This was a crazy week- almost as many of the LWOS Top 25 lost (nine) as won (10). Let’s sort through the chaos.
Things We Learned In College Week 12
-I went to bed around halftime of the Miami-Florida State game and I admit, I really thought Miami was going to pull the upset. Canes’ quarterback Brad Kaaya was impressive- nice poise in the pocket, even with FSU blitzing, and he’s very good at putting the ball where only his guy can get it. The U could be a team to keep an eye on in the next couple of years.
-Clemson had a rough week, as quarterback DeShaun Watson returned from a hand injury and promptly injured himself again. Senior Cole Stoudt stepped in and immediately threw an interception; in the first half, Stoudt completed one pass to each team, and one of them went for a touchdown; unfortunately for him, it was the pass he threw to Georgia Tech. Overall, Stoudt went 3 of 11 for 19 yards, no scores, and three picks. Third-string QB Nick Schuessler was inserted late. Obviously, Clemson needs to hope Watson can return quickly.
-Clemson’s woes notwithstanding, Georgia Tech looked good. Duke’s loss to Virginia Tech means the Yellow Jackets are still alive in the ACC Coastal, although Duke would have the head-to-head tiebreaker.
-In the big game of the afternoon, Mississippi State just made too many mistakes. Alabama didn’t look like the Alabama of 2012, or 2011, but they didn’t need to. The Bulldogs came on late, but it was too late. They committed too many turnovers and struggled in the punting game. Dak Prescott didn’t look like a Heisman contender.
-Every time I thought about switching from Alabama-Mississippi State to Nebraska-Wisconsin, the Bulldogs would do something to make me think the game wasn’t over yet. I ended up missing the Melvin Gordon Show. Nebraska led 17-3 early in the second quarter, but by halftime Wisconsin had taken a 24-17 lead. The Badgers then went on a 35-point tear, with Gordon breaking Ladainian Tomlinson’s single-game rushing record (406 yards) with a total of 408 before being taken out after three quarters. This guy has been a fringe Heisman candidate at best- could that change?
-Speaking of running backs, Todd Gurley returned from suspension to play for Georgia yesterday. I expected a close game, so of course Georgia ran roughshod over the Tigers- and I do mean ran. Gurley and Nick Chubb combined for 282 yards and three scores. Auburn defense has been iffy all year, and they did nothing to upgrade their reputation yesterday.
-Much of the U.S. was experiencing unusual cold yesterday. College GameDay was broadcasting from Tuscaloosa, where they said it was 28 degrees. I don’t know what the temperature was in Sanford Stadium, but the players were wearing the type of cold-weather gear you generally see on the Green Bay Packers. The temperature at kickoff in Fayetteville, Arkansas was 29 degrees; according to CBS, it was the coldest game Les Miles has ever coached the LSU Tigers in. (Where do they find these stats?)
-We also had our first snow games of the year, at Minnesota and Wisconsin. (Not that that’s unusual in the slightest, I just like snow games.)
-It was a good run, Minnesota. Just a few years ago, the idea of Ohio State only beating the Gophers by a touchdown would have been almost unfathomable. I admit, when the Buckeyes took a 14-0 lead early, I thought it might be a long afternoon for Minnesota. Instead, they tied the game and trailed just 17-14 at halftime.
-Congratulations to J.T. Barrett, the presumed backup quarterback until mid-August, on breaking Braxton Miller’s single-season touchdown record. Barrett is now responsible for 38 scores this season.
-How did Washington come within a point of Arizona?
-Similarly, how did 3-7 Kansas come within four points of playoff contender TCU?
-You gotta love college kicking. Duke’s Ross Martin was 13/13 on the season and went 3/5 yesterday. Alabama’s Adam Griffith has been inconsistent (to be charitable) all season; he was 1/2 yesterday. LSU’s Colby Delahoussaye is normally fairly reliable, as far as college kickers go, but he was 0/2 yesterday in Arkansas’ blanking of the Tigers. I know at least one of those misses was from under 30 yards, too.
-As of Saturday morning, 73 teams in college football had fewer turnovers than Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson. Good on the Irish for having as many wins as they do- with that many turnovers, they probably shouldn’t.
-Notre Dame wallops Michigan 31-0 in Week 2. Michigan ekes by Northwestern 10-9 a week ago. So of course, Northwestern wipes out an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime and win by a field goal. This is why I love college football- there’s no logic to it whatsoever.
You can check out the LWOS Top 25 here!
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LastWordLindsay.
Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter at @LastWordLindsay
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo:
