Freshman 15 College Football: Mendoza takes home Heisman, Aggies on Upset Alert 

The week we’ve all been waiting for is here. The opening round of the College Football Playoff is upon us. The most unlikely of outcomes happened in the Championship Week, which allowed James Madison and Tulane to sneak into the playoffs. Meanwhile, conference foes will clash in a rematch for who has the right to advance in the next round and take on the top team in the nation. As they say, styles make fights, and because of that, you’re going to see an MMA atmosphere of differing philosophies with everything on the table and all the chips pushed to the center. Yet, before we break down the opening round of the playoffs, there was some news to discuss from last week.

Mendoza wins the Heisman Trophy

Last Saturday, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was awarded the Heisman Trophy, beating out Jeremiyah Love, Diego Pavia, and Julian Sayin. Mendoza earned 2362 points, including 643 first-place votes, to win the award and 900 more points than the runner-up. The award coming to Mendoza comes as no surprise. He led the Hoosiers to an undefeated record and a Big 10 title, the first for Indiana in almost 60 years.

The California transfer also won the Davey O’Brien award as the country’s top quarterback. He set a career-best in passing touchdowns (33) and completion percentage (71.5). A lot lies ahead for Mendoza as his team earned the top seed in the playoffs, but winning the most prestigious award in college football is one major milestone to cross off his list.

College Football Quarterback Carousel

First, let’s discuss who is staying put. In a joint announcement with his father, Cooper, Arch Manning has elected to stay at Texas for another season. Apparently, Manning feels like there’s some unfinished business at Austin, and I would agree.

Manning had a shaky early portion of the season and still needs refinement in his mechanics and decision-making. That said, he showed a lot of flashes against Texas A&M and proved that he can succeed in a big game. With all the movement happening around the conference, it bodes well for Manning, along with Steve Sarkisian, to run it back for another try at a return to prominence for the Longhorns, before moving on to the NFL.

As for who is moving, Dylan Raiola has announced that he will enter the transfer portal, ending his time with Nebraska. Raiola was a five-star recruit and easily one of the most sought-after prospects of his class. Yet, things haven’t gone as planned for him under Matt Rhule, often playing off-script and committing turnovers because of his gunslinger mindset.

Raiola may need a change of scenery and still has plenty of room for growth. He is still only 20 years old and has two years of eligibility. Raiola, the son of longtime NFL player Dominic Raiola and the godson of Matthew Stafford, will likely choose a program that can ensure he plays in meaningful matchups and has the money to pay. Early schools that have been rumored to be interested are Oregon, Miami, and Ohio State, but don’t count out Lane Kiffin at LSU.

Friday Spotlight: Oklahoma vs. Alabama

In their first meeting, Alabama’s offense was very productive but couldn’t avoid the big mistake. Eli Bowen’s interception return for a touchdown provided Oklahoma with its only touchdown of the game. John Mateer wasn’t particularly outstanding the last time he saw the Alabama defense. The Crimson Tide doesn’t look or feel like the Alabama teams we’ve grown accustomed to. Still, you get the feeling that the edge belongs to Alabama in the rematch.

Brett Venables’ defense is imposing, but Alabama has the supporting cast to put points on the board in what should be a low-scoring affair. Kaden Proctor is a road grader who will open holes in whatever type of blocking scheme you want to try. Jam Miller hasn’t been as effective in recent weeks, hence expect Alabama to utilize their freshman running backs more in a running back by committee. This also means that Ryan Williams should be heavily relied upon on the receiving end to create some explosive plays down the field. Like their first meeting, a turnover or two may decide the game, and I’d be surprised if 40 points were scored in this game between both teams. Alabama knocks off the Sooners in Norman as Alabama wins 21-17.

Upset Pick: Miami over Texas A&M

The Miami Hurricanes will advance to the next round of the College Football Playoff. Ever since their loss to SMU way back on November 1st, they have been in survival mode, playing every game like it’s their last chance to stay in the postseason race. Because of the pressure, Miami has been battle-tested along the way and managed the adversity to keep pace quite well.

During their four-game winning streak to end the season, Miami has a point differential of +110. That’s in large part due to Carson Beck’s red-hot play to close the season. Miami seems primed to win this game because of Beck’s experience in playoff atmospheres. It also helps that he can rely on Mark Fletcher to run the football behind the Hurricanes’ offensive line, against an A&M team that was somewhat exposed versus Texas. You add Reuben Bain to the mix, and all of a sudden, you have a Miami team that rushes passer, runs the football, has a chip on its shoulder, and oh by the way, has a dynamic playmaker in Malachi Toney. The Hurricanes are getting hot at just the right time and take down the Aggies to move on to the next round.