Winners and Losers from Week 13 of College Football
With all due respect to college basketball's "Feast Week," there are plenty of college football showdowns worth watching too. This week was more of a tuneup, but that doesn't mean there weren't some tasty offerings.
The Ohio State-Penn State battle started one-sided but ultimately gave us the type of game we wanted. Georgia and Texas A&M served up a late-season SEC slugfest, while Baylor enjoyed a rebound against Texas after blowing it last week against Oklahoma.
Near-upsets dotted the day, and that was just setting the table for the massive, prime-time shocker when Arizona State came from nowhere and stunned Oregon to knock the Ducks out of the College Football Playoff conversation.
When you least expect it, college football will throw us a huge curveball.
Let's take a look at the winners and losers from Week 13 of college football.
Winner: Ohio State's Heisman Candidates
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Ohio State jumped out to a three-touchdown lead on Penn State and ended up needing every bit of that cushion to hold off a second-half surge by a strong Nittany Lions team.
The Buckeyes were able to thanks to elite talent across the board, and nobody shone brighter than their trio of Heisman Trophy candidates in a 28-17 win.
Quarterback Justin Fields had issues hanging on to the ball, but he proved to be too much for Penn State's vaunted front seven on the read-option offense, despite tweaking his hand when he was hit and lost the ball while attempting to run it in for a touchdown.
The Georgia transfer wound up completing 16 of 22 passes for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a beautiful circus grab by deep threat Chris Olave. Fields was also exceptional running the ball, totaling 68 yards on 21 carries. Situationally, though, he was better than those numbers indicate.
Running back J.K. Dobbins isn't getting a ton of Heisman love, but he should be. He finished with 157 yards and a pair of scores, too.
But nobody was better than one-man wrecking crew Chase Young, who returned from his two-game suspension and proved he probably should be LSU QB Joe Burrow's biggest Heisman threat despite the hiatus.
The defensive end dominated Penn State with perhaps his best game on the biggest stage, finishing with nine tackles, three sacks, four tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles. He broke the single-season school sack record and now has 16.5 in nine games.
How good is he? Houston Texans sack machine J.J. Watt tweeted: "Chase Young is special man."
Yeah, he's a generational talent.
Loser: Oregon's Unbelievable Clunker
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Just when you thought college football would skate by without a headline-stealing upset Saturday, Oregon delivered one of the season's biggest eggs in a prime-time showdown with Arizona State.
For more than three quarters, the Sun Devils defense shut down Justin Herbert and the Ducks and surged ahead by 17 points.
Even after Oregon stormed back to cut the lead to three, Arizona State freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels found Brandon Aiyuk, who slipped behind the Oregon defense for an 81-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach with 3:54 to go.
The Ducks scored another touchdown to close the gap to 31-28 but could not corral the onside kick, and the College Football Playoff got its biggest shake-up of the weekend. Now, the Pac-12's only hope for a national championship will come if Utah beats the Ducks in the conference title game and goes to the CFP.
It was a major letdown for a Ducks team that had looked strong on both sides of the ball since a season-opening loss to Auburn.
While Herbert's final numbers looked good enough (20-of-36 for 304 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions) he waited far too long to get started.
An Oregon defense that had been consistently stout much of the season allowed 408 passing yards to a true freshman who grew up in front of a national audience. It was a season-defining win for a Sun Devils team that had been scuffling.
On the flip side, Oregon coach Mario Cristobal will have a tough time explaining this blunder with so much on the line.
Winner: Georgia's Survival Skills
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The 2019 rendition of the Georgia Bulldogs just knows how to win.
Nothing else really matters.
With a young, dynamic defense that is bolstered by a front it's nearly impossible to rush against and a running game that controls the clock, coach Kirby Smart's squad is reminiscent of Nick Saban's first few title teams in Tuscaloosa, where Smart was the defensive coordinator.
There are plenty of games that aren't beautiful, but the final score is just fine. The Bulldogs are 10-1 and firmly in the College Football Playoff if they can take care of business and beat a lethal LSU offense in the SEC Championship Game.
Yes, that's a big "if," but the Dawgs control their own destiny.
Georgia was in the driver's seat on Saturday's 19-13 win over Texas A&M for much of the game until Kellen Mond led his team on a fourth-quarter scoring drive to close the gap. The junior quarterback had to lead the way for Jimbo Fisher's team because no Aggie could run the ball: UGA allowed minus-1 rushing yards in the game.
Making A&M one-dimensional was enough. Though the Aggies got the ball back with a chance to take the lead, Georgia's all-world defense flexed its muscle, forcing a late-game punt as Fisher rolled the dice on getting the ball back since he owned all three of his timeouts.
Instead, D'Andre Swift and the Georgia run game churned out enough first downs to milk those timeouts away and run out the clock to earn a huge late-season win.
Despite another pedestrian game from quarterback Jake Fromm and allowing too much over the middle of the field to Mond, Georgia yet again got the job done. It's what the Bulldogs have done all year, and it's why they're in line for mammoth games the rest of the way.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Loser: Big 12 Upset Bids
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The Big 12 spent Saturday's early slate on upset alert.
Both bids ultimately petered out, though.
With Oklahoma State having to move on from injured quarterback Spencer Sanders, who had season-ending thumb surgery earlier this week, the Cowboys had to travel to Morgantown to play a West Virginia team that shocked Kansas State a week ago.
The Mountaineers carried a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma State rallied for a 10-point frame to pull out a 20-13 win. Quarterback Dru Brown threw for two scores and 196 yards in his first start for coach Mike Gundy's team. Brown was the starting quarterback at Hawaii before transferring as a graduate.
Instead of their second straight upset, coach Neal Brown's Mountaineers suffered their seventh loss and will not make a bowl game.
Things got dicey in Ames, Iowa, when it looked like Les Miles' Kansas Jayhawks may have a little late-season magic left. They held a fourth-quarter lead over No. 22 Iowa State, but couldn't hang on.
Quarterback Brock Purdy led the Cyclones to a pair of late touchdowns, meaning Iowa State will keep its ranking after a 41-31 win over the Jayhawks. It was an imperfect victory, as they allowed 493 yards to Kansas, but all that matters is a mark in the win column.
This time of year, it's survive-and-advance mode in the Big 12.
Winner: Baylor's Resounding Response
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As last weekend's game against Oklahoma crumbled in the second half and culminated in a 25-point colossal comeback from the Sooners, Baylor saw its undefeated season slip away.
But all the Bears needed to do to ensure a rematch with the high-octane Sooners was take care of business at home against Texas this weekend.
Mission accomplished.
Coach Matt Rhule's team went back to the blueprint that helped it go 9-0 to start the season, methodically dominating every facet of the game while dismantling a Texas team that is falling apart at the seams. There have been numerous injuries and defensive issues for the Longhorns this year, but the offense failed Saturday.
Baylor forced quarterback Sam Ehlinger into multiple mistakes in a 24-10 win. On the flip side, Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer looked like the best signal-caller on the field, finishing with 221 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-25 passing. He also added 75 yards and a score on the ground.
It was a thorough handling of Texas, and the result was hardly ever in question. Where the Bears fell apart in the second half a week ago, they seemed to get stronger after the break against the 'Horns on both offense and defense.
This was exactly the type of response championship-caliber teams make. And while Baylor almost certainly won't be one of the four teams in the College Football Playoff, the Bears still have a ton to play for. They have to get through Kansas next week, and a rematch with Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game awaits.
Win that one, and who knows just how far they can go? This was a terrific response for Rhule's program.
Loser: Penn State's Vaunted Rush Defense
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If Penn State was going to shock the college football world and beat Ohio State, the Nittany Lions needed to shore up their passing offense, play better on the back end of the defense and continue to do everything they've done well this season.
They certainly couldn't have expected the rush defense to let them down.
Entering the game, PSU was ranked first nationally in average yards allowed per rush and fourth in total rushing defense.
In the first drive alone, a unit that had allowed just 75.9 rushing yards per game let Ohio State rack up 91 on its first drive. It was a soul-crushing sequence that put the Buckeyes ahead 7-0 and set the tone for the game. The Lions got Ohio State in third-down situations throughout the first half but struggled to stop quarterback Justin Fields and get off the field.
Running back J.K. Dobbins starred throughout, too, finding daylight on the edge off-tackle. Fields keeping the ball on the option was a problem for Penn State, too.
By the time the game ended, Ohio State had piled up 229 rushing yards. Yes, Penn State got better throughout the game, and the final average was just 3.8 yards per carry for Ohio State, but when the Nittany Lions needed stops, they simply didn't get enough.
There were plenty of positive moments for Penn State, who forced turnovers that helped it get back in the game, but in a rugged Big Ten battle, Ohio State's weaponry was too much on the ground. The Buckeyes went right at Penn State's strength and beat them with it.
This was a scare for Ohio State, but Penn State is a quality team that could have won the game. It just didn't make enough plays late and didn't stop enough early.
Winner: Oklahoma, on Saturday Night and Perhaps in the CFP with Oregon's Loss
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There's no question Oregon's loss to Arizona State helped crack the door open for a few other teams that were on the outside looking in at the CFP.
If Alabama can beat Auburn next week and earn a few style points with Mac Jones at quarterback, the Crimson Tide will have a case to be in the final four. Teams such as Georgia, Minnesota and Utah still control their conference destinies, and they can make a strong play.
But Oklahoma is a team you may have forgotten about that lurks on the fringe.
Last weekend's 25-point comeback over Baylor is an impressive victory for the committee to consider. Though there are still major defensive issues, the Sooners' explosive offense continues to make it hard not to notice them.
That was the case again Saturday night as Jalen Hurts and Co. jumped out early on TCU and held off the Horned Frogs in Norman 28-24.
Nothing is easy for coach Lincoln Riley's team, but it's that time of year, isn't it?
Hurts wound up with 145 passing yards, 173 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. Kennedy Brooks added 149 rushing yards. Surprisingly, the defense was strong too.
OU allowed just 204 yards, 1-of-9 on third-down conversions and 7-of-21 passing. This was the kind of defensive effort the Sooners needed. Was it enough to draw the playoff committee's attention?
Loser: Illinois Taking a Lethal Dose of Its Own Medicine
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The feel-good story of the Big Ten and perhaps the nation endured a grisly plot twist Saturday in Iowa City.
Illinois rode into its contest against Iowa on a blazing-hot four-game winning streak thanks largely to leading the nation in turnover margin, which was the key to beating the methodical Hawkeyes.
Instead, the Illini couldn't endure their three turnovers in a 19-10 loss.
Entering the game, coach Lovie Smith's team had forced 26 turnovers and lost just 12. But quarterback Brandon Peters tossed two picks and fumbled in the fourth quarter as the Hawkeyes won by grinding it out.
Now, the Illini enter next week's regular-season finale against Northwestern 6-5 and 4-4 in the Big 10 despite playing well enough aside from the turnovers to beat a strong, eight-win Iowa team.
The good news is the Illini will be favored against the Wildcats and stand a good chance at a seven-win season, but this was a tough loss. Iowa's Nate Stanley threw for 308 yards to keep the Illini at arm's length, but Iowa still struggled to move the ball much of the day on the ground.
Illinois played its game despite the turnovers. The Illini had 192 rushing yards and made it into Hawkeyes territory on three consecutive second-half possessions but could only squeeze out one field goal.
That was the difference in a tough loss.
Winner: Tennessee's Turnaround, Led by Jarrett Guarantano
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Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has endured plenty of struggles during his collegiate career and has received little praise from the Volunteers fanbase.
After scuffling to a 1-4 start with inexcusable losses against Georgia State and BYU, Guarantano continued to play poorly into SEC play and lost his starting job. Then, he broke a bone in his wrist on his non-throwing hand and hadn't started any game in the second half of the season—until Saturday night.
Still, whether Guarantano came off the bench or started, he was the primary quarterback during the Vols' second-half surge. As the starter against Missouri, he overcame a slow start and finished with a bang in a 24-20 bowl-clinching win in Columbia.
It's been a dramatic turnaround for Guarantano and his team.
In the win over Mizzou, Guarantano completed 23 of 40 passes for 415 yards and a pair of touchdowns and didn't turn the ball over at all.
Also, for a program that was once known as "Wide Receiver U," the Vols had a first on Saturday night: This was the first time in school history UT had three 100-yard receivers.
Josh Palmer led the team with six catches for 124 yards, star receiver Jauan Jennings added five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown, and Marquez Callaway had six catches for 110 yards and a score.
The Vols have gone from one of the biggest laughingstocks in the nation to playing winning football on both offense and defense. Now, with a home game against Vanderbilt next week, coach Jeremy Pruitt's team still has the chance to get a seven-win regular season.
Like their quarterback, they've come full circle.
Loser: Pitt's ACC Coastal Repeat Hopes, Thanks to Foster's Farewell
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Pittsburgh needed to beat Virginia Tech and have the Hokies top Virginia next week to repeat as ACC Coastal champions and get a shot at Clemson in the conference title game.
But the Panthers couldn't get past the Hokies.
In the perfect send-off for an 8-3 Virginia Tech team that looked like it would get coach Justin Fuente fired earlier in the season, the Hokies shut out Pitt 28-0 at Lane Stadium. It was the final home game for legendary defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
Foster, of course, became one of college football's best, most recognizable defensive coordinators during the halcyon days of Frank Beamer when the Hokies were churning out conference championships. Every season, it seemed, Foster trotted out an elite defense.
It hasn't been that way the past couple of years, but Tech is ranked No. 25 in the AP poll thanks in part to a rejuvenated defensive unit, and Foster's bunch pitched a shutout Saturday.
What a way to go out.
Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett completed just 10 of 26 passes for 103 yards in the loss. The Panthers managed a measly eight first downs, 60 rushing yards and 177 total yards.
It had to bring back memories for Foster, and it also had to bring Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi a lot of heartache as the Panthers dropped their fourth game of the year before next week's regular-season-ending contest against Boston College.
Winner: Notre Dame's Complete Effort
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Notre Dame put on a clinic on both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon in its 40-7 thumping of Boston College.
Everything the Irish wanted to do, they did against the Eagles.
Quarterback Ian Book has struggled in some big games this year, but he's also had fantastic performances, and his latest was one of his best. On the surface, Book finished with 239 passing yards and three scoring tosses. He also showed improved accuracy throughout the game.
Book notched 66 rushing yards, too, but his overall numbers could have been even better. He had two touchdown passes dropped.
Defensively, the Irish arguably had their best game of the season. With Boston College stud running back AJ Dillon torching opponents to the tune of 1,451 yards and 13 touchdowns in the 10 games coming in, the Irish knew they had a tough challenge.
They were up to it.
Dillon finished with just 56 yards on 14 carries and didn't get into the end zone. It was a thing of beauty from the Notre Dame front seven.
The downhill motion of the linebackers, the linemen holding up their men at the line of scrimmage and the excellent gap control led to few rushing lanes for Dillon. Notre Dame took a sure-fire NFL running back and shut him down.
That complete effort made it a cakewalk on senior day for the Irish.
Loser: Defenses in the USC-UCLA Battle
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USC's arsenal is just bigger than UCLA's, and that's why the Trojans got a measure of revenge against the rival Bruins.
Last year's shocking 34-27 loss to UCLA elevated Clay Helton's hot-seat thermometer, but there wouldn't be a repeat of that Saturday. The Bruins had no answers for Kedon Slovis, who completed 37 of 47 passes for 515 yards (a school record) and four touchdowns in a thorough 52-35 win.
The teams combined for 61 first downs, 1,183 total yards, 898 passing yards and 12 touchdowns.
It was an afternoon for offensive juggernauts.
The game was back-and-forth for a while, but once the Trojans jumped ahead by a couple of scores, the Bruins couldn't get a stop. Every time they closed the gap to 10 points, the Trojans had an answer.
There's a reason UCLA is 10th in the Pac-12 in pass defense, and the Bruins couldn't stop anybody in cardinal and gold. Just how incredible was USC's passing attack? Four Trojans had more than 100 receiving yards.
Drake London led the way with eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown, Amon-Ra St. Brown added eight catches for 128 yards, Tyler Vaughns had six catches for 106 yards and a score and Michael Pittman Jr. had 13 catches for 104 yards and a pair of scores.
Defense was nonexistent, but the final outcome is just fine for the Trojans.
Winner: Michigan's Fine-Tuned Tuneup
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Ohio State stole the Big Ten spotlight, but Michigan is waiting in the wings for the game everybody wants to see next week.
The Wolverines look ready after a 39-14 drubbing of Indiana. But will it translate against the Buckeyes?
After the running attack had to carry the Wolverines much of the season, the past two games have seen a revitalization of senior quarterback Shea Patterson, who suddenly looks like he can carry Michigan when asked. Of course, Chase Young and Co. await, but Patterson is hot.
Last week's dismantling of Michigan State was impressive, and the encore against Indiana may have been even better. The Hoosiers have battled through injuries for a surprising season, and they entered Saturday 7-3.
They were game for more than a half before the Wolverines' depth and superior talent tore them apart. Much of the reason rested with Patterson and a group of receivers that's finally playing up to its talent.
Patterson completed 20 of 32 passes for 366 yards and five touchdowns. The big targets were Nico Collins (six catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown).
This was exactly the kind of response coach Jim Harbaugh had to want to see leading up to the OSU matchup in which Michigan is bound to be big underdogs after last year's 62-39 loss and with the undefeated Buckeyes staring down the College Football Playoff.
Michigan will have to play its best game of the year to hang with its rival, but the Wolverines are at least looking dangerous.
Winner: Washington State, Somehow
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Every year, it seems there is one of these games. You know, an offensive showdown that features two teams going at it, and whoever has the ball last wins.
There were two in the Pac-12 on Saturday, but the After Dark matchup between Washington State and Oregon State topped the USC-UCLA air assault, and the ramifications were huge for both programs.
For the Cougars, who prevailed 54-53 when running back Max Borghi rumbled in from two yards out on 1st-and-goal with four seconds left, it meant bowl eligibility despite a difficult first year without former quarterback Gardner Minshew. For Oregon State, it meant heartache.
The Beavers had an 11-point lead with 4:17 remaining and a chance to cap a phenomenal turnaround season with a bowl berth, but the defense had no answer for quarterback Anthony Gordon on Wazzu's final two drives.
Then, with Mike Leach out of timeouts and the team at the 2, he called Borghi's number. The running back answered in a big way, and now Oregon State must beat rival Oregon next week if it wants to go bowling.
As wild as the USC-UCLA game was, this one topped it. There were 60 first downs, and both teams eclipsed 600 total yards. What was even more ridiculous was there were a whopping 48 combined points in a back-and-forth fourth quarter.
With a postseason berth on the line, this was a massive game. It lived up to its explosive expectations and concluded with a last-second, game-winning rushing touchdown, of all things.
Does it get more bizarre than that?
Loser: Anybody Who Thought Cincinnati Was Primed for an Upset Loss
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Last weekend, Cincinnati played perhaps its worst game of the season in a last-second win over a mediocre South Florida team, continuing the trend of playing up or down to its competition.
With a sneakily strong Temple team awaiting the Bearcats in Cincy on Saturday, it looked like the Owls had a golden opportunity to get a major win.
Instead, the Bearcats again did just enough to keep winning, sweating out a 15-13 win over Temple to clinch the AAC East division title. Coach Luke Fickell's team is now 10-1 and in prime position for a New Year's Six bowl berth.
On a night when quarterback Desmond Ridder couldn't muster anything through the air, running back Michael Warren II had 106 yards on the ground to help control the game from the outset.
The victory sets up next week's huge game against No. 18 Memphis, which is tied for the West division lead. If the Bearcats win that game and the title game, they will certainly earn the New Year's game. The competition is going to ramp up from here.
It was huge for the Bearcats to snap a four-year losing streak against a Temple team that had owned them recently, but with bigger things on the mind, they've got to fix the sputtering offense we've seen over the past two weeks.
The way the Tigers are scoring, they should be a favorite next week at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, but don't count out Cincinnati. Fickell has a history of getting his guys ready to play, and while there have been few style points this year, the Bearcats' only loss came to Ohio State.
It's going to be fun watching that clash of styles next week. But for now, Cincinnati remains in fine position.
Winner: Alabama's Life After Tua (For Now, at Least)
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The final outcome of Saturday's game between Alabama and Western Carolina was never going to be any different.
The Crimson Tide never broke a sweat in a 66-3 win on senior day in Tuscaloosa. The best moment of the day came when the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd gave injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a roar when he was introduced after being rolled out on a cart.
Alabama faces life without its ringleader for the rest of the season, and the big test comes in the Iron Bowl next week at Auburn. But fill-in quarterback Mac Jones has been worthy.
Of course, it's come against inferior competition.
Jones completed 18 of 22 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-7 win over an awful Arkansas team earlier this season that has since fired coach Chad Morris. Against the FCS Catamounts on Saturday, Jones was 10-of-12 for 275 yards and three touchdowns before sitting.
Backup Taulia Tagovailoa (Tua's true freshman brother) completed two of his three passes and threw his first touchdown against Western Carolina too.
Next week will be a different story, though. Auburn boasts one of the SEC's two best defenses along with Georgia.
If Jones is in sync with his dynamic receivers, delivers the ball on schedule and makes a couple of plays downfield, he could lead the Tide to an Iron Bowl win. If that happens, Alabama will have a College Football Playoff argument.
Jones mastered the tuneup, but the test awaits.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
