Sports Illustrated’s 2024 College Football Midseason All-Americans and Superlative Awards

Miami’s Cam Ward, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty get the nod for first-team offensive picks, and a staff roundtable discusses the best moments of the first half of the season.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty gets Sports Illustrated's unanimous nod for midseason Heisman. / Ian Maule/Getty Images

As the college football season eclipses the halfway point, Sports Illustrated revisited its preseason All-American picks. Here are SI’s staff picks for college football’s midseason All-American list and superlatives for the first half of the 2024 season.

First-Team Offense

QB: Cam Ward, senior, Miami Hurricanes

Ward’s the difference between past Miami teams that have failed to live up to expectations, and this one, that remains undefeated late into October. Ward has pulled a rabbit out of a hat in three second halves against Virginia Tech, Cal and Louisville, and has been instrumental to Miami’s top-10 team. Ward is a Heisman contender.

RB: Ashton Jeanty, junior, Boise State Broncos

Jeanty is putting together the best season the sport has seen in decades at the running back position. He’s on pace to break Barry Sanders’s 36-year-old FBS rushing record if the Broncos make the Mountain West title game and is a couple of strong performances away from doing it outright in the regular season. He’s the best the sport has to offer. 

RB: Jordan James, junior, Oregon Ducks

Oregon won its toughest game of the season two weeks ago at home against top-five Ohio State, where James rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He’s been incredibly consistent for the top-ranked Ducks, as he’s rushed for 717 yards and eight scores on 5.9 yards per attempt.

WR: Tre Harris, senior, Ole Miss Rebels

Harris has been college football’s top wide receiver in 2024 and the consistent lifeline in the Ole Miss passing game for quarterback Jaxson Dart. Harris boasts an FBS-best 987 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per catch.

WR: Jeremiah Smith, freshman, Ohio State Buckeyes

Smith has been outstanding for Ohio State’s receiving corps, with early returns suggesting he could be one of the best pass catchers to ever grace the field at Ohio Stadium, which is no small statement. The human highlight reel has caught 32 passes for 553 yards and seven scores as a true freshman.

Smith makes a catch against Oregon. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TE: Tyler Warren, senior, Penn State Nittany Lions

Warren put together one of the most impressive games of the season when he caught 17 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown in Penn State’s 33–30 overtime win over USC in Los Angeles on Oct. 12. He’s caught 40 passes for 513 yards and four touchdowns and is second in the FBS in receiving yards by a tight end. He narrowly edges Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. for a first-team nod due to competition he’s faced. 

OT: Will Campbell, junior, LSU Tigers

Campbell is one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2025 NFL draft and has been a catalyst up front on a steadily improving LSU offense.

OT: Kelvin Banks Jr., junior, Texas Longhorns

Banks played his worst game of the season in Texas’s lone loss to Georgia, but he’s been a beacon of consistency for the Longhorns, who remain squarely in the national title hunt.

OG: Paolo Gennarelli, sophomore, Army Black Knights

The success of Army and Navy this season has been one of the underlying story lines of the season so far, and Gennarelli has a case for the best offensive lineman in the Group of 6. He’s been excellent for an Army team that’s making a run for the CFP.

OG: Luke Kandra, senior, Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati has improved since its dud of a 2023 season, but Kandra remains as consistent as ever up front. The senior guard continues to play well amid the program’s 5–2 run.

C: Seth McLaughlin, redshirt senior, Ohio State Buckeyes

McLaughlin has solved his snapping issues that stood out in Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss to Michigan a season ago. Since transferring to Ohio State, he’s continued his trek as one of the top offensive linemen in the sport for a national title contender.

Second-Team Offense

QB: Shedeur Sanders, senior, Colorado Buffaloes

RB: Kaleb Johnson, junior, Iowa Hawkeyes

RB: Cam Skattebo, senior, Arizona State Sun Devils 

WR: Xavier Restrepo, redshirt senior, Miami Hurricanes

WR: Ryan Williams, freshman, Alabama Crimson Tide

TE: Harold Fannin Jr., junior, Bowling Green Falcons

OT: Josh Simmons*, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes

OT: Aireontae Ersery, redshirt senior, Minnesota Golden Gophers

OG: Tyler Booker, junior, Alabama Crimson Tide

OG: Dylan Fairchild, redshirt junior, Georgia Bulldogs

C: Parker Brailsford, sophomore, Alabama Crimson Tide

*—Will miss the remainder of the season with injury.

Honorable Mention Offense

QB: Dillon Gabriel, redshirt senior, Oregon Ducks

RB: Dylan Sampson, junior, Tennessee Volunteers

RB: DJ Giddens, junior, Kansas State Wildcats

WR: Elijah Sarratt, junior, Indiana Hoosiers

WR: Tetairoa McMillan, junior, Arizona Wildcats

TE: Oronde Gadsden II, redshirt junior, Syracuse Orange 

OT: Wyatt Milum, senior, West Virginia Mountaineers

OT: Kage Casey, redshirt sophomore, Boise State Broncos

OG: Joshua Gray, redshirt senior, Oregon State Beavers

OG: Willie Lampkin, senior, North Carolina Tar Heels

C: Connor Tollison, redshirt junior, Missouri Tigers

First-Team Defense

DE: Nic Scourton, junior, Texas A&M Aggies

Scourton has consistently drawn double (and sometimes triple) teams all season for a stout A&M defense. His stat line won’t blow you away with only 14 tackles and 4.5 sacks, but his impact on opposing offenses is clear.

DE: Kyle Kennard, redshirt senior, South Carolina Gamecocks

Despite a 4–3 record, it’s apparent the Gamecocks have improved this season. Kennard is one of the key reasons why. He’s anchored the defensive line with 19 tackles, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

DT: Mason Graham, junior, Michigan Wolverines

Michigan’s offense has been dreadful, but the defense has been elite. Graham is one of the best the sport has to offer on the interior defensive line. He has 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

DT: Derrick Harmon, junior, Oregon Ducks 

Harmon forced (and recovered) a key fumble against Ohio State in the Oct. 12 win, and has been a force to be reckoned with on the interior defensive line for the top-ranked Ducks.

LB: Anthony Hill Jr., sophomore, Texas Longhorns

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more impactful linebacker than Hill, who has 50 tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in seven games.

Hill sacks Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. during the Red River Rivalry game. / Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LB: Jay Higgins, redshirt senior, Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa’s offense has improved, but still isn't great. The defense? Still very good, and it’s been anchored by Higgins, who has 76 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and a sack.

LB: Isaiah Glasker, redshirt sophomore, BYU Cougars

BYU is one of the biggest surprises and a bona fide contender in the Big 12. Glasker has been phenomenal, tallying 32 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception returned for a touchdown.

CB: Will Johnson, junior, Michigan Wolverines

Johnson is banged up right now, but he’s the best cornerback in college football when healthy. He has 14 tackles, two interception returns for touchdowns and three passes defended. Opposing offenses have often opted not to throw to Johnson’s side of the field, a prudent choice.

CB: Nohl Williams, senior, Cal Golden Bears

Cal has lost four games by nine total points, which has been unfortunate. What has been more fortunate is Williams’s ascension into a premier cornerback. Williams has been a key cog on a very good defense. He leads the FBS with six interceptions.

S: Caleb Downs, sophomore, Ohio State Buckeyes

Downs was a freshman All-American last season at Alabama, which was no fluke. He’s a stud, and the Crimson Tide’s loss was the Buckeyes’ gain. He’s picked up right where he left off, notching 14 tackles, a half sack and three passes defended. Opposing quarterbacks know Downs is a ball hawk and have elected to deliver the ball elsewhere, accounting for him at all times.

S: Xavier Watts, senior, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Watts has been electric in the secondary on an excellent defense. He’s tallied 26 tackles, a forced fumble, three interceptions and five passes.

Second-Team Defense

DE: Josaiah Stewart, senior, Michigan Wolverines

DE: Mikail Kamara, redshirt junior, Indiana Hoosiers 

DT: Deone Walker, junior, Kentucky Wildcats

DT: Walter Nolen, junior, Ole Miss Rebels

LB: Barrett Carter, senior, Clemson Tigers

LB: Whit Weeks, sophomore, LSU Tigers

LB: Shaun Dolac, redshirt senior, Buffalo Bulls

CB: Jahdae Barron, redshirt senior, Texas Longhorns

CB: Terrence Spence, senior, James Madison Dukes

S: Malaki Starks, junior, Georgia Bulldogs

S: Jalen Catalon, senior, UNLV Rebels

Honorable Mention Defense

DE: Donovan Ezeiruaku, senior, Boston College Eagles

DE: Antwaun Powell-Ryland, redshirt senior, Virginia Tech Hokies

DT: Tyleik Williams, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes

DT: Aaron Graves, junior, Iowa Hawkeyes

LB: Colin Ramos, senior, Navy Midshipmen

LB: Danny Stutsman, senior, Oklahoma Sooners

LB: Jalon Walker, junior, Georgia Bulldogs

CB: Jontez Williams, redshirt sophomore, Iowa State Cyclones

CB: Jermari Harris, redshirt senior, Iowa Hawkeyes

S: Nick Emmanwori, junior, South Carolina Gamecocks

S: Malik Verdon, redshirt junior, Iowa State Cyclones

First-Team Specialists

K: Collin Rogers, junior, SMU Mustangs

Rogers has made 14-of-19 field goal attempts this season, with four of his five misses coming from greater than 40 yards and three greater than 50 yards. What’s more impressive? Rogers is 5-of-6 from 40 to 49 yards and 6-of-9 from 50-plus yards.

P: Alex Mastromanno, senior, Florida State Seminoles

Florida State’s been punting a lot this season because the offense has been atrocious. Luckily, it has one of the nation’s best punters in Mastromanno, who is averaging 49.4 yards per punt.

AP: Travis Hunter, junior, Colorado Buffaloes

Hunter is squarely in the Heisman Trophy race because of his ability to affect the game on both offense and defense. Hunter has 51 receptions for 604 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver. He’s also recorded 13 tackles, an interception and three passes defended for Colorado’s defense. He’s rarely off the field, and no team in college football relies more on one player than the Buffaloes do with Hunter. 

Hunter is a Heisman contender for his performance on both sides of the ball. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Second-Team Specialists

K: Jonathan Kim, redshirt senior, Michigan State Spartans

P: Kai Kroeger, redshirt senior, South Carolina Gamecocks 

AP: Ricky White III, senior, UNLV Rebels

Honorable Mention Specialists

K: Dominic Zvada, junior, Michigan Wolverines

P: Eddie Czaplicki, senior, USC Trojans

AP: Desmond Reid, junior, Pittsburgh Panthers

Midseason Heisman

Boise State Broncos RB Ashton Jeanty

If the ballots were due today, mine would go as follows: 

1. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State Broncos
2. Travis Hunter, WR-DB, Colorado Buffaloes
3. Cam Ward, QB, Miami Hurricanes

This has the makings of a historic Heisman Trophy race. Jeanty could be the first player from outside a power conference to win the award since BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990, when the Cougars were in the Western Athletic Conference. Hunter could become the first full-time, two-way player to win it since Ernie Davis of Syracuse in ’60. Ward could become the first Hurricane to win it since ’92.

Jeanty is on pace to break the legendary Barry Sanders’s single-season rushing yardage record—he’s averaging 208 yards per game right now, with at least 13 games assured if he stays healthy. Sanders’s record is 2,628 yards in 1988, albeit in just 11 games. Jeanty is on track for more than 2,700 if he can keep going. He’s also on pace to break the record for yards per carry, averaging a whopping 9.9. (The record for a minimum of 215 carries in a season is 8.05 by Stanford’s Bryce Love in 2017.) Hence the excellent nickname, “The Human First Down.”

—Pat Forde

You have to go back to 2015 for the last time a running back was even invited to New York as a finalist, but Jeanty has a terrific chance to break that streak with the performances he’s had so far. 

He leads FBS in rushing (1,248 yards), has 17 touchdowns on the ground and is basically a one-man wrecking crew who has NFL scouts sitting up in their seats almost as much as opposing defensive coordinators. Most eye-catching is that he’s averaging better than 10 yards per carry in games where the Broncos are tied or trailing, and he would be second in the country in rushing if you just considered yardage after contact (914 yards).

—Bryan Fischer

Jeanty has been college football’s best running back this season by a mile and is putting together one of the best individual rushing seasons in decades. The junior has spearheaded No. 17 Boise State’s 5–1 record. He is on pace to rush for a ridiculous 2,496 yards and 34 touchdowns by the end of the regular season.

Hunter, Colorado’s versatile two-way star, has a great case for college football’s best player, but Jeanty is within striking distance of the greatest individual rushing season in the history of college football.

Jeanty’s Heisman case could ultimately hinge on two important points:

1. Will he break the rushing record?
2. Are the Broncos still in contention for the Group of 6 College Football Playoff spot in December?

If the answer to both of those questions is yes, Jeanty would become the first non-power conference Heisman Trophy winner since 1990 (Detmer).

—Mike McDaniel

Midseason Best Coach

Kalani Sitake, BYU Cougars

The clear choice here is Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers, who has essentially taken a Group of 5 roster and gone 7–0 in the Big Ten. But for the sake of diversity, I’ll offer a plug to Sitake of the undefeated Cougars. 

Coming off a 5–7 debut season in the Big 12, the Cougars were picked 13th in the newly expanded 16-team league. They brought in transfer quarterback Gerry Bohanon but went with Jake Retzlaff, who went 0–4 as the starter at the end of 2023. He’s blossomed into a star.

Meanwhile, BYU hasn’t had a single running back play all seven games, and leading receiver Darius Lassiter missed the opener. Seven different offensive linemen have started at least three games each. So it hasn’t exactly been free and easy, but the wins keep piling up. BYU has the best path of any Big 12 team to the College Football Playoff.

—P.F.

Curt Cignetti, Indiana Hoosiers

The mark of a great coach isn’t just exceeding expectations, it’s creating them. That’s what Cignetti is doing around Bloomington as the Hoosiers are off to their best start since 1967 and have won seven consecutive games by double digits for the first time ever. Not only is the team a real threat to be in the mix for a Big Ten championship game appearance, but IU is ranked above the Alabama Crimson Tide in the polls (in football!) and have an inside track on being the unlikeliest of teams to be involved in the CFP. 

—B.F.

Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to a 7–0 record. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It’s hard to find a coach in college football with more self belief than 63-year-old first-time power-conference coach Cignetti. 

Cignetti, a former Nick Saban assistant at Alabama, left the Crimson Tide to become the head coach at Division II IUP in 2011. All he did at IUP was engineer a total program overhaul to go 53–17 in six seasons, which included a 33–11 mark in conference play and three NCAA Division II playoff appearances.

At his next stop, Elon? He went 14–9 overall, including a 10–5 record in the Colonial Athletic Association and two FCS playoff appearances before taking the James Madison job in 2019. 

Cignetti took over at JMU, helped the Dukes make the jump from the FCS to FBS level, and went 52–9 with a 31–4 conference record in the CAA and Sun Belt before landing his first power-conference head coaching gig in Bloomington.

This season, in Year 1 under Cignetti, Indiana is 7–0, ranked No. 13 in the AP poll and hosts College GameDay this weekend ahead of a critical conference tilt with the Washington Huskies.

As he said in his introductory news conference with the Hoosiers, he wins. Google him.

—M.M.

Midseason Best Game 

Oregon Ducks 32, Ohio State Buckeyes 31, Oct. 12

I’ve been fortunate to attend three humdingers this season. The USC Trojans beating the LSU Tigers in Las Vegas was great, but ultimately misleading. The same is true of the Alabama Crimson Tide holding off the Georgia Bulldogs. But the third one—Oregon 32, Ohio State 31—could stand the test of time as the best of the entire year, between two legitimately excellent teams.

The biggest home game in Oregon history featured seven lead changes, big performances by star players, last-minute drama and either a coaching stroke of genius or a fortunate accident. It was hard to watch that game and come away saying the regular season has been diminished by a 12-team playoff.

—P.F.

Alabama Crimson Tide 41, Georgia Bulldogs 34, Sept. 28 

It feels like it’s a rare occurrence when a mega-matchup actually winds up living up to the hype, but this one certainly did. You had the Crimson Tide making jaws drop by taking an early 28–0 lead on a quartet of big-play drives and then slowly holding on for dear life in a second half that was an equal showcase for the Bulldogs’ resilience. This was a heavyweight fight in every sense.

—B.F.

The game was expected to be close, and the lethal offenses were expected to have their say. But the momentum swings made this game full tilt.

Alabama scored three consecutive first-quarter touchdowns to send Bryant-Denny Stadium into a frenzy. The Crimson Tide then tacked on another touchdown to begin the second quarter to put the Bulldogs into a 28–0 hole.

However, Georgia would have its say.

The Bulldogs trailed 30–7 at half, but began getting stops in the third quarter defensively while sustaining drives offensively. Unbelievably, Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck hit Dillon Bell for a 67-yard touchdown pass to give Georgia its first lead, 34–33 with 2:31 to play.

But Georgia’s lead lasted just one play, as Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe, who had been held down for most of the second half, hit freshman phenom receiver Ryan Williams down the right sideline in one-on-one coverage. Williams put his exceptional run-after-catch ability on display to go 75 yards for the go-ahead touchdown just 13 seconds later.

The Bulldogs threatened to tie on their final offensive possession of the game, but Beck’s interception in the Crimson Tide red zone with 43 seconds to play sealed the win for Alabama.

—M.M.

Midseason Best Play

Alabama WR Ryan Williams calls game against Georgia

The Milroe bomb to Williams in Alabama’s win over Georgia remains unbeatable for its audacity and impact, but even moreso for the sheer artistry that teenager Williams displayed after the catch. If Nureyev played football, he would have looked like Ryan Williams on that play.

—P.F.

It’s not a walk-off touchdown like a few other candidates for this spot, but it feels like the one play we’ll remember for years in terms of impact on a final result and the sheer amount of skill needed to pull it off. It’s not often you are going to label a 17-year-old wideout as a ballerina, but that’s exactly what Williams was in embarrassing a secondary full of future NFL players for the winning score.

—B.F.

Williams burst onto the scene when he caught the winning 75-yard touchdown against the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide were beaten down and worn out from Georgia’s four-score comeback, and needed a jolt after the Bulldogs captured their first lead of the game, 34–33 with 2:31 to play. Just 13 seconds later, Williams made the play of the year on the first play of Alabama’s ensuing offensive possession, putting his exemplary run-after-catch ability on display.

Williams is a star, and his legend was born in the biggest play of the year for the Crimson Tide offense.

—M.M.

Midseason Best Upset

Vanderbilt Commodores 40, No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 35, Oct. 5

The Northern Illinois Huskies over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was the biggest stunner, but Alabama losing to perennial SEC doormat Vanderbilt was a true end-of-an-era moment. That was the first and most emphatic signal that replacing Nick Saban wasn’t going to be as easy as Kalen DeBoer made it look for the first four games. And across the nation, fans stopped what they were doing and celebrated the sudden fallibility of the Crimson Tide.

—P.F.

What sticks out is not just that the Commodores beat a top-five team for the first time ever (in 60 tries) or that it had been 40 years since they last upset the Crimson Tide. No, the lasting memory from this game, beyond the goalposts making their way to the Cumberland River afterward, is just how much Vandy was the better team from start to finish. Diego Pavia and the offense picked up pretty much every third down they wanted in matriculating down the field with ease and did a better defensive job than Kirby Smart and Georgia did a week prior. This isn’t just the biggest upset of the season, it might be one of the biggest of the past decade. 

—B.F.

Exuberant fans on the goalpost in the end zone after Vanderbilt beat Alabama. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Northern Illinois Huskies 16, No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 14, Sept. 7

Halfway through the season, no singular result has raised more questions about a program’s standing in the 12-team College Football Playoff than Notre Dame’s inexplicable home defeat to a middling team from the MAC. The Irish have ripped off five straight victories since, including a seven-point home win over the Louisville Cardinals and a neutral-site 31–13 blowout over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. But the Irish’s strength of schedule will certainly be called into question at season’s end given the disappointing seasons for Florida State and USC, who both remain on the schedule. Notre Dame’s scheduling metrics are currently being propped up by a road win at Texas A&M to start the season, which has aged well, along with two upcoming games against ranked service-academy teams in Navy on Saturday and Army on Nov. 23.

It’s hard to fathom 11–1 Notre Dame being left out of the 12-team playoff, but the Irish have no margin for error, and a second loss could certainly keep them out of the dance. 

Hat tip to the Huskies, for capturing their first win over a top-10 team in the 57-year history of their football program.

—M.M.

Midseason Best Freshman

Ohio State Buckeyes WR Jeremiah Smith

It’s a jump ball between Alabama’s Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, and Smith wins it with a one-handed catch. To go directly from high school to leading the Buckeyes’ deluxe wideout corps in receiving yards is incredible. Smith has scored at least one touchdown in every game as a collegian, and had a career-high nine receptions against Oregon. He’s a massive star in the making.

—P.F.

The former No. 1 overall recruit has played like somebody who could be the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick this spring. The Buckeyes have been a wideout factory the past decade, but Smith has a chance to be the best of the bunch and could break a handful of school records before Thanksgiving. He’s that good. 

—B.F.

Smith stepped in immediately to become perhaps the most dynamic wide receiver in recent memory for the Buckeyes—which is no small statement given some of the recent wide receiver rooms in Columbus.

Smith has authored several highlight-reel catches this season, including two in one possession during Ohio State’s 38–7 win over Michigan State in East Lansing in late September. Smith has been the “easy button” in the Ohio State passing game, as he’s caught 32 passes for 553 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 17.3 yards per reception.

—M.M.

Midseason Bust

Florida State Seminoles

The Seminoles have been an incomprehensible train wreck from the very start, with no letup in sight. It’s actually scary to think what bitter rival Miami might do to them Saturday. After going 12–1 last season, 2–10 looks like the most realistic record this year.

—P.F.

Not much more needs to be said about the Seminoles at this point given that the preseason top 10 team and favorite to win the ACC is very likely going to miss a bowl game. This team, and this program, have not recovered from quarterback Jordan Travis getting injured last November and have spiraled to become one of the biggest busts in recent memory.

—B.F.

Florida State coach Mike Norvell is on the hot seat. / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

There was undoubtedly a talent drain in Tallahassee from 2023’s 13–1 ACC champion. But even with the departures of Travis, running back Trey Benson, wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson and defensive lineman Jared Verse (just to name a few), the expectation was Florida State would be able to compete in a wide-open ACC on paper.

Instead, the Seminoles floundered with fifth-year senior transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei before he exited stage left with a hand injury. His replacement, sophomore Brock Glenn, has done little to change the trajectory under center over his first two starts. The running game is dismal. Receivers? Bad. Offensive line? Worse.

The defense has held its own given the state of the offense, but no team has taken a greater step back in 2024 than the Seminoles.

Florida State enters its Week 9 contest with in-state rival No. 6 Miami as a three-score underdog at multiple sportsbooks. The Noles then host North Carolina and travel to Notre Dame before hosting FCS foe Charleston Southern and SEC rival Florida to finish off the season. At 1–6, a bowl game is most certainly out of the question. What’s more damning is there’s a good chance the Seminoles will be underdogs in three of the four remaining games after Miami.

It’s been quite the fall from grace for Mike Norvell.

—M.M.

Midseason Biggest Disappearance

The Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback plan

They barely shrugged at the departure of QB Dillon Gabriel to Oregon and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to the head coach role at Mississippi State, figuring this would be an easy reload with Jackson Arnold and Seth Littrell in those respective roles. Oh no.

Seven games in, Littrell has been fired and Arnold has started, been benched and now is returning to the starting role. He’s been a mistake machine, but not as bad as his erstwhile replacement, freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.—they have combined to commit nine turnovers while playing five games apiece. The school of Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray—and, yes, Gabriel—ranks 122nd out of 134 nationally in pass efficiency.

—P.F.

The officials in the Texas-Georgia game 

They seem very likely to never be heard from again, with that crew broken up and sent into the wind. It’s one thing to blow a big call in a critical moment, it’s another to open Pandora’s box when it comes to reversing judgment calls after a stadium revolt. 

—B.F.

Michigan’s passing game (and Big Ten relevance)

Defending national champion Michigan has not taken quite the step back that Florida State has, but it’s taken a larger one than expected thanks to its lack of ability to effectively complete a forward pass.

The Wolverines have now tried three different quarterbacks this season under center, and each has had plenty of issues throwing the football. Senior Davis Warren started the first three games of the season, compiling a 2–1 record and completing 66.7% of his passes for 444 yards and two touchdowns to six interceptions.

Former four-star recruit Alex Orji wasn’t the answer either. He started against No. 11 USC, unranked Minnesota and on the road at Washington. He completed 20-of-37 passes for a paltry 133 yards and one touchdown to one interception.

That wasn’t good enough for coach Sherrone Moore, who turned to seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle in the middle of the loss to Washington in Seattle. Tuttle has now played in two games, where he’s completed 30-of-50 passing attempts for 306 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions.

The bottom line? Michigan’s passing offense has disappeared one year removed from its national championship, and its rushing offense has largely been bottled up as a result.

The Wolverines defense remains elite, but at 4–3, anything beyond the six-win bowl game threshold with this anemic passing offense would be quite the surprise.

—M.M.