Hello everybody and welcome to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post! If you've been keeping score as of late, you would know that we are on our seventh week of ranking quarterbacks ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Isn't that exciting? Like, sure, we're not necessarily the closest to the official NFL Draft, which takes place in late April, but we are pretty much at the halfway point here in the college football season, meaning we are edging closer to revealing our end of season rankings! Which again, is kind of exciting, but said at the same time, because I don't want college football to end. Like all good things though, it too must pass in time. And though it won't be easy, we'll get over it eventually, right? Or at least try to.
Much like getting over the eventual end of the college football season, I hope you, as the reader, can get over the fact that this blog post isn't exactly 100% finished. Yes, most of the quarterbacks on here have been fully accounted for, but I haven't had as much time available to me this week's blog post fully done.
That being said, it is a worth while read, and I will be back with a full blog post next week. For now though, this will have to do. So I, Logan Blackman, the self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present to you our week seven quarterback prospect rankings! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
Pictured: Michael Penix Jr., Washington; Caleb Williams, USC; Drake Maye, North Carolina
1. Caleb Williams, USC
Wk 7 - 23/37 199 yds 1 touchdown 3 interceptions/13 carries -8 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.21 Notre Dame (48-20 L)
Season - 142/203 2,021 yds 23 touchdowns 4 interceptions/51 carries 116 yds 6 touchdowns
To be honest, the fact USC lost this game doesn't really surprise me. As we insinuated in our last blog post, you can only tempt death for so long, and after the Trojans narrowly escaped the likes of Colorado, Arizona State, and Arizona, they finally fell victim last Saturday to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Again, not too surprising that USC lost this game, what was surprising, to a certain extent, is how bad they lost Saturday. I don't know if y'all remember last year, but USC's match-up against Notre Dame in Los Angeles was really Caleb Williams' 'Heisman moment' game. Though he didn't throw for a ton of yards, his four touchdown performance in a double digit win pretty much locked up the Heisman Trophy for him. This time around, after throwing for less than 200-yards, while also tossing three interceptions, the game this year could really have the polar opposite effect, as many out there believe Williams has now taken at least one hand of the Trophy. It's not only the Heisman Trophy though, some people seem to have lost all faith in the 'generational' prospect after this loss, with someone on Instagram commenting on one of my posts, insinuating how crazy it was that I had Williams still atop my quarterback rankings. Though this was probably the worst game of his collegiate career, he's still my QB1 for next year's draft. Sure he does some things I'm not a massive fan of, which we have talked about before on the podcast, but like every other quarterback in college football, the dude is allowed to have a bad game every now and again. Not to mention USC faced a very solid Notre Dame defense, who ranks in the top-15 nationally in regards to yards allowed per game, and just outside the top-15 in points allowed per game. I have no doubt Williams will bounce back, but again, this wasn't his best performance, and it would all start on USC's first drive of the game.
I'm not going to touch on the poor tackle attempt by Williams on the return, but as for this throw, you can at least see what he's trying to do. With the right tackle and center pretty much blocking each other, Notre Dame has a free shot at Williams, which forces him to throw this ball a little higher in order to get it over the defender. Though the tight end was open, the ball just sailed on Williams, which landed right in the arms of a grateful Notre Dame defender. Overall though, the completely missed block blows up this entire play, as Williams is reading the Notre Dame linebacker, who slides over to where the running back would go, leaving the tight end wide open. Ball just sailed on him, and Notre Dame would capitalize on the short field, going up 7-0 early. USC's next drive wouldn't be much better as they'd be forced to punt after just four plays, but they would manage to register a field goal on their next drive, which would see Williams show off his athleticism and play making ability early on in the drive.
Good job making something out of nothing, picking up a nice 11-yards and a first down on the play. Williams would complete some passes on this drive as well, finding Dorian Singer across the middle for another 11-yard gain as well as finding Zachariah Branch on a screen play to pick up a further seven-yards. Again though, the Trojans would have to settle for a field goal, as their drive would stall out at the eight-yard line. Williams would flash the rushing abilities again on USC's next drive, helping them pick up a first down on fourth and one, but they'd unfortunately end up turning the ball over on downs a few plays later. The next couple drives wouldn't bear much fruit either, as we'd see Williams' second and third interceptions of the first half, which would both set up Notre Dame touchdowns. The first one coming from their own 16-yard line.
Though the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage, I still think this pass gets intercepted, as the tip really only changed who was picking the ball off. With two defenders around his intended receiver, this is just an example of Williams trying to do too much. As you can see from the first angle, he's got a receiver in the flat to his left, who of which he has a fairly decent angle to get the ball to. As you can also see, there is a Notre Dame defender closer to the sideline, so the USC receiver decides to turn his route up field. Williams must've expected him to sit on the route or something but either way, not the most ideal situation for USC to be in, especially since Notre Dame would punch it in from two-yards out a play later. Like we mentioned before though, it wouldn't get much better on their next drive, as Williams would throw his third interception of the half.
Again, this is just Williams trying to do too much with the ball in his hands. I understand that he's insanely talented and can make every throw on the field, but sometimes you just have to throw the ball out of bounds, and live to fight another play. Yes, the pressure didn't help, but even more reason to just lob the ball out of bounds. Like we mentioned before, Notre Dame would capitalize on the short field on this drive too, putting them up 24-3 with under two minutes to go in the half. USC would be able to kick a field goal before the half to make it 24-6, on a drive that saw Williams hit on a few slant routes as well as be strip sacked, which would've ended the half had Notre Dame not been offsides celebrating the Williams sack. Very heads up play there from Williams to get everyone lined back up and snap the ball with three defenders celebrating by the 50-yard line. USC would go three and out on their first drive of the second half, but Williams would lead a touchdown drive on their next drive, making the score 24-13 Notre Dame. Williams would hit his tight end, Luke McRee, up the middle for a nice 21-yard gain before MarShawn Lloyd would run it in from 31-yards out for the score. Williams would have a solid throw to Michael Jackson III for 10-yards and a first on third and six, but that drive would also end in a punt after Williams was sacked on back-to-back plays. Then, after a very solid Zachariah Branch punt return, Williams would scramble around before finding Brenden Rice in the end zone for the score, putting the score at 31-20 in the fourth.
Great job by Williams at buying time in the pocket before delivering this ball for the score. Something that can sometimes get lost on people is how hard it is to cover these receivers in general, not to mention how much harder it is to cover them for a further six or seven seconds. Williams' ability to buy time not only gives him more time to throw, but allows his receivers to separate from the coverage, thus giving him a legit window to work with for the touchdown. It's not a crazy long throw or anything, but it's plays like this on why Williams is viewed so highly by everyone. Unfortunately a further comeback wasn't on the cards, as USC would turn it over on downs on their next drive before fumbling on their following two drives to further cement the game, with one of those fumbles being returned for a touchdown. Like I said before, this was probably Caleb Williams' worst game as a college quarterback. Again, I didn't expect USC to win, but I didn't expect the game to go exactly like this. That being said, though it was a rough game, I'm still content with Williams as my top quarterback. He's been great up to this point in the season and I expect him to bounce back as the season progresses, though I imagine he'll struggle somewhat against Utah, a team that possesses a top-10 defense in in yards per game and top-five in points per game. Could be an interesting one come Saturday night.
Preseason - 1a
Wk 0/1 - 1
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - v no.14 Utah
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Wk 7 - 17/33 273 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 10 yds 0 touchdowns v no.25 Miami (FL) (41-31 W)
Season - 146/212 1,902 yds 12 touchdowns 4 interceptions/62 carries 184 yds 4 touchdowns
After an alright start to the season statistically, North Carolina's Drake Maye has really started to stack performances. Throughout the first four weeks of the season, Maye only accounted for five touchdowns through the air to go along with a further four interceptions, throwing two in games against South Carolina and Minnesota. Though he wasn't statistically 'there' yet, you could still see the potential and the talent, these last two weeks that talent has been fully on display. Sure he didn't post his greatest ever completion percentage last week against Miami, but in these past two weeks Maye has registered seven passing touchdowns with no interceptions. Though it took Maye a little bit to get fully going in North Carolina's last game, he ended up with a very solid stat line against a team who ranks third in the conference for total defense. Though North Carolina didn't have the greatest start offensively, punting in six plays, Maye did flash the athleticism, picking up a first down with his legs on third and 10 to help extend the drive.
Now, most people out there understand and are aware of how good of an athlete Drake Maye really is, but some may still need some convincing. For being as big as he is, Maye's ability to make the defender in the open field miss is impressive. The thing is as well, he doesn't look insanely awkward when he runs the football, and I like that when he saw nothing was open down field, he took it up the gap in the offensive line and picked up a nice first down. Though again, North Carolina would be forced to punt a few plays later. That being said, Maye would lead a touchdown drive their next time on the field, leading an eight-play 91-yard drive to give the Tar Heels the lead. On that drive, Maye would show off his abilities of throwing on the run, hitting a pretty open JJ Jones down the far sideline for a nice 48-yard gain.
Excellent job by Maye at extending the play but also a great job by Jones at taking his route up field once he saw his quarterback was outside the pocket, giving him a lot of separation between himself and the Miami defender. Maye would flash the running ability, again, a few plays later, picking up 11-yards on second and six before hitting Tez Walker from 18-yards out on a slant to give North Carolina the lead. For Maye, having Walker in the lineup, who was denied eligibility for the start of the season, is massive, and they would connect two more times in this game for scores, which we will talk about later. Though their next couple drives would end in punts, Maye and Walker would hook up on a very well run slant route on third and three to help extend their drive following the touchdown.
I know it's not an insanely long throw or anything, but it's still an excellent throw from Maye, who got it into Walker's stomach before the linebacker had a thought of jumping the route. As well as beating the corner before he had a chance to break up the pass from behind. Just a great play for the Tar Heels but again, they'd be forced to punt a few plays later. North Carolina would be forced to punt on their next drive after just five-plays, but Maye and co. would get back on the touchdown train with an Omarion Hampton two-yard touchdown run. This drive would be dominated by the rushing attack, as Maye would only register one completion on this drive, where he'd hit John Copenhaver in the flat for a decent five-yard gain. Other than that, and a Tez Walker reverse, Hampton carried the ball seven-times on this drive, again culminating with his two-yard score, tying the game up at 14. North Carolina's final drive of the first half would see them go three and out, but their first drive of the second half would see Maye hit Walker on a 56-yard bomb to take a 21-17 lead.
What a throw by Maye and a nice job by Walker at not losing the ball once the defender tried to make a play. Overall, just a really pretty play which again, gave the Tar Heels the lead early on in the second half. A Drake Maye sack would all but end North Carolina's next drive, as they'd be forced to punt again, but Maye and Walker would hook up for the third time of the game the following drive, scoring from 33-yards out on third and 20 to further extend their advantage in the game.
Pretty simple pitch and catch between Maye and Walker all set up by fantastic protection from the offensive line. It's hard to blocking an incoming pass rush in general, even more so when you're having to hold it for an extended period of time, with Maye holding the ball between four to five seconds before releasing the ball. North Carolina would break the trend of punting than scoring on their next drive, as they'd put together a nice nine-play touchdown drive to go up a further 35-17 later on in the third. On this drive, we'd see Maye hit John Copenhaver wide open in the flat, who would pick up a nice 30-yards after making the catch just a few yards past the line of scrimmage. The drive would ultimately finish off with Maye hitting Omarion Hampton from four-yards out for the score. Nothing crazy on this play as Maye just half faked the reverse before rolling out to his right and hitting Hampton in the flat for the relatively easy score. Maye wouldn't be asked to do a whole lot on the following two Carolina drives, as the Tar Heels would settle for two field goals to ultimately seal the deal, as they would come away 41-31 victors over Miami. For Maye, I'm sure it felt fantastic to have Tez Walker in the lineup, who himself went off for 132-yards on six catches with three touchdowns to boot, not to mention he had 19-yards rushing as well. All in all, solid outing for Maye, who posted his highest touchdown outing of the season. I fully expect Maye and co. to continue their undefeated ways against a bad Virginia team this weekend, a Cavalier team that only have one-win on the season. Though their pass defense is surprisingly solid, I again don't think the Tar Heels will have too many issues, and should come out on top again this weekend.
Preseason - 1b
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 2
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - v Virginia
3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 7 - 33/47 400 yds 5 touchdowns 1 interception/13 carries 37 yds 0 touchdowns v Stanford (46-43 L 2OT)
Season - 219/303 2,420 yds 21 touchdowns 3 interceptions/73 carries -23 yds 3 touchdowns
I'm not going to lie to you, for this game, I went to bed right as halftime came. Can you blame me though? How was I supposed to know that Colorado, who were up 29-0 at the break, would allow Stanford to come all the way back and steal a 46-43 victory in double overtime? Again, how was I supposed to know that would happen? I'm only human, and when it's getting late on a Friday night, and you're just sitting in your living room doing nothing else but watching football, and there's a game on where one team has a close to 30-point lead at the break? This wasn't like the Colorado State game that also finished extremely late, but that game was all action all the time, this game was a giant nothing burger that featured one team absolutely routing the other going into halftime. If I wasn't as tired, maybe I would've stayed up a little longer to see the insane comeback unfold but again, I'm human, and I was tired, so I took my ass to bed. To be honest though, I really wish I battled the sleep demons, because this just sounded like an insane second half. According to ESPN, Colorado had a 99.8% chance to win this game at the start of the second half, only to go on and lose this game in double overtime. Craziness. As for quarterback Shedeur Sanders, he had himself a fairly solid game, throwing for a season high 400-yards and a further season high five passing touchdowns, though his one interceptions couldn't have come at a much worse time, but we'll get to that shortly. Sanders' solid outing would start early, as he'd lead the Buffaloes on a nice eight-play 78-yard touchdown drive to start the game. Though they were backed up to third and 11 early on in that drive, Sanders would hit Travis Hunter, in his first game back from injury, for a 12-yard gain on a well thrown back shoulder ball. Sanders would then flash the athleticism on the very next play, picking up a whopping 38-yards on the ground to completely flip the field, going from their own 34 to the Stanford 28.
As we've said in previous blog posts, this is something that Sanders has been doing a lot more of as the season has progressed, registering runs of 15+ in each of Colorado's last four games. Not only is the run nice, as he breaks a few weak attempts from the Stanford defense, but he does a nice job at waiting for things to set up down field. Once he notices no one is open, he cuts up the gap created by the offensive line and picks up a very nice gain, which happens to be his longest rush of the season. Sanders would then hit Jimmy Horn Jr. in traffic to pick up a first on second and five before finding Xavier Weaver on a slant route from nine-yards out to give Colorado the early lead.
Very nice throw from Sanders, who did a nice job at looking to the flat first before driving the ball to Weaver for the score. Really, just as easy as you'd like if you're Sanders and the Buffaloes offense. Their next drive would see Colorado punch it in again, this time in the form of Travis Hunter making an absolutely insane play after catching the ball from Sanders.
Though the throw from Sanders is decent, the real story again comes from what Hunter did after he caught the ball, putting on one of the nastiest spin moves we've so far this season, and that's coming off of an injury. The plays before that were somewhat similar to that, minus the spin move and touchdown, as Sanders would mostly be seen hitting shorter passes that would eat up a lot of yards after the catch but again, nothing like that one to Hunter. After a missed field goal by Stanford, Sanders and co. would find the end zone again, this time with Sanders hitting a wide ass open Xavier Weaver on a deep ball for the 39-yard score, putting the Buffaloes up 22-0 (following the two-point conversion) midway through the second quarter.
It doesn't really come much easier than that now, does it? Like, apart from Travis Hunter, Xavier Weaver is Colorado's most dangerous receiver, so how in the world do you let him get so wide open? This was one of those plays where all Sanders needs to do is just not miss him and they'll score. Though he could've easily under thrown him just to make sure he didn't miss the open receiver, Sanders placed it right on a silver platter for Weaver, leading him perfectly for his second touchdown of the game. Stop me if you've heard this before, but Sanders and the Buffaloes would find the end zone again on their next drive, which was essentially started off by Sanders drilling a pass into Travis Hunter's stomach for a nice 21-yard gain on second and 15.
Sanders absolutely zipped this s.o.b. to Hunter, who would end up picking up the first down after the catch. Though this play didn't result in a touchdown or anything, Sanders had to get a lot on this pass in order to beat the Stanford defender, which he did. There's barely any room to fit that ball in, and yet Sanders found Hunter for the first down. A couple plays later, Xavier Weaver would register his third touchdown of the half, this one coming on a reverse play from 14-yards out to put Colorado up a further 29-points in the first half. That would ultimately be their final points of the first half, as Alejandro Mata came up short on a 46-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Buffaloes and 32-0 lead at the break, instead, they'd have to settle for just being up by 29. Now, at the break, I don't know if it was Shedeur Sanders himself, a media intern, or something, but you cannot, under any circumstances, be posting merch links at halftime. I don't care how much you're winning by, that's something you can't do. Not only was it not a great look at the time, it looks even worse now that Stanford came back and beat the Buffaloes again, in double overtime. At the start of the second half, Colorado came out very flat footed, not scoring any points until the 11-minute mark in the fourth quarter, punting it twice and turning the ball over on downs twice as well before the touchdown. Though they didn't move the ball all too much on those drives, Sanders did have some nice plays, like his pass to Javon Antonio that would pick up 14-yards on second and six, and his pass to Travis Hunter, though it fell incomplete, on the final play of that drive. The latter was impressive in the fact that he was able to buy a lot of time in the pocket, evading a couple Stanford pass rushers before getting the ball off. Though it was too far away from Hunter, it was still a decent play from Sanders. On the final drive before their touchdown, Sanders would hit Travis Hunter on a 12-yard play, while getting hit, to extend the Buffaloes drive.
As we've brought up in previous blog posts, good job by Sanders at standing tall in the pocket in the face of pressure to get this ball to Hunter for the first down. A massive sack plus intentional grounding penalty on fourth down ended Colorado's drive, while also giving Stanford excellent field position to start their next offensive drive, which of course they would capitalize on, making the score 29-26 at the start of the fourth quarter. On their following offensive possession, Sanders would hit Xavier Weaver down the near sideline for 48-yards. Though it was slightly under thrown, it still helped pick up a massive gain. Sanders would register his fourth passing touchdown of the game a couple plays later, hitting Travis Hunter on a 16-yard slant route for the score.
Though Hunter got rocked on this play, this is very good ball placement from Sanders on this throw. With a safety coming in from the side, Sanders has to put this ball right on Hunter, as leading him too much could see the pass be broken up or intercepted. Or, God forbid, Hunter takes an even bigger hit, with the ball falling incomplete. But again, really good placement from Sanders, who finally got some things going after the start of the second half. Then, after hitting Dylan Edwards in the flat for a 17-yard gain on their next drive, the Buffaloes would again be forced to punt, giving the ball back to Stanford the ball back with three-minutes left. Though the punt was damn near perfect, like the aforementioned Colorado State game, the team who was pinned all the way down at their own one-yard line orchestrated an insane 14-play drive to force overtime. In overtime, we'd see Sanders find Javon Antonio from four-yards out on a well thrown ball to beat the Stanford defender for the score, giving the Buffaloes a 43-36 lead early on in extra time. Unfortunately, after Stanford scored to tie it up, Sanders would throw his first and only interception of the game, which again, couldn't have come at a worse time.
This is just one of those situations where you've just got to throw it away and live to fight another play. I'd understand forcing if it was fourth down, but it was still only third and goal, you don't need it all on one play. To make it a little tougher, he threw this ball across the field off his back foot. I'm sorry, but not even Aaron Rodgers could make this throw, especially with four Stanford defenders giving chase. Stanford would go on to kick the game winning field goal a few plays later, pulling off the insane comeback, winning 46-43. Definitely a game Colorado would want back, as this went from a very solid first half performance to completely falling apart in the second half. Thankfully for the Buffaloes, they have their bye this week, so they can fully recuperate before their tough math-up against UCLA on the road. A very good defensive unit, the Bruins could cause a lot of problems for Sanders in the Colorado offense.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - BYE
4. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (+1)
Wk 7 - 22/37 302 yds 4 touchdowns 1 interception/1 carry -5 yds 0 touchdowns v no.8 Oregon (36-33 W)
Season - 155/215 2,301 yds 20 touchdowns 3 interceptions/9 carries 4 yds 0 touchdowns
Though we're only halfway through the college football season, last Saturday's game that saw the Washington Huskies take on the Oregon Ducks has to be an early front runner for game of the year, right? Though it must be said, this is what we expected. We have a Washington team, led by the potential Heisman front runner Michael Penix Jr., lighting up damn near everyone so far this season, going up against an Oregon team that has one of the best defenses in all of college football, not to mention a pretty solid offense to boot. With both teams coming off a bye week, we were set to get the best version of each team, which is exactly what we got, and much like last year, Washington would come out on top 36-33. Now, we'll talk about Bo Nix a little later, but as for Michael Penix and the Washington offense, the opening drive didn't start off as smoothly as they may have liked. Though Dillon Johnson posted a 14-yard carry on the opening play from scrimmage, the Huskies would be forced to punt a few plays later. Their next drive though would see them register their first points of the game, as Penix would throw a dart to Giles Jackson from 26-yards out for the score.
Nice use of the play action by Penix to free up the middle of the field, with a great ball to boot, leading Jackson perfectly on the 26-yard strike. The corner never had a chance. Before the touchdown, we would see Penix hook up with Rome Odunze down the far sideline on a 50/50 ball, which of course the receiver came down with it. The deep ball may have been the first option regardless, but it became the only option after an Oregon defensive lineman jumped offsides, giving Washington a free play to work with. Again, regardless if there was a penalty or not, I would bet money on Odunze coming down with the ball, as he is obviously one of the best wide receivers in all of college football. After their first two drives went for a combine eight plays, Washington's third drive of the game would equal eight plays in total, once again resulting in a touchdown. Leading up to the score, Penix would hit Ja'Lynn Polk on a bubble screen which would go for 18-yards, as well as hitting Giles Jackson on a four-yard pass to pick up a first on third and three, which would ultimately set up Penix's second passing touchdown of the game.
Much like the touchdown to Jackson, this one was also from 26-yards out, which is kind of funny. They brought this up on the broadcast as well, but what makes this play interesting is that when receivers are stacked like Polk and Jackson are, it's usually the back receiver that runs the fade route, with the first guy kind of setting up a screen of sorts. On this play though, Polk, the one on the line of scrimmage, runs the fade, with Jackson running the short little hitch-ish route just beyond the line of scrimmage. To cap it all off, it's another perfect throw from Penix, who is probably leading the race for best deep ball thrower in all of college football. Washington would put forth another long touchdown drive their next time on the field, this time going 12-plays, which started off with Penix hitting an open Rome Odunze across the middle for a 14-yard gain and a first down on third and eight. Penix and Odunze would hook up again a few plays later on a five-yard out route that the receiver took for a further 17-yards. The rushing attack, and a Germie Bernard pass, would help set up a Dillon Johnson touchdown run from seven-yards out to give Washington a 22-15 advantage after the successful two-point conversion. Though the Huskies had a nice little touchdown streak going, it would end just before halftime as Penix would throw his third interception of the season.
I'm going to chalk this up to being a miscommunication between quarterback and wide receiver. Yes, Odunze fell down on the route, but either way I think this pass is getting intercepted as he was working his way back inside, whereas Penix threw it to the outside. Just an unfortunate play and a rare time Penix and Odunze were not on the same page. Thankfully for the Huskies, Oregon's following drive would stall out, as they'd try to go for it on fourth and goal rather than settle for the short field goal. Who knows, looking at how Oregon lost by three points, a field goal there could've changed the entire outcome of the game. Obviously, thanks to the butterfly effect, if they kick a field goal maybe some other things change throughout the course of the game, but you never know. After the Ducks went three and out on their first offensive possession of the half, Penix and co. would march right back down the field and score a touchdown, which would partially be set up by a defensive pass interference early on in the drive.
Though it wasn't completed, partially due to the DPI, that is still really good ball placement from Penix on this throw. With the defender all over the tight end, matching him stride for stride, Penix smartly throws this ball on Devin Culp's back shoulder, away from the defender. Though it would've taken a pretty crazy catch, Penix put this ball where only his receiver could get it, coming away with a big play for Washington. A few plays later, Penix would connect with Rome Odunze from 17-yards out for the score, to further extend Washington's advantage.
Not the greatest throw from Penix, but when you have a receiver like Odunze on the outside, sometimes you just throw that s.o.b. up and let him make a play, which he did. Like we talked about with the other 50/50 ball Penix threw to Odunze on Washington's first drive, sometimes you just got to let your playmakers make plays, and Odunze did which led to Washington taking a 29-18 advantage in the third. The next few drives for Washington wouldn't really go as planned though, as they'd go three and out on their following two drives before turning it over on downs on the Oregon one-yard line near the midway point in the fourth quarter. Though it wouldn't result in anything, Penix made some nice throws on Washington's 13-play drive that stalled out.
I always think it's important to see how quarterbacks handle a defender having a free rush on them, even more so when it's third and long and you're losing the game. As per usual, Penix doesn't panic, instead he stands strong, knowing he's going to take a massive shot, and delivers the ball to Ja'Lynn Polk for a 13-yard gain and a first down. You could tell that hit bothered him the rest of the drive, as we would be seen wincing a couple times throughout, but credit to him for sticking it out and ultimately leading the Huskies back with first fourth and final touchdown of the game, hitting Odunze from 18-yards out for the score.
What. A. Ball. I do not care how good of a defender you are, or think you are, there's absolutely no defending that pass. One thing no defender can beat is a perfect ball, and that's exactly what that was. A ton of credit to Rome Odunze as well, who adjusted to the ball perfectly, but what a throw again from Penix. The combination these two have is one of the best in all of college football, and it was fully on display there. The only thing you could really nit-pick there is the fact that they scored so quickly. After Oregon turned it over on downs, Washington ran two-plays, with the first being a nice throw and catch between Penix and Polk for 35-yards. With Oregon's speed on the offensive side of the ball, it looked like Washington may have given them too much time to work. Thankfully, the football gods were on their side, as the Ducks missed a 43-yard field goal wide right as time expired, giving the Huskies a massive 36-33 home victory. Like we said before, this is the early front runner for game of the year, with Penix and Nix going back and forth the entire time. After that firework display, the Huskies take on the Arizona State Sun Devils. Though they're 1-5, ASU has been competitive in their last three games against PAC-12 opposition. I'm not in any way shape or form saying they'll upset the Huskies, but they shouldn't just look completely past them.
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - v Arizona State
5. Riley Leonard, Duke (-1)
Wk 7 - 0/0 0 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/0 carries 0 yds 0 touchdowns v NC State (24-3 W)
Season - 79/126 912 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/47 carries 326 yds 4 touchdowns
As you may have figured out, Duke quarterback Riley Leonard did not play in their recent 24-3 victory over NC State last Saturday. Though the Blue Devils came out victorious, their passing attack was relatively non-existent, with Henry Belin IV completing just four passes on 12 attempts last Saturday. Though nothing has been confirmed, reports suggest there is a 'chance' Leonard suits up against the Seminoles, and if the Blue Devils want to pull off the upset, they're going to need Leonard back up and fully firing.
Preseason - 3
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 4
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - 5
Wk 8 - @ no.4 Florida State
6. JJ McCarthy, Michigan
Wk 7 - 14/17 222 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 27 yds 0 touchdowns v Indiana (52-7 W)
Season - 111/142 1,512 yds 14 touchdowns 3 interceptions/30 carries 160 yds 3 touchdowns
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - @ Michigan State
7. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Wk 7 - BYE
Season - 128/184 1,704 yds 11 touchdowns 3 interceptions/33 carries 60 yds 5 touchdowns
After a tough and disappointing loss to Oklahoma, the bye couldn't have really come at a better time. In their bounce back attempt, Ewers and the Longhorns are taking on a Houston Cougars team that statistically has the worst defense in the conference. I fully expect Texas to bounce back on the road this weekend.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 7
Wk 7 - 7
Wk 8 - @ Houston
8. Jayden Daniels, LSU
Wk 7 - 20/27 325 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/11 carries 93 yds 0 touchdowns v Auburn (48-18 W)
Season - 152/208 2,294 yds 22 touchdowns 3 interceptions/86 carries 515 yds 4 touchdowns
Preseason - 10a
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - 10b
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - 8
Wk 8 - v Army
9. Bo Nix, Oregon
Wk 7 - 33/44 337 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/7 carries 14 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.7 Washington (36-33 L)
Season - 164/207 1,796 yds 17 touchdowns 1 interception/26 carries 101 yds 1 touchdown
Like we brought up with Michael Penix before, last Saturday's match-up between Oregon and Washington will go down as one of the games of the year. The unfortunate side to that fact is that someone has to win, and someone has to loss, and unfortunately for Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks, they came out on the wrong side of history losing 36-33. To make things even more upsetting, this is the second straight year the Ducks have fallen victim to the Huskies, losing last year's match-up in Eugene by a score of 37-34. So two highly contested games with two very talented quarterbacks, it's just a shame the Ducks couldn't come out on top at least once. Again though, in every college game there's a winner and a loser, but that's not to take anything away from Nix and the Oregon Ducks, as Nix posted his second 300+ yard passing game of the season with two touchdowns to go along with it. Though the Ducks' first drive ended with them going three and out, Nix would help lead a touchdown drive Oregon's next time on the field, going 90-yards in 14-plays for the score. Throughout the drive, Nix would hit on a few short to intermediate passes, as well as carry the ball for five-yards to pick up a first down on third and three, before Bucky Irving punched it in from 12-yards out which, after the two-point conversion, helped give Oregon an 8-7 lead early in the game. Nix would pick up another first down on the ground on Oregon's next drive, this time coming on a third and 13 play.
Good job by Nix at just getting out of there, as the Washington pass rusher had a free shot at him pretty much right as the play started. Afterwards, Nix shows his athletic ability to not only continue around the edge, but pick up a big first down with his legs, diving for the first down marker. Nix would later have a nice rollout throw to Tez Johnson that would pick up 15-yards before he'd find Patrick Herbert from 11-yards out for Oregon's second touchdown of the game, Nix's first.
As was pointed out on the broadcast, great job by Herbert at realizing his quarterback was pressured to his right, cutting his route off short and turning back inside to give Nix a receiver for the score. But also, nice job by Nix at buying time. As we've mentioned before, quarterbacks extending plays makes it hard for defenders to keep their assignments. As we brought up before, it's hard to cover receivers normally, but it's even harder to do it for an extended period of time. Another thing, decent throw from Nix by not leading Herbert too much, which could've seen the pass be picked off. Great hands catch by Herbert to boot, just a good overall play for the Ducks. Nix would only get one completion on Oregon's next drive, hitting Traeshon Holden a few yards past the line of scrimmage, who would pick up a further 13-yards on the play. Nix would have an attempt to Troy Franklin on the next play, but an under thrown ball would lead to a defensive pass interference, which would give Oregon another first down. A Bo Nix sack a a few run plays later would see Oregon settle for a field goal right around the two-minute mark. That being said, they would get another chance to score before the half, thanks to a Michael Penix interception. Nix would hook up with Tez Johnson a couple times on this drive, with one connection going for 22 and the other going for seven down in the red zone.
Yes, I'm point out the seven-yard completion, but that is a really nice throw from Nix. To find Johnson in the flat like that with a defender in coverage takes a lot of skill and arm strength, especially since it's coming from the opposite hash mark, which we have talked about before about how hard of a throw that is. Unfortunately, nothing would come of this drive, as Oregon would attempt to go for it on fourth down as the first half expired, which they did not get, going into the half down 22-18. As we brought up before, with Oregon losing by three, maybe a field goal here changes the out come of the game. I'm not necessarily saying it would have, but you never know. The Ducks first two drives of the second half wouldn't bear much fruit either, as they'd go three and out on their first drive and turn it over on downs on their second. Nix would make a couple decent throws on that second drive, like his one to Terrance Ferguson that would pick up 19-yards.
Nice use of the pump fake by Nix, which made the gap to Ferguson a little bigger to fit the ball through. Also, as we've stated before, good job at more hitting him on his body rather than lead him too far up field, as that could've lead to an interception, or Ferguson getting his head ripped off. With the pass more on him than not, Ferguson was able to get his head up and brace for the on coming hit. Just a very solid play and throw from Nix, helping extend the drive. Much like the one before halftime though, again, Oregon would turn it over on downs in the red zone, further making the three point loss worse. Two field goal opportunities they passes on to try and get some more points. I'm not surprised they went for it both times, it's Oregon, but I'm sure Lanning would like those two drives back given how the game ended. That being said, after hitting Troy Franklin for 16-yards on their next drive, Nix would hook up with Franklin again, but this time for 30-yards and a touchdown.
Very good throw from Nix on this play. With Franklin getting past the corner early on, Nix could've either tried to put this on a line or float it over top. Obviously he chose the later, but sometimes you'll see quarterbacks put this throw on a line, but with the safety a little closer, floating the ball over the top was the right decision, and it lead to a touchdown, Nix's second of the game. Nix and Tez Johnson would connect on Oregon's two-point conversion as well, bringing the game to within three late in the third quarter. Nix and Franklin would connect on a massive 49-yard play on Oregon's next drive, which would ultimately set up a Jordan James touchdown run from 10-yards out, which would give Oregon the lead, 33-29.
Solid throw on the run by Nix on this play. Sure, he may have wanted to lead Franklin a little bit more than what he did but still, 49-yards is 49-yards, and they score the go-ahead touchdown a few plays later anyways, so it all worked out in the end. Nix and Franklin would connect for a nice 25-yard gain on Oregon's next drive, following Washington's failed fourth down attempt, but the Ducks would ultimately turn it over on downs as well, though this time back closer to the 50-yard line. Now, Washington would score on their next offensive possession, giving them the lead back with about 1:30 left in the game. Nix would hit a few intermediate passes to get them down the field, setting up a potential game tying 41-yard field goal, but Camden Lewis missed it right, giving Washington the 36-33 victory. Again, the unfortunate thing about college football is someone always has to lose, and much like last year, it was Nix and the Ducks. Not to take anything away from their performance, but I'm sure they'd like some things back in this game, but hindsight is 20/20. I do expect Oregon to bounce back this weekend against Washington State. Though they are massive 20-point favorites, I think Oregon's quickness on offense and strength on defense could cause some problems for Cameron Ward and the Washington State Cougars. They may have lost to Washington last week, but I feel like they'll get their revenge on the state this week. I guess only time will tell.
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - 9
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - 9
Wk 8 - v Washington State
10. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (NR)
Wk 7 - 23/30 313 yds 4 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries 46 yds 0 touchdowns v Florida (41-39 L)
Season - 142/193 1,724 yds 11 touchdowns 4 interceptions/50 carries 129 yds 2 touchdowns
Preseason - 10b
Wk 1 - 10b
Wk 2 - 10
Wk 3 - NR
Wk 4 - 10a
Wk 5 - NR
Wk 6 - NR
Wk 7 - 10
Wk 8 - @ no.20 Missouri
Others
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (NEW-ish)
Wk 7 - 13/20 126 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/1 carry 12 yds 0 touchdowns v no.10 USC (48-20 W)
Season - 131/203 1,838 yds 18 touchdowns 3 interceptions/33 carries 14 yds 2 touchdowns
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Wk 7 - 11/22 100 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/8 carries 34 yds 0 touchdowns v Texas A&M (20-13 W)
Season - 112/182 1,264 yds 10 touchdowns 4 interceptions/32 carries 173 yds 4 touchdowns
Jordan Travis, Florida State
Wk 7 - 23/37 284 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/7 carries -5 yds 2 touchdowns v Syracuse (41-3 W)
Season - 115/182 1,482 yds 13 touchdowns 1 interception/40 carries 114 yds 4 touchdowns
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (FL) (NEW-ish)
Wk 7 - 31/48 391 yds 4 touchdowns 2 interceptions/6 carries -14 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.12 North Carolina (41-31 W)
Season - 129/183 1,721 yds 16 touchdowns 6 interceptions/14 carries 25 yds 1 touchdowns
Cameron Ward, Washington State (10)
Wk 7 - 22/30 192 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/8 carries 4 yds 0 touchdowns v Arizona (44-6 L)
Season - 147/211 1,779 yds 14 touchdowns 3 interceptions/56 carries 101 yds 3 touchdowns
Previous Rankings
Thank you for taking the time to read through the list! Hope you enjoyed it! If you did, give the article a like and comment down below how you felt!
While you're at it, go subscribe and/or follow me on all forms of social media!
Facebook: The Logan Blackman Show
Instagram (personal): @blackmanlogan
Instagram (show): @theloganblackmanshow1
LinkedIn: Logan Blackman
TikTok: @theloganblackmanshow
Twitter: @logan_blackman
YouTube: The Logan Blackman Show
Comments