Danny Kanell has made his stance clear: if you want to talk national title contenders in college football, start with the quarterbacks.
The former Florida State quarterback and NFL passer said there are only five teams he sees as having the kind of quarterback play that can carry a run to a championship: Miami, Georgia, USC, Ole Miss and Notre Dame.
“This is a QB driven game…that's why I think these teams are the strongest national title contenders:”
Miami Georgia
USC Ole Miss
Notre Dame
Darian Mensah and Miami had to grind through their first real test of adversity in Week 9, but the Hurricanes came away with a 38-35 win over North Carolina. Mensah kept the offense rolling, finishing 22-of-29 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, he has thrown for 2,425 yards, 25 touchdowns and just one interception.
The next week should tell a lot more about him, because Miami heads to South Bend to face Notre Dame.
The Irish have their own quarterback on Kanell’s list in CJ Carr, who has been just as careful with the football. Carr has thrown for 1,849 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception, and the matchup with Miami is shaping up as more than just a College Football Playoff showdown. It could also have Heisman Trophy implications.
Next week brings another quarterback duel from Kanell’s group when Gunner Stockton and Trinidad Chambliss meet in Oxford. Both have already played in the College Football Playoff, and both have shown they can win on that stage.
The last quarterback on Kanell’s list is Jayden Maiava. USC is still on the outside looking in for the CFP, but Kanell sees Maiava as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
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Ole Miss Just Got A Ranking Check Fans Needed To See
The SEC race tightened again in Week 9, and Ole Miss did its part to stay in the thick of it. The Rebels handled Auburn 45-15 behind a big day from Trinidad Chambliss, who found the end zone three times, while the rest of the leagues upper tier kept moving in ways that will matter for the next ranking release.
No. 3 Georgias 27-8 win over Florida and No. 11 Texas road victory at Mississippi State both added more pressure near the top, and South Carolinas win at Oklahoma only added to the shuffle. For Ole Miss, the result was the kind of clean, convincing performance that keeps the Rebels in the conversation, even if the bigger question now is how far the latest weekend will move them when the polls are updated. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's Ranking Suddenly Carries More Weight Before A Massive Showdown
A wild weekend across the AP Top 25 has reshuffled the college football conversation just in time for a massive showdown, and Ole Miss has every reason to be watching closely. Seven ranked teams went down, creating movement throughout the poll and putting fresh emphasis on how the rest of the top tier is viewed heading into the next round of high-stakes games.
Ohio States loss to USC was one of the most notable results, with ripple effects that reach well beyond the Big Ten and into the broader College Football Playoff picture. Several teams climbed, others slid, and a few cracked the rankings for the first time this season, which means the margin for error is getting even thinner as the schedule tightens around the Rebels. [Read more 🡒]
Deuce Knight Just Gave Ole Miss Fans A Reason To Dream
Ole Miss comeback win over Auburn did more than pad the Rebels resume. It also offered a small glimpse of what could be waiting down the road at quarterback, with backup Deuce Knight getting into the action and helping fuel the second-half surge with a touchdown run in limited work. For a team that has already found a spark with Trinidad Chambliss, Knights presence gives the Rebels another layer of intrigue at the games most important position.
Knights path makes the storyline even more interesting. A former Auburn recruit who transferred to Ole Miss, he is still behind Chambliss on the depth chart, but every chance he gets will be watched closely by a fan base eager to know what the future looks like. For now, the Rebels have a quarterback situation that feels sturdy in the present and potentially even more promising later on, which is about as good a problem as a program can have. [Read more 🡒]