College Football Scores 2014: Week 8 Results and Top Stars for Top 25 Teams
The wild and wacky world of college football added another chapter on Saturday as more playoff hopefuls suffered crushing defeats. At this rate, it's hard to know which four teams will wind up with a chance to win it all in the gridiron's version of the final four.
Here's a look at the highlights of Week 8's calamity.
The Noles Survive
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Critics can say what they want about Jameis Winston and the Florida State program, but this team has heart. It came back from a 17-10 halftime deficit to win a thriller 31-27 over the No. 5-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Despite a spirited effort from Notre Dame's Everett Golson, the Noles simply outplayed their opponents in the second half. The Fighting Irish had a chance to win late, and it looked as if they scored the game-winning touchdown, but Golson's bootleg pass to Corey Robinson in the end zone was called back because of a blatant offensive pass interference.
Pushed back to the 17-yard line, Golson's desperation heave was picked off.
Jameis Winston was sharp as a tack in the second half. He completed 15 of 16 pass attempts and threw for a score to lead the comeback. Florida State's defense deserves a ton of credit for the win as well.
They got consistent pressure on Golson and forced him into two interceptions on the night. The second one ended the game on the definitive 4th-and-goal play.
Baylor Upset by West Virginia
Some losses are too big to recover from. That may be the theme for the Baylor Bears' 41-27 setback on Saturday against the West Virginia Mountaineers. It's tough enough when the No. 4 team in the country loses to an unranked opponent, but when the favorite's Heisman Trophy candidate is outplayed by his counterpart, it makes things all the more embarrassing.
Former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett has found a home with West Virginia. He completely outshone the more celebrated Bryce Petty in leading the Mountaineers to the big win.
Trickett threw for 322 yards and three scores in a game that came down to the production from the signal-callers. Neither team averaged as much as three yards per carry on the ground, so the fact that Petty only threw for 223 yards in a losing effort stands out.
Somehow, the Mountaineers overcame a minus-3 in the turnover differential to win. Third-down efficiency is one major stat to look to for an explanation. The Bears converted just three of 16 attempts on third down.
It's hard to win that way, even when the other team turns it over three times. Fair or not, much of the blame for the lack of execution will fall on Petty's shoulders. This loss will drop Baylor significantly in the polls, and push Petty just about out of the running for the Heisman Trophy.
Kansas State Nips Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners kicker Michael Hunnicutt had a rough day. He had an extra point blocked that would have tied the game in the fourth quarter, and then missed a 19-yarder that would have given his team the lead with 5:39 remaining.
The senior would surely have better days than this moving forward.
You can't call the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners' 31-30 loss to the No. 14 Kansas State Wildcats a major upset because they are ranked so closely. However, because the win came on the road, it's a significant result for both teams.
The loss likely kills the Sooners' realistic chances of reaching the College Football Playoff.
With two losses, it seems near impossible the Sooners will find themselves in the final four come season's end. In the next rankings, they may very well switch places with Kansas State. The Wildcats have established themselves as sleepers for a playoff spot with the win.
They have just one loss, and it was a respectable defeat at the hands of the Auburn Tigers in Week 3. There's still a tough road ahead with games against Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU and West Virginia, but if they were to run the table, the Wildcats would deserve a chance to play for the national championship.
Now let's look at how all of the Top 25 teams did this week.
| 1 | Mississippi State | Idle |
| 2 | Florida State | Beat Notre Dame 31-27 |
| 3 | Ole Miss | Beat Tennessee 34-3 |
| 4 | Baylor | Lost 41-27 to West Virginia |
| 5 | Notre Dame | Lost to Florida State 31-27 |
| 6 | Auburn | Idle |
| 7 | Alabama | Beat Texas A&M 59-0 |
| 8 | Michigan State | Beat Indiana 56-17 |
| 9 | Oregon | Beat Washington 45-20 |
| 10 | Georgia | Beat Arkansas 45-32 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | Lost to Kansas State 31-30 |
| 12 | TCU | Beat Oklahoma State 42-9 |
| 13 | Ohio State | Beat Rutgers 56-17 |
| 14 | Kansas State | Beat Oklahoma 31-30 |
| 15 | Oklahoma State | Lost to TCU 56-17 |
| 16 | Arizona | Idle |
| 17 | Arizona State | Beat Stanford 26-10 |
| 18 | East Carolina | Idle |
| 19 | Nebraska | Beat Northwestern 38-17 |
| 20 | Utah | Beat Oregon State 29-23 - OT |
| 21 | Texas A&M | Lost to Alabama 59-0 |
| 22 | USC | Idle |
| 23 | Stanford | Lost to Arizona State 26-10 |
| 24 | Clemson | Beat Boston College 17-13 |
| 25 | Marshall | Beat FIU 45-13 |
Top Stars from Top 25 Teams
J.T. Barrett Explodes on Rutgers
Anytime a player accounts for 368 total yards and five touchdowns, he deserves to be acknowledged as a top star. J.T. Barrett did everything for the Ohio State Buckeyes on offense on Saturday, and the defense stifled the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Barrett needed just seven carries to reach 107 yards on the ground. He had scoring runs of 33 and seven yards. The freshman didn't turn the ball over all game, and he was the biggest key in the game.
Chubb Rock
Not many people expected Nick Chubb to play a major role for the Georgia Bulldogs offense, but thanks to the suspension of Todd Gurley, the freshman has become "The One." The young man's performance was enough to inspire references to good old-school hip-hop.
On Saturday, Chubb blasted through Arkansas for 222 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-32 win. He now has 345 yards on the ground in the last two games.
It can't be overstated how big Chubb's production has been. For a freshman to play this way in the midst of the SEC is beyond impressive.
Doctsons Are Really Fast
Something tells me TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Josh Doctson has drastically improved his draft stock over the last two games. A week after having the play of the day with a sparkling one-handed touchdown catch, Doctson put up 227 yards and two more receiving touchdowns.
In the first quarter, Doctson had touchdown receptions of 84 and 77 yards to help the TCU blast Oklahoma State 42-9.
At 6'4" 190 pounds with obvious speed and leaping gifts, Doctson looks the part of an NFL receiver.
Watch My Feet
The Alabama Crimson Tide destroyed Texas A&M in every facet during its 59-0 win. T.J. Yeldon used the game to show off his power and amazing feet in traffic.
On several plays, Yeldon's footwork and ability to change direction to elude tacklers was quite impressive. He only had 13 rushes, but he finished with 114 yards on the ground and two scores. He may not have the stats, but when his Bama career is over, he might be the most-skilled back to come from the school during the Nick Saban era.
Seven Up
Cody Kessler didn't throw for a ton of yards, but he had the Midas touch when it came to touchdown passes. The junior quarterback had seven touchdown scores in USC's 56-28 win over Colorado on Saturday. He had four in the first quarter. His performance set a single-game record for the program.
Three of the scores went to Kessler's favorite target, Nelson Agholor. For the day, Kessler threw for 319 yards on just 19 completions. It's hard to be more efficient than that.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
