Another wild Saturday college football has come and gone, with a few wrenches thrown into the playoff race. While the SEC was in the spotlight, Alabama and Georgia took care of business, with the Big-12 losing a playoff contender and the Pac-12 situation becoming clearer.
All eyes were on the SEC for obvious reasons, as the conference hosted two top-25 matchups. After Saturday’s clashes, with Alabama and Georgia winning, we are on the right track towards a monster rematch.
While there wasn’t much chaos to be seen in the South, a different story was being written in the Big 12. Thanks to Oklahoma State, the conference standings look a lot different than where we were a year ago barely two weeks.
The big game in the West, with Washington and USC facing off in Los Angeles, turned into the high-scoring affair most expected.
The path to the SEC championship could lead to a rematch
The world of college football was once again treated to a heavy confrontation between LSU and Alabama. Unfortunately for LSU fans, the defense once again failed to show up, leaving Jayden Daniels to carry the Tigers. On the other side, it was Alabama’s Jalen Milroe who stole the show on the field.
We knew what to expect from LSU’s defense, but watching Jalen Milroe run for 155 yards and four touchdowns wasn’t on my bingo card. The battle between Daniels and Milroe took place on the ground, with both quarterbacks rushing for over 150 yards. But it was Alabama’s defense that knocked Daniels out of the game near the start of the fourth quarter, effectively ending this war.
Ultimately, Alabama used Jalen Milroe to beat teams through the air and on the ground, which LSU couldn’t stop. Now, Nick Saban has a clear path to the SEC Championship, with road games at Kentucky and Auburn to finish conference play.
Georgia beats Missouri, Ole Miss beats Texas A&M, sets up massive game next week
About five hours east, Georgia held off a Missouri team in the second half. Thanks to the defense forcing two interceptions from Brady Cook and Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck managing the offense with two touchdowns, Georgia won 30-21. Unfortunately for opposing teams, Georgia is starting to look offensive, while the defense continues to find ways to attack the opposing backfield.
Credit goes to Missouri for once again giving Georgia a tough game, but the Tigers just didn’t have enough late in the game on offense. Now the Bulldogs’ road to Atlanta gets a little interesting, with 10th-ranked Ole Miss coming to town next week. Kirby Smart will next take his Bulldogs on the road to Tennessee, which could be an even bigger game if Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss can shock the Dawgs next week.
Speaking of Lane Kiffin, his Ole Miss team beat Texas A&M in a wild game in Oxford. There’s certainly no love lost between Jimbo Fisher and Kiffin, with the Aggies falling to 5-4 on the season. As for the Rebels, if they manage to upset Georgia, a trip to the SEC title game would probably still be off the table, but not for the playoffs. Stay tuned.
The Big 12 is chaotic, thanks to Oklahoma State
Just two weeks ago, we were all discussing the potential rematch between Texas and Oklahoma for the Big 12 title. Now, two weeks later, another Oklahoma school is playing for a spot in the championship. conference.
A back and forth between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State was the perfect way to end the “Bedlam” rivalry. Quarterback Alan Bowman led the Cowboys with 334 passing yards, while Ollie Gordon II destroyed the Sooners on the ground, with 137 yards, 2 touchdowns. Although Dillon Gabriel did his best to keep Oklahoma’s playoff hopes alive, it wasn’t enough in the end, as the Sooners lost 27-24.
We have now entered the chaos portion of the Big 12 Conference season. The only team capable of making the playoffs is Texas, and they barely outlasted Kansas State. Playing without Quinn Ewers obviously strains the nerves of Longhorn fans, as they try to maintain their playoff seeding until his return. It might have ended if it weren’t for the Texas defense, which stopped Kansas State on 4th and Goal to win the game in overtime.
After Saturday, it’s now Texas and Oklahoma State at the top of the Big 12 standings. But we could be in for chaos if both teams lose one of their final three conference games. This would force the conference into tiebreak mode. The Cowboys travel to UCF next weekend, while Texas faces TCU in Fort Worth.
We’ve been talking about it all week, the match between Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. certainly lived up to its promise for 53 minutes. But there was a twist in the offensive showcase, thanks to Huskies running back Dillon Johnson, who totaled 256 yards and 4 touchdowns. USC came out firing, taking on Washington, thanks to Caleb Williams passing for 312 yards and 3 touchdowns.
But it’s Washington that continues to look like a team that could cause problems for teams outside the Pac-12. Michael Penix Jr. had a nice game, with 256 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, but it all started on the field. This was obviously a tall order for the Huskies, especially on the road and USC’s ability to keep pace on the scoreboard.
After this outing, we’re about to see a rematch between Oregon and Washington for the Pac-12 title. Next, Washington will host a tough Utah team, while Oregon will have the chance to face Caleb Williams, hosting USC next weekend in another opportunity for College Football Playoff chaos.
How about “Tyler from Spartanburg” lighting a fire under Dabo Swinney this week, then seeing the Clemson fan base rally around this team. After a chaotic week of radio broadcasts, press conferences, “us against the world” mentality, it paid off for the Clemson Tigers.
It was like Notre Dame walked into a hornet’s nest Saturday, and they got stung multiple times. It was also a tough game for Sam Hartman, who threw 2 interceptions in the 31-23 loss. This will most likely eliminate Notre Dame from a New Year’s Six bowl game. On the other hand, Clemson has stopped the bleeding for now and Dabo Swinney has told everyone to “buy stocks” for the Tigers in the future. All right.
Undefeated season for Air Force came to a screeching halt, thanks to Army, losing 23-3 and ending any hopes of winning a New Year’s Six Bowl.
In the Big Ten, the Michigan Wolverines took care of Purdue. But as you know, that’s not the topic of conversation. It will be worth watching this week if the conference decides to take action regarding the ongoing sign-stealing investigation. After Connor Stalions, aka Jason Bourne, “resigned” or, in simpler terms, was fired, the NCAA and Big Ten are being asked to make a decision.
We’re unfortunately getting closer to College Football Championship Saturday, which means we only have three weeks left in the regular season. So enjoy the trash talk a little more this week, the regular season will soon be over.
Hopefully next weekend will bring us the same type of drama that we witnessed on Saturday. The lineup looks promising for another day of chaos.
