After 13 weeks, college football’s regular season is complete. The final week of college football didn’t disappoint, with “The Game” going to overtime, five top-20 teams being upset, and the Big Ten and Pac-12 championships set to feature four top-10 ranked teams.
But this week’s NFL Draft spotlight focuses on a Western Michigan team that should be valued higher, much higher, now rather than when we look back years from now. Plus, a Pac-12 player had the best game I’ve seen all year from a cornerback, and that’s not counting the three touchdowns he scored. We'll also look at quarterback efficiency, as well as a five-touchdown receiver.
Davis, Terrell, Western Michigan deserve more credit
Western Michigan trounced Toledo in its final regular season game, solidifying a 12-0 record en route to a MAC Championship game against Ohio in which it should be favored by two touchdowns. It was an impressive yet overall uneventful win for Western Michigan, and it’s not the first time the Broncos have won decisively this season.
It’s easy to diminish Western Michigan’s season success because it plays in the MAC. But in taking a closer look at the Broncos, their 12-0 season and likely New Year’s Day bowl game berth should push them closer to the country’s top-10. They won at Northwestern to start the year against a Wildcat team that nearly won at Ohio State and beat Iowa this year. They destroyed a Central Michigan team that won at Oklahoma State, currently a top-10 team. Since Week , Western Michigan has beaten every opponent by at least two touchdowns.
Like the Boise State Broncos of the 2000s, Western Michigan suffers from playing in a conference that lacks depth and nationally strong teams. Like Boise State proved during its highest point, it can compete with the best schools in the country despite a lackluster conference schedule. But unlike Boise State had to earn for far too long, the Western Michigan Broncos deserve national recognition now.
MORE: Washington rivals Alabama in pro talent
Their quarterback, Zach Terrell, is a 6-2 passer with a 30-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 72 percent completion percentage this year, showing tremendous composure, consistency and reliability at the helm of an uber-talented offense. Corey Davis, the now-nationally recognized elite receiver who has first-round potential, had his least productive season yards-wise but still managed to lead the FBS in receiving touchdowns. And the Broncos' left tackle, Taylor Moton, is a Senior Bowl invite who, in a weak 2017 offensive tackle class, may emerge as a top-two round player.
The Broncos wouldn’t be able to upend Alabama this year, because no team in the country looks capable of doing so. And against Michigan, Ohio State, Washington and Clemson, they’d likely be more than a touchdown underdogs. But I have no doubt this team, led by seniors and a head coach in PJ Fleck destined for one of the best coaching jobs in the country, could play toe to toe with any non-Alabama team in the country. NFL teams will appreciate Terrell, Davis and Moton come May, and we’ll look back at PJ Fleck’s tenure at Western Michigan in a few years the way we look at Urban Meyer’s time at Bowling Green. But this team, right now, deserves to be among the country’s top-10 teams, and it'll prove it against Ohio and whoever it plays on New Year’s Day as this year’s Group of Five representative.
Player spotlight: Adore Jackson, CB/WR/KR, USC
Against Notre Dame, Adore Jackson had one of the best cornerback performances of the year. He nearly had two interceptions, made two really impressive plays on the ball, and read/reacted to receivers in off coverage fluidly and with great timing. His gather steps to attack at the catch point are remarkably balanced and well-timed, and he times his jumps and breaks with awesome control.
While his size does allow him to be overpowered by bigger receivers when he’s in play press coverage or is forced to work on quick slants, his coordination away from his frame to work around and through receivers without overt contact has allowed him to blossom into one of the country’s best cornerbacks and capable of playing outside in the NFL.
MORE: Teams want more receivers like Virginia Tech's Isaiah Ford
And against Notre Dame, Jackson showed why he’s more uniquely versatile than Jabrill Peppers. He finished the game with a punt return touchdown that showed his patience and controlled explosiveness, a kick return touchdown that showed his elite acceleration and top-end speed, and a receiving touchdown that proved he could be a capable third or fourth-receiver in the NFL if he had the time to develop there.
Top-10: Best TD-to-interception ratio
Interception stats for quarterbacks can be inherently misleading, as they don’t account for receiver mistakes that hurt them nor defensive back drops or “should have been” interceptions that make their numbers look better. That said, over the course of a season, efficiency numbers tend to even themselves out and paint a picture of which quarterbacks, regardless of the number of touchdowns or attempts, protect the football best within their offenses.
Zach Terrell’s 30-to-1 interception is phenomenal and, as explained earlier, he’ll have NFL opportunities. Mitch Trubisky has had more than a few dropped interceptions this year, in large part due to his inconsistent mechanics, but NFL teams appreciate his gunslinging mentality that hasn’t led to too many turnovers. One name not on here but just missed is Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes, who has 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on nearly 600 attempts. Compare that with Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, who offers a 34:14 ratio, and you can see why more than a few teams have Mahomes above Watson.
1. Zach Terrell, Western Michigan (30:1)
2. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina (Jr) (28:4)
3. David Washington, Old Dominion (28:4)
4. Mike White, Western Kentucky (Jr) (31:5)
5. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State (Jr) (25:4)
6. Jake Browning, Washington (Soph) (40:7)
7. Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech (Jr) (26:5)
8. Logan Woodside, Toledo (Jr) (43:9)
9. Ryan Higgins, Louisiana Tech (34:7)
10. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Jr) (35:8)
MORE: College scouts already looking deeper into college QB pool
Something you missed
Against Pittsburgh, Syracuse scored nine touchdowns and still lost the game. Four of those touchdowns came on the ground, while the other five came through the air. And receiver Amba Etta-Tawo caught all five of them.
The former Maryland receiver who has been 2016’s best graduate transfer, Etta-Tawo was unstoppable in the redzone against Pittsburgh, winning not as a jump ball weapon, but as a smooth navigator off screen and short routes with plus body control and efficiency as an upfield turning runner. He was up for consideration for the Biletnikoff Award for much of the season, but he’ll make his mark on the 2017 NFL Draft as one of the top receiver prospects come May.