Football Writers Association of America News

North Carolina’s Max Johnson is this week’s nominee for the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Johnson, a sixth-year senior quarterback, overcame a potentially debilitating knee injury to return to the field for the Tar Heels this season.

Calling for Volney Meece Scholarship applications.

Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor played every snap in Saturday’s knock-down, drag-out win over Georgia and graded out at a team-high 89 percent as the Crimson Tide made a statement to open SEC play with a 24-21 road win in Sanford Stadium. For his play not allowing a quarterback pressure or a sack protecting and blocking for an Alabama offense that helped end Georgia’s 33-game home win streak, Proctor has earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Sept. 27, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Ohio State’s inside-outside defensive force of Kayden McDonald at tackle and Caden Curry on the end helped the top-ranked Buckeyes limit Washington to just 61 yards on the ground and take a 24-6 road win in Seattle. Curry’s five tackles for loss tied the school record to go with a career-high 11 tackles, and McDonald’s career-high seven tackles included three for losses that earned the duo a share of the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week for the weekend of Sept. 27, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Jack Leo catalogues the best first-year performances from last Saturday.

Oregon is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 5 as safety Dillon Thieneman ended a 30-24 overtime win at Penn State with a leaping interception, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.

The Virginia Cavaliers knocked off then-No. 8 Florida State in overtime Friday, setting loose a wild celebration as Virginia won its fourth home game of the season, 46-38. For taking its highest-ranked win at Scott Stadium in the last 20 years, Virginia has earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Sept. 27, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Mr. College Football takes a look at games last Saturday.

Jesse Temple, formerly of The Athletic, has been named the winner of the FWAA's Steve Ellis Beat Writer of the Year Award for the 2024 season, the association announced on Thursday. He still covers Wisconsin, but now reports for Badger Connect.

Michigan’s Ernest Hausmann is this week’s nominee for the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Hausmann, a senior linebacker, has overcome numerous childhood hardships to develop into a captain for the Wolverines who has started his own charity and poured his heart into numerous causes for the underserved.

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had a hand in two turnovers Saturday to go with a team-leading 11 tackles as the Red Raiders more than contained then-No. 16 Utah in a statement 34-10 road win. For his game-changing plays and defensive leadership in Texas Tech’s Big 12 Conference opener, Rodriguez has earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Sept. 20 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Oklahoma defensive tackle Jayden Jackson posted a career-high 2.5 sacks among a school-record defensive punch by the Sooners in a 24-17 home win Saturday over No. 22 Auburn. Jackson doubled his career sack total in the game and has earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Sept. 20, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Jack Leo reviews the top first-year coach and player performances during last Saturday's games.

Mr. College Football takes a look at the results of last weekend and offers some opinions.

In front of its second-largest home crowd in program history, the Indiana Hoosiers pounded out 312 rushing yards as part of 579 total yards in a 63-10 wipeout of No. 9 Illinois at Memorial Stadium. For posting the most points a Big Ten team has ever scored against an AP top-10 team, Indiana earns the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Sept. 20, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Memphis is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 4 after safety Chris Bracy's strip and recovery sealed an 18-point comeback win over Arkansas, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.

FWAA Columnist Mark Blaudschun takes a look at the Big Ten's obsession (as well as Fox Sports' ) with a multi-layered CFB Playoff, which would fill up their bank accounts but makes no sense.  

Tom Shatel had his origins at Mizzou:  Harpo's, the Heidelberg, Shakespeare's, Booches and other establishments where beer drinking is still the final class of the day....The Columns, Jesse Hall...Faurot Field, the Hearnes Center. And, of course, the world famous J-School halls which were the launching pads for Tom Shatel's and several other great careers such as Dodd's.

Army’s Larry Pickett Jr. is the first weekly nomination for the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Pickett, a sophomore safety, rescued a man from a burning car earlier this season.

The Georgia Bulldogs outlasted Tennessee in overtime Saturday, rolling up more than 500 total yards to remain undefeated on the season and win in SEC opener. Drew Bobo was the stalwart up front at center, guiding an offensive line that plugged some injury holes in its starting lineup and still cranked up multiple rallies in the win, including in overtime. For his efforts, Bobo has earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Sept. 13, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.