It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas- Rivalry Week in college football. Add in Thanksgiving and I think this weekend may be better than Christmas.
Michigan-Ohio State
Had Michigan won the game, kicker/punter Kenny Allen would have been a candidate for the game MVP. Field position was huge, and Allen did an outstanding job pinning the Buckeyes deep and not enabling returns. Ohio State’s kicker might have been the goat, having missed field goals from 37 and 20 yards early. The Buckeyes bottled up the Michigan run game better than anyone else has this season, but the passing game (aside from two Wilton Speight interceptions) was reasonably good. The Wolverines were suffocating on defense and sacked OSU quarterback J.T. Barrett eight times. Defensive end Taco Charlton was a pass-rushing beast. All in all, this game more than lived up to expectations.
Apple Cup: Washington-Washington State
This was not one of the better rivalry games of the weekend. I did want to note that I like Washington’s Dante Pettis more and more every time I see him play. He’s amazingly shifty and has great feet. If he were a hockey player, we’d say he could stickhandle in a phone booth. It’s no surprise that he has five career punt returns for touchdowns.
USC-Notre Dame
Not a great game, but it’s worth mentioning that the Trojans’ Adoree Jackson had a receiving touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown, and a kick return for a touchdown. How often do you see that all in the same game?
Clemson-South Carolina
Again, not a competitive game, but there was one definite highlight at about the 23-second mark of this video. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqE3mmPWKxU[/youtube]
Best of the Rest
-Remember how, against Ole Miss, Leonard Fournette broke the LSU single-game rushing record with 284 yards? That record lasted a month. Against Texas A&M, Derrius Guice rushed for 285. I think it’s safe to say LSU’s run game is in good hands even after Fournette (presumably) leaves for the NFL after the season.
-NC State did so well completing big plays against North Carolina that they had a 14-0 lead before running a single play in UNC territory. They didn’t cross the 50, except to cross the goal line, until the second quarter. The Wolfpack won 28-21.
-Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh were born about seven months apart in the same Toledo hospital.
-Despite the long and storied history of Michigan-Ohio State, yesterday was the first overtime game between the two. No OT games in 113 meetings? I would not have guessed that, although for at least part of that time games could end in a tie.
-I can’t be the only one who saw the Syracuse-Pitt score on the ESPN crawl and assumed it was from a basketball game. The 76-61 win for Pitt set the FBS record for total points in a game.
–Alabama has not allowed a touchdown in November. They shut out LSU, and allowed only field goals to Mississippi State, Chattanooga, and now Auburn.
–Colorado‘s victory over Utah gives them a 10-2 record, and their first six-game win streak in 20 years. Good on the Buffaloes’ higher-ups for being patient with head coach Mike MacIntyre, who was 10-27 in his first three years at the helm.
So the match-ups are set for Championship Week! It’s hard to believe this season is almost over already. Have a great week everyone!
