CBS Sports shakes up Top 10 QB Power Rankings with new No. 1 ahead of Week 10
Week 10 is upon us, and there have been some notable quarterback performances throughout the season so far. It’s also led to another shakeup in CBS Sports’ Top 10 QB Power Rankings.
Once again, there’s a new player atop the list. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix now holds the top spot after leading the Ducks to a huge victory over Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium and remains the nation’s leader in completion percentage.
Last week’s top quarterback — LSU’s Jayden Daniels — dropped to No. 2 after the Tigers’ bye week. He’ll have quite the opportunity to move back up to No. 1, though, as LSU heads to Alabama on Saturday.
1. Bo Nix, Oregon
Bo Nix is in the midst of an impressive year at Oregon, bringing an FBS-leading 78.3% completion percentage into Saturday’s matchup against Cal. He’s also squarely in the mix for the Heisman Trophy and added to his case with last week’s showing at Utah.
Nix completed 24 of 31 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns to lead Oregon to the 35-6 trouncing of the Utes. It was another big game for the former Auburn quarterback, who’ll try to keep things rolling Saturday when Cal comes to Eugene.
2. Jayden Daniels, LSU
LSU has the top offense in the nation this year, and Jayden Daniels is the biggest reason why. The Tigers lead the nation with 552.9 total yards per game, which includes 386.8 yards per contest from the former Arizona State star.
Daniels enters Week 10 with the third-best Heisman Trophy odds, according to BetMGM. He will try to not only add to his Heisman case, but also get back atop the QB Power Rankings under the lights when LSU takes on Alabama.
3. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Another quarterback coming off a bye, J.J. McCarthy sits right behind Nix as one of the nation’s most efficient passers. He has completed 78.1% of his passes as he led Michigan to an 8-0 start to the season before the off week.
McCarthy is a threat with both his arm and his legs, which makes him dangerous for opposing defenses. Michigan will take on Purdue this week out of the bye, but a big game awaits next week against Penn State.
4. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Michael Penix Jr. enters Week 10 as the Heisman favorite once again after previously ceding that title to McCarthy at one point. The Washington quarterback started to look like his old self again with a 369-yard, four-touchdown performance against Stanford last week.
Penix looks like a prime candidate for a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony if he keeps playing at such a high level. His next opportunity will come on a big stage on Saturday when Washington plays USC.
5. Jordan Travis, Florida State
The leader of the ACC’s top offense, Jordan Travis has been impressive all year for Florida State. He put together one of his best games yet last week against Wake Forest to help the Seminoles come away with the 41-16 victory.
Travis threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns as part of his monster showing, which helped FSU get that much closer to an ACC title game appearance. Two conference games remain, starting with Saturday’s tilt against Pitt.
6. Caleb Williams, USC
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams has had a rough few weeks for USC. Last week was better, though, as the Trojans did just enough to defeat Cal 50-49.
Williams threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns in the game as he tried to get back on track after two straight losses. Next up for USC is a high-profile matchup against Washington at home on Saturday.
7. Carson Beck, Georgia
Carson Beck got off to a bit of a slow start to the year, but the Georgia quarterback has put it all together in recent weeks. His biggest game of the season came last week against Florida in Jacksonville, and that catapulted him from unranked to No. 10 in CBS’ Top 10 QB Power Rankings.
Beck completed 19 of 28 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns to help lead Georgia to the resounding 43-20 victory in the rivalry matchup. It was quite the statement for Beck, who’ll try for a repeat performance against Missouri this week.
8. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Jayden de Laura was healthy last week, but Noah Fifita got the start for Arizona and once again delivered. He led the Wildcats to a huge, 27-24 upset of Oregon State by completing the eventual game-winning touchdown pass with 2:22 to play.
On the night, Fifita completed 25 of 32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. It was another big game from the redshirt freshman, who could get another shot this week against UCLA.
9. Kaidon Salter, Liberty
Year 1 in Conference USA has been an impressive one for Liberty, which is 8-0 thanks to a big season from Kaidon Salter. He ranks tied for 10th in the nation with 19 passing touchdowns, including three in last week’s win over Western Kentucky.
Salter has looked solid in the first season under Jamey Chadwell at Liberty. The Flames will try to keep the momentum going this week against Louisiana Tech as they continue their quest for a league title.
10. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
It’s been an up-and-down season for Haynes King after transferring from Texas A&M. He picked up another huge win last week, leading Georgia Tech to a 46-42 win over North Carolina to improve to 4-4 on the season.
In that game, King threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns on 23 of 30 passing. It was quite the performance, and he’ll look to build on that this week against Virginia.
It’s safe to say CBS Sports isn’t done updating its QB Power Rankings now that November is upon us. Some big performances could be in the cards in the next few weeks as teams march toward their conference championships and the College Football Playoff.