We’re still in that awkward phase of the college football season where there are only a handful of big stages and important games each week. But, man – look at all of the wild football we got in that handful this week. Texas went on the road and upset Alabama as seven-point underdogs. After shitting the bed in Week 1, Texas Tech gave Oregon all they could handle, and Miami embarrassed Texas A&M to get to 2-0 and into the AP Top 25.
Those games are where we start this week’s Heisman Watch. I have to be honest with you guys. I was a bit of a Quinn Ewers hater going into the season, thinking he was being just a tad overhyped. But, what he did Saturday night as the Longhorns pulled ahead of the Crimson Tide and never let up was truly impressive. His final stat line read 24/38 for 349 yards and three touchdowns, but it was his placement and calmness under the bright lights that really stood out to me. He threw some bombs, but he had some absolute dimes in that game.
An awesome look at the deep ball for a score from Quinn Ewers to Adonai Mitchell last night! pic.twitter.com/6OvX16cZpn
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) September 10, 2023
Down in Miami, Tyler Van Dyke was absolutely dealing against Texas A&M, who the Hurricanes beat 48-33. Completing 70% of his passes, Van Dyke went 21/30 for 374 yards and a whopping five touchdowns. He was completely dissecting the Aggies defense and has Miami in the AP Top 25 at 2-0. Bo Nix put the stat line down – 32/44 for 359 yards, two touchdowns, and 46 rushing yards. He even had a little heroics in the comeback win over Texas Tech, rushing for some critical first downs. That game was absolutely thrilling, and yes, it absolutely was because I had a Ducks -6.5 ticket.
I thought Colorado would cover against TCU, but I damn sure didn’t pick them to win that game outright. I was terrified of knee-jerking it to Week 1, and that -2.5 line against Nebraska scared me to death. I just kept thinking, “does Vegas know something?” It felt too good to be true, like free money, for me to feel comfortable betting it, so I didn’t. And, what ends up happening? Shedeur Sanders goes 2/2 in lighting people up on the season. Against Nebraska, Sanders threw for 393 yards and two touchdowns with a score on the ground to boot. At this point, Sanders is probably the frontrunner for this award, and by the way, tough scene to be a Nebraska fan at this kind of 0-2.
Finally, I’ll wrap up this week’s Heisman Watch by giving a tip of the cap to Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman, who just seems to be in firm control of that Fighting Irish offense. They’ve climbed into the top 10 of the AP poll after handling their business against a scrappy NC State defense and dealing with constant weather delays. Hartman threw for four more touchdowns on Saturday, getting his season total up to 11 total touchdowns (10 passing, one rushing).
HEISMAN POINTS (WEEK 2)
- Quinn Ewers – 5
- Tyler Van Dyke – 4
- Bo Nix – 3
- Shedeur Sanders – 2
- Sam Hartman – 1
HEISMAN POINTS (2023 SEASON)
- Shedeur Sanders – 7
- Jordan Travis – 6
- Quinn Ewers – 5
- Michael Penix, Jr., Tyler Van Dyke – 4
- Sam Hartman, Travis Hunter, Bo Nix – 3
- Caleb Williams – 1
If you haven’t already, be sure to go subscribe to the College Football Roundup Podcast, on which Steven McCash and myself break down all the action from the college football world and look ahead to the week to come.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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