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QB Lynn Bowden, Kentucky: - Actually, Bowden is a wide receiver. Kentucky's best wide receiver, in fact. But when Sawyer Smith was scratched, Bowden stepped behind center and put the offense on his shoulders. With no QB experience at this level, the versatile junior threw for 78 yards and a score and rushed for196 yards and two more touchdowns in a 24-20 victory over visiting Arkansas.
QB Joe Burrow, LSU - No one appears capable of slowing down the LSU offense... not even the vaunted Florida D. In the game of the weekend in Baton Rouge, the Tigers were potent and balanced with the ball, a frightening reality for the rest of the SEC. While the ground game churned out 218 yards, Burrow dissected an all-star Gator secondary for 293 yards and three TDs on 21-of-24 passing.
QB Jayden Daniels, Arizona State - From the opener to today, Daniels looks like a very different quarterback. And that has Sun Devils very excited for the stretch run. Daniels delivered the best performance of his debut season in Tempe, leading ASU to a thrilling 38-34 win over Washington State. He threw for a season-high 363 yards and three scores, while running in the game-winner from 17 yards out with 34 seconds left in regulation.
WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma - There's a very deep crop of next-level wide receivers in college football this season. Lamb just might be the best of the talented group. He ran circles around the Texas defense in Dallas, showcasing his big-play ability and open-field elusiveness. In the 34-27 win, Lamb turned a career-high 10 receptions into 171 yards and three touchdowns, tying for the most in series history.
QB Malcolm Perry, Navy - Tulsa has been a plucky team so far this season, even taking undefeated SMU to overtime last weekend. But the Navy triple-option? Well, that's a whole different challenge. Perry ran the attack to perfection Saturday night on the road, rushing for 220 yards and three touchdowns in a comfortable 45-17 victory over the Golden Hurricane.
QB Jack Plummer, Purdue -Give Jeff Brohm enough time to work with a young quarterback and he'll have him ready for Big Ten play. Plummer, as the latest example. After struggling badly in the early going after starter Elijah Sindelar was lost to injury, the redshirt freshman has begun to get comfortable. Saturday versus Maryland, he completed 33-of-41 for 420 yards, three TDs and no picks to earn Pro Football Focus' second-best Week 7 QB grade.
WR Sage Surratt, Wake Forest - It wasn't enough, but Surratt did just about all he could to keep the Demon Deacons unbeaten Saturday evening. Wake Forest fell to visiting Louisville, 62-59, in a wild shootout reminiscent of UCLA-Washington State last month. Still, the Cardinals were physically overmatched by big No. 14 who caught 12 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns, which were all career-highs.
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama -Four touchdown passes to four different receivers, and another Crimson Tide rout versus a quality opponent. Auburn scored 28 on the Texas A&M defense. Clemson at home? Just 24. Bama, though, rolled up 47 points-at raucous Kyle Field-Saturday afternoon, as Tagovailoa completed 21-of-34 for 293 yards and those four scoring strikes.
LB Louis Acceus, NC State: - What did Syracuse miss out on when it allowed Acceus to leave the state of New York two years ago? Well, the Orange was forced to witness it firsthand Thursday night in Raleigh. The Pack stifled Dino Babers' attack, allowing just 10 points, with Acceus collecting a game-high 14 tackles and three of his team's eight sacks of QB Tommy DeVito.
LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin: - Simply scoring on the Badgers has become a feat in 2019. Wisconsin remarkably pitched its fourth shutout in six games, blanking Michigan State, 38-0, in Madison. Baun, as he's done all season, was one of the headliners. The top-rated edge defender of Week 7, according to Pro Football Focus, had three tackles, a stop for loss and an exclamation point pick-six.
DE Victor Dimukeje, Duke: - With Dimukeje and Chris Rumph up front, the Blue Devils are causing all kinds of problems this fall for opposing blockers. Georgia Tech was powerless to both in this past weekend's loss in Durham. It was a case of pick-your-poison for the Yellow Jackets, as Rumph consistently won head-to-battles and Dimukeje registered three sacks and a forced fumble.
DE Darius Hodge, Marshall: - At 6-2 and 238 pounds, Hodge is just too quick and explosive for most opposing tackles, as Old Dominion learned in Week 7. The sophomore routinely blew up the Monarchs' offensive gameplan with seven tackles and 4.5 sacks, tying a single-game school record that was first established more than 33 years ago.
FS Verone McKinley, Oregon: - Six, three, six, seven, three. That's the number of points the Ducks have yielded in the last five games heading into Saturday's showdown at Washington. Oregon completely shut down the potent Colorado attack Friday night, blanking it over the final three quarters. McKinley had five stops and two interceptions, neutralizing the talented Buffs receivers to earn the game's highest defensive grade from Pro Football Focus.
CB Israel Mukuama, South Carolina: - The Gamecocks finished Saturday's game in Athens with a third-string quarterback on the field... yet still shocked No. 3 Georgia, 20-17. How? Well, Mukuama and the defense repeatedly stifled the Dawgs in regulation and in OT. Mukuama not only had 11 tackles, but he also intercepted three Jake Fromm passes, taking one back 53 yards for a touchdown.
LB Josh Uche, Michigan: - Someone in blue and orange really needed to get a hat on Uche in Champaign Saturday afternoon. The senior from Miami could not be blocked by the Illinois front wall, which helped the Wolverines open up an early lead they'd never relinquish. All five of Uche's tackles were behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks of Fighting Illini quarterbacks.
DT Robert Windsor, Penn State: - Windsor doesn't get nearly as much attention as his teammates on the edge. But the dirty work he does on the interior is a huge reason why Penn State ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring D. In Saturday night's crucial win at Iowa, Windsor earned Pro Football Focus' third highest Week 7 grade for interior linemen after making six stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two hurries of Nate Stanley.
Oregon (5-1) at Washington (5-2) - Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC) - The Ducks are a couple of inches away from being perfect this season and ranked in the top 5. Since losing the opener to Auburn in Arlington, Tex. Oregon has yielded just 25 points in five straight victories. And a win in Seattle this weekend might all but lock up the Pac-12 North. But Washington got off the mat in Week 7 to capture a crucial road win over Arizona, 51-27. NFL scouts will be especially intrigued by the QB battle between Oregon's Justin Herbert and U-Dub's Jacob Eason.
Baylor (6-0) at Oklahoma State (4-2) - Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET (FOX) - A dozen programs have yet to lose in 2019. Baylor is one of them. Matt Rhule is doing a brilliant job in Year 2 in Waco, already reaching bowl-eligibility with Saturday's nail-biting OT win over Texas Tech. However, in the win the Bears also lost linchpin LB Clay Johnston for the year, which will make slowing down RB Chuba Hubbard, WR Tylan Wallace and versatile QB Spencer Sanders in Stillwater that much more challenging.
Arizona State (5-1) at Utah (5-1) - Saturday, 6:00 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network) - Four programs are deadlocked atop the Pac-12 South Division with one conference loss. The Sun Devils and the Utes are two of them, making this showdown in Salt Lake City a potential divisional elimination game. While both offenses erupted in Week 7 for 90 combined points, these schools are fueled by their defenses. Utah and Arizona State rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in Pac-12 scoring and total defense.
Michigan (5-1) at Penn State (6-0) - Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC) -Ohio State is the clear-cut favorite in the Big Ten East Division. Who's the biggest threat to the Buckeyes this fall? That'll be decided Saturday night in Happy Valley. While Michigan has already suffered a loss, bowing to Wisconsin, Penn State remained undefeated with last Saturday's win at Iowa. This matchup will be littered with defensive playmakers, putting pressure on Lion QB Sean Clifford and Wolverine QB Shea Patterson to deliver in tight window and with a rapidly collapsing pocket.