Image Source: Trent Nelson / Associated Press
Utah vs USC: The stakes of the last weekend of college football are over the roof.
The college football playoffs have genuine drama. Having lost to the No. 11 Utah Utes in the Pac-12 Championship Game, the No. 4 USC Trojans are now eliminated from postseason play. The remaining top four teams need to win on Saturday to guarantee or strengthen their positions, while two heavy hitters wait in the wings to potentially leapfrog them into the semifinals.
The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs take on the 14th-ranked LSU Tigers in the SEC championship game. Big Ten championship game between No. 2 Michigan Wolverines and No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers. Big 12 title game pits No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs against No. 10 Kansas State Wildcats.
If anything happens in Atlanta, the Bulldogs are very certainly already guaranteed a playoff spot. The loss to USC is a win for the Ohio State Buckeyes. In the most recent poll, Ohio State ranked fifth. The No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide would be right back in the competition if they committed any more mistakes.
The best plays, most memorable moments, and key playoff takeaways from the last weekend are detailed below.
No. 4 USC’s loss to Utah in the Pac-12 title game on Friday night means the No. 5 Buckeyes (11-2) will likely move up into the top four teams in the country on Selection Sunday. The committee will defend the decision by pointing to Ohio State’s victories over Penn State and Notre Dame and by noting that the Buckeyes’ lone setback came at the hands of a top-four team in Michigan.
The fifth position was crucial because No. 6 Alabama jumping above Ohio State with two losses is highly improbable and unexpected. The Buckeyes will keep their lead over the Tide, and the most the Tide can hope for is a blowout loss by unbeaten TCU against K-State in the Big 12 championship game
In a meeting room at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, the selection committee watched USC’s Friday night collapse, a disappointing ending for the Pac-12. Utah, the conference champion, has three losses, so the committee will not award them with a top-four finish. Especially after losing twice to the same team, USC’s defense isn’t good enough to justify a second-place finish in the Pac-12. The league can only go as high as Utah’s expected Rose Bowl appearance.
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For the majority of the second half, Caleb Williams has been clearly hurt, as he has been limping and favoring his left leg. The USC quarterback has not looked like himself since his huge run in the first quarter, and it is unknown if he was injured. Williams has been stuck in the pocket and has not been throwing with his usual velocity and accuracy. Also on the sidelines, the 20-year-old quarterback has been seen pedaling a stationary bike, but he is continuing to play.
Caleb Williams is doing his show in Sin City. The Heisman favorite picked up precisely where he left off against Notre Dame on Friday night in the conference championship game. Williams scored the first points of the game on a 10-yard dash, converted a fourth-and-short play on his own, and then threw a 50-yard rainbow to Tahj Washington off his springing back foot.
Later in the game, he outdid himself by keeping the ball on a fake handoff, juking out one defender before stiff-arming another and racing 59 yards for a touchdown. Williams was so winded after his sprint that he had to accept a delay of game penalty on the play after it. It didn’t matter since a few plays later Williams threw a touchdown pass to Raleek Brown in the end zone.
Williams had 239 total yards and two touchdowns at the break. Despite his impressive numbers and career achievements, USC still trails. At that point in the second quarter, the Utes replied with two scoring drives. To quote: Paolo Uggetti.
After USC’s first drive, Utah settled for a field goal. Williams ran for 59 yards while avoiding numerous tacklers and then threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Raleek Brown.
The Trojans’ first touchdown was aided by a spectacular play. Williams was responsible for 70 of the 75 yards gained in the touchdown drive.
Utah vs USC highlights Click Here
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