Week 6 in College Football didn’t give us as many upsets as Week 5, but it did give us arguably the biggest upset of the year — UCLA beating Penn State.
Oregon’s win at Penn State became a little less impressive for Dante Moore with the Nittany Lions loss, while Carson Beck added another impressive win to his resume and Jeremiah Smith dominated Minnesota.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the College Football schedule!
Vaughn Dalzell’s Heisman Trophy Week 7 Poll
Last Game: 241 passing yards on 20/27, 4 TDs vs Florida State (28-22 win)
Season Stats: 1,213 passing yards, 74.1 comp %, 12 total TDs, 3 INTs
A 28-22 win over Florida State was not nearly close at all with Carson Beck and Miami taking a 28-3 lead entering the fourth quarter. Beck tossed four touchdown passes and 241 yards on 20-for-27 passing, plus snapped a two-game interception streak.
Miami has three ranked victories and the defense has held all five opponents to 24 or fewer points and 12 or less in three of those. Beck has a lights out running back combo (Mark Fletcher Jr., CharMar Brown) and one of the most dynamic true freshman in the country at receiver (Malachi Toney).
Miami now has the best odds of any team in the country to go undefeated, so it’s no surprise Beck is the favorite or second in terms of odds to win the Heisman at most sports books.
Last Game: Bye Week
Season Stats: 1,210 passing yards, 74.6 comp %, 14 TDs, 1 INT
Oregon watched Penn State lose to UCLA during the bye week and that probably didn’t set that well with the Ducks. Oregon’s win at Beaver Stadium became a little less impressive with Penn State losing as -24.5 point favorites, but nonetheless, Oregon has a chance to dominate ranked Indiana.
The Hoosiers are No. 7 in the AP poll and the only ranked opponent remaining on Oregon’s regular season schedule. The Ducks are -10 point favorites, so this is another chance for Dante Moore and company to prove they are a top three team.
Last Game: 7 receptions, 67 yards, 9.6 ypc, 2 TDs vs Minnesota (42-3 win)
Season Stats: 35 receptions, 463 yards, 13.2 ypc, 7 total TDs
Jeremiah Smith dominated Minnesota with seven receptions, 67 yards, and two touchdowns, while Carnell Tate posted nine receptions, a career-high 183 yards and a score. The Ferrari’s were burning rubber in Columbus!
Smith has seven total touchdowns through five games, scored in four straight, and has scored in 9 of 11 Big Ten games dating back to the start of last season. Smith ranks top 15 in receptions per game (T-11th), receiving yards (15th), receiving touchdowns (T-3rd).
OSU will need to go undefeated if Miami or Oregon does in order for Smith to likely win the Heisman trophy, but Jeremiah Smith is giving DeVonta Smith 2021 Heisman winner vibes.
Last Game: 340 passing yards on 23/31, 2 passing TDs vs #16 Vanderbilt (30-14 win)
Season Stats: 1,478 passing yards, 70.3 completion %, 15 total TDs, 1 INTs
Ty Simpson tossed his first interception of the season against Vanderbilt, but he still put on a display of accuracy in a 30-14 win versus Vanderbilt.
Simpson improved his completion percentage to 70.3% for the year and has 15 total touchdowns and over 1,500 yards in five games. Simpson tossed 340 yards, his second career 300-yard game, and has two or more touchdowns in all five games.
As a first-year starter, Simpson has proved to be immaculate at times for the Tide. In the last four games since losing to Florida State, Simpson has completed 88 out of 113 passes (77.8%).
Last Game: Bye Week
Season Stats: 1,033 passing yards, 266 rushing yards, 7 total TDs, 1 INT
Austin Simmons was not on the injury report for either of the last two games, so the job is Trinidad Chambliss and he’s earned it.
Chambliss and Ole Miss are coming off a bye week ahead of hosting Washington State. In three starts, Chambliss has exceeded expectations and thrived in Lane Kiffin‘s offense.
Chambliss recorded a season-low 385 total yards in his last start (I am funny, huh) and one touchdown in a 24-19 win. Prior to that home win over #4 LSU, Chambliss recorded 419 and 412 total yards with five total touchdowns versus Tulane and Arkansas.
The Rebels play at Georgia and Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks after hosting Washington State, so Chambliss’ Heisman campaign is about to heat up or cool down significantly.
Honorable Mentions
Last Game: 233 passing yards on 13/23, 2 TDs, 1 INT vs Iowa (20-15 win)
Season Stats: 1,208 passing yards, 73.0 comp %, 18 total TDs, 1 INTs
Indiana is coming off a bye week and heads to Oregon as double-digit underdogs. Fernando Mendoza‘s Heisman run comes down to this game and likely a road outing at Penn State, if Indiana wins at Oregon.
Mendoza has been outstanding with 18 total touchdowns to one interception on the season and 1,310 total yards through five games.
The Hoosiers rank fourth in the country with 47.8 points per game, the fourth-best third-down offense (58.3%), but 51st in red zone offense (23 TDs on 29 red zone attempts), which will be called into question at Oregon.
Last Game: 180 passing yards on 13/23, 3 TD, 1 INT vs Mississippi State (31-9 win)
Season Stats: 1,405 total yards, 59.7 comp %, 13 total TDs, 3 INTs
Texas A&M got out to a slow start versus Mississippi State trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter and lead 7-3 at the half. In the second-half, the Aggies punted twice, then pulled away with four-straight scoring drives, and won the game 31-9.
Marcel Reed was responsible for three total touchdowns and 210 yards in the win. That was his lowest yardage output on the season, which makes a home game versus Florida (just beat Texas) all that more interesting.
Texas A&M plays three straight road games at Arkansas, LSU, and Missouri following hosting Florida, so Reed’s path to a Heisman trophy is just getting started.
Last Game: 326 passing yards on 23/27, 3 TDs vs Minnesota (42-3 win)
Season Stats: 1,313 passing yards, 80.2 comp%, 13 TDs, 3 INTs
Julian Sayin has the liberty of having a top-five projected receiver in this draft class (Carnell Tate) and the top overall prospect in next year’s class (Jeremiah Smith) as his top two receivers, so it’s pretty difficult to fail in that position.
In his first-year as a starter, Sayin has 13 passing touchdowns to three interceptions, three games of 300-plus passing yards, and four consecutive games with multi-touchdown passing performances. Sayin has yet to thrown an interception in two Big Ten conference games. He has completed 45 of 55 passes for 534 yards, and five touchdowns.
Last Game: 103 rushing yards, 11 receiving yards, 1 TDs vs Boise State (28-7 win)
Season Stats: 444 rushing yards, 160 receiving yards, 9 total TDs, 96 total touches
Jeremiyah Love has now scored in four consecutive games and has nine total touchdowns in that span. Against a good rush defense in Boise State, Love topped the 100-yard mark with 103 rushing yards, 16 carries (6.4 ypc), one touchdown and a reception for 11 yards.
Notre Dame’s offense is hot with 56, 56, and 28 points scored over the last three games — all resulting in blowout wins of 26, 43, and 21 points. While CJ Carr (+2800) is gaining more momentum in the Heisman race, let’s remember his life wouldn’t be so easy right now if not for Love and Jadarian Price.
Last Game: Bye Week
Season Stats: 1,459 passing yards, 60 comp %, 15 total TDs, 5 INTs
Tennessee was on a bye week, but the sharps will tell you this is about to be where Joey Aguilar makes his bread and butter.
The Vols have a favorable Arkansas defense up deck after the extra rest and prep, then a ranked road game at #8 Alabama. A win at Bama will jolt Aguilar up the Heisman Polls and a home game versus Oklahoma and John Mateer will be another opportunity on Nov. 1.
Stock Up:
Last Game: 241 passing yards on 20/27, 4 TDs vs Florida State (28-22 win)
Season Stats: 1,213 passing yards, 74.1 comp %, 12 total TDs, 3 INTs
Carson Beck now has wins against Notre Dame, South Florida, Florida, and Florida State — three of those four teams being ranked at the time. No other quarterback in the country can say that yet. Beck’s odds drastically dropped from +1100 to +500 following his four touchdown performance on 20-of-27 passing against Florida State.
Last Game: 8 receptions, 81 yards, 19.0 ypc, 1 TD vs Ohio (24-6 win)
Season Stats: 28 receptions, 396 yards, 14.1 ypc, 5 total TDs
After his monster game, Smith climbed into the top 15 ranks for receptions per game, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Smith may need an undefeated season in his corner for the Heisman, but it’s clear that he will finish as the Fred Blientekoff Trophy as the top receiver in the country (unless USC’s Makai Lemon has something to say about that).
Last Game: Bye Week
Season Stats: 103 carries, 703 rushing yards, 9 TDs, 7.1 ypc
One player to keep an eye on this Saturday is Missouri’s running back Ahmad Hardy. He has 100-plus rushing yards in all five games this year and 22 or more carries in four straight. Hardy leads the country with 730 rushing yards and 146.0 yards per game, is tied for second with nine rushing scores, 10th with 7.09 yards per carry, and sixth in carries (103).
Just like Hardy, Missouri’s quarterback Beau Pribula (+3500) is another name to watch in the same game depending on who has the better outing and most importantly, if Missouri beats Alabama.
Stock Down:
Last Game: 321 passing yards on 26/34, 86 rushing yards, 6 total TDs, 1 INT
Season Stats: 1,211 passing yards, 294 rushing yards, 15 total TDs, 2 INT
Diego Pavia‘s odds dropped from +1700 to +2800 after the loss to Alabama, so it wasn’t the end of the world for Vanderbilt’s season or Pavia’s Heisman chances. However, a win would have put him into top five in terms of odds on favorite.
Vanderbilt is in a bye week before playing LSU, Missouri, and Texas over the next three games. Pavia could work himself back into the conversation with three wins, but I’d say that’s unlikely.
Last Game: 320 total yards on 18/21, 5 total TDs vs Sam Houston (55-0 win)
Season Stats: 888 total yards, 61.3 comp %, 14 total TDs, 3 INTs
I for one am glad I did not bet on Arch Manning to win the Heisman, but I also bet on DJ Lagway and Cade Klubnik in the offseason, so what do I know?!
Manning tossed two interceptions in The Swamp and that marked four out of five games with at least one interception. In both losses, Manning failed to record a rushing touchdown and has three passing touchdowns to three interceptions. I did not expect Texas to miss the College Football Playoff, but that could very well happen with Manning at the helm.
Last Game: 272 passing yards on 25/45, 2 TDs, 2 INTs vs Miami (28-22 loss)
Season Stats: 1,120 passing yards, 274 rushing yards, 60.9 comp %, 10 Total TDs, 5 INTs
Tommy Castellanos has gone from +2500 to +3000 to +8000 to +12000 over the last four weeks. A double OT road loss at Virginia followed up by a beatdown at home via Miami solidified FSU’s season was too hyped after the upset win against Alabama. It also was the nail in the coffin for Castellanos to hold up the Heisman trophy.
My Heisman Picks
Back in Week 3, I grabbed Carson Beck at +1200 to win the Heisman and in Week 5 in the third quarter between Oregon at Penn State, I bet Dante Moore at +1100.
I am content to stick with this two and if I was to add a third or mention a third worth betting — it would be OSU’s Jeremiah Smith. If Miami and Oregon lose, but Ohio State goes undefeated, this could be a DeVonta Smith type of year for the Heisman and Smith’s path to the award. If Miami and/or Oregon go undefeated, Smith will have to dominate all season, which he is.
If you are looking for help with your weekly College Football picks, NBC Sports has you covered with game odds, betting tools, and player prop projections.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Eric Froton (@CFFroton)
- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
