Florida State is likely to be hurt a bit in a lot of the All-America and All-ACC balloting because so few of the starters have been able to stay on the field thanks to a number of blowout wins. But in the power rankings, credit where it’s due.
(Last week’s rankings in parentheses)
1. Jameis Winston (1): With Johnny Manziel and Bryce Petty both losing Saturday, the Heisman race is pretty much over, as long as Winston’s legal difficulties don’t scare voters away.
2. Lamarcus Joyner (2): Four tackles in the game, but one was worth noting. Joyner came on a blitz but couldn’t get to QB Taylor Davis in time. Davis completed a pass to Dezmon Epps, who raced for a 68-yard gain. The only reason it wasn’t a touchdown is because Joyner ran nearly the entire length of the field to chase him down.
3. Timmy Jernigan (3): If Jernigan was the only player on the field for FSU’s defense, he still would have won a majority of the battles. He dominated Idaho’s O-line, racking up six tackles, 4.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks in less than a half of action.
4. Devonta Freeman (4): His chase for 1,000 yards is back on after a stellar 11-carry, 129-yard day against the Vandals.
5. Telvin Smith (6): Four tackles and a pick-six. A fitting send off in front of the home crowd for one of FSU’s most vocal leaders.
6. Rashad Greene (5): Another quiet day for Greene, who had just two catches for 29 yards. But while teams focus on him, his counterparts are racking up a myriad of big plays.
7. Jalen Ramsey (8): If you ranked the five biggest hits delivered by FSU defenders Saturday, Ramsey would’ve had at least three of them.
8. Kenny Shaw (NR): Finally hit the 100-yard mark, catching five passes for 107 yards and two scores. Shaw, like Greene, is on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards this year, but he’s already over 1,000 all-purpose yards.
9. Christian Jones (7): Relatively quiet day for Jones, but that’s to be expected given how little time the first-team D spent on the field.
10. Nick O’Leary (9): Just one catch for 13 yards, but O’Leary continues to be a huge weapon over the middle.
Honorable mentions: S Terrence Brooks, WR Kelvin Benjamin, RB Karlos Williams