Top quarterbacks demonstrated impressive performances during college football's Week 12 matchups.

Phil Robinson

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Top QBs shine in college football Week 12 image

TL;DR

Fernando Mendoza sets Indiana passing touchdown record and leads team to highest ranking ever.
Marcel Reed overcomes poor first half with career-high passing yards and touchdowns for Texas A&M.
Will Moore's impressive performance against Minnesota raises questions about his NFL draft stock.
Ty Simpson's struggles against Oklahoma impact Alabama's SEC championship and CFP hopes.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza continues his quest for the Heisman Trophy as he simultaneously rewrites the Indiana record books. Mendoza’s 30 passing touchdowns is a new school record and Indiana’s No. 2 ranking is the highest in school history as well.

Next week vs Purdue is 2025’s final trap with a potential trip to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on the line.

Why is he the man? He’s not the biggest, nor is he the most explosive runner possessing electric moves in the open field. He doesn’t have the biggest arm in the world and his ball placement on deep passes is good but not great.

The awards and accolades are great at the college level but Mendoza continues to establish himself as QB1 and widening the gap between himself and his competitors. Flawlessly executing the offense while minimizing negative plays, taking what the defense gives him but most importantly capitalizing on every opportunity afforded to him.

Wow week, especially at College Station

Week 12 was a roller coaster of a week and quarterback play had to be tracked by the half. An insane amount of momentum swings saw bad halves turn into great comebacks. It also saw phenomenal opening starts fade in the clutch.

A&M faces South Carolina, Reed vs. Sellars

Absolute pandemonium of a football game and the epitome of a tale of two halves. The game started with Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed having the worst game of his life. Having thrown two interceptions and a thick six fumble recovery to South Carolina defensive tackle Nick Barrett. A&M scored just three points on its first 10 possessions.

In the third quarter alone the offense went bananas finishing with 240 yards of offense on 17 plays. Reed, atoning for a poor first half, would throw for 203 yards on 9/12 attempts and three touchdowns. Adding another 95 passing yards on 7/8 attempts to finish with a career-high 439 yards passing and three touchdowns.

LaNorris Sellars threw touchdowns of 50 and 80 yards and 204 total passing yards in the first half. In the second half he amassed a whopping 63 yards passing and was under constant duress, being sacked four times in the fourth quarter.

Oregon vs. Minnesota: Moore

Will Moore return to Oregon for an additional season? Alternatively, is he the third-highest-rated quarterback in the current draft class? The crux of the matter lies in your assessment of his performance this season. Moore achieved a completion rate of 27 out of 30 passes, accumulating 306 yards, two touchdowns, and a qb rating of 197.7 against a Minnesota secondary that was perhaps overrated. A single query remains: can he succeed against superior opponents? The USC Trojans are scheduled to visit next week, with a potential CFP berth at stake.

Backsliding in the pack

Early in the season, numerous quarterbacks appeared poised for stardom. However, as the season has advanced and is now concluding, some haven't lived up to expectations. A few are faltering at a critical juncture.

Oklahoma's John Mateer faces off against Alabama's Ty Simpson.

Alabama's quarterback, Simpson, was considered a candidate for the starting QB position before the draft, even though he was a junior. Nevertheless, their 23-21 defeat against Oklahoma, marking their second conference loss, has severely impacted their prospects. Alabama is now out of contention for the SEC championship game and is barely on the edge of CFP eligibility. The formidable defense orchestrated by Oklahoma's head coach, Brent Venables, proved overwhelming for Simpson and Alabama's offensive unit.

USC vs. Iowa: Maiava leads

Maiava continues to impress and help build Makai Lemon’s campaign for the Biletnikoff Award. Throwing for 254 yards, and a touchdown on 23/32 attempts is no small feat against the Iowa defense. Winning 26-21 is a great team win but doesn’t do much for Maiava’s campaign.

Ole Miss vs. Florida-Trinidad Chambliss

Chambliss started with great intensity and was quickly making a significant impact in the SEC. While a close loss to Georgia wasn't a catastrophic event, his performance has since declined somewhat. The Florida Gators presented a substantial challenge for Chambliss, even exceeding his capabilities.