College Football Week 14 Recap

1. Four or more ranked teams lose to unranked opponents

This one started off looking good, with Marshall and UCLA both falling to unranked teams on Friday.  But while underdogs put up some pretty good fights all weekend, there were no more major upsets delivered from teams outside the top 25.

2. Mississippi State takes down Ole Miss by margin of 10+

It was Ole Miss that had this one by double digits, not Mississippi State.  The Rebels erased any possibility of a SEC championship or playoff appearance for the Bulldogs, as they beat them 31 - 17 in the Egg Bowl.

3. Ohio State's defense records four or more sacks in The Game

I was spot on with this pick, as Michigan struggled to protect quarterback Devin Gardner all game.  The Buckeyes recorded five sacks in total, including a sack-and-strip that resulted in a game-clinching touchdown.  My score prediction of 45 - 31 was pretty close as well, as Ohio State notched a 42 - 28 victory.  However, the Buckeyes may have lost something more important than The Game, as J.T. Barrett went down with a season-ending injury.  Sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones will now take the reins of the offense heading into the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin.  The one positive moment from the scene on Saturday as Barrett lay on the turf was an inspiring display of sportsmanship by Devin Gardner, who put aside arguably the biggest rivalry in sports to console the Ohio State quarterback.  OSU responded with a letter, thanking the Michigan senior for his act of compassion.  Well done, young man.

4. Alabama's Amari Cooper tops 200 receiving yards against Auburn

Another very accurate prediction here, as the Alabama wide receiver tied a school record (previously set by himself) of 224 receiving yards.  I nailed the margin of victory guess too, but gave both teams' defenses too much credit (41 - 30 vs actual score of 55 - 44).  Both offenses shredded the opposing team's secondary all night, but it was the Crimson Tide who were able to consistently move the ball down the stretch with big play after big play by Cooper.  The win sets up an SEC championship showdown with Missouri.  A victory there and Saban's squad is in the playoffs.

5. Melvin Gordon climbs to third on FBS rushing list

Gordon had another solid day rushing, but it wasn't quite enough to pass Marcus Allen in the record books.  He did claim the number four spot, as expected, after tallying 151 yards on the ground, putting him at 2,260 for the year.  He will try to improve on that and lead the Badgers to a win over Ohio State in Indy with the Big Ten title on the line.

Week 14 record: 2 -3
Overall record: 28 - 42

Other headlines from week 14:

Marshall suffers first loss of season

Any argument for the Thundering Herd to play in a major bowl game went out the window with a crazy 67 - 66 loss to Western Kentucky.  Neither defense seemed capable of stopping their opponent, as the score reached 49 - 42 by halftime.  The offenses slowed down a bit in the second half, and Marshall tied it in the last minute of regulation to send it to overtime.  But a gutsy call by the Hilltoppers to go for two in the first OT proved successful, and they ended the Herd's hopes of an undefeated season.  If they hadn't gone for the two-point conversion, they might still be playing today.

CFP Committee drops Florida State again, sets dangerous precedent

While I've predicted the Seminoles to lose numerous times, and made my feelings about Jameis Winston abundantly clear, I still have to give credit where credit is due.  Florida State is the only remaining undefeated FBS team and while they often don't look great, they have always found a way to win.  But the committee has gradually dropped the Seminoles, putting them most recently at #4 behind three one-loss teams.  I understand that they need to consider strength of schedule and other intangible factors, but those should be used as tie-breakers when comparing teams with the same record.  The ACC may not be the best conference, but they are still Power Five (and went 4 - 0 against the SEC this past weekend).  There is no reason for Florida State to be anything less than #1 in the rankings.  Now, FSU fans don't have to be too worried - a win against Georgia Tech in the ACC championship should guarantee them a spot in the playoffs.  But what is disconcerting about how the committee has treated the Seminoles is the precedent it sets.  They throw around terms like "eye test" and "style points" when determining rankings. This is football, not a beauty pageant, so winning should be the first determining factor, and everything else should be secondary.  The fact that the CFP committee doesn't see it that way is very scary. 

Nebraska's "butt punt"

You've probably seen the legendary "butt fumble".  But have you seen a "butt punt"?  I don't care what ESPN says, it sure looked like a butt punt to me.  Judge for yourself: watch here, or below.