B/R's College Football Weekly Awards: Week 7
Fifteen undefeated teams entered Week 7. Only nine exited the weekend still unblemished.
College football, you beautiful monster.
Based on the matchups, we knew three unbeatens would fall. The favorite won two of those matchups, but Tennessee pulled out a high-scoring affair at home to upset Alabama. Utah's last-minute win over USC highlighted the others—two that erased all undefeated Group of Five teams.
As always, B/R's Weekly Awards head around the Football Bowl Subdivision for the biggest stories of the slate.
Game of the Week: Tennessee Stuns Bama
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I mean, obviously, right?
No. 6 Tennessee enjoyed a well-documented journey to 5-0, knocking off three Top 25 opponents. However, it's not unreasonable to say that No. 3 Alabama was a considerable step up in competition.
And the Vols, despite a late fumble that seemingly changed the game, passed the test in style.
Heisman Trophy candidate Hendon Hooker and star wideout Jalin Hyatt connected for five touchdowns in a 52-49 upset win. As time expired, Chase McGrath somehow sent a deflected 40-yard field goal through the uprights—which UT fans promptly tore down and carried out of the stadium.
Tennessee spent much of the afternoon in the lead, but a botched option play gifted Alabama a 49-42 edge around the midpoint of the fourth quarter. If you immediately thought, "well, Alabama is inevitable, I guess," then you were in good company.
But it didn't stop the Vols.
In the final minute, Alabama kicker Will Reichard missed a potential winning 50-yard field goal. Two completions for 45 yards later, Hooker gave McGrath his shot to become a program legend.
Tennessee, which improved to 6-0, ended a 15-game losing streak to Nick Saban and Alabama.
Comeback of the Week: TCU Horned Frogs
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TCU sees the seven-point comeback over No. 3 Alabama and raises a 17-point surge against No. 8 Oklahoma State.
What a three-week stretch for the Horned Frogs.
They crushed Oklahoma two weeks ago and blemished Kansas' dream season last weekend. After falling behind 24-7 at home on Saturday, TCU still managed to hand Oklahoma State the same fate.
Not only did the Horned Frogs trail by 17 in the first half, but they also entered the fourth quarter down 14. Kendre Miller's short touchdown run trimmed the lead to seven. Max Duggan—who totaled 343 yards and three scores on the day—found Jared Wiley for a 10-yard touchdown with two minutes left in regulation to tie OSU at 30 and force overtime.
During the first period, both offenses found the end zone. But then, TCU held the Pokes to a field goal before Duggan's key 12-yard run set up Miller's winning score to seal a 43-40 triumph.
Kansas State and Texas remain on TCU's slate, but first-year coach Sonny Dykes has the Horned Frogs in a terrific position to reach the Big 12 Championship Game.
Play of the Week: Utah's Winning Conversion
3 of 8The moment Utah reached its goal-to-go situation, I certainly wasn't alone in saying, "You go for two, right?"
Utah, a slight favorite, hadn't played a whole lot of successful defense in its showdown with Lincoln Riley, Caleb Williams and seventh-ranked USC. To that point, the Trojans had scorched the Utes for 536 yards and 42 points. Why bother defending a 25-yard field in overtime, likely surrendering a touchdown anyway and facing the same decision?
Fortunately for Utah, USC's defense didn't have any answers, either. After falling behind 21-7, Utah scored touchdowns on every single possession except for one drive that resulted in a fumble near the goal line.
In other words, the only thing stopping Utah from taking a lead was probably a decision not to try.
Fast-forward to this moment, as USC held a 42-35 advantage. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham put the ball in the hands of Cam Rising. After the veteran QB powered in a short touchdown on 4th-and-goal to pull the Utes within a point, Rising scrambled up the middle, crossed the plane and sent the stadium into delirium.
USC's path to the College Football Playoff isn't gone, but the road is much narrower now because of Rising and the Utes.
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Buzzkill of the Week: Sun Belt Upsets
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Aw, man, the fun story is done.
Coastal Carolina and James Madison were the final unbeaten teams in the Group of Five. Without a marquee national game, it was unlikely CCU would be a College Football Playoff contender. JMU, meanwhile, is ineligible for postseason play because of a silly rule preventing first-year FBS programs from participating in league title games or bowls.
Still, I would've gladly watched two undefeated teams square off in the regular-season finale. Well, that dream is dead.
Coastal Carolina could not contain Old Dominion running back Blake Watson, who scampered for 256 yards and three touchdowns. He propelled ODU to a 49-21 win.
Later on, Georgia Southern overcame an otherwise dismal defensive day thanks to four takeaways. James Madison put up 675 yards, but GS made enough plays to give its offense a shot. Kyle Vantrease threw for a ridiculous 578 yards and four touchdowns in the 45-38 upset.
Catch of the Week: C.J. Coldon's Interception
5 of 8This is becoming the best of habits.
Last season, Oklahoma defender D.J. Graham made a stupefying one-handed interception in a victory over Nebraska. Saturday afternoon, C.J. Coldon did the same thing against Kansas.
Coldon showed off his vertical to deflect a pass from KU quarterback Jason Bean. Most impressively, as Coldon fell to the ground, he tracked the ball with the same hand and prevented it from hitting the turf.
The takeaway also served as a turning point in the game. Seven plays later, the OU offense scored a touchdown to take a 28-14 lead.
Oklahoma lost to rival Texas 49-0 last weekend as quarterback Dillon Gabriel missed the game with a concussion. His return, combined with Colson's key play, sparked the Sooners in a much-needed 52-42 victory over the 19th-ranked Jayhawks.
Sleeper of the Week: Illinois Fighting Illini
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Do you believe in us now?
Illinois walloped Wyoming in the opener but followed that up with a last-minute gut-wrenching loss at Indiana. At no point did we believe that result portended the idea of Illinois winning the Big Ten West.
I'm still trying to grasp that concept. The program hasn't cracked seven victories or posted a winning Big Ten record in 15 years. Yet here they are, these Fighting Illini, boasting a 6-1 mark with triumphs over Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota—a trio that was either the strongest West Division threats in the preseason or most certainly three of the four.
Declaring the Illini the division favorite feels uncomfortable, not solely because of their recent history. They still travel to Nebraska and Michigan with Purdue and Michigan State sandwiched between those trips.
But as losses pile up around the West, Illinois football has a legitimate and wholly unexpected path to its first-ever appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Best of the Rest: Week 7
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Video-Game Stats of the Week: UCF and Ole Miss
Thursday night, UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw for 373 yards, rushed for 37 and accounted for seven touchdowns in a 70-13 obliteration of Temple. UCF generated an absurd 737 offensive yards. Then on Saturday, Ole Miss dismantled the Auburn defense to the tune of 448 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Quinshon Judkins, Zach Evans and Jaxson Dart—who also tossed three scores—each rushed for 100-plus yards.
Fireman of the Week: David Shaw, Stanford
Even though a coaching change felt improbable anyway, David Shaw stomped out the sparks that were beginning to threaten his job security. Stanford went to Notre Dame and clipped the rival Fighting Irish 16-14. Joshua Karty buried a 43-yard field early in the fourth quarter to snap Stanford's four-game losing streak.
Golf Clap of the Week: Michigan Throttles Penn State
Time of possession is generally an overrated stat because it doesn't account for teams playing fast and scoring quickly. Who cares how long you have the ball if you score touchdowns? But, sheesh, did TOP tell the story in the 41-17 demolition of Penn State. Michigan rushed for 418 yards at an absurd 7.6 clip, converting 12 of its 18 third- and fourth-down plays. Penn State could not get the Wolverines off the field.
Top Games in Week 8
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No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson (Noon ET, ABC)
Not only is Syracuse bowl-eligible for the first time in five years, but the program is also 6-0 for the first time since 1987. Syracuse hasn't come legitimately close to reaching the conference title game in nine previous ACC seasons. Knock off perennial power Clemson, and that narrative changes. But if Dabo Swinney's team wins, Clemson will effectively seal the Atlantic Division.
No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
The last unbeaten team in the Pac-12 is UCLA, although Oregon hasn't yet dropped a conference game. It's certainly an understood point, but the winner immediately becomes the league front-runner.
No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Texas escaped Iowa State with a victory in Week 7, and Oklahoma State endured that collapse at TCU. Both teams are looking for a statement win—one that also prevents a problematic second loss in Big 12 play.
No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Say hello to Ole Miss, your current SEC West leader. While the Rebels have a nice victory over Kentucky, they're about to enter the toughest portion of their schedule. LSU kicks off a season-ending stretch that also includes Texas A&M, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi State.
No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU (8 p.m. ET, Fox)
Kansas State and TCU aren't the conference's last College Football Playoff hopes, but they are the Big 12's final unbeaten teams in league play. TCU holds the unblemished overall record. Kansas State, however, has toppled the Horned Frogs in three straight seasons.
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