It started at noon with Jalen Hurts continuing his magnificent first season in the Big 12.
After he put on the Golden Hat, for leading Oklahoma past Texas in the Red River Rivalry, it was former teammate Tua Tagovailoa’s turn. The junior is now ahead of the ridiculous pace he set last year and has already become Alabama’s all-time leader in career touchdown passes with 81, following his four-touchdown effort.
When Alabama was done thrashing Texas A&M, Joe Burrow went to work, again looking nothing like the player he was last year, completing 21 of 24 passes for 293 and three touchdowns as LSU stayed unbeaten with a two-touchdown win over Florida.
Saturday was just the latest example of the season’s top storyline: Dominant quarterback play leading playoff hopefuls. And Ohio State’s Justin Fields, as impressive as the other three, had a bye.
It’s been the year of the quarterback, even with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence having yet to display the form that led him to being hailed as the top quarterback prospect in years.
The big four — Hurts, Tagovailoa, Burrow and Fields — for the time being at least look like the four leading Heisman Trophy contenders. Their teams are undefeated, all atop their respective divisions, all looking like potential champions.
What makes them so unique, though, aside from Tagovailoa, is they all faced major questions marks prior to the season. Fields and Hurts, a pair of immediately eligible transfers, weren’t even locks to be the starter, having to win competitions. Burrow, an Ohio State transfer, was underwhelming in his first year as the LSU starter last year, completing 57.8 percent of his passes and throwing a pedestrian 16 touchdowns as the Tigers remained offensively challenged.
But the three haven’t just surpassed expectations, they’ve lapped them.
Hurts, looking to become the third Oklahoma quarterback to win the Heisman in as many years, is second in the country in yards per completion (17.9) and has scored a combined 25 touchdowns — 17 through the air and eight on the ground.
Fields, a top recruit who left Georgia after one season, has produced 26 touchdowns and 1,581 all-purpose yards while throwing just one interception.
Burrow, aided by the hiring of new passing game coordinator and former Saints assistant coach Joe Brady, has already thrown nine more touchdowns than he did last year for the highest-scoring offense in the land. He’s completing a nation’s-best 79.6 percent of his passes, is No. 1 in passing efficiency at 218.10 and second in passing yards per game at 359.5.
Let’s, of course, not forget Tagovailoa, who should’ve won the Heisman a year ago. He seems intent on not leaving it up for debate, already having thrown 27 touchdown passes — the most in the country — and just a single interception as he guides the Crimson Tide’s score-from-anywhere aerial attack.
Beyond the stats, they are all must-watches, dynamic two-way threats poised to break numerous records. Odds are, we’ll see all of them in New York City in December and possibly in the playoff as well.
‘D’ Sooner ‘D’ better
Even as it was boat-racing Big 12 opponents, piling up huge numbers, it was hard to take Oklahoma seriously as a title contender. At some point, the defense was going to be needed, and it wasn’t up to the task in the playoff.
This year, though, there is a different feel to the Sooners. The defense isn’t the Achilles’ heel it has been in the past. Just look at the Red River Rivalry 34-27 win over Texas. That unit was terrific, limiting the explosive Longhorns to 310 yards of offense, sacking dynamic quarterback Sam Ehlinger nine times and overcoming two turnovers by the offense.
The defense, allowing 20.3 points and 340.3 yards per game, won’t be confused with Wisconsin’s unit. But it is clearly much improved, to the point it won’t handcuff this team’s chances of winning it all.
Another Smart bomb
For the first time, the heat is going to get turned up on Kirby Smart in Athens. That’s what happens when you have playoff expectations and cough up a gruesome game like Georgia did to an inferior opponent like South Carolina. The Bulldogs have had bad losses in years past under Smart — blowout setbacks at LSU last season and Auburn in 2017 — but nothing quite like the double-overtime defeat on Saturday. Despite outgaining 24.5-point underdog South Carolina 468-297, four Georgia turnovers and two missed field goals produced the season’s first major upset.
Top 10
1. Ohio State (6-0) (Last week: 1)
This Friday at one-win Northwestern is the warm-up. The following Saturday against undefeated Wisconsin is when we really find out about the mostly untested Buckeyes.
2. Alabama (6-0) (2)
There are warning signs, despite another easy victory, for the Crimson Tide. The defense is at the top of the list, allowing 27.3 points per game in three SEC contests a major concern once the schedule tightens.
3. LSU (6-0) (5)
It’s time to take the Tigers seriously as a SEC title contender. Just ask Florida and its 11th-ranked defense, which allowed a season-high 42 points and 511 yards of offense to LSU.
4. Oklahoma (6-0) (6)
Oklahoma never trailed in a gritty 34-27 win over Texas in Dallas, but it could have if not for its defense. The unit allowed only 310 yards of offense, sacked Sam Ehlinger nine times and overcame two Jalen Hurts turnovers.
5. Clemson (6-0) (4)
It doesn’t matter that the numbers came against another woeful ACC foe in Florida State. Trevor Lawrence looked like the Trevor Lawrence everyone expected, throwing for three touchdowns and running for another score.
6. Wisconsin (6-0) (10)
Michigan State isn’t as bad as Wisconsin made it look in a 38-0 romp. Neither is Michigan. The Badgers and their suffocating defense, which has allowed 29 points all season, are for real.
7. Georgia (5-1) (3)
It’s real simple for the Bulldogs after their dismal 20-17 home loss to also-ran South Carolina: Win out and the playoff is very possible. Otherwise, this season was all a big tease.
8. Notre Dame (5-1) (7)
The tenuous 30-27 victory over USC shouldn’t have been this hard. Not coming off a virtual bye week against Bowling Green and hosting the underwhelming Trojans. A repeat performance Oct. 26 at Michigan will end the Irish’s faint playoff hopes.
9. Florida (6-1) (8)
Auburn has to be wondering what happened to that stifling Gators defense that held them down. It was nowhere to be found in Death Valley, allowing LSU to put together five scoring drives of 66 yards or more.
10. Penn State (6-0) (NR)
The Nittany Lions have scored 34 points against the two quality defenses, Pittsburgh and Iowa, they have faced. They have averaged 54.5 points in their four other victories. They remain a mystery.
Dropped out: Texas (4-2)
Heisman Watch (in alphabetical order)
QB Joe Burrow, LSU
He has produced at least three touchdowns, a .711 completion percentage and 278 passing yards in every game this season. A December trip to New York City seems likely.
QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
Averaging more than four touchdowns per game, with just one interception, Fields has blossomed much faster than the Buckeyes and their fans could have anticipated.
QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
The two red-zone turnovers didn’t come back to bite Hurts, mostly because he also scored four touchdowns and produced 336 total yards in Oklahoma’s win over Texas.
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
He now owns the Alabama record for most touchdown passes with 81, just six games into his junior season after mostly watching as a freshman, and leads the country with 27 scoring strikes this season as well.
RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Taylor ran for 80 yards and two scores and it was his worst game of the season. The bar has been set so high by the four quarterbacks only brilliance can keep him in the race.