CAM WARD FOR HEISMAN

After many years of frustration and heartbreak, the senior quarterback of the Miami Hurricanes is a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. And, college football is a better place when that’s the case. Fresh from a near disaster at home, against Virgina Tech, Cam Ward has once against reintroduced himself as one of the most dangerous men in college football. He is the heart, mind and soul of this new-look Hurricanes team.

A fourth quarter rally, enabled by four touchdowns is the latest in an entire season’s worth of heroics from Miami’s QB1. Three hundred plus yards of offensive production, and well-over fifty percent completions on passing attempts on a stout conference opponent confirms everything we already know about these Canes. Ward was one of the better players in college football long before he landed in Coral Gables. In 2021, during his last season leading Incarnate Word in San Antonio, he threw 47 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. This season, he’s currently at 18 touchdowns to 4 interceptions with four games remaining.

In a previous piece, I formally endorsed a young man from West Palm Beach, as rightfully deserving the greatest honor in college football. I stand by this endorsement, because no other young man in college football is accomplishing what he’s accomplishing at such a high level, playing both ways. However, college football is a quarterback-centered sport, and I fully acknowledge the existence of that bias (right or wrong it might be). So, if a quarterback wins the trophy this season, that quarterback should be named Cameron Anthony Ward.

Miami is undefeated for the first time in a decade, and is first place in the ACC conference.

PRAYERS FOR BILLY

In Gainesville, the storm is far from over.

Billy Napier has lost the faith of local media, which is very not ideal. Even in the wake of a Hurricane Helene-instituted break following a much needed conference win over Mississippi State, you’ll be hard pressed to see anything resembling a break from targeted criticism.

Senior quarterback Graham Mertz returned to his starting role, passing for three touchdowns, rushing for another and led the Gators to their first Southeastern Conference win of the season. Mertz, the sixth-year veteran in his second UF season after transferring from Wisconsin, completed 19 of 21 passes (90.5 percent) for 201 yards, with all three of his scoring drives coming in the first half of the game.

Napier’s Gators return to the Swamp for the first time since being thrashed by Texas A&M, to face down a highly motivated, instate rival in the UCF Knights, on Oct. 5th. Objectively, the Knights are a much better football team than the Bulldogs this season.

It’s the first time in my lifetime that Florida entered as a true underdog vs. Orlando’s hometown team, especially at home.

PRAYERS FOR MIKE

In Tallahassee, the storm seems to be getting worse.

Mike Novell has gone from the savior of the garnet and gold, to one of the most confusing situations in college football this week. I’ve never witnessed such a violent regression in college football.

FSU is now 1-4, after losing 42-16 to Southern Methodist University, and is the second best football team in the State’s capital city (FAMU is 2-2).

STATE RANKS

The Sports Club Florida: Head of State (HOS) Poll for the fifth-sixth week of college football.

1. UM
2. UCF
3. FAMU
4. USF
5. JAX
6. UF
7. FSU
8. FIU
9. FAU
10. BCU