COLLEGE FOOTBALL: PLANT YOUR FLAG, WEEK 13

Another week of College football, another casualty for 5 Yard College Plant Your Flag. This time it was Tom’s TE Pat Freiermuth who has now been shut down for the year following surgery on a undisclosed injury. More on that shortly.

Both Tom & Ash have a guy or two left in their respective buildings but at this rate this article will be referred to the curse of Plant Your Flag in future seasons.

Ash’s Picks

QB – Justin Fields, Ohio State

Week 12: Won 42-35 Vs Indiana

Week 13: Vs Illinois

It was certainly a tale of two halves for Fields against Indiana, it was always going to be a struggle with the way Indiana have started the year and gave both Fields and Ohio a game. Fields was uncharacteristic on the day throwing his first interception of the year and finished the day with three interceptions, that was as many as he had in the whole of 2019.

Despite the poor performance Fields still came away with over 300 yards and three touchdowns but its the interceptions and decision making that really caught peoples eye with a couple of those throws easily readable after trying to throw under serious pressure instead of getting rid and should not be the sort of mistakes a potential #1 pick makes.

Fields is still a top top prospect but this game will have dented his claim to the #1 spot and also the Heisman with so many guys (Kyle Trask, Mac Jones Etc) having almost flawless seasons so far.

Next up is a redemption game for Fields against Illinois and to cancel out the noise from those critics surrounding him.

RB – Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

Opt out.

What sort of dent will Hill decision to opt out have on his draft stock with so many other running backs around him showing out in 2020, Ethienne, Harris and Hubbard are continue to show what makes them top of the class and other guys like Patterson and Gainswell also having impressive years.

Hill is likely viewed as a mid round pick for the 2021 class which is proving deeper than anyone could anticipate.

WR – Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State

Week 12: Lost 41-13 Vs Oklahoma

Week 13: Vs Texas Tech

Wallace returned from his injury to the line up against bitter rivals Oklahoma in the Bedlam rivalry but it was struggle town for all involved in Oklahoma State as they were picked apart in the heavy defeat.

Wallace still ended the day as the top receiver for the cowboys but with both Spencer Sanders & Shane Illingworth struggling at the QB spot he could only put up 4 receptions for 68 yards. In reality no one on the Oklahoma State offensive had a good day up against this fierce Oklahoma defence.

Wallace continues to keep his second round grade and has the make up of an ready made deep threat option in the NFL from the outset. As long as he can stay healthy and prove he is not injury prone, something which we have seen all to often in the NFL for deep threat wide receivers.

TE – Kyle Pitts, Florida

Week 12: Out Vs Vanderbilt due to injury

Week 13: Vs Kentucky

Kyle Pitts once again had to sit out a game due to that nasty hit sustained against Georgia and undergoing Nasal surgery.

He is expected to back back this week Vs Kentucky and give Trask back his best offensive weapon, not that he personally has missed him in his Heisman campaign season.

Pitts looks to continue his dominate 2020 season in which he has also caught a school record 24 passes for 414 yards and 8 touchdowns. Reaching double digit touchdowns could well be on the cards against a Kentucky team that gave up 66 points to Alabama last week and with a secondary that can be picked apart, expect Pitts to feast on his return.

With Freiermuth shut down for the season the #1 tight end spot & round 1 pick is Kyle Pitts to lose.

Tom’s Picks

QB – Trey Lance, North Dakota State

152 days until Trey Lance is an NFL Quarterback, although as Tom mentioned last week he is slipping down the rankings thanks to a number of rising quarterbacks in 2020. None moreso than Zach Wilson.

RB – Travis Ethienne, Clemson

Week 12: Postponed Vs Florida State

Week 13: @ Pittsburgh

And like that Travis Ethienne is Tom’s sole survivor in our Plant Your Flag series…

Ethienne may still be active and playing but none of Clemson played last weekend due to the game against Florida state being postponed and i am sure you have all seen or heard the fall out from that game.

Next up are Pitt and all signs are currently pointing to this game going ahead, Ethienne had a quiet day last time out against Notre Dame are being shut down but expect him to back to full swing against Pitt and continue his impressive season.

Etienne’s current stat line reads 634 yards and 10 touchdowns from 121 attempts on the ground.

WR – Tamorrion Terry, Florida State

Opted out.

So it was finally announced that Terry had opted out of the season with Florida State and is preparing for the draft.

The thing that still bugs me is just how it came about, unlike most opt outs this was announced as he left the program then it was he opted out. Is there more to this story, we will never know…

TE – Pat Freiermuth, Penn State

Out for the season. Tom has now lost 2 out of 3 Plant Your Flag members for the year now due to Opt outs, injuries and cancelled seasons.

As mentioned early Freiermuth is now out for the year after undergoing shoulder surgery, an injury which he picked up in the Ohio State games two weeks. Freiermuth was still able to play the last two games vs Maryland & Nebraska putting up 91 yards and 113 yards respectively but it seems with the writing on the wall for the disastrous Penn State season it looks like he has decided to prolong he long term health and NFL career by getting the surgery done rather than continue hurt for 2020.

This injury should not have a major impact on Freiemuth’s draft stock unless he experiences any long term issues and is set as the #2 tight end in the 2021 draft class & still floating around the first round selections.

@5yardcollege – Where Saturdays are for rushing, too, Oh and the curse is real for the College Football Plant Your Flag.