The 12-team College Football Playoff was supposed to bring clarity to the postseason by adding ei...

<p>The 12-team College Football Playoff was supposed to bring clarity to the postseason by adding eight programs and getting all deserving parties involved. </p><p>Instead, the opposite has happened in a season filled with parity and lacking an elite program that stands above the rest. The result is more heated arguments than ever. The lack of divisions in the Power conferences is causing chaos as the race to the title game and playoff berths is coming down to the wire.</p><p>Here's how the race for the 12 slots in the playoff bracket looks with two weeks of action and the conference title games left on the schedule.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>SEC</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754504/cropped_GettyImages-2183907673.jpg?ts=1731202245" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754504/w220xh124_GettyImages-2183907673.jpg?ts=1731202245 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754504/w320xh180_GettyImages-2183907673.jpg?ts=1731202245 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754504/w640xh360_GettyImages-2183907673.jpg?ts=1731202245 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754504/w768xh432_GettyImages-2183907673.jpg?ts=1731202245 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754504/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2183907673.jpg?ts=1731202245 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Justin Ford / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Texas (9-1, 5-1 conference)</li>
<li>Texas A&amp;M (8-2, 5-1 conference)</li>
<li>Georgia (8-2, 6-2 conference)</li>
<li>Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 conference)</li>
<li>Alabama (8-2, 4-2 conference)</li>
<li>Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 conference)</li>
</ul><p>Given the CFP committee's previous affinity for SEC programs, it's plausible that four or five teams from the conference will make the playoff this time around. That would leave at least one or two of the six squads ranked in the top 15 of the AP Poll on the outside looking in - a situation that would surely be handled well by the incredibly rational fan bases associated with each.</p><p>Usually, this sort of thing would play itself out with head-to-head matchups, but the only meeting left between teams on the above list is Texas A&amp;M hosting Texas in the season finale. Now might be a good time to brush up on your SEC title game tiebreaker rules because the head-to-head comparisons do nothing to clear up the situation.</p><p>Georgia has two great wins over Tennessee and Texas - both by double digits. However, Alabama and Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs this season. The Crimson Tide have that sparkling Georgia win but lost to Tennessee on the road earlier. The loser of the Texas-Texas A&amp;M contest will have two conference losses and won't make the SEC title game. If that's the Longhorns, the best Power conference win on their schedule will be ... Vanderbilt.</p><p>If you're someone who wants to see how the committee handles chaos down the stretch, the SEC is the league for you.</p><h3>Big Ten</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749657/cropped_GettyImages-2178150086.jpg?ts=1728782659" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749657/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178150086.jpg?ts=1728782659 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749657/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178150086.jpg?ts=1728782659 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749657/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178150086.jpg?ts=1728782659 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749657/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178150086.jpg?ts=1728782659 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749657/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178150086.jpg?ts=1728782659 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ali Gradischer / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Oregon (11-0, 8-0 conference)</li>
<li>Indiana (10-0, 7-0 conference)</li>
<li>Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 conference)</li>
<li>Penn State (9-1, 6-1 conference)</li>
</ul><p>Oregon's move to the Big Ten has presented about as much of a challenge as crossing an empty street. The Ducks have already clinched a spot in the conference title game and almost assuredly secured a CFP berth regardless of that result. Who the competition will be is where it gets interesting in the Big Ten. Indiana is a shocking 10-0 for the first time ever and heads into arguably the biggest game in program history at Ohio State this weekend.</p><p>So, what happens if the Hoosiers lose to Ohio State as the oddsmakers expect? That's where things get murky. An 11-1 Big Ten team seems like a lock, especially one that has claimed victory by at least 14 points in every game but one this season. However, Indiana has yet to play a team in the top eight of the Big Ten this year and finishes the schedule with a date against basement-dwelling Purdue. Curt Cignetti's bunch has pounded almost everyone in its way, but you could argue that several programs in the country would have the same record playing these opponents.</p><p>Meanwhile, Penn State lurks in fourth with a road game at Minnesota on deck before the home finale against Maryland. The Nittany Lions <strong><em>should </em></strong>get past those contests and lock up a playoff spot at 11-1 despite not playing for the Big Ten title. That could set the table for a home 'white out' playoff game in front of over 100,000 screaming fans.</p><h3>ACC </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753243/cropped_GettyImages-2182562454.jpg?ts=1730606617" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753243/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182562454.jpg?ts=1730606617 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753243/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182562454.jpg?ts=1730606617 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753243/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182562454.jpg?ts=1730606617 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753243/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182562454.jpg?ts=1730606617 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/753243/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182562454.jpg?ts=1730606617 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Sam Hodde / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>SMU (9-1, 6-0 conference)</li>
<li>Clemson (8-2, 7-1 conference)</li>
<li>Miami (9-1, 5-1 conference)</li>
</ul><p>The ACC is perhaps the cleanest of the remaining Power conference races, with the playoff committee likely only paying attention to SMU and Miami. Provided both win out, a meeting in the conference title game will decide the one, and likely only, participant from the ACC in the 12-team field.</p><p>Banking on the Hurricanes to win out <strong><em>seems</em></strong> safe, but Mario Cristobal's team has shown in the past that they're capable of losing as heavy favorites to just about anybody. That was on full display last time Miami took the field, shockingly losing at Georgia Tech two weeks ago. That likely removed the Hurricanes' chances of holding an at-large possibility should they lose the conference title game.</p><p>SMU hasn't been phased by the ACC competition in its first year with the conference, ripping off a perfect mark with two games to play. A road trip to Virginia this weekend poses the biggest threat to an unbeaten regular-season ACC slate for the Mustangs.</p><p>Dabo Swinney and Clemson are second in the conference, but they need Miami to slip up coming home if they want to make the ACC title game. The Tigers have already finished their conference schedule, and it seems unlikely the committee will put them in the CFP as an at-large team after it lost handily to Georgia and Louisville.</p><h3>Big 12</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/cropped_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Don Juan Moore / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>BYU (9-1, 6-1 conference)</li>
<li>Colorado (8-2, 6-1 conference)</li>
<li>Arizona State (8-2, 5-2 conference)</li>
<li>Iowa State (7-2, 4-2 conference)</li>
</ul><p>The last two weeks of the Big 12 have seen Travis Hunter play nearly 300 total snaps, score two touchdowns, <a href="https://x.com/CFBONFOX/status/1857855569618513981">pull in one of the catches of the year</a>, and stuff a <a href="https://x.com/CFBONFOX/status/1855357667851579518">tortilla into his pants</a> that was thrown on the field during a play. We also got a sitting athletic director at Utah saying, "I'm disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight," immediately following a loss to BYU in the Holy War. That came after the Cougars saw their unbeaten run end thanks largely to Kansas' quarterback punting a ball off a BYU player's helmet. Oh, and Arizona State somehow still controls its destiny in the Big 12 title race despite coming off back-to-back three-win seasons.</p><p>BYU and Colorado are in the driver's seat, as both will be in the Big 12 title game with wins in the final two contests on the schedule. That'll be trickier for the Cougars since they have a road trip to Arizona State looming. The Sun Devils can pass BYU with a victory at home, and Iowa State will be in the mix should Colorado or the Cougars slip.</p><h3>Other</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744406/cropped_GettyImages-2169858736.jpg?ts=1725915087" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744406/w220xh124_GettyImages-2169858736.jpg?ts=1725915087 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744406/w320xh180_GettyImages-2169858736.jpg?ts=1725915087 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744406/w640xh360_GettyImages-2169858736.jpg?ts=1725915087 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744406/w768xh432_GettyImages-2169858736.jpg?ts=1725915087 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744406/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2169858736.jpg?ts=1725915087 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jack Gorman / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Notre Dame (8-1)</li>
<li>Army (9-0, 7-0 AAC)</li>
<li>Boise State (9-1, 6-0 MWC)</li>
<li>UNLV (8-2, 4-1 MWC)</li>
<li>Tulane (9-2, 7-0 AAC)</li>
</ul><p>It turns out that the stunning home loss to Northern Illinois won't hurt Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have rebounded from that embarrassing setback to crush all opponents in their wake and sit 8-1 with two games to play. That'll be more than enough to get them in the playoff, provided they win their final two games. We'll immediately get some clarity on one of the other teams on this list as undefeated Army gets Notre Dame this Saturday. If the Black Knights pull off the stunner, the CFP's Group of Five slot will likely be Army's, barring defeat in the AAC title game.</p><p>Boise State would have the inside track to that berth should Army lose, with Ashton Jeanty's prolific season grabbing plenty of headlines for the Broncos. A narrow loss on the road to No. 1 Oregon earlier this year brought respect for Boise State in the eyes of the committee, something clear by its ranking in the CFP releases.</p>

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 09: The College Football Playoff National Championship trophy is displayed on the field before the College Football Playoff National Championship game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the TCU Horned Frogs at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2023 in Inglewood, California.

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Playoff breakdown: The race for CFP slots with 2 weeks to play

College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examine...

<p><em>College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.</em></p><h3>Portal King rules at Ole Miss </h3><p>Two years after proclaiming himself the "Transfer King," it's probably a safe bet that Lane Kiffin and all of Ole Miss are now having a celebratory laugh.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PortalKing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PortalKing</a> 😂😂🧩🧩🧩 <a href="https://t.co/WJjrNdd3uu">pic.twitter.com/WJjrNdd3uu</a></p>— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lane_Kiffin/status/1488164715385733124?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The King could sit high on his throne Saturday, with a host of transfers shining as Ole Miss beat Georgia and posted the highest AP-ranked win at home in school history. How rare was the Rebels' triumph? It's the first loss for Kirby Smart to a team other than Alabama since 2020.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Kiffin's high-powered offenses usually get the attention in Oxford, but the veteran coach realized he needed to beef up the defense after losing by 30 points to Georgia last year. Enter ex-Florida pass-rusher Princely Umanmielen and former Texas A&amp;M defensive tackle Walter Nolen.</p><p>Umanmielen was a beast up front all night, sacking Carson Beck twice and forcing a crucial fumble in the fourth quarter. Nolen's stats weren't as gaudy, but the former five-star recruit was a major factor in limiting Georgia to just 59 rushing yards.</p><p>Jaxson Dart came from USC two years ago to lead Ole Miss' offense. He battled back from an early ankle injury Saturday to throw for 199 yards and a score while adding 50 rushing yards. Juice Wells - who came from South Carolina earlier this year - registered the biggest highlight of the night with an acrobatic touchdown grab.</p><p>Kiffin's time at Ole Miss has featured plenty of wins, as well as explosive offenses and countless social media moments, but none had come against the SEC's top teams. That changed Saturday, throwing more chaos into an already wild race for the conference title.</p><h3>Georgia's offense needs a reset </h3><p>It was jarring enough that Georgia lost to a non-Alabama opponent for the first time since 2020, but the Bulldogs' inability to form any kind of productive offense should have the alarm bells firing in Athens.</p><p>With Saturday's 10-point performance in the books, Georgia still hasn't had a 100-yard rusher all season. Carson Beck has thrown 12 interceptions, and nine in his last four games, after entering the year as a Heisman favorite. He still remains an incredibly talented passer, but he's taking too many chances without security blankets Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers.</p><p>Georgia scored all of its points on the two drives to start each half. It gained just 148 yards at an average of 3 per play in the other eight drives. The good news is the Bulldogs can still make a playoff push. The bad news? The nation's No. 2 defense, Tennessee, comes to Athens next week. If the offense doesn't drastically improve, we could see a 12-team playoff <strong><em>without</em></strong> Georgia.</p><h3>Alabama unleashes Milroe on LSU</h3><p>We largely associate Kalen DeBoer teams with a high-flying passing game due to his success with Michael Penix Jr. at Washington. However, DeBoer's three NAIA championship teams at Sioux Falls all saw the starting quarterback finish second on the team in rushing for the the season. He's excellent at leaning on the best talents of his best players. That was on full display Saturday night with Jalen Milroe against LSU in Death Valley.</p><p>DeBoer and Alabama's offensive coaching staff clearly decided they could run Milroe on LSU's defense, and that's exactly what they did to tremendous success. The standout quarterback finished with an incredible 185 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries to help the Tide run away from the Tigers and post a statement 42-13 victory. LSU's only touchdown came in the dying seconds against Alabama's backups.</p><p>It's Brian Kelly's first loss in a night game at home since he took over the job and effectively ends his team's shot at a spot in the 12-team playoff. For DeBoer, he'll certainly quiet some of the noise in Tuscaloosa after the Tide lost two games in the opening three weeks of October. Alabama has now beat Missouri and LSU by a combined 76-13 margin in the two games following its second loss.</p><h3>Miami finds out</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754531/cropped_GettyImages-2183255176.jpg?ts=1731208401" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754531/w220xh124_GettyImages-2183255176.jpg?ts=1731208401 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754531/w320xh180_GettyImages-2183255176.jpg?ts=1731208401 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754531/w640xh360_GettyImages-2183255176.jpg?ts=1731208401 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754531/w768xh432_GettyImages-2183255176.jpg?ts=1731208401 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754531/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2183255176.jpg?ts=1731208401 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>There's a common phrase in today's society that - for professional purposes - we'll refer to as "mess around and find out." Miami messed around in its first nine games this season. The team found out in Saturday's loss against Georgia Tech.</p><p>The Hurricanes have been falling behind lesser conference opponents before roaring back late for dramatic wins. Saturday's contest marked the fourth time this season they'd trailed by double digits in the second half. It also was the first instance in which it was too much to overcome.</p><p>Miami's defense couldn't get off the field against Georgia Tech's rushing attack, allowing an outrageous 9-of-14 conversion rate on third down. That kept the ball out of Cam Ward's hands for far too long, with a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that drained almost 11 minutes off the clock the crowning achievement for the Yellow Jackets' offense.</p><p>Georgia Tech's final rushing tally was an absurd 281 yards on 48 carries - a gaudy clip of 5.6 yards per rush. The Yellowjackets' two-quarterback system only totaled 99 passing yards but recorded two touchdowns on 11 completions. It was a display that harkened back to the program's old triple-option attack.</p><p>Miami's offense moved the ball with plenty of success throughout Saturday as Ward threw for 348 yards and three scores. However, the team's 4-of-14 conversion rate on third and fourth downs kept points off the board. Ward's Superman act has saved them on a such a regular basis that it's become expected - a very dangerous way to live in today's college football world.</p><p>The Hurricanes are still in the driver's seat for the ACC's automatic playoff berth, but they likely lost the fall-back option of an at-large bid should they lose in the conference title game. However, that seems far off with a defense that's allowed at least 28 points in five of its last six games.</p><h3>Coach Prime wasn't wrong, he was just early</h3><p>It turns out that Deion Sanders' comments after he won his Colorado debut last year weren't wrong; they were just early.</p><p>"We told you we coming. You thought we was joking, and guess what, we keep receipts," <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1698063833993293976">Sanders said</a> after that first win.</p><p>Fast-forward 14 months, and Coach Prime has the Buffaloes holding their playoff destiny in their own hands with three weeks to play. The latest data point in the Colorado resume came with a road win at Texas Tech on Saturday. Add Iowa State's second straight loss, and a spot in the Big 12 title game is the Buffaloes' if they win out.</p><p>Shedeur Sanders threw for 291 yards and three scores, with Travis Hunter catching nine balls for 99 yards and a touchdown. But it's the defense that we need to highlight. The much-maligned unit has improved drastically in Sanders' second year, recording a whopping six sacks and ten tackles for loss against the Red Raiders.</p><h3>Indiana: 'Not bad'</h3><p>From the man who brought you "<a href="https://x.com/JacobScottDavis/status/1738399427365056559">I win. Google me</a>," and "<a href="https://x.com/jeffrabjohns/status/1730744811659882572?s=46&amp;t=iooX-vAWeINPlZHZgxoUhA">Purdue sucks. But so does Michigan and Ohio State</a>," comes the latest banger.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/XUzVLAfvup">pic.twitter.com/XUzVLAfvup</a></p>— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) <a href="https://twitter.com/nocontextcfb/status/1855402163247173726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>That's right, Curt Cignetti is now a perfect 10-0 in his first season with Indiana. To say that's a shocking start in Bloomington would be the understatement of the year. The Hoosiers have now won 10 games for the first time in their 126-year history.</p><p>The latest victim was the defending national champions, Michigan. It was the toughest test of the season thus far for Indiana. The Hoosiers only won by five points, the first time they didn't win by at least 14 points this season. However, Cignetti won't be too bothered by the score as the win keeps Indiana perfect heading into the bye week. Next is arguably the game of the year in the Big Ten: a trip to Ohio State with a likely spot in the conference title game on the line.</p><h3>Ewers, Texas use Florida to get right</h3><p>Quinn Ewers and Texas haven't exactly lit the world on fire in the month since he returned from injury. The Longhorns had suffered a 15-point loss at home to Georgia and narrowly beat Vanderbilt over their last two games. Ewers threw just five touchdowns to three interceptions in that time span, and the offense scored a total of only 42 points. Well, consider those issues fixed thanks to a struggling, injury-plagued Florida outfit.</p><p>Ewers lit up a beleaguered Gators secondary for 333 yards and five touchdowns in a brilliant performance. The final tally of 49-17 actually made the game closer than it looked as Texas benched a number of starters after grabbing a 42-0 lead.</p><p>The win keeps the Longhorns trucking toward an SEC title game berth, with a massive season finale at Texas A&amp;M likely being a big deciding factor. They're also primed to move up in both the AP Poll and CFP rankings with Miami falling to Georgia Tech.</p><p>As for Florida, it's tough to take too much from the Gators' performance due to their current injury situation. However, this performance coming just a few days after athletic director Scott Stricklin gave Billy Napier a vote of confidence provided this incredibly timed screenshot from the broadcast.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A photo that will live in infamy <a href="https://t.co/L0GzxxKWcV">pic.twitter.com/L0GzxxKWcV</a></p>— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedditCFB/status/1855328598502346795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The Gators need to win two of their three remaining games against LSU, Ole Miss, and at Florida State to be bowl eligible.</p><h3>Florida State's historic fall</h3><p>It's no longer noteworthy when Florida State loses in 2024, but the Seminoles falling off at a historic rate deserves some attention. The latest setback was a 52-3 beatdown by Notre Dame in a game that saw two FSU quarterbacks combine to complete just 10-of-26 passes for 88 total yards. That dropped the Seminoles to an astonishing 1-9 this year, just one season after they posted a 13-1 record.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Florida State’s year-to-year decline:<br><br>• 2023 - 13-1 (.929)<br>• 2024 - 1-9 (.100)<br><br>Since 1960, only one (1!) other time has a program’s win percentage dropped by 75% or more year-to-year (So Miss, 2011-12, ⬇️ .857).<br><br>A generational drop off.</p>— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenScottStevens/status/1855464708234432650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>For those about to ask - no, head coach Mike Norvell isn't going anywhere. Florida State inked Norvell to a new contract featuring a buyout of over $60 million following his success last year.</p>

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CFB Wrap-up: Takeaways from Week 11's biggest games

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Quinn Ewers passed for 333 yards and five touchdowns and No. 5 Texas rolled ...

<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Quinn Ewers passed for 333 yards and five touchdowns and No. 5 Texas rolled over struggling Florida 49-17 on Saturday, two days after third-year Gators coach Billy Napier was given a public statement of support from the school's athletic director.</p><p>Ewers connected on open passes to Matthew Golden and Gunnar Helm for touchdowns in the first quarter. Quintrevion Wisner took a screen pass 50 yards for a score before Ewers connected with Golden again for a 32-yard strike in the second.</p><p>Texas (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 5 CFP) led 35-0 at halftime.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Coach Steve Sarkisian had said the Longhorns had been struggling to find their rhythm offensively in recent weeks, but they dialed up big play after big play against the Gators.</p><p>Ewers' easy day could have been even bigger if not for a couple of deep throws dropped by receivers. He was replaced by Arch Manning in the third quarter after his fifth touchdown pass.</p><p>Florida (4-5, 2-4) started Yale transfer Aidan Warner at quarterback because freshman DJ Lagway is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Warner, who was third team when the season started, was 12 of 25 passing for 132 yards and two interceptions.</p><hl2>The takeaway</hl2><p><strong>The Takeaway</strong></p><p>Florida: Getting routed on the road will only raise questions about athletic director Scott Stricklin's decision to give Napier such a public statement of support for another season. The loss drops Napier's record to 15-19. Tough, close losses to rivals Tennessee and Georgia had suggested the program was improving, even if not winning, but the Gators were overwhelmed by Texas.</p><p>Texas: After allowing 11 sacks in the previous two games, the offensive line protected Ewers well most of the day. He was sacked on the opening drive but was seldom harassed again. Some quick reads and short passes also kept the pressure off. Texas wants to avoid hits on Ewers that could aggravate a nagging abdomen strain.</p><hl2>Up next</hl2><p>Florida hosts No. 14 LSU next Saturday.</p><p>Texas plays at Arkansas next Saturday.</p><p>___</p><p>Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football.</p>

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 09: Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass during the SEC college football game between Texas Longhorns and Florida Gators on November 9, 2024, at Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX.

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Ewers' 5 TD passes lead No. 5 Texas in rout of Florida

The most important voting results in the United States were released on Tuesday and are sure to r...

<p>The most important voting results in the United States were released on Tuesday and are sure to rile up a number of people in various areas in the country.</p><p>We are, of course, talking about the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3119621" href="https://thescore.com/news/3119621">first College Football Playoff rankings</a> for the 2024 season. Tuesday's release marked the inaugural list for this year and was the first in the era of the 12-team playoff.</p><p>First, a quick reminder about the new format. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. Those teams will likely be the four champions from the Power 4 conferences, although Boise State could take the Big 12's slot with a string of favorable results down the stretch.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>You can argue over the order, but it makes sense to see Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia, and Miami as the top four teams in the initial ranking. Texas coming in at No. 5 is where things get interesting - and controversial.</p><p>Here are three things we learned from the committee's rankings.</p><h3>Committee blinded by big names</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752305/cropped_GettyImages-2174752924.jpg?ts=1730859520" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752305/w220xh124_GettyImages-2174752924.jpg?ts=1730859520 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752305/w320xh180_GettyImages-2174752924.jpg?ts=1730859520 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752305/w640xh360_GettyImages-2174752924.jpg?ts=1730859520 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752305/w768xh432_GettyImages-2174752924.jpg?ts=1730859520 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752305/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2174752924.jpg?ts=1730859520 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Texas, Penn State and Tennessee have two things in common - all three teams have one loss on the season, and all three teams are among the biggest brands in college football.</p><p>It seems the committee values the second point much more than the first. If it placed more importance on a team's record, No. 8 Indiana would be ahead of the aforementioned trio.</p><p>Texas actually hit the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll earlier this season, but let's address the elephant in the room. What's the Longhorns' best win? At the time of the poll, we thought a road victory at Michigan was a seismic result. However, the Wolverines are now 5-4 on the year. In terms of record, the best Power 4 win on the Longhorns' schedule is a three-point triumph on the road at Vanderbilt. Then there's the loss - a 15-point home defeat to Georgia. The Bulldogs are one of college football's best teams, and Texas couldn't hang with them.</p><p>Penn State, who comes in at No. 6, represents the most questionable decision made by the committee. The Nittany Lions are somehow ahead of the Hoosiers despite having one loss and despite both teams playing in the same conference. The best win on Penn State's schedule is a home triumph over Illinois. The combined record of the Power conference competition that the Nittany Lions have defeated is 22-21, with an average scoring margin of plus-14. Meanwhile, Indiana has a record of 25-27 against Power conference competition, with an outrageous average scoring margin of plus-26. Oh, and the Hoosiers <strong><em>haven't lost</em></strong>.</p><p>Tennessee, at No. 7, at least has a marquee win on which to hang its hat - something neither Texas or Penn State has. The Volunteers' home victory over Alabama clearly resonated with the committee and was enough to outweigh an ugly road loss to Arkansas. Still, the Volunteers haven't won a conference game this year by more than 10 points. Indiana, meanwhile, has won <em><strong>every single</strong></em> conference game by at least two touchdowns.</p><p>It seems the committee needs Indiana to play Michigan and Ohio State - two of the most storied programs in the country - before giving it a fair shake as a top-four team.</p><h3>Northern Illinois loss really didn't hurt Notre Dame</h3><p>No program should be happier with the move to a 12-team playoff than Notre Dame. A stunning home loss to Northern Illinois, who celebrated its first top-10 win ever - would have essentially eliminated the Fighting Irish from the playoff in a four-team system. Instead, the defeat against the ninth-place team in the MAC was a minor blip. Marcus Freeman's Irish are firmly in a playoff spot at No. 10 with four weeks to play.</p><p>Notre Dame's win over Louisville is aging like fine wine after the Cardinals went into Clemson and dominated the Tigers. However, the season-opening victory at Texas A&amp;M lost plenty of shine after the Aggies got smoked last week at South Carolina. Home games against a dreadful Florida State and Virginia are next on the slate, with a neutral-site battle against unbeaten Army looming in the penultimate week of the season. The finale at USC looked like a blockbuster at the start of the year, but the Trojans are imploding and already have five Big Ten losses.</p><p>The loss to Northern Illinois may end up costing Notre Dame a home playoff game, but the committee showed us Tuesday that it's comfortable with the rest of the Irish's resume.</p><h3>Big 12, ACC look like 1-team leagues</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750292/cropped_GettyImages-2177412463.jpg?ts=1730859663" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750292/w220xh124_GettyImages-2177412463.jpg?ts=1730859663 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750292/w320xh180_GettyImages-2177412463.jpg?ts=1730859663 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750292/w640xh360_GettyImages-2177412463.jpg?ts=1730859663 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750292/w768xh432_GettyImages-2177412463.jpg?ts=1730859663 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750292/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2177412463.jpg?ts=1730859663 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Chris Gardner / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>As expected, the top 12 was dominated by the Big Ten and the SEC. Expand it to the top 16, and there are only five teams that aren't from those two conferences.</p><p>Let's live dangerously and assume No. 4 Miami wins out and heads to the ACC title game. While the Hurricanes' history of blowing winnable games in shocking fashion comes to mind, this year's explosive offense looks like it will be able to handle the rest of the regular season. That likely means a date with SMU in the title game - a contest the Mustangs will probably have to win to nab a second bid for the ACC. The committee clearly wasn't moved by SMU's 7-1 record and a lone loss to undefeated BYU, ranking it outside the top 12, even though the Mustangs' resume features wins over top-25 opponents Pitt and Louisville.</p><p>Miami, listed at the No. 4 slot, will essentially provide SMU with a parachute into the playoff if it finishes undefeated but then loses in the ACC title game.</p><p>Speaking of BYU, the Cougars found themselves ranked ninth, trailing five teams who already have a loss on the season. That essentially tells us that the winner of the Big 12 will be the only member of that conference to make the playoff. No. 17 Iowa State, No. 19 Kansas State, and No. 20 Colorado are also in the rankings and very much in play for the conference title game, but they won't make the field without a win.</p>

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates after defeating the Northwestern Wildcats at Martin Stadium on October 05, 2024 in Evanston, Illinois.

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3 things we learned from 1st CFP rankings release

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CFB Wrap-up: Takeaways from Week 10's biggest games

New year, same old James Franklin versus top opponents.  Ohio State needs to move on from Ryan Da...

<p>New year, same old James Franklin versus top opponents.</p><p>Ohio State needs to move on from Ryan Day.</p><p>By late afternoon Saturday, one of these two things is going to be said by a large portion of the losing team's fan base following the contest between No. 3 Penn State and the fourth-ranked Buckeyes.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>On one side is Franklin - by almost any measure an incredibly successful coach with Penn State who's 27-4 in his last 31 regular-season games. The issue? Those four losses have come to Michigan and Ohio State. In fact, Franklin is 0-6 against Day since the latter took the Buckeyes' job and 1-9 all time in the rivalry.</p><p>The other combatant is Day, a man who's compiled an outrageous 62-9 record in his tenure at Ohio State, with all nine losses coming to top-12 competition. That type of production would be welcomed with a parade at virtually any program in the country, but Ohio State is different. The program expects national title contention and to beat Michigan every year. Neither has happened recently, with the Buckeyes losing three straight to the Wolverines and making the playoff just once in the last three years.</p><p>So Franklin returns home trying to shed the label that he can't beat the big-time opponent. A win would all but lock up a spot in both the Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff for Penn State. The pressure on Day might be even stronger, as a second loss on the season would effectively end Ohio State's hopes for a Big Ten title. The Buckeyes would still make the playoff if they win out, but the program going four years without a conference title has only happened once in the last 30 years.</p><p>Now that the stakes are set, let's look at the three biggest questions for the most important game of the weekend.</p><h3>Can Penn State finish?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597190/cropped_GettyImages-1748698911.jpg?ts=1697928042" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597190/w220xh124_GettyImages-1748698911.jpg?ts=1697928042 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597190/w320xh180_GettyImages-1748698911.jpg?ts=1697928042 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597190/w640xh360_GettyImages-1748698911.jpg?ts=1697928042 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597190/w768xh432_GettyImages-1748698911.jpg?ts=1697928042 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/597190/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1748698911.jpg?ts=1697928042 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ben Jackson / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>With a combined 97-67 scoreline, Ohio State has handily won the last three meetings against Penn State, right? Insert Lee Corso's trademark "Not so fast, my friend," because a closer look tells a different story. The biggest lead the Buckeyes have taken into the fourth quarter in those three matches is four points. The other two matchups have been within three points entering the final frame, but that's where Ohio State has separated itself.</p><p>Day's program has outscored Penn State 44-23 in the fourth quarter of the last three matchups. Take away a garbage-time touchdown with 29 seconds left in last year's contest, and that number looks even worse for Franklin's Nittany Lions. Simply put, Penn State's inability to close games has been arguably the biggest issue in keeping the Nittany Lions winless against Day. The early game plan has clearly been working versus the Buckeyes, but the in-game adjustments just haven't been good enough.</p><p>However, there's reason for optimism this year, with new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki bringing his in-game expertise to the table. Penn State outscored USC 27-10 in the second half and overtime to storm back and win earlier this year. And just last week, the Nittany Lions outscored Wisconsin 21-3 in the second half despite being down to backup quarterback Beau Pribula.</p><p>If Kotelnicki can bring those results to the field on Saturday, we could see a much different outcome than we're used to in the closing stretches of this rivalry game.</p><h3>Can Ohio State run the ball?</h3><p>The best way to get a road win is to run the ball and play good defense. That's especially true in the outrageous environment of Beaver Stadium and its more than 100,000 screaming fans.</p><p>The Buckeyes' defense has largely proven up to the task this year, but the run game has taken a midseason vacation. This comes despite Chip Kelly calling plays for standout running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, plus mobile quarterback Will Howard. Outside of Henderson's 53-yard run versus Oregon, the Ohio State rushing attack has run the ball 63 times for a total of just 174 yards in the past two games. That's 2.7 yards per attempt - a number that would rank ahead of only three of 134 FBS teams.</p><p>So what's the issue? The loss of starting left tackle Josh Simmons in that Oregon game seems to be the most significant reason for the drop in production. It certainly doesn't help that his replacement, Zen Michalski, was beaten for two sacks last week before leaving with an injury. Down two tackles against a defense led by the dominant Abdul Carter playing at home usually isn't a recipe for success.</p><h3>Who's playing QB for Penn State?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752812/cropped_GettyImages-1677296319.jpg?ts=1730399933" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752812/w220xh124_GettyImages-1677296319.jpg?ts=1730399933 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752812/w320xh180_GettyImages-1677296319.jpg?ts=1730399933 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752812/w640xh360_GettyImages-1677296319.jpg?ts=1730399933 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752812/w768xh432_GettyImages-1677296319.jpg?ts=1730399933 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752812/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1677296319.jpg?ts=1730399933 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>We saved this biggest question for last: Who's going to play quarterback for the Nittany Lions? It's not a stretch to say a healthy Drew Allar would be the best quarterback on the field Saturday, but his status is up in the air after being sidelined at halftime in the win over Wisconsin. After a couple of shaky drives, Pribula settled down nicely and led the Nittany Lions' offense with a solid mix of running and passing. It appears the decision will be made right before the game, but Allar looked strong in the public portions of Penn State practice this week.</p><p>Pribula is a huge threat with his legs, but the Ohio State secondary and pass rush are a different beast than what Wisconsin presented last week. While he could break a few plays on the ground, it's tough to see the backup getting the offense cooking at the same level Allar has done this year. The second-year starter ranks fourth nationally at 10 yards per attempt, slightly ahead of Ohio State's Howard despite the huge drop-off in receiver talent.</p><p>Expect Kotelnicki to use Pribula for his running ability whether Allar plays or not. But Penn State will likely need its star to play - and perform well - if Franklin is going to finally get that elusive win against Day and Ohio State.</p>

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3 questions for Ohio State-Penn State blockbuster

<p><em>College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.</em></p><h3>Penn State uses Wisconsin lifeline</h3><p>Make no mistake, Penn State was in trouble at the half in Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions trailed 10-7 and were without star quarterback Drew Allar for the rest of the game. The offense was forced to punt its first two series under Beau Pribula. All Wisconsin had to do was avoid a crippling error, and it would be in prime position to pull off a major upset that could shake up the Big Ten.</p><p>Welp, so much for that.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>A shocking interception from Braedyn Locke right to a waiting Jaylen Reed gave Penn State the ball and the lead on a back-breaking pick-6. It completely flipped the game and sucked all the energy out of the crowd in Madison.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wowwww. Pick six from Penn State to take the lead vs Wisconsin. <a href="https://t.co/UQOOqXuaUk">pic.twitter.com/UQOOqXuaUk</a></p>— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) <a href="https://twitter.com/AryePulli/status/1850355098167251260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Pribula would settle in nicely after those two drives, leading the Nittany Lions to two more touchdowns on a blend of precision passing and electric runs. Wisconsin managed just a field goal the rest of the way and ended up falling by double digits.</p><p>With the win secured, the focus now turns to Allar's health ahead of next week's blockbuster with Ohio State. However, Pribula showed enough down the stretch that Penn State should feel positive about their chances versus the Buckeyes, regardless of who plays quarterback.</p><h3>Elko rolls QB dice, comes up a winner</h3><p>Mike Elko saw Texas A&amp;M's chance early in the second half after being gifted the ball in excellent field position thanks to a Garrett Nussmeier interception, and the first-year head coach wasted no time in making a bold call: It was time for Marcel Reed. Starting quarterback Conner Weigman struggled mightily in the opening half and the first two series of the second. With the Aggies trailing 17-7 but on the Tigers' 8-yard line, Elko turned to Reed, who was standing in the end zone one play later.</p><p>It was the first of Reed's three rushing scores on the night as the Aggies turned a 10-point deficit into a rousing 15-point win following an incredible second-half showing. Aside from the end of the game, Reed was behind center for five drives, with four resulting in a touchdown and the other in a field goal. His play seemed to energize the defense, which forced three interceptions and two turnovers on downs in the second half.</p><p>Reed showed he should absolutely be the man at quarterback going forward. His dual-threat talent keeps the opposition guessing and unlocks the explosive run game. The victory means the Aggies are now the SEC's only undefeated team. It also means the season finale against Texas could serve as a play-in for the conference title matchup. That contest also doubles as the first battle between the two programs since Texas A&amp;M's move to the SEC in 2012.</p><h3>Rank Indiana above Ohio State</h3><p>Curt Cignetti started his Indiana tenure by grabbing a microphone and spitting some absolute fire during a break at a Hoosiers basketball game in December.</p><p>"I've never taken a back seat to anybody, and I don't plan on starting now," Cignetti <a href="https://x.com/GopherHole/status/1730979108438589911">yelled</a> to a roaring crowd. "Purdue sucks ... but so does Michigan and Ohio State."</p><p>If the first part got the crowd roaring, the second part sent it into a frenzy. And here's the wild part: He's not wrong, at least when comparing those teams to Indiana so far. Purdue and Michigan are a combined 5-9, while Ohio State - ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll - just finished off a narrow 21-17 win over a Nebraska team that the Hoosiers pounded 56-7 last week.</p><p>A comparison between Ohio State's and Indiana's home performances against the Cornhuskers offers a glimpse into how good the Hoosiers have been this year.</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>STAT</th>
<th>Indiana</th>
<th>Ohio State</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Points</td>
<td>56</td>
<td>21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yards per play</td>
<td>7.9</td>
<td>6.1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yards per rush</td>
<td>6.7</td>
<td>2.1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First downs</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Red zone</td>
<td>7-for-7</td>
<td>1-for-1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Nobody is going to argue that Indiana's roster is as talented as Ohio State's. One could also make the argument that if the two swapped schedules thus far, it would be the Hoosiers with one loss and the Buckeyes with the undefeated mark. However, Saturday's 14-point win over Washington with backup quarterback Tayven Jackson at the helm means Indiana is 8-0 for the first time since 1967, with all eight wins coming by at least two touchdowns. Indiana has scored at least 30 points in every contest this season - something Ohio State can no longer say after the Nebraska game.</p><p>Indiana now takes on the state of Michigan with a trip to East Lansing and a home date versus the Wolverines to start November. Then it's a bye week with the biggest contest of the year to follow: a road trip to face the Buckeyes on Nov. 23. It's then that Cignetti can prove whether Ohio State truly "sucks," but judging by how things have gone this year, don't be shocked if that's one of the games of the year in the Big Ten.</p><h3>Where's the Buckeyes' run game?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751893/cropped_GettyImages-2181227250.jpg?ts=1729990430" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751893/w220xh124_GettyImages-2181227250.jpg?ts=1729990430 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751893/w320xh180_GettyImages-2181227250.jpg?ts=1729990430 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751893/w640xh360_GettyImages-2181227250.jpg?ts=1729990430 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751893/w768xh432_GettyImages-2181227250.jpg?ts=1729990430 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751893/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2181227250.jpg?ts=1729990430 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jason Mowry / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>One of Ohio State's best moments in its loss to Oregon was TreVeyon Henderson ripping off a 53-yard run. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, seeing Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, and Will Howard running in open space has been rare in recent weeks. Taking away that 53-yard run, Ohio State's rushing attack has run the ball 63 times for just 174 total yards the past two games. Those measly 2.7 yards per run are well below how Chip Kelly's offense started the year, ripping off over 6 per carry.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ryan Day on Ohio State's offensive line:<br><br>"It's not good enough," he said. "We gotta be able to run the football. We didn't do that today. That's why we put the defense in bad spots. That's why we were 1-for-10 on third down and 1-for-2 on fourth downs."</p>— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) <a href="https://twitter.com/chaseabrown__/status/1850272560421978510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Injuries to the Buckeyes' offensive line continue to be an issue, but every season presents health issues for every team. Ohio State desperately needs to get in the lab and fix the run game this week, with Penn State and the nation's 14th-ranked rushing defense next on the schedule.</p><h3>Oregon makes AP voters look wise</h3><p>The Associated Press rewarded Alabama for its Week 4 win over Georgia with the No. 1 ranking in the poll. The Crimson Tide promptly lost to Vanderbilt. Texas was then hit with the No. 1 ranking - a spot it held for just two weeks before losing at home to Georgia last weekend. Next up was Oregon, and it's probably safe to say the Ducks ain't goin' down like that.</p><p>Playing in their first game as the No. 1 team since 2012, the Ducks did exactly what a top squad should - beat the heck out of a ranked opponent in No. 22 Illinois. Oregon scored five touchdowns on its first six drives and held Illinois to just three points during that time. The result was a bloated 35-3 halftime edge to render the second half essentially meaningless in Eugene.</p><p>After its stirring win over Ohio State two weeks ago, Oregon has beaten Purdue and Illinois by a combined 73-9 margin. The offense will get the headlines, but it's the defense that's truly dominating on a weekly basis. The Ducks have held the last two opponents to a combined 254 yards passing with six sacks, 17 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles.</p><h3>Texas avoids the Vandy trap</h3><p>The goalposts at Vanderbilt were starting to sweat. The possibility of another top-five upset loomed in Nashville after the Commodores grabbed an early touchdown. However, Texas did what Alabama couldn't do earlier this year - get off the field on third down and force turnovers - and ultimately avoided the loss.</p><p>Diego Pavia completed 16 of 20 passes with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in Vanderbilt's win over Alabama, but the Longhorns held him to less than 150 yards passing and just a 55% completion rate. Vanderbilt struggled all night on third downs, converting just three of 12 in the game. That allowed Texas to get off the field on multiple occasions and flip possession. Add in two interceptions, and it was impossible for Vanderbilt to get any rhythm going down the stretch.</p><p>Texas stayed firmly in the SEC race with the win, but it had to overcome a slow night offensively. Steve Sarkisian's offense barely topped 5 yards per play, well below its season average of 6.4. That will be something to address on the bye week before Texas hosts Florida on Nov. 9.</p><h3>Relentless, perfect, BYU</h3><p>Seven drives and six scores, and BYU is a perfect 8-0. The Cougars absolutely raced out of the gates in Orlando on Saturday with four touchdowns and two field goals on their opening seven drives to build a whopping 34-10 lead on the road against UCF. If you could award extra points for style, what would a fake field goal that featured two different snaps on the play receive?</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">COUGS CONVERT ON THE FAKE FIELD GOAL 🪄<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Big12FB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Big12FB</a> | 📺 ESPN <a href="https://t.co/Mg0JG3JNTN">pic.twitter.com/Mg0JG3JNTN</a></p>— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) <a href="https://twitter.com/Big12Conference/status/1850269419613950195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The Cougars scoring on six of their first seven drives Saturday follows four straight scoring runs to end last week's win over Oklahoma State. Add that up, and you have points on 10 of 11 drives and a pretty simple explanation why BYU remains undefeated heading into a bye week.</p><h3>Notre Dame slowly erasing NIU blemish</h3><p>It turns out that Notre Dame's playoff chances didn't end after a shocking Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois. Slowly, the Fighting Irish are making their case for a spot in the 12-team postseason by handling their business while others drop games. The latest resume-builder came Saturday with a blowout of previously undefeated Navy.</p><p>The Midshipmen have been one of the stories of the early season and entered ranked second in the nation with a plus-12 turnover margin. The offense hadn't turned the ball since Week 1 - a period of 307 plays. That run ended in disastrous fashion, as Notre Dame's defense forced a six-pack of turnovers. That turned any chance of an upset into an absolute rout for the Fighting Irish.</p><p>The Luck of the Irish was in play for some of the day, as four of the six turnovers were certainly more Navy mistakes than Notre Dame forcing the issue. However, Marcus Freeman's program took full advantage and ran up the score as a result.</p><p>A bye week is next on the schedule for the Irish before back-to-back home games against unranked Florida State and Virginia. Wins in both those contests should make Notre Dame a top-10 team with only games against Army and USC left on the slate.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28807337/related

CFB Wrap-up: Takeaways from Week 9's biggest games

An absolutely wild scene went down in the third quarter of the Georgia-Texas blockbuster involvin...

<p>An absolutely wild scene went down in the third quarter of the Georgia-Texas blockbuster involving the officials changing a questionable call.</p><p>With the Longhorns trailing 23-8 in front of the home crowd, the Bulldogs' <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/148097" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/148097">Carson Beck</a> threw an interception that was returned deep into Georgia territory to set Texas up in excellent condition.</p><p>The crowd went wild in celebration with the possibility of the Longhorns cutting into the deficit. However, the referees saw things differently, throwing a flag for a questionable pass interference penalty on Texas to negate the interception.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>That decision led to an outraged student section littering the field with bottles, forcing Steve Sarkisian and the Texas staff to come across the field and beg them to stop.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Texas fans threw debris onto the field after an interception was called back due to pass interference.<br><br>The refs reversed the call after further discussion. <a href="https://t.co/3PAgLcD1hQ">pic.twitter.com/3PAgLcD1hQ</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1847827778327990649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>At some point during the delay to clear debris, the officials huddled and decided to pick up the flag and grant the interception, setting up the Longhorns in the red zone. Texas scored a touchdown a couple of plays later to cut the deficit to eight.</p><p>"The game officials gathered to discuss the play, which is permitted to ensure the proper penalty is enforced, at which time the calling official reported that he erred, and a foul should not have been called for defensive pass interference," the SEC said in a <a href="https://www.secsports.com/news/2024/10/statement-regarding-officiating-decision-in-georgia-texas-football-game">statement</a>.</p><p>While Georgia ended up winning the matchup comfortably, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart wasn't pleased with the incident.</p><p>"Now we've set a precedent if you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and endanger athletes, you have a chance to get the call reversed. That's dangerous," Smart said postgame, according to <a href="https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/1847849618777751725">Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports</a>.</p><p>The SEC fined Texas $250,000 on Sunday and the school was required to use all available resources to identify the individuals who threw objects on the field and at Georgia players, according to<a href="https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1848100203389431962"> ESPN's Pete Thamel</a>.</p>

DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 12: Student fans where Hook 'Em hats while they hold up the Hook 'Em Horns sign before the Allstate Red River Rivalry SEC college football game between Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners on October 12, 2024, at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, TX.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28729508/related

Crucial penalty overturned after Texas fans litter field with bottles

<p><em>College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.</em></p><h3>Georgia is nobody's underdog</h3><p>Georgia entered Saturday's matchup at Texas as an underdog for the first time in 50 games. After the Bulldogs' performance in Austin, it might be another 50 games before oddsmakers do such a thing again. The visitors looked a lot like the team that's dominated college football over the past five years, holding the nation's sixth-ranked offense to just 38 total yards in the first half.</p><p>Things got so bad for the Longhorns' offense early that Steve Sarkisian opted to bench Quinn Ewers for a couple of series hoping Arch Manning would bring a spark. Spoiler alert: it didn't. Ewers returned to start the second half with a much-improved offense, but the 23-0 deficit was too much to overcome.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Smart had to be delighted by the performance of a defensive unit that allowed 41 points to Alabama earlier this season and 31 just last week at home to Mississippi State. Georgia entered play ranked 87th in the nation in sacks per game at 1.6 but brought down both Ewers and Manning a whopping seven times on Saturday night. The combo of Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams was an issue all night with five sacks and four other quarterback hurries.</p><p>The veteran head coach - who posted his 118th win with Georgia - was still fired up postgame, calling out ESPN for its entire College GameDay panel picking Texas to win.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kirby Smart calls out ESPN and the Refs <a href="https://t.co/p19AVxVRTq">pic.twitter.com/p19AVxVRTq</a></p>— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) <a href="https://twitter.com/NMDgrant/status/1847844647374102982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The loss - combined with other results on Saturday - throws the SEC into flux with Texas A&amp;M and LSU the only unbeaten teams in conference play. That won't last long as the two meet next week in College Station. Behind them sit five one-loss teams, including Texas and Georgia, battling for the two conference title game spots.</p><h3>Tennessee lights up Alabama in 2nd half</h3><p>The cigars are lit by the home team in Knoxville once again thanks to a second-half surge by Tennessee to knock off Alabama on the third Saturday in October. Josh Heupel rallied the Volunteers from a 7-0 halftime deficit to explode in the second half for a 24-17 victory. It's the second straight home win in the rivalry for Heupel and one that will send shockwaves across the state of Alabama.</p><p>The score actually flatters the Crimson Tide significantly, as one could argue three first-half turnovers are the only thing that kept this from being a more dominant win. The turnovers stopped at the half, and the Vols finally hit on some big plays they narrowly missed in the first. A 55-yard passing connection set up an easy touchdown that got the Vols rolling, and a perfect end-zone fade by Nico Iamaleava secured the Tennessee win with six minutes remaining.</p><p>However, as has often been the case this year for Tennessee, it was the defense that carried the day. The Volunteers sacked Jalen Milroe three times, posted nine tackles for loss, and hurried the quarterback an impressive 12 times in the contest. The outstanding pass rush had Milroe shook almost the entire game, forcing him into two bad interceptions.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/Vol_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vol_Football</a> defense has held opponents under 20 points in the first 7 games.<br><br>The last time the VOLS did that was 1969.</p>— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) <a href="https://twitter.com/colecubelic/status/1847843516510269723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The win keeps Tennessee firmly in the CFP race, with only Georgia remaining on the schedule as a game it won't be favored in. While the offense doesn't have the same pop as previous editions under Heupel, the defense is more than enough to keep the Vols trucking toward the SEC title game.</p><h3>Welcome to reality, Alabama</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750672/cropped_GettyImages-2179646583.jpg?ts=1729385615" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750672/w220xh124_GettyImages-2179646583.jpg?ts=1729385615 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750672/w320xh180_GettyImages-2179646583.jpg?ts=1729385615 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750672/w640xh360_GettyImages-2179646583.jpg?ts=1729385615 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750672/w768xh432_GettyImages-2179646583.jpg?ts=1729385615 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750672/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2179646583.jpg?ts=1729385615 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Butch Dill / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>They say you never want to be the guy who follows THE guy. Kalen DeBoer's bank account would likely tell a different story, but the pressure about to hit Alabama's new coach is something we haven't seen in recent memory. The setback at Tennessee marks the first time since Nick Saban's first season in 2007 that the Crimson Tide have lost two regular-season games before November.</p><p>Saban took over a team in disarray that went 6-7 and lost five of its last six games, while DeBoer took over a squad that narrowly lost to the national champion in the semifinals. The two situations aren't to be compared.</p><p>DeBoer - and his lengthy resume of offensive success - was supposed to bring Milroe to a Heisman level. That certainly wasn't the case Saturday, largely due to the fact the Crimson Tide simply couldn't protect the passer. He appeared so shell-shocked from the constant pressure that even when he had time, he couldn't find the open man down the stretch. Pass protection is by far the biggest thing that DeBoer needs to fix before next week's game versus Missouri.</p><p>Even with the 12-team playoff format, it's almost impossible to see Alabama making the field. Regardless of how the Crimson Tide finish the campaign, missing out on the CFP would mark an underwhelming first season for DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.</p><h3>Can anyone slow down Indiana?</h3><p>Turns out, Curt Cignetti's epic "I win. Google me," comment in December might have been the most accurate words ever spoken at a coach's introductory press conference. Since that moment, the Indiana frontman has done just that, rolling out to the school's first 6-0 start since 1967. Saturday presented the toughest test of the season with 5-1 Nebraska in town, but Cignetti's quote wasn't "I win ... mostly," was it?</p><p>Nebraska entered with the sixth-best defense in the nation, allowing 4.2 yards per play, and was the only team in the country to not allow a rushing touchdown all year. Both of those claims are now gone thanks to an absolute beatdown by Cignetti's Hoosiers. Indiana piled up an absurd 343 yards of total offense in the opening half - including the first three rushing touchdowns of the season allowed by the Cornhuskers.</p><p>The 28-7 edge at the half was impressive, but Cignetti clearly wasn't satisfied with that scoring margin. The nation's fourth-best second-half scoring attack lit up the Cornhuskers for 28 more points to finish with the 56-7 blowout. Nebraska apparently wasn't the only thing getting lit up in Bloomington, with a very loud crowd putting in work.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Multiple concession stands at IU concession stands have run out of beer.<br><br>This is the best problem that I have never seen in my 30 years of being an IU football fan.</p>— Tricia Whitaker (@TriciaWhitaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaWhitaker/status/1847706009302638670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Indiana has never won 10 games in a season in the 126-year history of the program. Next up is Washington at home and a trip to Michigan State before two blockbuster games versus Michigan and at Ohio State. Double-digit wins seem incredibly attainable for the Hoosiers, as well as perhaps the most improbable playoff berth of any team in the nation.</p><h3>Illinois beats Michigan at its own game</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750651/cropped_GettyImages-2178644971.jpg?ts=1729379890" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750651/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178644971.jpg?ts=1729379890 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750651/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178644971.jpg?ts=1729379890 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750651/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178644971.jpg?ts=1729379890 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750651/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178644971.jpg?ts=1729379890 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750651/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178644971.jpg?ts=1729379890 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Michigan was involved in a game Saturday in which the winning quarterback threw for just 80 yards. That won't shock regular Wolverines watchers, but the fact Michigan wasn't the winner of the matchup was certainly a surprise. Illinois succeeded in employing Michigan's own formula at home, relying on a solid running game and opportunistic defense to post a comfortable 21-7 victory.</p><p>The Illini further highlighted the Michigan quarterback problem this season by intercepting Jack Tuttle twice and forcing him to fumble for a third turnover. If the Wolverines play Alex Orji under center, the offense simply can't move the ball through the air but limits turnovers. If it's Tuttle or Davis Warren at quarterback, the passing attack comes alive - but not always in a positive way. That pair have now combined for a whopping nine interceptions on the season.</p><p>The win ensures Illinois will have a serious say in deciding the Big Ten race. A road win at Oregon next week would throw the conference into chaos - with Penn State and Indiana undefeated, and Ohio State, Illinois, and Oregon with one loss apiece.</p><h3>USC misses the Pac-12</h3><p>Lincoln Riley and USC might be feverishly digging through paperwork to see if they can get out of the Big Ten and return to the friendly confines of the Pac-12. The Trojans' controversial move to their new conference certainly brought in plenty of money - but the early returns show it's also going to bring in plenty of losses.</p><p>The latest saw USC blow a 14-point second-half lead to Maryland and be forced to dodge field-storming fans on its way to the locker room. That marks four losses in five conference games this season, with three in a row in October. All three have held a common theme: an inability to finish down the stretch.</p><ul>
<li>Fourth quarter vs. Minnesota: Outscored 14-0</li>
<li>Second half/OT vs. Penn State: Outscored 27-10</li>
<li>Second half vs. Maryland: Outscored 22-7</li>
</ul><p>The Trojans have actually held a fourth-quarter lead in all seven of their games this season but somehow have a losing record. Over 200 teams have held a fourth-quarter lead in their first seven games over the last 20 seasons, and USC is one of only two such teams to post a losing record, according to <a href="https://x.com/PaoloUggetti/status/1847799122272645610">Paolo Uggetti of ESPN</a>.</p><p>The most questionable decision on Saturday was a field-goal attempt with 1:56 to play on Maryland's 31-yard line. Sure, the three points would have made it a two-score game, but on fourth-and-1, a conversion would have essentially ended the game with Maryland down to two timeouts. The attempt was blocked, setting the Terrapins up with great field position to drive for the go-ahead touchdown.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"WHAT A PERFECT TIME FOR A BLOCKED FIELD GOAL" 😱❌ <a href="https://t.co/WogFEjkb86">pic.twitter.com/WogFEjkb86</a></p>— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1847784755112137089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Riley is now 5-9 in his last 14 games as USC head coach.</p><h3>Ward carrying Miami</h3><p>Another week, another masterpiece for Cam Ward. In the wildest game of the early window, the Miami QB threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns as the offense hung 52 points on Louisville. It turned out all of that production was needed, as the Cardinals put up 45 points of their own on the embattled Hurricanes defense. The effort by Ward made him the first Miami quarterback ever to throw for 300 yards and score at least three touchdowns in each of the first seven games of the season.</p><p>While the Hurricanes will certainly be pleased with the victory, the reliance on Ward and the offense has to be concerning for head coach Mario Cristobal. After blowing through non-conference play, Miami has allowed an average of 39 points in ACC action. Ward has put on the Superman cape and led them to a win each time, but that type of performance seems unsustainable over the entire season.</p><h3>Big 12 unbeaten's bring the drama</h3><p>Two schools in the Big 12 entered the weekend undefeated and the same two will exit the same way thanks to a pair of incredibly dramatic finishes. BYU got the madness started early with a Friday night matchup against Oklahoma State. After the Cowboys took a late lead, the Cougars stormed down the field to claim the victory on a <a href="https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/1847514206528020805">35-yard touchdown with 10 seconds to play</a>.</p><p>Iowa State trailed by 14 points in the second half to UCF but roared back to make it a five-point game late in the fourth. Rocco Becht would take the Cyclones 80 yards in the final two minutes with zero timeouts and complete the comeback himself with a touchdown plunge to win the game.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ROCCO BECHT PUTS THE CYCLONES ON HIS BACK 🌪️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Big12FB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Big12FB</a> | 📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CFBONFOX</a> <a href="https://t.co/dsqmJgCu1m">pic.twitter.com/dsqmJgCu1m</a></p>— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) <a href="https://twitter.com/Big12Conference/status/1847841595921498543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Sadly, the two programs don't meet in the regular season this year but seem to be on a collision course for the conference title game in early December.</p><h3>It's somehow getting worse for Oklahoma</h3><p>The annual <a href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/football/coach">USA Today college football coaching salaries database</a> dropped this week, which is always an illuminating look into what the top names of the sport are making and their respective buyouts. Coming in at No. 15 is Oklahoma's Brent Venables with an annual salary of $8.1 million and a buyout totaling a whopping $44.8 million. Sooner alums with disposable income might want to get that group chat going.</p><p>The start of the home game against South Carolina was an utter disaster.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sooners?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sooners</a> have snapped the ball 9 times. <br><br>It has three turnovers, <br>It has allowed one fumble return for a touchdown<br>It has allowed one INT return for a touchdown <br>It has 14 yards of total offense<br><br>There hasn't been six minutes of game time played.<br><br>South Carolina 21, OU 0.</p>— Eric Bailey (@EricBaileyTW) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricBaileyTW/status/1847685773581234643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Three turnovers in nine plays - all involving freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. - saw the Sooners trail 32-3 at halftime in front of a stunned crowd. That's the worst halftime home deficit for Oklahoma since 1997.</p><p>You may recall Venables' decision to bench the highly-touted Jackson Arnold during the Tennessee game and turn to the first-year Hawkins. He stuck by his quarterback despite immense struggles as the offense battles severe depth issues at wide receiver. However, not even Venables could look the other way from the turnover-fest, opting to bench Hawkins for Arnold in the first half. Arnold played significantly better, but the bar was incredibly low after Hawkins' performance.</p><p>Oklahoma has now played four games in SEC play with a 1-3 mark to show for it. The losses have come with a combined score of 94-27 as the Sooners simply have no chance to come from behind against any of the teams in the top half of the league.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28728281/related

CFB Wrap-Up: Takeaways from Week 8's biggest games

Week 8 is officially upon us in the college football world with massive SEC matchups pitting Alab...

<p>Week 8 is officially upon us in the college football world with massive SEC matchups pitting Alabama against Tennessee and Georgia versus Texas to highlight the slate.</p><p>However, before the Saturday fun begins, let's look back at the opening seven weeks and take stock of where we're at. Plenty of stories are being told, but there's only a limited number of truths that we can lean on at this point of the season.</p><p>Here are seven that we know to be real.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>1. The Big 12 is thriving on chaos</h3><p>The oddsmakers targeted Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and UCF as the five programs with the best chance to win the conference title this season, installing them as 8-1 or better. Through the first seven weeks, those schools are a combined 4-11 in Big 12 play. Instead, the following has happened to start the year:</p><ul>
<li>
<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/307" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/307">Iowa State</a> is 6-0 for the first time since 1938</li>
<li>
<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/107" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/107">BYU</a> is 6-0 for just the sixth time in the program's 100-year history</li>
<li>
<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/58" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/58">Arizona State</a> is 5-1, matching its win total from its last 23 games entering the season</li>
</ul><p>The Big 12 has been turned upside down with Iowa State, BYU, and Texas Tech currently in a three-way tie for No. 1. Five other teams are just one game back, setting up a wild push to the end of November and the conference title game.</p><p>The conference has also supplied a number of viral moments, from Colorado's miracle Hail Mary versus Baylor to Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham providing the postgame interview of the year after the Sun Devils knocked off Utah.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kenny Dillingham with an instant classic postgame interview after <a href="https://twitter.com/ASUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASUFootball</a> takes down No. 16 Utah at home 🤣<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Big12FB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Big12FB</a> | 📺 ESPN <a href="https://t.co/uyBXXEDETh">pic.twitter.com/uyBXXEDETh</a></p>— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) <a href="https://twitter.com/Big12Conference/status/1844984436959646116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Former Big 12 cornerstones Texas and Oklahoma may be gone, but the conference is thriving on the chaos that can come without the presence of an elite program.</p><h3>2. Don't mess with Texas</h3><p>There might be a different team standing alone after the national championship game, but nobody has made it through Week 7 in more impressive fashion than <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/634" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/634">Texas</a>. The Longhorns aren't just beating teams, they're taking whoever's on the other sideline to the woodshed on a weekly basis. In its first season in the SEC, the program is leading the nation with an absurd average scoring margin of 36 points. A road trip to defending national champion Michigan resulted in just about the most comfortable 19-point win you'll ever see. That margin is actually the smallest the Longhorns have had all season, and that includes the annual Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma, which was a 31-point blowout that somehow still flattered the Sooners.</p><p>Whether it be Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning behind center, the offense has been unstoppable thanks to Steve Sarkisian's brilliant play-calling. He'll face his toughest test this week when Georgia storms into Austin, but don't be shocked if Texas emerges with another eye-popping victory.</p><h3>3. USC, Florida, Auburn are sinking</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750290/cropped_GettyImages-2176596577.jpg?ts=1729188779" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750290/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176596577.jpg?ts=1729188779 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750290/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176596577.jpg?ts=1729188779 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750290/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176596577.jpg?ts=1729188779 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750290/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176596577.jpg?ts=1729188779 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/750290/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176596577.jpg?ts=1729188779 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Brandon Sloter / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>You can't tell college football's story of the last 20 years without pointing to periods of domination by <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/676" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/676">USC</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/233" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/233">Florida</a>, and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/67" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/67">Auburn</a>. All three schools have claimed national championships and Heisman trophies during that period. Another thing those three schools now have in common is a 5-8 record over their last 13 games. The former powers have dropped from the penthouse to the outhouse with three highly paid head coaches currently at the helm of sinking ships.</p><p>Each program has been hit with issues, notably the lack of a quarterback at Auburn, defensive struggles at both Florida and USC, and some very questionable in-game decision-making by all three coaches.</p><p>The first change is likely to come in Gainesville where Billy Napier's fate was essentially sealed by a blowout to Miami in the opening week. Florida appears set to play out the string before making a move, but it's coming sooner rather than later.</p><p>Lincoln Riley is on a decade-long contract at USC, so don't expect him to depart any time soon. His press conferences have grown more ornery by the week, with the 41-year-old often firing back at reporters in a terse manner. Some of that frustration likely stems from USC's move to the Big Ten after Riley joined the program. He left SEC-bound Oklahoma for the comfortable landing spot of the Pac-12 but finds himself in the bruising Big Ten and having to make road trips across multiple time zones - not exactly the freewheeling west coast style he was looking for.</p><p>And then there's Hugh Freeze, who somehow found another SEC job despite resigning from Ole Miss in the wake of a scandal. Auburn cited his past success in the conference as a reason for his hire, but that hasn't materialized at his current program. The Tigers are 5-11 in their last 16 games and 0-4 against Power conference competition. However, he's only in Year 2 and continues to land elite recruiting classes that should keep him employed for at least another year.</p><h3>4. Life on the road is hard</h3><p>Conference realignment has brought a number of headaches, with outrageous travel for a number of schools near the top of the list.</p><p>Both the ACC and Big Ten feature programs forced to make cross-country road jaunts this season, including some that are longer than a trip to Iceland. Washington's journey to Rutgers and Stanford's trip to Syracuse actually both covered more miles than if the home teams involved traveled to the Nordic country's capital of Reykjavik.</p><p>The Big Ten alone has seen 13 road trips across at least two time zones this year, with the home team emerging victorious on 10 occasions.</p><h3>5. Nobody takes a lead vs. Army or Indiana</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748008/cropped_GettyImages-2174364517.jpg?ts=1729188861" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748008/w220xh124_GettyImages-2174364517.jpg?ts=1729188861 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748008/w320xh180_GettyImages-2174364517.jpg?ts=1729188861 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748008/w640xh360_GettyImages-2174364517.jpg?ts=1729188861 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748008/w768xh432_GettyImages-2174364517.jpg?ts=1729188861 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748008/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2174364517.jpg?ts=1729188861 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Through seven weeks, two programs have yet to trail in a game. We could play a guessing contest, but the season would likely be done before someone landed on <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/64" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/64">Army</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/303" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/303">Indiana</a>. Consider last year: The Black Knights were trailing 8:40 into their opener, while the Hoosiers didn't make it to the eight-minute mark before falling behind.</p><p>That's not the case this year, as both programs have run wild over the competition to post perfect 6-0 records. It's the first time Army has started a schedule with that mark since 1996, while for Indiana it goes all the way back to 1967. Many will point to Curt Cignetti's explosive offense in his first season with Indiana as the catalyst, but the defense has yet to allow a point in the first quarter this season. Army ranks inside the top 10 in both first-quarter scoring and first-quarter defense, which easily explains why they have yet to trail.</p><h3>6. Jeanty's a bad man</h3><p>There are a number of truths to be told about <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/99" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/99">Boise State</a> star <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/172507" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/172507">Ashton Jeanty</a>'s season, as the nation's leading rusher has already piled up an absurd 1,248 rushing yards. That total is higher than 109 of 134 FBS teams. However, that might not the most shocking truth for Jeanty.</p><p>He has 841 rushing yards after first contact this season. If we used only that number, he would rank third in the country. That's right, Jeanty has more yards<em> after</em> being hit than every other running back other than Omarion Hampton and Kaleb Johnson has in total.</p><p>Get this man to New York for the Heisman.</p><h3>7. College football's in an incredible place</h3><p>Sure, conference realignment and the infusion of NIL has thrown a curveball here and there, but the start of the 2024 season is showing that college football is doing just fine.</p><p>The first seven weeks have already provided a season's worth of drama and wackiness, from Northern Illinois beating Notre Dame, Vanderbilt knocking off Alabama, Minnesota taking down USC, the insane Georgia trip to Tuscaloosa, and this set of crazy scores from the past weekend:</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a sport. <a href="https://t.co/daDPvzK6r6">pic.twitter.com/daDPvzK6r6</a></p>— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNMcGee/status/1845333020334596591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>This Saturday could be just as volatile with Tennessee facing Alabama, Texas hosting Georgia, Miami squaring off with Louisville, and Notre Dame traveling to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28692802/related

CFB truths: 7 things we know through 7 weeks

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter will play Saturday versus Arizona, head coach Deion Sanders t...

<p>Colorado two-way star <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/179519" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/179519">Travis Hunter</a> will play Saturday versus Arizona, head coach Deion Sanders <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSz_gxinWp8&amp;feature=youtu.be">told reporters</a> Tuesday.</p><p>Hunter left the Buffaloes' loss to Kansas State this past weekend in the second quarter after suffering a shoulder injury. He retreated to the locker room for further testing and spent the remainder of the game on the sideline.</p><p>Hunter's absence was felt immediately on both sides of the ball, as Kansas State's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/184494" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/184494">Avery Johnson</a> posted his best quarterback rating of the season with the star cornerback on the bench. The offense also failed to top 30 points for the first time in three weeks.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Hunter isn't the only standout Colorado player who'll be back in the lineup against the Wildcats, as <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/166470" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/166470">Jimmy Horn Jr.</a> is set to return after also leaving versus Kansas State.</p><p>The pair of explosive receivers have combined for 934 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Hunter has also added two interceptions on the defensive side of the ball for the Buffaloes.</p>

BOULDER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 12: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes warms up prior to the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Folsom Field on October 12, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28670603/related

Colorado's Hunter back in lineup vs. Arizona

<p><em>College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.</em></p><h3>Oregon lights up Ohio State defense </h3><p>It turns out the likes of Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State, and Iowa might not be the best indicator of how dominant a defensive unit can be. Ohio State entered play on Saturday leading the nation with just 6.7 points allowed per game. Oregon - and its rabid fans that rushed the field - exited the stadium in Eugene after hanging 32 points and almost 500 total yards on the Buckeyes.</p><p>Dillon Gabriel once again rose to the occasion in a big game - his first of such importance with Oregon - throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns while adding 32 yards and a score on the ground.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The win was much-needed for Dan Lanning's program after a series of tough losses to Washington and Georgia over the past two seasons. Sitting in a tie atop the Big Ten through seven weeks of the season is as close to a guaranteed spot in the 12-team playoff as there is in the country right now.</p><h3>Day's top-5 issues continue</h3><p>Ohio State should be commended for a very strong performance in a tough road environment - but the Buckeyes will make the long trip home with yet another loss versus a highly-ranked opponent. Saturday's setback drops Ryan Day to 1-7 against top-five teams during his tenure and an 0-5 mark since 2021 against Oregon and Michigan.</p><p>It's tough to find too many faults with Ohio State's performance at Autzen Stadium, as Big Ten teams entered the week with a 1-8 record when having to travel at least two time zones this season. It will shock nobody if these two teams end up meeting again in the Big Ten title game. However, Day is well-compensated to win these measuring-stick games. The dominant defense couldn't stop the Ducks time and again, with 496 total yards and 32 points both being season-worst marks. That's been a theme of Day's top-five losses, with the opposition averaging 34 points per game in those matchups.</p><p>His hand-picked quarterback Will Howard was brought in for his running ability and experience. While he looked great through the air, Howard rushed for just 13 yards and didn't get down in the field of play with enough time to allow for a potential game-winning field-goal attempt. That's a mistake you expect from a young quarterback - not a veteran like Howard.</p><h3>Penn State's big-game solution</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749681/cropped_GettyImages-2177423973.jpg?ts=1728793626" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749681/w220xh124_GettyImages-2177423973.jpg?ts=1728793626 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749681/w320xh180_GettyImages-2177423973.jpg?ts=1728793626 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749681/w640xh360_GettyImages-2177423973.jpg?ts=1728793626 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749681/w768xh432_GettyImages-2177423973.jpg?ts=1728793626 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749681/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2177423973.jpg?ts=1728793626 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The knock on Penn State during James Franklin's tenure has been the team's inability to win the biggest games on its schedule. It appears Franklin has found the solution for that issue: Give the ball to Tyler Warren. He was an absolute menace against USC, racking up 244 yards in the overtime win and matching the all-time single-game FBS tight end record with 17 grabs. His heroics didn't stop at catching the ball, though - Warren also threw for a 9-yard gain on a trick play and ran once for four yards.</p><p>The 2,500-mile journey to Los Angeles - including a bus commute to an airport with a runway long enough to accommodate such a flight - seemingly took an early toll on the Nittany Lions, who trailed 20-6 at half. However, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki drew up a masterclass to get the second half started with a bang, helped by an incredible grab by Warren.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DOUBLE PASS AND WHAT A CATCH! <a href="https://t.co/DSOQOIa14t">pic.twitter.com/DSOQOIa14t</a></p>— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/1845218127249907844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>That jolted Penn State to life, but the back-and-forth affair needed overtime after Nicholas Singleton scored a touchdown with 2:53 to play. The Nittany Lions emerged in the extra frame to give Franklin the win he desperately needed and keep Penn State firmly chugging toward a playoff spot.</p><h3>Texas preps for Georgia with Red River blowout</h3><p>The start of the 2024 season has shown that Texas was unquestionably a better football team than Oklahoma entering the Red River Rivalry. Add in that the Sooners were missing their top five receivers on the depth chart due to injury, and it was always going to be a monumental task to take down the Longhorns. However, despite all those challenges, the Oklahoma defense stood tall in the opening quarter, allowing just 13 total yards and leading 3-0 after 15 minutes. And that was where the positive coverage of the Sooners' effort Saturday ends.</p><p>Steve Sarkisian then reminded everyone why he's the game's best play-caller, making excellent adjustments following the opening quarter to get the Longhorns humming in Quinn Ewers' return. Texas dominated the second frame to turn a 3-0 deficit into a 21-3 halftime lead. The Longhorns outgained the Sooners 222-53 in total yards in the frame, holding Oklahoma to just 3.8 yards per play. With virtually no semblance of a Sooners passing game, an 18-point lead was essentially insurmountable.</p><p>The final count was 34 points and 406 yards of total offense at 6.7 yards per play for the Longhorns. The Texas defense had five sacks and forced two turnovers, ruining any chance of a Sooner comeback.</p><p>The task ahead is the toughest of the year for Texas: a home date with Georgia in the most-anticipated game of the year. The balanced attack on display Saturday should have the Longhorn faithful feeling very good about their chances.</p><h3>Oklahoma's empty offense</h3><p>Once again, the story for Oklahoma was no Dillon Gabriel, no Jeff Lebby, no offense. The Sooners have now played four games this season against Power 5 competition and scored a total of six touchdowns on offense. With Gabriel at Oregon and ex-offensive coordinator Lebby at Mississippi State, the Sooners have become non-factors on the offensive end. Whatever brief spark Michael Hawkins provided at quarterback in place of Jackson Arnold is gone, with the absence of healthy receivers effectively rendering the passing attack useless.</p><p>The Sooners broke scoreboards on a weekly basis when Lincoln Riley was in Norman, only to be undone by a porous defense come playoff time. That's flipped since the hire of Brent Venables, with a strong defense left to make up for an offense that simply can't move the football. That's made worse by the fact Venables' staff had two weeks to prepare for the Texas matchup and still couldn't formulate a successful plan.</p><p>Venables offered a firm "No" when asked if he considered a quarterback change at any point. It seems it's Hawkins' team the rest of the way no matter how the offense performs. That leaves six games - four against ranked opponents - for that side of the ball to show any sign of progress in Year 3 of the head coach's tenure.</p><h3>Alabama, drama kings of 2024</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749647/cropped_GettyImages-2178107250.jpg?ts=1728779183" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749647/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178107250.jpg?ts=1728779183 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749647/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178107250.jpg?ts=1728779183 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749647/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178107250.jpg?ts=1728779183 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749647/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178107250.jpg?ts=1728779183 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749647/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178107250.jpg?ts=1728779183 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Nick Saban's 17-year run with Alabama brought remarkable consistency and relentless commitment to detail that produced an almost boring level of excellence. Kalen DeBoer's first six games with the program have been anything but - and the last three boasted more drama than Saban's entire run. Saturday served as proof, with the Tide looking poised to lose back-to-back matchups for the first time since 2007 for a large portion of the second half against South Carolina.</p><p>Even after the Crimson Tide scored a 34-yard touchdown with 1:43 remaining to push their lead to eight, the drama was far from over. Nyckoles Harbour's incredible 31-yard toe-tap touchdown grab brought South Carolina within two, but the conversion failed, forcing an onside kick. The scriptwriters had one more trick up their sleeve with a Gamecocks recovery setting up one last chance. It failed and Alabama won, but nobody associated with the Crimson Tide should feel overly good about the victory.</p><p>In the last 10 quarters of football, Alabama has been outscored 92-73 and outgained 1,158-901 in total offense. The Crimson Tide have managed a 2-1 record during that time, but there are a lot of problems for DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.</p><p>The defense is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a whopping 69% of their passes over that 10-quarter span, which ranks 122nd out of 134 FBS teams in the nation. The poor pass defense is killing the unit's ability to get off the field on third down. A week after Vanderbilt shredded Alabama's defense for 12-of-18 third-down conversions, the Gamecocks also picked the unit apart to sustain long drives.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">16+ play TD drives allowed by Alabama's defense<br><br>2014-2023: 1<br>2024: 3</p>— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) <a href="https://twitter.com/ADavidHaleJoint/status/1845167232139120696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The offensive line struggled to protect Jalen Milroe, allowing four sacks and nine tackles for loss on the day. That forced the talented passer into two interceptions, bringing his turnover total to five over the last three games.</p><p>Alabama remains a skilled outfit with the potential to beat any team in the country - evident in its first-half performance against Georgia at the end of September. However, since then, the Crimson Tide have also shown that their challenges mean they can lose to just about anybody, too. </p><h3>Nussmeier the SEC's newest gunslinger</h3><p>Garrett Nussmeier plays the game like he's very aware there isn't a throw on the field he can't make - and takes every opportunity to remind everyone of that. That makes the LSU quarterback must-see television, unless you're a fan of Ole Miss. The Rebels held Nussmeier and the Tigers' offense in check for a large portion of Saturday's game in Baton Rouge, but the talented passer wouldn't be denied by the end.</p><p>First, a 23-yard touchdown toss to Aaron Anderson with just 27 seconds left sent the contest with the ninth-ranked Rebels to overtime. Then, a 25-yard dart to Kyren Lacy to win the game on LSU's first offensive play in the extra frame.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">KYREN LACY WALKS OFF OLE MISS IN OVERTIME 😱 <br><br>DEATH VALLEY IS ALIVE 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/GfPiSh0Qx8">pic.twitter.com/GfPiSh0Qx8</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1845315295688232979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Nussmeier finished with 337 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions on a whopping 51 attempts. He's now topped the 39-attempt mark in each of his last four games.</p><p>That winning toss meant LSU was able to emerge with the victory despite leading for zero seconds of actual game time. Don't look now, but the Tigers' lone loss was a non-conference setback to USC to open the season. That means Brian Kelly's program is tied for top spot in the SEC with no Georgia or Texas remaining on the schedule.</p><h3>Iowa's offense ... explodes?</h3><p>We spend plenty of time in this space highlighting the struggles of Iowa's offense, so it's time we acknowledge an explosive performance from the Hawkeyes. Iowa hung 40 points on Washington Saturday, representing the first time the former hit that total in a conference game since Oct. 1, 2021.</p><p>Cade McNamara threw two touchdowns in the blowout to mark his first scoring pass against a power conference opponent since he threw one <em>against</em> Iowa as a member of Michigan in the 2021 Big Ten title game.</p><p>Don't look now, but the Hawkeyes are very real players in the Big Ten race despite their two losses on the year. Iowa will likely be favored in all six of its remaining games with no ranked opponents on the schedule.</p><h3>Salute to Army</h3><p>Army hasn't lost a game in 350 days. With the way things are going in 2024, don't be shocked if the Black Knights' streak keeps rolling. And this version of the team actually has an explosive offense.</p><p>The troops piled up 44 points in a blowout of UAB on Saturday - the fifth time in six games they've topped the 35-point mark. The operation revolves around quarterback Bryson Daily, who presents a major threat through the air. The senior has topped 100 passing yards (essentially the 300-yard total for most teams) three times in the 2024 campaign from the triple-option formation. However, his devastating rushing attack remains true to the Army roots.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bryson Daily gets it going early! <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmyWP_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArmyWP_Football</a> strikes first <a href="https://t.co/Jt06gr7tJR">pic.twitter.com/Jt06gr7tJR</a></p>— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsCFB/status/1845135044416802923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Army isn't the only service academy running wild on the competition in 2024: Navy is also perfect on the season, which sets up the potential for an AAC title matchup between the two programs a week before the annual rivalry battle.</p>

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CFB Wrap-Up: Takeaways from Week 7's biggest games

<p><em>College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.</em></p><h3>"Games like this change your life"</h3><p>You're not seeing things: <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/684" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/684">Vanderbilt</a> is <em><strong>THE</strong></em> story of college football for Week 6. For the first time in the program's 121-year history, the Commodores have posted a victory over a top-five team. They didn't mess around either, jumping all the way up and taking down No. 1 <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/40" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/40">Alabama</a>.</p><p>The Commodores followed the blueprint to perfection, keeping the ball for an absurd 42 minutes of game action and riding standout quarterback Diego Pavia to the 40-35 victory. Plenty of people at Vanderbilt deserve credit, but Pavia is undoubtedly the straw that stirs the drink. Clark Lea's program went looking for quarterback help in the transfer portal to fix the woeful offense after losing 10 straight games to finish 2023.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Enter Pavia, the reigning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, to give the Commodores a shot of life. He did that, and then some, from the first game of the year, leading Vanderbilt in an upset over Virginia Tech. Pavia nearly did it again two weeks ago in an overtime loss at Missouri. But he wouldn't be denied against the Tide.</p><p>Pavia finished with over 300 yards of total offense and two touchdown passes on the night. After entering the game claiming, "Only God knows who will win Saturday," he left it surrounded by adoring fans in the middle of the field while shouting into an ESPN microphone, "Games like this change your life."</p><h3>About to get real for DeBoer</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748640/cropped_GettyImages-2176100542.jpg?ts=1728177746" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748640/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176100542.jpg?ts=1728177746 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748640/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176100542.jpg?ts=1728177746 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748640/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176100542.jpg?ts=1728177746 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748640/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176100542.jpg?ts=1728177746 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748640/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176100542.jpg?ts=1728177746 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Carly Mackler / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Let's get this out of the way before we begin: Nick Saban lost to unranked teams on multiple occasions at Alabama. However, one thing Saban didn't do with the program was lose to Vanderbilt - ever. In four meetings with the Commodores, Saban's Tide went 4-0 and outscored their opponent by a whopping 172-13 margin. This is definitely something Kalen DeBoer will hear over and over again in the coming week.</p><p>Alabama clearly entered with a Georgia hangover, allowing Vanderbilt to go on back-to-back 75-yard touchdown drives to begin the game. The defensive issues from the second half against the Bulldogs certainly weren't fixed, as the defense couldn't get off the field on third down. The Tide entered as the second-best team in the country in third-down defense, allowing a conversion rate of just over 16%. That ballooned to 66.7% Saturday, with the potent Crimson Tide offense staying on the sidelines.</p><p>The shocking loss doesn't eliminate Alabama from the playoff race, especially with the 12-team field this year. However, road trips to Tennessee, LSU, and Oklahoma are still on the schedule. After Saturday's performance, it's hard to see the Tide getting through that unscathed.</p><h3>Arkansas defense rises to join upset party</h3><p>Someone fire up the Oprah clip - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pviYWzu0dzk">You get an SEC upset, you get an SEC upset, you get an SEC upset!</a>" Arkansas capped the SEC night slate by joining Vanderbilt with a herculean win over a top-five team, snuffing out the high-powered Tennessee offense and beating the No. 4 Volunteers 19-14.</p><p>The mismatch entering the day was the Volunteers' second-ranked scoring offense against a Razorbacks defensive unit that sat 66th nationally. Arkansas quickly reminded why games aren't played on paper, holding Tennessee to 332 yards on the night - well below its season average of 515. The sack problem that's plagued the Razorbacks all season disappeared, with the line getting home four times on Nico Iamaleava.</p><p>According to <a href="https://x.com/JoshDubowAP/status/1842771108111806795">Josh Dubow of the Associated Press</a>, Tennessee's upset loss means Saturday marks the first time since Sept. 29, 2007, that four teams ranked No. 11 or better lost to unranked programs.</p><p>Like Alabama earlier in the day, the loss doesn't crush the Volunteers' playoff hopes, but it does make the road significantly different. Notably, the trip to visit the Crimson Tide on Oct. 19 is a game that now takes on a much bigger importance in the playoff picture.</p><h3>Elko upgrade showing off</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748663/cropped_GettyImages-2176019779.jpg?ts=1728186927" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748663/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176019779.jpg?ts=1728186927 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748663/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176019779.jpg?ts=1728186927 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748663/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176019779.jpg?ts=1728186927 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748663/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176019779.jpg?ts=1728186927 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748663/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176019779.jpg?ts=1728186927 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Then-athletic director Ross Bjork offered a fairly simple explanation following <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/635" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/635">Texas A&amp;M</a>'s seismic Jimbo Fisher firing in 2023, harkening back to his conversation with school president Mark A. Welsh.</p><p>"The assessment that I delivered was that we are not reaching our full potential," Bjork said, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com.au/college-football/story/_/id/38913228/jimbo-fisher-texas-firing-downfall">Dave Wilson of ESPN</a>. "We are not in the championship conversation, and something was not quite right about our direction and the plan."</p><p>How does a monster 41-10 home blowout of No. 9 <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/429" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/429">Missouri</a> look for reaching full potential? Does a 5-1 record with the SEC's third-easiest remaining schedule do anything to your championship conversation? The Texas A&amp;M squad we saw Saturday should absolutely be firmly in the playoff scenario.</p><p>Fisher is a national champion with a 128-48 overall head coaching record. Yet, just six games into his career, it's fairly obvious that Mike Elko is a huge upgrade for the program. Fisher thrived in talent acquisition but struggled mightily in game-day coaching. Elko has passed the early test in both - keeping Le'Veon Moss and plenty of the Aggies' top talents in College Station while adding a massive name in defensive end Nick Scourton in the transfer portal.</p><p>Those two balled out for Elko on Saturday, with Moss posting a career-high 138 yards and three scores on the ground and Scourton piling up 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.</p><p>The Aggies don't play Alabama, Tennessee, or Georgia in conference play the rest of the way, making them an attractive pick to storm into the SEC title game and possibly the playoff.</p><h3>Ohio State-Iowa went exactly as expected</h3><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/507" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/507">Ohio State</a> played a "tough" conference opponent, and as the No. 3 team in the country, there must be a takeaway from the contest. But there's no need to get complicated; it's exactly what you think: The Buckeyes are a dominant team, and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/306" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/306">Iowa</a> doesn't need to be taken seriously when playing elite competition.</p><p>Despite holding just a 7-0 lead at the half, Ohio State was never in trouble against the Hawkeyes thanks to the woeful offense that they field year after year. The Buckeyes swarmed an overmatched line for four sacks and nine tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles and an interception.</p><p>Ohio State now heads to the most challenging date on its schedule - a 2,400-mile road trip to the Pacific Northwest to face undefeated No. 6 Oregon. Should they repeat Saturday's performance, the Buckeyes could make a case for the most impressive road win of the season in college football.</p><h3>Missouri snaps back to reality </h3><p>If you took away the numbers on the scoreboard and told someone that a top-10 team was playing in the Missouri-Texas A&amp;M contest, no one would've picked the Tigers. Missouri looked the furthest thing from being the ninth-best program in the country, getting blown off the field from the opening kick through the final whistle. While the 31-point loss is certainly jarring, even the most passionate Tigers fans would probably admit the No. 9 ranking was a little bloated.</p><p>Missouri opened the season with four straight home games, including the opening contests against FCS Murray State and Buffalo from the MAC. Power 5 competition came to Columbia for Games 3 and 4, with Boston College and Vanderbilt putting serious scares into the home team. Texas A&amp;M's dominance on both lines was the biggest difference in Saturday's contest against the Tigers. The Aggies piled up six sacks and eight tackles for loss while holding Missouri to just over 4 yards per play.</p><p>UMass next week is a comfortable landing spot for Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers. But three straight games against the standout defensive lines of Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina could end any shot Missouri has at playoff consideration.</p><h3>Tough road for USC</h3><p>Take a victory lap if you claimed <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/676" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/676">USC</a> would struggle with the immense travel associated with the move to the Big Ten. The Trojans fell on the road as touchdown favorites at Minnesota after an earlier loss this season as 4.5-point favorites at Michigan. The travel is clearly affecting the Trojans.</p><p>The Minnesota trip was just over 1,900 miles long, and the Michigan journey stretched to 2,244 miles. Last year's 1,031-mile trip to Colorado was the longest for the Trojans against an in-conference opponent. However, USC isn't the only Big Ten newcomer to have issues, as both UCLA and Washington have suffered losses on big road trips.</p><p>The Trojans had their chances Saturday, but the fourth quarter wasn't kind to the improved defense. The Golden Gophers' 92nd-ranked offense took the ball on drives of 65 and 75 yards, scoring touchdowns to tie the game and take the lead.</p><p>The good news for USC is only one road trip east remains on the schedule for 2024. The bad news is that its two losses will likely take it out of Big Ten title contention.</p><h3>Cignetti called his shot</h3><p>Curt Cignetti announced his arrival as <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/303" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/303">Indiana</a>'s head coach with one of the most epic lines ever said at an introductory press conference.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Indiana Coach Curt Cignetti: I win. Google me. <br><br>Nick Saban vibes. <a href="https://t.co/FyOjgRPIW8">pic.twitter.com/FyOjgRPIW8</a></p>— Jacob Davis (@JacobScottDavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacobScottDavis/status/1738399427365056559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2023</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Turns out, Cignetti wasn't inflating things in the slightest. The first-year coach remains perfect in his Indiana tenure, with the Hoosiers becoming the first team to clinch bowl eligibility thanks to Saturday's win at Northwestern. While that might not be an impressive achievement at many schools, Indiana hasn't gone bowling since the 2020 campaign.</p><p>The Hoosiers offense remains a runaway smash hit, as the unit topped 40 points for a fifth straight game, including all three Big Ten contests. It's becoming clear that Indiana might be a major player in the conference with a massive stretch ahead in November. It faces Michigan on Nov. 9 before hitting the bye and traveling to Ohio State. Don't be shocked if those contests go a long way toward deciding the teams competing in the conference title game.</p><h3>Pitt blowing away expectations</h3><p>Oddsmakers put <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/526" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/526">Pitt</a>'s win total for the season at 5.5 - a number the Panthers can shockingly pass next week with more than half their schedule remaining. A road win over North Carolina on Saturday puts Pitt at a perfect 5-0 for the first time since 1991.</p><p>Plenty have played a large role in the hot start, but Alabama transfer Eli Holstein is probably the most notable. The quarterback piled up over 450 total yards with four touchdowns in the victory over the Tar Heels. The result makes Holstein the first Pitt signal-caller to win his first five career starts since some guy named Dan Marino in 1979.</p><p>Holstein's strong play would be a benefit in any season. However, given Pitt's struggles at the position last campaign, he's arguably the best addition any Power conference team has made this year. His 1,564 yards passing this season is already nearly 400 more than the Panthers' leading passer compiled over the entire 2023 campaign.</p>

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CFB Wrap-up: Takeaways from Week 6's biggest games

That. Just. Happened.  One week you're the king of college football after an epic win over Georgi...

<p>That. Just. Happened.</p><p>One week you're the king of college football after an epic win over Georgia, and the next you're watching <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/684" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/684">Vanderbilt</a> students take down the goal posts in celebration of the program's first-ever top-five victory.</p><p>Life is coming at <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/40" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/40">Alabama</a> fast in 2024.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The Commodores stunned the nation on Saturday with one of the biggest upsets in recent college football history, shocking the Crimson Tide with a 40-35 victory. </p><p>Here's the blueprint for how Vanderbilt pulled off the unimaginable in Nashville.</p><h3>Keep the ball away from Milroe</h3><p>Alabama entered play scoring 47 points per game to rank among the top five teams in the country. Jalen Milroe is one of the Heisman favorites, and Ryan Williams is arguably the best receiver in the SEC at the tender age of 17. Vanderbilt knew it likely couldn't get enough stops if both teams had the same number of chances with the ball, so the focus was clear from the jump - keep Milroe and the offense off the field.</p><p>The Commodores carried out the strategy to perfection, possessing the ball for an outrageous 42:08 of game time, while Alabama's had it for 17:52. That's just over half of the 30 minutes of possession per game the Crimson Tide usually average. The 46 total plays by Alabama's offense are 19 fewer than they average a game and would rank last in the nation.</p><p>So keeping the Crimson Tide off the field was crucial. But just how did the Commodores do it?</p><h3>Convert on 3rd down</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748636/cropped_GettyImages-2176070086.jpg?ts=1728175054" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748636/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176070086.jpg?ts=1728175054 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748636/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176070086.jpg?ts=1728175054 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748636/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176070086.jpg?ts=1728175054 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748636/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176070086.jpg?ts=1728175054 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748636/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176070086.jpg?ts=1728175054 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Carly Mackler / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The lifeblood of significant possession numbers is third-down conversions. If your offense isn't going to be explosive, conversions are essential to keep the ball. Vanderbilt put on a masterclass in this area on Saturday, outrageously converting 12 of 18 chances on third down, a 67% clip that would lead the nation. Even more incredible is the fact the Commodores entered the game converting just 38% on the season to rank 68th in the country.</p><p>The craziest part? Alabama came in ranked second in the entire country in third-down defense, stopping the opposition at an 83% rate. Just last week against Georgia, the Crimson Tide stopped the Bulldogs on 12 of 20 attempts on third or fourth down.</p><p>The third-down conversions by Vanderbilt helped the offense put up seven drives of at least seven plays, with the opening two combining for 27 plays and over 16 minutes of game action.</p><p>But how was a team that usually converts just 38% of third downs able to do so with such ease against Alabama?</p><h3>Have a quarterback with irrational confidence</h3><p>Alabama has fallen to future NFL quarterbacks over the years, but some of the biggest upsets against the Crimson Tide featured quarterbacks who will likely be going pro in something other than sports. You can add <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/176570" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/176570">Diego Pavia</a> to that legendary list after Saturday's performance, alongside names such as Zach Calzada, Bo Wallace and Stephen Garcia.</p><p>The New Mexico State transfer is exactly what you need to pull off an epic upset - an irrationally confident quarterback who has no idea his team isn't supposed to hang with the big dogs. Here's Pavia's quote from earlier this week, when he was reminded Alabama had outscored the Commodores 148-3 in the previous three meetings.</p><p>“This is a whole new team,” Pavia said, <a href="https://247sports.com/article/vanderbilt-football-commodores-fired-up-to-host-no-1-alabama-237274346/">according to 247 Sports' Robbie Weinstein</a>. “In the NIL era, every team will be different every single year. We got a team full of dawgs who prepare every week like they want to play on Sundays. And so with that, the only person that knows who's going to win on Saturday is God.”</p><p>Pavia finished the game completing 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two scores while adding 56 yards on the ground - by far his best performance of the season.</p><p>However, his most memorable moment came after the game in the middle of the celebrations, and it served as a reminder that nobody is unbeatable if you follow the blueprint.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">“GAMES LIKE THIS CHANGE YOUR LIFE!” <br><br>DIEGO PAVIA AFTER UPSETTING NO. 1 ALABAMA 😤 <a href="https://twitter.com/VandyFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VandyFootball</a> <a href="https://t.co/IclRKTOjzw">pic.twitter.com/IclRKTOjzw</a></p>— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1842715918142521427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 5: Duncan MacDonald #60 and De'Marion Thomas #98 of the Vanderbilt Commodores celebrate their win against the Alabama Crimson Tide at FirstBank Stadium on October 5, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Upset blueprint: How Vandy shocked Alabama

College football season is officially in its second month.  Before Week 6 action starts on Thursd...

<p>College football season is officially in its second month.</p><p>Before Week 6 action starts on Thursday, it's time to look back at September and hand out some awards recognizing those who starred - and those who didn't.</p><h3>Best team: Texas</h3><p>Ohio State's schedule is heavily backloaded and featured a weak opening month, so this race is between three SEC teams right now. Each program has a fair argument to claim this award, but <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/634" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/634">Texas</a> gets the nod thanks to its dominant Week 2 win at <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/407" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/407">Michigan</a>. The 31-12 thumping ended both the Wolverines' 16-game overall winning streak and their 29-game unbeaten run at home. Steve Sarkisian's program gets the slight edge here, but things could look different by October's end with both Oklahoma and Georgia due up on its schedule.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p><em>Finalists: Alabama, Tennessee</em></p><h3>Best coach:<strong> </strong>Curt Cignetti, Indiana</h3><p>"I win. Google me."</p><p>Turns out, Curt Cignetti was bang on when he dropped that epic bar to the media at his <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/303" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/303">Indiana</a> introduction in December. Sure, it's impressive on its own that Cignetti and the Hoosiers are a perfect 5-0 for the first time since 1967. But it's the way they handle business that wins them this award. Indiana isn't just beating opponents, it's pounding them into oblivion. The Hoosiers own the nation's eighth-best scoring margin at 26 points per game and are putting up over 41 a week - just one year after ranking 108th in the nation in scoring.</p><p><em>Finalists: Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), Barry Odom (UNLV)</em></p><h3>Best player: Travis Hunter, Colorado</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/cropped_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747460/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175365763.jpg?ts=1727574342 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Don Juan Moore / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Both <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/162849" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/162849">Jalen Milroe</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/172507" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/172507">Ashton Jeanty</a> have piled up some insane stats - while playing half of the game. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/179519" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/179519">Travis Hunter</a> doesn't have the luxury of rest, but the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/164" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/164">Colorado </a>star continues his dominance as a two-way player. Hunter sits third in the nation in catches, touchdown catches and fifth in receiving yards - and it's his <em>second-best position</em>. Add two interceptions, 16 tackles, a game-saving forced fumble on the goal line and the fact he averages 130 snaps per game, and the award is clearly Hunter's.</p><p><em>Finalists: Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)</em></p><h3>Best play: Ryan Williams vs. Georgia</h3><p>Two plays after <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/40" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/40">Alabama</a> blew a 28-point lead at home to Georgia in the dying minutes of last Saturday's game, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/195809" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/195809">Ryan Williams</a> restored order in Tuscaloosa.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!<br><br>RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! <a href="https://t.co/pvc9ML7E7G">pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1840229559028859075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Oh yeah, and the 17-year-old breaking all the Alabama state records should still be in high school. He did tell everyone what he'd do upon reclassifying, though, offering this to <a href="https://x.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1841141462311862341">Hayes Fawcett of On3</a> before the season.</p><p>"When you see what I'm about to do this year, you'll understand why I reclassified."</p><p><em>Finalists: <a href="https://x.com/CFBONFOX/status/1837696645762302443">Colorado Hail Mary vs. Baylor</a>, <a href="https://x.com/CFBONFOX/status/1840110989481541970">Daniel Jackson touchdown vs. Michigan</a></em></p><h3>Best freshman: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743427/cropped_GettyImages-2168898480.jpg?ts=1725216697" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743427/w220xh124_GettyImages-2168898480.jpg?ts=1725216697 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743427/w320xh180_GettyImages-2168898480.jpg?ts=1725216697 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743427/w640xh360_GettyImages-2168898480.jpg?ts=1725216697 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743427/w768xh432_GettyImages-2168898480.jpg?ts=1725216697 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743427/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2168898480.jpg?ts=1725216697 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>We could easily give both <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/players/195944" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/players/195944">Jeremiah Smith</a> and Williams trophies here but, since Williams already received some hardware, the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/507" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/507">Ohio State</a> star gets the honor. Smith is the latest from the incredible wide receiver factory in Columbus and might be the best yet. The five-star prospect has 19 catches for 364 yards and five touchdowns - some of which required just <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9G43F2SzOQ">one hand</a>.</p><p><em>Finalists: Ryan Williams (Alabama), Dylan Raiola (Nebraska)</em></p><h3>Wildest finish: Miami vs. Virginia Tech</h3><p>The call was probably correct, but what a journey it was to the end. The <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/689" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/689">Virginia Tech</a> Hail Mary attempt versus <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/405" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/405">Miami</a> last Friday had:</p><ul>
<li>Seven players leaping for the ball</li>
<li>The ball disappearing in the pack</li>
<li>A scramble on the ground digging for the ball</li>
<li>A Miami defender emerging with the ball and running in celebration</li>
<li>The Stadium light show going off to celebrate</li>
<li>Officials somehow signaling a ... Virginia Tech touchdown</li>
<li>Replay making it difficult to see because Virginia Tech's gloves and pants are similar color to the football</li>
<li>Multiple clips suggesting it probably wasn't a catch, but aren't conclusive</li>
<li>Officials overturning the call giving Miami the win</li>
</ul><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">HAIL MARY NO GOOD 😳<br><br>No. 7 Miami outlasted Virginia Tech after the Hokies' final play was ruled incomplete. <a href="https://t.co/Xrpl2UFod9">pic.twitter.com/Xrpl2UFod9</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1839877894530539676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The ACC issued a statement the next day clarifying that the loose ball was touched by an out-of-bounds player, rendering the pass incomplete. While that's probably the most accurate representation of what happened, it didn't ease the pain for the Virginia Tech faithful in one of the wildest plays in recent college football memory.</p><p><em>Finalists: <a href="https://x.com/MUHawksFB/status/1837670242044027179">Monmouth beats FIU</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOeZ4VdE3Oo">Georgia Tech beats Florida State</a></em></p><h3>Biggest disappointment - Florida State</h3><p>There are some raging fires in numerous places across the country (ahem, Hugh Freeze and Auburn), but nobody's had a more disappointing season than <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/237" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/237">Florida State</a>. After being snubbed by the CFP last year, many figured the Seminoles would enter the season with a chip on their shoulder. Despite a large amount of roster turnover, the AP voters still held the program in high enough regard to label it as the country's No. 10 team in the preseason poll.</p><p>Florida State rewarded that trust by losing in Ireland to Georgia Tech to start the season. That setback stung, but it was far from being its toughest moment in the opening month. Subsequent home losses to Boston College and Memphis made the Seminoles the first AP preseason top-10 team to start 0-3 with all three losses to unranked opponents. After a home win over Cal briefly calmed things down, the Seminoles were run off the field 42-16 by SMU in the Mustangs' first-ever ACC game.</p><p><em>Finalists: Auburn, Kansas</em></p>

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September review: Awards for CFB's opening month

The United States has won the Presidents Cup for the 10th straight time, with a dominant singles ...

<p>The United States has won the Presidents Cup for the 10th straight time, with a dominant singles session Sunday leading to the biggest road victory in the history of the event.</p><p>The Americans entered Sunday needing just 4.5 points from the 12 matches and hit that number by the sixth game thanks to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/796" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/796">Keegan Bradley</a>'s 1-up win over Si Woo Kim.</p><p>Despite the cup already clinched, the Americans continued their push down the stretch to make the final score 18.5-11.5.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Here's how the matches went to close out the event at Royal Montreal.</p><p><strong>Match 1:</strong> Xander Schauffele (USA) 4&amp;3 over Jason Day (INT)</p><p>Xander Schauffele began the match with a 45-foot bomb on the first hole and ended up with a dominant 4&amp;3 victory over Jason Day. There was a time when Day was on par with the world's best, but the gap between the Australian and the World No. 2 was evident as Schauffele won the last five holes of the opening nine to build an insurmountable advantage. The victory caps a 4-1 week for Schauffele to finish out the best season of his professional career.</p><p><strong>Match 2:</strong> Sam Burns (USA) tied Tom Kim (INT)</p><p>The second match of the day had firework potential with arguably the loudest American versus undoubtedly the most boisterous International. Sam Burns flew out of the gates with four birdies on his first six holes to build a 2-up lead on Tom Kim. The energetic 22-year-old responded on the closing stretch by winning holes 13 and 15 to send the match to the 18th tied. The stage was set for Kim to deliver yet another wild Presidents Cup moment with a 14-footer to win the match, but his putt slid to the right and the points were halved.</p><p><strong>Match 3:</strong> Hideki Matsuyama (INT) 1-up over Scottie Scheffler (USA)</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747593/cropped_GettyImages-2175523096.jpg?ts=1727643495" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747593/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175523096.jpg?ts=1727643495 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747593/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175523096.jpg?ts=1727643495 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747593/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175523096.jpg?ts=1727643495 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747593/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175523096.jpg?ts=1727643495 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747593/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175523096.jpg?ts=1727643495 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The highest-ranked player on each team faced off in Match 3 with Scottie Scheffler taking on Hideki Matsuyama. The performance was exactly what you'd expect from the world-class talent on hand, with Scheffler starting things off by dunking a bunker shot for birdie on the first hole. The pair would combine for a whopping 13 birdies with Matsuyama's exceptional tee shot on the 17th leading to a 1-up lead on 18. Both players would make par to secure the win for the Japanese star.</p><p><strong>Match 4:</strong> Russell Henley (USA) 3&amp;2 over Sungjae Im (INT)</p><p>Russell Henley capped his brilliant first team event for the United States with an impressive win over Sungjae Im on Sunday. Henley never trailed in the contest, making four birdies against zero bogeys to secure the victory. The 35-year-old rookie finished the week with a 3-1-0 and proved to be an excellent partner for Scheffler in team play. That should give him the inside track to be on the Ryder Cup team next fall in New York.</p><p><strong>Match 5:</strong> Patrick Cantlay (USA) 3&amp;1 over Taylor Pendrith (INT)</p><p>Patrick Cantlay is officially a problem for the opposition in team events. The American - proudly wearing a hat this time around - backed up a strong showing in last year's Ryder Cup with exceptional play in Montreal to post a 4-1 record in the event. The singles match saw Cantlay outclass Taylor Pendrith, who shockingly played all five sessions for the International team. Cantlay made seven birdies across 17 holes to secure the full point for the visitors.</p><p><strong>Match 6:</strong> Keegan Bradley (USA) 1-up over Si Woo Kim (INT)</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747567/cropped_GettyImages-2175515169.jpg?ts=1727640564" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747567/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175515169.jpg?ts=1727640564 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747567/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175515169.jpg?ts=1727640564 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747567/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175515169.jpg?ts=1727640564 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747567/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175515169.jpg?ts=1727640564 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747567/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175515169.jpg?ts=1727640564 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Keegan Bradley being left off the Ryder Cup team last year was one of the most heart-wrenching scenes on Netflix's "Full Swing." Since that point, he's been named the captain of next year's American Ryder Cup team and now clinched the Presidents Cup for the United States. Bradley built a 3-up lead after 15 before things got tense as Si Woo Kim won holes 16 and 17. However, the Korean couldn't make the final putt on 18 to halve the match and Bradley walked off with the full point to decide the event.</p><p><strong>Match 7:</strong> Corey Conners (INT) 5&amp;3 over Tony Finau (USA)</p><p>The strongest of the International team's Canadian contingent delighted the home crowd one more time by boat-racing Tony Finau in singles. Corey Conners actually fell 2-down after 4 holes before winning seven of the next 11 to close the match out on the 15th green. Conners played strong Sunday, but a large part of the victory was due to Finau's really poor play. The American shot 2-over par for his round and failed to make a birdie after the second hole.</p><p><strong>Match 8:</strong> Wyndham Clark (USA) tied Min Woo Lee (INT)</p><p>Min Woo Lee showed no rust early after sitting out both the Friday and Saturday sessions to build a 2-up lead heading to the back nine. However, Wyndham Clark made his charge on the back nine with four birdies to grab a 1-up lead heading to the 18th tee. Lee rose to the occasion in the moment, flagging an incredible approach to a foot for a birdie to claim half a point.</p><p><strong>Match 9:</strong> Sahith Theegala (USA) tied Byeong Hun An (INT)</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747605/cropped_GettyImages-2175519667.jpg?ts=1727645934" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747605/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175519667.jpg?ts=1727645934 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747605/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175519667.jpg?ts=1727645934 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747605/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175519667.jpg?ts=1727645934 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747605/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175519667.jpg?ts=1727645934 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747605/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175519667.jpg?ts=1727645934 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Sahith Theegala and Byeong Hun An were likely quite amped to be back in action after sitting out of Saturday's action. The Korean built a 2-up lead through the opening nine, but Theegala battled back with three birdies in a four-hole stretch. That sent the match to 18 tied with the full point up for grabs. Theegala then hit a remarkable approach inside 10 feet to give him a chance at the win, but his putt never had a chance and the point was shared with pars.</p><p><strong>Match 10:</strong> Collin Morikawa (USA) 2&amp;1 over Adam Scott (INT)</p><p>The event was essentially decided by the time Collin Morikawa and Adam Scott hit the back nine of their match on Sunday. Morikawa pulled away on the closing stretch to remain perfect in Presidents Cup singles play while Scott, the oldest player in the event, played all five sessions for the International team, posting a 2-3 record.</p><p><strong>Match 11:</strong> Christiaan Bezuidenhout (INT) 2&amp;1 over Brian Harman (USA)</p><p>Christiaan Bezuidenhout sat out both sessions on Saturday and came to Royal Montreal for singles action with a point to prove. An out-of-form Brian Harman was on the receiving end of that - the South African finished the match on the 17th hole. Harman was clearly struggling to find his game all week, ending as the only American without a point. On the other side, Bezuidenhout's 2-1-0 mark made him the only International to finish the tournament with a winning record.</p><p><strong>Match 12:</strong> Max Homa (USA) 2&amp;1 over Mackenzie Hughes (INT)</p><p>Max Homa made sure the final match of the Presidents Cup was also the one with the most electric start. The American provided one of the highlights of the event by holing out for eagle from 102 yards in the fairway. He nearly did the same thing on the second hole as well - a sign that it would be a long day for Mackenzie Hughes. Homa ended up shooting a remarkable 7-under through 17 holes to win his first point of the event after falling twice alongside Harman in foursomes action.</p>

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - SEPTEMBER 29: Patrick Cantlay and Keegan Bradley of the U.S. Team celebrate after defeating the International Team during Sunday Singles on day four of the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 29, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

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Americans win 10th straight Presidents Cup

The college football season may be five months long, but there won't be a wilder 151 seconds of a...

<p>The college football season may be five months long, but there won't be a wilder 151 seconds of action this season than what we witnessed in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.</p><p>The highly anticipated matchup between <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/40" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/40">Alabama</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/255" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/255">Georgia</a> somehow exceeded the hype: The Bulldogs erased a 30-7 halftime deficit to set up the wildest final stretch in recent memory.</p><p>After the dismal opening frame, Georgia stormed back to cut the lead to five points late in the fourth quarter. Carson Beck then unleashed a 67-yard bomb to Dillon Bell to give the Bulldogs the lead with 2:31 remaining. If that held, the comeback would be the biggest in Georgia's history.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dillon Bell 67 yards to the HOUSE, to take the lead.<br><br>This game... <a href="https://t.co/LqMqTwbHsV">pic.twitter.com/LqMqTwbHsV</a></p>— Jake (@jakekolp9) <a href="https://twitter.com/jakekolp9/status/1840228148526330363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>But Alabama needed just 13 seconds to flip the game on its head. </p><p>On the first play of the ensuing drive, Jalen Milroe heaved one deep for Ryan Williams and the 17-year-old freshman took it from there, dodging multiple defenders for the 75-yard touchdown.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!<br><br>RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! <a href="https://t.co/pvc9ML7E7G">pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1840229559028859075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The drama wasn't done yet. The Bulldogs got a final chance to send the game to overtime, and Beck led the offense 55 yards back down the field and set up at the Crimson Tide 20-yard line with 43 seconds to play. He looked to the end zone on the first down - only to have Zabien Brown snag the quarterback's fourth interception of the night to seal the win.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A GAME-SEALING INTERCEPTION AT THE GOAL LINE FOR BAMA 🥶 <a href="https://t.co/66KprVHVEk">pic.twitter.com/66KprVHVEk</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1840234568013537302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 28: Zabien Brown #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after his interception against the Georgia Bulldogs with Domani Jackson #1 and teammates during the final minute of the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28506755/related

Alabama-Georgia finish was 151 seconds of madness

<p><em>College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.</em></p><h3>Alabama-Georgia an all-time classic</h3><p>Looks like the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/40" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/40">Alabama</a>-<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/255" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/255">Georgia</a> rivalry will be just fine without Nick Saban. The two SEC powerhouses played an all-time classic in their first matchup since the legendary coach retired. The Bulldogs stormed back, meaning the Tide needed a heroic finish to secure the win.</p><p>But first, coach Saban's thoughts about Alabama's first half:</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nick Saban reacts to Alabama's 30-7 halftime lead over Georgia:<br><br>"Jalen Milroe had more yards himself than the entire Georgia team." 😂 <a href="https://t.co/VEmVNLD8pc">pic.twitter.com/VEmVNLD8pc</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1840206403178320017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Milroe and the Crimson Tide offense hit the Bulldogs early and often to take a 30-7 lead at the break and send the visitors to the locker room stunned. The redshirt junior quarterback completed 18 of 21 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown, and he showed off his elite rushing ability with another 106 running yards and two touchdowns on the ground - in the first half. His counterpart, Carson Beck, looked lost with the Alabama defense. Beck threw two interceptions for the first time in his career and took a safety on an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone.</p><p>Let's hope someone leaks Kirby Smart's halftime speech because it must have been a banger based on his team's second-half effort. Beck was a different quarterback, seeing the field like a Heisman contender and slicing up the Tide's defense. Two scoring drives, each under two minutes long, got the Bulldogs back within five in a hurry. Then Beck threw a 67-yard deep bomb to Dillon Bell to score, putting the Bulldogs ahead with 2:31 remaining.</p><p>And then Ryan Williams called game.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!<br><br>RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! <a href="https://t.co/pvc9ML7E7G">pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1840229559028859075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Both teams are undoubtedly among the nation's best and the game was an instant classic. The first-half performance of Georgia's offense and the second-half showing of the Crimson Tide's defense will certainly be dissected, but, tonight, we'll simply say thanks for an epic thriller.</p><h3>DeBoer's 1st Alabama win came in January</h3><p>Hours after Saban retired in January, Ryan Williams, the prized five-star recruit, de-committed from Alabama. He visited Texas A&amp;M before firming up his commitment to Kalen DeBoer and the Tide two weeks later. That may go down as one of the biggest wins in DeBoer's first seasons with the program.</p><p>The 17-year-old phenom has shone for Alabama since the start of the season, but he saved his best for the epic win over Georgia on Saturday. Williams didn't just score the winning 75-yard touchdown, he made the attempted tackles of arguably the best defense in the nation look like video-game glitches on the completion.</p><p>Alabama may have lost several players following Saban's departure, but Williams showed Saturday why DeBoer and the new staff were so interested in him.</p><h3>Mark Stoops, a gambler?</h3><p>Two weeks ago, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/333" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/333">Kentucky</a> nearly shocked No. 2 Georgia, but head coach Mark Stoops' decision to punt on a short fourth down in the dying minutes gave the Bulldogs a chance to win - and they did, thereby avoiding the upset to remain undefeated. On Saturday at No. 6 <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/425" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/425">Ole Miss</a>, Stoops changed his approach and gambled. It paid off, leading to the program's biggest win under his guidance. </p><p>On a fourth-and-7 on his own 19-yard line with four minutes to play, Stoops kept the offense on the field and went for the first down, and it worked. Fortune really does favor the bold.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/BrockVandagriff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrockVandagriff</a> ➡️ <a href="https://twitter.com/BarionBrown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarionBrown</a> 💣 ON FOURTH DOWN <a href="https://t.co/FzdqqNKRuL">pic.twitter.com/FzdqqNKRuL</a></p>— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKFootball/status/1840108045537247558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>That incredible 68-yard completion set the Wildcats up for a touchdown - on an <a href="https://x.com/TristanUda/status/1840108981492097513">equally nerve-wracking play</a> - setting Kentucky up to complete the seismic upset.</p><p>Stoops' defense solved Jaxson Dart and the explosive Ole Miss attack for the second consecutive time. The Rebels escaped with a 22-19 win two years ago, but this contest yielded no such result. Ole Miss entered the matchup averaging 49 points per game and 8.5 yards per play, ranking the Rebels in the top five nationally in both categories. The Wildcats chopped those numbers to 17 and 6.3, respectively, Saturday.</p><p>While the loss doesn't eliminate Ole Miss from playoff contention, it served as a reminder that conference play often exposes flaws that aren't visible in the first month of the season.</p><h3>Penn State 'out Big Ten's' Illinois</h3><p>For years, the identity of the Big Ten has been running the ball and playing stout defense - a strong point for both <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/521" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/521">Penn State</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/298" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/298">Illinois</a>. That made Saturday's whiteout matchup between the two schools at Beaver Stadium a contest of who could out-Big Ten the other, with the Nittany Lions earning an emphatic victory.</p><p>The Illini barely cracked the 200-yard mark in total offense for the night, with the Nittany Lions' defense holding their opponent to just 1.1 yards per rush. Clearly, the narrow win over Bowling Green earlier in the year was a wake-up call - the defense has allowed just seven total points in the two games since the Falcons put up 27.</p><p>Drew Allar likely won't put many highlights from Saturday on his NFL draft tape, but the Nittany Lions didn't need the quarterback to shine since Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 196 rushing yards and two scores on an overwhelmed Illinois line.</p><p>Penn State now has the chance to welcome both UCLA and USC to the Big Ten in bruising style with the two new members of the conference next up on the slate.</p><h3>Jeremiah Smith remains unfair</h3><p>We've talked about freshman Jeremiah Smith's exploits in this space before, but the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/507" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/507">Ohio State</a> star continues to outdo himself every week. This week, the Buckeyes took on their first power-conference opponent of the season in Michigan State, but the Spartans were little match for Smith and Ohio State.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">TWO UNBELIEVEABLE ONE-HANDED CATCHES BY JEREMIAH SMITH 🤯 <br><br>THEY CAN'T GUARD HIM 👀 <a href="https://t.co/vGUUs6rn41">pic.twitter.com/vGUUs6rn41</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1840201643482075374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The Buckeyes comfortably passed their biggest test of the season by a 38-7 margin in East Lansing. Next week, the stout Iowa defense heads to Columbus to try to be the first team to slow Smith down. He might need two hands against the Hawkeyes, but it's probably a safe bet he'll continue to shine for the Big Ten favorites.</p><h3>No more easy button for Michigan</h3><p>Last week was a revelation for <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/407" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/407">Michigan</a>. In an entertaining home win over USC, the Wolverines leaned heavily on the rushing attack and defense. The performance would have made Jim Harbaugh very proud. </p><p>The legendary coach's teams at Michigan almost always comfortably handled business against lesser opponents. There was nothing easy about Saturday's finish: Minnesota collected 21 points in the final quarter to make things interesting.</p><p>The Golden Gophers recovered an outstanding onside kick after drawing within three, only to have it called back by a questionable offside decision. Michigan did recover the second one, but that still didn't give the hosts a nerve-free finish. The offense nearly lost the ball on an errant snap trying to run out the clock.</p><p>In the end, the Wolverines again hoisted the Little Brown Jug, but serious questions remain about how far the defending national champions can go this season.</p><h3>Colorado defense stands up</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747457/cropped_GettyImages-2174501301.jpg?ts=1727572064" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747457/w220xh124_GettyImages-2174501301.jpg?ts=1727572064 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747457/w320xh180_GettyImages-2174501301.jpg?ts=1727572064 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747457/w640xh360_GettyImages-2174501301.jpg?ts=1727572064 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747457/w768xh432_GettyImages-2174501301.jpg?ts=1727572064 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747457/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2174501301.jpg?ts=1727572064 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Plenty of what we saw from <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/164" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/164">Colorado</a> on Saturday was expected. Shedeur Sanders completed a whopping 80% of his passes for almost 300 yards and threw three touchdowns. Travis Hunter continued to shine on both sides of the ball, racking up 9 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown to go along with an interception on defense. But it's what we didn't expect from the Buffaloes that should worry the rest of the Big 12 going forward.</p><p>Colorado's defensive line entered play ranked 102nd nationally in sacks per game with just one. But it rose to the occasion on Saturday, living in the UCF backfield to sack KJ Jefferson five separate times and register an eye-popping 13 tackles for loss.</p><p>Sanders and Hunter playing starring roles is arguably the biggest guarantee in the Big 12. The lack of a supporting cast is what most pegged as the reason Colorado wouldn't compete for the conference title. Saturday showed that might not be the case - which should send shockwaves across both the Big 12 and the national landscape.</p><h3>Auburn finds a new way to misery</h3><p>If you look at the stats without the final score, it appears <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/67" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/67">Auburn</a> had a wonderful day at home against Oklahoma. The Tigers outgained the Sooners 482-291 in total yardage, and Payton Thorne - who got the start in Hugh Freeze's latest game of quarterback musical chairs - posted 338 yards passing and three touchdowns. However, in a moment of misfortune, the Tigers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and suffered another crushing home loss.</p><p>With the defense largely holding Oklahoma in check in freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.'s first road start, a careless turnover was the only thing that would doom Auburn late in the game while holding a five-point lead. Sure enough, Thorne misread the defense on an option route and threw a back-breaking pick-6 to seal Oklahoma's victory.</p><p>The setback dropped Freeze's record against FBS competition to a dismal 5-13 in his last 18 games. It's probably a safe bet that falls by another game with a road trip to Georgia next on the schedule.</p><h3>Unlikely undefeateds</h3><p>It's now the end of September and the list of remaining undefeated teams includes:</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Duke is 5-0. Army is 4-0. Navy is 4-0. Indiana is 5-0. BYU is 5-0. <br><br>ok</p>— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) <a href="https://twitter.com/RossDellenger/status/1840176402252878033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Those five teams combined for a 27-34 record last season but have ripped off a perfect 23-0 mark to begin the 2024 campaign. Impressively, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/202" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/202">Duke</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/303" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/303">Indiana</a> make this list with brand-new coaches.</p><p>Curt Cignetti has installed an explosive offense in Bloomington. To prove it, Indiana hung 42 on Maryland Saturday, representing the fourth time in 50 games the Hoosiers have flown past the 40-point mark.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/107" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/107">BYU</a> followed up an impressive home win over Kansas State by racing to a huge lead and then holding on at <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/81" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/81">Baylor</a> while Duke roared back to win a rivalry contest over North Carolina.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/64" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/64">Army</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///ncaaf/teams/456" href="https://thescore.com/ncaaf/teams/456">Navy</a> both kept the dream of a Group of 5 playoff berth alive with comfortable wins this week.</p><p>Their records may look very different in the next couple of weeks, but the red-hot start from these five programs deserves a mention after the first month of the season.</p>

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CFB Wrap-up: Takeaways from Week 5's biggest games

The United States will take a four-point lead to singles action at the Presidents Cup after a day...

<p>The United States will take a four-point lead to singles action at the Presidents Cup after a day of drama at Royal Montreal.</p><p>After claiming the morning session 3-1, the Americans made a late charge across the entire board to flip multiple matches and win the afternoon foursomes by the same margin.</p><p>That leaves the score at 11-7 heading to Sunday's singles. The Americans need just four points to keep the Presidents Cup.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Match 1: Scott/Pendrith 2-up over Homa/Harman</h3><p>In a back-and-forth match to open the afternoon session, Adam Scott and Taylor Pendrith eventually took control late to build a 2-up lead heading to No. 17, but Max Homa's brilliant tee shot on the par-3 halved the deficit with one hole to play.</p><p>The drama didn't last long on the finishing hole - Brian Harman's tee shot found the thick rough, giving Homa little chance of hitting the green. The latter's approach put his partner in an awkward spot beside a bunker, with bogey the best the pair could manage. That pushed the final score back to 2-up and gave the Internationals the win.</p><h3>Match 2: Morikawa/Burns 1-up over Hughes/Conners</h3><p>Collin Morikawa and Sam Burns faced the crowd favorites from Canada, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners, in the thrilling second match of the afternoon at Royal Montreal. One of the teams won seven of the first nine holes and the match went to No. 18 tied thanks to Hughes' incredible hole-out eagle from the bunker earlier in the back nine.</p><p>The Canadians ran out of steam on the final hole: Conners missed the green and Hughes barely advanced his pitch onto it. That allowed the Americans to claim the full point when Morikawa poured in a short par putt.</p><h3>Match 3: Schauffele/Cantlay 1-up over Kim/Kim</h3><p>Koreans Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim added more outrageous highlights to their growing list of wild moments at the Presidents Cup, as both poured in putts from distance to spark wild celebrations. The match was destined to head to the 18th after Si Woo Kim made the shot of the tournament to sink an impossible chip on the 16th hole.</p><p>However, Patrick Cantlay once again showed why he's becoming the most dangerous American in team events, pouring in a birdie on the final green to claim the full point for the visitors.</p><h3>Match 4: Scheffler/Henley 3&amp;2 over Matsuyama/Im</h3><p>In the final match of the afternoon, Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama held the lead for the first 11 holes before the Americans stormed back with some exceptional play down the stretch. The USA erased a 3-down deficit by going 6-under over the final 11 holes to end things on the 16th green.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="de" dir="ltr">Scheffler/Henley were 3-down and finished:<br><br>Birdie<br>Birdie<br>Par<br>Birdie<br>Par<br>Par<br>Birdie<br>Par<br>Birdie<br>Birdie<br>Par<br><br>They win 3&amp;2.</p>— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoLayingUp/status/1840161507205902336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler are quickly becoming a formidable outfit for the Americans, as the steady rookie complements the World No. 1 perfectly. This result is certainly the most disappointing for the Internationals and makes the challenge on Sunday that much harder.</p>

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - SEPTEMBER 28: Scottie Scheffler (L) and Russell Henley of the U.S. Team celebrate on the tenth green during Saturday Afternoon Foursomes on day three of the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 28, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

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USA takes 4-point lead to Sunday at Presidents Cup

The United States will take a two-point lead to Saturday afternoon foursomes play at the Presiden...

<p>The United States will take a two-point lead to Saturday afternoon foursomes play at the Presidents Cup after beating the Internationals 3-1 in the morning four-ball matches.</p><p>That sets the score at 8-6, with four matches in the afternoon and 12 singles matches Sunday remaining.</p><p><strong>Match 1:</strong> Scheffler/Morikawa 2&amp;1 over Scott/Pendrith<br><strong>Match 2:</strong> Finau/Schauffele 3&amp;2 over Conners/Hughes<br><strong>Match 3:</strong> Kim/Kim 4&amp;3 over Clark/Bradley<br><strong>Match 4:</strong> Cantlay/Burns 2&amp;1 over Matsuyama/Im</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The opening match of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa against Adam Scott and Taylor Pendrith was an even affair before the World No. 1 took over late. Scheffler had yet to make a birdie through 15 holes but went birdie-birdie on Nos. 16 and 17 to flip the match from a tie to a victory for the U.S.</p><p>The second match was one-sided, as the all-Canadian duo of Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes couldn't replicate their brilliant play from Friday. The pair combined for two birdies all day - well back of the 5-under score shot by Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.</p><p>The third game featured Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim blitzing Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley with some incredible play. The South Korean duo provided highlight after highlight, erupting every time a long putt was made to claim a hole. Si Woo Kim capped the match with an incredible early celebration on a walk-in birdie that sent the Iocal fans into a frenzy.</p><p>Patrick Cantlay wouldn't be denied in the day's final match to down the duo of Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im. Cantlay went 5-under over the final six holes to flip the outcome from a tie to a resounding American win.</p>

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - SEPTEMBER 28: Xander Schauffele (L) and Tony Finau of the U.S. Team celebrate on the ninth green during Saturday Morning Four-Ball on day three of the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 28, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

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Americans take 2-point lead to afternoon session

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