Before we recap the CFP-impact games, let’s give a big shout-out to the Air Force Academy for winning the Commander-in-Chief trophy after beating Army Saturday night.
And how about Sparty? Little brother went into the Big House and beat Big Brother, earning bragging rights for the next 365 days. Well deserved.
Let’s stay with the Big 10, and what can you say about UCLA? Many thought Minnesota would hand UCLA their first loss, but the Bruins handled business with over 400 yards of offense, and Dieffenbach threw for three touchdowns and 300 yards. Not bad for a backup, eh? Then there’s Iowa. The Hawkeyes went into Chicago and shut down Northwestern. Iowa’s methodical game management style never allowed the Wildcats to get going.
Well deserved! (photo courtesy of UO Athletics)
But the Big 10’s Game of the Week takes the cake. It wasn’t a blowout at Ohio Stadium, and it wasn’t even a win. Oregon spotted the Buckeyes 14, and then ran away with he game, scoring 38 straight points. The loss should put a nail in the coffin of Ohio State’s playoff chances. No Duck fans, you probably won’t replace them. The betting line is that B1G has four viable playoff candidates: UCLA, USC, Indiana, and Iowa.
Next up is the Big 12. You had the Holy War and a shootout in Lubbock? The Holy War lived up to its name! Utah raced out to a 14-point lead, and then the Cougars countered with 20 to lead at the half. But the Utes’ defense clamped down, forcing three interceptions from Bachmeier. Could be the end of BYU’s CFP quest.
Then came a late-night shootout in Lubbock. Texas Tech and West Virginia put up over a thousand yards of offense and scored +100 points in a 52-48 game. If you blinked, you missed a score. It’s looking like a Utah-Texas Tech Big 12 Championship matchup.
In the SEC, the Georgia Bulldogs completely beat down Ole Miss in a game that was over by halftime. So much for the Rebels’ playoff aspirations. Tennessee’s defense wreaked havoc on Kentucky, forcing four turnovers and shutting down the Wildcats. Tennessee’s front four is probably the best in college football.
“Gimpy” scores! (photo courtesy of SportsTalkSC)
The South Carolina-Texas A&M game was a slugfest. LaNorris Sellers battled through injury, put his team on the back, and won the game practically by himself, including making a 40+ yard run with a gimpy leg. And how about those Texas Longhorns, a team that seems to live on controversy. Both teams answered each other with scores and counterscores. But in the 4th quarter, Arch Manning got hit on fourth down while throwing a pass. Was it incomplete? Of course … well, no. It was called a fumble. Broadcasters and the referee analyst called it incomplete, but replay reversed the call. Rather than MU taking over, the Longhorns were gifted a first down. Then, Texas scored the go-ahead touchdown and went on to win 34-20.
Finally, Alabama went into Baton Rouge, put together a four-quarter game, and pulled out a victory. The defense played bend-but-don’t-break between the 20s, then shut down LSU in the red zone, and the O-line played well against LSU’s stingy defense. Alabama might have been outgained two-to-one, but seeing that 31-13 final score was gratifying. With the win, I believe the Tide has solidified a playoff spot.
Irish WR Micah Gilbert celebrates, and all JJ Dyunnings can do is watch (photo Yahoo! Sports)
No matter how good any of those games were, the night’s crown jewel was #1 Miami at Notre Dame in a game that lived up to all its hype. Notre Dame took control early, but Miami clawed back. Every time Miami got close, Notre Dame answered. Then, at the end of the game, was it a catch or an incompletion? Depends on who you ask.
The bottom line is that it was ND’s night. But wouldn’t it be something if these teams faced each other again in the playoffs?!
Finally, let me share my CFP rankings. To create my list, I emphasized who you played, how well you competed, and who you beat. 1) Georgia 2) Utah 3) UCLA 4) Miami 5) Alabama 6) Notre Dame 7) Texas 8) Tennessee 9) Indiana 10) Wake Forest 11) USC 12) Iowa.
‘Til next time….
