Close win sign of trouble for Tide?
Alabama survives but questions remain. It wasn’t pretty but the Crimson Tide found a way to get past LSU despite managing a season-low six rushing yards against the Tigers. Alabama, No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings, relied on a stingy defense that had eight tackles for loss, including five sacks of quarterback Max Johnson. The Tide’s title hopes remain intact but challenges loom with Arkansas and Auburn left on the schedule.
Georgia still the top dog. While the three teams under them in the CFP rankings struggled, No. 1 Georgia continued its impressive run by dominating Missouri. The Bulldogs defense held the Tigers to three points and 273 yards of offense. It was the seventh game that Georgia’s defense has held a opponent to under 10 points.
Purdue loves to play spoiler. Aidan O’Connell threw for a career-high 536 yards as Purdue knocked off a top-three program for the second time this season. The Boilermakers handed No. 3 Michigan State its first loss while throwing a monkey wrench into the Spartans’ plans for a Big Ten title and playoff berth. Purdue previously knocked off Iowa, then ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, last month in Iowa City.
Cincinnati has an image problem. The Bearcats needed two goal-line stands to hold off an upset-minded Tulsa for a 28-20 win. While No. 6 Cincinnati improved to 9-0, the win might not be enough to impress the playoff selection committee to move the Bearcats up in the rankings even with Michigan State’s loss. The committee already has docked them for what it perceives as a weak schedule.
The ACC is out of the playoff picture. Clemson’s early collapse left the ACC’s hopes of getting a team into the playoff for an eighth straight season in the hands of No. 9 Wake Forest but the Demon Deacon blew an 18-point second half lead. UNC scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset, effectively ending any chance of an ACC team making the semifinals.
Texas A&M remains a factor in SEC West. It was an old-fashioned SEC slugfest featuring two of the best defenses in the conference as the 14th-ranked Aggies swarmed No. 13 Auburn, limiting the Tigers to 226 yards of offense while forcing a pair of turnovers. Texas A&M recovered a fumble for the game’s only TD. The Aggies still have a shot at an SEC title if they win out and Alabama loses to either Arkansas or Auburn.
Miami manages another victory. After being written off for dead with coach Manny Diaz on the hot seat, Miami has done the remarkable by winning three straight. The Hurricanes narrowly beating Georgia Tech on Saturday. Miami has survived a handful of close games and is one win away from bowl eligibility and remains a factor in the ACC Coastal Division race.
Arizona and UNLV snap losing streaks. It was nearly two years in the making but Arizona finally snapped its nation-leading 20-game losing streak after the Wildcats knocked off Cal 10-3 on Saturday. It was the program’s first victory since Oct. 5, 2019, and the first win for first-year coach Jedd Fisch. UNLV, which held the second-longest losing streak at 14, also won. The Rebels beat New Mexico.
Florida hits rock bottom. Things have gone from bad to worse at Florida, where the Gators program finds itself in free fall after suffering another blowout loss, this time to an underwhelming South Carolina. The hot seat for Florida coach Dan Mullen has gone from lukewarm to inferno, with the Gators losing eight of their last 10 games against Power Five opponents.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Texas. The Longhorns dropped their fourth straight Saturday after giving up another halftime lead, this time to Iowa State. It’s been rough going for first-year coach Steve Sarkisian, who has somehow found himself feeling the heat with these second-half collapses.