Week 14 - Sunday Storylines

A stunner at The Shoe, Texas trumps Texas A&M and Superhero LaNorris Sellers.

Instant Replay

What did we just watch?

A stunner at The Shoe - This was Ohio State’s year, right?

Entering the day, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had a 1-3 record against rival Michigan, unacceptable for anyone leading the Scarlett and Cream. After spending over 15+ million dollars on a superstar roster in the offseason, this was Ohio State’s year, right?

Michigan was barely bowl-eligible and had been playing quarterback roulette all season. This was Ohio State’s year, right?

Before the game, the Big Bad Buckeyes had one foot in the B1G 10 title game and had their eyes set on College Football Playoff dominance. This was Ohio State’s year, right?

It was not Ohio State’s year.

To the victor goes the spoils, and on Saturday it was the Wolverines who enjoyed the spoils in a shocking 13-10 upset victory over No. 2 Ohio State. It was Michigan’s fourth straight victory in The Game. With the loss, Ohio State misses out on a Big 10 Championship game appearance.

Michigan did an excellent job of muddying this game up and making the vaunted Ohio State offense uncomfortable all day. The Buckeyes have struggled up front all year (especially when trying to run the ball) and that was the case today, finishing with just 77 yards on 26 carries. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard isn’t asked to do a ton, and even still, he came up short in some big moments today. Both of his interceptions were particularly back-breaking. The two missed field goals were pretty crucial, too. It was just an all-around lackluster showing from the Buckeyes.

Credit where credit is due. By hook or by crook or by just unyieldingly running the ball 42 times, Michigan found a way to eat up yards and control the clock.

After the final whistle blew, Michigan players attempted to plant the Michigan flag at midfield, prompting a shoving match skirmish between both teams. The Columbus Police Department even got involved, appearing to pepper spray some swaths of Michigan players.

Michigan walked into Columbus and walked out with a victory and an excessive force charge against the Columbus Police Department. Who’s got it better than them?

Sidenote: Many people are asking: Is Ryan Day just John Cooper with a beard?

Texas trumps Texas A&M - Offense puts butts in the seats, but defense wins championships. And while it wasn’t a championship per se, Texas displayed a championship-caliber defensive effort in its 17-7 victory in this newly renewed rivalry. With the win, the Longhorns clinched their place in the SEC title game next week where they’ll take on Georgia.

Renowned for its elaborate pass game and flashy style, it was the Texas defense and run game that anchored the victory. The Longhorns held A&M to just three yards per rush and did not allow a single touchdown. The only A&M score of the night came on a deflected Quinn Ewers pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

On the ground, the Longhorns’ offensive line and running back Quintrevion Wisner dominated. Wisner finished with 186 yards on 33 carries and was just a bellcow of a back all night. We also got some Arch Manning snaps, with the young quarterback scoring a touchdown on a designed run play in the first quarter.

I, for one, can’t wait for that matchup between Texas and Georgia in Atlanta next week.

Superhero LaNorris Sellers - With 1:18 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Palmetto Bowl, South Carolina needed something special. The underdog Gamecocks were on the road against in-state rivals, 12th-ranked Clemson, trailed by four points and were facing a 3rd and 16 on the Clemson 20-yard line.

It was at that moment that South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers put on his superhero cape and saved the day for the Columbia faithful.

Sellers dropped back (fully intending to pass the ball), veered left, danced through the pocket, dipped right, went back to the left side of the field and snaked through the entire Clemson defense for the eventual game-winning touchdown. It was a play so absurd you’d only think it could happen in College Football 25.

After going up 17-14, it was Clemson’s turn to answer the bell. Quarterback Cade Klubnik orchestrated a nice job–using a mix of passes and sleek runs. The Tigers made hay and got the ball into field goal range. They then opted to squeeze a few more yards out of the possession, allowing Klubnik to throw another pass. The ball got tipped and the Gamecocks picked it off to wrap up the victory.

This result would’ve dropped Clemson out of the ACC title game and likely eliminated it from College Football Playoff contention, but Miami stepped on a rake against Syracuse. That means Clemson will face SMU in the ACC title game next week.

The Gamecocks, however, sit at 9-3 now and are one of the hottest teams in the country.

Put South Carolina in the CFP, dammit!

Miami’s Malaise - Stop me if you’ve heard this before, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal made a critical time management error in an important game.

While this error didn’t directly cause No. 6 Miami to lose, it prevented the Hurricanes from getting the ball back and winning, which is almost just as bad. Syracuse deserves a ton of credit for its 42-38 upset victory. Very few people had this circled as an upset.

Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord took advantage of that awful Miami defense, amassing 380 yards and three touchdowns along the way.

Miami initially jumped out to a 21-0 lead to start the game, but costly turnovers and an inability to get stops plagued the Hurricanes down the stretch in critical moments. With the loss, Miami is officially out of the ACC title game and potentially the College Football Playoff. Tough scene.

A Black Friday for Husker fans - What did Nebraska do to God? This was the question I asked on Black Friday in 2023 after yet another improbable last-second loss to rivals Iowa.

A year later, that question remains. In a game where Iowa started a fifth-string quarterback and mustered a paltry 20 yards of offense in the first half, the Hawkeyes improbably mounted a 13-10, last-second comeback victory, leaving Matt Rhule, his players and the Nebraska fanbase with their heads in their hands.

As I sat in a Husker sports bar Friday night, from the very onset of the game things looked out of reach for Iowa. The Hawkeyes had a fifth-string quarterback commanding the offense. Nebraska knew Iowa had to run the ball, so it loaded the box with eight defenders at a time. But more than that, this Nebraska team was supposed to be different. Last week, it broke through, beating Wisconsin and clinching bowl eligibility for the first time in almost 10 years. It was supposed to be over the hump.

Friday night’s result proves that this program still finds unique ways to lose close games and that it is not over the hump.

On the field, Iowa won this game on the back of strong defense and next to nothing on offense. To score just 13 points, the Hawkeyes needed a fluke punt return fumble to set up the first field goal, a 72-yard swing route touchdown in which Kaleb Johnson broke what felt like at least five tackles and a strip sack in the final seconds of the game to set up the game-winning 53-yard field goal.

The Hawkeyes, usually renowned for their strong line play and bruising rushing attack, rushed for just 49 yards on 26 carries. Iowa’s quarterback completed just eight passes and finished with a 21.7 QBR. And yet when the final whistle blew, Kirk Ferentz reaped the rewards of a well-laid plan.

I found it ironic that Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s bend-but-don’t-break philosophy was the perfect summation of this game.

Iowa refused to break on defense, limiting Nebraska’s big plays. Iowa refused to break on offense, even when things were awful for much of the night. And Iowa refused to break in the final minutes, finding a way to win even with momentum working against it.

In this rivalry, Iowa does not break. Nebraska almost always does.

Tennessee survives a scare - For about a quarter and a half, things got squirrelly between No. 7 Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

The Commodores came out like a bullet, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards to take a 7-0 lead. The boys from Nashville later stretched their lead to 17-7, before Tennessee kicked it into high gear.

Tennessee took a 24-17 lead into the half and survived a scare by a final score of 36-23. With the win, the Volunteers are now a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff. What a tremendous achievement for Josh Heupel and his team.

Vanderbilt put up an admirable fight in this game and deserves a ton of credit for going 6-6 and earning bowl eligibility. We get one more gave of Diego Pavia as a college quarterback–and we all better cherish it.

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate - Things got weird in Athens Friday night as No. 7 Georgia needed a fierce 21-point rally and eight overtime periods to take down little brother Georgia Tech 44-42.

This game was blackout drunk for hours before it ended. For much of the first half, Georgia Tech was physically dominating Georgia. The Yellow Jackets ran for over 250 yards on the day, and quarterback Haynes King added an extra 300+ in the air. The Yellow Jackets’ defense was superb for three quarters, stifling the Georgia offense for just six points.

The teams traded blows in the overtime periods before the game ended on a Nate Frazier two-yard rush to put the Dawgs ahead.

Good luck trying to figure out this Georgia team. It’s had plenty of close calls (and a pair of losses already) but there’s something in me that thinks it can make some serious noise in the College Football Playoff.

Roll Tide - Alabama kicked some serious Auburn ass in the Iron Bowl Saturday evening and finished the regular season with a 28-14 victory over its bitter rivals.

In typical fashion, we also got a post-game scuffle. Don’t you just love it when teams fight harder after the game than they do during the game? Fun times.

With the win and the surrounding chaos, I suspect Alabama will find its way back into the College Football Playoff picture.

A Territorial Cup trouncing - With its postseason destiny in its own hands, Arizona State dominated rivals Arizona 49-7 to punch its ticket to the Big 12 title game.

The Sun Devils dominated from start to finish. Muscle hamster running back Cam Skateboo 177 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

How can you not love the fight from Kenny Dillingham and the boys?

Cyclones come good - Matt Campbell’s 18th-ranked Iowa State team used a pair of costly turnovers to defeat Kansas State 29-21 and to keep itself in the running for a Big 12 title game appearance.

Quarterback Rocco Becht was pretty inefficient but made some big throws and finished with three touchdowns. Kansas State hung around for a while but could just never get out of its own way. It was a tough way to end the regular season for the Wildcats.

A walk-off against Wake Forest - Duke pulled a rabbit out of a hat on Saturday–completing an improbable 39-yard touchdown as time expired to survive the scare and beat Wake Forest 23-17.

With the win, Duke finishes the regular season with nine wins. It’s probably the worst nine-win team in the country, but nine wins is nine wins. A great job by Manny Diaz.

Ragin’ Cajuns - Louisiana took care of business on Saturday, knocking off Louisiana-Monroe 37-23 to hit the 10-win mark and clinch its spot in the Sun Belt title game next week.

What a fantastic season for head coach Michael Desormeaux. The Sun Belt title game should be awesome!

We Are - Marshall clinched its division and a spot in the Sun Belt title game with a reverse pass in 2OT against James Madison. What a fantastic season for Charles Huff and the Thundering Herd–especially considering it felt like he was on thin ice earlier this season.

Tulane trips up - Mere days after I labeled Tulane the best Group of 5 team in the country, the Green Wave tripped up in a 34-24 Thanksgiving night loss to a now 10-win Memphis team.

Memphis was both efficient and effective on offense, crushing Tulane and a typically stout Jon Sumrall defense for 242 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Seth Henigan was also good, finishing with over 200 yards and two touchdowns in the air.

Tulane had a difficult time stopping the run and running the ball, finishing with a measly 57 yards on 18 carries. That is just not good enough.

This was a bummer of a result. Tulane had an outside shot at the College Football Playoff and now it does not. This loss also throws a bit of a wet blanket on the AAC title game matchup against Army next week.

Friday afternoon MACtion - Boy, was I wrong about the outcome of the biggest MAC game of the day. Shame on me for doubting a Chuck Martin-orchestrated defense.

Miami-Ohio strangled Bowling Green 28-12 to punch its ticket to the MAC title game next week, where it’ll face Ohio.

The Redhawks put on a clinic on defense, allowing just 10 offensive points and holding the Falcons to just 51 non-sack adjusted rush yards. It’s not always pretty for Miami-Ohio, but man, is it often effective.

Miami-Ohio versus Ohio should be a fun matchup between two good coaches and I’m looking forward to it.

Buffalo beatdown - No. 25-ranked Colorado decimated a lousy Oklahoma State team 52-0 on Black Friday. It was a black Friday indeed for a proud Oklahoma State program, with the Cowboys now officially going 0-for in the Big 12 conference in 2024. A drastic fall from grace, indeed.

With the win, Colorado reached the nine-win mark. If I had asked CU fans before the season if they’d take nine wins, I bet they’d snatch my arm off. For all of the noise around this program, head coach Deion Sanders did a nice job of constructing a prolific offense and leading his team to victory in a lot of coin-flip games.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders tossed five touchdowns on the day, three of which went to WR/DB Travis Hunter. Hunter had a Heisman-worthy day, finishing with 10 catches, 116 yards and three touchdowns on offense and an interception on defense.

Give that man his hardware.

Row the Boat - Minnesota knocked off Wisconsin 24-7 to win Paul Bunyan’s Axe. With the loss, Wisconsin fell to 5-7 and snapped a 22-year bowl game streak–the longest in FBS. Dark days for the fans in Madison.

A critical offseason awaits for head coach Luke Fickell, who is just .500 in two seasons in charge. He better nail the OC hire or he’s going to be in trouble next fall.

Egg Bowl - Congratulations, Lane Kiffin. You and your boys from Oxford beat arguably the worst Mississippi State team of my lifetime.

The Brent Musburger Gambling Guide

Let’s review my locks of the week.

+2 units on the season.

-9 Louisiana vs. UL Monroe - +1 unit

Miami Ohio vs. -2.5 Bowling Green - -1 unit

+9.5 Fresno State vs. UCLA - +1 unit

Purdue vs. -28 Indiana - +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.