We are officially in the midst of the home stretch of the regular season in college football, and Week 12 added some more twists and turns to how the postseason picture could shake out. This was a key week for many teams, especially for those who are fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Alright, I’ll stop talking and get into some takeaways!
Whoever wins Ohio State-Michigan will make the College Football Playoff
I don’t think this is too spicy, is it?
Next week’s edition of The Game is easily the biggest game of the season when it comes to postseason implications. Both teams are unbeaten. Both teams are vying for a spot in the big dance. And they will face off in Ann Arbor. What more could a CFB fan (such as myself) want?
This weekend, Michigan is coming off a scare against Maryland, where the Terrapins hung in with the third-ranked team in the country all game. They edged out a seven-point win in hostile territory, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy did not play particularly well. He only went 12-for-23 with 141 yards and an interception. However, Blake Corum ran for 94 yards and found paydirt twice. And the defense absolutely came to play, picking off Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa twice. They also held the Terps to a mere 15 rushing yards.
Heading over to Columbus, Ohio State is coming off a 37-3 thrashing of Minnesota, however, a somewhat frustrating story replayed itself: Kyle McCord had a ho-hum first half before waking up big-time in the second half. Now, obviously, Ohio State fans are beyond happy they won, but the desire is for McCord to be consistent throughout the whole game. Think back to the Michigan State game last week: he carved up the Spartans and was in control for the entire game, throwing for 335 yards and three scores.
If McCord can outduel McCarthy next weekend, then The Game will be the Buckeyes’ to take. And, of course, vice versa: if McCarthy wins that battle, this year will be the same as the previous two.
However, there are several teams that have one loss that are still in contention for the Playoff. Whoever wins this game will lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff. And the loser? Well, let’s just say their CFP fate will look a whole lot murkier.
Jordan Travis’ injury changes the whole complexion of Florida State’s season
I’m stating the obvious here, but this quite literally couldn’t have come at a worse time.
After completing two of his four passes, Travis suffered a gruesome leg injury and was carted off the field in the first quarter. He will certainly not be back for the Seminoles’ postseason push, and now they will likely rely on junior backup Tate Rodemaker for the remainder of the year.
Now, I will give Rodemaker credit: he played very well in relief of Travis. However, Florida State was playing a 3-8 North Alabama team, which isn’t exactly a football powerhouse. The Seminoles put up 58 points, and it was an easy win all the way around.
Florida State is currently undefeated, at 11-0. They are in line for a berth in the College Football Playoff as things currently stand. However, the next two games are a massive litmus test for Rodemaker: heading into the Swamp to take on Florida, and a showdown with Louisville in the ACC Championship Game to end the season. If the ‘Noles can take care of business, they will be in very good shape.
However, the risk that they could slip up is higher now that Travis is out. All eyes will be on Rodemaker to see if he can lead the team to two more wins and finish out an undefeated season.
Michael Penix Jr. was just good, but good enough to keep Washington perfect
Over the past few weeks, it seems that Michael Penix Jr. has lost his status as Heisman Trophy favorite. During the first half of the season, it seemed he was a near-lock for the award. Now, things have been much murkier on that front.
However, the Huskies are focused on something much more important than their quarterback’s stats and chase for the Heisman: wins. And in this game against now-No. 15 Oregon State, they played just well enough to eke out a gutsy win.
Penix Jr. didn’t play at his typical world-bending level, but he was good enough to lead his team to a win in a hostile environment. He only went 13-for-28 throwing the ball, but he threw two touchdowns, both to Rome Odunze.
In the end, the defense held its own, stopping the Beavers on 4th-and-5 with just over two minutes to go in the game. Penix Jr. then kneeled out the clock, and the Huskies improved to 11-0 and officially clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Things are still running smoothly in Seattle. Like I said, Penix Jr. didn’t play particularly well, but he played well enough to guide his team to a win in a hostile environment, which is what the best quarterbacks in the country do. They rose to No. 4 in the AP Poll and are absolutely still in CFP contention, and a win in the Pac-12 title game should only improve their resume.
Texas is quietly hanging around in the College Football Playoff picture
Speaking of teams who are still in CFP contention, Texas is still here, and after a win over Iowa State in Ames, is still very much in the playoff picture.
Quinn Ewers returned to his solid, consistent play in his return from injury, going 22-for-33 with 281 yards and two touchdowns. CJ Baxter had a big game in the absence of Jonathan Brooks, running 20 times for 117 yards.
The Cyclones kind of just hung around for most of the game, as they didn’t let the Longhorns push the lead out too far for the most part. However, in the end, Texas was the better team, and they made sure they proved as such. They essentially ended the game on a 31-yard bomb from Ewers to Gunnar Helm, and they padded the lead further with a creative two-point conversion.
The Longhorns now find themselves at 10-1, and as I said, they are very much in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth. However, next week’s home showdown with Texas Tech looms large, as Tech has been one of the hottest teams in the conference over the past few weeks. They are coming off an exciting win over UCF at home, and they will be extra amped for this game against one of the best teams in the nation.
However, if everything goes according to plan for Texas and if they can take care of their business, the College Football Playoff will remain a very real possibility for this team.
This was Georgia’s biggest statement win of the year
The Georgia Bulldogs made a statement in this game. And it was a statement that said, “We are Georgia. We’re the defending national champions for a reason. And we’re still here. We’ve always been here.”
This game was the Carson Beck show, as he absolutely carved up the Tennessee defense to the tune of 298 yards and three touchdowns. He has basically gotten better with each passing week, and this game was no different. He was making his throws with confidence, poise and consistency, and he completed 24 passes as opposed to just six incompletions. It was pretty much a perfect game for Beck.
On the other side, the Bulldogs’ defense made Tennessee QB Joe Milton III’s life miserable in the pocket, as he was inconsistent and struggled to find any sort of rhythm. He only went 17-for-30 passing with no touchdowns or interceptions. And he only managed a mere 147 passing yards.
Outside of running back Jaylen Wright, who had a solid game with 90 rushing yards and a score, the Volunteers basically got nothing going on offense. The Georgia defense was just that good. It was hard to find anything that they did wrong, as they were efficient on offense and dominant on defense.
Ho-hum. Another week, another win for the Bulldogs. Top of the College Football Playoff rankings. What else is new in Athens?
And last but not least…
Bo Nix may have just locked up the Heisman Trophy
What a season it’s been for Bo Nix.
Oh, that was before the Arizona State game! Well, what did he do this past weekend, you may be asking?Oh, nothing much, he just threw for 404 yards and tied the Oregon single-game record with six touchdown passes. Nothing too crazy.
Kidding aside, Nix added another masterclass to a season full of them, as he threw 24 completions compared to just five incompletions. He carved up the Arizona State defense to the tune of 404 yards and six scores, and the most ridiculous part of this whole thing is that they all came in the first half!By halftime, the Ducks were up 42-0. And the game was more than over by that point. Halfway through the third quarter, backup quarterback Ty Thompson was in the game, and he threw a touchdown too, just for good measure.
Nix’s first two scores of the game went to Patrick Herbert, from 23 and 49 yards out, respectively, but it wasn’t until later in the first half that star wideout Troy Franklin got involved. Franklin caught Nix’s third touchdown pass from 16 yards out to extend the lead to 21-0. Nix’s fourth went to Franklin on a 45-yard bomb. Nix’s fifth score was his longest of the day, connecting with Gary Bryant Jr. for a 71-yard strike. And his sixth and record-tying one went to Tez Johnson from 16 yards out to end a ridiculous first half.
With Michael Penix Jr. not playing at his usual standards over the past few weeks, Nix had an opportunity to stake his claim as the favorite with his play, and he pounced on it, culminating in this dominant performance. Nix now has 3,539 yards, a whopping 35 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. At this point in the season, Nix more than likely has the Heisman Trophy locked up. He has built up a sizable lead in that race with this absurd performance.
