Pollack: Best college defense & player are from same squad

Contributing Writer
David Pollack names college football’s best defense and player, from the same team image

November is the month to separate college football names. Whether it be separating teams by contenders versus pretenders or separating names for various awards. With the end of the season less than a month away, the media are fully entrenched in projecting accolades.

This week former Georgia Bulldog and current college football analyst David Pollack aimed to separate names on two lists. Best defensive team and leader in the Heisman Trophy race. The kicker is they are both from the same team.

It’s completely possible that you are currently doing some team math right now. Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin, Ty Simpson, Jeremiah Smith, Deigo Pavia happen to be the top 5 in the Heisman race according to Fox Sports. However, Pollack is not thinking quarterback. The position that has won the award the most.

Yet if you’re thinking none of those teams have been discussed as having the best defense, you’re right. Pollack is not considering those quarterbacks for the sport’s best individual award. The Heisman Trophy and the sports’ best defensive team don’t typically go hand-in-hand, but Pollack claims they do this year.

Texas Tech wins both, Pollack predicts

Last week No. 8 Texas Tech faced off against No. 7 BYU. It was a game many viewed as the game of the week. Two evenly matched top 10 teams from the same conference. The game even felt like a Big 12 championship game preview. The game was anything but close. This was a one-sided affair and a showcase for the Red Raider defense.

Texas Tech only allowed 188 yards passing and only 67 yards rushing on the day while only giving up a 4th quarter touchdown. They would eventually win that game in stunning fashion, 29-7. In that game, star edge rusher David Bailey had a solid day. But no Red Raider defender had the day Jacob Rodriguez had. Pollack’s early pick for Heisman front runner.

Pollack: Third defensive Heisman winner predicted

Leave it up to a former defensive player with 9 defensive collegiate awards to back the lone defender on the list. There has been a narrative brewing locally among Red Raiders fans that linebacker Jacob Rodriguez should be included in Heisman Trophy conversations. On Saturday vs BYU, he gave a performance worthy of such a conversation. 14 tackles, 9 solo, a tackle for loss and a timely interception.

The issue with Pollack picking Rodriguez is he’s a defender and there have only been two Heisman Trophy winners in 90 years to win it. The good news is both of them happened in the last 30 years. The most recent of which, Travis Hunter, was last year. The husband of a famous military helicopter pilot will need another attack like he had against BYU for Pollack’s claim to be realized.

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Contributing Writer