Week 9 Stock Report: Backup QBs show out, Ohio State has OL concerns, questions abound for Texas
It was a Sweaty Saturday for Texas and Ohio State, while a host of QB2s carried their teams to big wins.
Also: The Big 12 loves it some fakes.
So here’s what caught my eye for the Week 9 Stock Report:
📈STOCK UP — Backup QBs
Saturday night’s primetime window might as well have been dubbed “QB2 to the Rescue,” as a pair of backup quarterbacks propelled their teams to statement wins.
With Conner Weigman totally out of sorts, Marcel Reed spearheaded Texas A&M’s furious comeback over LSU — completely flipping the game’s momentum once the redshirt freshman took the reigns. Reed led five scoring drives on five possessions, as LSU turned into the John C. Reilly confused meme trying to stop the quarterback zone-read.
Reed threw the ball just two times (including a 54-yard dime) but he had 62 yards rushing with three touchdowns on just nine carries. Suddenly, the electric backup looks more than just a ‘BRAKES GLASS IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCY’ option for Mike Elko.
Similarly, I kind of wonder if Andy Kotelnicki secretly liked the fact he got to showcase the Beau Pribula offense against Wisconsin in the second half. With Drew Allar injured late in the first half, Penn State turned to Pribula, who led a pair of long (81 yards, 76 yards) touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Pribula has seen action in every game this season, but this wasn’t just a ‘Wild Lion’ package or a change-of-pace situation. He was running a very similar version of what Kotelnicki deployed at Kansas — a gimmicky, smoke-and-mirrors offense, and he did so with success.
The mobile sophomore went 11 of 13 for 99 yards and a touchdown, adding six carries for 28 yards. He helped the Nittany Lions turn a one-point game into a two-score lead.
Will Allar be good to go against Ohio State, or will Penn State ride with Trace McSorley 2.0 in a monster Top 5 matchup?
Elsewhere, Iowa finally (mercifully!) ended the Cade McNamara experiment, turning the keys to Brendan Sullivan against his former team in a fun revenge spot.
And guess what? It worked!
Sullivan wasn’t some All-American against Northwestern, but with Iowa trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, he helped ignite the Hawkeyes to a 37-0 sprint to end the game. Sullivan was just 9 of 14 passing for 79 yards, but his legs (41 yards rushing with a touchdown) offered up enough confusing looks to keep the Wildcats off balance and open up some added running lanes for star tailback Kaleb Johnson.
Finally, and Indiana moved to 7-0 despite Kurtis Rourke missing the win over Washington with a hand injury. Tayven Jackson wasn’t anything special, but the Hoosiers’ backup (who did start a couple of games in 2023) did shake off an early interception to finish with a couple of touchdowns as Indiana most leaned on its defense and ground game to stay unbeaten.
📉STOCK DOWN — Ohio State’s offensive line situation
Nebraska lost another one-score game under Matt Rhule, but the story from Columbus on Saturday centered around Ohio State’s worrisome offensive line situation.
The Buckeyes entered the day with concerns about having to plug in Zen Michalski in place of starting left tackle Josh Simmons, who is out for the season after getting hurt in the Oregon game, and by mid-afternoon, those qualms turned into a Scarlet and Red-alarm alert. In his first career start, Michalski was bad (he allowed two sacks, four pressures and graded out as the worst offensive lineman on the team, per PFF) and then also got hurt and had to be helped off the field. His future availability is now in question, which means Ohio State, which entered the season with serious depth issues at tackle, could be down to a third-string option against Penn State’s ferocious front next weekend.
Ohio State’s offensive line has always been the potential canary in the coal mine for the Buckeyes’ ‘championship or bust’ season. During the summer, I noted that for all the hullabaloo around “the best roster” Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel had ever seen, that Ohio State had just one NFL lineman — a projected Day 3 pick in guard Donovan Jackson.
Top 10
- 1New
Urban Meyer
Coach alarmed by UT fan turnout at OSU
- 2
Bowl insurance
Historic policies for Hunter, Shedeur
- 3Hot
CFP home games
Steve Spurrier calls for change
- 4
Nick Saban endorsed
Lane Kiffin suggests as commish
- 5
Diego Pavia
Vandy QB ruling forces change
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Well, against Nebraska, Ohio State had issues in pass protection to the point that Chip Kelly stopped calling passing plays despite a quarterback going 13 of 16 with three touchdowns. The Buckeyes averaged just 2.1 yards per carry — with a long run of 15 yards.
The Buckeyes struggled to block the Cornhuskers, especially in the run game. They averaged just 2.1 yards per carry, got stuffed on multiple 3rd-and 4th-short runs and allowed seven tackles for loss. When they needed to convert a 4th-and-inches on their final drive, Ryan Day and Chip Kelly opted to throw a quick out-route.
That says all you need to know about Ohio State’s offensive line right now.
This is a problem, and it’s hard to see it not getting worse with defensive linemen Penn State and Indiana have.
📈STOCK UP — Sneaky special teams
Week 9 was all about the fakes — fake field goals and fake punts.
BYU uncorked a double-snap fake field goal that …
- Was super cool
- Was insane that it worked
- Should’ve been a walk-in touchdown pass
- All the above
Obviously, the answer is D. Look at this beaut.
Big 12 compadre Texas Tech also ran a fake field goal — one we’ve seen before. And although it wasn’t the prettiest of executions, it did go for a touchdown. Could probably do without the post-score celebration, but alas.
As if it was a mandate by Brett Yormark, West Virginia also dialed up a fake field goal that went for six. Truly, the conference of fakes.
Finally, Wisconsin didn’t call for a fake punt against Penn State, but Atticus Bertrams improvised and ran one anyways! The Nittany Lions had a free rusher coming to the block the punt, and Bertrams dodged the gunner, gave a little fake-punt shimmy and then sprinted down the left sideline for a big first down.
Chef’s kiss.
STOCK HOLDING — Texas’ offense
A week after its offense was put into a blender by Georgia, Texas had another confounding showing in the escape at Vanderbilt.
Quinn Ewers had a ball tipped and picked on his first pass of the game.
Not good!
Ewers then completed his next 17 throws.
Great on paper … but almost every pass was horizontal or just beyond the line of scrimmage.
Later, Ewers then had another ball tipped that resulted in a pick and an eventual touchdown for the ‘Dores.
Again, frustrating?
Ewers finished with 288 yards and three scores, but he never looked quite right — especially when facing pressure. Outside of a simple slot fade for a score, there was zero vertical threat to Texas’ passing game. On the day, Ewers was just 4 of 10 with one pick and one touchdown on throws over 10 yards.
The more pressing concern is that Texas’ offensive line had another really disappointing day — this again from a unit with three potential 1st Round picks. They allowed four more sacks to a Vandy front that isn’t great at getting after the quarterback. They were penalized six times for 60 yards — including four holding flags. Against one of the worst run defenses in the SEC, Texas rushed for just 106 yards on 32 carries (3.3 per rush) — 55 of which came on two plays.
Ewers remains Texas’ best option to win a championship, but as they enter their final bye week of the season, they have some real questions to sort out if Steve Sarkisian wants his offense humming come the postseason.