Who's Hot & Who's Not ... Week Seven

McCoy, Nebraksa, the ACC Coastal, the Heisman race, and more.

Past Hot and Not: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
Week 6

Who’s Hot …

Texas QB Colt McCoy
He's not Vince Young, but he's throwing the ball far better than the current Tennessee Titan did when he first started out. McCoy is completing 69% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions and is coming off a record-setting six touchdown performance in the 63-31 win over Baylor. He has thrown for at least two scores in every game but the loss to Ohio State.

Pitt RB LaRod Stephens-Howling
Pitt is red hot winning four straight thanks to an improved defense, a great season from QB Tyler Palko, and the emergence of Stephens-Howling. The sophomore is heating up just at the right time with a 221-yard, one touchdown day against Syracuse followed up by a 135-yard, three score day against UCF.

Oklahoma State QB Bobby Reid and WR Adarius Bowman
The most dangerous pitch-catch combination in the Big 12 isn't at Texas, Texas Tech, or Nebraska, it's in Stillwater thanks to the emergence of QB Bobby Reid as a bona fide star and the play of junior WR Adarius Bowman. The two hooked up 13 times for 300 yards and four touchdowns in the stunning 42-32 comeback win over Kansas. The 6-4, 215-pound Bowman is averaging 22.5 yards per catch, while Reid now appears to have the passing game down with 17 touchdown passes and five interceptions (with three coming in one game).

Nebraska all-time
If you needed another reason to consider Nebraska one of the all-time great college football superpowers, now you have one. With its win over Kansas State this Saturday, Nebraska has hit the 800-victory total joining Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas on the current Mount Rushmore of college football programs. This year, the Huskers are 6-1 with the nation's eighth-ranked offense going into the showdown against Texas.

LSU at home
LSU truly has one of the strangest schedules this year playing its four big games (Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas) on the road and getting everyone else at home with the one possible dangerous game coming against Alabama. In five home games so far, LSU has outscored its opponents 236 to 30 allowing only 13 points in the first half.

Who’s Not …

Turnovers from Arkansas teams
The three interceptions by Arkansas against poor SE Missouri State on Saturday brought the overall takeaway total to a mere four on the season tying Fresno State for the lowest in the nation. Arkansas State hasn't had any problems taking the ball away with 14, highlighted by 11 interceptions, but the 20 giveaways are the second most in the country with only Louisiana Tech, thanks to an eight turnover performance against Idaho, ant its 22.

The Heisman race
With Adrian Peterson getting knocked out for the year with a collarbone injury, and Garrett Wolfe getting held to 25 yards by Western Michigan, the Heisman race has now come down to Troy Smith, and by default, Brady Quinn, with only Steve Slaton remotely on the radar. If Quinn isn't fantastic, and Smith takes Ohio State to an undefeated season with an impressive performance against Michigan, this could be the most lopsided Heisman vote ever.

Duke vs. Florida State
Good luck finding a more one-sided matchup in college football. Since the Seminoles entered the ACC, the Blue Devils have gone 0-14 against Bobby's boys losing by an average of 52.6 to 16 going into last week. With a 51-24 loss, Duke actually improved its recent all-time scoring average against Florida State now losing by an average of 52.5 to 16.5.

All things Illinois
This wasn't a good week to be a fan of anything Illinois. Northwestern got whacked at home by Purdue 31-10, and Illinois lost to the Ohio 20-17 on a last-second field goal. The indignity of losing to a MAC team didn't hurt the Illini nation nearly as much as losing star hoops prospect Eric Gordon to Indiana after originally committing to Bruce Weber. Northwestern beat Miami University and Eastern Michigan, who combined have just one win, MU's victory of Buffalo. Along with losses to New Hampshire and Nevada, Pat Fitzgerald's club has been pushed around in Big Ten play losing its first three games by a total of 105 to 26. Illinois appeared to be all set to go on a run to a bowl after beating Michigan State, but it lost its last two winnable home games against Indiana and Ohio.

ACC Coastal Division
Georgia Tech gets a free pass, but the rest of the ACC's weaker division has to be better. Duke has lost 14 straight, Miami isn't anything special and is coming off one of the ugliest brawls in college football history, North Carolina is 0-5 against D-I teams averaging just 12 points a game against them, Virginia's wins came in overtime against Wyoming and against Duke, and Virginia Tech melted down in a loss to Boston College.