Dante Moore is the new Heisman race leader & Ty Simpson has arrived for Bama – CFB Newsletter
Catch everything you missed from week 5 of college football
Dan Lanning and Oregon’s prove-it moment
Dan Lanning has transformed Oregon into a consistent top-five program in college football just four years into his time as head coach. Every elite coach faces daunting challenges against top-ranked teams and must win them to advance to the upper tier. Oregon’s 30-25 overtime victory over Penn State was one of those wins.
Happy Valley at night during a whiteout is as tricky as it gets for a road game in college football. Throughout the night, the Ducks remained composed and executed when needed to pull out the close win. While Lanning deserves a lot of credit for developing the tact of his program, we must praise their starting quarterback, Dante Moore.
Moore’s performance proved why he was in the Heisman conversation despite not facing many competitive teams to start the year. His 248 passing yards and three touchdowns don’t fully illustrate how poised, clutch, and gritty Moore was. Numerous impactful throws and gutsy runs solidified his early case to win the Heisman trophy.
Following Moore’s stellar game, our Brentley Weissman broke down how Moore is in perfect positioning to be this year’s Heisman winner.
“What makes this even more intriguing is Oregon’s trajectory. If the Ducks keep winning, Moore will have more chances to stack Heisman moments. Road games, rivalry games, and potentially a Big Ten title showdown all sit ahead. And with Oregon’s defense proving against Penn State that it can hold its own, Moore doesn’t have to play perfect football every week – he just needs to keep being himself.” —Brentley Weissman
On Penn State’s side, this game was supposed to silence the doubt, but it has only fueled it more. Many questioned if quarterback Drew Allar could be consistent enough for his squad to win important games this season. With multiple jaw-dropping throws but head-scratching errors, it’s clear he didn’t take the leap that Penn State fans were hoping for.
Our Travis May broke down how Allar failed to meet expectations in Penn State’s frustrating loss to Oregon.
“Unfortunately, Drew Allar has been completely awful outside of just the high leverage moments this season and it got worse on Saturday. The Oregon game was his chance to silence the doubters and prove he was “the guy” once and for all, but he fell short all game long. And when it came to the must-have moment in overtime, Drew Allar made his worst mistake of the season, and perhaps his entire career.” —Travis May
Ultimately, this game completely altered the early-season narratives for both programs. Oregon established itself as the favorite to win the Big Ten, on a crash course to meet Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game for a heavyweight battle. Sadly, Penn State and head coach James Franklin confirmed they’re still the third-best Big Ten program on the outside looking in.
Ty Simpson fuels Alabama’s upset over Georgia
No one expected Alabama to beat Georgia, especially on the road. More importantly, no one expected Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson to play this dominantly this early into his tenure as the starter.
Simpson waited patiently in the background at Alabama as other quarterbacks got opportunities before him. It was even questioned if Simpson was good enough to lead this team after Alabama’s Week 1 loss to Florida State. Now, thanks to a perfect marriage of scheme and traits, Simpson and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb are cooking opposing secondaries.
Our Rob Gregson reacted to Simpson’s performance and pointed out what stood out from his fantastic night.
“Simpson played with such graceful timing and anticipation. He was the definition of smooth. He got through his progressions and played fast, but never rushed his process. He, like the rest of Alabama, took the FSU loss personally, and they have come back better.” —Rob Gregson
Simpson’s timing and anticipation are the most essential traits that carried his productive outing, as Gregson highlighted. From the first drive on, it was clear he had control over the game, and he was bending the Georgia secondary to his will. As he remained composed on each play, he effectively rifled passes into tight windows.
As we enter October, it’s time to start taking Simpson seriously as a Heisman finalist and future first-round pick. If Simpson and Grubb are going to be this in rhythm for the rest of their schedule, it will be challenging for any opposing defense to slow them down.
With multiple challenges ahead for Alabama, Simpson will need to replicate this performance if his team wants to reach the SEC Championship game and the College Football Playoff. Right now, Alabama is confidently in the driver’s seat to attain both of those goals.
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