Three and Out: QB Uncertainty At Tennessee And Missouri, And The Heisman Race Tightens

The 2024 season is starting to wind down, but the conference championship races are on fire.

Georgia and Tennessee are essentially in a SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff elimination game in Athens in the biggest matchup of the weekend. Plus, two-loss Missouri is hanging on for dear life and will head to South Carolina to take on a hot Gamecocks team.

The Heisman race is wide open as well after Miami - led by quarterback Cam Ward - fell to Georgia Tech.

What should you look forward to this weekend? Let’s take a spin around the college football world in this weekend’s edition of Three and Out.

All Eyes On Nico

The status of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is unknown after reports surfaced on Tuesday that he is in concussion protocol. That is likely a big reason why Tennessee fell from a 9.5-point underdog to 10.5-point underdog on FanDuel Tuesday night.

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 09: Nico Iamaleava #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball in the first half during their game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

This might sound weird, but Iamaleava’s status doesn’t matter all that much. Why? Because the foundation of this Tennessee team is a stellar rushing attack led Dylan Sampson and a ferocious defense that is eighth in the nation in tackles for loss per game at 7.89. What was Georgia’s problem last week in the loss to Ole Miss? It allowed too much pressure in the backfield.

That will continue considering the Vols have monsters up front, including likely future first-round draft pick James Pearce, Jr.

Veteran Gaston Moore would likely serve as the starting quarterback in Iamaleava’s absence. Let’s be real, though, it’s not like Nico has been a superstar this year.

There’s an old adage that, to win, teams have to run the ball and play defense. Tennessee does both of those at an elite level.

Will Brady Cook, Cook?

The status of the starting quarterback for the Missouri Tigers has been up-in-the-air all week, and it’s unlikely that we will get finality on the mystery until the offense takes the field against South Carolina. Unlike the Tennessee situation, this quarterback’s status is a real concern.

Missouri Tigers QB Brady Cook. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Missouri is average at best in getting offenses behind the sticks and it hasn’t been able to get much going all season on the ground, which doesn’t bode well for a team that will get limited possessions due to South Carolina’s ability to pound the rock.

If you’re a gambling man or woman, avoid this one like the plague.

Heisman Odds Tightening

Cam Ward’s (+800) stock dropped like a rock in the Heisman Trophy odds even though he wasn’t the real reason that the Hurricanes lost to the Yellow Jackets. Colorado’s Travis Hunter was the big beneficiary as he jumped to the top spot on the odds board at (-115).

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 09: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes runs with the ball during the first half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

Hunter has been awesome and, even though I can’t tell you my vote since I’m a Heisman Trophy voter, it’s clear that his stock will only increase as the Buffaloes are squarely in the Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff race. He is a massive favorite over Dillon

Gabriel, Ashton Jeanty and the rest of the field. But it’s too late because, barring injury, Hunter likely has this thing locked up.