Arch Manning, Ethan Grunkemeyer, and 8 other QBs couldn’t stop the Ohio State. The Buckeyes are one of the three teams remaining undefeated. But Josh Pate pointed out how a rookie quarterback who had one of the worst halves of his career could wreck Ryan Day’s streak. This belief comes from the performance of a Texas A&M star who turned restless booing into explosive disbelief at Kyle Field.

In the recent episode of the Colin Cowherd Podcast and the Josh Pate College Football Show, when the topic of playoff games came up, Josh Pate didn’t hold back. He pointed directly to Marcel Reed and stated that he was the one who might cause serious issues for Ohio State while everyone else battled over rankings. “I’m really interested how Marcel Reed would play against them,” Pate said. “We’re coming off the worst half of football we’ll ever see him play in his life, followed by like one of the best.

“When you talk about matchups, people always misunderstand you intentionally. What I did say is out of all the matchups they(Ohio State) could draw in the postseason, that’s the one that would get my attention the most. Because that’s the one that would probably keep them up at night the longest.” Nobody envisioned what Reed had in his locker, going 6-for-19 for 141 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble. But the very next, he was making throws with a fearlessness that felt personal.

That was the night when a struggling starter turned into the quarterback that no powerhouse wants to see in December. Texas A&M should’ve been dead in the water. Down 30–3 at home to a 3–6 South Carolina team? The $2.2M QB appeared to have reached his lowest point. Most teams don’t even try to climb out of the crater after those slips. But the redshirt sophomore became an entirely different quarterback after that.

Marcel Reed completed the greatest comeback in A&M history with 298 yards on 16-of-20 passing, three touchdowns, and zero penalties. He turned 4th-and-12 desperation into a highlight that ignited 28 unanswered. That was the exact “matchup nightmare” Pate warned about. By the end of the evening, it was clear why Pate believed Marcel Reed was the quarterback who could truly break through Ohio State’s defenses.

He transformed criticism into confidence, pressure into leadership, and a Heisman campaign into the AP Player of the Week, Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week, and No. 3 in the trophy race. He is unpredictable and emotionally charged in a way that turns games upside down.

Marcel Reed just crashed the Heisman race

After passing the ball to everyone except his own receivers for the entire first half, Marcel Reed suddenly appeared to be the version of himself that some refer to as “Heisman-level.” The same quarterback who had been mocked off the field only moments before came back with erratic fire. The guy was dragging his team back from the edge.

Even Johnny Manziel felt the shift. On the Nightcap podcast, he laughed through the chaos as he shared the locker-room moment that flipped everything: Mike Elko said, “Man, our quarterback, I think he was playing for the other team in the first half.” And Manziel? “You’re probably right, coach.” But they were both aware that what came next was more important. He cut the lead to six, sparked a game-tying touchdown drive by EJ Smith, and allowed Randy Bond’s field goal to cap off the greatest comeback in Texas A&M history.

“Could’ve gone up. Could’ve gone down. Doesn’t matter to me. We are focused on winning games right now.” It was a quarterback who was aware of how quickly Saturdays can turn everything around. How one half can make you appear washed, and the other half can put you back in the national spotlight. The Heisman race suddenly seems like a high-wire performance, with Julian Sayin staying perfect and Ty Simpson faltering. Also, the Reed vs. Sayin clash may end up determining more than the playoff race if the season continues to get closer to that ultimate A&M–Ohio State shutdown.