We could see a rapid rise emerge in the Heisman Trophy race after this week’s college football slate.
No. 5 Ohio State plays its first Big Ten road game at No. 14 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are flying high after Hank Brown’s last-second touchdown pass defeated Michigan at the Big House last week. The task is more difficult this week. Legendary Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz this week called Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith one of the best players of the last 20 years.
In the SEC, No. 7 Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State meet in Starkville for a noon ET kickoff featuring two quarterbacks who have captured the nation’s attention in just a few weeks. Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, who already owns two road wins and a 2-0 start in the SEC with a win over top-25 Missouri, has moved into third place in the Heisman odds. Hot on his heels is Alabama’s Keelon Russell, who leads the nation’s fourth-best offense with 48 points per game. The winner on Saturday could cement himself as the third best player in the odds.
Meanwhile, No. 8 Florida travels to No. 25 Missouri. The Gators are one of the most physical teams in the country, but how do they respond after beating top-10 Ole Miss last week? Mizzou has notoriously struggled against ranked opponents, even at home.
Auburn travels to Knoxville to face No. 17 Tennessee after a chaotic week highlighted by the arrest of an Auburn staff member accused of leaking recruiting materials to rival programs. Amid the off-field controversy, Auburn coach Alex Golesh will aim to beat his former mentor, Volunteers coach Josh Heupel. No. 11 BYU hits the road for its first Big 12 road game against TCU, with rumors about Sonny Dykes’ future in Fort Worth in the background. Bill Belichick has another chance to continue his progress against No. 3 Notre Dame as the Irish travel to North Carolina for kickoff Saturday at noon.
Then there are the coaches in the hot seat who need big wins. South Carolina’s Shane Beamer hosts No. 24 Kentucky in perhaps the biggest game of his career (and without passer Dylan Stewart, whom he suspended for insubordination). No. 6 Indiana hits the road for the first time at Rutgers after struggling to hold off Northwestern last week, but are Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights equipped to challenge the Hoosiers?
The Future vs. The Past between Mario Cristobal’s Miami and Dabo Swinney’s Clemson is another of the most interesting stories of the week. Clemson has never been a bigger underdog during Swinney’s tenure.
Here are our CBS Sports experts’ picks.
No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 16 Mississippi State
Noon on ABC, Fubo (try for free): Mississippi State is ready for this moment, and there’s a lot to like about the Bulldogs. Davis Wade Stadium will be packed. The Bulldogs have a better running game to surround Kamario Taylor. They played more competitive games to build their resilience. But like so many Alabama games before, the Tide will simply find a way to pull away at the end in perhaps the best quarterback battle of the season. Pick: Alabama -6 — Shehan Jeyarajah
Navy vs. Air Force Prediction, Picks
Noon on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app Paramount+ Premium: Are there any questions about what the choice will be here? As I’m sure my colleague Tom Fornelli will point out on the “Cover 3 Podcast,” the under’s score is 56-15-4 in service academy games since 2001. These two teams love to run the football, and that clock will be ticking all afternoon. Take the under and hope we don’t have too many explosive plays or defensive touchdowns. Pick: Under 46.5 – Austin Nivison
No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Iowa
3:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app Paramount+ Premium: Ohio State’s defense is suspect enough that Iowa’s offense — on pace to be the program’s best in years — could actually score some points. However, the Hawkeyes aren’t as stingy on defense as usual, meaning slowing down the Buckeyes enough to keep the game within two touchdowns could be difficult. Look for Iowa to make this a competitive game until Ohio State’s superior talent (see: Jeremiah Smith) creates separation down the stretch. But it’s a close enough call that bettors seeing Ohio State -14.5 should consider Iowa’s side. Pick: Ohio State -13.5 – David Cobb
No. 4 Miami vs. Clemson
7:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try for free): While Dabo Swinney is criticized for his lack of activity in the transfer portal compared to his peers, it’s worth noting that the key pieces of an improved pass defense came via transfers. Clemson has allowed fewer than 150 passing yards in each of the last two games, including an impressive performance against talented California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. I think this group can control the Hurricanes just enough to keep this game a lower score than the total suggests. Pick: Under 47.5 – Chip Patterson
The Proven SportsLine Computer The model simulated every Week 5 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model which is on a 32-24 streak on CFB’s top-rated picks this season.
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