College Football's All-Week 8 Team: Top Performers at Every Position
Week 8 was your standard week of college football, a three-day stretch filled with close finishes, memorable plays and three losses by teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 11.
The outcome of such a standard weekend was a standard list of impossible-to-narrow-down individual performances. The day one of these lists is not a maddening, headache-inducing chore to assemble is the day I no longer recognize college football.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
As always, the All-Week team was put together weighing statistical performance against how a player looked on film and whom he was opposing. It was not as simple as honoring the player with the most yards, touchdowns, tackles, sacks, interceptions, etc.
The best way to make this list is to put up big stats against a quality opponent, but exceptions are made for putting up crazy stats against a lesser opponent or doing things that don't show up on paper against a good one. Please bear all of that in mind as you read.
And sound off below with anyone you think we might have missed.
First-Team Quarterback
1 of 22Cody Kessler, USC
19-of-26, 319 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT
Cody Kessler had four touchdown passes in the first quarter and seven in the first three quarters of USC's 56-28 win over Colorado, becoming the first quarterback in Pac-12 history to accomplish the latter feat.
More than a quarter of his pass attempts went for touchdowns.
Kessler had to beat Max Wittek for the starting job last season and Max Browne for the same job this spring. Both of those challengers are bigger and have stronger arms, but Kessler has become one of the most accurate passers in the country, and his willingness to stretch the field grows stronger each week.
"We challenged him," said USC head coach Steve Sarkisian, per Arash Markazi of ESPN.com. "We want more explosive plays in our offense. We want to throw the ball down the field more and to trust our guys that they'll go make plays.
"We did that from the very beginning."
Second-Team Quarterback
2 of 22
J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
19-of-31, 261 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 7 carries, 107 yards, 2 TD
No team has made bigger improvements from the start of the season to now than Ohio State, whose quarterback, redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, is a microcosm of that teamwide development.
Barrett struggled in the Buckeyes' Week 2 loss against Virginia Tech but has played like a Heisman contender every week since, most recently against Big Ten newcomers Maryland and Rutgers. He's thrown 17 touchdowns to one interception in his last four starts and ranks No. 3 in the country with a QB rating of 182.1.
What started as a joke about Braxton Miller returning in 2015 to find himself in a position battle has fast become a real possibility.
Barrett has been that good.
First-Team Running Back
3 of 22
Nick Chubb, Georgia
30 carries, 202 yards, 2 TD; 1 reception, 8 yards
Georgia has not been shy about handing Nick Chubb, a true freshman, the same workload it expected of suspended starter Todd Gurley.
The production drop-off has (thus far) been null.
Chubb had 30-plus carries for the second consecutive week, this time averaging 6.7 yards per rush and topping the 200-yard mark. He is the first Bulldogs freshman to do the latter since Rodney Hampton in 1987, per ESPN Stats & Info. Other than Hampton, the only Bulldogs freshman to ever rush for more than 202 yards in a game was Herschel Walker, who did it four times in 1980.
Chubb the freshman is not as good as Gurley the junior, but he has looked every bit as impressive as Gurley did two years ago.
And that, itself, is no small feat.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Second-Team Running Back
4 of 22
T.J. Yeldon, Alabama
13 carries, 114 yards, 2 TD; 3 receptions, 45 yards
Other running backs put up better stats, but sometimes raw numbers can be misleading. In this case, T.J. Yeldon was a victim of his own success. If not for the way he torched Texas A&M in the first half, he probably could have doubled this production.
But make no mistake about it: Yeldon was on the short list of the most impressive players to watch in Week 9. His footwork and quickness in space made the Aggies look lost, and he was just as good catching passes (once even split out at receiver) as he was on the ground.
With 14 career 100-yard rushing games, Yeldon moved past Trent Richardson for third place in Alabama history. Shaun Alexander and and Bobby Humphrey are tied ahead of him with 15 apiece.
It shouldn't be long before those records are tied and passed.
First-Team Wide Receiver
5 of 22
Kevin White, West Virginia
8 catches, 132 yards, 2 TD
Kevin White did more than his stats reflect, drawing four pass interference flags against the Baylor secondary. Whether those calls were valid is a point of contention; but regardless, White was responsible for 192 yards of forward movement, not 132.
More than that, White caught what proved to be the game-winning touchdown pass on a 12-yard fade at the start of the fourth quarter, fighting through a (valid) defensive pass interference to haul in a one-handed catch* for the Biletnikoff reel.
Speaking of the Biletnikoff, White joined Michael Crabtree (2007) and Justin Blackmon (2010) as the third receiver in the last 15 years to start a season with seven straight 100-yard games, per ESPN Stats and Info. Crabtree and Blackmon both won the Biletnikoff in those years.
The legacy of Big 12 receivers lives on.
(Speaking of which…)
*video courtesy of The Sports Address
Second-Team Wide Receiver
6 of 22
Josh Doctson, TCU
7 catches, 225 yards, 2 TD
Oklahoma State had no answer for Josh Doctson, who makes this list for the second consecutive week (but first as a solo inclusion).
TCU ran away from the Cowboys almost immediately, leading 21-3 after the first quarter and never looking back. And Doctson, who had catch-and-run touchdowns of 77 and 84 yards in the opening frame, was the man most responsible for staking it to that lead.
Best known for his wunder-catch against Minnesota in Week 3, Doctson more than tripled his previous season high (75) with 225 receiving yards, needing only seven catches to get there.
He and quarterback Trevone Boykin have been the biggest beneficiaries of TCU's offensive coordinator change—unless you count the program as a whole.
First-Team Tight End
7 of 22
Pharaoh Brown, Oregon
3 catches, 99 yards
Pharaoh Brown negated 15 of his 99 yards with a taunting penalty for spiking the football, but after the play he made to stiff-arm Shaq Thompson and Marcus Peters—both first-round NFL prospects—in the process of a 66-yard reception, his excitement can be excused.
"I was just happy, man," said Brown, who also received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Week 7 against UCLA, per Molly Blue of The Oregonian. "It was a great catch, a great run, a great ball. It's just stuff you got to learn from."
The latest physical anomaly to play tight end at Oregon, Brown checks in at 6'6", 250 pounds and has the speed and innate football skills to make plays such as the one he made Saturday.
If he shows up like this every week, Oregon's offense gains a new gear.
Second-Team Tight End
8 of 22
Josiah Price, Michigan State
3 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD
Josiah Price has emerged as a brilliant pass-catching tight end, providing Connor Cook a second option after receiver Tony Lippett that he can rely on—especially near the end zone.
But Price also made a unique play in the open field, catching a 67-yard pass from Cook to set up the Spartans' third touchdown. The longest reception of his career could not have come at a better time, as Indiana had just scored to take a perilous 17-14 lead.
Sparty ripped off 42 consecutive points after Price's long reception, making it not too big of a stretch to call that the watershed play of the game.
First-Team Offensive Lineman
9 of 22
Takoby Cofield, Duke
Duke's offensive line is one of the most underrated units in the country and just played its best game of the year against Virginia.
Guard Laken Tomlinson is the leading man (and a legit All-America candidate), but left tackle Takoby Cofield is not far behind in terms of talent. He proved as much with his performance against defensive end Eli Harold, one of the best edge pass-rushers in the country.
Really, though, this accolade goes to the entire Duke offensive line. Virginia entered Saturday averaging 3.67 sacks and 7.67 tackles for loss per game, relying on its front seven to create negative plays. That is the foundation of everything it does on defense.
Duke held it to zero sacks and zero tackles for loss.
Second-Team Offensive Lineman
10 of 22
Cam Robinson, Alabama
Cam Robinson is the best true freshman in the country. He just is. There is no good statistical metric on which to base that, but the film says everything Robinson needs to have said.
Calling him the best true freshman in the country might actually be underselling him. He's on the short list for best offensive lineman.
Robinson proved that once again in Alabama's 59-0 win over Texas A&M, paving the way for a running game that averaged 6.6 yards per rush and 8.7 yards per pass. He made the key block on Alabama's first touchdown, pulling to his left and tossing senior defensive back Howard Matthews out of the way like a hollow blocking sled.
And that play was the rule, not the exception.
First-Team Defensive End
11 of 22
Shaquille Riddick, West Virginia
5 tackles (4 TFL), 3 sacks
This is what the Mountaineers thought they were getting when Shaquille Riddick transferred from Gardner-Webb to West Virginia this season.
The former FCS star was marginalized in his first six FBS games but menaced Baylor with three sacks and four tackles for loss. Two of his sacks came on third downs, highlighted by an eight-yard loss on 3rd-and-goal as Baylor was driving to get within one score late.
West Virginia's defense as a whole entered Week 8 with four sacks in five games against FBS opponents, a total Riddick nearly matched by himself. One week after gaining 782 yards and scoring 61 points against TCU, the Bears were limited to 318 and 27, respectively.
It was their lowest yardage total since September 2010.
Second-Team Defensive End
12 of 22
Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss
5 tackles (2.5 TFL), 2.5 sacks, 1 QB hurry, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
It's easy for a freshman such as Marquis Haynes to get overlooked on a veteran-laded defense such as that of Ole Miss.
But Haynes was the Landsharks' best player Saturday, using his speed off the edge to harass Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley. He forced a fumble near the Tennessee end zone in the third quarter, then recovered a fumble on a kickoff a few minutes later. On defense and on special teams, he popped.
Myles Garrett of Texas A&M gets all of the press, but Haynes is also on pace to shatter Jadeveon Clowney's SEC freshman sack record (eight) with 6.5 sacks through seven games.
The kids, it would seem, are all right.
First-Team Defensive Tackle
13 of 22
Jarron Jones, Notre Dame
6 tackles (3 TFL), 1 QB hurry
Jarron Jones held his own and then some against Florida State's interior blockers, teaming with Sheldon Day to get a consistent push into the backfield.
Day was a little bit better against the pass, but Jones was Notre Dame's anchor against the run, earning the unit's highest overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
Florida State had 50 rushing yards on 26 attempts, a paltry average of 1.9 yards per attempt that speaks well to Jones' contribution. Even as the Irish pass defense wilted in the second half, Jones halted every FSU attempt to establish something up the middle.
Second-Team Defensive Tackle
14 of 22
Andrew Billings, Baylor
8 tackles (2 TFL), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
Andrew Billings played well in a losing effort against West Virginia, posting huge numbers for a defensive tackle, and doing it against a solid group of interior offensive linemen.
The 6'2", 300-pound sophomore did not wait long to make his presence felt, forcing a fumble with a sack of Clint Trickett on the third play of the game. Baylor scored one play later to take a 7-0 lead.
Despite being put in an unfamiliar position—that of a defense whose offense can't carry its weight—Billings stayed strong throughout the game. It was Kevin White making plays down the field and penalties on the back end that undid the Bears defense in Morgantown.
West Virginia averaged just 2.7 yards per rush attempt.
First-Team Outside Linebacker
15 of 22
Jonathan Truman, Kansas State
17 tackles (1 TFL)
Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder is famous for turning JUCO players and walk-ons into contributors on national contenders.
Jonathan Truman falls into the latter class and was the Wildcats' best defender during Saturday's 31-30 upset at Oklahoma.
Sooners running back Samaje Perine could not get a consistent head of steam going against KSU, finishing with an average of 3.7 yards on 24 carries, and Truman was the biggest reason for that.
His gritty 17-tackle performance prompted Snyder to say Truman "may be the toughest defender to ever play at Kansas State," per Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
Second-Team Outside Linebacker
16 of 22
Leonard Floyd, Georgia
10 tackles (1 TFL), 1 sack
Leonard Floyd is on this list by proxy, representing the entire group of Georgia linebackers. The inside linebacker position was too stacked to allow for Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera to make the team, but they are every bit as deserving as Floyd.
The Bulldogs held Arkansas' downhill rushing attack to 126 yards on 37 carries, an average of 3.4 yards per attempt that fell almost 50 percent below its previous average (6.2). Its 80 first-half rushing yards was its lowest total of the season—Alabama game included.
Floyd is a pass-rusher at heart who adjusted his role for a different style of football and showed well in run support all game. His 10 total tackles were a career high, and he did get up to his usual tricks with a 13-yard sack of Brandon Allen during Arkansas' second drive.
One shudders to think what he will do to Jeff Driskel in two weeks.
First-Team Inside Linebacker(s)
17 of 22
Trey DePriest/Reggie Ragland, Alabama
10 tackles (2.5 TFL), 0.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup
The stats here do not tell the whole story.
Texas A&M didn't run enough plays for Trey DePriest and Reggie Ragland to post huge numbers. Like teammate T.J. Yeldon at running back, they were, on paper, a victim of their own success.
But don't let that fool you into thinking they do not deserve this honor. Alabama's defense shut out a Kevin Sumlin offense for the first time in college football history. And although it got sound play at every level, its inside linebackers were the guiding force behind that.
DePriest showed well in run support and coverage to help force Texas A&M into three consecutive three-and-outs to start the game, and Ragland levied more than a few big hits. Ragland also had a hard-to-believe leaping interception toward the end of the third quarter that played a big role in preserving the shutout.
Second-Team Inside Linebacker
18 of 22
Terrance Smith, Florida State
11 tackles (2 TFL), 1 sacked, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble
Terrance Smith did everything he could to stop Notre Dame from driving down the field to tie the game on its final possession.
He broke up a pass to Ben Koyack on the first play of the drive and sacked Everett Golson to set up a 4th-and-18 two plays later. Just because the Irish pulled a rabbit out of a hat to convert that 4th-and-18 does not make what Smith did any less impressive.
But Smith was more than just a one-drive wonder in the Seminoles' 31-27 win, finishing with a team-best 11 tackles and forcing a fumble with a helmet-meets-ball thrust in the third quarter.
Really, just a great game all around.
First-Team Cornerback
19 of 22
Damian Swann, Georgia
11 tackles (1 TFL), 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup, 2 forced fumbles, 1 QB hurry
Damian Swann was one of the biggest disappointments of the 2013 season, regressing after a breakout sophomore campaign.
But new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has gotten the best out of Swann, who is back to playing at an All-SEC level and was all over the field against Arkansas.
Like teammate Leonard Floyd, Swann adjusted his playing style to defend a run-first opponent and ended up creating a surplus of negative plays. In this case, the stats do paint an accurate picture.
Second-Team Cornerback
20 of 22
Kweishi Brown, Arizona State
6 tackles, 5 pass breakups
Arizona State's defense was embarrassed in its previous home game, allowing UCLA to score 62 points on national TV.
But the Sun Devils responded in impressive fashion against Stanford (an admittedly ham-fisted offensive opponent), holding the Cardinal to 288 yards and 14 points. And no player on their defense was more impressive than cornerback Kweishi Brown.
Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan had 20 incompletions, five of which were broken up by Brown, a player whom the Cardinal felt comfortable targeting but against whom they found little success.
Brown was especially impressive against Ty Montgomery.
First-Team Safety
21 of 22
Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
2 tackles, 2 pass breakups
Jalen Ramsey has always been better in coverage and run support than he has been rushing the passer, but he showed he could do the latter in a couple of key moments against Notre Dame.
Specifically, Ramsey swatted down an Everett Golson pass on a third down at the end of the second quarter, darting into the backfield to end the Irish's mounting two-minute drill and force a field goal.
Later, on the final play of the game, with Notre Dame needing 18 yards on 4th-and-goal to pull off the upset, Ramsey shot through the line and harried Golson into throwing an uncatchable pass into the back of the end zone, clinching the Seminoles win.
Ramsey is exactly as good as advertised.
Second-Team Safety
22 of 22
Cedric Thompson, Minnesota
6 tackles, 2 INT
Cedric Thompson had bookending interceptions in Minnesota's 39-38 win over Purdue, helping the Gophers advance to 6-1.
His first pick came on the first play of the game, and he returned it to the Boilermakers' two-yard line. Running back David Cobb scored on the next play, rendering it an essential pick-six.
His second pick came on Purdue's final offensive play of the game, halting the Boilermakers' potential game-winning drive at midfield with less than three minutes to play. Minnesota gained a first down on its ensuing drive to salt away the clock and end the game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
