Week 11 in College Football means things change. Gone is the use of the AP Poll to rank teams. Now, the College Football Playoff Committee will put out rankings and a bracket every week until it selects the 12 teams that will make the CFP in December.
The race starts now. So, how did the Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Bulldogs, and BYU Cougars (among others) fare this week?
The Defeated Hurricane
The number four-ranked Miami Hurricanes have remained undefeated despite some incredibly close games this season. This week, they hoped to continue this strong season against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, a program that has been good against strong opposition. Could they get an upset here?
The Yellow Jackets had the first possession of the game and would be able to get the first score from it. Thanks to a 65-yard run from Jamal Haynes, the Georgia Tech offense found themselves very quickly down at the Hurricanes’ 16-yard line. From here, Haynes found the endzone on another run.
In response to this, the Hurricanes scored in less than a minute. Star quarterback Cam Ward found Elijah Arroyo for a 74-yard touchdown pass. On their next drive, Miami was able to take the lead. The Hurricanes drive stalled at Georgia Tech’s 23-yard line, but kicker Andres Borregales scored the field goal from 41 yards out.
But the lead did not last long. Actually, in terms of raw time, it did. On the next drive, the Georgia Tech offense, led by Haynes King, slowly descended the field and reached the Hurricanes’ five-yard line. From here, King found Malik Rutherford for a five-yard touchdown pass to cap off a drive that lasted more than 10 minutes.
Not much happened for the rest of the half, with both trades trading punts after their offenses could not get anything going. This meant that the Yellow Jackets had a 14-10 lead over the Hurricanes at halftime.
Georgia Tech extended its lead in the early part of the second half. Starting from their 39-yard line, King and company moved the ball down to the Hurricanes’ 15-yard line. Here, fellow quarterback Aaron Philo found Chase Lane for the touchdown pass.
But the Hurricanes were able to respond. The offense made its way down to the Yellow Jackets’ eight-yard line, and here, Ward found Isaiah Horton for the touchdown pass. Miami then decided to go for the two-point conversion, but their attempt was unsuccessful.
While this score cut into the Yellow Jackets lead, the reduced lead would not last long. The Yellow Jackets’ offense made its way down to the Hurricanes’ five-yard line, and from here, King found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to extend their lead to 12 points.
Miami needed a fourth-quarter comeback. On their next drive, it looked like it would begin when Ward found Horton for a 12-yard touchdown pass on a vital fourth-down attempt. However, there was a penalty on the play against the Hurricanes, removing the touchdown from the board. But it did give them another chance to score, this time from the 22-yard line. On this attempt, Ward was sacked, handing possession over to Georgia Tech,
Miami had better luck on their next drive when Ward found Xavier Restreo for a 38-yard touchdown pass. This kept them in the game, but they needed one more touchdown with six minutes left.
Georgia Tech took much time off the clock on their next drive, which ended in a punt. This gave the Hurricanes one final opportunity to deny the Yellow Jackets from getting an upset win. However, on the second play of this drive, Ward was sacked and then fumbled the ball. The ball was recovered by the Yellow Jackets, who did not let go of it until the final whistle.
This meant that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets had recorded a 28-23 upset victory over the number four-ranked Miami Hurricanes.
With that fumble, the Hurricanes’ undefeated season has been dropped. Due to losing to an unranked team, the defeat will have a massive impact on the CFP rankings, as Miami may go from provisional conference champions to not even being in the top 12. However, this seems unlikely, as one-loss teams will likely get in. The win gives Georgia Tech a 6-4 (4-3 ACC) record for the season, making them bowl eligible.
Next week, both Georgia Tech and Miami are on a rest week.
All over for Georgia and Carson Beck?
In one of the only games between two ranked teams this week, the number three-ranked Georgia Bulldogs faced the number 16-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. Both teams know that the result of this game will have a massive impact on the CFP. A victory for Georgia keeps their hopes of making the SEC Championship game alive, while a win for the Rebels keeps their season alive. So, who will be leaving Oxford happy?
The game started in the worst possible way for Ole Miss. On the game’s third play, Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart threw an interception. The Bulldogs capitalized on this, as a couple of plays later, Nate Frazier scored a two-yard rushing touchdown to give Georgia the early lead.
However, things would get better for Ole Miss on their next drive. Dart was able to shake off his interception and move the Rebels offense down to the Bulldogs’ nine-yard line. From here, Ulysses Bentley IV found the endzone for the rushing touchdown.
Ole Miss were able to take the lead on their next drive. This stalled at the Bulldogs’ six-yard line, setting up a 23-yard field goal attempt from kicker Kaden Davis, who was successful. Davis would also be successful on the next two drives from the Rebels. While he was kicking field goals, the Bulldogs were struggling to get any offense going.
This meant that the Rebels had a 16-7 lead over the Bulldogs at halftime.
Georgia was finally able to score some points on the opening drive of the second half. Led by quarterback Carson Beck, the Bulldogs offense made its way down to the Rebels’ five-yard line, but no further. This set up kicker Peyton Woodring with a 23-yard field goal attempt, which he was successful with.
However, Ole Miss immediately struck back to widen their lead. At the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line, Dart found Antwane Wells Jr for the touchdown pass. They attempted a two-point conversion after the score, but this was unsuccessful.
But missing those two points did not have a large effect on the game. On the next drive, the Bulldogs made another mistake. Beck found Frazier for a pass on the Rebels 29-yard line, which he would fumble. Ole Miss would recover the ball. Luckily, they were unable to do anything with it.
However, the next drive from the Bulldogs was pivotal in the game. Starting from their nine-yard line, Beck and company would slowly make their way down the Rebels 27-yard line. Beck would fumble the ball in this drive, but another Georgia player would be able to recover it, keeping the drive alive.
At the 27-yard line, Beck threw an interception. He has done this very frequently in the last couple of games, and this, paired with his less-than-stellar play, will have a massive impact on his draft stock.
The interception was costly, as Ole Miss was able to convert this into more points. Davis kicked another field goal, this time from 24 yards out.
But Beck kept making mistakes. On the next drive, he fumbled the ball. Ole Miss gained possession, which again led to another field goal for Davis.
This meant that at the end of the game, the number 16-ranked Ole Miss Rebels defeated the number three-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 28-10.
This win keeps the Rebels season alive, and Lane Kiffins’ side is now contenders for an 11th or 12 seed in the CFP. As for the Bulldogs, they could still make the CFP. But, it should be agreed that Carson Beck (who was the favorite for the Heisman Trophy to begin the season) is not the guy to lead the Bulldogs to victory, and may now be lucky to find himself starting on an NFL team next season. As a Giants fan, I’ll take Daniel Jones over him. The victory gives Ole Miss an 8-2 (4-2 SEC) record, while Georgia now has a 7-2 (5-2 SEC) record.
Next week, the Rebels are on a rest week, while things don’t get any easier for the Bulldogs, as they face Tennessee.
BYUnderfeated
The number nine ranked BYU Cougars are among the last remaining undefeated teams in College Football and could make a good run in the CFP. This week, they faced the Utah Utes, a team that could have been a contender for the Big 12 this season if not for an injury to Cam Rising. So, who would win the “Holy War” between two schools from Utah?
The Utes made the first mistake of the game early in the first half. Damien Alford (one of two quarterbacks the Utes were playing in this game) threw an interception.
The Cougars capitalized on this. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff moved his offense down to the Utes’ five-yard line. However, this is where the drive would stall, setting up kicker Will Ferrin for a 23-yard field goal attempt. He was successful with this, and BYU had the lead.
But, this did not last long. In reply to this, the Utes offense could make it down to the Cougars’ 20-yard line. From here, Brandon Rose (the other quarterback for Utah) found Brant Kuithe for the touchdown pass.
This lead did not last one snap, as the Cougars found the endzone on the kick return, with Keelan Marion scoring the 96-yard return score.
But the Utah offense was able to ride the momentum from their previous drive and find the endzone again on the next drive. The Utes made it down to the one-yard line, and then Kuithe scored the rushing touchdown to hand the lead back to them.
The Utes extended their lead on their final drive before halftime when Rose found Micah Bernard for a seven-yard touchdown pass. This meant that at halftime, the Utes had a surprise 21-10 lead over the Cougars.
The second half began in a very similar way to the first half. Rose threw an interception, and the Cougars capitalized on it by scoring a field goal on the return drive. This time, the kick from Ferrin was from 33 yards out.
This score brought the Cougars within one score of the Utes. They were able to come even closer to them on their next drive. Starting from their five-yard line, Retzlaff and company moved down the field to the Utes one-yard line. From here, Retzlaff found the endzone for the rushing touchdown. BYU then attempted a two-point conversion to level the score, but this failed.
For most of the fourth quarter, neither team could put together a good string of plays to create a competitive drive. But, with under two minutes left, the Cougars had possession, knowing that a field goal was all they needed.
They nearly lost possession deep in their territory, but thanks to a penalty against Utah on a fourth down from the BYU nine-yard line, they kept possession and made it down into field goal territory. Then, as time was about to run out, Will Ferrin kicked a 44-yard field goal to give the number nine-ranked BYU Cougars a 22-21 win over the Utah Utes.
This victory keeps BYU’s undefeated season alive and puts them in pole position to make the Big 12 championship game. They improve to 9-0 (6-0 Big 12) on the season. The defeat means that Utah falls to 4-5 (1-5 Big 12), and are on a five-game losing streak.
Next week, the Cougars will face Kansas, while Utah will play Colorado in a game known as the “Rumble in the Rockies.”
What Happened to the Other Ranked Teams?
Maryland @ #1 Oregon
The number one-ranked Oregon Ducks kept their undefeated season alive against the Maryland Terrapins this weekend. In a game that the Ducks never looked like losing, they cruised to a 39-18 win. History was made in this game, as Dillion Gabriel broke the all-time touchdown scoring record with a throw to Gernorris Wilson to become one of the best ever to do it. We will see if this can translate into a national championship in a couple of weeks.
Purdue @ #2 Ohio State
The number two ranked Ohio State kept in the race for the Big Ten championship game with a convincing win over the Purdue Boilermakers, who only have one win this season. Will Howard threw for three touchdowns and Jeremiah Smith broke the freshman touchdown record as the Buckeyes defeated Purdue 45-0.
Florida @ #5 Texas
The number five ranked Texas Longhorns faced the Florida Gators, who, for some reason, decided to keep coach Billy Napier on for another season. The Longhorns dominated this game, with quarterback Quinn Ewers throwing for five touchdowns and 333 yards in their 49-17 win. Fun fact: The 17 points that Florida scored on the Longhorns were the first points they scored against Texas in 100 years.
Washington @ #6 Penn State
After their defeat at Ohio State last week, the number six ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (who were ranked too high, in my opinion) faced the Washington Huskies. This was a simple blowout victory for the Nittany Lions, as running back Tyler Warren scored two touchdowns in their 35-6 win.
Mississippi State @ #7 Tennessee
The number seven-ranked Tennessee Volunteers took control of the SEC this week with their win over the two-win Mississippi State Bulldogs. In this game, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava left the game with an injury, but running back Dylan Sampson could carry the team, recording 149 yards to give the Vols a 33-14 win.
Michigan @ #8 Indiana
The eight-ranked Indiana Hoosiers should be ranked above Penn State, as they are undefeated. They faced the Michigan Wolverines this keep, and that undefeated record continued. A strong first-half showing from the Hoosiers avoided an upset when Michigan slowly returned in the second half. Ultimately, Indiana recorded a 20-15 win, giving them a school-record 10th win of the season.
Florida State @ #10 Notre Dame
The number 10 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish faced the Florida State Seminoles in a game that had to win, as defeat to Northern Illinois and this Florida State team in the same season would be embarrassing. Luckily, this did not happen. Riley Leonard was involved in three touchdowns as the Fighting Irish cruised to a simple 52-3 win.
#11 Alabama @ #15 LSU
In what could have been the game of the week, the number 11-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide faced the number 15-ranked LSU Tigers in a must-win game for both teams. In the end, there was only really one team in this game. Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe scored four rushing touchdowns to help Alabama to a 42-13 win over the Tigers, whose chances of making the CFP are now about zero.
Nevada @ #12 Boise State
The number 12 ranked Boise State Broncos put them another step closer to being the Group of Five school in the CFP with a win over the Nevada Wolf Pack. Additionally, Ashton Jeanty kept himself in the Heisman Trophy conversation, rushing for 209 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the Broncos’ 28-21 win.
#17 Iowa State @ Kansas
The number 17-ranked Iowa State Cyclones were one of numerous teams to lose their undefeated record last week. They lost again this week against the Kansas Jayhawks. A strong showing from Jayhawks running back Devin Neal gave Kanas a 45-36 upset win against ranked opposition, opening the Big 12 up.
Virginia @ #18 Pittsburgh
Last week, the number 18 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers lost their undefeated record. This week, things got even worse for them against the Virginia Cavaliers. A strong third quarter from the Cavaliers gave them the advantage, which they never let go off to record a 24-19 win over the Panthers. I do not think we will see Pittsburgh in this review next week.
#20 Colorado @ Texas Tech
The number 20 ranked Colorado Buffaloes’ good season continued this week as they faced the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw three touchdowns, and Heisman contender Travis Hunter recorded 99 receiving yards as Colorado defeated the Red Raiders 41-27. This win puts them provisionally in the conference championship game.
Utah State @ #21 Washington State
The number 21-ranked Washington State Cougars began their preparation for the de facto PAC-12 (really PAC-2) championship game against Oregon State with a win over the Utah State Aggies. Cougars quarterback John Mateer threw four touchdowns in Washington State’s 49-28 win.
#23 Clemson @ Virginia Tech
The number 23 ranked Clemson Tigers defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 24-14. Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for three touchdowns as the win (and Miami’s loss) kept them in contention for the ACC Championship game.
Oklahoma @ #24 Missouri
The number 24 ranked Missouri Tigers faced the Oklahoma Sooners in a game between two even-matched sides, especially as the Tigers do not have Brady Cook back from injury. This was a very close game and went down to the last minute. Zion Young recovered a fumble to the house to record a 30-23 victory for Missouri.
#25 Army @ North Texas
The number 25-ranked Army Black Knights faced the North Texas Mean Green this week. The undefeated Army kept their undefeated season going with a 14-3 win. Questions need to be raised on why the undefeated Army is barely ranked. It might be due to the opposition they face. None of them have been that strong, while a fellow group of five schools, Boise State, has been playing harder opposition.
So, after an eventual week, on Tuesday, we will see how this has affected the CFP Poll. Next week’s games are led by Tennessee’s trip to Georgia. We also have Texas playing Arkansas and the Battle of the Aggies, as New Mexico State faces Texas A&M.
