No. 8 Alabama (11-1, 8-0 in SEC) plays Georgia (12-0, 8-0 in SEC) in the conference championship game next Saturday and will likely qualify for the CFP for the eighth time with a win.
Loser
Auburn:
The muffed punt. Fourth-and-forever. Saturday’s Iron Bowl is going to sting Auburn the entire offseason. The Tigers played well enough to win but Keionte Scott’s muffed punt with 4:48 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Crimson Tide life. Then, on the pivotal fourth down, head coach Hugh Freeze called a timeout only to decide it was a good idea to rush just three defenders, giving Milroe an eternity to find Bond in the end zone for the winning score. Freeze’s first Iron Bowl as Auburn head coach was nearly his signature win in Year 1; instead, it’s his most deflating loss.Â
Winner
Jayden Daniels: LSU (9-3, 6-2 in SEC) got another masterful performance by quarterback Daniels in the Tigers’ 42-30 win over Texas A&M (7-5, 4-4 in SEC). The fifth-year quarterback has made an ironclad case for the Heisman Trophy. No matter what Oregon quarterback Bo Nix or Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. do in the Pac-12 championship, Daniels should win the award on Dec. 9. On Saturday, he accounted for 335 total yards and four touchdowns against an Aggies defense that allowed 286.5 yards per game entering Week 13, eighth fewest in the country.
Loser
Oregon State: The last 24 hours have been a nightmare for the Beavers. On Friday night, they lost 31-7 to in-state rival No. 6 Oregon (11-1, 8-1 in Pac-12) in the last game between the two teams as conference foes. Then, on Saturday morning, Michigan State announced it had hired OSU head coach Jonathan Smith to the same position in East Lansing. The Beavers’ turnaround under Smith, particularly the past two seasons, has been one of the more remarkable in the sport. In the blink of an eye, No. 16 Oregon State (8-4, 5-4 in Pac-12) is back to square one.
Winner
Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II: The outstanding Cowboys running back made sure the Big 12’s worst-case scenario didn’t come to fruition, putting No. 20 Oklahoma State (9-3, 7-2 in Big 12) on his back by scoring five touchdowns in its 40-34 double overtime win against upset-minded BYU (5-7, 2-7 in Big 12). The Cougars entered as a 16.5-point underdog but led by 24-6 at the half before Gordon decided to run away with the game. He finished with 34 carries for 166 yards, giving him 1,580 rushing yards this season, the most in the country.
Loser
Nebraska:Â Did Matt Rhule have a non-refundable trip planned for December? That’s the only reason we can think of for why Nebraska went from 5-3 and a near lock to reach its first bowl game since 2016 to 5-7, extending the longest bowl drought in FBS. The Cornhuskers lost inexplicably to No. 17 Iowa (10-2, 7-2 in Big Ten) in their finale. They intercepted a pass from Hawkeyes quarterback Deacon Hill with 31 seconds remaining and still lost in regulation, 13-10, after Chubba Purdy was intercepted two plays later. During its season-ending four-game losing streak, Nebraska lost each game by one score, including three by a field goal. Hopefully, Rhule will send a postcard.
Winner
Rome Odunze: The Washington wideout reminded everyone why he’s in the conversation for best college football wide receiver in a 24-21 win in the Apple Cup against Washington State (5-7, 2-7 in Pac-12). Odunze had seven receptions, 120 yards and two touchdowns. He also gained 23 yards on a fourth-and-1 rush attempt from Washington’s own 29-yard line late in the fourth quarter that helped set up the winning field goal as time expired.