College football is rolling into one of those weekends that can swing everything at once: the Heisman race, the playoff picture, and the hobby market all in the same breath. With top-10 showdowns, ranked games, rivalry heat, and even another Commander-in-Chief trophy game on the slate, there’s no shortage of pressure points.
The headliner in the Heisman conversation remains Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith. He goes into Week 10 as the heavy favorite, and even in a loss to USC without QB Julian Sayin, he still looked every bit like the centerpiece of the sport’s most valuable chase.
Smith finished with 10 catches and still didn’t get to 100 yards. Another big performance this weekend would matter on both fronts: the award race and the hobby.
His values haven’t exactly been sinking, but with Smith only available in Leaf and ONIT properties this fall, Ohio State can’t really afford another stumble. The Buckeyes are already on the outside looking in, and while a second loss wouldn’t end their playoff hopes, three losses would make the climb brutal.
Kentucky QB Kenny Minchey is a much longer shot for the Heisman, but a win over Tennessee could push him into New York conversation. The hobby angle is lighter here, though Minchey has benefited from Kentucky’s rise in the polls.
Last week, his Bowman Chrome Crystalized Superfractor sold for $2,850, a strong number for a Tier 2 SSP from Bowman. Kentucky can nearly lock up its playoff spot with a win, while a loss from Tennessee would almost certainly knock the Volunteers out.
LSU QB Sam Leavitt and Alabama QB Keelon Russell bring another layered matchup. Leavitt is sitting in the top five of the Heisman race, while Russell is in the top 10.
The biggest headline on the Alabama side, though, is the return of WR Ryan Coleman-Williams. On the hobby side, that may not be the main story, but it’s part of a game loaded with implications.
Leavitt has a real chance to reach New York, and a win over Alabama would keep him firmly in the mix. His market has been as volatile as his play - big highs, then even lower lows.
Russell, meanwhile, has cards in the 2026 Panini Donruss set, including a Downtown, though the unlicensed format makes that one a tougher sell. LSU needs the win to stay alive for the CFB Playoff, while Alabama can probably absorb another loss after its surprisingly strong spot in the initial rankings.
Another game with major Heisman weight features two finalists near the top of the board. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss is currently fourth, while Georgia QB Gunner Stockton sits sixth.
From a hobby standpoint, Chambliss runs into a familiar problem: only unlicensed cards. His Panini Obsidian and Donruss issues limit the upside.
Still, he’s one of the few quarterback prospects actually playing well and improving his draft stock while names like Arch Manning and Dante Moore have slid, with Moore’s injury part of that story. Stockton has a broader card profile, with issues in 2025 Bowman Chrome Football, 2025 Bowman’s Best, and 2026 Panini products.
His strongest cards are still his Bowman 1st’s, with Bowman’s Best right behind. Both teams can survive a loss in the playoff race, but Ole Miss probably needs the win to stay alive and keep Chambliss’ faint Heisman hopes going.
Utah QB Devon Dampier is leading the No. 3 Utes, but he’s still just outside the top 10 in Heisman odds.
BYU QB Bear Bachmeier is an even longer shot. Even so, Bachmeier has been one of the top prospect chases in the 2026 Bowman Football set, while Dampier was one of the more underrated chases in 2025 Bowman Chrome Football.
This one feels more forgiving from a playoff standpoint. BYU has the Notre Dame win in its back pocket and the excuse of missing LJ Martin, while Utah is unbeaten and has some room to breathe.
The Miami-Notre Dame matchup brings another pair of Heisman names into focus. Miami QB Darian Mensah is right there with Jeremiah Smith among the favorites, and Notre Dame QB CJ Carr is closer to Mensah for second than Chambliss is for fourth.
Carr was the second-biggest chase in 2026 Bowman Football behind Arch Manning, and Mensah was a major chase in his own right. Both have already produced eye-popping sales from that set.
Mensah’s top sale is his Red GPK /5, which went for $3,800, making it the second-biggest sale of his all-time behind only his 2025 Bowman Chrome U Superfractor Auto at $3,900. Carr has gone even higher, with seven sales above Mensah’s top mark.
His best sale is a Red Anime SSP /5 from 2026 Bowman Football that brought $6,500.
Notre Dame sits 11th in the CFB Playoff Rankings and needs a win to stay alive. A loss would put the Irish in serious trouble.
Miami, by contrast, would likely be fine even if it loses. The Canes will have to handle this one without WR Malachi Toney, but Mensah has been excellent all season long.
In Other News...
BYUs Holy War Path May Come Down To One Brutal Matchup
The build-up to this years Holy War has plenty of familiar layers, but the most intriguing one may be trench-level football. Utahs defense has been sturdy against the run, and BYUs ground game has had trouble finding traction, which puts a lot of pressure on the Cougars to win elsewhere if they want to control the pace. On the other side, Devon Dampier looms as a central figure for the Utes, because his ability to steady the offense could go a long way toward deciding whether Utah can turn a rivalry game into a statement.
Special teams and turnovers could end up mattering just as much as any schematic edge, especially with College Football Playoff implications hanging over the night. A rivalry game like this rarely stays confined to one matchup, but this one has the feel of a contest where a single breakdown can swing the entire conversation around rankings and postseason hopes. For Utah, the challenge is obvious enough: survive the chaos, protect the football and make the most of the chances that come. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Landed A Four-Star Guard With Real Big 12 Upside
Utah added a major backcourt piece with the commitment of four-star point guard Jamaal McKnight Jr., a senior at Iowa United Prep who brings a well-traveled high school rsum and plenty of recruiting attention with him. Originally from Maryland, McKnight has played at DeMatha Catholic and Long Island Lutheran, and he had been weighing several Division I options before settling on the Utes.
For Utah, the appeal goes beyond just landing a highly regarded guard. McKnight pointed to the coaching staff and the campus atmosphere as key reasons for his decision, a promising sign for a program trying to build traction with Big 12-level talent. With multiple major programs in the mix, his choice gives the Utes another player who should arrive with real upside and the kind of profile that can matter in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Fans Have A New Rivalry Challenge To Settle On Game Day
A new wrinkle in the Utah-BYU rivalry is taking shape on the road, not just on the field. Brothers Christian and Thomas Hales have turned that long-running college feud into an ultramarathon called the Holy Ultra, a route that starts at BYU in Provo and finishes at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. After months of training, they completed the course in May and are now inviting others to take part as a game-day competition tied to one of the states most familiar sporting grudges.
The idea is meant to be bigger than a one-time stunt. The Hales brothers want the Holy Ultra to become an annual tradition that gives fans of both schools another way to lean into rivalry week, with the event framed less as a taunt than a celebration of the two programs and the communities around them. For Utah fans, it adds an unusual new measuring stick to game day, even if the early response suggests the race may already have its own competitive imbalance. [Read more 🡒]