5 Players to Watch: Week 3

#5. Leonard Fournette – RB – LSU – If Fournette wants his Heisman hopes to stay alive at all he probably needs two things to happen after missing LSU’s week 2 game. One’s easy – he needs to keep putting up numbers like he’s always done. Even though LSU lost to Wisconsin in week 1, Fournette’s performance was still that of a Heisman candidate, minus the touchdowns. The other thing that needs to happen is LSU needs to learn how to move the ball in the air. Fournette can rush for 100 yards all year long, but he’s not getting in the endzone, and LSU isn’t winning as long as Fournette is rushing for more yards than the quarterbacks are throwing for. He might have the ability to carry his team to a win over Mississippi State, but this week’s game should give a good idea of just how good, or bad, LSU and Fournette are going to be.

#4. Jalen Hurts – QB – Alabama – Picking an Alabama player is always tough. After seeing Hurts play in week one I thought, “Great, just what Alabama needs, Michael Vick.” The main reason Hurts is making my week 3 list is due to the Nick Saban/Lane Kiffin saga that happened after Saban wasn’t happy with Alabama’s offensive output in week 2. Now, most of the time after a blow up on a coaching staff like that, I would be nervous about that’s team’s chances against a good Ole Miss team, but this is Nick Saban. He doesn’t seem to care about the problems other teams care about. Remember, this is a guy who lost two games in two years when not knowing who his QB was going to be 2 weeks before his first game. Long story short, I’m expecting big offensive numbers from Alabama this week, and that starts with Hurts.

#3. Chad Kelly – QB – Ole Miss – If he can somehow lead the Rebels to a win this week, Ole Miss will be the first team to beat Nick Saban three years in a row since his time at Michigan State. It just doesn’t happen. He’s on this list because, if it does, it will be amazing to watch. Imagine Kelly, at a horizontal angle with the field because Alabama players are draped over him, throwing a pass which the intended wide receiver drops, but ANOTHER wide receiver makes the grab behind the defense and runs it in. Yeah…something like that.

#2. J.T. Barrett – QB – Ohio State – An early season Heisman favorite is playing his first big game in week 3 when Ohio St. takes on Oklahoma. Oklahoma is desperate. They have to have a win here if there is any hope of them making the playoffs. J.T. Barrett is going to need to need a great game against a good team that is playing for their season. Barrett is an easy choice for the player to watch on the Ohio St. team. As one of the few remaining veterans from their national championship team, he’s surrounded by 18 year olds. He’s a special player and it should be fun seeing him play his first meaningful game as the sole quarterback of the Buckeyes.

#1. Lamar Jackson – QB – Louisville – There is no doubt that Jackson is the “too early to matter” Heisman front runner. He’s accounted for 1000 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns. In two games. TWO GAMES. What’s maybe even more impressive is the way he’s been doing it, looking like a created player in an EA game. However, this will be the first team Louisville plays that, well, plays defense. One would think he would have to at least get through to the ACC Championship game if he wants to have a chance at the Heisman, and since the ACC has all its good teams in one division, it’s far easier said than done. Don’t forget that Louisville has to travel to Houston late in the year in a game that could that could see the highest score in NCAA history. It’ll be very interesting to watch what happens at noon on Saturday in a game all college football fans should be watching.