Tuesday, October 15, 2024

College Football Midseason Awards 2024

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
It feels like just yesterday we were watching Florida State and Georgia Tech kick off the 2024 college football season in Dublin, Ireland, but the startling reality is that we are already at the midpoint of the fall. There's still plenty of exciting moments on the horizon but now that we've reached the halfway point, it's time for my annual "Midseason Awards", predicting the official and unofficial winners of some of the sport's most prestigious honors.


Projected National Champion: Texas Longhorns

Seven weeks into the season, many National Title frontrunners have already taken a loss - a list that now includes Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and the reigning National Champion, Michigan. Of course, the expanded College Football Playoff means these teams still have hope, but there will be little margin for error down the stretch. That's not the case for the Texas Longhorns, who remain undefeated and have built a solid resume through the first half of the season. With Quinn Ewers healthy and the defense playing at an elite level we haven't seen from Texas in some time, they seem like the clear favorite as of right now. However, the schedule does get trickier down the stretch, a true welcome to the SEC for the Longhorns. Georgia is this upcoming weekend, and Texas A&M still awaits, plus the possibility of the SEC Championship Game. Managing to stay undefeated may not be a reasonable goal, but the Longhorns should still remain one of the frontrunners to take it all home - for the first time since Vince Young and the 'Horns beat USC in 2005.

Others in Consideration: Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes, Miami Hurricanes


Projected Playoff Field: 

1 Texas Longhorns -- The nation's current No. 1, Texas bolstered their resume by routing Oklahoma in Red River. With Georgia next, they'll have a chance to further strengthen it and cement a top seed.

2 Oregon Ducks -- Now, the Big Ten favorite in their first year in the league, the Ducks didn't exactly dominate their early season slate the way most expected but the win against Ohio State is arguably the most impressive by any team this season. They're in prime position to make their first Playoff appearance since they played Ohio State for a National Title a decade ago.

3 Miami Hurricanes -- Miami is in position to not just make the CFB Playoff field for the fist time, but also receive a bye based on being one of the top four conference champions. Their schedule the rest of the way is quite favorable, as they miss Clemson in the regular season.

4 Kansas State Wildcats -- Iowa State is technically the top ranked Big 12 team at this point in the season, but K-State remains the team I'm most confident in within the conference. Aside from a shocking loss to BYU, they've overcame a tricky schedule and seem to getting better each and every week. 

5 Penn State Nittany Lions -- The Nittany Lions got all they could handle from USC, but still managed to survive and maintain their undefeated mark. We'll learn a lot more about this team by how they handle the upcoming stretch after the bye, which includes Wisconsin in Camp Randall and Ohio State in Happy Valley.

6 Georgia Bulldogs -- They may have a loss, but Georgia's win over Clemson to begin the year is looking more and more impressive. Texas will be a tough one this upcoming weekend but even with a loss, the Bulldogs have a good chance to get into the field with multiple defeats.

7 Ohio State Buckeyes -- Now the pressure is on for Ryan Day. This team had National Title aspirations and while the Oregon loss certainly was not a killer, it leaves them little margin for error the rest of the way. This roster remains arguably the most talented in the entire country but after a frustrating finish to the Oregon game, Will Howard needs to prove himself as the team's QB.

8 Alabama Crimson Tide -- Alabama got quite the scare from South Carolina after their shocking loss to Vanderbilt the week prior, indicating there's still plenty of work to be done for Kalen DeBoer and this entire team. With three straight ranked teams over the next month and the Iron Bowl matchup with Auburn on the horizon, this Tide team will need to figure things out quick.

9 LSU Tigers -- The USC loss is looking worse and worse for LSU, although the Trojans are a much better team than a 3-3 record may indicate. Fortunately, the Tigers got a huge win over Ole Miss this past weekend and have plenty of opportunities to pad their resume over the season's second half. Can you imagine a potential Alabama - LSU matchup in the first round of the Playoff?

10 Iowa State Cyclones -- The Big 12 is as chaotic as they come, but Iowa State has a chance to rise above the fray and win the league for the first time ever. Their win over West Virginia was quite the statement, overcoming the upset-minded Mountaineers in Morgantown.

11 Clemson Tigers -- Since a season-opening loss to Georgia, Clemson has ripped off five straight wins and looked great doing it. Their offense seems to be firing on all cylinders, scoring 40 points or more in four of those five games.

12 Boise State Broncos -- It's going to be fascinating to see who wins the Group of Five spot in the Playoff field. Boise State is the frontrunner, but teams like Tulane, UNLV, and Liberty remain firmly in the hunt. Boise gets the edge with just one loss, coming to the Oregon Ducks.

Others in Consideration: Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Tennessee Volunteers, BYU Cougars, Texas A&M Aggies, Indiana Hoosiers, Pittsburgh Panthers, Missouri Tigers


Projected Heisman: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

It's been awhile since we've seen this dominant of a performance from a college running back, and it may just be good enough to take home the Heisman, even in a QB-centric era. Jeanty has 1,248 yards through six games, with second place, Kaleb Johnson from Iowa, coming in at 937. He also has 17 touchdowns and is averaging a staggering 9.9 yards per carry, despite a pretty heavy usage rate. It hasn't been just stat-padding against weak competition either - he went for 197 and three scores against Oregon and 259 and four against Washington State. If he keeps up this pace, or even comes close to replicating it over the second half of the fall, he deserves this award.

Others in Consideration: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado; Cam Ward, QB, Miami; Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama; Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon; Kaleb Johnson, Iowa


Projected Doak Walker (best RB): Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

It goes without saying that if Jeanty wins the Heisman, he'll be taking home plenty of additional hardware, including this one. If Jeanty does indeed win the Doak Walker, he'd be the first player from a non-conference to take it home since Luke Staley did at BYU back in 2001, when the Cougars were still a member of the Mountain West.

Others in Consideration: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa; Omarion Hampton, North Carolina; Cam Skattebo, Arizona State; Dylan Sampson, Tennessee


Projected Biletnikoff (best WR): Ryan Williams, Alabama

It doesn't feel like there's an overwhelming favorite for the Biletnikoff, at least at this point in the season. But in terms of impact at the position, I'm not sure anyone comes close to Ryan Williams at Alabama. The 17-year old freshman sensation has 576 yards and six touchdowns, and his catch to beat Georgia was the highlight of the first half of the season. There are others with more impressive stats, but what he's doing at his age in major college football defies all logic. This upcoming weekend against Tennessee will give him another opportunity to show what he can do on the big stage, and he feels like the type of player who fully shines in the spotlight.

Others in Consideration: Nick Nash, San Jose State; Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona; Tre Harris, Ole Miss; Denzel Boston, Washington


Projected Mackey (best TE): Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

It's likely not a lot of people are tuning into Bowling Green games each and every week, but tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is worth a watch. Fannin leads all tight ends in receptions, at 50, and receiving yards, with 701, and he's put up eye-popping stats against some of the best competition the Falcons have faced. He went for 11-137 against Penn State and 8-145 against Texas A&M, catching a touchdown in both contests. What's so amazing about him is just how many ways he can hurt defenses - he'll line up just about anywhere and make an impact. Whether it be in short or intermediate throws, taking the top of opposing defenses, or even on jet sweeps, the Falcons know how to get the talented tight end the ball. He should only to put up gaudy numbers, even as Bowling Green shifts to the meat of their MAC schedule.

Others in Consideration: Tyler Warren, Penn State; Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse; Mason Taylor, LSU; Colston Loveland, Michigan


Projected Butkus (best LB): Jay Higgins, Iowa

After racking up a staggering 171 tackles last season, Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins has only built on it as a senior. He's tallied 62 through Iowa's first six games, and has served as the heart and soul of a Hawkeye defense currently surrendering 17.7 points per game. It's not just all the tackles that make Higgins such a key piece for the Hawkeyes - he's an instinctual, twitchy defender who has improved his coverage chops as he's matured. Already with two interceptions on the fall, Higgins and his ability to defend tight ends and in the slot gives defensive coordinator Phil Parker so many different options with this defense. Look for Higgins to rack up the hardware as he finishes off his Iowa career, before taking his talents to the NFL.

Others in Consideration: Deontae Lawson, Alabama; Shaun Dolac, Buffalo; Jackson Woodard, UNLV; Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma


Projected Thorpe (best DB): Nohl Williams, California

This feels like another position without a clear frontrunner at this point in the season, so it should be fun to see how the award race shakes out in the coming months. With that in mind, why not chose the player who is currently leading the nation in interceptions? Well, that's no other than Nohl Williams from California, whose six INTs makes the country's leader in that category. The former UNLV transfer was a key contributor for the Rebels for several seasons, but he's been truly unleashed in this Cal defense. With good size and a sturdy frame, plus elite closing speed to jump routes, it's no surprise that Williams has had such an outsized impact for the Golden Bears this fall. It's tough to keep numbers like this up over the course of an entire season, but Williams shows no signs of slowing down, with interceptions in consecutive weeks against ACC competition.

Others in Consideration: Caleb Downs, Ohio State; Will Johnson, Michigan; Jalen Catalon, UNLV; Donovan McMillon, Pittsburgh


Coach of the Year: Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Has Indiana taken advantage of a buttery soft schedule en route to their 6-0 start? Yes. Is the single-season turnaround engineered by Curt Cignetti still incredibly impressive? Yes. Two things can be true at once, that the Hoosiers have benefitted from a weak schedule up to this point in the year, but Cignetti still deserves all the credit for getting them to 6-0 and a ranking of #16 in the current AP poll. The context here is important - in the three seasons prior under Tom Allen, Indiana football won just nine games, total. They've won all six under Cignetti and seemed poised to smash that nine numbers in just one season. It hasn't been a fluky or lucky starter, either, as the Hoosiers have looked like the far superior team in each win, including victories over Big Ten foes UCLA (42-13), Maryland (42-28), and Northwestern (41-24). The second half gets tricky, with Nebraska, Michigan, and Ohio State all awaiting, but don't expect Indiana or Cignetti to shy away from the hype. This is a team that is playing with boundless confidence, and they'll be a tough out for anyone on their remaining schedule.

Others in Consideration: Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL); Kalani Sitake, BYU; Matt Campbell, Iowa State; Jeff Monken, Army; Barry Odom, UNLV


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