Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. has half a sack. LSU's Harold Perkins Jr. has 1.5 tackles for loss. Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II is averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Missouri's Luther Burden III is on pace for about 850 receiving yards. Georgia's Carson Beck is 12th in Total QBR -- good, but not "best player in the country?" good.
These players' teams are a combined 17-2, mind you; they haven't been epic disappointments by any means. But four weeks into the 2024 college football season, a lot of the players we thought would be the best in the country haven't really found fifth gear.