TWIF Notes 11-28-22
Welcome Back!
Well, well, well, wouldn't you say that Rivalry Week lived up to everything you dreamed it would? (Unless you root for one of the teams that lost, of course.) There were late game heroics, missed FGs, 5 games that went into overtime (2 that ended with the same 51-48 score!), and some very surprising results, not necessarily in who won (though there were plenty of those surprises), but sometimes in how they won. Oh, and the SEC went 3-1 against the ACC in their annual rivalry games!
This week, I will mostly just be giving scores, and commenting on their final regular season record and what's next for each team.
Let's get to the recaps!
FBS vs FBS Games
Miami, Oh scored the final 15 points, 12 points in the last quarter to defeat Ball State 18-17. The Redhawks scored a TD with 1:42 left to become bowl eligible at 6-6, and tied for 4th in the MAC East. The Cardinals are 5-7, and tied for 4th in MAC West. The Redhawks will be playing UAB in the Bahamas Bowl on Dec 16.
Ohio clinched the MAC East with a 38-14 victory over Bowling Green. The Bobcats are 9-3 and the Falcons are 6-6 and in 2nd in the East.
Mississippi State upset Ole Miss 24-22 when the Rebels' potential game-tying 2-pt try failed after they scored a TD with 1:25 left. Both teams finish 8-4 and tied for 3rd in the SEC West at 4-4.
Tulane clinched home field advantage in the AAC Championship Game with a 27-24 win over Cincinnati. The loss ended the Bearcats' 32-game home winning streak. The win for the Green Wave could put them in their 1st major bowl game since the 1940 Sugar Bowl, if they are able to defeat UCF in the rematch in the AACCG. Tulane is 10-2 and Cincinnati is 9-3 and tied for 2nd. UC HC Luke Fickell has resigned to take the same position at Wisconsin.
Texas bested Baylor 38-27. The Longhorns are 8-4, finishing all alone in 3rd in the Big 12, and the Bears are 6-6, and in a tie for 5th.
Boise State routed Utah State 42-23. The Broncos, 9-3, will host Fresno State for the MWC Championship Game. The Aggies finish 6-6 and tied for 2nd in the MWC Mountain.
Eastern Michigan doubled up Central Michigan in the 38-19 win. The Eagles are 8-4, their most wins since they went 10-2 in 1987, and their 5 MAC win were their most since they also went 5-3 in 2018, as they finished in a tie for 1st in the MAC West. The Chippewas are 4-8, and in a tie for 4th in the West.
Western Michigan stunned Toledo 20-14. The Broncos are 5-7 and in 3rd place in the MAC West. The Rockets are 7-5 and stumbling into the MAC Championship Game, losing their last 2.
Arizona outlasted Arizona State 38-35 to win the Territorial Cup. The Wildcats are 5-7 and in 8th place in the Pac 12. The Sun Devils are 3-9 and in a tie for 9th. Washington OC Kenny Dillingham has been hired as the new HC at ASU.
NC State defeated North Carolina 30-27 in 2 overtimes when the UNC kicker missed a FG in the 2nd OT. The Tar Heels finish 9-3, but are limping into the ACC Championship Game off of 2 straight losses. The Wolfpack are 8-4 and in a tie for 3rd in the ACC Atlantic.
Missouri held off Arkansas 29-27 to become bowl eligible at 6-6, and finish in a tie for 4th in the SEC East. The Razorbacks are also 6-6, but are all alone in 5th in the SEC West.
Colorado State shut out New Mexico 17-0. The Rams are 3-9 and the Lobos are 2-10. CSU finishes 5th and UNM 6th in the MWC Mountain.
Nebraska upset Iowa 24-17 to deny the Hawkeyes the Big Ten West title. Instead, Iowa finishes 7-5 and in a tie for 2nd. The Cornhuskers are 4-8 and in 6th in the West, and just hired former Baylor and Temple coach Matt Rhule to be their head coach.
UCLA squeaked by California 35-28. The Bruins are 9-3 and end up in a tie for 5th. The Golden Bears are 4-8, and in a tie for 9th.
FSU scored a TD with 4:06 left to ease by Florida 45-38. The Seminoles are 9-3 and finish 2nd in the ACC Atlantic. The Gators are 6-6 and end up tied for 4th in the SEC East.
Fresno State stomped Wyoming 30-0. The Bulldogs are 8-4 and will travel to Boise to take on the Broncos in the MWC Championship Game. The Cowboys are 7-5 and tied for 2nd in the MWC Mountain.
Georgia started slow but ended up pounding Georgia Tech 37-14 to claim the Governor's Cup. The Bulldogs are 12-0 and headed to the SEC Championship Game, and likely to the CFP, win or lose. The Yellow Jackets are 5-7, and in 4th place in the ACC Coastal.
Michigan dominated Ohio State, especially in the 2nd half, to win 45-23. The Wolverines will play in the Big Ten Championship Game for the 2nd straight year, this time against Purdue, and like UGA, is likely in the CFP, win or lose. The Buckeyes are 11-1, in 2nd in the Big Ten East, and hoping USC loses in the Pac 12 CG so that they can get back into the CFP conversation. Maybe...
South Carolina scored the final 10 points to escape Clemson 31-30, probably ending any hopes the Tigers had of making the CFP. Clemson moves on to face UNC in the ACC Championship Game, but even a win there doesn't help much, as the Heels have 3 losses, including 2 in their last 2 games. The Gamecocks are 8-4 and in 3rd in the SEC East, and their win broke Clemson's 40-game home winning streak.
West Virginia surprised Oklahoma State 24-19. The Mountaineers are 5-7 and tied for 7th in the Big 12. The Cowboys are 7-5, losing 4 of their last 5, and in a tie for 5th.
Army blasted UMass 44-7. The Black Knights are 5-6 with one game- Navy- still to play, but because they played 2 FCS teams, need 7 wins to become bowl eligible. The Minutemen are 1-11 with no wins against FBS teams, and they have now lost 16 straight FBS games, and 31 of their last 32, and 43 of their last 48. In all games they are 6-47 over their last 53 games.
New Mexico State crunched Liberty 49-14. The Aggies are 5-6, needing 1 more win to become bowl eligible, but their game against San Jose State, postponed from Oct 22, has not been rescheduled, as of this writing. The Flames are 8-4, but have lost their last 3. LU HC Hugh Freeze has resigned to take the job at Auburn, and so returns to the SEC.
Maryland stomped Rutgers 37-0. The Terrapins finish 7-5 and in 4th in the Big Ten East. The Scarlet Knights were 4-8, and in last in the East.
James Madison crushed Coastal Carolina 47-7. The Dukes are 8-3, and though ineligible for titles or postseason play, finish in a tie for 1st in the Sun Belt East. The Chanticleers are 9-2, and will play Troy in the SBC Championship Game.
South Alabama outscored ODU 14-0 in the 2nd half to win 27-20. The Jaguars are 10-2, their best record ever, and finished tied for 1st in the Sun Belt West. The Monarchs are 3-9, and last in the SBC East.
Marshall eked by Georgia State 28-23. The Thundering Herd are 8-4, and 3rd in the SBC East. The Panthers are a very disappointing 4-8, and tied for 4th in the East.
WKU won 32-31 over FAU in overtime when the Hilltoppers went for 2 and were successful. WKU is 8-5 and tied for 2nd in CUSA. The Owls, who fired HC Willie Taggart on Sunday, is 5-7 and tied for 4th.
East Carolina won a back-and-forth affair over Temple 49-46. The Pirates are 7-5 for the 2nd year in a row, and finish in a tie for 6th in the AAC. The Owls are 3-9 for the 2nd year in a row, and in 10th.
Kent State scored the final 14 points of regulation, then got a TD in overtime after Buffalo kicked a FG to win 30-27. The Golden Flashes are 5-7, and in a tie for 4th in the MAC East. The Bulls are 5-6, and in 3rd in the East, but a win against Akron on Friday could move them into a tie for 2nd, as well as get them bowl eligible.
Akron romped over Northern Illinois 44-12 to earn their 1st FBS victory of the year. The Zips are 2-9, and will finish in last in the MAC East regardless of whether they beat Buffalo on Friday or not. The Huskies are 3-9 just 1 year after winning the MAC title, going from 1st to worst in the MAC West.
North Texas squeezed by Rice by a score of 21-17. The win puts the Mean Green in the CUSA Championship Game as they are 7-5 and tied for 2nd in CUSA. The Owls are 5-7 and tied for 7th, but their 5 wins is the most they've had since they also went 5-7 back in 2015.
Kentucky slapped Louisville 26-13 to win the Governor's Cup. The Wildcats are 7-5 and tied for 4th in the SEC East. The Cardinals are also 7-5, and tied for 3rd in the ACC Atlantic.
Troy demolished Arkansas State 48-19. The Trojans will host CCU in the Sun Belt Championship game on Saturday. The Red Wolves are 3-9 and in last in the SBC West.
Alabama pasted Auburn 49-27, a game in which the Tigers kicked FGs when they were down by 28 and by 25 in the 4th quarter. The War Eagles finish 5-7 and tied for last place in the SEC West. The Crimson Tide finishes 10-2 and tied for 1st. Auburn has just hired Liberty's Hugh Freeze to be their head coach.
Oregon State had a stirring comeback to defeat rival Oregon 38-34. The Ducks led 31-10 with less than 3 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, but a series of mistakes by the Ducks- and brilliant play by the Beavers- led to the upset, and to Oregon being knocked out of the Pac 12 Championship Game. Somehow, the Beavers won even though they threw for only 60 yards, were outgained 470-328, and lost the turnover margin 3-0, but OU was 0-5 on 4th downs. Both teams finish 9-3, but OU finishes tied for 2nd, and OSU tied for 5th. The 9 wins by the Beavers are the most since they went 9-4 in 2012.
Illinois crushed Northwestern 41-3. The Fighting Illini are 8-4, have more wins than in their last 2 seasons combined, and have their most wins since they went 9-4 in 2007. They finish tied for 2nd in the Big Ten West. The Wildcats are 1-11 and in last place in the West, their worst season since they went 0-11 in 1989 under Francis Peay (before Pat Fitzgerald, before Randy Walker, before Gary Barnett...).
Minnesota claimed Paul Bunyon's Axe by beating Wisconsin 23-16. The Golden Gophers are 8-4 and tied for 2nd in the Big Ten West. The Badgers, who just hired Cincinnati HC Luke Fickell to be their head coach, is 6-6 and in 5th place.
Purdue clinched the Big Ten West with a 30-16 victory over Indiana. The Boilermakers, 8-4, will face Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game, playing for its 1st championship since 2000, when Drew Brees was a senior. Indiana is 4-8 and in 6th place in the Big Ten East.
Duke scored a TD with 2:04 left to defeat Wake Forest 34-31. The Blue Devils finish 8-4 and in a tie for 2nd in the ACC Coastal. The Demon Deacons are 7-5 and in 6th place in the ACC Atlantic, surely a disappointing end to a season that started with such promise.
San Jose State cruised past Hawaii 27-14. The Spartans are 7-4 and tied for 2nd in the MWC West. They've played 1 less game because their game with New Mexico State was postponed, but hasn't been rescheduled (and may not be). The Rainbow Warriors are 3-10, and in 5th place in the West.
SMU blunted a Memphis comeback attempt by intercepting a pass in the end zone with just seconds left in a 34-31 win. The Tigers had an opportunity to kick the tying FG, but were trying to win the game with a TD. The Mustangs are 7-5, and tied for 4th in the AAC. The Tigers are 6-6 and tied for 8th.
UAB soared past La Tech 37-27. The Blazers are 6-6 and became bowl eligible with the win, though they end up in a tie for 4th, a disappointing finish based on preseason expectations. But those may have been a little unrealistic, considering HC Bill Clark stepped down just before the season started, and they've been playing under interim HC Bryant Vincent all year. The Bulldogs are 3-9 and in a tie for last place. UAB will be playing in the Bahamas Bowl against Miami, Ohio on Dec 16.
UTSA fell behind 24-0, then roared back for the 34-31 win over UTEP and deny the Miners an opportunity for a bowl. The Roadrunners kicked a FG with 7 seconds left to secure the win, and they'll be playing North Texas in the CUSA Championship Game, trying to become the 1st repeat champion since WKU in 2015-16. The Miners are 5-7, and tied for 7th in CUSA. UTSA is 10-2, their 2nd consecutive year with 10+ wins.
TCU obliterated Iowa State 62-14. The Horned Frogs, 12-0, are just the 2nd conference team to go 9-0 since the league went to a round robin format in 2011. They will have a rematch with Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game this weekend. The Cyclones finish a miserable 4-8 and in last place, far below everyone's expectations.
Penn State routed Michigan State 35-16. The Nittany Lions are 10-2, their 1st double-digit win season since 2019, and are in 3rd place in the Big Ten East. The Spartans are 5-7, having been denied a bowl by losing their last 2 games, and they finish in 5th place in the East.
Utah destroyed Colorado 63-21. The Utes are 9-3, tied for 2nd in the Pac 12, and will have a rematch against USC in the Pac 12 Championship Game. The Buffaloes are 1-11 and tied for last place.
Southern Miss became bowl eligible with a 20-10 victory over ULM. The Golden Eagles are 6-6 and tied for 3rd in the SBC West. The Warhawks are 4-8 and in 5th place in the West.
Louisiana slaughtered Texas State 41-13 to become bowl eligible. The Ragin' Cajuns are 6-6 and tied for 3rd in the SBC West. The Bobcats are 4-8, in 6th place in the West, and just fired HC Jake Spavital on Sunday.
UNLV broke their 6-game losing streak with a 27-22 win over rival Nevada. The Rebels are 5-7 and in 4th place in the MWC West. The Wolf Pack is 2-10, losing their last 10, and in last in the West. UNLV fired HC Marcus Arroyo earlier today, despite the Rebels improving from 0 to 2 to 5 wins over his 3 years. He finishes with a 7-23 record
Georgia Southern needed 2 overtimes, but won when it scored a TD after Appalachian State kicked a FG. The Eagles are 6-6 and bowl eligible, and end up tied for 4th in the SBC East. The Mountaineers are also 6-6 and tied for 4th in the East, but they are not bowl eligible because they played 2 FCS teams, and so needed to get to 7 wins.
Middle Tennessee built a big lead, fell behind, then scored a late TD to defeat FIU 33-28. The Blue Raiders are 7-5 and tied for 4th in CUSA. The Panthers are 4-8, losing their last 4, and ended up tied for last. MTSU will play San Diego State in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec 24.
Texas A&M blew the doors off of LSU, winning 38-23 in one of the more surprising results of the day, especially since the Aggies hadn't scored that many points in over a year, and the Tigers had given up that many points just once all year. TAMU finishes 5-7 and tied for last in the SEC West. The Bayou Bengals are 9-3 and headed to the SEC Championship Game to face undefeated Georgia.
UCF struggled to get by USF 46-39, needing a TD with 20 seconds left (and a 2-point conversion) to get the 7-point win. The Knights, 9-3, finish in a tie for 2nd in the AAC and will have a rematch at Tulane in the AAC Championship Game. The Bulls are 1-11, their fewest wins since they were 1-8 in 2020, and their worst record ever at the FBS level. They finished last in the AAC, and have fired HC Jeff Scott after 3 seasons and a 4-29 record.
Tennessee wiped out Vanderbilt 56-0. The Volunteers are 10-2, their most wins since going 10-4 in 2007, and they finish in 2nd place in the SEC East. The Commodores are 5-7, falling just short of bowl eligibility, and end up in last place in the East. Again. However, Vandy had their most overall and conference wins since 2018.
USC defeated Notre Dame 38-27 in a game that was not as close as the score might indicate, as the Trojans were in control all night. USC is 11-1, their 1st 11-win season since 2017, and they get a rematch with Utah in the Pac 12 Championship Game, but this time it will be at a neutral site instead of in Salt Lake City. The Fighting Irish are 8-4, a much better finish than the results from their 1st 2 games may have indicated.
Texas Tech came back from a double-digit deficit, hitting the tying FG in the final seconds of regulation and then the winning FG in overtime in a 51-48 win over Oklahoma. The Sooners missed their FG try in OT as they had the ball 1st. The Red Raiders ended a 10-game losing streak to OU, beat Oklahoma and Texas in the same season for the 1st time ever, and ended up with a winning conference record for the 1st time since 2009, all in HC Joey McGuire's 1st season at the helm. TTU is 7-5 and in 4th place in the Big 12. The Sooners are 6-6 and tied for 7th.
Syracuse broke their 5-game losing streak in a 32-23 victory over Boston College. The Orange are 7-5 and tied for 3rd in the ACC Atlantic. The Eagles are 3-9 and last in the Atlantic.
Tulsa upset Houston 37-30. The Golden Hurricane are 5-7, in a tie for 8th, and despite the win, fired HC Philip Montgomery on Sunday. Montgomery was 43-53 over 8 years. The Cougars are 7-5, tied for 4th, and missed a chance to tie for 2nd.
Kansas State walloped Kansas 47-27. The Wildcats, 9-3, finish in 2nd in the Big 12, and will have a rematch against unbeaten TCU in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Jayhawks, 6-6, are tied for 7th. Kansas has their most wins since 2008, and their 6 wins tops their combined total from the last 3 seasons.
Pittsburgh dispatched Miami, Fl 42-16. The Panthers are 8-4 and tied for 2nd in the ACC Coastal. The Hurricanes are 5-7 and in 5th place.
Air Force slid by San Diego State 13-3. The Falcons are 9-3 and in a 2nd place tie in the MWC Mountain. The Aztecs are 7-5 and tied for 2nd in the West. SDSU will play Middle Tennessee in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec 24.
Washington won the Apple Cup with a 51-33 win over Washington State. The Huskies are 10-2, tied for 2nd in the Pac 12, and the 10 wins are more than any 1st year HC in UW history. The Cougars are 7-5 and in 7th place.
BYU eased by Stanford 35-26. The Cougars are 7-5. The Cardinal is 3-9, their 2nd straight 3-win season, and are tied for last in the Pac 12. HC David Shaw resigned immediately after the game.
Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!
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