Today: Week 11 Heisman poll, saving AD's from massive buyouts, CFP bracketology, and true freshmen of the week. |
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On3 Heisman Trophy Poll: Ranking the contenders after Week 11 |
The Heisman Trophy race tightened after a thrilling Week 11, with a new leader emerging atop the standings. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza now holds the No. 1 spot after rallying his team past Penn State in dramatic fashion. Each week, On3's national analysts — Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman, Chris Low, Brett McMurphy, Pete Nakos, JD PicKell, and Charles Power — submit ballots ranking their top 10 Heisman contenders. Points are awarded 10 for first place, nine for second, and so on. Here is how the updated rankings stack up. 1. QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana – 65 points Weekend stats: 19-of-30 for 218 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 6 carries for 20 yards, 1 TD Mendoza again proved his poise under pressure, leading Indiana on a game-winning drive capped by a perfect touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. The throw and the moment might define his Heisman campaign. 2. QB Ty Simpson, Alabama – 58 Weekend stats: 21-of-35 for 277 yards, 1 TD Even under duress against LSU, Simpson continued his steady play and extended his season-long streak of mistake-free football. With a 21-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Simpson has Alabama in position for the SEC title and a playoff run. 3. QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State – 57 Weekend stats: 27-of-33 for 303 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Sayin's precision remained elite despite throwing his first interception in six games. His consistency, with 24 touchdowns to just four interceptions, keeps Ohio State in prime playoff position and him firmly in the Heisman conversation. 4. QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M – 38 Weekend stats: 20-of-29 for 221 yards, 2 TD | 5 carries for 29 yards Reed stayed sharp through the air as Texas A&M improved to 9-0. His efficiency and leadership continue to push the Aggies toward a potential SEC title game appearance. 5. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 36 Weekend stats: 25-of-33 for 377 yards, 3 TD | 18 carries for 112 yards, 1 TD Pavia dazzled again, piling up nearly 500 total yards in an overtime win over Auburn. With more than 3,000 total yards and 28 combined touchdowns, he has made a strong late-season push for New York. See the full voting breakdown for the top 15 players. |
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Two new contract ideas that can save athletic directors from paying massive buyouts |
The biggest underdogs in college football right now are the athletic directors about to hire coaches in what could be the most lopsided market ever. ADs, who have a long history of folding to agents' demands, must figure out how to stop guaranteeing tens of millions in buyout money that will likely be wasted after most hires fail. It will not be easy, but it is not impossible. After conversations with multiple ADs and agents, several potential solutions have emerged that could help administrators land the coaches they want without putting their schools on the hook for unreasonable buyouts. Follow the new Hollywood model Top candidates will always have leverage. Someone like Lane Kiffin could command a fully guaranteed 10-year deal worth more than $13 million annually, and that is simply the price of doing business for a top-tier coach. But no one else, short of a massive surprise candidate leaving an elite job, should come close to that level of guarantee. A better approach might come from the film industry's streaming-era contracts. As back-end royalties disappeared, agents began negotiating bigger up-front payments for shorter terms. ADs could do the same by offering higher annual salaries for fewer years, testing whether coaches would accept more money now in exchange for shorter, fully guaranteed deals. The idea that a coach "cannot recruit" without five years left on his contract no longer holds up. Players know coaches rarely stay that long, and many plan to move schools themselves. Shorter contracts with larger up-front payouts make far more sense in today's landscape. Consider Florida's deal with Billy Napier, who will be paid roughly $47 million for going 22-23 in three-plus seasons. A three-year, fully guaranteed deal at $10 million annually would have been far cheaper in the long run. When it expired, Florida could have simply moved on, owing nothing and saving millions. Every coach believes he will win, and most would find it hard to turn down a lucrative short-term offer. If they do succeed, they can earn a second deal. The model also mirrors how NFL teams handle coaching contracts and would make it more acceptable to let them expire naturally instead of rushing to extend them. Incentivize winning Another strategy would be to supersize performance-based pay. One agent suggested building contracts around modest base salaries paired with large bonuses (feel free to reduce the dollar figures for less prestigious jobs): - Base salary: $5 million a year for five years (100 percent guaranteed)
- Per-win bonus: $500,000
- SEC championship game bonus: $1 million for making it and losing, $2 million for winning
- College Football Playoff bonus: $2 million for making it, $500,000 for each additional round reached, and $1 million more for winning the national title
A coach who went 15-1 and won both the SEC and national titles could make $19 million for that season, and he would be worth every penny. If the coach struggled, the school's liability would remain limited, a sharp contrast to LSU's 90 million dollar commitment to Brian Kelly, which still leaves the school paying tens of millions after his firing. ADs willing to break from tradition could finally regain leverage in the marketplace. Whether any of them actually will is the question. Read the full story from Andy Staples. |
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College Football Playoff bracketology: Taking the committee's advice on Notre Dame |
With the College Football Playoff selection committee now releasing rankings each week, there is finally some baseline information to work with instead of pure guesswork. The challenge now is interpreting how the committee actually evaluates similar teams instead of assuming how it should. Last week provided a clear example. Miami and Notre Dame had identical records, comparable schedules, and a head-to-head result, yet Notre Dame landed eight spots higher. That kind of gap has to be factored into any projection. Projecting the final bracket remains risky because the path matters as much as the result. A team like Texas might be good enough to play its way in, but getting there would require wins that dramatically change how that resume looks. So the focus here is on predicting how the committee will stack teams on Tuesday, with space reserved for the projected ACC champion and the highest ranked Group of 5 champion. The top four Ohio State stays at No. 1 after a 34-10 win at Purdue, with Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith once again carrying an offense that looks built for January. At No. 2 is Texas A&M, which moves ahead of Indiana after another convincing road win and a profile that continues to look sturdier against quality opponents. Indiana slides to No. 3 after needing Fernando Mendoza's Heisman moment and Omar Cooper's highlight catch to escape Penn State, an impressive clutch win that also exposed some concerns. Alabama rounds out the top four after a composed 20-9 victory over LSU that never truly felt in doubt and sets up a major test against Oklahoma. Seeds 5-12 5. Georgia: A 41-21 win at Mississippi State finally looked like vintage Georgia and should provide momentum into the showdown with Texas. 6. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders locked down BYU's run game and took control of the Big 12 race, with a defense that looks ready for a playoff stage. 7. Ole Miss: Now 9-1 after cruising past The Citadel, the Rebels can essentially punch their ticket with a home win over Florida as talk about Lane Kiffin's future swirls. 8. Oregon: A late drive from Dante Moore and a walk-off kick at Iowa kept the Ducks alive despite mounting injuries, though dates with USC and Washington will define their case. 9. Notre Dame: A 49-10 demolition of Navy in the snow, led by C.J. Carr's efficiency, keeps the Irish steady with Pittsburgh as the last real obstacle. 10. Texas: Idle but lurking, the Longhorns would rocket up this list with a win at Georgia and likely vanish from it with a loss. 11. Georgia Tech: Slotted here as the projected ACC champion, a stand-in that reflects the chaos of a league still searching for a clear favorite. 12. Tulane: Edges into the field as the projected American champion after a key win at Memphis, with several one-loss challengers still close behind. Read Andy Staples' full projection. |
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True freshman standouts from Week 11 of college football |
As the regular season heads into its final month, true freshmen continue to make major impacts across college football. Week 11 saw several first-year players take center stage, from a quarterback leading a stunning overtime upset to two linebackers powering a top-25 stunner in Madison. True Freshman of the Week: QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele – California Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele earns this week's top honor after leading Cal to a 29-26 overtime upset at No. 15 Louisville as an 18.5-point underdog. The freshman completed 30 of 47 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, displaying exceptional poise throughout the night. Sagapolutele's arm talent was on full display. He hit a deep strike early in the game, then threaded a perfect back-shoulder touchdown to Landon Morris in tight coverage. Later, he connected with Jacob De Jesus on a pinpoint wheel route before firing a cross-body laser while rolling out of the pocket. In overtime, the Hawaii native delivered his signature moment. Facing fourth and goal, he confidently found De Jesus for the walk-off score. The former Oregon signee continues to show elite potential and has positioned himself as one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the country. QB TJ Lateef – Nebraska In his first career start, TJ Lateef replaced injured starter Dylan Raiola and guided Nebraska to a 28-21 win at UCLA. The freshman completed 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, delivering the Cornhuskers' most efficient passing performance of the year. Lateef played within the offense, made decisive reads, and hit big third-down throws to seal the game. His debut suggests Nebraska's offense will remain steady down the stretch. LB Cooper Catalano – Wisconsin Catalano was everywhere in Wisconsin's 13-10 upset of No. 23 Washington. He posted 19 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack while anchoring a defense that held the Huskies to 117 rushing yards and no touchdowns. The in-state freshman's motor and instincts were critical to the win. LB Mason Posa – Wisconsin Posa joined Catalano in tormenting Washington, adding 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His fourth-quarter stop on a 4th-and-6 sealed the victory. Together, the two freshmen give Luke Fickell a foundation of future stars on defense. CB Dijon Lee – Alabama Lee continued his breakout season with another shutdown outing in Alabama's 20-9 win over LSU. He allowed zero catches on two targets across 35 coverage snaps, added four tackles, and broke up a key jump ball. The 6-foot-4 corner has emerged as a cornerstone of Alabama's secondary heading into the postseason. Read Charles Power's full breakdown. |
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Below, you'll find 3 facts about a random college football player. You'll try to guess who the player is based on the facts. Let's go. - I redshirted my first year at South Carolina before breaking out with eight straight games catching a touchdown, a school record that still stands.
- I once caught five touchdowns in a single game, setting a new school record and tying the SEC mark.
- I played only two seasons before declaring for the NFL Draft, but I still broke Sterling Sharpe's school record for career receiving touchdowns.
Answer at the bottom. |
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ESPN releases updated FPI Top 25 after Week 11 |
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🐔 Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina Gamecocks (2005-2006) |
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