Vick and Wells’ College Football End-of-Season Reactions

By Vick A. '27 and Wells R. '27

After quite an eventful college football season, it's playoff season. With that being said, I’m well aware that many fans only pick up the sport come playoff time. So, allow Wells and me to give you a full breakdown of the previous week of games, our bracket reactions, Heisman picks and favorites, and our predictions for the full first round of the playoffs.

Championship Week and Playoff Bracket Reactions:

Vick: First of all, I know a lot of people believe that Alabama was undeserving of a playoff spot since, after their defeat in the SEC championship, they were a three-loss team. To those people, I implore them to never watch or discuss college football again. Why should a team be punished for playing a conference championship game, and mind you, versus the 3rd ranked team, a team that you’ve already beaten? The fact that a team losing an extra, optional game could knock them out of the playoffs while teams like OU sat on the couch is ridiculous to me. If the committee had set a precedent whereby losing a conference championship game, you get booted, I see no reason for any top-ranked team to participate in it. For those of you who would smirk and point out that BYU was kicked out of playoff contention for losing their championship game, I would beg you to consider the difference between Bama’s 4 top 16 wins versus BYU’s 0. Additionally, I would argue that BYU wasn’t kicked out due to that embarrassing loss, but rather, they were already in an unfairly poor position. Going into their matchup against Texas Tech, it was win or go home; they were ranked 11, so they would’ve gotten the boot for one of the other conference champions. I’m all for BYU being in the CFP — in fact, I believe they should be in over Miami — but arguing that their conference championship loss was the reason they didn’t is ridiculous. In fact, let’s talk a bit more about the controversy surrounding the bottom end of teams in the playoffs. For context, going into championship week, Notre Dame, U Miami, and BYU were all fighting for one spot. BYU had a chance to guarantee said spot with a win versus 4 Texas Tech, but lost in a crushing defeat. The committee decided to disregard them and pick between U Miami and Notre Dame for the final spot. They believed both teams were equal on metrics, but since the Irish lost the head-to-head matchup, they would get the boot. BYU had a harder strength of schedule than both of those other teams, and I am a believer that they should’ve had that number 10 rank, and thus should’ve gotten the edge over the other two teams when it came to playoff decisions. But, it is what it is and the committee seems to always be right in the end — in 2014 the committee punted on a tricky Baylor-TCU debate in favor of Ohio State, which went on to win it all; in 2017, amid a chaotic final week, it handed its final bid to an SEC-title-absent Alabama, which also went on to win a championship; and in 2023 it snubbed undefeated Florida State due to Jordan Travis’s injury, and the Seminoles have since lost 18 of their next 25 games. But that's enough talk about the football that could’ve happened. Let's break down the chaotic final week of conference championship games. Firstly, I think both Texas Tech and Georgia asserted themselves as top teams with statement wins in a dominant fashion. Look out for both of those teams to contend for the title this year. But, the game we were all waiting for was 1 OSU vs 2 IU, and boy was it worth the wait. A defensive masterclass on both sides of the ball that was won and lost in the trenches. Both QBs got flustered by constant pressure, but this seemed to affect OSU’s Julian Sayin a lot more than IU’s Mendoza. While Sayin struggled to maintain pocket presence, Mendoza stood strong and delivered some big-time throws. But, to give credit where credit is due, OSU’s receiving room put on a show. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate looked like league-bound receivers, both making big plays for their team. In my opinion, even though IU won the game, I still don’t believe they are the better team. If you watch the film, they got lucky. They got lucky that the OSU kicker missed a chip shot and that Sayin’s knee was a foot short of a first down that would’ve given OSU a first and goal and would’ve certainly led to an OSU W.While this was a huge win for all of College Football (especially Michigan fans), I don’t think OSU’s dead in the water —they’re still national championship favorites. 

Who We Believe Should Win The Heisman:

Before we answer this ever-controversial question, there is one important thing to note. This is not us answering who will win the Heisman, the award for the best player in college football, but rather us sharing who we believe should win the award. 

Vick: The Heisman award goes to the most valuable player in college football. To define “most valuable” would lead you into one of the most complex debates in all of sports, so for the sake of simplicity, I’ll use some simple criteria: individual performance (stats compared to others at their respective position), team success, and how they compare to Hiesmans of the past. One notable exemption from my criteria is the famous “what the team would’ve been without them”. For me, that criterion has the massive red flag of the word “would”. We don’t know how Notre Dame would’ve adjusted their offense without Jeremiyah Love, how Ryan Day would’ve changed his play calls without Jeremiah Smith, or how Curt Cignetti would’ve passed the ball without Fernando Mendoza. To dwell in what could’ve been sounds like a job fit for an Arsenal fan. By focusing on actual stats and team results, my method avoids the speculative trap of asking “what the team would’ve been without them,” which is inherently unknowable and subjective. While comparing players to past Heismans adds valuable context for dominance, the core of my criteria remains measurable and concrete. When one considers how a player “impacts his team”,  they reward hypothetical contributions and stats rather than real ones. As previously stated, I don’t think a QB deserves this award. Mendoza, the current favorite (-3000), has thrown for 2900 yards and 33 TDs to only 6 INTs. To give these numbers some context, the past five Heisman QBs have averaged about 4,400 yards, around 50 TDs, with only around 5 picks. There are levels to this. To think that Mendoza’s name would be in the same list as Jayden Daniels' 5000-yard, 50 TD season or Burrow’s 5700-yard, 60 TD season, physically hurts me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Mendoza. I love the story, the big moments, and the team. Sure, he made a major impact leading Indiana to the 1 seed and an incredible 13-0 record, but I just don’t see how I can call him a Heisman in good conscious when compared to the Heisman QBs of the past. And don’t get me started on the other QB candidates. So now that we’ve crossed off any QB, let's look at who else could win it. In their top 7, Fanduel lists 3 other position players: Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame), Jacob Rodriguiz (LB, Texas Tech), and Jeremiah Smith (WR, OSU). Firstly, let's talk about the favorite of these three, Jeremiyah Love. Love is 4th in yards among RBs, with about 50 fewer carries than those ahead of him. On top of that, he is 3rd in TDs among his peers. Love helped lead Notre Dame to a near playoff berth (as previously discussed) and a solid 10-2 record. Compared to previous Hiesman RBs since the year 2000, Love has the worst stats by a decent margin. Both his yards and touchdowns pale in comparison to Dereck Henry, and he is about 500 yards shy of both Reggie Bush and Mark Ingram. Overall, good season, but is he Hiesman worthy? I say no. Now let's turn to Jeremiah Smith. The Sophomore sensation was 7th in receiving yards and 6th in TDs. Sure, he is playing harder teams than the players ranked above him, but these numbers don't jump off the page. Let’s use the same process we’ve used to evaluate previous Heisman winners at his position and compare him to 2020 DeVonta Smith and 2024 Travis Hunter. In 2020, DeVonta totaled about 800 yards more than Jermiah (1000 versus 1800) and 12 more touchdowns. In 24, Hunter, who didn’t win by receiving merit alone, still had more yards and touchdowns. While he did have a good season, Jeremiah Smith doesn’t hold a candle to these other WR Heisman seasons. Additionally, Smith was a key piece to lead Ohio to the 2 seed and an incredible 12-1 record, but that doesn’t make up for the lackluster stats. So now we’re down to our final hope — Jacob Rodriguez. Rodriguez ranks 14th in total tackles, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He has 4 INTs, being one of two LBs in the top 50. Moreover, Rodriguez has a jaw-dropping 7 forced fumbles, leading all of NCAAF. The Red Raiders have played 13 games, and he has 11 takeaways, not to mention a sack. Truly gobsmacking numbers. But, nonetheless, we must apply the same lens we used for our previous candidates and compare him to previous winners at his position. The only ever LB to ever place top 3 was Manti Te’o in 2012, so let's use him as our comparison. In his Heisman-candidacy season, he recorded 111 total tackles (49 solo) compared to Rodriguez’s 114 (60 solo). He had zero forced fumbles compared to Rodriguez’s 7 and 7 INTs compared to Rodriguez’s 4. I think we found our guy. Sure, he has fewer picks, but more tackles and total takeaways. And if these defensive numbers weren’t enough, he also had 2 touchdowns. Wow. To add a cherry on top, he helped lead Texas Tech’s stifling defense to a 12-1 record and the 3 seed. Only a fool would compare Rodriguez’s season to the likes of Red Murdock. So let's look back at our criteria. The trophy goes to the “most outstanding college football player”. Outstanding doesn’t just mean the best player on the best team, as Fernando Mendoza believers think it does. Outstanding doesn’t mean the player that a team would’ve missed the most, as Jeremiyah Love fans, forever stuck in a world of hypotheticals, believe it does. Outstanding means to stand out. It means to rise above your peers, to reach a new level of excellence. And in a year filled with a whole lot of eh, only one player stands out. His name is Jacob Rodriguez. 

Wells: In my opinion, there are really only five legit contenders for the Heisman: Diego Pavia, Julian Sayin, Jeremiyah Love, Jacob Rodriguez, and finally, the favorite Fernando Mendoza. For each of the players, I’m going to be looking at a set of criteria to see if they really deserve the Heisman. First I look to personal success (i.e. stats) and team success, if those are too close, I then look at what the team would be without them. I know Vick just talked about why he doesn’t like using the criterion of “what the team would be without them,” as it is inherently speculative, but in my opinion, it is one of the best indicators of who is truly the “most valuable player.” 

First, let’s start with Jeremiyah Love, the running back out of Notre Dame. Love ranks 4th in the nation in rushing yards (1,372) and 3rd in the nation in rushing touchdowns (18) all on a massive 6.9 yards per carry. All of these stats are amazing, however, what sets Love apart from most other running backs is that he’s recording all of these stats on just 199 carries (the 22nd most in NCAAF). What’s even more shocking, though, is that Love has done this while carrying only 51.5% of all RB rushing attempts for Notre Dame. He has led the Irish to a good 10-2 record, although they just narrowly missed out on the playoffs. At the end of the day, though, as good of a season as Love has had, the standard for a running back to win a Heisman is extremely high, simply because it’s hard to attribute a team’s success solely to a running back. To me, I don’t think Love is better enough than all other running backs, let alone all other positions to earn him the Heisman. For those reasons, I’m out. 

Next, let's look at Diego Pavia. While Pavia’s stats have been really good this season, I just don’t think he has been good enough. Pavia ranks 15th in the NCAAF in passing yards (3,192), 10th in QB rushing yards (826), and has thrown 27 TDs with only 8 INTs. In comparison with the last few quarterback Heisman winners, Pavia’s season just doesn’t hold up to the standard statistically (and you’ll soon see that Mendoza and Sayin are in a similar situation). Of the last five Heisman winners that were quarterbacks, the fewest yards one has thrown for (Jayden Daniels in 2023), was 3,812, and the other four threw for over 4,300 yards, and in Daniels’s case, he threw 13 more touchdowns and rushed for 308 more yards than Pavia this year. However, as nice as it is to compare current players to past ones, the Heisman is given to the “most outstanding college football player” not the most exciting player and not the one who is closest to past players. Each year, the Heisman winner should be compared to the players around them, not players of the past, and because Pavia holds up statistically against players this year, I then look to team success, and I think that’s where Pavia falls short. Vandy, while they have a solid record at 10-2, just hasn’t been good enough to justify giving Pavia the Heisman over other guys (if you were to give it to a quarterback) like Sayin and Mendoza who have similar if not better stats and even better team success. For those reasons, I’m out on Pavia. 

Next, let’s look at Julian Sayin. Sayin ranks 11th in passing yards (3,323) and has thrown for 31 TDs with only 6 INTs. However, he falls way short of Pavia in rushing yards with -2 on the season. Unlike, Pavia, however, Ohio State has had a great season finishing 12-1 with their only loss coming to Indiana in the Big 10 Championship (which was largely due to a missed 27 yard field goal in the 4th quarter by Ohio State). So, what could be wrong with Sayin winning the Heisman? The issue, to me, is my third criterion of what the team would be without them. So, what would Ohio State look like without Sayin? And honestly, I really don’t think it would be too different. In fact, I’m more left wondering what Sayin would be without Ohio State. Ohio State has one of, if not the most talented rosters in all of college football. I mean, Ohio State hasn’t allowed more than 16 points in a single game this season. That’s ridiculous! The most points OSU has allowed this entire season was two scores, and because of that, Sayin hasn’t really needed to do much. I mean, if your defense is playing that well, all you need to do is get the ball in the endzone two times and you win every game you play. But it’s not just the Ohio State offense that is allowing them to be so good. They also have probably the most stacked wide receiver room in the country with future first-rounders Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. All of these weapons and safety nets for Sayin to fall back on make me wonder; how good could Pavia and Mendoza have been if they had those same assets? And in my personal opinion, they would have been even better. For those reasons, I’m out on Julian Sayin. 

Next, let’s move to the fan favorite Jacob Rodriguez. To be honest, I’m just as big a fan of Rodriguez as the next guy, but does he actually deserve the Heisman? Let’s look. His biggest thing his supporters point to is his stat sheet. The guy has 114 total tackles (60 solo), 7 forced fumbles, 4 interceptions, a sack, and two offensive touchdowns. Now, I must admit, those stats are impressive. But are they impressive enough to justify giving him the Heisman? I think not. To better understand this, let's look at some other monster seasons from linebackers. Take Red Murdock, for example, the linebacker out of Memphis. Last season he finished the season with 156 total tackles (73 solo), 7 forced fumbles, an interception, 2 sacks, and a defensive touchdown. Now, your immediate reaction might have been, “hey, these stats seem pretty similar to Rodriguez’s.” And you’d be right. Murdock played a season as good, if not better (depending on what stats you value most) than Rodriguez just last year, and not was talking about giving him the Heisman, and that’s for a reason. In fact, I bet almost all of you don’t even know who he is. The reason why linebackers and other defensive players rarely win the Heisman is because they don’t influence the game in the same way that positions like quarterbacks do. To me, the “most outstanding player” in all of college football is someone who is the reason why you win games, and that’s just something I can’t say about Rodriguez. Yes, Rodriguez is a very good player, yes he is fun to watch, but he hasn’t been good enough to justify giving him the Heisman over someone who I can definitively say is the reason why their team is so good. Someone like Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza has been a force to be reckoned with this season, but not in the way you might think. His stats have been very good (similar to Sayin’s and Pavia’s) with 2,980 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, 240 rushing yards, and just 6 interceptions. Although those numbers don’t separate him from the rest of the elite quarterbacks this season, his impact goes beyond statistics. Mendoza has led the Hoosiers to their first undefeated season since 1945 with huge wins over then #1 ranked Ohio State and #3 Oregon. What seals the deal for me, though, is how much of Indiana’s success is directly because of Mendoza. Anyone who has watched a single of Indiana’s games would know that the Hoosiers would be nothing without Mendoza. Take for example the talent difference between Ohio State and Indiana: Ohio State has 11 five star recruits and 56 four star recruits whereas Indiana has 0 five star recruits and just 7 four star recruits, and Mendoza still beat them. To me, what really makes a player “the most valuable”  is their ability to find success where they are not expected to find success, and Mendoza has done that to the extreme. The stats may not be as flashy as some might want them to be, but at the end of a football game, you can only win or lose, no matter how many yards or touchdowns you throw for. Mendoza has single-handedly won his team games, and as boring as it may seem, Mendoza deserves the Heisman. He is by far the most outstanding player in college football and has been nothing short of incredible this season. There’s a reason why Indiana is ranked as the best team in college football; it’s because Mendoza is the best player in college football. 

1st Round Playoff Predictions

12 James Maddison University vs. 5 Oregon 

Vick: Oregon

I see no reason to waste your time explaining why Oregon will dismantle JMU. JMU is only here because they won their conference (the Sun Belt), and I don’t see them lifting a finger while this Oregon team, which has only lost to 1 Indiana, eats them alive. Oregon is a -1600 favorite. Enough said. 

Wells: Oregon

I’m with Vick on this one, don’t overthink it. James Madison is by far the worst team in this bracket. Oregon should have no trouble at all winning this game. 

8 Oklahoma vs. 9 Alabama 

Vick:  Alabama, in a close one. 

The reason I believe that Bama will beat OU is not because of any of their merits, but rather OU’s lack thereof. Watching OU’s offense causes me physical pain, and while their defesne has been stifling, I just don’t visualize them winning as long as Bama doesn’t make any careless offensive errors. This year, OU has thrown for about 2700 yards and ran for close to 1500, with most of the work being split between Tory Baylock, Xavier Robinison, and their QB John Mateer. And as much as Mateer has excelled with his legs, his passing stats fail to impress me. On the other hand, Bama’s Ty Simpson has thrown for about 3500 yards (800 more than OU) and sports an impressive 146 passer rating, 5th in the SEC compared to Mateer’s abysmal 15th. The fact that OU beat Bama last time they played this season is no indication of how this game will go — in that matchup, OU squeaked out a win with an 87 yard pick-6, a blocked field goal, and a fumble. Bama was the better team, but got beat on just a couple plays. I doubt something like this will happen again, so I give the edge to Bama in what should be a thrilling game. But with this being said, I don’t want to sit here and pretend like this game will be a blowout. I think OU has a very strong chance to win this game, as long as their defense plays lights out and Mateer is able to hang in there. Simpson has shown that he can get fazed in big away games  — so getting into his head will be key for OU if they want to advance. 

Wells: Oklahoma

Before I get more into it, I will say I am definitely a little biased as I myself am a huge Oklahoma fan. However, I genuinely believe that Oklahoma will win this game. The first thing we can look at is their head to head record, and Oklahoma won that…in Tuscaloosa. Now, Oklahoma gets the advantage of playing at home. But let's talk a little more about why I think they will win this time. Oklahoma has the best defense in the country, and personally, I don’t think it’s close. The last time these two teams met, Oklahoma forced two fumbles, a pick six, and finished the game with four sacks (mind you, this was all without Oklahoma’s best defensive player R Mason Thomas). But this outstanding defensive performance wasn’t just a fluke, time and time again, the Oklahoma defense has come through, ranking number one in NCAAF in sacks (41) and seventh in opponents points per game (13.9) all while playing one of the hardest schedules in all of college football. On the other hand, I ask you to find one impressive Alabama win aside from their narrow win over Georgia (which I think was proven to not be indicative of which team is actually superior as proven by Georgia’s 28-7 thrashing over Bama in the SEC Championship). And the thing is, you can’t. Their best win, I guess would be their win over Vanderbilt, but I just don’t think Vandy is a good team (they haven't beaten a single currently ranked team). Not only are their wins very good, but their losses are pretty bad. They lost handily to a now 5-7 Florida State team, lost to OU, and got absolutely destroyed by Georgia. Sure, Alabama is a good team, but let’s be honest, if they weren’t Alabama, they would not have made the CFP as the FIRST EVER 3 loss team to make the playoffs. Now, I do recognize that OU’s offense has been abysmal this season, but this is in part to the fact that Mateer suffered a hand injury early in the season and just hasn’t been the same since. But after an extended break, I think Mateer will come back healthier and better than before to lead Oklahoma’s offense to do just enough to squeak out a win over Bama (like they’ve done all year). I don’t think it will be easy, but I think Oklahoma will pull out the win. 

6 Ole Miss vs. 11 Tulane

Vick: Ole Miss

As much as I want to be unique and say Tulane, I can’t do it in good conseniuness. I don’t care if Ole Miss lost their coach; Lane Kiffin wasn’t the sole reason this team is 11-1. Lane Kiffin isn’t the sole reason that this team had their first 11 win regular season. Lane Kiffin isn’t the reason Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss’s QB, had the second highest passer rating in the SEC. Look for Ole Miss to play with a chip on their shoulder now, looking to prove that they don’t need Kiffin to win games. While Ole Miss has had quie a cake walk of a schedule, they still have beat some big names, with a 2-1 record against top 13 teams. Admitly, one of those wins was versus a fraudulent LSU, but at the end of the day you can only beat the team in front of you. Tulane is another one of those teams that is only in the playoffs because they won their conference, and I doubt they’ll be here for long. Once again, don’t overthink the layups and take Ole Miss; they are -880 for a reason.

Wells: Ole Miss

The big story with this game is how Lane Kiffin’s departure will affect Ole Miss’s gameplay, and I think it will…just not so badly that they lose to a team they already blew out 45-10. Similarly, to the JMU game, don’t overthink it. Ole Miss should win this easily. 

7 Texas A&M vs. 10 U Miami

Vick: Texas A&M

Now I’m not going to sit here and pretend by Texas A&M is a good team. They have one top 10 ranked win, and lost to Arch Manning’s Texas. At the same time, I don’t believe Miami is a good team either. Once again, they only have one top 10 ranked win (funnily enough, for both those teams that win came against Notre Dame), but they also have two embarrassing losses to unranked opponents.. Marcell Reed, the Aggies QB, will need to rise up to the occasion facing a vetran like Miami’s Carson Beck, but I believe in him. In their loss to Texas, the Aggies struggled to move the ball down the field, with a costly 6 drives of less than 20 yards. If A&M can move the ball down the field while maintaining their defensive edge, I don’t see how they can lose. But, those are both pretty big ifs, especially when in the playoffs. Look for their home field advantage to carry the Aggies through in what should be an electric game. 

Wells: U Miami

As good as Marcell Reed is, I think Texas A&M is very overrated. On the other hand, I trust Miami a lot more. Like Vick said, both of these teams have only one actually good win (both being over Notre Dame), but I think the Aggie’s loss to Texas and what should have been a loss to South Carolina are far more revealing than Miami’s losses. In the end, I think Beck’s experience will lead the Hurricanes to a win over the Aggies.