Ohio State and Michigan
Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 30, as the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 13-10 in Columbus, Ohio. “The Game,” as it is called, is one of the most heated rivalries in college football. Michigan has beaten the Buckeyes the past three years, but this year, Ohio State was favored by three touchdowns and poised to finally end the streak. Since their national championship win last season, Michigan has struggled. With many quarterback changes this season, they have gone 6-5 going into the game. At the same time, Ohio State was lauded as one of the most talented teams in college football, only having lost to No. 1 Oregon at Oregon. Nevertheless, Michigan held Ohio State to 10 points and won, extending their streak to four games. The loss puts Ohio State out of the Big Ten championship game. After the game, Michigan players planted their “Block M” flag on the Ohio State logo, and a brawl ensued. Police got involved in stopping the brawl and resorted to using pepper spray on the college athletes. There is an investigation into the scuffle and the use of pepper spray.
Georgia and Georgia Tech
No. 7 Georgia survived eight overtimes over their rival Georgia Tech in Athens, Ga. The game of “clean, old fashioned hate” was a thriller. The Georgia Bulldogs have long dominated the rivalry, so it was a shock when they were down 17-0 at halftime. Georgia Tech was coming from a big win against No. 4 Miami two weeks prior. With just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech had a comfortable 27-13 lead over the Bulldogs. But after some big plays and a turnover, Georgia ties the game. In college football games, after the third overtime, it becomes a two-point conversion shootout. After roughly four and a half hours and eight overtimes later, making the game the longest in SEC history and the second longest in college football history, Georgia beat Georgia Tech 44-42.
SEC Championship
In a rematch from earlier in the season, the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs beat the No. 2 Texas Longhorns for the second time this season. In a low-scoring first half, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck went down with an arm injury, ruling him out for the rest of the game. Backup quarterback Gunner Stockton, a redshirt sophomore, came in to rally the Bulldogs to an SEC championship. Stockton and star running back Trevor Etienne did enough to keep Georgia alive. With 18 seconds left, Texas kicked a field goal to send the game to overtime for the first time in SEC championship history. Georgia scored a touchdown in overtime to win the game 22-19, clinching a first-round bye in the playoffs. Texas dropped to No. 5 and will have a home game in the first round.
ACC Championship
The ACC Championship was between Southern Methodist University and Clemson. Clemson’s season was in shambles when they lost to their rival No. 15 South Carolina. But Syracuse’s 21-point comeback win against No. 6 Miami gave Clemson the ACC championship berth. A win over SMU was Clemson’s only hope of making the playoffs. SMU is hoping to clinch a first-round bye with a win. Clemson got an early lead of 14-0 and went into halftime with a 17-point lead. However, in the fourth quarter, SMU made a 17-point run to tie the game. But Clemson made a 56-yard field goal as time expired to win the ACC and punch a ticket to the playoffs. Clemson is ranked No. 12 and will play Texas. SMU pushed No. 11 Alabama out of the final at-large playoff spot and will play No. 6 Penn State.
Other Highlights
No. 1. Oregon beat No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten Championship to get a first-round bye in the playoffs. Penn State dropped to No. 6 and will face No. 11 SMU.
No. 15 Arizona State beat No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship, securing the fourth seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
No. 16 Boise State beat No. 20 University of Las Vegas in the Mountain West Championship, securing the third seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
All rankings and scores are current as of Tuesday, Dec. 10.
