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Here a few of this week's must-see games.
If you thought Ohio State looked motivated last weekend versus undefeated Indiana, just wait until Michigan gets to Columbus this Saturday.
The Wolverines have won three straight in one of college football’s most storied rivalries, so the Buckeyes will be looking to unleash more than 1,000 days of frustration in Week 14. This is the proverbial Super Bowl for Michigan, which didn’t become bowl-eligible until last weekend and would love nothing more than to keep Ohio State out of the Big Ten Championship Game. Win or lose, the Buckeyes are very likely in the playoffs, but a loss would open the door for Penn State or Indiana to face Oregon in Indianapolis on Dec. 7.
Every College Football Playoff team will have its eyes on Nashville Saturday afternoon.
The unexpected stumbles of Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M opened the door for Tennessee to return to the at-large mix, especially if the Aggies fall to Texas later in the day. But the Volunteers must first get past instate rival Vanderbilt on the road where they’re just 2-2 this season. The Commodores have endured a rough past month, losing three of four games, but they’ll have no shortage of motivation with Tennessee in town and eyeing a playoff berth. Vandy has only lost once by more than a touchdown, and QB Diego Pavia will have his guys ready and fired up for this one.
The 12:00 games are flush in intriguing storylines and rivalries, including the 121st Palmetto Bowl in Death Valley.
Clemson has owned South Carolina, winning eight of the last nine meetings, most recently last year in Columbia. The Gamecocks are one of the hottest teams in the country, tearing off five wins in a row, three over ranked opponents. Meanwhile, Clemson, winners of three straight, are still in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. The Tigers can reach the ACC Championship Game opposite SMU if Miami loses to Syracuse. Or they can possibly nab an at large berth with a win over South Carolina and some help, namely a stumble from fellow two-loss Tennessee.
As if the renewal of this rivalry isn’t compelling enough, the outcome could also have a profound impact on the playoff race.
Texas and Texas A&M square off for the first time since 2011, the year before the Aggies left for the Southeastern Conference. But wait, there’s more. The winner in College Station will punch its ticket to the SEC title game opposite Georgia. The Longhorns are a playoff lock, but they’d love another crack at the Bulldogs who beat them in Austin on Oct. 19. QB Quinn Ewers is nursing an ankle injury, so there could be an Arch Manning sighting at Kyle Field. Texas A&M will need to bounce back after losing in four overtimes to Auburn, 43-41. The defense, which was so good all season, showed cracks this month against the Tigers and South Carolina in Week 11.
The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best player with the Maxwell Award. CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the voting panel.
Here’s a look at some of last week’s standout performances on offense.
The Aggies may be 4-7 heading into Friday’s finale at Colorado State, but they’re not ending with a whimper. Utah State has won three of its last four games, scoring 96 points over the last two weekends. Barnes was the catalyst off the bench of Saturday’s 41-20 rout of San Diego State. The former Utah Ute completed 13-of-15 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, while also sprinting for a score and 193 yards, a school record for a Utah State quarterback.
Less than a week after parting ways with head coach Biff Poggi, Charlotte snapped a four-game losing streak with a 39-27 win at Florida Atlantic. The 49ers were fueled by a big play passing attack that cranked out 396 yards on just 16 completions. QB Deshawn Purdie’s favorite target was Blake, the South Carolina transfer who caught five passes for a career-high 205 yards and three touchdowns.
Texas Tech outgunned Oklahoma State in Stillwater in a game that featured more than 100 points and over 1,000 yards of total offense. The quarterbacks were prolific, but the backs, Brooks and Cowboy Ollie Gordon II, were the best weapons at Boone Pickens Stadium. Brooks, who’s second in Big 12 rushing, ran for 133 yards, caught nine balls for 65 yards, completed two passes, and scored four touchdowns.
The Orange held off Connecticut Saturday, 31-24, to move to 8-3 with a chance to play spoiler Saturday against visiting Miami. McCord ignited the Syracuse offense with one of the best days of his career. The senior started fast and finished 37-of-47 for a personal-best 470 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. McCord also added a third score on a one-yard run.
The Bears will remember this Big Game for a long time. Cal scored 17 unanswered points down the stretch to beat rival Stanford, 24-21, for the fourth straight time. Mendoza spearheaded the comeback with two touchdown passes to WR Jonathan Brady in the final 10:09. The quarterback finished 25-of-36 for 299 yards, three TDs and no picks, while also leading the team in rushing.
The Jayhawks won’t win the Big 12 and still aren’t even bowl-eligible, but few teams in the league are hotter than them right now. Kansas defeated surging Colorado Saturday, its third consecutive win over a ranked opponent. Neal, the school’s all-time leading rusher, could not be stopped at Arrowhead Stadium. He ran for a season-high 207 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries, while also leading the passing game with four receptions for 80 yards and another score.
The Blue Devils jumped all over Virginia Tech on Senior Night and then held on, 31-28, for their fifth one-score win of the season. Pancol, playing in his Wallace Wade Stadium finale, had one of the best games of his Duke career. The 6-3, 205-pounder from Indiana set personal-bests with three touchdowns and 188 receiving yards on five receptions, including a remarkable 175 yards in the opening quarter.
The Sun Devils are two wins away from the Big 12 title in their first year in the league, which means they’re also two wins from a first-round playoff bye. While there have been plenty of heroes in Arizona State’s improbable turnaround, none has been bigger than Skattebo. The heart-and-soul leader of the offense staked his team to a big lead over visiting BYU in a game ASU held on to win, 28-23. Skattebo scored the first three touchdowns and finished with 147 yards on 28 carries.
The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best defensive player with the Chuck Bednarik Award. CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the voting panel.
Here’s a look at some of last week’s standout defenders.
The Horned Frogs took care of Arizona Saturday, 49-28, to move to 7-4 with one regular season game left. The offense produced six touchdowns on the ground while the D kept the Wildcat passing in check. Clark was one of the secondary stalwarts with six tackles and a pick. His Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 88.8 ranked among the nation’s best for a Power 4 safety.
In a wild race to Atlanta in the SEC, the Longhorns remained in the driver’s seat after disposing of Kentucky Saturday, 31-14, in Austin. The team was led by sophomores on each side of the ball, RB Quintrevion Wisner on offense and Hill on D. The latter continues to showcase why he’s one of the nation’s premier linebackers, making a game-high 11 tackles, four stops for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
Illinois stunned Rutgers in a thriller Saturday on a Pat Bryant touchdown reception with four seconds left. The Fighting Illini scored 23 points in a wild fourth quarter, but the defense was a contributor to the win as well, Kreutz in particular. The sophomore made a career-high 12 tackles while earning a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 89.5, seventh best among all Week 13 linebackers.
The Hurricanes defeated Wake Forest, 42-14, Saturday to move within one win from facing SMU in the ACC Championship Game. Powell, who spent the last five years at Washington, was one of the standouts of a defense that allowed no offensive points over the final 50:31. The 6-1, 210-pound senior had three solo stops, a sack, two pass breakups, and a 76-yard pick-six.
The up-and-down season in San Antonio still has a chance to finish on a high note. UTSA manhandled Temple Friday night, 51-27, fueled by the line of scrimmage dominance of the defense. Robinson, the 6-5, 250-pound edge rusher from Virginia, set the tone with a career night. His seven tackles included a Roadrunner-record 5.5 stops for loss, four sacks and eight total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Indiana’s perfect season ended with a thud Saturday afternoon in Columbus as the Buckeyes rolled to a 38-15 victory. The defense was the story all day long, holding the Hoosiers almost 300 yards below their total offense average. Simon delivered one of the best games of his five-year career, making a game-high 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
The RedHawks defeated Northern Illinois last Tuesday, 20-9, to move a step closer to the MAC Championship Game. Miami has now won six straight games heading into this week’s big showdown trip to face Bowling Green. Suttle spearheaded a defense that yielded just 242 total yards and one touchdown. The senior had six tackles, three stops for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, a blocked field goal, and two QB hurries.
Florida qualifying for a bowl game despite one of the nastiest FBS schedules has been an underrated story this November. The Gators upset No. 9 Ole Miss one week after stunning No. 21 LSU. The defense, which allowed just three second-half points, was led by a pair of talented sophomores, Thornton and DT Caleb Banks. Banks dominated the interior with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, while Thornton had 14 stops and two picks in the final two minutes to thwart the Rebels’ comeback bid.
The Maxwell Football Club supports former Alabama and Seattle Seahawks star RB Shaun Alexander in annually naming the top college freshman.
The future is looking brighter on the Plains. The present is getting a bit rosier as well. Auburn has won three of its last four games, highlighted by a four-overtime stunner against Texas A&M Saturday night, to remain in the hunt for a bowl game. Coleman is one of the cornerstones of the future for Hugh Freeze. The true freshman sensation caught seven passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the Aggies upset, giving him five TD receptions over the past two games.
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Rich Cirminiello is the VP of College Awards at Maxwell Football Club. He can be followed on Twitter at @Rich Cirminiello
CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the Maxwell Football Club.