Week 14 college football players to watch

Think about this for a second: For all that Barrett has accomplished at Ohio State, this will be his first Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes missed out on the last two conference championship games despite qualifying for the College Football Playoff last year. In their 2014 national championship season, Barrett missed the game due to injury, and Cardale Jones made history. Or course, Barrett comes into the bout with Wisconsin nursing a controversial knee injury. He's probable to play, and the Buckeyes will need him against that tough Wisconsin defense. There's a slim chance for Ohio State to get back to the Playoff, and Barrett needs to give it a go. 

It will be hard for TCU to beat Oklahoma for the Big 12 title in a shootout, so the Horned Frogs must find some way to slow down the Sooners' offense. Boesen is coming off a career game, registering 5.5 sacks against Baylor last week — a TCU and Big 12 record. Against the Bears, he had 10 tackles and a forced fumble and was named the Walter Camp Player of the Week. He and the Frogs need to get pressure on Baker Mayfield and get him uncomfortable if they have any chance of winning the conference championship. 

Bryant may be a junior who spent his first two seasons at Clemson getting to the National Championship Game, but this is the first time he is the man running the show. He will go up against one of the toughest defenses he has faced all season long. While Bryant won't give you those Deshaun Watson-type unreal performances, he has done a great job taking hold of the offense. Miami is one of the best at forcing turnovers so the key to another ACC title is Bryant's ability to limit mistakes, especially ones that turn into points. Win in Charlotte, and Clemson is back in the College Football Playoff again.

Chubb is the second leading rusher ever at Georgia, trailing only former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker. As good as he's been, when the Bulldogs faced Auburn a few weeks ago, Chubb and his backfield mate Sony Michel were awful. Chubb rushed for a season-low 27 yards and averaged just 2.5 yards per carry. Auburn is hot right now, and that Georgia backfield must perform well to not only move the ball, but control the time of possession. The SEC East hasn't won the conference's championship game since 2008, so Georgia has a lot on the line come Saturday.

Ferguson has had a spectacular season. He leads the AAC in passing yards and is in the top 10 nationally. He's thrown 32 touchdown passes to just 8 interceptions and may be best known for outdueling UCLA's Josh Rosen back in September. Even when throwing just nine passes in a blowout win over East Carolina last week, three of them went for touchdowns. If Memphis wants to win the AAC title over UCF in Orlando, Ferguson will have to have yet another stellar outing.

Fine has been a big part of the Mean Green's bounce-back season.The sophomore has thrown for nearly 3,400 yards and 27 touchdowns. Fine may not have those eye-popping numbers games, but he's just so consistent. He set state records for passing in Oklahoma in high school, but his lack of ideal height left him under-recruited. He has settled in nicely for North Texas and has his squad in the Conference USA Championship Game. 

Fromm isn't asked to do as much as other quarterbacks at high-profile schools. In 12 games this season, he has completed at least 10 passes in just six contests and only thrown 20-plus passes just four times. That limited work doesn't limit his importance to the offense. He completed just 46 percent of his passes when the Dawgs were blown out by Auburn on Nov. 11. He doesn't have to be Matt Stafford, but he needs to be good enough to keep the defense honest against the run. Play solid and UGA is in the Playoff.

Not much has gone right for the Seminoles this season, but that doesn't take away from the talent that James has. He's one of the best defensive backs in the nation and should be one of the top draft picks in next spring's NFL Draft. Florida State rescheduled its previously canceled game against Louisiana Monroe in an attempt to get bowl-eligible for a record 36th straight year, which is remarkable since the Noles were sitting at 2-5. 

Johnson leads the Hurricanes in tackles and interceptions, has recovered two fumbles, and forced two fumbles. He is a disruptive force for a Miami defense that has been defined by its ability to create turnovers. Against Clemson in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, Johnson and that defense must be able to rattle the Tigers' young QB Kelly Bryant. Do that and Miami will almost assuredly find itself in the College Football Playoff.

Most people think of Sam Darnold when discussing the Trojans' offense, but it has been Jones II who has been the stabilizing force. He has rushed for over 1,300 yards this season and has been superb over the last four games. In those four contests, Jones has averaged 168 yards rushing and scored a total of 8 TDs. While Stanford's Bryce Love will get the bulk of the attention of the running backs, Jones could be the difference in USC winning its first Pac-12 title since 2008. By the way, USC is trying to become the first South Division champion to win the Pac-12 title game since its inception seven years ago.

Love has been great this season. Despite missing the Cardinal's win over Oregon State in the middle of the season, he is second in the nation in rushing yards (1,848). With Stanford playing in the Pac-12 title game against USC, Love could take over the lead. He's reached triple digits rushing in all but one game and was a serious Heisman contender until his injury derailed his production. 

Of course the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy is a guy to watch, but this week's Big 12 title game against TCU is a culmination of what Oklahoma has been playing for all season long. While Mayfield may be just a week away from winning the Heisman, it's been quite a roller-coaster ride. From planting a flag in Columbus to shouting obscenities to his opponents, Mayfield hasn't had the rosiest of paths to a title. However, his play on the field has been sparkling, and he's one win away from getting back to the College Football Playoff. Remember that four of the last eight Heisman winners went on to a national championship.

Last week, McMaryion threw for 332 yards and 2 TDs against Boise State for a 28-17 win. This week in the Mountain West Championship Game, McMaryion goes up against the Broncos again, this time in Boise. He's improved all season long, and he's done very well in the Bulldogs' last three road games (139.86 efficiency rating). For Fresno State to win back-to-back games against Boise State, McMaryion needs to continue his development. If he does, a MW championship trophy is coming back to Fresno. 

Need a big play? Call on Miller. Miller has been Memphis' big-play receiver all season. Last week against East Carolina he caught just three passes but totaled 144 yards (an 89-yard catch will help that average). The prior week against SMU, he had 163 yards receiving. Against UConn earlier this season, he had 15 receptions for 224 yards and 4 TDs. Needless to say, Miller will need to be a big part of the Tigers' offense if Memphis looks to end UCF's undefeated season and win a American Athletic Conference title.

There is next to no chance that undefeated UCF could find a way to the College Football Playoff, but the Knights and their quarterback have had one of the best seasons in the nation. Milton has thrown 30 TDs and just six picks and has rushed for a score in six of the last seven games. Last week against rival South Florida, he piled up 373 yards passing and four touchdowns through the air, plus 56 yards and a TD rushing. UCF will have a home-field advantage when the Knights face Memphis for the American championship Saturday. 

Arkansas State plays Troy on Saturday with the winner getting a share of the Sun Belt crown. The man to watch is Rolland-Jones (No. 11, pictured). He is second in the nation with 12 sacks, and all 12 he's tallied in the last seven games. He was the Sun Belt's Player of the Year in 2016 and could repeat the feat this year. He and the Red Wolves get a rare chance to play on national TV this Saturday, and the Sun Belt's all-time sack leader looks to add to his total. 

When FAU needs a touchdown, Devin Singletary is the man it goes to. Aside from the season-opening loss to Navy, he has scored a touchdown in every game this year. His 26 rushing scores comfortably lead the FBS, and he's been a key cog to Lane Kiffin's offense. The Owls have won eight straight, and Singletary has averaged 159 yards per game. FAU hosts North Texas for the Conference USA Championship Game. 

All Auburn has done is beat the No. 1 team twice in the last three weeks, putting the Tigers squarely in sight of a College Football Playoff berth. They must beat Georgia again — in Atlanta, no less — and maybe without their top running back Kerryon Johnson. In the five games since stinking in up at LSU, Stidham has been solid, scoring a total of 11 touchdowns and making big plays. Against Georgia a few weeks back, he completed 16-of-23 passes for 214 yards and 3 TDs (he also ran one in). Stidham needs one more complete game to win an improbable SEC championship and Playoff bid.

Taylor has had a sensational freshman season. He's rushed for 1,806 yards and 13 TDs this season. While quarterback Alex Hornibrook can be shaky at times, Taylor has been the rock. Against Ohio State this Saturday, Wisconsin has a shot to win the Big Ten title, stay undefeated and nab a berth in the College Football Playoff. Taylor must be big, and as great as he's been this season, he's only scored two touchdowns in the last five weeks.

Woodside's illustrious Toledo career is winding down with a matchup against Akron in the MAC Championship Game. He's thrown for 3,451 yards and tossed 27 TDs with just 3 interceptions this season. In his earlier meeting with the Zips, Woodside threw for 304 yards and 5 touchdowns in the rout. He currently owns the fourth best QB rating in FBS, just ahead of Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph. While he may not be a first-round pick, Woodside should get a look by an NFL team as a mid-round pick.