Now that we are a few weeks into the college football season, we have learned a lot about the college football landscape this year. However, there are also so many questions I still have. Going into week 4, conference play will begin all over the country, so here are five questions I want answered as we get into the real meat and potatoes of 2025.

1. What is going on with quarterback play?

If you go look at any preseason list of top college football quarterbacks, you woud likely see the same names over and over again. Arch Manning, D.J. Lagway, LaNorris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, and Cade Clubnik for example. These guys all do have something in common, but its not what you’d expect.

They’ve all been… kind of bad.

I’m not saying these guys are all bottom of the barrel QBs, but you can absolutely say they have left a lot to be desired. In a season where many power programs were inheriting new QBs, we knew that we were going to have to learn a bunch of new names. But its the names we already knew that have failed to reach expectations.

If you were to re-rank the top QBs in the country based on 2025 alone, the names you would now see are John Mateer, Haynes King, Taylen Green, Beau Pribula, Dante Moore, Joey Aguilar and… Carson Beck? Even Thomas Castellanos shredded Alabama.

Shout out to guys like Drew Allar and Luke Altmeyer for living up to the hype so far, but something is going on with quarterback play across the country, and that is what I’ll have my eye on as move onto the games that really matter.

2. With QB play down, who are the most likely non-QBs to win the Heisman?

Last year, the Heisman race didn’t even really have a quarterback involved. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty went toe-to-toe with Colorado’s Travis Hunter, and honestly both deserved it. We could have another year without a QB taking home the prestigious hardware, (the last time that two consecutive non-QBs won the Heisman was 1998 and 1999 when Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne won as running backs) but who would that be? I’ll give you my top three, along with a dark horse (or two).

The front runner: Ahmad Hardy, RB – Missouri

When the Heisman doesn’t go to a quarterback, it usually goes to a running back. Of the last 10 non-QBs to win the award, seven were halfbacks. The best running back this year has arguably been Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy. Hardy leads the SEC in rushing by a sizable margin, and leads the country in broken tackles with 28. The former ULM Warhawk just shredded Louisiana for 250 yards and three touchdowns during Mizzou’s 52-10 shellacking of the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Close second: Mario Craver, WR – Texas A&M

Craver has put up crazy numbers in 2025, as he’s already approaching the 500-yard mark in just three games. His 7-catch, 207-yard performance against Notre Dame opened a lot of eyes as the Aggies knocked off Notre Dame in South Bend. The sophomore from Birmingham, AL is averaging over 22 yards per catch. Keeping that up in SEC play will have him in the running for more than just one award.

Can’t give up on: Jeremiah Smith, WR – Ohio State

The best player on the best team in the country, Smith is widely considered the best player in the sport. Through three games, including a season-opening duel with Texas, Smith has 20 catches for 315 yards and three scores. And honestly, that feels underwhelming. Not because it’s a bad stat line, but because he is that good. You can’t count out that talent, especially after his 9-catch, 153 yard performance propelled the Buckeyes past a feisty Ohio team that we’ll talk about later.

A dark horse: Nic Singleton/Kaytron Allen, RB – Penn State

These guys are two of the best runners in the sport, but their biggest roadblock to winning the Heisman is the fact that they are teammates. Either one of these guys could run for 2,000 yards in the right situation, if they weren’t splitting reps. Penn State has big aspirations for this season, and if they fulfill those it will be in large part to these two guys. But national awards may be hard to come by for the running mates, but they may not care if Penn State brings home the hardware they’re really after.

3. How many new faces can win a power conference?

College football honestly feels wide open this year. I haven’t felt like there is a runaway favorite for the title, and QB play being suspect everywhere really opens the door. What are the odds we see some new faces in each power conference take home the title. I am going to rank each Power 4 conference by the likelihood we get an unexpected champ, and who I believe that champ would be.

Most likely: Big 12 – Texas Tech

The Big 12 feels like easy pickings because its two best teams left a year ago and a PAC-12 newcomer won it last year in Arizona State (add Sam Leavitt to the underwhelming QBs we thought were good list). However, Texas Tech has never won the Big 12 championship, and I think the stars are aligning for the Red Raiders to change that.

First off, Arizona State lost to Mississippi State. That already shows ASU is not the team it was with Cam Skattebo. BYU lost their QB before the season even started and the job went to a true freshman. Iowa State hasn’t lost, but they’ve been uninspiring at best. And Kansas State… well… they aren’t very good.

The favorites to win the Big 12 are TTU, Utah, Iowa State, and in my personal opinion, a very underrated TCU team. The first three have never won the Big 12 championship, so odds are we get a new champion. My pick of the litter would be the boys in Lubbock.

Could happen (and would be so fun): ACC – Georgia Tech

Boy do I want Haynes King to just run the table in the ACC. That won’t be easy with Miami and Florida State playing like they are, but GT has a cake walk of a conference schedule. They beat Clemson and their hardest conference test this year is likely on the road at NC State. I think an ACC championship appearance is likely, but it will take a big win to get the job done.

The Yellow Jackets were the team to show everyone that Clemson may not be that big of a threat this year. And unlike the Tigers, GT controls their destiny. King and Co have the chance to do something special in Atlanta.

Unlikely, but not impossible: Big 10 – Illinois

Yes, I am fully aware Ohio State and Penn State exist and Oregon won it last year. But Illinois only has to play one of those teams, and its at home against the Buckeyes. The defending national champs are very good, but not unbeatable. And I believe the Fighting Illini have the better quarterback, and maybe the best one in the conference.

Currently ranked number 9, the Illini returned a lot of production and have outscored their opponents 135-22. The competition hasn’t been stiff, but not everyone has dominated their cupcakes as easily this year. There is a really good football team in Champaign, IL, and I’d enjoy seeing them run the table.

Wishful thinking: SEC – Missouri

I know what you’re thinking. This is a homer pick and it’ll never happen. But hear me out before you skip this part. Missouri has gotten flack all offseason for how easy their schedule is relative to the rest of the SEC. So don’t tell me it’s hard to imagine them winning a ton of games.

The SEC is the least likely to crown a new champion because the best teams in the conference are Georgia and LSU. The next favorites after them would be Oklahoma, Alabama, and Texas. OU could have been the pick here, but that schedule is insane and they aren’t that new to winning conferences so let me have my fun.

Missouri is 3-0 going into conference play and gets a South Carolina team this weekend that has looked pretty bad so far. In week 5 they will smack around UMass for homecoming before hosting Alabama. That is followed with trips to Auburn and Vanderbilt before they return home to face Texas A&M and Mississippi State and then hit the road to end their season at Oklahoma and at Arkansas.

If Missouri goes 10-2, there’s a good chance they are playing in the conference championship due to cannibalism in the conference because many of the other contenders play each other. The Tigers have the SEC’s leading rusher, a potential top 3 QB in the conference, and a quality defense. But don’t forget, there is a reason this section is titled wishful thinking. The SEC is just so dang good and Georgia may still be inevitable. Just ask Tennessee.

4. How many high-level programs will be shopping for coaches after this season (or earlier)?

UCLA and Virginia Tech wasted no time, firing their coaches just three games into the season. While those were absolutely justified, they won’t be the last. Who else is going to be looking for new leadership, especially at the highest levels?

Alabama fans need 10-win seasons like a baby needs its bottle. Last year’s 9-4 campaign was an utter failure by Bama standards, and another season like it may have Kalen DeBoers behind feeling a little toasty. The Crimson Tide already got embarrassed by FSU, and they still have to play a slew of ranked opponents in Georgia, Vandy, Missouri, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma, and Auburn. Going 4-3 in those games isn’t impossible, and that would slot Alabama at 8-4. To get to 10 wins, they need to go 6-1, and that feels very hard to do with how they are playing right now. Man the SEC is tough.

We can all admit Billy Napier is gone, right? Do I have to do this whole thing or can we just move on? Good, glad we agree.

What I am less aware of is the feeling on Lincoln Riley at USC. From afar, I have been pretty disappointed in the Trojans. They managed to get ranked at 25 in the latest AP poll, but they still have to play Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oregon. Nebraska and Iowa won’t be easy either. How many wins does Lincoln Riley need this year to feel good about his job security moving forward?

5. Who are the true G5 contenders for the CFP?

My last question in a very long winded article is about the CFP teams that everyone roots for but no one believes in. Last year it was Boise State, but USF showed us that this year we probably won’t be seeing the Broncos. USF themselves looked the part, but Miami reminded us of the gap that remains.

Ohio is a very good football team. In three games against power conference opponents, they have beaten West Virginia, nearly knocked off Rutgers, and gave Ohio State a closer game than anticipated. I expect this team to win the MAC, but they will have to look pretty good doing it to earn a bid into the College Football Playoff.

Memphis has always been a dangerous G5 team and they have been off to a hot start this year. A win over Arkansas would definitely boost their resume and I think its possible. North Texas looks explosive and I know Washington State is still in the weird PAC-2 limbo, but it was still shocking to see the Mean Green pound them 59-10.

At the end of the day, I think it has to be Tulane. Jake Retzlaff was forced out of BYU and ended up with the Green Wave and boy do they look good. Retzlaff himself has thrown for 522 yards and leads the team with 288 rushing yards. Tulane has already beat two power conference teams in Northwestern and Duke (shout out to Darian Mensah for leaving Tulane for Duke, just to lose to Tulane). The biggest opportunity for Tulane comes this weekend in a trip to Oxford, MS.

A win over the Rebels would give Tulane by far the best resume of any G5 team, and all that would be left to do is win their conference. The aforementioned Memphis Tigers and North Texas Mean Green will have something to say about that, but Tulane should make the CFP, and I’m not convinced their season will end in the first round either.