Winners and Losers from Week 10 of College Football
For the first time in the 2020 season, every Football Bowl Subdivision conference played a game. While the changes necessitated by the pandemic are entirely understandable, Week 10 took college football back to a familiar place.
Well, other than a Pac-12 game kicking off at noon Eastern. That still doesn't feel right.
But as the Pac-12 and MAC returned to the field, the ACC and SEC enjoyed the largest places in the spotlight. Notre Dame upended Trevor Lawrence-less Clemson, and Kyle Trask threw for 474 yards while leading eighth-ranked Florida past No. 5 Georgia. Both showdowns had immense College Football Playoff implications.
The Big Ten, however, wasn't so fortunate; Michigan and Penn State kept sliding the wrong direction. USC narrowly avoided a similar fate in its opener against Arizona State too.
Those storylines are among the biggest takeaways from a busy weekend. This piece will be updated Saturday night.
Winner: BYU, Miami QBs in Friday Road Wins
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Heisman Trophy candidate Zach Wilson and Miami star D'Eriq King certainly enjoyed the prime-time stage Friday night.
Wilson threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns in a 51-17 to help BYU demolish Boise State on the blue turf. Wilson added a rushing score as the Cougars improved to 8-0 with only two regular-season games remaining. There is a strong chance BYU will receive a New Year's Six bowl invite in 2020.
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones and Clemson star Trevor Lawrence are the Heisman front-runners, but Wilson has 2,669 yards of total offense and accounted for 29 scores this year.
Miami, meanwhile, stayed in the ACC picture thanks to the most prolific game of King's career.
King sparked a 10-point fourth-quarter comeback and saved the 'Canes at North Carolina State. He amassed 430 passing yards, 105 rushing yards and five touchdowns—including a game-winning 54-yard score late in the fourth quarter—in the 44-41 triumph.
Other than Clemson and Notre Dame, Miami is the only ACC team with fewer than two losses.
Loser: Jim Harbaugh's Winless Trend Continues
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Indiana has rolled to a 3-0 start and deserves the highest of praise. But as the Hoosiers gain momentum in the national conversation, Michigan is earning the wrong kind of attention.
And for the same old thing. Again.
One week after falling to rival Michigan State, Michigan lost to the 13th-ranked Hoosiers 38-21. Along with an ugly 3-8 record opposite MSU and Ohio State in six seasons, Jim Harbaugh is now 0-8 on the road against Top 15 opponents.
Through just three games, Michigan is already a non-factor in the Big Ten championship chase. This six-year title drought isn't what the program anticipated when Harbaugh accepted the job in 2015.
While it's not entirely correct to say Harbaugh is in jeopardy of getting fired, his contract expires after the 2021 season. Moving on from a consistent nine-win coach is risky, but Harbaugh still hasn't put Michigan in a place to surpass Ohio State.
Patience for Harbaugh's losses—if it's not gone—is running thin.
Winner: Liberty's Statement Win for Undefeated Run
3 of 9For a moment, it appeared a blocked 59-yard field goal returned for a touchdown as time expired would end Liberty's undefeated year. Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente, however, called a timeout and provided the Flames with a second chance.
Rather than attempt another kick, Hugh Freeze sent out the offense out to convert a 4th-and-6. Malik Willis—a one-time Virginia Tech commit and an Auburn transfer—did exactly that, connecting with CJ Yarbrough to set up a 51-yard kick.
Alex Barbir drilled it for a 38-35 upset win.
Ranked No. 25 nationally, Liberty is 7-0 with ACC victories over Syracuse and Virginia Tech. While it's safe to suggest the Flames won't be seriously considered for the College Football Playoff, they're making a strong case for a New Year's Six bowl berth.
And as long as the Flames keep winning, Freeze—like it or not—will be a candidate for a Power Five job soon.
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Loser: Arizona State's Collapse in Loss to USC
4 of 9If we offered this sequence as a hypothetical, every single person would choose to hold Arizona State's outlook.
Late in the fourth quarter, Arizona State held a 27-14 lead on USC. That alone is enough to defend the point. But during the last four minutes, USC also faced a 4th-and-3, 4th-and-13 and 4th-and-9 with the need to recover an onside kick along the way.
Statistically speaking, a comeback was incredibly unlikely. In fact, per ESPN, ASU's win probability maxed out at 99.9 percent.
But the Trojans converted all of those fourth downs, pounced on that onside kick and celebrated a remarkable 28-27 win. As if that's not enough, USC scored on that 4th-and-13 when Bru McCoy managed to catch a tipped pass in the end zone.
"We had an opportunity to finish the game in the fourth quarter," Arizona State coach Herm Edwards said afterward. "We didn't finish the game, you have to give them credit. They made the plays they needed to make. We did not."
Arizona State could have become the Pac-12 South favorite. Instead, the Sun Devils are chasing USC without a tiebreaker win.
Winner: Florida Capitalizing on Georgia's Missed Opportunities
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During the last three seasons, Georgia had overwhelmed Florida with suffocating defense. Saturday afternoon, however, the Gators flipped the script on the rival Bulldogs.
Kyle Trask surpassed 300 passing yards in the first two quarters alone and propelled Florida to a 38-21 lead at halftime. Georgia responded well defensively after the break and allowed only six points, but the Gators' early advantage proved insurmountable.
Let's be clear: Florida fully deserved the 44-28 win.
It also didn't hurt that Georgia whiffed on some enormous chances.
Most notably, Stetson Bennett IV and D'Wan Mathis both overthrew a wide-open downfield pass that would've been a touchdown. Mark Webb dropped a potential game-changing pick-six in the fourth quarter. The Dawgs left no fewer than 21 points on the field.
Although the Gators have serious issues on the defensive side, they're officially the favorite in the SEC East.
Loser: Penn State's Decline Turns into a Freefall
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Losing the opener at Indiana was a surprise. However, the Nittany Lions mostly outplayed the Hoosiers and lost on a controversial call. And while dropping to 0-2 is never a time for moral victories, falling to Ohio State was no shock.
But a 35-19 loss to Maryland as a four-touchdown favorite? This is exceptionally troubling for James Franklin.
Penn State outgained the Terps but finished with three giveaways, two turnovers on downs and a missed field goal. The Nittany Lions trailed 28-7 at halftime, and a fumble return for a touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter made it 35-7.
Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 282 yards and three scores as Maryland notched its third win in 44 all-time games against Penn State. You read that correctly; the Terps are 3-40-1 in the series.
After averaging 2.8 losses during the past four seasons, Penn State has started 0-3 for the first time since 2001.
Winner: Oklahoma State's Big 12 Titles Hopes
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Because of last weekend's loss to Texas, Oklahoma State's odds of making the CFP dipped considerably. But the letdown only dented the Pokes' chances of reaching the Big 12 Championship Game.
That path is especially promising after Oklahoma State held off Kansas State for a valuable 20-18 win.
While clinging to a 13-12 edge in the fourth quarter, safety Jason Taylor II returned a fumble 85 yards for a touchdown. Kansas State scored on the next drive, but OSU stopped the potential game-tying two-point conversion. Tre Sterling soon sealed the victory with an interception.
The Pokes now boast tiebreakers over Iowa State and Kansas State, and a showdown with Oklahoma looms next weekend. If they can topple the rival Sooners, Oklahoma State will be in tremendous position to reach the Big 12 title game.
Oklahoma State has only one Big 12 championship (2011) in 24 years.
Loser: Tennessee's Skid Continues
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Since opening 2-0 and taking an impressive halftime lead against Georgia, the Vols have collapsed. Over the last 14 quarters—which includes losses to UGA, Kentucky, Alabama and now Arkansas—they’ve been outscored 150-58.
Although the team received a fair bit of offseason hype, it always felt unfounded. Tennessee has lacked a consistent offense since Josh Dobbs graduated, and the defense is rebuilding.
Saturday's loss to Arkansas showed the worst of both sides.
In the third quarter alone, the Vols surrendered all 24 points of the 24-13 loss. The offense ran 13 plays in four possessions, and the defense ceded four straight scoring drives.
Overall the offense continues to search for a passing game. Jarrett Guarantano, who exited with a head injury, went 5-of-8 for 42 yards. Brian Maurer threw four incompletions in four scoreless drives. Harrison Bailey tossed two picks, ending 6-of-9 for 65 yards. They combined for just 5.1 yards per attempt.
Tennessee's fast start is nothing but a footnote to a rough 2020.
Winner: Notre Dame Knocks off No. 1
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Yes, Trevor Lawrence could not play for Clemson due to COVID-19 return-to-play protocols. Yes, the teams are likely headed for a rematch in the ACC Championship Game. Yes, Clemson would be the favorite in that mid-December showdown.
On this night, however, Notre Dame found a response for every challenge Clemson presented.
When Ian Book fumbled at the goal line in a 23-23 game, we wouldn't blame you for believing that was Notre Dame's hopes of an upset slipping from its grasp.
But the Irish survived.
They scored a game-tying touchdown in the final minute of regulation. They bounced back after Clemson needed only two plays to score in overtime, putting up consecutive touchdowns and shifting the pressure back to Clemson. They sacked D.J. Uiagalelei on the first two snaps of the second extra session.
And as Clemson's desperation lateral proved unsuccessful, the Irish celebrated a 47-40 victory over the nation’s No. 1 team. Notre Dame improved to 7-0 on the season.
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