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NCAA Football News and Notes: Rivalry Week Brings Big Games

Week 14 is upon us, and as teams prepare for their regular-season finales, the race for the top four and the coveted spots in the College Football Playoff are coming to a head. Teams are preparing for postseason and potential bowl games. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some pivotal games this week and some news from across the country:

No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 13 Michigan Wolverines

After last week’s win over No. 10 Penn State, the Buckeyes have leapfrogged LSU and now hold the No. 1 spot in the nation. Still, the Buckeyes have work to do if they want to keep the top ranking, and that starts this weekend against the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines.

Ohio State is led by quarterback Justin Fields, who has thrown for 2,352 yards, 33 touchdowns, and amazingly just one interception. On the ground, the Buckeyes are led by J.K. Dobbins, who has rushed for 1,446 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Michigan is led by Shea Patterson, who has thrown for 2,523 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. Zach Charbonnet leads the team in rushing with 635 yards and 11 touchdowns.

No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 15 Auburn Tigers

Alabama really needs a signature win if it hopes to catapult into the top four. Luckily, for the Crimson Tide, they have a chance to get one if they can go on the road and beat the No. 15-ranked Auburn Tigers.

Tua Tagovailoa may be out for the season, but that doesn’t mean that Alabama doesn’t have weapons. On the ground, Najee Harris leads the Crimson Tide with 942 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. Through the air, Jerry Jeudy (66 catches, 933 yards, nine touchdowns) and Devonta Smith (60 catches, 1,120 yards, 13 touchdowns) have been sensational.

No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 21 Oklahoma State Cowboys

Like Alabama, Oklahoma is fighting for a chance to bump up, and it has a chance to get a signature win over in-state rival Oklahoma State. Oklahoma is led by Jalen Hurts, who has thrown for 3,184 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing, having gone for 1,156 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.

Through the air, CeeDee Lamb leads the way with 46 receptions for 999 yards and 14 touchdowns.

For Oklahoma State, Spencer Sanders leads the team under center, having thrown for 2,065 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has also rushed for 625 yards and a pair of scores. Chuba Hubbard is their most intimidating player in the backfield, though. On the season, Hubbard has rushed for 1,832 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Ohio State No. 1 Overall

As mentioned above, the Ohio State Buckeyes have moved up into the top spot of the College Football Playoff poll, and with the postseason just right around the corner, the remaining teams are fighting to maintain their top spots with others knocking on the door.

To round out the top four, LSU comes in at No. 2, Clemson at No. 3, and Georgia at No. 5. With Alabama at No. 5 and Utah at No. 6, they are hoping for a significant final stretch to propel them into the playoffs.

They will likely have their chance, too, as LSU will play Georgia in the SEC title game. With one team having to suffer a loss, it may very well push the losing team out of the Playoff.

It may not exactly be fair, but there is a good chance of it happening. As a result, being in the 5, 6, or 7 spot might be lucrative if you can finish out the season strong.

Missouri Postseason Ban Upheld

While much of the focus is on the postseason, one team that won’t be playing after this weekend is Missouri. Stemming from an incident where a tutor had done work for student-athletes at Missouri, the NCAA has banned the football, baseball and softball teams from the postseason.

Additionally, they have taken away some scholarships and imposed other sanctions on the university. Regardless, for a Missouri team that is 5-6, the Tigers could have played in a bowl game had they won this weekend. Instead, they will simply be playing for the pride of going .500, but nothing more.

Coaching Carousel Getting Fired Up

As many teams are set to play their final games of the season, the coaching carousel, and the rumors that go along with it, is starting to fire up. This past week, a few universities made their decisions.

First, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, it appears that USC is planning to bring Clay Helton back as head coach. Despite a considerable amount of injuries and adversity, Helton was still able to lead the Trojans to an 8-4 record. Technically, they still have a chance to make the Pac-12 Championship Game, but that would require Utah losing to Colorado this weekend.

While Helton may be lucky, it appears two other coaches were not. Indications are that UNLV has fired head coach Tony Sanchez, and New Mexico and Bob Davie are also splitting up. UNLV went 19-40 overall under Sanchez, and, after a 3-8 season this year, it appeared that a change was necessary.

New Mexico is also ready for a change. Davie had spent eight seasons with the Lobos and went 35-63 overall, including just 2-9 this season.

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