College football overreactions after Week 3: Give Darian Mensah the Heisman
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It was another great weekend of college football, and not only were there some thrilling games like LSU vs. Ole Miss, but there were some upsets. Both Texas A&M and Virginia went down to Kentucky and West Virginia, respectively, which shook up the latest AP Top 25 rankings.
We also witnessed one of the worst ways to lose a college football game as NC State opted to hike the football and take a safety against Vanderbilt. But QB C.J. Bailey fumbled the ball in the endzone and Vandy recovered to win the game.
Following Week 3 action, here are some overreactions heading into Week 4.
MORE: College football top 25 rankings 2026: AP Top 25 poll entering Week 4
Ole Miss is the best team in the country
Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford didn’t go as planned for the LSU Tigers. The Ole Miss Rebels got out of the gate firing on all cylinders and while Sam Leavitt tried to get the Tigers back into the game, it was Trinidad Chambliss who continued to make plays.
Ole Miss took down LSU, 32-24, and the Rebels would come in at No. 4 in the latest AP Top 25 poll after their big win. In three weeks, Ole Miss has beaten both Louisville and LSU and Pete Golding’s team looks for real. The Rebels have one of the best duos in the backfield with Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, along with a stifling defense.
The Rebels still have to play both Texas and Georgia this season, but Ole Miss is playing as well as anyone in the country. Golding’s team will take on Florida this weekend, which beat Auburn on Saturday. No games are going to be gimmies in the SEC and Ole Miss can’t be caught having a hangover when it heads down to Florida to face the Gators.
Give Darian Mensah the Heisman already
Miami made it a priority to go get Darian Mensah from Duke and it’s clear as to why. It’s important to realize that the Hurricanes haven’t played any elite teams, but what Mensah is doing on the field is unreal.
Mensah completed 24 straight passes against Wake Forest on Friday night and he ended up throwing for 220 yards and three TDs in Miami’s 33-20 win over the Demon Deacons. But what’s even more impressive than that is that Mensah has completed 89.9% of his passes in three games, which leads the nation.
It’s not like Miami is only throwing dink and dunk passes. Mensah is throwing some deep shots and he’s finding his playmakers, notably Malachi Toney, down the field. There are some really good college football players, but Mensah is currently in a league of his own.
If he continues this pace, he’s going to break the record for completion percentage, and he will be at the top of the Heisman Trophy ballots.
USC’s defense could cost Lincoln Riley his job
USC can score with anyone and Jayden Maiava continues to impress with a young WR corps. He is averaging over 293 yards per game through the air, which ranks him No. 14 in the country, but it’s not the offense that is a concern for USC.
It’s the defense and that’s an area that has haunted Lincoln Riley before. Since taking over as the Trojans’ head coach, USC has yet to make a College Football Playoff, and that’s something the Trojans could accomplish this season with Maiava back.
But USC has alarm bells ringing. Rutgers, a team that lost to UMass and hasn’t won a game, had the Trojans on the ropes this weekend. USC won 42-35 and needed a late TD to win the game. Riley’s team is 4-0 on the season, but USC’s scoring defense is ranked 70th in the nation.
The Trojans will play Oregon this weekend, and the Trojans’ defense will be challenged big time on Saturday. Another poor season will have fans up in arms, and Riley is going to hear about it.
Duke could make a run in the ACC thanks to its RB
Duke was an afterthought after it lost Darian Mensah late in the offseason to Miami, and although the Blue Devils went out and landed San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, who has done a nice job as a game manager, it’s been sophomore Nate Sheppard who has shined.
The second-year back leads the country through three games, averaging 176 yards per game, which is 23 yards more than Florida RB Jadan Baugh. But Duke isn’t using him as a new-age back; no, Duke is using him as a cowbell.
Sheppard has run the ball 82 times in three games, and he has 528 yards and five rushing TDs to show for it. Duke has run him 35, 24, and 23 times, respectively. In that span, Duke has taken care of both Illinois and Stanford.
Duke has a manageable schedule, with the only ranked team currently on its schedule being Miami. Watch out for Duke and keep an eye on Sheppard.
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