Week 12 in college football, and what else is new? The top two teams, Indiana and Ohio State, demolished their competition to remain the class of the Big 10. Meanwhile, the Aggies sneak past a feisty South Carolina team that has been giving heart palpitations to their conference opponents this season. Also, Texas Tech dominated UCF as the Red Raiders remain red hot. Plus, which team gained the most from their performance last week? We’ll answer that question, recap last week, and discuss who should be on upset alert this week.
College Football Week 11 Recap
Saturday Spotlight: Texas vs. Georgia
This was a game that Arch Manning needed to perform well in, not only for himself but also for his team. Manning was just okay, considering the offense became one-dimensional as the running game was nonexistent. The star of the game, without question, was Gunnar Stockton. He went 24-of-29 with 229 passing yards and four touchdown passes.
The game was close, but the turning point for the Bulldogs came on a gutsy call from Kirby Smart. Georgia converted a crucial 4th-and-1 from their own 36-yard line. They put the ball in the hands of Stockton, who completed a pass to Chauncey Bowens to keep the offense on the field.
From there, Georgia dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points. Penalties, a defense that couldn’t make stops, and a hindered offense sealed Texas’ fate. Yet, Texas is down but not out. The teams ahead of them in the College Football Playoff rankings are all questionable and include teams like Utah, Miami, and BYU. Texas may have a chance, but they’re gonna need a lot of help if they hope to return to the CFP.
Upset Special: Pitt Over Notre Dame
Notre Dame took control of the game against Pitt almost immediately. The fireworks started early for the Fighting Irish offense, powered by Jeremiyah Love. He exploded out of the gate with a spectacular 56-yard touchdown run to capture the early momentum. Love finished the day with 147 yards rushing, dominating the Panthers’ front seven. Before you knew it, the game had already gotten away from Pitt. Notre Dame had a 21-3 lead at halftime that felt like a lot more when you factor in how well their pass rush was doing.
Josh Burnham was a major factor, capturing the edge and causing problems in the backfield. He sacked Mason Heintschel twice. Meanwhile, Heintschel struggled against Notre Dame.
He completed only 16 of his 33 attempts for 126 yards and threw one interception, all while having a QBR of 8.7. Pitt was 4-of-14 on third down, and couldn’t keep up with an offense that could score quickly, with a defense that made them earn every blade of grass. When Pitt made a mistake, Notre Dame made them pay, getting 14 points off turnovers. Like clockwork, Marcus Freeman’s team is getting their bearings at the right time of the year and is a threat to return to the National Title game for a second consecutive season.
Who Helped Themselves the Most in Week 12?
It’s hard to argue against Oklahoma and its big win at Tuscaloosa last week. For a moment, one thought Alabama was going to hit its stride and push itself to the top of the College Football Playoff rankings. Oklahoma heading into that stadium and getting the win like they did speaks volumes. Oklahoma’s offense wasn’t very good last week. John Mateer didn’t create big plays, and they couldn’t establish the run.
However, Brett Venables’ defense proves that it can go to any location and do what it does by creating takeaways. Eli Bowen’s interception return touchdown set the tone for the remainder of the afternoon as Alabama couldn’t take care of the football. When Oklahoma needed one more stop, they delivered and sealed the win for their team. Assuming they win their last two games at home versus Missouri and LSU, the Sooners are primed to compete in the postseason. And, they probably get a nice spot in the tournament having their only two losses come against Texas and Ole Miss. The Sooners helped themselves in a major way last week.
College Football: Week 12 Spotlight and Upset Special
Saturday Spotlight: USC vs. Oregon
Oregon versus USC could serve as an elimination of sorts for both programs. For USC, they are sitting at No. 16 in the CFP rankings. Should they beat Oregon on the road, it would likely vault them somewhere in the top-10 with a statement win against a quality opponent. That would be followed up by a winnable game against UCLA in their season finale. Jayden Maiava and Makai Lemon have combined as a potent duo that are among the best in the nation.
Defensively, USC’s defense needs to take away the running game to thrust the game onto Dante Moore’s arm. Eric Gentry will be tasked as a major factor to slow down Jayden Limar and the inside rushing attack for the Ducks. Moore will likely need a shootout to keep up with USC, and Dakorien Moore will be at the focal point. USC safety Bishop Fitzgerald is also a playmaker who specializes in takeaways. Should Oregon lose, it may be able to withstand it to stay in the CFP, but it will need some help. The playoffs start early for these teams and are the Saturday Spotlight this week.
Upset Special: Virginia Tech Over Miami
Major news coming out of Blacksburg this week, as the Hokies have hired former Penn State coach James Franklin as their new head coach. The hire coincides with Virginia Tech’s big game against its conference rival, Miami. Although this season has not fared as Virginia Tech had planned, there is some hope that they can pull off an upset this week.
Running back Marcellous Hawkins has flown under the radar and is No. 8 in the ACC in rushing yards, running for over six yards per carry. Look for Virginia Tech to be persistent with the run, along with designed quarterback runs for Kyron Drones sprinkled in to keep Reuben Bain second-guessing when coming off the edge in run support.
The Hurricanes are flirting with a bid at the ACC title, but haven’t been the sharpest over the last month of the season, dropping conference games to Louisville and SMU. Miami has bounced back in recent weeks with home wins over NC State and Syracuse, but there are still doubts. For starters, can Carson Beck maintain his hot play of the last two weeks, or will he revert to untimely mistakes?
The guess is the latter as Miami travels to a raucous environment at Lane Stadium. Expect some old school Beamer Ball with some key plays on special teams to allow Virginia Tech to manufacture some extra possessions, and the Hokies attempting to outlast Miami by running the ball a lot to stay in short, manageable third downs. Miami’s postseason hopes suffer a crushing blow Saturday. Hokies win, 24-20.
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