College Football Overtime: winners and losers from Week 10

Is there anything better than college football?

Week 10 promised to be one of the best of the college football season, and it delivered. The most important development of the weekend is the departure of both Alabama and Clemson from the College Football Playoff stage. The Tide’s loss to LSU eliminates it from playoff contention. The Tigers’ blowout defeat to Notre Dame all but does the same for them. This will likely be the first time that neither Alabama nor Clemson make the field of four.

And man, things are wide open for everyone else! LSU, Oregon, USC, UCLA, TCU, Tennessee, whoever finishes second in the Big Ten East — all of those teams have hope now that the Tide and the Tigers are out of the picture.

But that’s enough playoff talk for today. Let’s get into what was a magical week of football

Winner: Georgia Bulldogs

The most difficult thing in college football this season has been dictating the pace against Tennessee. The Vols entered Saturday having scored 34-plus in every game with a lightning-fast offense that punishes teams vertically.

But, Tennessee hadn’t played Georgia yet.

The No. 3 Bulldogs spoiled the No. 1 Vols’ special season, 27-13, thanks to a regimented and relentless defensive effort. Tennessee thrives on chunk plays. They have 36 plays of 30-plus yards this season, which is four more than anyone in the FBS. Georgia didn’t surrender a single play of 30-plus yards Saturday. This made Tennessee drive the football down the field. The Vols moved slower than normal — 2.58 plays per minute instead of 2.85 — and they couldn’t convert. Tennessee had three drives of 10-plus plays. They resulted in just three points.

With its team speed and ability to manufacture pressure without blitzing, Georgia controlled the game. It’s something few programs are capable of defensively against Tennessee and is proof that the Bulldogs’ unit remains elite despite losing eight draft picks to the NFL this offseason.

Georgia will move to No. 1 in the rankings Tuesday, and justifiably so. UGA’s dictated the rest of college football for two years. We’ve seen little in 2022 to think that will change.

Loser: Clemson Tigers

There are plenty of slices to be cut in Clemson’s blame pie after a deflating 35-14 road loss against Notre Dame. There’s ineffective quarterback play by DJ Uiagalelei. There’s a lack of separation by the Tigers receivers. There’s an offensive line that fails to consistently win at the point of attack. There’s a defense that — despite having five-star talent all over the place — just isn’t as good as it’s been in years past. There’s also stale and play-calling on the offensive side of the ball.

This makes it sound like Clemson is a bad football team. It’s not. The Tigers are good and this loss does nothing to harm their pursuit of an ACC title (probably vs. North Carolina in Charlotte). However, Clemson’s elevated itself to a different standard the last decade. The Tigers are measured by their ability to contend for national titles. And this version of Clemson isn’t close to good enough.

Dabo Swinney is an excellent, generational football coach. He’s built a modern dynasty at a place few would have expected. But, in order to return to the nation’s elite, he must be willing to adapt. Clemson must embrace the portal. Clemson must reach outside of its walls for new offensive ideas. Clemson, as Swinney has done at times in his career, must change.

This was a woeful night in South Bend. The offense managed just 281 yards. The quarterback situation was bungled (Uiagalelei was benched, then Cade Klubnik was after an interception, and then Uiagalelei threw a pick-6 about 90 yards the other way). It wasn’t nearly as ugly as the 2012 Orange Bowl, when Swinney clearly saw he had to fire Kevin Steele (and then hired Brent Venables). But there needs to be some staff accountability. Fresh ideas are needed. The Tigers have to change what they do. If they don’t, they risk inching further and further from yearly contention.

Winner: LSU Tigers

Brian Kelly didn’t want to keep going in overtime, so Jayden Daniels ended the game … and Alabama’s playoff hopes along the way.

Kelly made the gutsiest call of the 2022 college football season, opting to go for two and the win in overtime against Alabama. The play call was perfect. The mobile Daniels booted out right, two receivers on that side of the line cleared things out with blocks (or a pick depending on who you root for) and true freshman tight end Mason Taylor beat his defender to the pylon to end the game. LSU 32, Alabama 31.

Afterward, Kelly had tears in his eyes talking to ESPN. “To come here and restore the pride and tradition of this program, it just means so much.”

Kelly isn’t a Louisiana native like Ed Orgeron, He isn’t a quirky cult figure like Les Miles. He isn’t the best coach of all-time like Nick Saban. But he is a winner. He’s won at every stop of his career from D-II to the G-5 to Notre Dame, and now he’s winning in Baton Rouge.

LSU could become the first two-loss team to ever make the CFB Playoff if it wins out. But even if it doesn’t happen, the Tigers are back on the map as a national powerhouse. It took Kelly less than a year to do so.

Loser: Arkansas Razorbacks

While much of the conversation surrounding Liberty’s 21-19 win over Arkansas will surround Hugh Freeze and his future job prospects (he wants Auburn) it’s still worth hammering down on how brutal this loss is for Arkansas.

This was in Fayetteville. This would’ve clinched bowl eligibility for Arkansas. This is the game that teams who are ready to take the next step win easily. But, Arkansas came out flatter than a six-month-old bottle of open Coke. Liberty raced out to a 21-3 halftime lead while the Razorbacks went three-and-out on three of their first four possessions. Before Arkansas’ final drive of the first half, the Razorbacks had only crossed midfield for two plays.

This conversation might be different had Arkansas’ potential game-tying 2-point conversion had been called a score on the field instead of being called short. But, Arkansas should’ve never been in that position in the first place.

This is a game Arkansas has to win. And now, since it didn’t, the Razorbacks’ bowl hopes are at risk with LSU, Ole Miss and a trip to Missouri up next.

Winner: Kansas Jayhawks

Just in time for the start of basketball season, Kansas is bowl-eligible.

That’s it. That’s all you need to know. The Jayhawks, for the first time since 2008, are going to a bowl game after a 37-16 upset of No. 18 Oklahoma State. What has long been the worst Power Five program in the country is now respectable again. Hats off to Lance Leipold. Good football coaches tend to find a way.

Kansas running back Devin Neal was the star of the show Saturday. He ran for 224 yards and also had 110 yards receiving. This outing made him only the eighth FBS player since 2000 to run for 200 and have at least 100 yards receiving in the same game. He’s in great company, too. The other Power Five players to do so are Christian McCaffrey, Joe Mixon and Steve Slaton.

The Jayhawks have the coach, the quarterback and the playmakers. And I have a hunch they’re not going to stop any time soon, either. The Jayhawks project to return 10 offensive starters in 2023.

Loser: Virgina Tech Hokies

This could easily be fellow ACC Coastal member Miami after an embarrassing loss to Florida State (45-3). But Miami is the subject of much discussion and misery this season. Let’s instead turn to Blacksburg, where the Hokies have now lost six straight after falling to Georgia Tech, 28-27, at home Saturday.

This was yet another brutal loss for Virginia Tech, which is now one of three ACC teams with a 1-5 conference mark (and one of two, along with Boston College, to sit 2-7 overall). The Hokies turned the ball over three times in the fourth quarter, leading to a pair of Yellow Jackets touchdowns and sparking an 11-point comeback. It’s the second straight week Virginia Tech has blown a fourth quarter lead and the third straight game it has lost by a possession or less.

Virginia Tech’s offense is horrid at 117th nationally in yards per play. And with upcoming games against Duke and Liberty, there’s a strong chance the Hokies finish with three or fewer wins for the first time since 1992. First-year head coach Brent Pry might end up being the right guy for the Hokies. But it’s hard to imagine a more brutal start to a tenure. Then again … Frank Beamer won two games in his Hokies debut, too.
ACC Scores and Notes (+ Notre Dame)

-    Drake Maye threw for 293 yards, ran for 74 and totaled 3 touchdowns as No. 17 North Carolina won 31-28 against Virginia. The Tar Heels (8-1) are unbeaten in ACC play but will soon enter a potentially hazardous stretch with in-state opponents Wake Forest and NC State on deck. The Cavs (3-6) have lost five of their last six games.
-    Syracuse’s early season momentum continues to stall after a 19-9 loss to Pittsburgh (5-4). The No. 20 Orange (6-3) have now lost three straight after a 6-0 start. Syrcause managed just 145 yards of offense in the loss. The victory snaps a two-game losing skid for Pittsburgh.
-    NC State seems to have a bright future after Devin Leary based on what we’ve seen from MJ Morris the last two weeks. The true freshman QB made his first career start and led No. 22 NC State past No. 21 Wake Forest for a 30-21 win. Morris finished the night 18-for-28 with 210 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Wolfpack defense played its part, too, forcing a trio of interceptions and holding Wake Forest to just 17 yards rushing on 25 attempts. Sam Hartman has had a rough two weeks. A week after he had six turnovers against Louisville, he coughed the ball up three more times.
-    Florida State trounced Miami, 45-3, in Coral Gables. It’s a huge rivalry win for the Seminoles (6-3) and a statement to a lot of recruits for the FSU coaching staff. Jordan Travis (10-for-12, 202 yards, 3 TDs) is quite clearly the best QB in the Sunshine State. As for Miami (4-5) … what an offensive mess. Tyler Van Dyke was knocked out of another game with injury and this is the second straight week the Hurricanes have failed to score an offensive touchdown.
-    Duke reached bowl eligibility on Friday with a 38-31 win over Boston College. The Blue Devils (6-3) are bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. It’s been an impressive debut season for Mike Elko. The Eagles (2-7), for their part, have now lost four straight games. BC starting QB Phil Jurkovec missed the game due to a right knee injury.
-    Louisville beat James Madison, 34-10, to reach the six-win threshold. Quarterback Malik Cunningham led the way for the Cardinals with 223 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Big 12 scores and notes

-    TCU just keeps figuring out a way to win close. The No. 7 Horned Frogs beat Texas Tech, 34-24, for their fifth straight win by 10 points or fewer. Max Duggan was off most of the day without his No. 1 receiver Quentin Johnston (who exited the game early with an injury) but Kendre Miller (21 carries, 158 yards) was there to pick up the slack. The Horned Frogs are 9-0 for the first time since 2010. Texas Tech (4-5) led early in the fourth quarter, but lost the ball two straight drives on downs that resulted in two straight TCU scores.
-    Texas staved off second-half ghosts and Adrian Martinez couldn’t shake his as the No. 24 Longhorns beat No. 13 Kansas State, 34-27, in Manhattan. Texas saw a 21-point second half lead evaporate to the point K-State had the ball on the final possession with the chance to tie the game. But Martinez (who had trouble handling the ball all night) lost control of the football again to end the game. Texas now controls its own destiny in the race to make the Big 12 title game while K-State will need some help.
-    Baylor went on the road and beat Oklahoma, 38-35, thanks largely to a huge day from Squirrel Williams. The junior — who seemed to have lost his starting job to true freshman Richard Reese — ran for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns. Baylor (6-3) now controls its own destiny in the Big 12 with upcoming games against Kansas State, TCU and Texas. Oklahoma (5-4) had three first-half turnovers that put it in a hole it could never recover from.
-    Iowa State picked up its first Big 12 win of the year, 31-14, over West Virginia (3-6). The Cyclone (4-5) defense deserves much of the credit, holding the Mountaineers to 200 total yards and just 2-of-12 on third down. Neal Brown’s days as West Virginia’s head coach could well be numbered. He had some momentum after a win over Baylor. But, three straight losses have done Brown no favors.

Big Ten scores and notes

-    No. 2 Ohio State overcame strong wind gusts, rain and a slow start to beat Northwestern, 21-7, in Evanston. CJ Stroud had an abysmal day passing in the wind (10-for-26, 76 yards), but he ran for 79 yards to help his team rally from an early 7-0 hole. The Wildcats (1-8) actually had more yards than the Buckeyes, but they were an abysmal 0-for-4 on fourth down.
-    You wouldn’t know it by the final score, but No. 5 Michigan trailed Rutgers at halftime. Then the Wolverines (9-0) scored 38 unanswered points to win 52-17. Both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards rushed for 109 yards in the win for Michigan. The Scarlet Knights (4-5) had more turnovers (3) than first downs (1) in the second half.
-    Penn State had no problem dispatching Indiana, 45-14, on the road. The No. 15 Nittany Lions (7-2) were up so much in the third quarter that backup QB Drew Allar (9-for-12, 75 yards, 2 TDs) played most of the second half. Indiana (3-6) was without starting QB Connor Bazelak and it mattered in a game in which it tossed three interceptions.
-    A tumultuous week for Michigan State football ended with a somewhat surprising 23-15 win over No. 16 Illinois (7-2). The Spartan defense stepped up when it mattered, holding Illinois to just 1-of-6 on fourth down. Three of those fourth down failures happened within Michigan State’s 30-yard line. Bowl eligibility is still in reach for Michigan State (4-5) with upcoming home games against Rutgers and Indiana.
-    Minnesota rallied from a 10-0 halftime deficit to beat Nebraska, 20-13, in Lincoln. Gophers (6-3) backup QB Athan Kaliakmanis came in for an injured Tanner Morgan at halftime and led scoring drives on four of his first five possessions. This is a tough loss for the Huskers (3-6) and interim head coach Mickey Joseph, who had created some momentum with early wins over Indiana and Rutgers.
-    Wind caused havoc across Big Ten country and it seemed to impact Purdue in a 24-3 loss to Iowa. Purdue (5-4) QB Aidan O’Connell finished just 20-for-43 with 168 yards and two picks. But, how about that Hawkeyes offense? Iowa (5-4) averaged a healthy 6.5 yards per play, thanks largely to a 200-yard day by true freshman running back Kaleb Johnson.
-    Weather was also at play in Madison, where Wisconsin beat Maryland, 23-10, thanks to the strength of its run game. The Badgers ran for 278 yards and 2 TDs as a team with both Braelon Allen and Isaac Guerendo crossing the 100-yard barrier. Interim Badgers head coach Jim Leonhard is now 3-1 since taking over for Paul Chryst. Maryland (6-3) came into the week averaging 283 passing yards per game. But, it threw for just 77 yards against Wisconsin.

Pac-12 Scores and Notes

-    Oregon had such an easy time in a 49-10 win over Colorado (1-8) that it had time for some fun. So much fun, in fact, that the Ducks’ touchdown scorers included five-star true freshman tackle Josh Conerly and starting middle linebacker Noah Sewell. Bo Nix scored a touchdown as a passer, rusher and a receiver as well. The No. 8 Ducks (8-1) will have a much tougher test next week against Washington.
-    Cameron Rising returned for Utah in a 45-20 win over Arizona. The No. 14 Utes (7-2) jumped out to a 28-7 lead in the first half and never really looked back. Rising finished the night 13-for-25 with 151 yards and a touchdown. The Wildcats (3-6) fumbled the ball five times, losing four of them.
-    Washington on Friday evening put together a 18-play, 92-yard field goal drive that ended with eight seconds remaining to help knock off No. 23 Oregon State. The Huskies won, 24-21, and moved to 7-2 on the season. Michael Penix threw 52 times in the win. This is the third time in four games he’s thrown 50-plus passes.
-    Stanford fumbled four times in the first half en route to a 52-14 loss to Washington State (5-4). The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Cougars and puts them in good position to reach a bowl for the second straight year under Jake Dickert. Things aren’t so great for the Cardinal. Stanford (3-6) is on the precipice of its third straight losing season, not counting a pandemic-shortened 2020, with a trip to Utah coming up next week.

SEC scores and notes

-    Anthony Richardson had four touchdowns as Florida beat Texas A&M, 41-24, in College Station. The Gators (5-4) trailed at halftime, but held the Aggies off the scoreboard in the second half. Texas A&M (3-6) has lost five straight games for the first time since 1980.
-    Mississippi State avoided disaster by beating Auburn, 39-33, in overtime. The Bulldogs (6-3) were up 24-6 at halftime, but saw that lead dwindle in the second half. Yet after Auburn (3-6) opened the overtime period with a missed field goal, the Bulldogs ended the game two plays later.  
-    Will Levis rebounded from a disastrous performance against Tennessee, throwing for 160 yards and 3 touchdowns on 12-for-18 passing to help the Kentucky Wildcats to a 21-17 win over Missouri. The victory clinches bowl eligibility for Kentucky for a seventh straight season — the longest such streak in program history. As for Missouri (4-5), head coach Eli Drinkwitz received a two-year contract extension prior to the game.
-    Spencer Rattler had arguably his best game of the season as South Carolina (6-3) beat Vanderbilt 38-27 in Nashville. Rattler finished the day 16-for-23 with 186 yards and 3 touchdowns to help the Gamecocks to their 14th straight win over the Commodores. Vanderbilt (3-6) has now lost five straight SEC games since opening the season with a 3-1 record in non-conference play.

Five g-5 things to know

-    Tulane hasn’t been that effective on the ground for most of this year, but it had no issues on Saturday, running for 357 yards in a 27-13 win over Tulsa (3-6). The No. 19 Green Wave will have a much more difficult road to the finish line with UCF, SMU and Cincinnati on deck to close the season.
-    Mikey Keene started at QB for UCF and he played fantastic. Keene finished No. 25 UCF’s 35-28 win over Memphis (4-5) with 219 yards and 3 touchdowns on 22-for-28 passing. UCF seems to be pretty good with Keene. His last three games — dating back to last year — include wins over Florida, Cincinnati and Memphis. UCF starting QB John Rhys Plumlee exited last week’s game against the Tigers with a concussion.
-    UTSA (7-2) remains unbeaten in C-USA play thanks to a 44-38 double-overtime win over UAB. The Blazers (4-5) aren’t what they’ve been in recent years, but they’re still a major roadblock in C-USA play. That wasn’t a problem for Roadrunners QB Frank Harris who threw a pair of TDs in overtime to keep UTSA atop the conference standings.
-    Coastal Carolina (8-1) all but assured itself of Sun Belt East superiority with a 35-28 win over Appalachian State (5-4). The winner of this game the last four years has gone on to play in the Sun Belt championship. The Chanticleers lost a ton off their 11-win team from a year ago. But, give all the credit in the world to head coach Jamey Chadwell. He’s built a hell of a program in Conway. Don’t be surprised if you hear Chadwell’s name linked to Georgia Tech quite a bit.
-    Ohio on Tuesday evening notched a huge 45-24 win over Buffalo. Both teams entered the week unbeaten in conference play. This victory gives the Bobcats the tiebreaker in the MAC East, where there’s currently a three-way tie for first between Ohio, Buffalo and Bowling Green. There’s a long way to go until the end of the season, but Ohio and Bowling Green are set to clash in Week 13.

Players of the week

Offense

Tanner Mordecai, QB, SMU

SMU beat Houston, 77-63, as both teams combined to score an FBS-record 140 points in regulation. Mordecai is the reason why the Mustangs survived that shootout. He threw for 379 yards and combined for 10 touchdowns in the win. Those 10 touchdowns are the most by an FBS player since 2000. His nine passing touchdowns has tied him with Anthony Gordon (Washington State) and Case Keenum (Houston) for the most by an FBS player since 2000.

Defense

Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan

The Wolverines trailed Rugters at halftime, and then, Barrett flipped the game with back-to-back third quarter interceptions. Barrett returned one of those for a touchdown. And the other (which he brought back to the Rutgers 10-yard-line), was turned into a touchdown two plays later. From there the rout was on for the Wolverines. Barrett finished second on the team with four total tackles.

Heisman Race

-    Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee (23-of-33, 195 yards, 1 INT)
-    Blake Corum, RB, Michigan (20 carries for 109 yards, 2 TD) in a win over Rutgers
-     C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State (10-for-26, 76 yards | 6 carries for 76 yards) in win over Northwestern
-    Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (25-for-51, 328 yards, 1 TD, 1INT | 4 carries for 10 yards) in a loss to LSU
-    Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (20-for-24, 274 yards, 2 TDs | 9 carries, 16 yards, 2 TDs) in a win over Colorado

My top ten

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. TCU
5. Tennessee
6. LSU
7. Oregon
8. USC
9. UCLA
10. Alabama
Spinning it forward

We’ve got college football from Tuesday to Saturday this week thanks to the MAC, Sun Belt and AAC. Of the games played mid-week, I’d highly suggest a Friday night matchup between East Carolina and Cincinnati (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

As for the Saturday slate, there are several important games without kickoff times. Washington at Oregon and Kansas State at Baylor being the most notable among that group. The noon eastern window is rather light, but LSU at Arkansas should be compelling. The biggest game of the weekend is Alabama’s trip to Oxford (3 p.m., CBS). Alabama might have two losses, but you can be sure the Lane Kiffin vs. Nick Saban matchup will draw plenty of eyeballs.

That afternoon window also includes a huge game in the American between UCF and Tulane (3:30 p.m.). The most important games of the night slate include unbeaten TCU traveling to Austin to play Texas (7:30 p.m., ABC) and North Carolina squaring off with Wake Forest (7:30 p.m., ESPN2). But, if you prefer to watch miserable fan bases, Texas A&M is also playing at Auburn (7:30 p.m., SEC Network).

SOURCE: Hummer, Chris. "College Football Overtime: winners and losers from Week 10." 247Sports.com, 6 November 2022, https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-Football-Overtime-week-10-alabama-lsu-notre-dame-clemson-georgia-kansas-196960016/