We may see a fast riser emerge in the Heisman Trophy race after this week's college football slate. No. 5 Ohio State plays its first Big Ten road game at No. 14 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are flying sky-high after Hank Brown's last-second touchdown pass defeated Michigan in the Big House last week.
The task is tougher this week. Legendary Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz called Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith one of the best players of the last 20 years this week. In the SEC, No. 7 Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State hook up in Starkville for a noon ET kickoff featuring two quarterbacks who have captured the nation's attention in just a few short weeks.
Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor, who already owns two road wins and a 2-0 SEC start with a victory over top-25 Missouri, has risen to third in the Heisman odds. Nipping at his heels is Alabama's Keelon Russell, who leads the nation's fourth-best scoring offense at 48 points per game. The winner Saturday might solidify himself as the third-best player in the odds.
Meanwhile, No. 8 Florida travels to No. 25 Missouri. The Gators have been among the more physical teams in the country, but how do they respond after thrashing top-10 Ole Miss last week? Mizzou has notoriously struggled against ranked opponents, even at home.
Auburn heads to Knoxville to face No. 17 Tennessee following a chaotic week marked by the arrest of an Auburn staff member accused of leaking recruiting materials to rival programs. Amid the off-field controversy, Auburn coach Alex Golesh will aim to beat his former mentor, Volunteers coach Josh Heupel. No. 11 BYU hits the road for its first Big 12 road game against TCU, with whispers about Sonny Dykes' future in Fort Worth in the background.
Bill Belichick gets another chance to build on his progress against No. 3 Notre Dame as the Irish come to North Carolina for a noon kickoff Saturday. Then there are the coaches on the hot seat needing big wins. South Carolina's Shane Beamer hosts No. 24 Kentucky in perhaps the biggest game of his career (and without pass rusher Dylan Stewart, whom he suspended for insubordination).
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