PIGPEN WEEKLY: WEEK 11
QB Rankings + RWT Plays I like (Discussing 40 total players this week)
十一月之风，既携丰收之香，亦吟寒冬之语。此乃终亦始，耐心者之序章
(November’s wind carries both the scent of harvest and the whisper of winter.
It marks both completion and the beginning of endurance.)
- Ancient Chinese Proverb, anonymous
QB Rankings (22)
Byrum Brown (USF) vs. UTSA — I mean, where else to start than with the king of the American, Byrum Brown. This guy has been eviscerating AAC defences since week six and not looked back, scoring 40+ points almost every week since. He’s been so good, they should just go ahead and invent a whole new element on the periodic table, call it Byrumium, an element that is both consistently solid and dynamically explosive under the right conditions. I knew he was in for a good year when he still managed to score 20+ vs. Florida, but he’s been next level in conference play. USF head coach said it took him two days to get over their loss two weeks ago vs. Memphis, so I’m thinking they’ll be out for blood (as usual with these guys) vs. UTSA, who are themselves coming off a big win. USF moves so fast, and Brown is so good with his legs, it’s hard to justify another name at the top here.
Alonzae Barnett (JMU) vs. Marsh — Barnett has some of the same qualities as Brown with his explosiveness. He’s not been as consistent this season, however, and that makes him more risky in my opinion. But, it’s November, around the time where shit gets real in almost every CFF league (playoff push anyone?), so it’s time to swing with a big stick and not look back. This is the time to go take the chance to win it all, not play it safe in my opinion, and Barnett embodies that perfectly. He’s scored a gargantuan 60 and 40+ points in back to back weeks, with a very good matchup up next vs. Marshall. Could things be going too well and Barnett is due for a dud where the RBs account for like five TDs in this one? Sure, that’s one way of looking at it. On the other hand, we have a QB here who’s proven to win your week almost single-handedly in his last two data points. Marshall is ranked 120+ in PPG and passing yards against. What will be tricky is whether Marshall can score enough to keep JMU in a back and forth affair.
Anthony Colandrea (UNLV) vs. CSU — I feel like Colandrea has quietly gone under the radar lately, scoring 30+ points in three straight weeks. He’s also averaging 25 PPG on the year. As we know, CSU is coach-less right now, using an interim to run the show. That can go several different ways, ranging from a dramatic improvement (see UCLA), to disaster. I’d rather just assume CSU will be competitive enough for UNLV to take seriously, but not good enough to stop Colandrea and this offence. UNLV started the year with six straight wins only to lose the last two, so they should be highly motivated to win and win big here. CSU’s defensive rankings are all bottom third in the FBS.
Brad Jackson (TXST) vs. ULLAF — I won’t pretend that I’ve watched a ton of Texas State or ULLAF this season, but we’re talking about a player in Jackson who is averaging 26+ PPG, with his only duds coming against a P4 opponent (ASU), JMU, and a blowout vs. FCS opponent Nichols. I trust Jackson to hit 25 points this week more so than most of the QBs on this slate. And the great news is he also presents high upside if this one becomes a shootout, which I’d almost bet money on happening given what we know about both clubs thus far.