It was all alleged to be really easy heading into convention championship week.
USC beats Utah within the Pac-12 title sport on Friday to clinch a spot within the Faculty Soccer Playoff and TCU follows go well with on Saturday within the Massive 12 championship towards Kansas State. Effectively, not really easy.
As a substitute, the Trojans misplaced a second time this season to the Utes, this time to the tune of 47-24, whereas the Horned Frogs’ newest comeback in a season stuffed with them fell quick in additional time towards the Wildcats. The pair of losses now throw a as soon as pristine playoff image into uncertainty as Ohio State and Alabama — each idle on championship weekend — wait within the wings.
In contrast to what have been alleged to be fellow playoff opponents, Georgia and Michigan each took care of enterprise in various levels of style. The Bulldogs as soon as once more beat up on a ranked SEC opponent (LSU, 50-30) to assert the convention title. The Wolverines took be aware and put collectively a strong second half towards Purdue to win their second straight Massive Ten crown.
Elsewhere, Tulane and UTSA received the AAC and Convention USA titles, respectively, and Clemson returned backed to the ACC mountaintop with one more convention title beneath Dabo Swinney.
The motion wasn’t fairly predictable this weekend and neither are the ultimate set of school soccer Energy Rankings in 2022.
On a chaotic convention championship weekend, Georgia left little question about why it is ranked No. 1. Dominating LSU 50-30 in Atlanta and profitable the SEC championship, it felt like a press release sport by the Bulldogs heading into the Faculty Soccer Playoff. The protection smothered Jayden Daniels and Co.; Jalen Carter actually picked Daniels up with one hand; and the Georgia offense, led by Stetson Bennett, was its typical environment friendly self as Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey every scored touchdowns — Alex Scarborough
The Wolverines have been pushed by Purdue however claimed their second consecutive Massive Ten championship behind working again Donovan Edwards, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, cornerback Will Johnson and others. Life with out star working again Blake Corum has been manageable to this point for Michigan, as Edwards received championship sport MVP honors after speeding for 185 yards and a landing, together with a 60-yard sprint early within the second half. McCarthy threw three landing passes and created performs along with his ft, whereas Johnson doubled his season interceptions whole with two picks towards Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell. Michigan’s protection repeatedly turned Purdue away within the crimson zone to protect a lead and an ideal season.– Adam Rittenberg
The Horned Frogs’ comeback mojo ran out an inch quick within the Massive 12 championship, being stuffed on the aim line on consecutive performs in additional time earlier than Kansas State kicked the game-winning discipline aim.Max Dugganhad 251 go yards, 110 rush yards and a TD every passing and speeding, changing into the primary participant with 250 passing and 100 speeding in a convention championship sport sinceDeshaun Watsonin 2015. Duggan was crushed after the sport, disillusioned that he could not deliver a convention title to TCU. However the 12-1 Frogs nonetheless have an opportunity to change into the second workforce unranked within the preseason to make the Faculty Soccer Playoff, behind Michigan final 12 months. — Dave Wilson
The Buckeyes misplaced to Michigan within the remaining sport of the common season in a top-5 matchup and now the workforce waits to see if it might nonetheless make it into the playoffs. With chaos that ensued on Friday and Saturday with USC and TCU shedding, it gave Ohio State an excellent shot to maneuver again into the highest 4 regardless of not enjoying within the Massive Ten championship sport. Relying on the place the committee places Ohio State, it might give us an Ohio State-Michigan rematch within the semifinals, giving the Buckeyes a shot at exacting revenge. — Tom VanHaaren
The Vols far exceeded expectations in Yr 2 beneath Josh Heupel and received 10 video games within the common season for the primary time since 2003. They’re headed to their first New Yr’s Six bowl sport. However regardless of all of the firsts, the top of the season was a downer for the Vols. They have been embarrassed 63-38 by South Carolina on Nov. 19, a loss that value them a spot within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Even worse, star quarterback Hendon Hooker suffered a season-ending knee damage (ACL tear) in that rout. — Low
The Crimson Tide misplaced two regular-season video games for less than the fourth time since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007. Quarterback Bryce Young was sensational all season and performed via a shoulder damage. His receiving corps wasn’t dynamic, and Alabama gave up a complete of 84 factors on protection in its two losses to Tennessee and LSU. It was near being a particular season for the Tide, whose two losses got here on the ultimate play of the video games, each on the street. Nevertheless it might have additionally been a mediocre season. Alabama received two video games towards Texas and Texas A&M that have been selected the sport’s remaining play.– Chris Low
The Utes ended their season by making the largest assertion potential. Kyle Whittingham’s workforce beat No. 4 USC and its Heisman candidateCaleb Williamsnot simply twice in the identical season, however in dominating style that gave the Utes their second straight Pac-12 championship. Nothing this season was straightforward for the Utes, who handled accidents and a troublesome opening loss to Florida in addition to being usually missed in comparison with their fellow Pac-12 groups. However as Cameron Rising put it after the sport on Friday evening, Utah used all of these components to its benefit and cast its method again to Pasadena for an additional Rose Bowl look. — PaoloUggetti
After DJ Uiagalelei struggled on his first two drives within the ACC Championship Recreation towards North Carolina, coach Dabo Swinney turned to Cade Klubnik for the rest of the sport, main the Tigers to their seventh ACC title in eight years in a 39-10 victory. The efficiency will need to have had some Clemson followers scratching their heads about why Swinney didn’t make the identical resolution every week in the past, when Uiagalelei struggled in a loss to South Carolina. Although there’s not going to be a playoff look this 12 months, the Tigers actually performed like a playoff workforce within the victory. Not solely did Klubnik play properly, the protection slowed down ACC Participant of the Yr Drake Maye and the Tar Heels offense, pressuring him into many errors, together with a 98-yard pick-6 byNate Wiggins that primarily sealed the win.– Andrea Adelson
It is unimaginable to explain Lincoln Riley’s debut season at USC as something however successful. The Trojans went 11-2 a 12 months after going 4-8 and had a professional shot at making the Faculty Soccer Playoff. But the truth that they have been a sport away from profitable the convention and being one of many top-4 groups within the nation and could not get previous Utah twice this season will undoubtedly go away a nasty style lingering into the offseason. The excellent news for USC is that the Riley period is simply starting, and extra importantly, Caleb Williams shall be again subsequent season. — Uggetti
The Nittany Lions ended their common season on a four-game win streak after beating Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan State. The workforce ended with a 10-2 file after shedding to Michigan and Ohio State, but it surely was an unlimited enchancment on the 7-6 file Penn State had in 2021. Penn State noticed some positives for the longer term as properly with freshmen working backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who have been the No. 1 and a couple of rushers on the workforce, combining for 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns. The offense additionally has freshman quarterback Drew Allar, who received some expertise in mop-up responsibility all through the season. Whereas there have been two losses, Penn State can take plenty of positives away from this season. — VanHaaren
A dramatic goal-line stand, a gradual dose of Deuce Vaughn and a protection that harassed TCU quarterback Max Duggan helped deliver Okay-State its third Massive 12 title. The Wildcats clamped down on Duggan on third down, the place he went 2 for 10 for 21 yards with an interception and a sack. Okay-State ran for 205 yards, the second-most of any workforce towards TCU this 12 months, with Vaughn (130 yards) breaking off a 44-yard TD run within the fourth quarter that stored TCU on the ropes. The Wildcats withstood one other Horned Frogs rally, seeing their 11-point lead evaporate, however stopped Kendre Miller on third and fourth down from the 1 in additional time earlier than kicking the walk-off discipline aim to assert the title and a historic season. Chris Klieman grew to become the primary coach apart from Invoice Snyder to win 10 video games at Okay-State since 1910. — Wilson
Kalen DeBoer’s workforce helped Utah get to the Pac-12 title sport with its late-season surge that included wins over Oregon State, Oregon and Washington State. The Huskies then watched Friday evening as Utah thumped USC to clinch a Rose Bowl spot that seemingly would have gone to Washington if the Trojans had received. Nonetheless, the Huskies proceed to indulge in an distinctive first season beneath DeBoer, who reshaped the offense behind quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and can contend for nationwide teaching honors. Washington seemingly will fall to the Alamo Bowl, the place it is going to attempt to win 11 video games for the primary time since its CFP season of 2016. — Rittenberg
The Seminoles have an opportunity to win 10 video games for the primary time since 2016, a outstanding turnaround for a workforce that received eight mixed video games over the previous two seasons. The Seminoles did it with the most effective speeding offense within the ACC and the emergence of quarterback Jordan Travis, who earned second-team All-ACC honors after gaining 3,163 yards and scoring 30 touchdowns. Florida State has already begun its bowl practices with some excellent news — All-ACC gamers Jared Verse and Jammie Robinson mentioned they deliberate to play within the bowl sport.– Adelson
Tyjae Spears wasn’t going to permit his workforce to be denied on Saturday as Tulane captured its first convention championship since 1998 (Convention USA) — the final 12 months it received a minimum of 11 video games (12-0). Spears, the Inexperienced Wave’s junior standout, ran for a season excessive 199 yards, going over the 120-yard mark for one more week. Junior QB Michael Pratt accounted for 442 yards (394 passing) and 5 touchdowns (4 passing). Pratt linked with 9 totally different receivers because the offense racked up a season excessive 648 whole yards — a efficiency that noticed two receivers go over the 100-yard mark (Duece Watts, 134 yards, one TD; Shae Wyatt, 110 yards, two TDs). Tulane’s protection, in the meantime, complemented issues by being relentless all day lengthy, piling up six sacks. The Inexperienced Wave will seemingly be headed to the Cotton Bowl because the Group of 5’s consultant within the New Yr’s Six. — Baumgartner
Oregon State completed the season at 9-3 with losses to USC, Utah and Washington, all leaders of the convention. The workforce completed the season on a excessive be aware, beating in-state rival Oregon 38-34. Quarterback Ben Gulbranson completed with 1,290 go yards and eight touchdowns with 5 interceptions in 9 video games, whereas Chance Nolan had 939 yards and 7 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 5 video games. The protection was led by Omar Speights and Kitan Oladapo, who mixed for 152 whole tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and a couple of.5 sacks on the season. — VanHaaren
It was a what-if season for the Geese, who not solely had alternatives to play within the Pac-12 title sport, but additionally, at one level, have been in line to have a shot on the playoff too. As a substitute, Dan Lanning’s first season as Oregon head coach ended on a bitter be aware: back-to-back losses to the varsity’s two primary rivals. There is not any actual purpose for fear in Eugene, however given the expertise the Geese have coming subsequent season and past, in addition to the truth that USC and UCLA are Massive Ten certain in 2024, Lanning goes to be anticipated to do higher than he did in his debut season. — Uggetti
The Tigers went out with a whimper. Brian Kelly did a masterful job in his first season, overhauling a roster that went 6-7 final season, beating Alabama, profitable the West and competing for the SEC championship. However a lopsided loss to Georgia, on the heels of a humiliating loss at Texas A&M, stings. And it alerts how a lot additional this program has to go beneath Kelly to actually compete for a spot within the playoff. — Scarborough
If this was the top of an period in Westwood with quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson lastly utilizing all of his eligibility, it was a powerful solution to exit. DTR had the most effective season of his faculty profession and UCLA remained undefeated deep into the 12 months. It was lastly a season that felt consultant of what the Bruins anticipated after they employed Chip Kelly. But, there was nonetheless some disappointment provided that they may not beat Oregon and rival USC to achieve the Pac-12 title sport or the Rose Bowl. UCLA now seems towards subsequent 12 months in the hunt for not only a new quarterback however a brand new period that will not take as lengthy to pay dividends because the final one. —Uggetti
Speak about saving your greatest for final. The Gamecocks beat a pair of top-10 groups within the remaining two weeks of the season — Tennessee and in-state rival Clemson — to place themselves in nice form to play someplace in Florida of their bowl sport. Second-year coach Shane Beamer did a terrific job of getting his workforce again up after ugly losses to Georgia and Florida. Quarterback Spencer Rattler was at his greatest within the wins over Tennessee and Clemson. He accounted for 9 touchdowns, together with eight scoring passes. That is after throwing simply eight touchdowns within the earlier 10 video games. — Low
At one level or one other, Notre Dame was good at every little thing in Marcus Freeman’s first season in cost. Logan Diggs and Audric Estime rushed for over 1,500 yards, tight finish Michael Mayer caught a bunch of passes, the protection stopped the go as a rule and the particular groups unit blocked a bunch of punts. However the arrows solely briefly all pointed in the correct path directly. The Irish started the season 3-3 with losses to Marshall (dangerous) and Stanford (worse), and after a five-game win streak that included a romp over Clemson, they could not throw a lot of a scare into USC and completed 8-4. Freeman is aggressively making an attempt to improve the roster expertise; we’ll see if he can get the Irish again to a top-15 stage in 2023. — Connelly
The Longhorns’ temporary week as Kansas followers resulted in disappointment as Texas wanted the Jayhawks to knock off Kansas State to provide Texas a spot within the Massive 12 championship sport. Now, after lacking a bowl sport final 12 months in Steve Sarkisian’s first season in Austin, the 8-4 Longhorns, in what may very well be Bijan Robinson‘s final sport in burnt orange, will look to reap the benefits of the additional practices with an eye fixed towards making a push in 2023. — Wilson
Perhaps it wasn’t precisely the common season Mike Leach and the Bulldogs have been hoping for, but it surely was strong. Their solely losses have been to SEC West champ LSU, SEC champ Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky. They usually recovered from shedding three of 4 video games in the course of the schedule to shut out the common season with back-to-back wins towards East Tennessee State and in-state rival Ole Miss. With a strong protection in place and Will Rogers anticipated again, the longer term is shiny in Starkville. — Scarborough
Coastal Carolina returned Grayson McCall and head coach Jamey Chadwell. Appalachian State had Chase Brice and a loaded roster. Louisiana nonetheless had fairly a couple of big-time athletes from final 12 months’s Solar Belt championship squad. Georgia State was athletic and bodily. Newcomer Marshall had large ambitions. The Solar Belt appeared loaded heading into 2022, however who received the convention on Saturday afternoon? Not one of the groups above. As a substitute, Troy moved to 11-2 by scoring 31 factors within the first 20 minutes towards Coastal and cruising to a 45-26 romp in entrance of a thrilled residence crowd of 21,554. Gunnar Watson wanted solely 12 completions to throw for 318 yards and three scores, and the Trojans earned a hoop in Jon Sumrall’s first season in cost.– Connelly
Jeff Traylor has not wasted time. He took over a 4-8 program, improved it to 7-5 in 2020 and has gone 23-4 since. His Roadrunners received their first Convention USA title final fall, then repeated on Friday evening with a snug 48-27 victory over North Texas within the Alamodome. Down 10-7 within the second quarter, they seized management with a 24-3 run, then pulled away within the fourth quarter with Frank Harris‘ third and fourth landing passes of the evening. Harris went 32 for 37 for 341 yards, Zakhari Franklin had 144 receiving yards and three scores and Kevorian Barnes rushed for 175 yards as properly. This program has peaked simply in time to go to the AAC subsequent fall. — Connelly
The Wolfpack harbored ACC title hopes coming into this season with junior quarterback Devin Leary returning. However a loss to Clemson and the actual fact Leary (1,265 passing yards, 11 touchdowns), the convention’s preseason participant of the 12 months, was restricted to 6 video games due to a torn pectoral doomed these hopes. Sophomore cornerback Aydan White (33 solo tackles, 4 interceptions) and fifth-year senior kicker Christopher Dunn (24 of 25 FGs; 102 factors) earned first-team All-ACC honors. A 30-27 double-overtime victory in Chapel Hill concluded the common season on be aware as NC State received a minimum of eight video games for a 3rd straight season. — Baumgartner
