Championship Week - Sunday Storylines
Georgia outlasts Texas, Clemson's clutch walk-off and Oregon's B1G statement.
Instant Replay
What did we just watch?
Bulldogs bite back - On the last play of the first half, Georgia fans saw their season flash before their eyes.
Starting quarterback Carson Beck got sandwiched between a pair of Texas defenders with his throwing arm getting cranked in a weird way. Beck was unable to return in the second half, and the Bulldogs’ chances of mounting a comeback and winning the SEC title looked slim.
But in step little-used backup quarterback Gunner Stockton from Tiger, Georgia. Stockton took command in the second half and overtime, putting the mighty Bulldogs within reach of an SEC title. But before Georgia could punctuate the win, Stockton took a vicious hit and was knocked out of the game himself. With nowhere left to turn, a one-armed Beck entered the game in overtime and fed the ball to running back Trevor Etienne, who plunged into the endzone to give Georgia a 22-19 overtime victory and SEC championship title.
This is a game that will sting for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. Renowned for his offensive innovation, yards and points were hard to come by for the Longhorns. Texas, who relied on its run game in recent weeks, mustered just 58 non-sack yards on 21 carries, a far cry from the output in College Station last week.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers was up and down all day, squeezing passes into tight windows and later zinging balls he’d wish he could have back. He finished with 358 yards and one touchdown but also threw a pair of costly interceptions.
Finishing drives has to matter in football and Texas just did not do a good enough job finishing drives. Settling for five field goals (and missing two of them) is just not good enough in a high-leverage game.
Moving forward, both teams will participate in the College Football Playoff. Texas is in a good position to compete for a title, but the offensive woes are troubling, to say the least. Georgia will be right there too, but the injury status of Carson Beck is a looming factor in the Bulldogs’ chances moving forward.
Clemson’s clutch walk-off - College kickers, man.
After a furious, 24-point second-half rally from No. 8 SMU, including a 16-play, 79-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown, the Mustangs appeared to be on the homestretch of a ridiculous rally with an ACC title in grasp.
Then the unthinkable happened.
After tying the game, sixteen seconds remained and SMU was forced to kick the ball off to Clemson. As one does, Clemson turned nothin’ into somethin’ with a silky return, giving the Tigers a slim chance at stealing the victory. With nine seconds left, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik connected on a chunk pass play to put Clemson in position for a longshot field goal.
Up stepped freshman kicker Nolan Hauser. With the weight of Clemons’s ACC title hopes and College Football Playoff chances resting on his big toe, the young man hit a stone-cold stunner, stroking home a 56-yard walk-off field goal to win the title and send the Tigers to the College Football Playoff. It was ecstasy for Clemson and a total gut-punch to SMU.
SMU deserves a lot of credit for the rally, and for keeping itself in the ballgame. The Mustangs had a disastrous first quarter with a pair of quick turnovers and busted coverages that led to an early 21-7 Clemson lead. Little by little, the Mustangs clawed back, in large part due to quarterback Kevin Jennings’ effectiveness. Jennings was good, finishing with 310 yards and three touchdowns.
Across the field, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was also very good. Klubnik rolled to 260 yards and four touchdowns and did a nice job of capitalizing on the Mustangs’ mistakes.
This result leaves more questions than answers. Clemson is obviously in the College Football Playoff field, but where does that leave SMU? Did the Mustangs do enough to sway the committee to place them in the playoff over a three-loss Alabama team? We shall see.
Oregon’s B1G statement - Saturday night’s Big 10 title game felt like a title fight in more ways than one.
The matchup itself had a prize-fight feel, with both top-ranked Oregon and No. 3 Penn State sitting high in the rankings. Both coaches had a lot on the line, Dan Lanning chasing respect in a new league and James Franklin hoping to slay some big game demons. The game followed a heavyweight fight formula too, with both teams trading blows from the first kick to the final whistle.
In the end, Oregon’s defense got a timely interception and the Ducks held on for a 45-37 victory to capture the Big 10 title and cement its status as the top team in the College Football Playoff.
Both teams played with a blistering pace from start to finish. If you love innovative offense and hard-hitting defense, this was the game for you.
Oregon looked dominant early, putting up 31 first-half points and taking a seven-point lead into the break. In the third quarter, however, it was the Penn State defense that blanked the Ducks, drawing the game closer to even.
Playing catchup entering the fourth quarter, Penn State scored on a Kaytron Allen one-yard touchdown to pull the game within eight points. After failing a two-point conversion, Penn State kicked the ball back to Oregon and the Ducks put their stamp on the game.
Up eight points, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel led the Ducks on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that was punctuated by a Jordan James three-yard touchdown. Penn State responded with a lengthy touchdown drive of its own, but later Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was picked off, sealing the Nittany Lions’ fate.
Gabriel was great, finishing with 283 yards and four touchdowns. Equally as awesome was Oregon receiver Tez Walker, who set a championship-game record with 11 catches for 181 yards.
Sun Devil Smackdown - Nothing more accurately sums up the Big 12 Slot Machine Conference quite like Arizona State being picked dead-last in the preseason poll, only for the Sun Devils to win 11 games and have perhaps the most dominant conference title game performance in recent memory.
Behind a behemoth of a day from muscle hamster running back Cam Skattebo, the 15th-ranked Sun Devils tore Iowa State limb from limb in a 45-19 rout to capture the Big 12 title and reach the College Football Playoff.
Skattebo has been a menace all season, being labeled “the bulldozer” and “the dump truck”, among other things and rightfully so. Before Saturday’s game, he had an impressive 1,400 rushing yards and 17 touchdown stat line to his name–and he added an additional 170 yards and two touchdowns (10.6 YPC!) to that stat line. Aside from his obvious grit and will, when I watch Skattebo run, I can’t help but imagine that Creed’s “Higher” is blaring in his ears on every carry. He runs with that much oomph.
In The Call Sheet this week, I labeled this game a style-makes-fight matchup, and wrote this about Iowa State:
On the field, Iowa State relies heavily on its passing game and pass defense. Quarterback Rocco Becht is not always the most efficient passer but is rarely ineffective. Simply put, this team goes as he goes. When he uses his legs to evade pressure and is pinging passes downfield, the offense is really fun to watch. On defense, the Cyclones have been good against the pass and rather lousy defending the run. Believe it or not, Iowa State ranks 102nd in Offensive Rush Success Rate and 101st in Defensive Rush Success Rate. Rarely do teams succeed when they stink at running the ball and stopping the run, but here we are.
The Cyclones’ inability to stop the run reared its ugly head on Saturday, with the Sun Devils finishing with 245 rushing yards. It was particularly jarring to see ASU rush for so many yards and be so dominant offensively, despite being down a 1,000-yard receiver.
Outside of two scripted drives to start the game, Iowa State’s offense never got going. Quarterback Rocco Becht was fairly ineffective downfield and the Cyclones failed to sustain drives. It was a brutal day to be a Cyclone.
With the win, Arizona State punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff as perhaps the most unlikeliest participant. It’s been a helluva year for ASU and 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham. In a college football landscape where coaches can be quick to complain about the state of the game, it’s refreshing to see one of the good guys come out on top for a change. After this type of year and championship game display, I can’t help but think Dillingham might win Coach of the Year honors.
Boise’s big night - No. 10 Boise State’s 21-7 statement victory over UNLV on Friday punctuated a dominant Mountain West season and cemented the Broncos’ place in the College Football Playoff. While Friday night’s victory was very much about this team and this season, it was over a decade in the making.
Ten years after Boise State shocked the world with an upset victory over mighty Oklahoma in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, it once again proved it belongs with college football’s elite company.
Behind the backdrop of blistery cold weather and a rabid home crowd, Boise State dominated UNLV from start to finish. Heisman-hopeful running back Ashton Jeanty added one last hurrah to his Heisman-worthy season, rushing for 209 yards and one touchdown–including a 75-yard backbreaker just before halftime to put the Broncos up by three scores.
Jeanty was fantastic for the umpteenth time this season, but so was quarterback Maddux Madsen. Madsen showcased an ability to throw downfield and keep the defense honest from start to finish. He had an ultra-efficient 158 yards on 18 completions.
Boise State’s offense was good, but the defense was better. Boise stifled UNLV’s Go-Go offense and stout running game, especially in the first half. Through two-quarters of play, the Runnin’ Rebels mustered just 12 rushing yards on 14 attempts and 78 yards overall. Numerous communication issues and fumbles also plagued UNLV in the first half, leading to a combustible half of football in a critical spot.
With the win, Boise State surely will grab hold of a Top 4 spot in the College Football Playoff–cementing this as a truly historic season for the Boise State program as a whole. Huge credit goes to first-year head coach Spencer Danielson. Here’s to hoping the Broncos can spring an upset or two in the next month.
Rich Rod runs rampant - In what might be his final game as head coach at Jacksonville State, Rich Rodriguez’s Jacksonville State team blasted Western Kentucky 52-12 to win the Conference USA title.
The Gamecocks’ offense was equally parts cutting and brutal, making life hell for the Hilltoppers’ defense all night. Jax State jumped out to an early 14-3 first-quarter lead and later led 28-6 by halftime. The game got out of hand early and Jax State never looked back.
Jax State’s rushing attack was relentless, finishing with 386 rushing yards and 562 yards total. It was a vintage Rich Rod offensive masterclass.
Despite playing on a bum ankle, quarterback Tyler Huff was fantastic, finishing with over 300 rush/pass yards combined and a trio of touchdowns. Running back Tre Stewart demolished the WKU defense en route to 201 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.
If this was the final game for Rich Rod at Jacksonville State, it was a perfect way to go out.
Trust the troops - Army inflicted a particular brand of pain on Tulane Friday night, rushing for 335 yards en route to a 35-14 victory to capture the American Athletic Conference title. What a tremendous season for Army and head coach Jeff Monken. One can only wonder if Army would be receiving College Football Playoff consideration had they not gotten blasted by Notre Dame a few weeks ago.
Despite being an underdog entering the game, Army made a statement early with an 11-play drive and score to kickstart the festivities. The Black Knights added two more quick touchdowns in the second frame off the back of a pair of Green Wave turnovers.
After being up 21-7 at halftime, Army did what only Army does. The Black Knights ground Tulane into a pulp with long, tenuous scoring drives of 11 and 16 plays, chewing up almost 18 minutes of game clock in the process. It was a masterful display of keep-away.
Tulane deserves a lot of credit for a good year, but it’s tough not to think what could’ve been. Quarterback Darian Mensash had a fantastic season on the whole but was pretty limited on Friday night. The freshman was held to just three yards per carry and just above 200 yards and one touchdown in the air.
This discussion is for another day, but I’m curious to see if Tulane can hold onto head coach Jon Sumrall, along with Mensah. If they return, Tulane can certainly win the AAC next year and make another run at the College Football Playoff.
Everything Ohio - In its sixth time in the MAC title game, Ohio finally broke the five-game skid to capture its first conference championship in school history in a 38-3 rout over cross-state rivals Miami-Ohio.
Sometimes you watch games, and you can immediately tell that things just aren’t going one team’s way, and that was the case for the defending champion Redhawks.
Ohio was dominant from start to finish and came out of the gate quickly with an early first-quarter touchdown. The Bobcats added two more in the second quarter, took a 21-3 lead into halftime and never relented in the second half.
Quarterback Manny Navaro played the game of his life, finishing with 235 passing yards and two touchdowns on 20/27 attempts. The Ohio offense was good, but the defense was better. The Bobcats’ defense allowed just three points and 189 total yards in a truly dominant display.
Ohio head coach Tim Albin deserves a ton of credit. He was a bit of a maligned hire after longtime coach Frank Solich’s departure a few years ago, but he helped this team breakthrough and deserves the plaudits. What a fantastic season for Ohio.
We Are Marshall - Marshall made mince-meat of Louisiana, drumming the Ragin’ Cajuns 31-3 en route to a Sun Belt title.
Louisiana was the favorite entering the game, but after their backup-turned-starting quarterback was knocked out of the game early, things fell apart in a hurry.
Marshall mauled Louisiana on the ground, finishing with 217 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Weirdly enough, this will likely be the last game in charge for Marshall head coach Charles Huff. Huff is in a pseudo-contract standoff with the school and appears headed to Southern Miss. Interesting times.
The Brent Musburger Gambling Guide
Let’s review my locks of the week.
+1 units on the season.
Marshall vs. -4 Louisiana - -1 unit
Tulane vs. Army OVER 47.5 - +1 unit
Georgia vs. -2.5 Texas - -1 unit
What I’m Reading This Season
SID Sports - Don’t forget to subscribe to Griffin Olah’s SID Sports newsletter. As a former Divison I sports information director, Olah has a great grasp of the sport and I really enjoy his work.
2201 Kimball Ave | Cameron Morgan - 2201 Kimball Ave is essential reading for all followers of Kansas State football. As a lifelong K-State fan and former player, Cameron brings a unique and thoughtful approach to the analysis of the Wildcats' football team. His newsletters are rational and insightful and I genuinely learn something new with every newsletter.
Split Zone Duo | Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson and Steven Godfrey - SZD is essential reading and following for CFB ball knowers. Godfrey, Richard and Alex are the Holy Trinity for college football analysis and insight. Each member brings a unique flavor to the conversation, which makes for insightful and downright hilarious banter about the sport we all love. If I had someone ask me where to start for smarter college football coverage, SZD is where I'd send them.