After a chaotic Week 11, things returned to some sense of normalcy in Week 12- Thursday night notwithstanding. Louisville at Houston looked like a premier matchup in September, but after each team suffered an early-season loss, some of the luster wore off. I expected a fairly close game through maybe the first half, and then the Cardinals would pull away. Instead, the Cougars got out to a 31-0 lead, and the closest Louisville could make it was 36-10. One would think that’s just about the end of Louisville’s Playoff hopes.
Things We Learned in College Week 12
Let It Snow
Michigan and Indiana were playing in near-whiteout conditions at times in Ann Arbor. The snow didn’t seem to be accumulating much, but it was certainly wreaking havoc with the players’ footing late in the game. The Wolverines overcame an anemic start with their backup quarterback to beat Indiana 20-10. Houston transfer John O’Korn completed seven of 16 pass attempts for 59 yards, but senior RB De’Veon Smith saved the day. Smith rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Regular QB Wilton Speight is “day-to-day”, according to ESPN.com
A little to the northwest and a few hours earlier, the precipitation was lighter for Sparty and the Buckeyes. Ohio State escaped with a much-closer-than-expected 17-16 victory in what was also a run-heavy game. Had Mike D’Antoni opted to kick the extra point rather than go for two after the Spartans’ late touchdown, this game would probably have gone to overtime.
Goal-Line Stand
Florida and LSU played the low-scoring game most were expecting. The Tigers played much better early, but led just 7-3 at halftime. Florida scored on a 98-yard run midway through the third quarter and added two field goals in the fourth. LSU had a fourth-quarter field goal as well, and a chance to win the game late. The Gators had a terrific goal-line stand and stuffed RB Derrius Guice on 4th-and-goal from the one. Florida also managed to hold LSU without a 100-yard rusher, although the team managed 219 yards spread among six players.
Upset of the Week
Oregon 30, #12 Utah 28 is one of the most baffling results I’ve seen this season. I watched parts of a couple of Oregon games this season, and the best way I can think of to describe their play is “hapless”. Utah has had issues with consistency, but definitely not with talent. The question now is how much this win cools off Mark Helfrich’s seat?
Record-Breaker
Zay Jones of East Carolina caught 12 balls yesterday. The Pirates lost to Navy, but Jones broke the FBS record for career receptions with a total of 392.
History-Makers
With their win over Northwestern, Minnesota has their third eight-win season in four years. According the the Big Ten Network crew yesterday, it’s the first time they’ve accomplished that since the early 1900’s. However, GOPHERSPORTS.com states that they’ve never done so. Either way, good for the Gophers. I’ll have a full article on next weekend’s Battle For The Axe later in the week.
My Blown Prediction of the Week:
“Oh, Oklahoma-West Virginia should be a good game. I’ll definitely make it a point to watch that!”
That’s all for this week. I hope everybody has a fantastic Thanksgiving and overdoses on both turkey and football!
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