Week 5 didn’t do much to shake up the Heisman conversation, and that’s because several quarterbacks and one star receiver keep stacking big Saturdays on top of big Saturdays.
At the top of the list is Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who keeps making the case that he’s been the country’s best pass catcher. Against Iowa on Saturday, he put together another huge outing with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns.
The Hawkeyes threw different coverages at him, but none of it slowed him down. Through five weeks, Smith has 44 receptions for 823 yards and nine touchdowns, and he already sits as Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah also kept rolling in the Hurricanes’ win over Clemson. He threw for 227 yards and a touchdown while adding 27 rushing yards and another score.
His season line is eye-popping: 84.2 percent completions, 1,438 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions. Miami is 5-0, and Mensah has been central to that start.
Alabama’s Keelon Russell made his own statement in a 56-23 win over Mississippi State, and he did it in a direct matchup with fellow Heisman contender Kamario Taylor. Russell finished with 285 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing score.
For the season, he has thrown for 1,414 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Over his last three games, he’s been flawless in the turnover department, posting a 10/0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has been quieter in the national buzz, but the production is there. He has thrown for 1,197 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception, and he was especially sharp against North Carolina on Saturday with 234 passing yards and four touchdowns. Carr has shown he can hit any throw and can also hurt defenses with his legs when needed.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor still belongs in the mix despite a rough afternoon against Alabama. One game won’t erase what he has done so far this season. Taylor has thrown for 1,450 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he’ll get another chance to make noise when Mississippi State goes to Baton Rouge on Oct. 17 to face LSU in one of the day’s top matchups.
In Other News...
Why One AP Ballot Has Mississippi State Fans Talking Again
A surprising AP ballot has given Mississippi State fans something to chew on again after the Bulldogs loss to Alabama and their consensus spot at No. 17. AP voter Greg Luca placed Mississippi State at No. 10 in the latest poll, a mark that stands well above where the public rankings have the Bulldogs and far ahead of what most observers expected after that defeat.
Luca has said he takes a week-to-week clean-slate approach and leans heavily on head-to-head results when comparing one-loss SEC teams, which helped shape his placement. The gap between his ballot and the overall AP Poll has already sparked criticism on social media, and it adds another layer to the ongoing debate over how much weight recent results should carry in a crowded SEC race. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Just Got A Brutal Reminder Of The Alabama Gap
Mississippi State ran into a sharp reminder of just how deep Alabamas roster can go in a 56-23 loss, the kind of game that left the Bulldogs chasing answers well before the final whistle. It was not just the usual stars doing damage, either. Alabama spread the recognition around after the win, with several players earning conference weekly honors for their work on both sides of the ball.
Keelon Russell, Josh Ford, JD Martin, Xavier Griffin, Dijon Lee Jr., Torin Craig and the defensive line all landed player of the week recognition, while Lorcan Quinn and Cooper Mollison were honored for special teams. For Mississippi State, the takeaway was less about a single matchup and more about the wider gap it still has to close if it wants to compete with a Tide team that can keep rolling out impact performances from all over the field. [Read more 🡒]