With week 12 in the books, we’re a step closer to the end of the college football season. Plus, some teams have scenarios to clinch their spot in their conference title games. And we have a major noon showdown to discuss that’s happening in the Big 10.
Before we break down this big week, let’s look back at some key events from last week.
Recap of Week 12’s Saturday Spotlight: Clemson at Pittsburgh
After the Clemson Tigers lost to Louisville a few weeks ago, Clemson’s chances for a national title appeared to have gone up in flames. However, when Miami lost to Georgia Tech, it opened a window for Clemson to sneak into the ACC title game and a bid for the College Football Playoff (CFP).
It isn’t straightforward, and they’re going to need help from Miami and or SMU. However, there is a path for Clemson to still contend for a national championship, assuming they handled business versus Pittsburgh last week.
Both teams got off to slow starts offensively; particularly quarterback Cade Klubnik, as the Pittsburgh defense sent a lot of pressure against Clemson’s makeshift offensive line. Fortunately for Clemson, when they needed a big play against the pass rush, Antonio Williams was there, beating the Panthers down the field.
CADE KLUBNIK WOOOOOW!
50-YARD TD RUN FOR THE LEAD! 🔥🔥
✅ Anytime TD Scorer (+115)
(via @ACCFootball)pic.twitter.com/kh0Ud9dbnI
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) November 16, 2024
Clemson had the momentum with a two-score lead well into the fourth quarter but couldn’t capitalize to separate themselves. To make matters worse, Klubnik went ice-cold for a long time in the second half, going 3-of-11 for 11 yards.
Pittsburgh’s defense made timely stops and sacked Klubnik several times to give themselves a shot late in the game. It took last-minute heroics from Klubnik, running 50 yards for the game-winning score, and a defensive stand, for the Tigers to narrowly escape and keep their dreams alive.
Recap of Week 12’s Upset Special: Tennessee at Georgia
Things were looking good early for Tennessee in Week 12. They captured a quick 10-0 lead in front of the home crowd in Athens. And, for a while, it looked like Tennessee was going to take command of the game. Dylan Sampson also gave the Volunteers a spark, scoring on a 27-yard touchdown in the half. However, Georgia’s defense shut down Tennessee’s offense for the rest of the night.
You’d have thought that Carson Beck heard what was being said about him regarding his erratic play in recent weeks. He played inspired football. His cadence was sharp, getting Tennessee to jump offsides, resulting in several big plays. After drawing Tennessee into the neutral zone, Beck scored 62 yards passing on free plays. He also ran over defenders like this game meant something more to him. Beck had 347 yards passing to scorch Tennessee’s secondary.
Beck and Georgia scored the game’s final 14 points, methodically driving down the field as Nico Iamaleava watched from the sidelines. Credit to Iamaleava, who cleared concussion protocol to play against Georgia. However, it wasn’t enough, and he wasn’t the same.
With the loss, Tennessee looks to be falling in the rankings for a shot in the CFP, dropping four spots to No. 11. As for Georgia, they move up two places in the rankings with the win.
Why Colorado themselves the most last week
Depending on who you ask, the college football Heisman race will come down to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty or Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
The two-way star made more highlight plays in last week’s home win versus Utah, striking the Heisman pose after one of his many efforts as if to say, “don’t forget about me.” Whether you like it or not, it attracts attention to the program. And, as unpopular as it may be, it’s beneficial for the Buffaloes.
Furthermore, their win against Utah allows Colorado to clinch their spot in the Big 12 championship this weekend with a win against Kansas. If they beat Kansas, Colorado will play in the Big 12 championship for an automatic bid in the College Football Playoffs.
The thought of that seems unprecedented, considering the way last year ended and where they were after their loss to Nebraska earlier this season. Also, the rumors of Deion Sanders leaving for a pro job in the NFL have actually amplified his profile for his viability as a premier coach.
Usually, rumors of such would repel recruits from committing. However, that isn’t the case here, as Coach Prime can attract players to his environment in Boulder. In fact, five-star quarterback recruit Julian Lewis de-committed from USC and has committed to Colorado.
The program is right where they want to be; in a winnable conference for the foreseeable future. It sounded unbelievable at first, but things appear to be going to plan for Colorado.
This week’s Saturday Spotlight: Ohio State vs. Indiana
This Big Noon game versus the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes has been simmering for two weeks. In this Big 10 matchup, Old school meets new school.
One on the side, all Curt Cignetti does is win, igniting the undefeated Hoosiers to a 10-0 record and currently second place in the conference. For Cignetti and Indiana, the intrigue lies in their players having to meet the challenge of a powerhouse like Ohio State that, on paper, has the advantage in talent, influence, and legacy. Most would be intrigued by how Indiana receivers fare against Ohio State’s cornerbacks.
Elijah Sarratt has good size and sticky hands, but how does he do against Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun? The latter of whom, has come alive in the last month of the season. For Indiana, can they contain TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins while making Will Howard stay in the pocket?
With all respect to Shawn Asbury, you get the sense that Indiana is outmatched in their secondary, facing off against Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith. The Hoosier are certainly underdogs this week.
However, Indiana can launch their program further into the national consciousness with a massive win at the Horseshoe. Many fans would like to see Indiana knock off Ohio State and continue their magical run, but Ohio State has too much talent. Also, although Indiana is a great story, it’s a game Ryan Day cannot mess up. The pressure is on him to snuff out a challenger before it believes it has the heart of a (Big 10) champion.
This week’s Upset Special: Arizona State over BYU
After watching BYU, you get the growing sense that they’re not a great college football team despite their record. BYU struggled to get by Utah, playing with their third quarterback, and arguably was helped by officiating through their Holy War victory at Utah.
Jake Retzlaff has been very inconsistent and has thrown nine touchdowns to five interceptions this season. Going on the road to play the Sun Devils takes Retzlaff out of his comfort zone.
Meanwhile, Arizona State is much sharper on offense. Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt hasn’t thrown an interception in almost a month and has been pinpoint with his accuracy.
Arizona State running Cam Skattebo is the offense’s engine, with over 1400 yards from scrimmage. Skattebo, for his size, can lay the hammer on defenders and is slippery in space. Jordyn Tyson is their primary receiving weapon, but Skattebo can also burn you as a pass catcher.
BYU only wins this game if Darius Lassiter and Chase Roberts play perfect, and Retzlaff doesn’t turn the ball over. Arizona State has forced only 16 takeaways this season, which would favor the Cougars. BYU is ranked higher, but Arizona State is the much better team. The spread is -3 in favor of the Sun Devils, but they’ll win comfortably at home in Tempe.
