Caleb Williams Makes Heisman Statement, Michigan Humbles Buckeyes, Gamecocks Do It Again, LSU Fumbles Playoff
The final Saturday of the college football regular season proved to be a chaotic one. The battle between Ohio State and Michigan turned into a blowout, South Carolina knocked off Clemson and Oregon State pulled off a monster comeback win. As for LSU, their playoff chances were erased by Texas A&M, who certainly enjoyed the end to a rough season in College Station.
If there was any doubt about Caleb Williams and the Heisman Trophy, a statement was made on Saturday night against Notre Dame.
We came into the weekend looking for College Football Playoff chaos and that's exactly what we got. As for TCU, the Horned Frogs remained unbeaten, with one game remaining for the Big-12 championship. For Georgia, it was another day at the office. The Bulldogs defeated Georgia Tech and now prepare for a wounded LSU team in the SEC Championship.
Michigan Humbles Ohio State And Plants The Flag
Behind the play of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Michigan Wolverines took care of Ohio State in Columbus. Not having Blake Corum was going to be a tall task for the Wolverines offense, but it was the play of McCarthy that sent shockwaves around the country. Only throwing the ball 24 times, McCarthy passed for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Buckeyes QB CJ Stroud had 349 yards, but two costly interceptions.
Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines have now won two-straight against the Buckeyes, with this win coming at a critical moment. Now, the Big Ten championship game is set, Michigan faces Purdue in Indianapolis next weekend. The conversation about the Buckeyes and a playoff spot will drag into next week, as the committee presents their argument.
South Carolina Shocks #8th Ranked Clemson
The Gamecocks do it again, this time defeating Clemson 31-30. This is the second-straight game that South Carolina has defeated a top-ten team. After starting the game with a pick-6, QB Spencer Rattler composed himself and led the Gamecocks to another great game, with over 350 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. But, credit goes to the South Carolina special teams, also known as 'Beamer Ball,' for securing this win.
SOUTH CAROLINA PULLS OFF ANOTHER UPSET, THIS TIME IT'S CLEMSON
South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler celebrates a big play in the win over Clemson.
As for Clemson, this will end the playoff run for the Tigers. Heading into this game as double-digit favorites, the Tigers continued to find ways to keep the Gamecocks within striking distance, including a interception late in the fourth quarter. Dabo Swinney spent all week talking about other teams losing to South Carolina, then ended up getting dropped at home. Clemson's loss snapped a winning streak that dated back to 2016. Next up, Clemson will face North Carolina in the ACC title game, while South Carolina finished the regular season with eight wins.
Caleb Williams Makes Heisman Statement Against Notre Dame
A Heisman statement was made by USC quarterback Caleb Williams on Saturday night. Williams and the the Trojans defeated Notre Dame 38-27. The quarterback rushed for 3 touchdowns, while throwing for 232 yards and 1 TD. The first year of the Lincoln Riley era has USC playing in the Pac-12 title game and a real chance at the College Football Playoff. Following the LSU and Ohio State loses, the Trojans are sitting pretty for one of the four playoff spots. Next up, USC will play in the PAC-12 championship next weekend in Las Vegas against Utah.
Texas A&M Finishes Season With Upset Win Over #5 LSU
The LSU Tigers chose the worst possible moment to have a bad game. Texas A&M upset the 5th ranked Tigers 38-23. It wasn't just how Brian Kelly's squad played on offense, it was the Tigers defense giving up over 200 yards rushing to Devon Achane. Also, the health of Jayden Daneiels is now a point of concern after the LSU quarterback suffered an ankle injury late.
AGGIES PULL OFF THE UPSET WIN OVER LSU TO END ROUGH SEASON
Evan Stewart #1 of the Texas A&M Aggies . (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Tigers will head into the SEC Championship as massive underdogs, with a spot in the College Football Playoff out of the picture. If Texas A&M could do that to the Tigers defense, Georgia will be salivating at the game film as they prepare for next week.
TCU Remains Unbeaten, One Win Away From Playoff Spot
The Horned Frogs did it again, winning 62-14 over Iowa State. Now, TCU is one win away from solidifying their spot in the College Football Playoff. Max Duggan had another impressive day, throwing for 3 touchdowns and 212 yards. Sonny Dykes has TCU clocking on all cylinders, with the Big-12 Championship game remaining. There could be an argument made for TCU if they were to lose next week. But the Horned Frogs are playing fantastic football, so it shouldn't even come up.
TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Oregon State With Massive Comeback Win Over #8 Oregon
In what turned out to be one of wildest games of the season, Oregon State won the 'Civil War' in dramatic fashion. Oregon led 31-10 in the third quarter, only to see the lead disappear thanks to the Beavers. It turned out to be a shootout for the Oregon State offense, as they went on a 28-3 run to ruin the Ducks season. In what could be the craziest stat we've seen in a long time, Oregon State won this game with only six completed passes.
Credit to Bo Nix for gutting it out, passing for 327 yards and 2 touchdowns. But it wasn't enough. The regular season comes to an end for Oregon State, who finishes with nine wins. As for Oregon, with tiebreaker rules put into play, they’ve missed out on the Pac-12 title game.
The regular season might be over, but we turn our focus towards conference championship week. Hope you enjoyed a chaotic ending!