There are rivalry games… and then there’s the Iron Bowl.
The biggest game in the SEC nearly every regular season lived up to the billing once again with a thrilling, back-and-forth battle between No. 1 Alabama and No. 6 Auburn for three and a half quarters that resulted in a 26-14 upset win for the Tigers at home to seize control of the SEC West title, the conference as a whole and likely the race for a spot in the Sugar Bowl for the College Football Playoff.
The difference on the Plains for the home team was undoubtedly quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The transfer by way of Baylor and a junior college that many expected to lead Gus Malzahn’s offense to a storybook season was terrific on the biggest stage in the sport once again in leading Auburn to their second win over a No. 1 team in three weeks. The dual-threat threw for 237 yards with pinpoint accuracy against that feisty Tide secondary and really made a difference with his legs, scrambling out of several sacks and rushing for 51 yards and a score. Stidham formed a tough one-two punch in the backfield with Kerryon Johnson (106 yards, one touchdown rushing), who churned out tough carries and recorded the first points of the game by way of a perfectly executed jump pass.
However there’s also some concern for Auburn over the status of their star tailback as Johnson pulled up lame on a play late in the fourth quarter and could miss the SEC title game and possibly more. He injured his shoulder earlier in the game on a diving run toward the pylon and appeared to be favoring it as he made his way to the injury tent.
While the effort was one of the best of the year for the Tigers, the same could not be said for their opponents from Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban’s side was uncharacteristically undisciplined between penalties, bad snaps and some awful numbers on third down (3-of-11). Quarterback Jalen Hurts lost a fumble but was otherwise the only source of offense for Alabama, throwing for 112 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another 82.
However there wasn’t any magic left in the team as the Tide lost for the first time in the regular season since September of 2015.
The result also shakes up the College Football Playoff standings and presumably puts a number of different scenarios in play for the SEC possibly placing two teams in the final four. At the very least the conference itself will secure one bid as Georgia and Auburn meet again, this time in Atlanta, for the conference championship next Saturday and a likely trip to the Sugar Bowl semifinal.
Folks on the Plains will turn their attention toward the rematch tomorrow however, as the rest of Saturday night will be left to celebrate another win over a No. 1 team and their hated rivals to the West.
No. 5 Wisconsin (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) put the finishing touches on an undefeated regular season in blowout fashion, defeating Minnesota (5-7, 2-7 Big Ten) on the road by a score of 31-0. Say what you might about the level of competition Minnesota has faced this season, but the Badgers have done everything asked of them to be in the College Football Playoff discussion, and they may be one win shy of reaching the playoff for the first time in school history.
Wisconsin had a straightforward approach to beating Minnesota fueled by steady defense and a good running game. Jonathan Taylor rushed 20 times for 149 yards and a score in the big win to continue a dominant freshman season. Alex Hornibrook passed for 151 yards and three touchdowns for an efficient afternoon when needed.
All that stands in the way for the Badgers now is Ohio State and the selection committee. A win against the Buckeyes to string together a 13-0 record with a Big Ten championship capped by a win against a top 10 team feels like it should be enough on its own to be rewarded with inclusion in the College Football Playoff. And with the top two teams in the nation losing this weekend, it still remains a guessing game how the selection committee will evaluate the situation. Nothing should be considered a given, but if Wisconsin is the last undefeated power conference team standing at the end of the season, then that should be enough if the Badgers can pull it off.
Wisconsin will play Ohio State next week in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. Minnesota’s season is now done with a 5-7 record, bringing the first season under P.J. Fleck to a close. There were some positives at times, but the Gophers have plenty of rowing to do to take steps forward in the Big Ten West pecking order and to give Wisconsin a decent run.
There’s been a ton of movement on the coaching carousel the past few days, but apparently Kansas won’t be involved this time around.
Kansas lost to Oklahoma State Saturday afternoon, dropping their record to 1-11 as they lost the last 11 games of the season. While there’s been speculation that David Beaty would be three-and-done, athletic director Sheahon Zenger indicated in a statement shortly after that latest loss that the head coach would indeed get a fourth season.
KU is now 3-33 — and 1-26 in Big 12 play — in nearly three full seasons under Beaty. For perspective, Turner Gill won five games in his two seasons after replacing the ousted Mark Mangino in 2010, while Gill’s replacement, Charlie Weis, won six games in his three seasons before he was replaced by Beaty in 2015.
With the Week 13 drubbing in Stillwater, the Jayhawks have now lost 46 straight road games, the second-longest streak at any level in college football history.
Baker Mayfield did not start No. 4 Oklahoma’s game with West Virginia, but he was in the game for the Sooners’ third offensive play. Not because Lincoln Riley put him in for a third down pass, but because backup Kyler Murray needed only two snaps to get the Sooners on the board.
Murray opened the game with a 66-yard rush, and Rodney Anderson punched in a 4-yard score to put the Sooners on top for good. The Sooners took a 45-10 lead into the half.
West Virginia’s first touch consumed nearly half the first quarter, moving 64 yards in 13 plays before settling for a 28-yard Evan Staley field goal.
Mayfield entered the game after that and Oklahoma was off to the races. He led five touchdown drives in five chances over the remainder of the first half, helping the Sooners move 349 yards in 30 snaps. Mayfield completed his first eight passes and hit 10-of-11 throws for 238 yards and two touchdowns, an 8-yarder to CeeDee Lamb and a 14-yard strike to Mark Andrews with 13 ticks left before halftime.
Anderson accounted for three second quarter touchdowns with runs of 13, 17 and one yard. He led all runners with 13 carries for 118 yards in addition to his four touchdowns.
Oklahoma notched scored 10 points inside the final 13 seconds of the second quarter. After Mayfield’s pass to Andrews, West Virginia attempted a hook-and-ladder just before the final horn, but the ball was fumbled and OU’s Austin Seibert turned it into a 51-yard field goal as time expired.
Playing without starting quarterback Will Grier, West Virginia has been forced to get creative offensively, using a number of Wildcat snaps to running back Kennedy McCoy. McCoy accounted for nine carries for 66 yards and West Virginia’s only touchdown. Chris Chugunov completed 7-of-11 passes for 99 yards.
The game has been chippy, with a scuffle after nearly every play for a stretch in the second quarter. Sooners offensive lineman Dru Samia was ejected for throwing a punch, and WVU’s Xavier Preston was flagged for roughing the passer for a two-handed shove at Mayfield’s head.
West Virginia will receive to open the second half.
We now have a side story to the main storyline heading into the Big Ten championship game.
In the third quarter of the latest installment of The Game, J.T. Barrett went down with a knee injury that the FOX announcing crew ultimately stated was a meniscus issue with which the quarterback had been dealing. While Ohio State was able to weather that injury and beat rival Michigan, the fifth-year senior’s availability for the conference title game next Saturday in Indianapolis against Wisconsin is up in the air.
It was in Urban Meyer‘s postgame press conference, however, where the real fireworks started.
Various media outlets described the OSU head coach as “livid” and “pissed” over the injury, which Meyer stated was caused by a cameraman during pregame warmups Saturday. Meyer was so angry, in fact, that he called for an “all-out investigation” into the incident, presumably by the Big Ten.
While Meyer is pissed and one media outlet labeled the action that led to Barrett’s injury as malicious…
… Barrett himself stated he does not believe someone was maliciously trying to hurt him. Barrett, who stated that he will be playing next weekend despite the injury, also gave his account of how he was injured.
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