If you remember the 2007 season, then you know this year is going eerily similar to that one. Upsets galore and utter chaos reign in college football, and it’s because we see new players emerge each week. Picking the College Football Players of the Week for the offensive and defensive sides of the ball is always fun because it feels like we rarely repeat.
College Football Offensive Players of the Week | Week 7
The fireworks continue for the offenses, so these guys deserve to be named to the College Football Players of the Week list.
QB Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
Bailey Zappe came from Houston Baptist, and all he’s done is continue his elite production with the Hilltoppers. Against Old Dominion, he passed for 397 yards and 5 touchdowns. His top target, Jerreth Sterns, caught 13 of his passes for 221 yards and 1 touchdown. Zappe is now up to 2,632 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season.
RB Tyrion Davis-Price, LSU
LSU didn’t need a shoe throw to pull off a second consecutive upset over Florida. They used the feet of Tyrion Davis-Price instead. The junior made several tough runs, including a handful where he looked for contact. LSU beat Florida 49-42 in Baton Rouge behind Davis-Price’s 287 yards and 3 touchdowns. His yardage edged former LSU great Leonard Fournette for most rushing yards in a single game.
RB Jerome Ford, Cincinnati
Cincinnati to the playoffs continues to grow in popularity and in reality with every upset. The Bearcats should be ranked No. 2 in all of college football in the most recent AP Poll, and it’s because they’re finding balance. Not only can they play defense, but their offense is thriving too. Jerome Ford rushed for 189 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the offense, and it doesn’t look like anyone in the AAC can compete with this team.
RB Abram Smith, Baylor
For extremely good reasons, everyone’s focused on Texas’ Bijan Robinson and TCU’s Zach Evans — but Baylor’s got a good back of their own. Abram Smith rushed for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns this weekend against BYU, and the Bears continue to surprise everyone in college football.
WR David Bell, Purdue
Thanks largely to David Bell and 4 interceptions by the defense, Purdue stunned the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. The Boilermakers’ star wide receiver caught 11 passes for 240 yards (21.8 yards per catch). Iowa normally is the team producing the turnovers, but they struggled to cover Bell in space, and he put up a career day against them.
WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams was the talk of the broadcast, but it was Quentin Johnston who deserved the spotlight. He produced 185 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 2 of his scores humiliating the Sooners’ defenders. The game might not have gone his way, but Johnston did his part to keep TCU in the game. It’s why he’s one of the Offensive College Football Players of the Week.
College Football Defensive Players of the Week | Week 7
Which defensive players make up the Players of the Week for Week 7?
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
If you haven’t watched the clips from Friday night, please do. Then you’ll understand why Kayvon Thibodeaux is on this list without filling up the stat sheet. Cal found life miserable thanks to the Oregon star, and he continues reminding us why he’ll be a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
S Jordan Battle, Alabama
He’s not one of the Offensive Players of the Week, but he did manage to put points on the board. Alabama destroyed Mississippi State to rebound from the upset they endured last week, and their defense got back on track. Jordan Battle picked off two Will Rogers passes, returning 1 for a touchdown.
DE George Karlaftis, Purdue
He didn’t pick off a pass, and his name’s not David Bell, but George Karlaftis reminded everyone why he’s one of the best in the country. His 3 quarterback hurries made Spencer Petras throw some poor passes and played a significant role in the Boilermakers upsetting the second-ranked Hawkeyes.
DE Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
Northwestern hasn’t had much to celebrate this year, but they found something to get excited about with a 21-7 win over Rutgers. Adetomiwa Adebawore played a big role in the win, producing 4 tackles for loss with 2 quarterback hurries.
LB Carlton Martial, Troy
Carlton Martial might be undersized at 5’9″, but he continues to remind us why he’s one of the best in the country. He tallied a game-high 18 tackles (2 for loss) in the win on Saturday, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence for him. Martial’s doing everything in his power to help NFL teams notice him, and games like this will do just that.