Three-Point Stance: Fab frosh, burning questions, predictions
THREE-POINT STANCE: Coaches' salaries | Big commits | Heisman race
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s thought-provoking Three-Point Stance is here with the best true freshmen at each position, some more burning questions and predictions for the upcoming week.
1. TOP FRESHMEN BY POSITION
Next week I reveal the Farrell Freshman 15, the top 15 true freshmen in the country for the 2018 season, and today you get a sneak peek with the top player at each position.
QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson – Lawrence gets the nod over Alan Bowman from Texas Tech and some others for the top QB spot with 11 touchdowns and only 2 picks and 868 yards. He’s split time, so his stats aren’t as good as some others but he’s been the most impressive freshman quarterback overall.
RB Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State – Forget Pooka Williams and some others, Jefferson just doesn’t get the attention because he plays for a bad team. He’s rushed for 865 yards and 12 touchdowns and no one has noticed.
WR Rondale Moore, Purdue – He’s made quite the splash running and catching the ball and has outplayed some big-name guys. With 457 yards receiving and 136 rushing and five total touchdowns, no one has been better.
TE Brevin Jordan, Miami – The best tight end in the country coming out, he’s gotten better and better each game and is a true downfield threat.
OL Cade Mays, Georgia – There haven’t been too many true freshmen offensive linemen that have made a big impact compared to last year, but Mays has been quite impressive.
DL Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma – Perkins has proven to be a consistent pass rusher, a guy who can make plays in the backfield and has shown flashes of being a future star.
LB Merlin Robertson, Arizona State – Robertson has been excellent with nearly 40 tackles, numerous sacks and tackles for a loss and excellent play in pass coverage as well.
DB Caden Sterns, Texas – With three interceptions and multiple big plays, this kid is an absolute star in the making.
2. BURNING QUESTIONS FOR WEEK 7
It’s time for some more burning questions for the week. Here are a few that puzzle me….
1. Will Texas blow it? Texas has Baylor and Oklahoma State on the schedule before a huge showdown with West Virginia. Will the Longhorns blow it and lose to one of those two? The answer is no. This Texas team under Tom Herman has taken the next step and won’t fall to teams they should beat. Can they beat West Virginia? That’s a burning question for another time.
2. Should we care about the AAC? No. They have three undefeated teams and three in the AP Top 25, but I don’t care. The schedule they play is bad and only one team, likely UCF, will come close to running the table. They’ll knock each other off soon enough.
3. Is Auburn done? Yes. Alabama and Georgia remain on the schedule and Texas A&M is no easy out as well. This is a five-loss team if I’ve ever seen one and one of the most disappointing teams in the country overall.
4. Can Colorado keep it going? I think it ends with USC even though I don’t believe in the Trojans that much. The Trojans have more talent and that wins out in the end. And a loss to USC could lead to a slide for the Buffs overall.
5. Does the SEC really have eight of the 25 best teams in the country? No, it's ridiculous that the AP Top 25 has eight SEC teams in this week's poll. And how is Auburn ranked ahead of Mississippi State? The polls, as usual, are clearly a joke.
3. PREDICTIONS FOR THIS WEEK'S BIGGEST GAMES
Here are my predictions for the games that I will be following closely over the weekend.
Georgia at LSU – I’m taking the Dawgs here by 10 points in a game that will have a few twists and turns. LSU is tough at home but Georgia is at a different level, especially on offense.
Washington at Oregon – Oregon is tempting to take here but I think Washington finally puts together a really good game. The Huskies win by a couple of touchdowns.
Michigan State at Penn State – Penn State should win this one easily as Michigan State has been making too many mistakes and playing down to opponents.
Texas A&M at South Carolina – A&M wins this battle in a tough game by a field goal or four or five points overall. South Carolina is a tough out at home, but the Aggies are ready for the challenge.
Wisconsin at Michigan – Wisconsin wins the game in a close one. Watch for the Badgers to win this one on a late field goal in a low-scoring game.
Colorado at USC – USC has the talent edge and should win this game by a couple of touchdowns despite playing poorly so far this season.