Statement Saturday: Making sense of college football’s wild weekend
Statement Saturday featured many marquee matchups that shook up the college football rankings and conference races. Here’s what it all means.
Statement Saturday was also SEC Saturday. The SEC, which had five of the top 11 teams and seven in the top 25 in Week One of the College Football Playoff rankings, took center stage with a doubleheader featuring four of those teams.
In Game One, Georgia guaranteed it will make back-to-back appearances in the SEC championship game when it ruined Kentucky’s dream season with a dominating 34-17 victory. The SEC’s prime-time game provided the provided the Bulldogs’ opponent. Top-ranked Alabama laughed off the idea of being upset at LSU, dominating the Tigers, 29-0.
FOX analyst Joel Klatt, who is an outspoken critic of how the CFP committee ranks teams, noted during the West Virginia-Texas telecast that No. 9 Kentucky and No. 11 Florida (a 38-17 at home to Missouri) were “highly overrated.” Klatt also could have mentioned that No. 20 Texas A&M frittered away a late lead and lost at Auburn.
LSU will also drop in the rankings so the SEC’s two big winners Saturday – Alabama and Georgia – remain the SEC teams in the running for the CFP final four. Clemson, a 77-16 winner over Louisville, and Notre Dame which held off Northwestern will likely be the top four in Tuesday’s rankings.
Alabama 29, LSU 0
What Happened: In the Associated Press poll era (since 1935), in games matching top four teams only six had been road favorites by more than three points. Those six all failed to cover and five lost. Never doubt the Vegas wise guys. Top-ranked Alabama was favored by two touchdowns at No. 4 LSU and overcame the Tigers’ well-lubed and vociferous home-field edge. Tide QB Tua Tagovailoa threw his first interception and played in the fourth quarter for the first time. He also threw for two touchdowns and ran for a 44-yard score.
What It Means: Same as it ever was. The defending national champions didn’t match their eye-rubbing numbers posted in their first eight games but the only statistic that mattered was the final score. Alabama’s running game and defense helped the Crimson Tide accomplish what coach Nick Saban prophesied on his radio show this week.
Nick Saban was just asked what he will choose during the coin toss at LSU -- kick or receive?
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) November 2, 2018
Saban: "To be honest with you, I hope we elect to kick ass, is what I hope we do."
Georgia 34, Kentucky 17
What Happened: In perhaps the biggest game in Kentucky football history, the Wildcats failed to measure up. The showdown for the SEC East Division lead proved to be one-sided because Georgia showed up on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs’ running game – sparked by running back D’Andre Swift (156 yards and two TDs on 16 carries) – punched Kentucky in the face and the Dawgs’ defense – playing with a lead that eliminated the Wildcats’ potent running game – had little difficulty limiting the SEC’s worst passing game.
What It Means: Georgia has clinched a return trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game on Dec. 1. The Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1) play their final conference game next Saturday at home against Auburn, the team they defeated last season for the league title. Ranked No. 6 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, Georgia can win out and reach the CFP final four for the second consecutive season. The Bulldogs will face Alabama, the team that beat them in the national championship game.
Oklahoma 51, Texas Tech 46
What Happened: Oklahoma fell behind 14-0 as Kyler Murray threw two interceptions. While the Sooners had success moving the ball, their defense reverted to its can’t-stop-nobody form. Murray recovered from his slow start to throw for three touchdowns, throwing for 360 yards and running for 100 yards. OU’s Trey Sermon rushed for 206 yards and three TDs. Texas Tech freshman quarterback Alan Bowman was 21-of-26 for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the first. He didn’t play in the second half when he suffered a mysterious injury warming up. The Red Raiders had a chance to tie the game at 42-all with just under seven minutes remaining, but the Sooners’ Robert Barnes intercepted in the end zone and returned it for two points to put OU ahead 44-40.
What It Means: The Sooners were fortunate that Bowman didn’t play in the second half and their less-than-impressive victory – which featured half a dozen stupid penalties – probably didn’t pass the eye test. OU closes the season at West Virginia; those are the last two one-loss teams in the Big 12. The top two teams in the standings meet in the Big 12 championship game and that could mean the Mountaineers and the Sooners could face each other in a rematch in Arlington.
Notre Dame 31, Northwestern 21
What Happened: Notre Dame’s last loss at Northwestern happened in 1927. Thanks to the team’s quarterback, this was another game that went by the book. Ian Book threw for two second-half touchdowns and clinched the game with a 23-yard TD run thanks to a magical play fake. The Irish took a 24-3 lead with 13:05 remaining before the Wildcats scored two touchdowns in just over four minutes to pull within 24-21. Notre Dame went 89 yards in 10 plays, capped by Book’s season-long run, to end Northwestern’s upset hopes.
What It Means: The Fighting Irish, one of three undefeated Power Five teams, was ranked No. 4 in the first CFP rankings. They’re likely to move up to No. 3 as they improved to 9-0. Many believe that Notre Dame’s chance of making the final four is finishing undefeated. The Irish play Florida State in South Bend, face Syracuse in Yankee Stadium and close the season at USC on Nov. 24.
West Virginia 42, Texas 41
What Happened: The best game of the afternoon was decided when West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen eschewed kicking an extra point for the tie with 16 seconds remaining. Senior quarterback Will Grier, whose 33-yard TD pass to Gary Jennings tied the game, scrambled to his left for the winning 2-point conversion. Texas’ Sam Ehlinger was 24-of-35 for 356 yards on three TDs. His 48-yard touchdown pass to Devin Duvernay gave UT a 41-34 lead with 2:34 remaining. Over the last two seasons, he has 14 games with three TD passes. The Longhorns will lose sleep over getting inside the WVU 5-yard line twice in the third quarter but scoring just three points.
What It Means: The Mountaineers (7-1, 5-1) knocked Texas out of a first-place tie in the Big 12 and positioned themselves to play in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 1. West Virginia is home against TCU, plays at Oklahoma State and closes the regular season at home against Oklahoma. WVU was No. 13 in the first CFP rankings and would need an unimaginable series of upsets to reach the final four.
Michigan 42, Penn State 7
What Happened: Michigan, the nation’s top defense in terms in yards allowed and No. 6 in scoring, proved that its defensive unit is championship quality. And, thanks to grad transfer Shea Patterson, the Wolverines have a play-making quarterback. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, providing more than enough offense in The Big House. In its last four games, Michigan has allowed 21, 13, 7 and 7 points.
What It Means: The Wolverines, whose only loss came in the season opener at Notre Dame, was ranked No. 5 in Week One of the College Football Rankings and will almost certainly move into the top four when Tuesday’s rankings are released. Michigan closes out the regular season playing that “school to the South” on Nov. 24 in Columbus. The winner goes to the Big Ten Conference championship game, the final step toward perhaps making the CFP final four.