College Football's All-Week 9 Team: Top Performers at Every Position
Week 9 of the college football season felt like the calm before the storm, the transition from Act II to Act III.
The only College Football Playoff contender that lost was Ole Miss, but the Rebels are still alive by virtue of not having lost hitherto. The week was mostly chalk, but the result of so many good teams winning is that so many good teams are still alive.
The other result of so many good teams winning is that so many of the best players in the country played well. When the top teams sweep the week, it typically means their superstars played like superstars. The All-Week team did not lack for options.
Ultimately, the narrowing of those options came down to a balance of stats, tape and context. The players with the biggest raw numbers did not necessarily make the team. The players who played the best did. And strength of opponent was weighted heavily in that decision.
Sounds off below and let us know whom you would add.
First Team Quarterback
1 of 22Trevone Boykin, TCU
22-of-39, 433 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT; 7 carries, 28 yards
Trevone Boykin has played like a Heisman contender all season, and he apexed with a seven-touchdown performance against Texas Tech in Week 9. The Horned Frogs scored 82 (!!!) points.
According to ESPN Stats and Info, Boykin is just the second TCU quarterback to throw for 400 yards or more in multiple games, having done so, now, in consecutive weeks. TCU is the only FBS team to score 24 points or more in the first half of every game this season.
Boykin oscillated between quarterback and receiver last season, looking more natural catching passes than he did throwing them. But the improvements he made this offseason, combined with the addition of offensive coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie, have allowed him to re-invent the narrative of his career.
"Trevone's done hard work and when nobody is looking," said defensive tackle Chucky Hunter. "It's about how you perform in the offseason and in the summer time and how much chemistry is going on. I felt like I expected him to do that. It's nothing new for me.
"I expect that out of him as a great athlete."
Second Team Quarterback
2 of 22
Nick Marshall, Auburn
12-of-14, 139 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 10 carries, 89 yards, 3 TD
Nick Marshall was impossibly efficiency against South Carolina, finishing with an adjusted QBR of 99.0 on only 25 plays, per ESPN.com.
Auburn's defense struggled to stop Dylan Thompson and South Carolina's offense, but Marshall was up to the task of compensating, leading the Tigers to consecutive touchdown drives of 92, 93, 75, 88, 75 and 80 yards without a single punt, field goal or turnover.
"Nobody was better than Marshall," wrote Greg Ostendorf of ESPN.com, who gave Marshall his gameball after the victory. "[He] might have seen his Heisman hopes disappear against Mississippi State, but he played like a Heisman Trophy candidate on Saturday."
First Team Running Back
3 of 22
Josh Robinson, Mississippi State
23 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD; 1 reception, 11 yards
Quarterback Dak Prescott is the Heisman candidate, but Josh Robinson proved that Mississippi State does not have a one-man backfield.
The Kim Kardashian of college football bowled through Kentucky's defense in a 45-31 road win, racking up more than 200 total yards—and doing it the hard way, to boot. According to ESPN Stats & Info, 142 of his 198 rushing yards came after first contact.
"Josh Robinson does a great job carrying the ball and a great job carrying our team on his back and even carrying their team on his back," said Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen.
Quote of the week? Quote of the week.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Second Team Running Back
4 of 22
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
19 carries, 225 yards, 3 TD; 2 receptions, 26 yards
Ameer Abdullah gained 341 all-purpose yards (225 rushing, 26 receiving, 90 kick-return) against Rutgers, setting a new career high.
For any player, setting a new career-high is impressive. But for Abdullah, who entered the week on pace to finish No. 2 in power-conference history for career all-purpose yards, it's insane. It was a performance so historic that it stood out in a historic career.
Abdullah leads the country with 46 plays of 10-plus yards this season, doing his damage in small, medium and giant chunks. He is the most complete running back in college football and the biggest reason Nebraska has an outside chance of making the playoff.
First Team Wide Receiver
5 of 22
Amari Cooper, Alabama
9 receptions, 224 yards, 2 TD; 1 carry, -9 yards
Amari Cooper clinched this spot in the first quarter of Alabama's road win at Tennessee. He had five catches for 185 yards and two scores in the first 15 minutes, the most receiving yards an SEC player has had in one quarter in the last 10 years, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Tennessee looked dead in the water but fought back when Alabama took its foot off the pedal, at which point Cooper was sprung back into action. Leading 27-17 toward the end of the third quarter, he picked up a huge 3rd-and-4 with a nine-yard catch in Tennessee territory that set up a Derrick Henry touchdown one play later.
Alabama has been criticized for relying too much on Cooper, which says more about the media that covers the program than anything the team is doing wrong. But head coach Nick Saban had a perfect response to concerns about his passing game's sole dimension.
"Well, you know that's kind of like saying you get 26 outs in the game throwing fastballs, so you should throw a change-up and then the guy hits it out of the park," Saban said, per Andrew Gribble of AL.com.
"I mean, should you play to your strengths or not?"
Second Team Wide Receiver
6 of 22
Byron Marshall, Oregon
4 receptions, 133 yards, 1 TD; 7 carries, 57 yards
Byron Marshall does a little bit of everything for Oregon, lining up primarily as a receiver now that Royce Freeman has emerged in the backfield but continuing to see some carries each game.
He needed just 11 touches to gain 190 yards in his homecoming to Northern California, highlighted by a 54-yard touchdown catch on the first possession of the third quarter in a 59-41 win over Cal.
With Freeman and Thomas Tyner handling backfield duties, Marshall has proved a selfless and versatile weapon by moving into the slot. He led the team in rushing last season but is now helping to mitigate the absence of projected top receiver Bralon Addison, who tore his ACL in spring camp and still hasn't gotten on the field.
And he's doing a heck of a job.
First Team Tight End
7 of 22
Westlee Tonga, Utah
6 catches, 71 yards
Westlee Tonga is a 26-year-old redshirt senior who looked, at times, like the man-among-boys that he is against USC on Saturday.
Four of his six catches picked up a first down, and one of the two that didn't got Utah to the one-yard line in a goal-to-go situation.
The Utes are a team that wins with defense and special teams and only needs a modicum of offense to be successful. They targeted Tonga as often as they could on the first few possessions, sensing that they had a mismatch against USC's second-level pass defense, and Tonga proved their scouting report to be right.
Second Team Tight End
8 of 22
Steven Scheu, Vanderbilt
6 catches, 81 yards
Not much has gone right for Vanderbilt this season, but Steven Scheu has been a bright spot in an otherwise black campaign.
The Commodores didn't win at Missouri on Saturday, but they stayed competitive against a team that, against all odds, is still competing for an SEC East title. Scheu had catches of 16 and 11 yards on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive that got them within three points (17-14) with less than seven minutes to play.
And for that, he deserves some credit.
First Team Offensive Line
9 of 22
Miami Hurricanes
Forgive us, Miami fans, for leaving Duke Johnson off the list. He had a strong case for inclusion and might have made it in any other week of the season. But Robinson and Abdullah were too good. There were only two spots, and one of them had to be omitted.
We're sorry.
Hopefully, honoring Miami's offensive line can rectify things. The group of front was exactly as important as Johnson during Thursday night's win, bullying a Virginia Tech defense that entered the week ranked No. 1 in the country on Football Outsiders' F/+ ratings. The Hurricanes as a whole rushed for 364 yards on 53 carries.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, 215 of Johnson's 249 rushing yards came between the tackles. Johnson averaged 5.9 yards before contact per attempt. Players such as left tackle Ereck Flowers were the story of the game, even if Johnson was the easiest-to-recognize avatar.
The entire Miami offense played great in Blacksburg.
But the linemen were on a totally different level.
Second Team Offensive Line
10 of 22
LSU Tigers
LSU's offensive line was emboldened by its chance to play the "Landsharks," dominating the line of scrimmage against a defensive front that had yet to be defeated all season.
The Tigers rushed for 264 yards on 55 attempts, dialing up a run between the tackles on 46 of their 70 offensive plays, per ESPN Stats and Info. Ole Miss came into the weekend allowing 56.6 yards between the tackles per game—fifth-best among power-conference schools.
LSU (202 yards) nearly quadrupled that average.
First Team Defensive End
11 of 22
Joey Bosa, Ohio State
6 tackles (2.5 TFL), 2.5 sacks
Joey Bosa was a nuisance from start to finish against Penn State, but he cemented his spot on this list with the rare walk-off sack in double overtime.
With Penn State needing to convert a 4th-and-5, Bosa got a free rush through the line and bull-rushed running back Akeel Lynch into the legs of Christian Hackenberg to seal the win.
"That's just Joe," said linebacker Darron Lee of Bosa, a true sophomore who combines All-America production with dramatic flair and the best sack dance in (the history of?) college football.
After Saturday, there is nothing left for Penn State to do but…
Second Team Defensive End
12 of 22
Bud Dupree, Kentucky
10 tackles (1.5 TFL), 1 sack, 2 QB hurries
Bud Dupree was a maniac against Mississippi State, helping Kentucky stick with the No. 1 team in the country for 60 full minutes.
Contrary what his position coach, Jimmy Brumbaugh, might have said to the Wildcats halftime, Mississipipi State does not have one of the "sorriest" offensive lines in the country. In fact, it has one of the best. It held strong against LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn, all of which have 4- and 5-star players littering their defensive lines.
And Mississippi State shut them down.
But the Bulldogs did not find the same success against Dupree, whose stats aptly reflect how often he found himself in the backfield. Kudos to Mississippi State for scoring 45 points in spite of that.
First Team Defensive Tackle
13 of 22
Anthony Zettel, Penn State
2 tackles (1 TFL), 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, 1 INT, 1 TD
Anthony Zettel was the spark that lit Penn State's comeback, intercepting J.T. Barrett on the first possession of the third quarter and returning it for a 40-yard touchdown.
That play got PSU within 10 points (17-7) and excited it to play its best defensive half of the season—something Zettel once again factored into. He broke up a Barrett pass on 3rd-and-4 at the Penn State 23-yard line two possessions after his touchdown, forcing Ohio State into a 41-yard field goal (that Sean Nuerenberger would miss).
"He is a disruptive guy," said PSU head coach James Franklin of his defensive end-turned tackle. "He's been that way since week one. Even some of the plays that he didn't make tonight, he was in the backfield making the running back bubble. He eats up blocks."
Just like a good lineman should.
Second Team Defensive Tackle
14 of 22
Maliek Collins, Nebraska
7 tackles (2 TFL), 1 sacks, 3 QB hurries
Maliek Collins has been flying under the radar—or, rather, the shade of Randy Gregory's shadow—but it's about time he gets some dap.
Nebraska does not have a one-man defensive line.
Collins was the star against Rutgers, though, living in the Scarlet Knights backfield to finish with four QB pressures. Other than a few long "chunk" plays, Rutgers could not get anything going offensively, averaging just 3.8 yards per attempt on 38 carries.
"…He showed how he can play," said Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini. "Maliek has played at a pretty high level all year."
He played at a really high level on Saturday.
First Team Outside Linebacker
15 of 22
Luai Moeakiola, Arizona State
10 tackles (2.5 TFL), 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble
Arizona State's defense has made a massive (and unforeseen) jump the past two weeks, shutting down Washington one week after doing the same to Stanford.
The best player on the field against the Huskies was outside linebacker Luia Moeakiola, who forced the first fumble of his career on a sack in the third quarter, setting up ASU at Washington's goal-line.
Moeakiola notched his second sack on Washington's last meaningful possession of the game, doing so on 3rd-and-20 to set up a 4th-and-25 (that eventually became a pick-six by Armand Perry).
Washington finished with 290 total yards.
Second Team Outside Linebacker
16 of 22
Paul Davis, Georgia Tech
6 tackles (3 TFL), 1 sack, 1 QB hurry, 2 forced fumbles
Pittsburgh lost five fumbles in the first quarter (!!!) against Georgia Tech, which probably says more about the Panthers than it does the Yellow Jackets.
But it definitely doesn't say nothing about the Yellow Jackets.
Paul Davis forced one of those first-quarter fumbles, stripping running back Isaac Bennett to set up Georgia Tech's third touchdown, but his biggest contribution came in the fourth quarter, when he iced the win with a strip-sack of Pitt quarterback Chad Voytik.
"It was a fluke I guess, having that many fumbles in a row," said Panthers running back James Conner.
And the truth is, he's totally right.
But that doesn't devalue the chaos that Georgia Tech caused.
First Team Inside Linebacker
17 of 22
Kendell Beckwith, LSU
11 tackles (1 TFL), 1 QB hurry, 1 pass breakup
Kendell Beckwith was, for my money, the best defensive player on the field during LSU's 10-7 upset over Ole Miss, although cases could be made for Kwon Alexander and Danielle Hunter, too.
But Beckwith gets the nod for making his best play in the biggest moment—specifically, the Rebels' second-to-last drive.
On 3rd-and-2 at the Tigers' 48, Beckwith dropped I'Tavius Mathers at the 47-yard line on what looked like a sure-fire first-down. LSU stuffed a QB sneak on the next play to get the ball back on downs.
"We came back in the second half and made those (big) plays happen," said Beckwith. "I feel like we had them where we wanted them, and I thought we needed to finish it off. I think we did that."
Beckwith was the biggest reason why.
Second Team Inside Linebacker
18 of 22
Mike Hull, Penn State
19 tackles (2.5 TFL), 1 INT
Mike Hull played one of the best games of his career against Ohio State, a large feat considering how good he has been for so long.
The 19 tackles tell the story, as Hull flew from sideline to sideline and wasn't afraid to stick his head in the hole against Ohio State's ground game. His interception came one play after a badly shanked punt and set up Penn State's second touchdown (making the score 17-14)
"I think he should be on every award list right now," said head coach James Franklin. "He deserves that. …You guys have heard me say this before, but I have a man crush on that guy. I love him.
"He's a big-time football player."
First Team Cornerback
19 of 22
Kevin Peterson, Oklahoma State
2 tackles
Kevin Peterson was a blanket in Oklahoma State's 35-10 loss to West Virginia, draping himself around receiver Kevin White.
White finished with three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown, but the majority of those stats—a 19-yard TD reception—came against freshman Ramon Richards in the first quarter. Oklahoma State switched Peterson onto White for the rest of the game, and he did a spot-on Justin Gilbert impersonation throughout.
"We said that we were going to go out there and try to be a better athlete than him and to try and contain him the best we can," said Peterson of OSU's strategy. "I think we did that for the most part."
But if it were that simple, someone else would have contained White in the first eight weeks of the season, during which White had at least 100 receiving yards in every single game he played.
Peterson played his tail off.
Second Team Cornerback
20 of 22
Adoree Jackson, USC
4 tackles (1 TFL), 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble, 1 KO-Return TD
It wasn't enough to seal the win, but Adoree Jackson made a couple of game-changing play against Utah on Saturday. If not for the pair of plays in question, USC might have lost by double digits.
After Utah took a 10-7 lead in the first quarter, Jackson returned a kickoff 100 yards for the most nonchalant touchdown of the season, giving the Trojans their first lead of the night.
Later, with receiver Tim Patrick streaking toward the end zone to put Utah back on top, Jackson came from nowhere to strip Patrick from behind at the goal-line and recover the fumble.
Jackson was a 5-star recruit in the 2014 class and started this year on offense before moving from receiver to cornerback. He and fellow 5-star freshman JuJu Smith, who played another great game at receiver, give USC a budding duo to build around at the skill positions.
First Team Safety
21 of 22
Dante Barnett, Kansas State
7 tackles, 4 pass breakups
Texas got shutout at Kansas State, failing to score for the first time since its infamous 12-0 loss to Oklahoma in 2004.
The Wildcats played consummate team defense to keep Texas off the board, but safety Dante Barnett stood out against both the run and the pass, finishing with seven tackles and four pass breakups. He dropped an interception that should have been an easy turnover, but on a day in which his team won by 23 points, that can be forgiven.
"It was pretty hard," said Barnett of pitching the shutout. "Being a defensive player we love challenges. That is what we went out there and did."
Second Team Safety
22 of 22
Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State
6 tackles (1 TFL), 2 pass breakups
Kurtis Drummond has had an up-and-down season, playing neither poorly nor like the All-American he was projected to be.
On Saturday, though, he looked like the latter.
Drummond was the emotional leader of a Michigan State defense that dominated its in-state rival, holding Michigan without a touchdown until the 3:40 mark of the fourth quarter. A big reason for that was his coverage on receiver Devin Funchess, a difficult matchup whom Drummond battled hard against on multiple corner routes.
"When you're playing with a leader like Kurtis Drummond next to you, you get yourself in the right positions to make plays," said fellow safety RJ Williamson, who returned an interception for a touchdown in his first game back in the starting lineup (after getting benched).
Drummond makes this whole defense better.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
