Rivalry week was nothing short of crazy. We had a 2 vs. 3 matchup, top teams winning by one score, walk-off field goals, and last-second TDs to keep playoff hopes alive. We also had the usual dominance from some teams.
We will start with the dominant teams. (There are others, but these are the most important/dominant).
Missouri beat Arkansas 48-14
Texas beat Texas Tech 57-7
Oregon beat Oregon State 31-7
Next, we have to talk about “The Game”.
Michigan outlasted Ohio State, 30-24. This game was wild…
14-10 going into halftime. With the game tied 17 all with 5 minutes left in the 3rd, Ohio State found itself in a position to come away with a win, but the Buckeyes would come up short again.
Starting with Michigan. They did what they always do. Their offense played slow and steady. There weren’t any questions about the game plan.
They sought to attack the OSU LBs in the passing game, and as they kept the lead, they stayed true to their game. Michigan seemed to be a less talented team, but they know how to beat Ohio State.
Ohio State falls short again. There are emotions that many OSU fans haven’t felt, and they are expressing them. Anger, disappointment, and frustration are a few. The question that rings is, “Why can’t we beat them?”. The answer shouldn’t come as a surprise to many.
Ohio State/Ryan Day realized they didn’t have the defense they needed to win big games. So he went out and got Jim Knowles.
Last year was Knowles first year, and the jump that the defense made from year one to year two was drastic. They played well. Unfortunately, Michigan has a good offense. They will score between 24 and 30, and whoever they play has to match it.
Ohio State’s issue was on offense. To start, Kyle McCord is a good quarterback. McCord just had problems with turnovers. He would make decisions when pressured or sped up and throw the ball to the other team.
What was important in this game was that Michigan needed to have Harbaugh.
They had their acting head coach, who’s also their OC. His entire game plan has been for the past three weeks, and he doesn’t want to put them in a bad spot to lose the game.
So what does he do? He runs the football. Michigan had one passing play that was “explosive,” and that was a toss pass from RB to TE. JJ McCarthy consistently made plays outside the pocket when the plays broke down, and he made the open plays.
And he didn’t have a turnover.
The game came down to 2 turnovers and the rushing battle. McCord threw an INT on the Ohio State 20-yard line, gifting Michigan a touchdown. That was 7 points they shouldn’t have gotten, and they lost the game by 6. The other turnover was the last Ohio State play of the game.
McCord got hit and threw it short of Marvin Harrison Jr, leading to a game-seating interception.
The rushing battle was won by Michigan, leading to Ohio State being unable to stop the Michigan offense late and time coming off the clock late.
Michigan moves on to the Big Ten Title game, setting their potential title run into motion. The most important factor in all of this is the return of Jim Harbaugh to the sidelines.
They look to dominate Iowa and move into the playoff, where they will either be the 1 or 2 seed, depending on what happens in the SEC Championship.
They will rely on their run game and allow McCarthy to be himself. If they win the turnover battle in these playoffs, they have a real shot to win the National Championship.
Moving on
Alabama won on a last-second touchdown. If you haven’t seen it, you must watch—4th and goal on the 31-yard line. Milroe dropped back and threw a ball to Isaiah Bond in the back corner of the endzone. Touchdown!
Auburn ran the ball all over Alabama, and they pressured Milroe, which led to 4 sacks. Auburn forced Milroe to make the intermediate throws. He either didn’t trust himself or didn’t think they were open.
For those looking at this game as “Alabama almost lost to Auburn,” it’s much more significant. This rivalry is one of the most storied in Auburn, and things always get weird there. The game was a win-and-move-on situation, and Alabama did just that.
Alabama looks to Georgia next in the SEC Championship.
Washington beat Washington State in a walk-off field goal.
How was Washington State late in this game?
They held Washington to 204 passing yards. They average 345 per game. Washington State outpassed and outgained Washington in total yards. That’s unheard of.
Washington had 12 possessions (not including the first half’s final play because there was 1 second on the clock).
Washington State forced them into six punts. Washington punted on 50% of their drives. They also only had 1 FG, which happened to be the game-winner. Washington State did this by having five sacks and 1 INT.
Again, like the Bama/Auburn game, this rivalry game was a win-and-move-on situation.
Also like the Bama/Auburn game, that the team that lost, won the essential points of the game but lost on the scoreboard.
Other important games
Oklahoma State beat BYU 40-34 in 2OT, punching their ticket to face Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.
Kentucky beat Louisville 38-31, who will still face Florida State in the ACC Championship game.
Florida State edged out Florida 24-15 and will face Louisville in ACC Championship.
Georgia beat Georgia Tech 31-23. Georgia dominated this game, and they were without their two best offensive threats.
This weekend is Championship weekend. Spots in the playoff will be given following this Saturday.
