones has thrown for 904 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions through four games, while Miami junior Malik Rosier has thrown for 550 yards, six TDs and one pick in two games. The host Blue Devils could make this close, but I think Miami's talent prevails in the end.
#5 USC 45, #16 Washington State 35 (10:30 PM, ESPN)
Line: USC -5 O/U: 60
We have a rare Friday night meeting of ranked teams this week when Sam Darnold (1225 passing yards, 9 TD, 7 INT) and the Trojans travel to Pullman, Washington, to face Luke Falk (1378 yards passing, 14 TD, 1 INT) and the Cougars. It will likely be a shootout between two teams that average around 500 yards a game. WSU will give Southern Cal a game, but I think Darnold and the Trojans will emerge victorious.
Saturday
Northwestern 10, #10 Wisconsin 28 (Noon, ABC)
Line: WIS -15 O/U: 48
In a weekend chock full of conference openers, the 2-1 Northwestern Wildcats travel to Madison to play the Badgers. Wisconsin loves to run the ball, and freshman Jonathan Taylor has shouldered much of the load, running for 438 yards and five touchdowns, which both rank in the top 20 in the nation. The highlight for Taylor came two weeks ago against Florida Atlantic, when he ran for 223 yards and three touchdowns. The Wildcats will have trouble with Taylor and the Badger offense Saturday, as well as the Wisky defense, which ranks seventh in the nation in yards allowed per game.
#18 South Florida 56, East Carolina 21 (Noon, CBSSN)
Line: USF -21.5 O/U: 75
After letting San Jose State and Stony Brook hang with them the first two weeks, the Bulls dominated wire-to-wire against Illinois and Temple. It should be more of the same for South Florida this week against 1-3 East Carolina. The USF defense ranks 13th in the country in yards allowed per game (264) and 22nd in points allowed per game (17.3). The Bulls should stomp the Pirates on Saturday.
Vanderbilt 17, #21 Florida 20 (Noon, ESPN)
Line: FLA -9 O/U: 40.5
Vandy was feeling pretty good going into a big game against Alabama last week, but the Commodores got rolled by the Tide (59-0). Meanwhile, Florida once again won in the final seconds. The Gator offense continues to be a problem (quarterback Felipe Franks was benched last week for Luke Del Rio), but Vanderbilt's offense has done less (in terms of yards per game). Expect another defensive struggle and another tight Florida victory.
Indiana 14, #4 Penn State 38 (3:30 PM, BTN)
Line: PSU -18.5 O/U: 63
Penn State just barely escaped with a win over Iowa last Saturday night, winning on a walk-off touchdown. There shouldn't be as much sweating when the Nittany Lions host Indiana this weekend. The Hoosiers, who hung in with Ohio State and easily beat Virginia and Georgia Southern, aren't pushovers, but it'll be hard to stick with the talented Lions in Happy Valley.
#7 Georgia 28, Tennessee 21 (3:30 PM, CBS)
Line: UGA -8 O/U: 47
This weekend's SEC slate contains several games that could be close, including this one between the 4-0 Bulldogs and 3-1 Volunteers. Georgia blew out Mississippi State last week (31-3), while Tennessee followed up a heartbreaking loss to Florida with a 17-13 win over winless UMass. I expect the Vols to play better at home against Georgia, but I think the Bulldogs improve to 5-0.
Murray State 10, #17 Louisville 62 (3:30 PM, ACCN)
Line: LOU -48.5 O/U: 63.5
L-Jack and the Cardinals bounced back from the Clemson loss with 42-3 thrashing of Kent State last week, and another thrashing is in order this Saturday against FCS Murray State. The Racers are 1-3, having lost their last three games.
Miami (OH) 13, #22 Notre Dame 35 (5:00 PM, NBCSN)
Line: ND -21 O/U: 53.5
Both of these teams are coming off wins over Michigan schools last weekend. The RedHawks beat Central Michigan 31-14, while the Fighting Irish handled Michigan State 38-18. After accumulating 502 total yards and four touchdowns in the first two games, ND quarterback Brandon Wimbush has 528 total yards and six touchdowns (mostly on the ground) in the last two games. The Irish should roll.
#24 Mississippi State 12, #13 Auburn 24 (6:00 PM, ESPN)
Line: AUB -8.5 O/U: 51
In the weekend's second matchup of ranked teams, Mississippi State will try to forget about last week's ugly loss to Georgia when it heads to Alabama Saturday evening to face the 3-1 Tigers. Both teams rank in the top ten in college football in yards allowed per game (Auburn is 4th, MSU is 10th), so expect a defensive battle. I think the Bulldogs suffer a second loss in a row to a ranked SEC foe.
Troy 14, #25 LSU 35 (7:00 PM, ESPNU)
Line: LSU -20.5 O/U: 48.5
LSU is still hanging in the top 25. The Tigers beat Syracuse last weekend, 35-26. This week they host a Troy team that is 3-1. But those three wins came against Alcorn State, New Mexico State and Akron, and the NMSU and Akron games were close. LSU should dispatch of the Trojans Saturday night.
#11 Ohio State 60, Rutgers 24 (7:30 PM, BTN)
Line: OSU -29 O/U: 52
Once again, I forgot the Ohio State game when I posted this. And once again, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Buckeyes will win this game against 1-3 Rutgers. It'll be a reunion on both sides, as Rutgers head coach Chris Ash used to coach at OSU and Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano used to head the Scarlet Knights.
#2 Clemson 32, #12 Virginia Tech 17 (8:00 PM, ABC)
Line: CLEM -7 O/U: 50.5
Saturday night's primetime game pits two of the best defenses in the country against each other. Clemson's defense ranks third in the nation in yards allowed per game (227) and points allowed per game (9.3). Va Tech ranks 28th (311) and sixth (10.3) in those categories. Statistically, Clemson has a slight edge (both offensively and defensively), and I think the edge on the field will be a little wider.
#6 Washington 52, Oregon State 19 (8:00 PM, PAC12N)
Line: WASH -26.5 O/U: 59.5
Washington passed its first real test of the season with flying colors, beating Colorado 37-10 last week. Meanwhile, Oregon State got beaten up by the Cougars' in-state rival, Washington State, 52-23. The 1-3 Beavers, who have given up 58 points, 32 points, 48 points, and 52 points in their first four games (respectively), won't be able to stop a Washington team that has scored 44.5 points per game (11th-most in the country).
#15 Oklahoma State 56, Texas Tech 45 (8:00 PM, Fox)
Line: OKST -10 O/U: 84.5
Speaking of high-scoring offenses, we get a couple of stereotypical Big 12 teams (lots of offense, not a lot of defense) in Lubbock Saturday night. Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State have averaged 580 yards per game (fourth in the nation), while Texas Tech's Air Raid offense had garnered 587 yards per game (third in the nation). Texas Tech may test Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys are better than the Red Raiders, and I think they'll bounce back from a rough loss to TCU last week.
Ole Miss 12, #1 Alabama 40 (9:00 PM, ESPN)
Line: ALA -27.5 O/U: 58
The number one team in the country gets a 9:00 PM start time this week against 2-1 Ole Miss, but the Tide could play at 9:00 AM, 2:00 AM, or on military time, and it wouldn't really matter. The Rebels are coming off a 27-16 loss to California two weeks ago, while Alabama is coming off of a thumping of Vanderbilt last week. The Crimson Tide rank 28th in the country in yards per game (483) and tied for seventh in yards allowed per game (248). The Tide should roll again.
Northern Illinois 7, #19 San Diego State 21 (10:30 PM, CBSSN)
Line: SDSU -10 O/U: 49
Rashaad Penny and the Aztecs host the Northern Illinois Huskies late Saturday night. San Diego State got a scare from Air Force last week, and Northern Illinois upset Nebraska, but SDSU is definitely the better team (the quality of its competition has been better, and UNI is 2-1, having lost to Boston College). It might be low-scoring, but Penny and the Aztecs should cruise.
Stats, Information, Lines, and Over/Unders via ESPN.com
Spreads and Over/Unders are as of Friday Afternoon
To stay up to date on the newest Head in the Game articles (and general sports commentary), follow @headingameblog on Twitter (you can also find me on Twitter @G_Tingley)
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