College football Week 13 takeaways: Trevor Lawrence says goodbye, Sarah Fuller makes herstory, Ohio State’s predicament

College football Week 13 takeaways, including Sarah Fuller making history, Trevor Lawrence making his long-awaited return and Ohio State’s COVID issues.

Trevor Lawrence says hello and goodbye

Trevor Lawrence made official what we all knew was coming. He has played his final home game with Clemson after taking part in Senior Day activities and saying his goodbyes to the Tiger fans after beating Pitt on Saturday night.

“Super special night,” Lawrence said. “Wouldn’t want to go out any other way. Super grateful to be a part of Clemson University and even more so this program. Love all the coaches, all the players. My years here have been amazing. Thankful for everybody, thankful for the fans. Love you guys.”

Lawrence said this was his final year before the season even started and saying as much allowed him to enjoy every moment and appreciate living in the present more than he has in the previous two seasons. Unfortunately, he missed two games after contracting the coronavirus and then had to wait another week to make his return after the Florida State game was postponed last week. All told, Lawrence made his return after five weeks and didn’t look rusty at all, throwing for 403 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 26-of-37 passing as he threw himself back in the Heisman conversation.

Sarah Fuller makes herstory

History was made on Saturday afternoon with Sarah Fuller becoming the first woman to play in a Power 5 college football game. The Vanderbilt soccer goalie who helped lead the Commodores to an SEC title last week suited up as the team’s kicker vs. Missouri and executed a perfect squib kick to start the second half. The kick was perfect. The moment was perfect. Fuller’s message after the game where she told little girls everywhere that they can do anything was inspirational as much as it was tear-jerking.

“Honestly, it’s just so exciting,” Fuller said on the SEC Network. “The fact that I can represent the little girls out there who wanted to do this or thought about playing any sport really — it encourages them to step out and do something big like this.”

Fuller didn’t get an opportunity to kick a field goal or an extra point, but it doesn’t matter. She made history and her contributions to the game will be felt for several years after today when we see more and more girls participating in football.

Alabama routs Auburn in Iron Bowl without Nick Saban

No Nick Saban, no problem for Alabama, who destroyed rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Saban was out after contracting the coronavirus so Steve Sarkisian assumed head coaching duties in the 42-13 win that proved he should get some head coaching opportunities this offseason. The Crimson Tide offense continues to hum with quarterback Mac Jones throwing five more touchdowns, Najee Harris continuing to lead the nation in rushing touchdowns and DeVonta Smith continuing to be the toughest receiver to cover in the nation. It’s no wonder this team was the unanimous No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 last week.

I expect Sarkisian will get head coaching opportunities around college football but wouldn’t be surprised if NFL teams come calling. His offensive play-calling and scheme has been as good as anyone in college football since he took over for Lane Kiffin in Tuscaloosa. Offensive-needy teams should pony up because Sarkisian is ready for his second chance after off-field issues led to his termination at USC.

Jaret Patterson puts up video-game numbers for Buffalo

Jaret Patterson put up the type of numbers you’d see if you played on the freshman difficulty setting on NCAA Football. The Buffalo running back ran for a MAC record 409 yards and tied the FBS single-game record with eight rushing touchdowns. Let me repeat that. He ran for 409 yards and scored eight touchdowns!

It could have been more if Buffalo head coach Lance Leipold didn’t take Patterson out with the Bulls charging late, otherwise he would have broken the record set by Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine when he ran for 427 yards. He’ll have to settle for 409 — the second-best rushing total in FBS history and matching former Illinois star Howard Griffith with the eight rushing scores. And if that wasn’t enough, his twin brother James, led Buffalo in tackles vs. Kent State. Heck of a day for the Patterson family in what will be a Thanksgiving weekend they will never forget.

How will Ohio State’s COVID issues affect the playoff, Big Ten race?

College football is limping to the finish line with double-digit games being canceled or postponed the last few weeks. Pretty much every team has been affected one way or another by the coronavirus just as most of society has. The team in the crosshairs of the virus now is No. 4 Ohio State, who had their game with Illinois canceled on Friday night after an outbreak within the Buckeyes. Head coach Ryan Day tested positive for the coronavirus and CBS reported that COVID had affected at least 13 members of the team.

Ohio State hopes to return to practice by Thursday, otherwise their next game with Michigan State could be in jeopardy. If that happens, the Buckeyes will fall below the Big Ten’s minimum game threshold to be eligible to play in the Big Ten Championship Game. Wisconsin already fell below and Ohio State could be next. For the Big Ten to change the rule, pretty much every Big Ten game in the next two weeks would need to be canceled.

We could be looking at a Big Ten Championship Game between Northwestern and Indiana, who lost to Ohio State but will represent the East because undefeated Ohio State is not eligible. What gets even crazier is there is no minimum game requirement to be eligible for the College Football Playoff. The committee already ranked the Buckeyes at No. 4 based on the strength of their 4-0 record. Would they still include them if they are only 5-0? Unless you’re an Ohio State football fan, I think the answer would be a resounding no.

There’s no doubt in my mind Ohio State is one of the four best teams in the nation and I only needed one game to come to that conclusion. Heck, I didn’t need to know that before they played a game. But a sample size this small would almost surely disqualify them in the eyes of the committee, which could be great news for Cincinnati if they run the table.

Pac-12 bows out (again)

Not that I gave the Pac-12 any legitimate chance to make the College Football Playoff this year, but it’s officially over for them after Oregon lost to Oregon State on Friday night and USC had their game canceled. With the late start to the season, Oregon and USC were the only real hopes as big brands capable of going undefeated in a truncated schedule.

That’s all out the window now as BYU has a greater chance of making it, and after the Cougars came in at No. 14 in the first rankings, we know how little the committee thinks of them.

There’s always next year for Oregon and USC to make a case, but if I were a fan of a Pac-12 football program I would just be thankful they even got to play this year after the season was initially scrapped. And with several teams already having games canceled after the restart, each game should be cherished because there’s a chance it’ll be the last one of the year.

Time is running out on Tom Herman at Texas

I think I speak on behalf of all Texas football fans when I say I’ve seen enough of Tom Herman. After some bond-headed decisions that cost the Longhorns against Iowa State on Friday, I think the Texas administration has seen enough too and will make a change at the end of the season. Herman’s decision to run a fake punt that led to three points for Iowa State and electing to bypass a field goal that would have extended their lead to seven with eight minutes to go backfired as the Cyclones won by three after Texas missed a 57-yard field goal in the closing seconds.

Herman has been better than his predecessor Charlie Strong, but when his quarterback Sam Ehlinger failed to give him a ringing endorsement after the loss, it signaled the end was nigh for Herman.

As for who could replace Herman in Austin, it could be the guy who beat him on Friday, Matt Campbell, who turned Iowa State into a Big 12 contender and owns wins over Oklahoma and Texas, which is basically a miracle for that program. Campbell will have a lot of options, which could include Michigan and the NFL, but don’t be surprised if Texas is near the top of his picks.

Outside of Campbell, Urban Meyer is the ultimate prayer for Texas, who has the type of cache that could lure the three-time national champion out of retirement, but I’m not so sure Meyer is willing to walk away from his FOX gig for the unrealistic expectations at Texas.

College Football Playoff predictions

The second batch of playoff rankings come out Tuesday night and I don’t think we’ll see any changes from the first. I expect we’ll see Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State occupying the four spots. Texas A&M, Florida and Cincinnati will come in the three spots behind them just as they did last week too. There won’t be much drama this week, but there will be in the coming weeks depending on what happens with Ohio State as outlined above.

Heisman watch

Lawrence returned to remind everyone of his talent, and if not for the missed games due to COVID, he would be my front-runner for the Heisman. Alas, you can’t overlook the missed time and that’s why Kyle Trask remains my pick to win the Heisman. Alabama’s Mac Jones is on his heels and could surpass Trask if he leads Alabama to a win over his Gators in the SEC Championship Game.

If Lawrence has a few more 400-yard games and leads Clemson to a convincing win over Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game, he could make a late run for the Trophy and become the first player in Clemson history to win. I’ve dropped Justin Fields out of the top four after his three interceptions vs. Indiana and not having a game to rebound. I think it’s too late for him to get back into the mix. I’m adding Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book because his recent tear has been impossible to overlook and he is deserving of some recognition, even if I admit he has no chance of actually winning the Heisman.

1. Kyle Trask, Florida, QB

2. Mac Jones, Alabama, QB

3. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, QB

4. Najee Harris, Alabama, RB

5. Ian Book, Notre Dame, QB

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