A wild Week 12 of college football games has seen some major shuffling at the top of the college polls. Ohio State has moved up, Oregon has plummeted down, and the battle for a spot in the College Football Playoffs is more exciting than ever.
With so much excitement in college football, let’s jump into some of the biggest stories.
Buckeyes Up To Two
If people didn’t already know that Ohio State was one of the best teams in the nation, they certainly do now. Going against the No. 7 Michigan State Spartans this weekend, the Buckeyes destroyed them Saturday 56-7.
In the win, C.J. Stroud threw for 432 yards and a whopping six touchdowns. His performance may have also cemented a Heisman trophy for the quarterback as he is now -220 to win the award.
The win has elevated the Buckeyes from No. 5 to No. 2 in the newest AP Top 25. The top four now include Georgia (11-0), Ohio State (10-1), Alabama (10-1), and Cincinnati (11-0).
The Buckeyes have a tough road matchup with No. 6 Michigan (10-1), but that may be all that is separating them and a trip to the College Football Playoffs.
Oregon’s Hopes Of CFP Exit With Week 11 Loss
While the Buckeyes helped solidify their chances of a College Football Playoff berth, the Oregon Ducks ruined theirs this weekend. Ranked No. 3 at the time of the game, the Ducks lost to the No. 23 Utah Utes 38-7.
In the loss, quarterback Anthony Brown (231 yards, one touchdown) and the offense just couldn’t find any consistency. Even worse, though, was a defense that just had no answer for the run game of Tavion Thomas, who had 94 yards and three touchdowns.
As a result of the loss, Oregon (9-2) has now fallen to No. 11 in the country.
Some Notable Firings
As we approach the end of the season, coaching hot seats are starting to sizzle, and a couple boiled over this weekend. Most notably, Florida and Troy have decided to move on from their current head coaches.
On Sunday, Florida announced they had parted ways with Dan Mullen as their head coach after Florida lost to Missouri over the weekend.
Despite a 34-14 overall record at Florida, the Gators are just 5-6 this season. In the interim, Greg Knox (running backs coach) will take over-the-head coaching duties.
At Troy, the university also announced the firing of their head coach, Chip Lindsey, on Sunday. In three seasons with the program, Troy was just 15-19 under Lindsey, including a 5-6 record this season.
Brandon Hall, the defensive coordinator, will serve as the interim coach for the remainder of the season.
Pitt Makes ACC Title Game
With a 48-38 win over Virginia this weekend, the Pittsburgh Panthers have solidified their berth into the ACC Title game. 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the conference, the Panthers have wrapped up the ACC Coastal division and will await the winner of the ACC Atlantic.
In the win over Virginia, Kenny Pickett threw for 340 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. All four of his touchdowns were thrown to Jordan Addison, who had 202 yards and the four scores on 14 receptions.
Corral Won’t Be Back At Ole Miss
Although it was widely assumed, Ole Miss’ quarterback Matt Corral essentially confirmed the notion that he wouldn’t be returning next season as he posted a farewell message to fans on his social media account. Instead of utilizing his extra year of eligibility, Corral will be entering the NFL draft.
This season, Ole Miss is a solid 9-2, and that is in large part due to a fantastic season by the quarterback. Corral has thrown for 3,100 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. He has also rushed for 552 yards and another ten touchdowns.
He currently has the third-best odds of winning the Heisman Trophy at +2500. His solid season has been enough to have many project him as the first quarterback taken in next year’s draft.
