MARTIN HANKINS
Memphis, QB
Comment: Hankins healed up after missing two games with a hip injury, and that's clear in the boxscore. The senior eclipsed 300 yards passing each of the last games, throwing a career-high 416 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to East Carolina last week.
CALVIN DAWSON
Louisiana-Monroe, RB
Comment: If a running back owns and nobody sees it, does he still own? He does in this world. Dawson's got six TDs the past three weeks, including three to go along with 257 yards from scrimmage against Middle Tennessee State last week.
MIKE WILLIAMS
Syracuse, WR
Comment: Despite the Orange's haplessness, they have a pretty nice receiving corps. Williams has touchdown catches in six straight games, going for 81 yards and a score in the Cuse's loss to Pittsburgh last week.
JERMAINE GRESHAM
Oklahoma, TE
Comment: Gresham's about as hot as a tight end can get. Last week in OU's win over Texas A&M, he caught five balls, four for touchdowns. That gives him 10 for the season.
STEVEN HAUSCHKA
NC State, K
Comment: The Wolfpack's resurgence can be credited in part to Hauschka, who's hit 14-of-15 field goals this season, including four in the fourth quarter and overtime against Miami on Saturday. Nine of those makes have in the last three weeks, all quality victories for the Pack.
UCF
Defense
Comment: With South Florida's slide out of the polls, the Bulls' 64-12 blitzing of UCF is even more puzzling. The Knights have responded in a big way, recording 13 sacks and 10 interceptions the last three weeks, all wins. That leaves them in great position to take Conference USA's East Division.
TAYLOR BENNETT
Georgia Tech, QB
Comment: Bennett hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three straight weeks — oddly two wins for the Jackets. For the season, he has just two scoring passes in 238 passing attempts.
KEON LATTIMORE
Maryland, RB
Comment: The Terps are in full committee mode, with Lattimore, a star through five games (533 yards, eight TDs), sharing duties with Lance Ball. Maryland's early-season stud has run for 176 yards and three TDs the past four outings.
MICHAEL CRABTREE
Texas Tech, WR
Comment: Realize this is all relative. You're still ordered to start Crabtree every week. But you think defenses have their eye on this guy? He had 17 touchdowns the first five games. In the four since? Just one. Hopefully you got the farm for this guy last month.
NICK CLEAVER
New Mexico State, TE
Comment: Cleaver could have very well been your No. 1 tight end after draft day, but he's been a major disappointment, failing to find the end zone. What's worse is the Aggies go up and down the field, but Cleaver isn't in their red-zone plans.
AUSTIN STARR
Indiana, K
Comment: It's not his fault, it's his offense's. Starr has missed just one kick this year (39-39 XPs, 17-18 FGs), but the gaps between chances have grown exponentially since IU beat up on its non-conference foes in September. Starr's averaged less than seven points per game the last four games, and that just isn't going to cut it.
UTEP
Defense
Comment: In September, this unit looked pretty promising, but it's turned out to be flat-out rotten. After giving up big points to only Texas Tech (45) in the first four weeks, the Miners have yielded at least that in four of the last five, including 56 to Rice last Saturday.
CHASE HOLBROOK
New Mexico State, QB
Comment: The Aggies are 0-5 on the road this year, but Holbrook's just one of those players you start no matter the matchup. Hal Mumme's strategy is to pass and pass some more, and that's helped Holbrook rack up four 400-yard games this year. It could be another one of those days for San Jose State.
KAIPO-NOA KAHEAKU-ENHADA
Navy, QB
Comment: The North Texas PA announcer better have that name down because he's going to be in the Mean Green's secondary all afternoon. Going back to his days at Georgia Southern, no one can stop Paul Johnson's option attack, and especially not North Texas.
EUGENE JARVIS
Kent State, RB
Comment: Jarvis has really been the lone bright spot in a forgotten season in Kent. He's rushed for over 1,200 yards and nine scores, and this week, he gets Northern Illinois a team against whom Toledo rushed for 382 yards in a 70-21 romp. The Golden Flashes won't be hesitant to feed their big-play back.
JAMES JOHNSON
Kansas State, RB
Comment: Love him this week. He's averaging nearly six yards a carry, and now he faces a Nebraska D that's not only bad (30 rushing TDs) but completely demoralized after getting throttled by Kansas.
MARIO MANNINGHAM
Michigan, WR
Comment: From 0-2 to 8-2; it's been quite a run for Michigan. Manningham's been a rock without Mike Hart out, and now that he's back, Wisconsin has to decide which All-Big 10 threat it wants to stop. Manningham's gone for 100 yards and a touchdown in two career meetings with the Badgers; make it three.
BRANDON ROBINSON
Boston College, WR
Comment: In the Eagles' four biggest games this season, Robinson has been Matt Ryan's guy. Heisman, ACC title and national titles hopes are on the line every week, and under the lights in College Park, Robinson will have another big day.
BRANDON PETTIGREW
Washington State, TE
Comment: The way Kansas scores points and the way the Cowboys give them up, OSU's going to have to hit the Jayhawks back with the passing game. With a cornerback and safety on Adarius Bowman each play, the seam and the end zone are perfect spots to find Pettigrew.
DENNIS PITTA
BYU, TE
Comment: Pitta's turned into a nice target for QB Max Hall. He leads the Cougars in receptions, and ranks in the Top 10 nationally for tight ends in catches per game (4.5).
RYAN BAILEY
Texas, K
Comment: Look for a double-digit day from the Longhorns kicker against intrastate foe Texas Tech. He's been a smidge erratic, but he'll get a bundle of chances. In four meetings in Austin in the Mack Brown era, Texas has averaged better than 50 points per game against the Red Raiders.
RYAN HARRISON
Air Force, K
Comment: When selecting a kicker, you generally like to start guys playing at home. However, there are exceptions. All you can ask for are opportunities, and Harrison should get those as the Falcons’ prolific run offense gets a crack at Notre Dame.
IOWA
Defense
Comment: The Hawkeyes looked dead mid-season, but their defense is starting to really get after it, lifting them to two nice wins the last two weeks. Bet on Brian Mattison making it four straight games with a sack as Iowa hosts Minnesota.
LSU
Defense
Comment: These are the weeks that have you licking your chops &mdash Louisiana Tech at LSU. The Tigers have surrendered points, but they're still creating mayhem in the backfield and passing lanes — just ask Alabama's John Parker Wilson. Start 'em.
C.J. BACHER
Northwestern, QB
Comment: Bacher's cooled off significantly since raining on Michigan State and Minnesota. He's not a terrible play at home, but Indiana's pass rush, averaging nearly four sacks a game, should be licking its chops. The Wildcats have given up 30 sacks this season.
BEN MAUK
Cincinnati, QB
Comment: We think Cincinnati could really take it to UConn this week, but err on the side of caution against the Husky defense. Six touchdowns, 19 interceptions — that's what UConn’s done this year. Mauk's been on a nice run, but Randy Edsall's made good quarterbacks look bad before.
CASSEN JACKSON-GARRISON
Vanderbilt, RB
Comment: Kentucky's defense has been a sieve against the run, but the Commodores' backfield situation is too cloudy to gamble. How cloudy? Three different players have led Vandy running backs in carries the last three games. Jackson-Garrison was once the leader, but he's fallen back into a RBBC.
RASHARD MENDENHALL
Illinois, RB
Comment: Sit the fourth-leading rusher in the country? At least consider it. The majority of Mendenhall's yardage has come against non-league peons and Big 10 bottom dwellers. Against Missouri, Penn State, Iowa and Michigan, he averaged just 65 yards per game.
DARNELL JENKINS
Miami, WR
Comment: Jenkins is electric once he touches the ball, but the ball has to get to him first. Kirby Freeman hasn't proven he can consistently run the Hurricane offense. On top of that, Jenkins draws Chris Cook, a nice cover corner for Virginia.
PRESTON PARKER
Florida State, WR
Comment: A general rule of thumb is to avoid starting anyone against Virginia Tech shutdown corner Brandon Flowers. Parker's got great talent as a frosh, but in Blacksburg, against Flowers, it's just not a good idea.
ANTHONY HARRISON
Louisiana Tech, TE
Comment: Normally a pretty good option at tight end, Harrison's status for this week is up in the air. Even if he does play, Tech will need him to back preventing LSU from repeatedly decking quarterback Zac Champion.
JACOB TAMME
Kentucky, TE
Comment: Vanderbilt has allowed a tight end to catch just one ball the last three weeks. Tamme's one of Andre Woodson's favorite targets, but the Commodores should look to take him away, at which time Woodson will do damage with his other personnel.
WARLEY LEROY
Florida Atlantic, K
Comment: Leroy's in the Top 20 for scoring among kickers, but don't overlook the misses that take points off the board in our world. Leroy's missed seven of 20 attempts, including three in a game the Owls could have had against South Florida on Oct. 6.
BILLY VINNEDGE
Wyoming, K
Comment: Vinnedge gets props for taking on both kicking and punting duties, each of which he handles nobly. However, Utah's defense is real tough at home, and we don't like the Cowboys offense going in and giving Vinnedge many chances.
ARKANSAS
Defense
Comment: As up and down as Tennessee's been, it still takes tremendous care of the ball — just four fumbles lost and seven picks thrown. The Razorbacks' numbers are favorably skewed courtesy of games against North Texas, Chattanooga, Ole Miss and Florida International.
UCLA
Defense
Comment: When selecting defenses, consider not just the opposition but the team's own offense. The Bruins have enough trouble moving the ball with their first, second or third options at QB. Now they've got No. 4, Ossar Rasshan, giving it a go. The UCLA D will be on the field all day.
Mauser is UPDATE! College Football Editor.
