Week 5 didn’t just shuffle the AP Top 25 - it gave the Heisman race another jolt.
Texas remains No. 1, with Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami and Ohio State right behind it. Alabama, Indiana, BYU, Ole Miss and LSU fill out the top 10, and a few of the biggest individual performances from Saturday came from players already making a serious case for themselves.
Jeremiah Smith keeps looking like the most dangerous wideout in the sport. Against Iowa, the Ohio State star put up 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, and the Hawkeyes’ different coverages never really slowed him down. He now has 44 receptions for 823 yards and nine touchdowns, and he’s already Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards.
Miami’s Darian Mensah is making his own loud statement at quarterback. He handled Clemson with 227 passing yards and a touchdown, then added 27 rushing yards and another score.
On the season, he’s completing 84.2 percent of his throws for 1,438 yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions. Miami is 5-0, and Mensah has been a huge reason why.
Alabama’s Keelon Russell added another strong chapter to his season in a 56-23 win over Mississippi State. He finished with 285 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, plus a rushing touchdown, while outdueling fellow Heisman Trophy contender Kamario Taylor. Russell has thrown for 1,414 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions overall, and over his last three games he has a 10/0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Notre Dame’s CJ Carr has been piling up production without making much noise. He followed that pattern again against North Carolina, throwing for 234 yards and four touchdowns. For the year, Carr has 1,197 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and only one interception, and he’s shown enough arm talent and mobility to stay firmly on the radar.
Taylor’s day against Alabama wasn’t his best, but it doesn’t erase the season he’s put together for Mississippi State. He’s thrown for 1,450 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he still has a chance to get back on track when Mississippi State heads to Baton Rouge for the Oct. 17 matchup with LSU. That one shapes up as one of the day’s top games.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Is Giving Ohio State Fans New Rivalry Ammo
Jeremiah Smith has done more than look like Ohio States most dangerous pass-catcher. Through five games, the sophomore wideout has piled up 823 receiving yards, 44 catches and nine touchdowns, production that has made him the national leader among wide receivers and given Buckeyes fans plenty of ammunition in a rivalry that rarely needs extra fuel. With Ohio State humming near the top of the sport in scoring, passing and total offense, Smith has been a centerpiece of an attack that looks every bit as imposing as advertised.
Across the border, Michigans offense has had a harder time finding that kind of rhythm. Bryce Underwoods passing numbers have been modest by comparison, and the Wolverines have lingered near the bottom of the national rankings in several offensive categories, a sharp contrast to Ohio States efficiency. For Buckeyes fans, Smiths emergence adds another layer to the annual debate over which side has the better firepower, even if the most important chapter in that argument still waits to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A New PFF Debate As O-Line Questions Linger
As Ohio State keeps sorting out its offensive front, the conversation has spilled into an old debate about how to judge line play in the first place. Left guard Luke Montgomery pushed back on Pro Football Focus, arguing that offensive linemen are too dependent on each other for individual grades to tell the full story. It is a familiar complaint in football circles, but it lands differently when the Buckeyes are still working through personnel and continuity issues up front.
Ryan Day has already acknowledged the line is in a stretch of adjustment because of Phillip Daniels' injury, and the staff is still trying to integrate him back into the mix. For Ohio State, that leaves the spotlight on both performance and perception, with the Buckeyes trying to stabilize a unit where communication and cohesion matter as much as any single snap. The grading debate may never go away, but it is especially loud when the line itself is still very much a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Devin Sanchez Problem To Fix Fast
Devin Sanchez has been drawing too much attention for the wrong reasons over the last two games, with the sophomore cornerback flagged multiple times for pass interference and now sitting at five penalties on the season. It has become a real issue for Ohio States secondary, because the Buckeyes can live with aggressive coverage, but not the kind that repeatedly hands opponents free yardage and extends drives.
Ryan Day has already made clear the answer starts with better composure and cleaner technique, and secondary coach Tim Walton is working on a plan to address it in practice. The timing matters with Maryland coming next and a passing offense that will put Sanchez back in the spotlight, giving him a chance to show the kind of correction Ohio State needs fast. [Read more 🡒]