Barstool Breakdown's Coach Day Heisman Hopefuls & Playoff Rankings Vol. 4

We’ve finally reached November, and you know what that means (well, unless you’re a total casual… and that’s okay, ‘cause I’ll do my best to fill in the blanks) we have PLAYOFF RANKINGS TONIGHT!

I jumped the gun a lil’ bit with my first edition last week, but now we’ll see how the committee stacks up against this elite ball watcher. Oh, and of course, let’s not forget the ever-changing Heisman rankings. In fact, let’s go ahead and start with those.

Heisman Rankings

ALERT! WE HAVE A NEW LEADER! ALERT!

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin has, for the first time, found himself at the top of Coach Day’s Heisman rankings, so yes, it’s now very possible we see a freshman win this award in December. His partner in the elite duo, WR Jeremiah Smith, has also made his way back into the rankings, soaring to 5th. I truly believe there’s a real possibility we could see teammates sitting next to each other in New York.

Behind Sayin, Alabama QB Ty Simpson & Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza still hold their spots, while Jeremiyah Love continues to push for strong consideration after another 150-plus all-purpose yard game and a quiet 2 TDs.

Another name forcing his way into the conversation. even after his team fell for the first time. is Georgia Tech QB Haynes King, who keeps putting up straight video game numbers.

Speaking of those numbers, we need to shout out UConn QB Joe Fagnano, who’s yet to throw an interception while tossing for 2,500 yards and 22 TDs. He’ll face another test this week from the ACC’s Duke Blue Devils.

PLAYOFF RANKINGS TIME

Okay, now the big one… PLAYOFF RANKINGS! There were tons of shakeups this past weekend with multiple Top 10 teams falling, while others barely escaped to stay in contention.

Some believe Indiana will be ranked #1 tonight. I, on the other hand, don’t understand that logic, considering Ohio State is the defending champ, still undefeated, and holding a signature win over Texas (while Indiana’s is Oregon). As much as it pains me to admit it, they deserve that top spot. That puts Indiana at #2.

The SEC then takes over the next four slots with Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss. Now, I believe Ole Miss looks better right now than Georgia, but hey... the Bulldogs won the head-to-head earlier this season.

If the season ended today, the final spots would go to Oregon, BYU, Notre Dame, Virginia (or the ACC champ spot), & then Memphis, with Texas, though ranked 12th, being bumped out. Many will say that’s too high for Texas right now, and I agree the eye test hasn’t been pretty, but their strength of record and schedule justify it. Plus, letting Arch Manning be the “swing pass king” might just spark a run here.

Looking at the “work left to do” group, we’ve got a trio of ACC squads... Louisville, Georgia Tech, & Miami. The Hurricanes might be in the most trouble, needing a lot of help to get back into the conference title race, let alone the at-large picture.

Meanwhile, Utah, now out of the Big 12, has played its way back into the discussion after beating Cincinnati, but still needs help since BYU and Texas Tech both beat the Utes.

Of course, there are still longshots who could muck this thing up in November, teams like Michigan, Washington, Oklahoma, and Georgia Tech, all set to face higher-ranked opponents down the stretch. And let’s not forget that Group of 5 spot is wide open right now!

You can compare these rankings to other pundits’, but here’s the thing, they’ve got to cater to the big wigs and corporate sponsors. Meanwhile, this is the truest ranking set you’ll find online… straight from an expert ball watcher.

College football still has so much left to give, even though it feels like we’re nearing the end with November now here.

BUT! Let’s rejoice, because we all get to celebrate the return of MACTION TONIGHT!