Week 9 brought the kind of shake-up that can turn a Heisman race on its head. Ohio State’s loss to USC was the headline upset, and while the Buckeyes fell from No. 2 in the AP poll, the individual stars kept making their cases as the season moved into Week 10.
At the top of the conversation is Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, who kept rolling in the Hurricanes’ 38-35 win over North Carolina. He threw for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, and his season line is starting to look as strong as anyone’s in the country: 2,425 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and just one interception. The numbers back up the bigger picture, too - he’s the best quarterback in the country and has Miami positioned as a national title contender.
Mensah’s favorite target, Malachi Toney, keeps making life miserable for defenses. Against North Carolina, he caught seven passes for 75 yards and two scores, continuing a season that has already produced 73 receptions, 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Miami’s quarterback-receiver pairing has become one of the most dangerous in the sport, and Toney’s route running and hands give the Hurricanes a weapon that can strike in any situation. Miami gets Notre Dame next, which gives him another chance to pad those totals.
Another receiver who stayed in the mix was Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. Even in the loss to USC, he put up 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
His season has been absurd by any standard: 62 receptions, 1,067 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also just broke the Big Ten’s all-time career receiving touchdown record.
With or without Julian Sayin delivering the ball, Smith continues to produce whenever it comes his way, and he’s going to be in this Heisman race all the way through.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss also strengthened his case against Auburn. He threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, then added 65 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
For the season, he now has 2,189 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Georgia is next, and that matchup gives him another big stage to keep building his candidacy.
Then there’s Oregon State freshman Jesse Legree, whose start to the year was so hot that he opened with seven straight 100-yard games before that run ended against Fresno State. Even with that streak snapped, he still finished with seven catches for 70 yards.
His season numbers remain eye-popping: 53 receptions, 1,110 yards and 14 touchdowns. He may not end up winning the Heisman Trophy, but he’s already established himself as a legitimate candidate and one of the most impressive young receivers in the country.
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Bjork has already become a target for frustrated fans, with many calling for the university to take action even though the full details of what happened are still unclear. For a program that is used to every move being scrutinized, the murky nature of the exchange has only added another layer of unease around a difficult night. [Read more 🡒]
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Ohio State Fans Are Getting A Rare Team-Centric Nike Drop
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The shoes are scheduled to release Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. ET, priced at $250 in adult sizes through the Nike SNKRS app and select retailers. For Buckeyes fans, it is the kind of team-centric rollout that does not come around often, and it should draw plenty of attention from both sneaker collectors and anyone looking for a more direct way to rep Ohio State. [Read more 🡒]