Last week was humbling for some teams in college football in Week 13. To quote the late Dennis Green, there were a few, “they are who we thought they were” moments. A team once touted as a brash Cinderella headed into the College Football Playoff (CFP) may have had the clock strike midnight. Meanwhile, another may have lost the battle and still managed to win the war for now. Plus, we look ahead to this week’s rivalries and upset picks. First, let’s recap last week.
Recap of College Football Week 13’s the Saturday Spotlight: Ohio State vs. Indiana
There’s not an ounce of quit in Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. The bravado he walks around with isn’t act. That said, it was a sobering loss for Indiana at Ohio State. The Buckeyes had every physical advantage over Indiana, and it showed. Indiana just isn’t on the same plane regarding talent with the Buckeyes. The one thing Indiana was able to manage early in the game was running the football to pick up positive gains.
They couldn’t keep up once they fell behind by multiple scores, which forced the game onto their passing attack. Kurtis Rourke had a dreadful time against Ohio State, completing only 44 percent of passes for eight completions and 66 yards total. Elijah Sarratt was a non-factor and was shut down by Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun.
Ohio State’s secondary has been on fire for the last month, and they look like a confident group heading into rivalry week. Conversely, Will Howard had it reasonably easy.
Howard completed 84 percent of throws and, aside from one mistake, took what the defense gave him and managed the game. Defensively, Jack Sawyer and Cody Simon were exceptional against Indiana and combined for four sacks.
For Buckeyes fans, you can start to be optimistic. As mentioned, their secondary is red hot. Since their game against Penn State, Igbinosun has been terrific. With their depth and talent, there’s an argument that Ohio is not only the best team in the Big 10 but perhaps the best in the country. We’ll see how the CFP plays out, but this might be their year.
Recap of the Upset Special Arizona State over BYU
Kenny Dillingham did everything you’re not supposed to do as a head coach at home if you expect to win. His mismanagement and overly aggressive approach could have given the game away. Arizona State was comfortably ahead and took a commanding lead early after recovering a surprise onside kick.
Cam Skattebo capitalized on the stolen possession and scored a 23-yard run to give Arizona State a 21-0 lead. Right there, Dillingham could have left well enough alone and relied on Skattebo and his defense to get the win. However, his insistence on playing it riskier with each opportunity made the game closer than they would have liked.
The Sun Devils went for it on fourth and goal from inside the Cougars 5-yard line and didn’t convert, passing up on points. BYU marched down the field for the touchdown on the next drive to make it a two-score game. Later in the game, up by 28-23 and deep in the red zone, he once again passed on a field goal to go up by eight points and left the game in the hands of his defense. He should be very thankful that Jake Retzlaff didn’t connect with JoJo Phillips deep on what could have been the game-winning touchdown.
As for the players, Retzlaff found his groove in the second half; throwing the ball very well with velocity, and did an excellent job of reading the coverages. Unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid the big mistake and threw a back-breaking interception right after missing Phillips.
Meanwhile, Sam Leavitt made the big throws to his receivers when it was needed, and Jordyn Tyson went over 100 yards with Skattebo shouldering the load on the ground. He ran the ball 28 times for 147 rushing yards.
There’s no denying Cam Skattebo 🔱pic.twitter.com/VSHLSGj9BH
— PHNX Sun Devils (@PHNX_SunDevils) November 23, 2024
Yet, you can’t overlook Dillingham’s coaching giving BYU extra life.
After the interception by Javan Robinson, it was 2nd and goal from the 3-yard line with 58 seconds left, as BYU had one timeout left. Dillingham instructs his quarterback to run backward for a 26-yard loss, then again on 3rd down to milk the clock down to seven seconds left in the game. With that came fourth down from BYU’s 40-yard line.
One could only guess what Dillingham chooses to do on fourth down; he tells Leavitt to heave the ball out bounds in hopes of running out the clock that way. To no one’s surprise, the unwise strategy blew up in his face, and BYU had one last Hail Mary throw at the end zone to win the game.
THE HAIL MARY IS CAUGHT BUT SHORT!!! NOW IT’S OVER! pic.twitter.com/6YKf0zEUrR
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 24, 2024
Arizona State was lucky to escape with the win. It was an “A” for the effort by the players but an “F” for the coach who should’ve known better and then had the audacity to criticize the officials. Had he given away their shot at the Big 12 championship, he would have had no one to blame but himself.
Why Colorado hurt themselves the most
First off, credit to the Kansas Jayhawks. They have been a thorn in the side of the conference, beating Iowa State and BYU, with Colorado as the latest to fall victim to the Jayhawks in their 3-week surge.
There’s a thin line between despair and jubilation in college football. You’re in for a wild ride with the Colorado Buffaloes weekly. Last week, they were praised for placing themselves in prime position to make the Big 12 conference championship and possibly the CFP. Yet, after their stunning dismantling at the hands of Kansas, they are reeling; and their hopes of a conference title and beyond are slim.
Kansas running back Devin Neal dominated Colorado’s defense to the tune of 287 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.
Kansas’ Devin Neal is one of my favorite running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft. Love his footwork and lateral quickness. pic.twitter.com/fyKsMUaV3d
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) November 23, 2024
Lost in the outcome is how terrific Shedeur Sanders was against the Jayhawks, but he was battered and beaten by Kansas to add injury to insult.
With the loss to Kansas, Colorado is still mathematically able to play in the Big 12 championship game, but the logistics are complicated. Per ESPN FPI, Colorado would have a 10.6 percent probability of winning the conference. They would need to win versus Oklahoma State and hope that the chips fall in their favor.
Colorado plays on Friday and will be scoreboard-watching on Saturday should they beat Oklahoma State. As exciting as Colorado can be with their core Travis Hunter and the Sanders brothers, led by their father, Deion, you get the sense that the sun has set on this iteration of the Buffaloes.
This week’s Saturday Spotlight: Texas at Texas A&M
Texas versus Texas A&M is the game of the week. With a win, Texas secures the best record in the SEC and its spot in the SEC title game. Should they lose, the Aggies tie Texas, and other teams in the conference would have the opportunity to join them at 6-2 in the conference. For both teams, the trenches are going to be essential.
With Marcel Reed inserted as the quarter for Texas A&M, it gives them an extra element to account for aside from Le’Veon Moss. That said, Texas has done great defending running quarterbacks this season.
Taylen Green was shut down and carried 16 times for -4 yards, Carson Beck didn’t do much, and Pavia is the quarterback who had moderate success rushing against them with 67 yards.
A name to watch is Ant Hill as he spies Reed for the Longhorns. Conversely, Texas must keep Quinn Ewers clean in the pocket as he manages his ankle injury. Smart money would be on Texas, but you can’t rule anything out in a rivalry.
College Football Week 14 Upset pick: Vanderbilt over Tennessee
In the same vein that Kansas has been kryptonite for the Big 12, Vanderbilt has been problematic for many college football teams in the SEC, beating Auburn, Kentucky, and Alabama. They also lost close games on the road to Missouri and LSU.
The Commodores will be a tough out and no longer look like the pushover of the SEC. For Tennessee, this week could be a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for Tennessee.
Vanderbilt’s biggest weapon is Diego Pavia, who has been efficient from the pocket but also leads Vanderbilt in rushing. Vanderbilt’s top passing option is Eli Stowers, who can win over the middle but has long speed.
With how Tenessee defended Oscar Delp last week, Stowers is licking chops to play against the Volunteers. Expect Randon Fontenette to have an impact on the game. He’s Vanderbilt’s best playmaker on defense and will meet Dylan Sampson in the hole several times. If Vanderbilt could slow down the rushing attack and keep Nico Iamaleava in the pocket, another Vanderbilt upset would be in the works.
