This article is part of our CFB Barometer series.
It's college football mayhem in the state of Mississippi. The Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Auburn Tigers, 38-23, behind three touchdowns from quarterback Dak Prescott. The Heisman hopeful rushed for more than 100 yards for the fourth time in five games. Prescott has accumulated a staggering 22 touchdowns through six games. The dynamic duo of Prescott and running back Josh Robinson has spelled doom for opposing defenses. The Bulldogs managed to knock Florida State out of the No. 1 spot in the rankings despite the Seminoles remaining undefeated as well. Meanwhile, the Ole Miss Rebels are also undefeated after beating Texas A&M on Saturday. Quarterback Bo Wallace piloted Mississippi to a 35-20 win over the Aggies, totaling three touchdowns, two of which came on the ground. Although both teams have a couple difficult SEC games left, it is possible that the winner of the Egg Bowl on Nov. 29 clinches a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Although the state of Mississippi is dominating the headlines, let's look at the college football landscape outside the Magnolia State in this week's Barometer.
UPGRADE
Jake Rudock, QB, Iowa - So much for a timeshare at quarterback for the Hawkeyes. Rudock started the year with a bang, throwing for a combined 577 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games of the season. However, the Hawkeyes then lost the rivalry game to Iowa State, and subsequently Rudock injured his hip against Pittsburgh the next week. He was sidelined for the Sept. 27 tilt at Purdue, in which C.J. Beathard led the Hawkeyes to a 24-10 victory. After a bye week, Coach Kirk Ferentz said that both quarterbacks would play Saturday against Indiana. However, Rudock got off to a scorching start en route to 28 first-half points; meanwhile, Beathard barely sniffed the field. It looks as though a healthy Rudock will assume control of the offense for the foreseeable future, and the Hawkeyes only have one ranked opponent left on their schedule.
Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia - Todd Gurley's suspension was devastating for fantasy owners, as Gurley had been the frontrunner for the Heisman trophy. His production will be almost impossible to replace. Still, Chubb received an extremely heavy workload in the absence of both Gurley and backup Sony Michel, who missed the 34-0 triumph over Mizzou with a shoulder injury. Chubb received a staggering 38 carries against the Tigers, parlaying those touches into 143 yards and a touchdown. Chubb is an athletic freak who will continue to see plenty of action even if Michel returns. As Gurley's status remains cloudy, Chubb is a standout pickup for those needing a replacement.
B.J. Catalon, RB, TCU - Catalon has been mighty consistent in finding the end zone for the Horned Frogs this season. The 5-foot-9 junior has scored a touchdown in every game this season, including two at Baylor in a wild, 61-58 shootout loss to the Bears. Catalon has six scores on the year, already matching his season total from 2013. The Horned Frogs also begin a stretch of playing below caliber defenses, starting with ranked Oklahoma State and then clashing with high-octane Texas Tech and spread-happy West Virginia. The points should be flowing the next few games for TCU, and Catalon should have several jaunts to the end zone during that span.
Tony Lippett, WR, Michigan State - The Big Ten has long been considered the home of smash-mouth, run-happy football. Despite a recent quarterback stretch with the extremely capable Kirk Cousins and the ever-improving Connor Cook, the Spartans still made their hay running the football. Pittsburgh Steeler Le'Veon Bell was the most recent incarnation of that mantra during his time in East Lansing. However, the Spartans have proven they can throw the pigskin as well, and Lippett has been the chief beneficiary in 2014. As a senior, he is having by far his finest year for MSU. He has found the promised land in every contest this season, notching eight scores in the process. Lippett also has four 100-yard outputs to his name in 2014; by contrast, he did not have a single 100-yard game during the first three years of his collegiate career. Lippett has already passed his career high in receiving yards for a single season and has two extremely favorable matchups against suspect defenses forthcoming. A visit to Indiana and a home date with Michigan should produce more stellar statistics for the 6-3 Lippett.
CHECK STATUS
Rushel Shell, RB, West Virginia - A transfer from Pittsburgh, Shell has found his groove the last few weeks for the Mountaineers. Shell has scored in each of the last five games for West Virginia, while gaining more than 100 yards on the ground in each of the last two contests. Shell is averaging nearly five yards per tote over the last two tilts. The Mountaineers face the highly ranked Baylor Bears on Saturday, but the Bears allowed an outrageous 58 points to Texas Christian last weekend. In a win. Although the Mountaineers figure to be playing from behind, Shell has been dynamic in recent weeks and has shown a nose for the end zone. It would be a surprise if he didn't score Saturday against Baylor.
Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford - Which Kevin Hogan shows up when the Cardinal travel to Arizona State on Saturday? The Hogan who shredded Washington State for 284 yards and a touchdown, or the one who had just 158 yards and two picks at Notre Dame? The Hogan who tossed four TDs against Army, or the player who posted a putrid quarterback rating against Washington? Hogan played ASU twice last season, with fairly decent success. He accumulated 428 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in two contests in 2013. The Sun Devils are also below average on defense this season, ranking 91st in the nation in points allowed. ASU yields 31.4 points per game. In their last home game, the Sun Devils surrendered a ghastly 62 points to the UCLA Bruins. As such, Hogan has the chance to post stellar numbers, though there's always the chance of a dud performance as well.
David Cobb, RB, Minnesota - Cobb has rushed for 819 yards in six games for the Golden Gophers. However, 610 of those yards came in three games, and against subpar opponents. Cobb ran wild for 220 yards and two touchdowns against Middle Tennessee State, then followed that up with a 207-yard, two touchdown outburst against San Jose State. Cobb subsequently ran all over a struggling Michigan squad on Sept. 27 for 183 yards. While Minnesota faces inferior opponents in Purdue and Illinois over the next two weeks, the Golden Gophers end the year with an extremely difficult stretch against Iowa, Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. As a result, Cobb may not be the best option toward the end of the season. Cobb appears to play extremely well against poor competition, but only average when the opposing defense stiffens.
Nick O'Leary, TE, Florida State - The Golden Cub is another player with a track record of inconstant opportunities. O'Leary had one of the best games of his career Saturday at Syracuse, hauling in eight passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in the 38-20 win. However, he had just two catches for 22 yards in the previous two games combined, including a complete goose egg at N.C. State on Sept. 27. Even more curious, the Seminoles scored 56 points in that game, yet O'Leary did not register a single reception. His inconsistent usage can be maddening, though he obviously has the talent to produce rather big games from tight end. Fantasy owners may simply just have to weather the storm of O'Leary's rollercoaster numbers.
DOWNGRADE
DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson - Watson injured his throwing hand against Louisville on Saturday and will require surgery that will sideline him for at least a month. The injury is a crushing blow to Clemson, and the freshman had been spectacular prior to the injury. Watson had led the team to consecutive victories, including a virtuoso six-touchdown performance against North Carolina on Sept. 27. Cole Stoudt, who started the season under center for the Tigers but struggled, will get his chance at redemption in the absence of Watson. Stoudt completed 20-of-33 passes for 162 yards and an interception in place of Watson on Saturday, though the Tigers somehow still managed a victory, 23-17.
Patrick Towles, QB, Kentucky - The Wildcats are 5-1. Yes, you read that correctly. Towles tossed three touchdowns against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday. Why no love, then? Towles has not faced a decent defense yet this season. He tossed three interceptions against a mediocre Florida Gators squad, and the Wildcats have a murderous remaining schedule. On tap are games against LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri and Georgia. They also end the season on the road against Tennessee and Louisville. The Wildcats have been a nice story thus far in 2014, but Towles is not the real deal. He has shown improvement this season, but will be exposed against a better level of competition.
Jared Goff, QB, California - The Cal offense put up a plethora of points in successive wins against Washington State and Colorado; the Bears scored a total of 119 points over that span, to be exact. However, Goff and the rest of the Bears were stymied Saturday against Washington. Although Goff passed for more than 300 yards, he did not throw a touchdown, and fumbled on multiple occasions, three of which were recovered by the Huskies. He was also sacked four times. The Bears now enter the meat of their conference schedule with upcoming games against UCLA, Oregon, USC and Stanford. Although Cal will certainly be playing from behind in nearly all of these contests, the defenses they will play will pose much stiffer challenges than those of Colorado and Washington State. Let Saturday's 31-7 dismantling at the hands of the Huskies serve as foreshadowing for the heap of trouble Goff is in during the upcoming weeks.
Tre Madden RB, USC - It looks like Madden's season is going to end before it ever started. The USC rusher is considering redshirting this season due to a nagging turf toe injury. Madden has not played a snap in 2014, though he was initially expected to split the load with fellow running back Javorious Allen. He rushed for 703 yards and three touchdowns last season, his first with the Trojans. The healing process has obviously not gone as planned, though, after premature projections had him missing a month due to the ailment. Those in non-keeper leagues can likely feel free to cut loose Madden; the converted linebacker has had a rough stretch of luck, also missing all of 2012 due to a left knee injury.
