Weekend’s impact may last a while
Don’t look now but Penn State is hot on Ohio State’s heels. The Nittany Lions held off a late charge by Michigan to knock off their second ranked opponent in as many weeks thanks, in part, to the play of QB Sean Clifford and receiver KJ Hamler. Penn State doesn’t play the Buckeyes until Nov. 23, but that matchup could settle the division and determine which team reaches the Big Ten title game.
Michigan can’t handle the big moments. Despite a second-half surge against Penn State that fell just short, Michigan couldn’t find a way to get the job done when it mattered. The Wolverines are 1-10 against top-10 teams under Jim Harbaugh and now find themselves out of contention for the Big Ten championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Wisconsin got caught looking ahead and it cost the Badgers. Illinois was a heavy underdog, but that didn’t stop the Illini from pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season and knocking off undefeated Wisconsin. The defeat strikes a blow against the Big Ten, which saw its pool of CFP semifinal candidates thin with the loss. It leaves little wiggle room for the conference’s remaining playoff contenders.
Tua Tagovailoa’s injury could impact the SEC race. The Alabama QB left in the second quarter of his team’s win over Tennessee with a high ankle sprain and didn’t return. Tide coach Nick Saban confirmed Tagovailoa had minor surgery Sunday and will miss the upcoming Arkansas game but is expected back in the lineup soon. The big question is whether he will be ready to face surging LSU in two weeks.
Florida avoids a letdown, setting up a showdown with Georgia. The Gators may have been soaked, but they weren’t all wet after surviving South Carolina’s push for an upset in a rainstorm. Dan Mullen’s team bounced back after a disappointing loss to LSU to set up a monumental meeting with Georgia in two weeks for control of the SEC East. The winner is still alive in the playoff semifinal mix.
Oregon, Utah keep rolling in the Pac-12. Oregon rallied from a halftime deficit to overtake Washington late as the Ducks appear the favorite in the North Division. Utah’s defense clamped down on Arizona State, leaving the Utes tied atop the South. If both survive and reach the Pac-12 title game, the winner could make a surprise case for a playoff semifinal spot.
Derek Mason makes his case he’s the right man to lead Vanderbilt. After a rough week during which his future at Vanderbilt was called into question, an impassioned Derek Mason said he’s the man to the lead the Commodores after his team upset Missouri 21-14 for its first SEC win.
Clemson may be all right, but Trevor Lawrence still has room to improve. The Tigers QB overcame two early picks while leading Clemson to a 45-10 win over Louisville. Lawrence has thrown an ACC-worst eight INTs and his passer rating of 147.4 is down from last season.
The ACC Coastal is a beautiful mess. Few divisions in college football provide as much fodder for national ridicule as the ACC’s Coastal. Take this weekend, for example, when Georgia Tech knocked off Miami and Virginia Tech outlasted North Carolina in six OTs, including the first two-point conversion shootout. Virginia may be the favorite now, but who knows which team will reach the ACC title game.
Race for the Group of 5 spot in the New Year’s Six Access Bowl is wide open. Boise State’s loss to BYU knocked the Broncos out of the top spot for the coveted Access Bowl bid, opening the door for American Athletic Conference teams SMU and Cincinnati and Sun Belt team Appalachian State to make their cases.