Georgia is approaching 2014 Florida State levels of sleepwalking. Michigan is 0-for-3 in the "playing to projections" department. Ohio State has looked like full-on Ohio State once in three games. Alabama's offense stinks out loud. It's hard to completely trust Texas or Florida State yet. Oklahoma and Washington have looked great against mostly bad teams. USC hasn't had a chance to prove that its defense has improved.
Three weeks into the 2023 season, it's almost impossible to know whom to trust. Some of the most typically reliable teams have yet to shift out of third gear, and per Total QBR, Washington's, Texas A&M's, Miami's and Duke's quarterbacks rank higher than any of Ohio State's, Michigan's, Georgia's or Alabama's. Meanwhile, Syracuse has looked awesome, Rutgers has looked good, and Auburn is the only remaining unbeaten Iron Bowl team.
It's been weird. Weird is good. But on the off chance that normalcy returns soon, let's both commemorate and rank the 39 remaining unbeaten teams. (What criteria am I using for this? A combination of computer rankings and my own opinions. I tend to adhere mostly to what the numbers say, but I reserve the right to have terrible opinions and overreact. For instance, I'm really overreacting to what Washington has done so far this year.)
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Who won the Heisman this week?
10 favorite games of the weekend
1. Washington (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 8th and 11th, respectively
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 74th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 5.5%
What they did in Week 3: def. Michigan State 41-7
Why they're ranked here: Honestly, I'm going with my gut here, and my gut's wrong quite frequently. But Washington has played two SP+ top-60 teams so far -- not amazing, but more than most at this stage of the season -- and exceeded projections by more than 20 points in both games. Michael Penix Jr. is posting downright disgusting stats (444 passing yards per game, 11.5 yards per dropback), and we're still learning about the team's ceiling, especially on defense. I don't know how long this will last, but the Huskies have been the best team of 2023.
SP+ top 10 if preseason projections were removed*:
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) September 17, 2023
1 Washington
2 Ohio State
3 UCLA
4 Notre Dame
5 Michigan
6 Miami
7 Oregon
8 USC
9 Ole Miss
10 Oklahoma
(Bama: 29th.)
* I don't remove them because priors are extremely predictive. But I like checking in on this list sometimes.
2. Ohio State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 1st and 1st
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 101st
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 9.4%
What they did in Week 3: def. Western Kentucky 63-10
Why they're ranked here: After going with my gut, I'll listen to the numbers and go with the team that ranks first in both SP+ and FPI. Ryan Day's Buckeyes finally beat projections (and the spread) Saturday, mostly shutting down a potent WKU attack while the offense looked like Ohio State's offense is always supposed to look. If the Buckeyes survive this Saturday's trip to South Bend, only Week 8's Penn State visit and Week 13's trip to Michigan could challenge them.
3. Georgia (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 2nd and 3rd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 82nd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 19.5%
What they did in Week 3: def. South Carolina 24-14
Why they're ranked here: A responsible writer would keep Georgia No. 1 on this list, but I'm already quite frustrated with the sleepwalking. I wrote a week ago that the Dawgs' propensity for starting games slowly might catch up to them, and it threatened to do just that in Week 3 as they fell behind South Carolina -- a team that got thumped by North Carolina two weeks ago -- 14-3 at halftime. They rallied as always, and they might continue to rally moving forward. But Washington has given us a sustained glimpse of its ceiling over the past three weeks, and Georgia has done the bare minimum.
4. USC (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 5th and 5th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 123rd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 4.1%
What they did in Week 3: idle
Why they're ranked here: The offense is the most trustworthy in college football, and the defense ... might be showing signs of life? Perhaps? The Trojans might have a few more games before they need to get fully into gear, but their home stretch -- five teams ranked between fourth and 19th in SP+ in their final six games -- is a doozy.
5. Texas (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 10th and 7th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 27th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 8.4%
What they did in Week 3: def. Wyoming 31-10
Why they're ranked here: In their big win over Alabama, the Longhorns exceeded SP+ projections by nearly 23 points. In wins over Rice and Wyoming, they underachieved by 25 points. We know Quinn Ewers & Co. are pretty dynamite when they're in fifth gear. We just need to see more of that.
6. Florida State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 13th and 10th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 40th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 5.3%
What they did in Week 3: def. Boston College 31-29
Why they're ranked here: This time last week, I'd have been tempted to rank the Seminoles No. 1 on this list. But even accounting for funky weather and a run of injuries, the Noles were surprisingly poor against a Boston College team that was coming off a narrow win over Holy Cross. Now I'm really not sure what to think.
7. Michigan (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 3rd and 14th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 126th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 12.9%
What they did in Week 3: def. Bowling Green 31-6
Why they're ranked here: When you know you're not going to be challenged (and you're without your suspended head coach), there's no reason to shift out of about second gear. I get it. I also know that, through three weeks, only Baylor, Oklahoma State, Arizona State and Tennessee have underachieved against SP+ projections more than Michigan has. When it's time to shift into gear and actually start playing -- perhaps this week when unbeaten Rutgers visits? -- are the Wolverines going to be able to do it without a hitch? If so, they'll jump up this list in a hurry.
8. Oklahoma (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 7th and 2nd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 96th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 13.3%
What they did in Week 3: def. Tulsa 66-17
Why they're ranked here: Oklahoma has faced two bad opponents in three games, but Dillon Gabriel's numbers are still hilarious: 83% completion rate, 10.8 yards per dropback, 11-1 TD-to-INT ratio, 92.5 Total QBR (third overall). Week 4 opponent Cincinnati might have the first decent defense the Sooners face, but OU hasn't given us any reason to doubt so far.
9. Notre Dame (4-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 4th and 12th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 103rd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 6.7%
What they did in Week 3: def. Central Michigan 41-17
Why they're ranked here: I can't decide what to make of Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish at the moment. They are handling their business, and the one time they played a top-50 team to date -- dodging storms at NC State in Week 2 -- they put the game away with a decisive 21-0 run. But their defense has failed to meet SP+ projections for three straight games, and they beat CMU by the same margin that moribund Michigan State did. Upside: high. Consistency: lower than I'd prefer.
10. Penn State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 9th and 6th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 56th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 5.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Illinois 30-13
Why they're ranked here: The Nittany Lions weathered the first road start of quarterback Drew Allar's career with a patchy but comfortable win in Champaign. The defense is as awesome as advertised, but Allar & Co. will face maybe the best defense in the country -- Iowa's -- this coming weekend in Happy Valley.
11. Oregon (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 11th and 8th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 78th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 4.4%
What they did in Week 3: def. Hawai'i 55-10
Why they're ranked here: The Ducks survived a weird trip to Lubbock, and they made mincemeat of Portland State and Hawai'i (combined score: 136-17). The defense doesn't appear entirely trustworthy, but Bo Nix and the offense are as efficient as ever. And over their next five games, they'll play four against teams on this list.
12. Ole Miss (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 14th and 13th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 81st
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.9%
What they did in Week 3: def. Georgia Tech 48-23
Why they're ranked here: The Rebels were without leading receiver Tre Harris against Georgia Tech, and Quinshon Judkins was banged up. So they merely averaged 9.8 yards per play and scored 48 points. I don't trust the defense yet, but Ole Miss is as explosive as any team in FBS.
13. Miami (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 22nd and 15th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 48th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 2.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Bethune-Cookman 48-7
Why they're ranked here: Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes took it easy on Bethune-Cookman, taking a 34-0 lead at halftime and throwing it into cruise control. The one time they had to show up for four quarters this year, they did so with aplomb, surging past Texas A&M with a midgame 34-9 run and winning by 15. We remember what they looked like last year, but this team has given us almost no reason to doubt it.
14. Utah (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 17th and 19th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 38th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.9%
What they did in Week 3: def. Weber State 31-7
Why they're ranked here: Quarterback Cam Rising has yet to make his debut, and the offense hasn't been inspiring. But the defense has allowed 31 points in three games, and the Utes have ground out a pair of wins over power conference teams all the same. Ceilings might win national titles, but Utah has one of the highest floors in the country.
15. UCLA (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 19th and 27th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 102nd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 2.0%
What they did in Week 3: def. NC Central 59-7
Why they're ranked here: With all the incredible quarterback play out West, it might be easy to miss that through three games, Dante Moore is averaging 19.2 yards per completion with a 7-1 TD-to-INT ratio and a Total QBR better than that of Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, UNC's Drake Maye or Oregon's Bo Nix. I'm not sure about UCLA's defense yet, but the offense could be as good as ever.
16. Oregon State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 20th and 20th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 97th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.9%
What they did in Week 3: def. San Diego State 26-9
Why they're ranked here: After thoroughly demolishing San Jose State and UC Davis, Jonathan Smith's Beavers looked a bit more mortal against San Diego State on Saturday. But only a bit. They averaged 7.7 yards per play and allowed only 4.9, but red zone miscues made the game look more competitive than it really was. The Beavers are still one of only six teams averaging at least 3.4 points per possession and allowing less than 1.0.
17. Syracuse (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 35th and 16th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 116th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.5%
What they did in Week 3: def. Purdue 35-20
Why they're ranked here: Here's a list of power conference teams that have exceeded SP+ projections more than Syracuse so far: Oklahoma. That's it. The Orange are dominating against the pass, Garrett Shrader nearly threw and rushed for 200 yards against Purdue, and the Cuse receiving corps are suddenly so deep that losing Oronde Gadsden II to a season-ending injury didn't slow them at all. What a revelation they've been.
18. North Carolina (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 26th and 23rd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 43rd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.8%
What they did in Week 3: def. Minnesota 31-13
Why they're ranked here: The Heels had to survive a wild rivalry test in Week 2's 40-34 overtime win over Appalachian State, but they have been completely in control in two wins over power conference opponents. They went up 14-0 early in the second quarter against Minnesota and never let the Gophers get back within single digits. The offense isn't quite as trustworthy as hoped, but the defense looks far improved over last year's unit.
19. Iowa (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 28th and 33rd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 104th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.7%
What they did in Week 3: def. Western Michigan 41-10
Why they're ranked here: The offense has done enough, and the defense looks as good as ever. Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes will have to raise their game considerably to remain on the unbeatens list seven days from now -- they visit Penn State on Saturday evening -- but Iowa has been as reliable as ever, for (mostly) better and (slightly) worse.
20. Auburn (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 23rd and 26th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 92nd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Samford 45-13
Why they're ranked here: Granted, it took some major red zone miscues from Cal in Week 2 for the Tigers to even make this list, but Hugh Freeze's first Auburn team is running the ball with extreme efficiency, dominating against the pass (granted, Texas A&M's passing game Saturday will be the first good one it has faced) and winning the games it's supposed to win.
21. UCF (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 29th and 21st
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 99th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.7%
What they did in Week 3: def. Villanova 48-14
Why they're ranked here: From Gus Malzahn's former team to his current one. UCF exceeded SP+ projections by a combined 20.8 points in two home games and underachieved by 13.5 in its only road game. If the Knights can play well at Kansas State on Saturday, I'm a "sleeper Big 12 contender" believer. But not until then.
22. Kentucky (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 24th and 40th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 127th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 2.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Akron 35-3
Why they're ranked here: Against just about the weakest schedule imaginable -- they've played FCS team Eastern Kentucky and teams ranked 118th (Ball State) and 130th (Akron) in SP+ -- the Wildcats have been ... fine. They kept the Cardinals and Zips at arm's length, but they dilly-dallied against EKU. I'm not sure we've learned a single thing about them yet.
23. Maryland (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 31st and 39th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 129th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.2%
What they did in Week 3: def. Virginia 42-14
Why they're ranked here: As with Kentucky, we've learned very little about a Maryland team that has beaten an FCS opponent (Towson) and the No. 94 (Virginia) and No. 129 (Charlotte) teams in SP+. The Terps are currently 12th in points per possession and 16th in points allowed per possession, but virtually every team ahead of them on this list would rank that well with that schedule too. There's upside here, and the Terps get Michigan State and Indiana over the next two weeks, so 5-0 is well within reach. But I'm still not sure about them.
24. Washington State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 38th and 43rd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 67th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Northern Colorado 64-21
Why they're ranked here: The defense has allowed at least 20 points in each game, but the offense hung a combined 114 on Colorado State and Northern Colorado and managed 31 points against a stingy Wisconsin defense. Cameron Ward is 16th in Total QBR, right ahead of Oregon's Bo Nix and LSU's Jayden Daniels. I don't know if the Cougars are Pac-12 contenders, but they're good.
25. Duke (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 32nd and 29th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 36th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.3%
What they did in Week 3: def. Northwestern 38-14
Why they're ranked here: Was the 28-7 win over Clemson a little fluky? Perhaps. Clemson had 12 more first downs and more scoring chances. But did the Blue Devils still win by 21 points? Yes. Have they continued to play brutally efficient offense since? Yes. The defense is bending far more than I'd like to see, but the Blue Devils are now 12-4 under Mike Elko and nearly in the SP+ top 30. It's getting harder to doubt them.
26. Colorado (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 76th and 64th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 55th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: <0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Colorado State 43-35 (2OT)
Why they're ranked here: Legend and reality are in conflict when it comes to Deion Sanders' Buffaloes at the moment. That they are unbeaten after three games is incredible. They upset TCU in the season opener, they rank 23rd in total offense a year after ranking 128th, and Shedeur Sanders' ability to come through in virtually every make-or-break drive is incredible. But Sanders is getting hit far too much, the defense ranks 96th in success rate allowed and Saturday's dramatic comeback and thrilling rivalry win came against the team currently ranked 122nd in SP+.
There's a chance they keep pulling off magic acts in a magical season; there's also a chance that, with four currently unbeaten opponents over the next six games, a 3-0 start becomes about a 5-4 record in a month and a half.
27. Missouri (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 37th and 41st
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 57th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: <0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. No. 15 Kansas State 30-27
Why they're ranked here: After games against South Dakota and Middle Tennessee State, the Tigers' offense had made fewer big plays than almost anyone in the country. That was a bad omen ... until Brady Cook threw for 356 yards, with six completions of more than 25 yards, in a 30-27 upset of Kansas State. If that's the offense Eliah Drinkwitz is going to pair with another solid defense moving forward, the Tigers could be on their way to a huge season. But they've got to do it twice before earning my trust.
28. Louisville (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 34th and 28th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 119th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.3%
What they did in Week 3: def. Indiana 21-14
Why they're ranked here: I've changed my mind about Louisville about 12 times in three games. The Cardinals started horribly against Georgia Tech, then rallied. They started slowly against Murray State, too, but eventually cruised. Against Indiana, they started beautifully, led 21-0 after 28 minutes ... and did almost nothing for the final 32. Their upside is matched only by their inconsistency.
29. Rutgers (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 64th and 46th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 117th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: <0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Virginia Tech 35-16
Why they're ranked here: Ignore everything we know about Rutgers from years past -- the eight straight losing seasons, the six bottom-20 offenses in the past seven years -- and focus only on what we've seen through three results. What you'll see from that is a team that has overachieved projections by double digits in every game. We haven't found out how good this team is yet, but it's quite possibly the school's best since the Big East days.
30. Memphis (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 41st and 51st
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 133rd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 5.9%
What they did in Week 3: def. Navy 28-24
Why they're ranked here: It's an important year for Ryan Silverfield, who entered 2023 a solid but unspectacular 21-15 in charge of the Tigers. They crushed Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas State but damn near stumbled against Navy. The defense is aggressive and fun, especially against the pass, and they've got a huge opportunity against Mizzou in St. Louis this week. Win that one, and they're semi-official front-runners for a New Year's Six spot.
31. Wake Forest (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 45th and 57th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 118th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: <0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Old Dominion 27-24
Why they're ranked here: The Deacs have beaten Elon, Vanderbilt and Old Dominion by a combined 39 points. That's ... fine. But most of the teams above them here would have won by a lot more. Wake overcame a pair of ODU defensive touchdowns -- resilience: good -- but the schedule strength picks up considerably in October.
32. Kansas (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 55th and 58th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 94th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: <0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Nevada 31-24
Why they're ranked here: After Nevada's blowout loss to Idaho, I assumed the Jayhawks would come home from Reno with a blowout win. Instead, they had to make a pair of late stops to prevail. That undid a lot of the good vibes emerging from KU's Week 2 win over Illinois, but it certainly speaks to how far this team has risen under Lance Leipold that we're now disappointed in its wins.
33. Air Force (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 59th and 74th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 131st
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 6.3%
What they did in Week 3: def. Utah State 39-21
Why they're ranked here: Per SP+, Troy Calhoun's Falcons are the current favorites to win the Mountain West, and it's not hard to see why. They are mercilessly efficient on both sides of the ball -- 11th in success rate, second in success rate allowed -- and while they don't make many big plays, they allow even fewer. They are projected favorites in each of their next eight games before an end-of-year trip to Boise.
34. BYU (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 47th and 56th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 77th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: <0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Arkansas 38-31
Why they're ranked here: BYU beat Arkansas on Saturday by winning the field position and red zone battles. The offense remains dreadfully inefficient and needed short fields to top 30 points. But the defense is coming around nicely, and confidence is growing heading toward Saturday's trip to Lawrence, Kansas. (Goodness, there are so many unbeaten vs. unbeaten matchups this week.)
35. Liberty (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 70th and 72nd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 125th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 10.5%
What they did in Week 3: def. Buffalo 55-27
Why they're ranked here: Jamey Chadwell's first Liberty team went on 24-0 runs to start the Bowling Green and Buffalo games and scored the last 20 points against New Mexico State. When the Flames find a rhythm, they maximize it, and sophomore Kaidon Salter is quickly turning into the perfect Chadwell quarterback. He's got an outside chance at 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.
36. Fresno State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 61st and 62nd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 108th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 8.0%
What they did in Week 3: def. Arizona State 29-0
Why they're ranked here: Jeff Tedford's Bulldogs outlasted Purdue in Week 1 and absolutely pummeled Arizona State 29-0. Or at least, they stepped back and let ASU pummel itself. Fresno State forced eight turnovers and won by 29 points despite settling for seven field goal attempts. Oh yeah, and in between these two huge wins the Bulldogs almost lost to Eastern Washington. Good luck making sense of all that.
37. James Madison (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 68th and 84th
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 113th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.4%
What they did in Week 3: def. Troy 16-14
Why they're ranked here: There's a chance the Dukes are both the best team in Virginia and the best team in the Sun Belt. They still aren't eligible for the conference title (or a bowl), but Saturday's nip-and-tuck win over Troy sent a message. The offense is still trying to figure things out, but this defense is tough.
38. Marshall (2-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 72nd and 63rd
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 122nd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.1%
What they did in Week 3: idle
Why they're ranked here: Charles Huff's third Thundering Herd squad nearly no-showed offensively in its opener but played well in an 18-point win at East Carolina in Week 2. The defense, meanwhile, looks like it could be one of the Group of 5's best for the second straight year. The schedule is about to get bumpy, but so far, so good in Huntington.
39. Georgia State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 79th and 81st
SP+ strength of schedule to date: 130th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: <0.1%
What they did in Week 3: def. Charlotte 41-25
Why they're ranked here: Shawn Elliott's Panthers are growing more convincing by the week. They eased into the season with a narrow win over Rhode Island, but they're making loads of big plays, and Darren Grainger also has 3,000/1,000 potential. The defense probably gives up too many big plays for Georgia State to remain unbeaten for long -- next three games: Coastal Carolina, Troy, Marshall -- but a nice bounce-back season is developing in Atlanta.
Iowa points watch
Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz needs the Hawkeyes to score at least 325 points over 13 games this year to reach his full incentive bonus. After Saturday's 41-10 win over Western Michigan -- easily the worst defense remaining on Iowa's schedule -- the Hawkeyes have scored 85 points through three games. They need to average 24.0 points the rest of the way to win the Drive to 325.
Who won the Heisman this week?
I am once again awarding the Heisman every single week of the season and doling out weekly points, F1-style (in this case, 10 points for first place, 9 for second, and so on). How will this Heisman race play out, and how different will the result be from the actual Heisman voting?
Here is Week 3's Heisman top 10:
1. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (27-for-35 for 473 yards and 4 touchdowns against Michigan State)
2. Jayden Daniels, LSU (30-for-34 for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 64 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, against Mississippi State)
3. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (28-for-31 for 421 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT against Tulsa)
4. Darren Grainger, Georgia State (27-for-33 for 466 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus 23 rushing yards and a touchdown, against Charlotte)
5. Malik Nabers, LSU (13 catches for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns against Mississippi State)
6. Trevor Etienne, Florida (23 carries for 172 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee)
7. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (38-for-47 for 348 yards, 4 touchdowns and an interception against Colorado State, plus a game-tying 98-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes of regulation)
8. Yahsyn McKee, Miami (Ohio) (6 tackles, a TFL, 2 pass breakups, a blocked field goal that forced overtime and a game-sealing interception against Cincinnati)
9. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (10-for-18 for 251 yards and a touchdown, plus 136 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns against Georgia Tech)
10. Garrett Shrader, Syracuse (25 carries for 195 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 184 passing yards and an interception against Purdue)
This week was difficult, as you can see by this fierce list of honorable mentions:
• Brady Cook, Missouri (23-for-35 for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown, against Kansas State)
• Sam Hartman, Notre Dame(16-for-26 for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown, against Central Michigan)
• LaMareon James, Old Dominion (1 fumble recovery, 1 interception and 2 touchdowns against Wake Forest)
• Kyle McCord, Ohio State (19-for-23 for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns against Western Kentucky)
• Harrison Mevis, Missouri (SEC-record 61-yard field goal to beat Kansas State in walk-off fashion)
• Kyle Monangai, Rutgers (16 carries for 143 yards and 3 touchdowns against Virginia Tech)
• Kaidon Salter, Liberty (16-for-26 for 344 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus 66 rushing yards and a touchdown, against Buffalo)
• Dallas Turner, Alabama (4 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble against USF)
• Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (25-for-29 for 337 yards and a touchdown, plus a rushing touchdown, against Louisiana-Monroe)
Through three weeks, here are your points leaders:
1. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (24 points)
2. Caleb Williams, USC (14)
3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (13)
4. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (12)
T-5. Travis Hunter, Colorado (10)
T-5. Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (10)
T-7. Jayden Daniels, LSU (9)
T-7. Quinn Ewers, Texas (9)
9. Jordan Travis, Florida State (8)
10. Darren Grainger, Georgia State (7)
Penix is No. 1 in passing yards, No. 1 in Total QBR, No. 2 in passing touchdowns (behind only Sam Hartman, who has played an extra game) and No. 2 in yards per dropback (behind only Caleb Williams). No one can win the Heisman in the first few weeks of the season, but at worst, Penix is establishing himself as Williams' biggest early challenger.
My 10 favorite games of the weekend
1. No. 18 Colorado 43, Colorado State 35. At some point late in the week, I reversed course. I went from declaring Jay Norvell's pregame jawing at Deion Sanders ridiculous and misguided -- "they're going to get destroyed now!" and whatnot -- to realizing that, hey, Norvell and CSU were supposed to get destroyed anyway. Maybe getting Colorado fired up and angry would also make the Buffaloes unfocused and flat on the field. For most of 60 minutes, that's how things took shape. Shedeur Sanders took four sacks (honestly, it felt like about eight), and the Buffaloes trailed by 11 midway through the fourth quarter.
The CSU lead was eight points when CU's offense took the ball 98 yards from the end zone with 2:06 left. And after playing with damn near foolish aggression all game -- CSU finished with 17 penalties for 182 yards -- the Rams' defense ... backed off, rushing mostly three or four and allowing Sanders to find a rhythm for just about the first time all night. CU went 98 yards in 90 seconds, tied the game, scored touchdowns in both overtime possessions and won a classic.
2. Missouri 30, No. 15 Kansas State 27. The atmosphere for this one hit me pretty hard. We're losing so many geographically relevant rivalries in next year's big conference realignment moves, which means we're losing a layer of buzz in the stadiums, particularly out West. Kansas State visited Mizzou for the first time since 2010, and K-State fans made up a healthy portion of the sold-out crowd in Columbia. Mizzou and K-State fans have always had a bit of an "unholy alliance" relationship -- the enemy of your greatest enemy (Kansas) is your friend -- and it felt like there was a family reunion going on around Memorial Stadium. It made me very happy ... and also made me sad for what we're about to lose. We need more games where the visiting team is close enough for its fans to make the trip; instead, we're getting fewer.
Oh yeah, and the game was outstanding. The teams traded leads six times, both quarterbacks made huge plays -- Brady Cook and Will Howard combined for 626 yards, five touchdowns and a pick against what have otherwise been excellent defenses this year -- and, of course, big Harrison Mevis set an SEC record and hit a walk-off field goal at the same time.
FROM 61 YARDS FOR THE WIN 🤯@MizzouFootball x 📺 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/hxGdlKI5p4
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 16, 2023
3. Miami (Ohio) 31, Cincinnati 24 (OT). Hey, speaking of underrated, close-proximity rivalries ... Cincinnati gained 180 more yards, but Miami got 237 passing yards and 75 rushing yards from Brett Gabbert, star receiver Gage Larvadain caught another long touchdown (a 79-yarder) and senior Yahsyn McKee had the game of his life, blocking a 35-yard field goal at the buzzer to force overtime, then picking off a short Emory Jones pass in overtime to seal the RedHawks' first Victory Bell win since 2005.
T-4. North Texas 40, Louisiana Tech 37. Sophomore quarterback Jack Turner subbed in for an injured Hank Bachmeier and led a ferocious comeback. Down 30-14 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs scored 23 points and tied the game at 37-37 with 1:04 left. That was too much time. The Mean Green drove 61 yards, and Noah Rauschenberg hit his fourth field goal of the day with three seconds left.
T-4. UNLV 40, Vanderbilt 37. This one was almost disturbingly identical to Tech-UNT. UNLV led 30-17 heading into the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt charged back to tie the game at, yes, 37-37, and after a long bomb from Jayden Maiava to Ricky White, UNLV's Jose Pizano hit his fifth field goal of the day, a 36-yarder with five seconds left, to give Barry Odom's Rebels a huge win.
How it ended 😎
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) September 17, 2023
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/zs9aWCFK1o
6. Division III: No. 22 Susquehanna 38, No. 10 Cortland 35. I named this one of the small-school games of the week in my Friday preview column, and damned if it didn't live up to the (one-person) hype. Cortland held a 35-21 lead with less than five minutes left, but Susquehanna tied the game with a pair of Josh Ehrlich touchdowns, then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff with 1:30 left. Christian Colasurdo nailed a 32-yard field goal at the buzzer, and the River Hawks pulled an incredible smash-and-grab.
7. FCS: Southern Illinois 26, SE Missouri State 25. Mizzou-Kansas State was only barely Saturday's best game in the state of Missouri. Down in Cape Girardeau, SIU trailed 25-13 midway through the fourth quarter, but one Izaiah Hartrup touchdown brought the Salukis within five, and a second one gave them the lead with 11 seconds left.
The Throw. The Catch. The Celebration. pic.twitter.com/wyRyWUHdSY
— Saluki Football (@SIU_Football) September 17, 2023
8. BYU 38, Arkansas 31. BYU went on a pair of runs -- 21-0 to turn around a 14-0 deficit and 17-0 to finish the game -- and held on despite allowing a late fourth-and-18 conversion. Arkansas got to the BYU 16 in the closing seconds but committed penalties on back-to-back plays. The Cougars prevailed.
9. Sacramento State 30, Stanford 23. A year ago, Andy Thompson was Troy Taylor's defensive coordinator as Sac State rolled unbeaten to the FCS quarterfinals. On Saturday, Thompson topped Taylor and his new team thanks to an incredible flip-and-run.
ARE YOU KIDDING‼️‼️@SacHornetsFB takes the lead at Stanford#ExperienceElevated pic.twitter.com/c6GU2q6Ra0
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) September 17, 2023
10. Eastern Michigan 19, UMass 17. There were so many wild fourth-quarter touchdowns that it was hard to keep track of them all. But at the end of a defensive slugfest at The Factory, with UMass having just taken a 17-13 lead, EMU saved itself from an upset with a 50-yard Austin Smith to Hamze El-Zayat bomb.
Eagles take the lead! 🦅@EMUFB | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/XtMt0MJ91N
— #MACtion (@MACSports) September 16, 2023