College Football Week 12 Recap

1. Miami knocks off Florida State

Well, they did it again.  The first half followed the usual script, as anticipated, with Florida State falling behind 16 - 0 early and going into halftime with a 13-point deficit.  The Seminoles rallied in the last 30 minutes, but Miami's inability to move the ball in the second half was what really blew up this prediction.  The Hurricanes managed only 3 points after halftime, which was not enough to hold off Florida State's comeback.  They might not look too good doing it (especially early in games), but you can't argue with the Seminoles' perfect record.  Can they keep it up and hold on to a playoff spot?  They survived Saturday, 30 - 26.

2. Alabama holds Mississippi State to 20 points or fewer

The Crimson Tide dominated the Bulldogs in the first half, building a 19 - 3 lead before halftime.  Mississippi State finally got things going in the third quarter but were ultimately unable to reach the endzone enough times to defeat Alabama, as they fell 25 - 20.  The Bulldogs are still clinging to a top-four ranking after the close loss, but they might not be there for long without somehow finding their way into (and winning) the SEC championship game.  Alabama, on the other hand, now controls their own destiny after the win propelled them to the top of the rankings.  But they still face tough challenges ahead with upcoming games against rival Auburn and the SEC East winner (if they make it past the Tigers).

3. Buckeye's trounce Gophers by margin of 30+ points

Ohio State had several opportunities to pull away in the first half, but turnovers kept Minnesota in the game.  Despite a 14 - 0 first quarter, the Buckeyes took only a 17 - 14 lead into the locker room.  Ohio State surged again to a 31 - 14 lead in the third quarter and were about to get the ball back with a chance to really put the game away, but once again let the Gophers claw their way back because of a special-teams turnover.  The mistakes can probably be credited, at least somewhat, to the cold, snowy conditions, but these are still things that need to be cleaned up if the Buckeyes want to win the Big Ten and have a shot at the playoffs.  As it stands, Ohio State missed a chance to really impress, as they simply survived in Minneapolis with the 31 - 24 win.  It was still enough to move them up to number six in the rankings after Arizona State was upset.  Can they sneak into the top four if they win out?

4. Michigan State suffers letdown loss against Maryland

Michigan State started a little sluggish on offense, but the defense was stout from beginning to end after surrendering 49 points to the Buckeyes the previous week.  The Spartans are still alive in the hunt for a New Year's Six bowl, as they beat down Maryland 37 - 15.  They are still technically in contention for the B1G East title as well, but would need to win out and have Ohio State drop their last two regular season games against Indiana and Michigan.  Don't hold your breath, Sparty.

5.  Florida State players involved in so-called hit-and-run accident don't miss any playing time on Saturday

Neither player seemed to missed any playing time against Miami, and the hit-and-run story wasn't even a blip on the radar in ESPN's prime-time coverage.  FSU coach Jimbo Fisher is sending a clear message, with this and past cases, that as long as you aren't charged with a crime you won't face any consequences.  And the Tallahassee Police Department is doing a great job of making sure none of the Seminole football players get charged with anything.

Week 12 record: 2 - 3
Overall record: 24 - 36

Other headlines from week 12:

Gordon sets FBS record in Wisconsin's romp over Nebraska

Melvin Gordon went from Heisman contender to Heisman front-runner as he tore up the Cornhusker's defense with a FBS single-game rushing record of 408 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Even more impressive is that he didn't even play in the fourth quarter.  It's scary to think how much higher he could have gone if he did.  With the 59 - 24 win, Wisconsin takes control in the Big Ten West with eyes on a date with the Buckeyes in Indy.

Big guy TD, part two

Mercer University's football team took a page out of Arkansas' playbook and got a big guy in the endzone for a touchdown.  The best part might have been the celebration though - which was totally worth the penalty.  Watch here.

Botched field goal?  No problem

Down 3 points with five seconds to play, Division III Cortland State lined up for a field goal to send it to overtime.  It didn't go quite as planned.  Watch below, or here.