School soccer Week 12 overreactions: Colorado is nation’s most underrated group; Quinn Ewers limits Texas

Colorado’s hype peaked one 12 months too early. The Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders stole headlines, and the nation’s consideration, final 12 months amid a 4-8 season that noticed them begin sturdy earlier than falling aside down the stretch. 

Colorado is attracting consideration for a distinct purpose this 12 months. The No. 17 Buffaloes are actually 8-2 after a 49-24 win Saturday towards preseason Large 12 favourite Utah. Sanders’ squad is a heavy favourite to make the Large 12 Championship Recreation, which might put it one win away from the School Soccer Playoff. 

And but, possibly as a result of individuals over-exposed themselves to Colorado in 2023, it does not seem to be there’s sufficient consideration on Boulder now, although Sanders is engineering considered one of school soccer’s biggest turnaround seasons. He is taken loads of flak along with his boisterous character and his method to constructing the roster, however his course of is paying off. 

Past Colorado’s spectacular report and standing within the Large 12, the Buffaloes have improved throughout the board. Heisman Trophy favourite Travis Hunter is stealing headlines along with his all-star play on each ends of the sphere, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders has loads of flashy weapons to unfold the ball to, however Colorado has taken large strides within the trenches. 

The Buffaloes have allowed 32 sacks to this point, which nonetheless is not nice however is a significant enchancment from 2023’s staggering whole of 56. That alone has gained them a few further video games. However you pair an improved offense with a revamped cross rush, which presently ranks sixth within the nation with 33 whole sacks — Colorado had 4 towards Utah — and that is a successful recipe. 

Sanders did all the things he needed to to construct a contender, and he did it briefly order regardless of what exterior noise urged. So, sure, the Buffaloes — who’re closing in on 10 wins for the primary time since 2016 and are as sizzling as any group across the nation — deserve extra consideration (bizarre to say for a Sanders-coached group) and are vastly underrated on a nationwide scale. 

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Texas QB Ewers is holding Longhorns again 

No. 3 Texas held on for a 20-10 win towards Arkansas, retaining its SEC Championship Recreation and School Soccer Playoff hopes alive, nevertheless it’s laborious to really feel nice about such a end result. On one hand, successful on the highway within the SEC is difficult, and this is similar Arkansas group that beat Tennessee earlier within the season. 

Week 12’s proceedings highlighted an enormous concern for Texas, although: fifth-year senior quarterback Quinn Ewers is an issue. After a breakout 2023 marketing campaign, he entered this 12 months as a possible first-round NFL Draft decide and an early favourite for the Heisman Trophy. 

Issues have swung a wholly totally different path recently. Ewers did get off to a sizzling begin in 2024, with an indicator efficiency towards Michigan, earlier than an stomach damage suffered towards UTSA brought on him to spend virtually a month on the sideline. 

That missed time actually threw off his rhythm, however plenty of the issues which have plagued him recently have hung round all through his profession. Ewers is inconsistent on deep photographs. He had a very unhealthy miss early within the recreation when large receiver Matthew Golden was operating large open behind Arkansas’ protection. 

That is not good for a Texas offense that has loads of expertise to stretch the sphere. Ewers’ pocket presence just isn’t the place it must be for a participant that has spent 5 years on the collegiate stage. He runs himself into sacks far too usually and will get completely satisfied ft if his early reads aren’t there. Perhaps he is on a quicker psychological timeline since Texas’ offensive line has underperformed, however a veteran shouldn’t be fast to panic.

Texas will not make a quarterback change. It most likely should not; Ewers has bought the Longhorns this far and, although Arch Manning has seemed good along with his alternatives this 12 months, it is laborious to ask him to land the aircraft on the season after which lead a playoff run given his total lack of taking part in time. However Ewers drastically lowers Texas’ ceiling if he cannot put all of it collectively. 

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Penn State TE Warren must be a Heisman Trophy finalist 

Hunter, Miami’s Cam Ward and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty have dominated the Heisman Trophy to this point. Deservedly so; all three are very particular gamers which have single-handedly gained video games for his or her respective groups this 12 months. Whereas he will not win this sport’s most illustrious particular person award, Penn State tight finish Tyler Warren deserves a spot in New York by 12 months’s finish. 

Warren might not play on each side of the ball like Hunter, however he is as versatile. Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has moved Warren everywhere in the area. Warren has excelled in each single spot, be it as an in-line tight finish or a wildcat quarterback. 

In No. 4 Penn State’s 49-10 win towards Purdue, Warren stuffed the stat sheet with eight catches for 127 yards and one landing and three rushes for 63 yards and one other landing. His 48-yard dashing landing got here off of a direct snap. He is the primary FBS tight finish since 2000 with 50-plus yards dashing with a number of touchdowns dashing and 100-plus yards receiving with a number of touchdowns by means of the air. 

TYLER WARREN TO THE HOUSE. pic.twitter.com/M6dXjxcF7y

— CBS Sports activities (@CBSSports) November 16, 2024

He is additionally the primary tight finish since 2016 with no less than 5 touchdowns receiving and 4 touchdowns dashing in a single season, and Penn State nonetheless has two video games left. Warren’s a unicorn. It is clear that Penn State runs its offense by means of him and he greater than makes up for the group’s lack of playmakers elsewhere. 

He is a very powerful participant on the sphere for a School Soccer Playoff group and he does stuff that we do not see different athletes do on a weekly foundation. Seems like the right candidate for a Heisman finalist spot. 

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Florida QB Lagway is a future No. 1 total decide 

I’ve taken my photographs at Florida for sticking with Billy Napier, however I get it; I’d additionally do no matter I might to make sure that DJ Lagway sticks round. As a freshman quarterback, he’s already among the best deep ball throwers in school soccer. 

Should you’re not satisfied, or if you have not had the pleasure of seeing Lagway spin it this 12 months: 

DJ Lagway does some superb issues pic.twitter.com/L4Id9WnSKF

— Andy Olson (@ByAndrewOlson) November 16, 2024

Bear in mind, that is simply two weeks after Lagway suffered what Napier referred to as a “fairly important” hamstring damage. If less-than 100% Lagway is making these throws, then fully-healthy Lagway is definitely among the best quarterbacks in America. 

He actually seems like a future NFL quarterback, regardless of his comparatively restricted taking part in time to this point. He is already displayed the instruments and traits {that a} QB-hungry franchise will search for with the No. 1 total decide, and I will exit on a limb and say that Lagway will go off the board first in 2027. 

He is solely going to get higher with extra reps beneath his belt, and he is already actually good. He is bought the perfect body, an enormous arm and plus athleticism that enables him to navigate the pocket and hold defenses trustworthy along with his legs. Lagway’s the whole bundle with a five-star pedigree. It would not shock me if NFL normal managers have already got his title circled, highlighted and underlined on scouting experiences. 

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Tulane belongs within the CFP dialog 

Final week, I wrote that no less than two Group of 5 groups ought to make the 12-team School Soccer Playoff, particularly if we’re evaluating résumés towards a three-loss energy convention group on this hypothetical state of affairs. However when discussing these Group of 5 groups that deserved to make the sphere, I failed to say Tulane. 

My unhealthy, Inexperienced Wave. You completely belong proper up there. No. 25 Tulane stormed to a formidable win in Week 12, downing former top-25 Navy 35-0 on Navy’s house turf. This was the primary time that Navy, which entered Saturday’s slate second in scoring within the AAC — behind Tulane — with 35.7 factors per recreation, failed to attain in a recreation this season. 

Sure, Tulane has misplaced two video games this 12 months, and that is usually a postseason loss of life sentence for a non-Energy 4 group. These two losses have been on the highway towards Oklahoma (it was a one-score recreation halfway by means of the fourth quarter) and by seven factors at house towards top-20 Kansas State. 

So, two Energy 4 opponents. No totally different than most two-loss Energy 4 groups nonetheless within the School Soccer Playoff race. 

Tulane has to complete the 12 months sturdy by beating preseason AAC favourite Memphis and downing No. 24 Military within the AAC Championship Recreation. Do this and the Inexperienced Wave deserve a spot in an expanded area.