Football Writers Association of America News

A calmer week for CFP Selection Committee

Central Michigan DB Claims Arned Forces Merit Award

Arion Carter posted a season-high 13 tackles within Tennessee’s impressive defensive showing against No. 6 Kentucky, leading the Vols to a convincing 34-6 win. His 10 solo stops led a crew that kept Kentucky out of the end zone for the first time this season in front of a sold-out Neyland Stadium. For his stops and career-best sacks and TFL marks, Carter earned Powe the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Nov. 7 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Georgia offensive tackle Earnest Greene III spurred an offensive line that helped produce 295 rushing yards and allowed but one sack at the Bulldogs cruised, 42-7, at Ole Miss the past Saturday. For his high blocking grade and leadership up front, Greene III was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Nov. 7 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Top performances for first-year players and coaches.

The Utah Utes remained unbeaten with a 28-20 rivalry victory over No. 9 BYU on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, overcoming a six-point halftime deficit behind four interceptions and a second-half shutout. For improving to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 play, the Utes earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Nov. 7, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

It's an Elimination Saturday for sure. 

Notre Dame guard Sullivan Absher anchored the right side of the Fighting Irish offensive line Saturday, propelling a balanced attack that produced 204 rushing yards and 222 passing yards in a 35-13 win over Navy in Foxboro, Mass. For maintaining the dominance up front combined with high blocking grades, Absher was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 31 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Justin Powe tied the Troy school record with three interceptions last Thursday, including one he returned 37 yards for a touchdown, within an impressive defensive showing in the Trojans’ 24-21 overtime win at James Madison. The free safety’s takeaways plus two pass break ups and seven total tackles helped change the game in Troy’s upset and earned Powe the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 31 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Each week during the 2026 season, we will highlight the notable performances of first-year players and head coaches leading up to the selection of our annual Freshman All-America Team and the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by Chris Doering Mortgage. Here are the top performances from Week 9, the weekend of Oct. 31.

The USC Trojans stunned No. 2 Ohio State, 30-18, Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, scoring on their second play from scrimmage and holding the Buckeyes without a touchdown for nearly 58 minutes. For earning their first home victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent since 2015 and delivering the biggest victory of Lincoln Riley's tenure as head coach, the Trojans earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 31, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Moving  to Elimination Time?

South Carolina center Nolan Hay cleared the way for the Gamecocks to roll up 344 total yards against one of the FBS’ top defenses Saturday. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was electric again working behind Hay’s protection, and for his work up front in South Carolina’s 27-24 win over No. 11 Tennessee, Hay was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 24, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

New Mexico safety Austin Brawley provided the Lobos with the decisive score in Saturday’s key 21-16 win over North Dakota State with a pick-six in the fourth quarter, keeping the Lobos’ unbeaten in the Mountain West. For snagging his second interception of the season plus guiding the defense to perhaps its best showing of the season, Brawley earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 24 by the Football Writers Association of America.

The UCF Knights stunned No. 2 BYU, 39-31, in double overtime Saturday at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando, earning their first victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent in program history. For handing the previously unbeaten Cougars their first loss of the season, the Knights earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 24, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Each week during the 2026 season, we will highlight the notable performances of first-year players and head coaches leading up to the selection of our annual Freshman All-America Team and the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by Chris Doering Mortgage. Here are the top performances from Week 8, the weekend of Oct. 24.

Week 8 Promises to be a little calmer than Week 7, we think... 

Penn State’s Alex Manske is this week’s nominee for the 2026 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Manske, a redshirt freshman quarterback, underwent open heart surgery this past spring but returned to the playing field for the Nittany Lions, with a nine-inch scar across his chest.

Kentucky safety Jordan Castell picked off a pair of passes Saturday, returning the second for a touchdown in the final 90 seconds that sealed the Wildcats’ 21-13 win at Oklahoma. Those takeaways, plus nine tackles and a pass breakup, earned Castell the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 17 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Houston center Anthony Boswell anchored a line last Saturday that created opportunities for the Cougars to rack up one of their most successful offensive outputs since joining the Big 12. For guiding the blocking in what became a 505-total yard output in No. 20 Houston’s 35-32 win over No. 18 Oklahoma State, Boswell was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 17, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.