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Brad Shepard is the featured Columnist for College Football.
Mike Mulholland is a photographer.
Yes!
College football had a great weekend.
There were some great games between teams that do not like each other. The Big House was a hive of activity as Michigan defeated second-ranked Ohio State in "The Game" for the first time in four years.
Bedlam was an absolute beauty with Oklahoma State beating Oklahoma in another memorable game, and the Iron Bowl was a classic with Alabama surviving four overtimes.
Wake Forest secured a spot in the conference championship game, but Wisconsin missed out on a chance to play Michigan in the Big Ten title game.
The Egg Bowl kicked off on Thanksgiving with Ole Miss winning 10 games for the first time in school history, and two days of wall-to-wall football produced a lot of fun. Washington State planted a flag on Washington's field after it was routed, there were collapses by North Carolina and Nebraska, and much more.
Let's take a look at who won and who lost from Week 13 of college football.
Mike Mulholland is a photographer.
If you could have drawn up a plan for a victory over Ohio State in The Game, Saturday would have been it.
Michigan beat the No. 2-ranked Ohio State. The way the Michigan team played was bend Ohio State to the way they wanted to play. The Buckeyes were out-coached and out-played in a 42-27 loss.
Michigan had an answer for every touchdown the Ohio State scored, because of its exceptional offensive line and relentless rushing attack. The Big House had a 4-hour party and the UM were a bad host.
They're going to the Big Ten championship game and heading to the top four of the College Football Playoff.
Harbaugh told Fox that they went out and executed well. It was great.
Michigan had gaping holes for its running backs to exploit, as they ran for He had 169 yards and five touchdown runs.
Michigan won by harassing C.J. Stroud and knocking him down. The Wolverines controlled the pace and had three sacks from the edge of the field.
Jim Harbaugh shook off the monkey from his back with great decision after great decision as Michigan won. He stuck with McNamara after he made a costly mistake in the red zone, and then sprinkled McCarthy with moments of brilliance. He was in charge of the running game for the big win.
It was the first win over Ohio State in four years. This was everything we were hoping for and more.
Brian Bahr is a photographer.
How about the Cowboys?
Oklahoma State was favored at home against Oklahoma in Bedlam on Saturday night, but the Cowboys found themselves with everything turned against them after a disastrous third quarter.
The defense fumbled into their own end zone and Oklahoma recovered in the end zone to turn a tie game into a nine-point deficit. They missed a field goal, and Spencer threw an pick up in the red zone.
You'd think that a strong, seasoned program like Oklahoma would be able to take advantage of all that happened and win.
Oklahoma was eliminated from the Big 12 championship game with a 37-33 loss in the fourth quarter. Lincoln Riley denied rumors that he was the next head coach at LSU.
The Sooners would play Oklahoma State again next week. The Cowboys will play a game against the Bears. What do you think will happen in Bedlam? It was the first win in the series for Oklahoma State in seven years and it was a game that had more swings than an Oklahoma dance hall.
The lead was shaved to 33-31 by a 37 yard touchdown run by Sanders early in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma's Eric Gray muffed a punt on the 5-yard line about 5 minutes later that was recovered by the Cowboys and turned into a 1-yard touchdown for the final tally.
The defense regained the form that made them one of the most fearsome units in college football. A 56-yard run by Williams in the final minutes of the game gave OU a chance to score.
They couldn't get it across the goal line as Oliver pulled Williams down on fourth down to end the game.
Kevin C. Cox is a photographer.
This is the way rivalries were meant to be played, where the inexplicable happens at every turn and we're treated to an ending that will be remembered.
The Iron Bowl wasn't pretty on Saturday, but it was ridiculous.
When the ball of "What's happening?" finally unfurled, Young's two 2-point conversion passes to Metchie III gave Alabama a 24-22 survival in four overtimes in a game where seemingly little went right. It was an amazing finish to a game that saw the 20-point favorite Tigers dominate for most of the game.
The two conversion attempts were great, but the drive that the quarterback was a part of will go down as one of the greatest in the history of the Alabama football team.
Young went to work after he was down 10-3 with a little more than a minute and a half left in the game. The reason he had so much time was because of a costly mistake by the running back, who ran out of bounds to give Alabama more time to drive.
Young would make them pay. He started with a 22-yard completion to Metchie, then threw a 21-yard pass to Ja'Corey, a 14-yard pass to Jahleel, and a 28-yard scoring toss to the other. There were some runs sprinkled in.
In overtime, Young made more plays, and Alabama was able to escape with a chance at a national championship still in tact. The defense stood tall despite the fact that the offense only had 159 yards and Bo Nix was out.
"I don't know what to say," Nick Saban told the CBS crew after the game. To have the 90-something yard drive to tie it up and get it into overtime is what the guys did. I'm proud of the way the players competed in the game and fought. I couldn't be prouder of them because they said that was what they wanted to do at halftime. It's unbelievable.
David Berding is a photographer.
The Wisconsin Badgers had to win.
It's not easy in college football, especially against a defensive-minded, run-oriented Minnesota Golden Gophers team. They couldn't get the offense going, so they couldn't get to the conference championship game.
It was a far cry from the team that had rebounded from a rough start to the season to win seven in a row and look like the best team in the Big Ten West.
The Badgers' hopes of a conference championship were ended by Minnesota on Saturday. The Iowa will play the Michigan.
The Badgers were just 1-of-4 on fourth-down conversions, and they only had 17 first downs, 233 total yards.
They couldn't take care of their own business on Saturday because of everything in front of them.
Chris Autman-Bell caught a touchdown pass from Tanner Morgan in the fourth quarter to give the game a 13-13 tie. A field goal with 6 minutes to go gave the Gophers a two score lead. After Minnesota's go-ahead touchdown, Wisconsin only had 76 yards and a missed field goal.
The axe was hoisted at the end by the Gophers, thanks to Paul Chryst not being able to come up with answers on the offensive side. The Badgers need to find a way to get more points on that side of the ball.
The images are by Steph Chambers.
Maybe it was in the middle of the winning moment. It might be taking out years of frustration. Maybe it was the result of hatred.
College football is all about disrespect, and storming an opposing field and planting your flag in the middle of their 50-yard line is one way to show it.
Washington State defeated Washington 40-13 on Friday night to end their miserable season. It was the seventh win of the season for the Cougars, who had a topsy-turvy season that saw coach Nick Rolovich and four of his assistants fired.
Wazzu had not won in the Apple Cup since 2012 and hadn't won in Husky Stadium since 2007. The game was long out of reach for the Washington faithful, but they still celebrated with their fans on the field. They partied for a while.
It was a sight to see. The quarterback planted the flag.
It's special. Washington State running back Max Borghi said that the team deserved it and the seniors deserved it. It hasn't sunk in yet, I can't really put words into it. It was amazing to hold the Apple Cup trophy.
Borghi was one of the heroes for the team, rushing for 129 yards and a pair of touchdown, while de Laura passed for 245 yards. The game was about the offensive ineptitude of the Huskies. They couldn't make anything on the ground.
Both of these programs are looking for new coaches for different reasons. The year belonged to the Cougars.
James Gilbert is a photographer.
Florida State and coach Mike Norvell had the chance to seize a bit of the spotlight on Saturday with a win over rival Florida.
The Hurricanes may have beaten Duke, but they have not found a new coach, and the Gators are looking for one. A win would have made them eligible for a bowl game.
They fell behind by 17 points and lost to Florida. The Gators are going to a bowl game.
The ending was embarrassing for the 'Noles. After FSU scored a touchdown to get back in the game, they lined up for an onside kick to win the game.
Grothaus did his best Charlie Brown impression, whiffing on the kick. The ball barely missed the tee, and the Gators had possession. Florida State couldn't stop the clock with only two timeouts left.
It was a bad end to the game for Florida State. Norvell's seat temperature is not certain to be manageable heading into the off-season. Everyone knows what happened when Willie Taggart was fired. How long will they stay with Norvell?
Christian Robinson got a bath after the game and now everyone is waiting to see what the Gators do with their coaching search. Will it be Billy? Lane Kiffin? Someone else?
Even if the decision is in Gainesville, the questions will continue to swirl in the state capital.
The person is Charlie Neibergall.
This has not been a good year for the Iowa State Cyclones. Despite a season in which they started in the top 10 of the rankings, they finished with a record of 5-5.
Matt Campbell made a bizarre comment about the best version of himself that we can become.
You can debate Campbell's comments and the struggling season, but one thing that's clear is that the Cyclones have one of the best college football running backs of all time in Breece Hall, and his career has been one high note after another for the junior.
Hall broke the FBS record for most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown, getting a scoring scamper in his 24th game in a row.
The previous record of 23 was set by Arkansas' Bill Burnett.
In his three years as Iowa State's feature back, Hall has been brilliant. The junior from Kansas was exceptional a year ago, with 1,572 yards and 23 total touchdown, after 897 yards as a freshman.
He has 1,472 yards and 23 total scores this year, but he hasn't been as productive as he was last year.
He's an NCAA record-holder, and while he could come back for another season, he looks like a future NFL star. With the shelf life of players at that position short in the pros, Hall would be smart to head to the league.
He made it memorable if this was his last regular-season game.
Richard Rodriguez is a photographer.
The party was crashed by North Texas.
One of the biggest surprises of the college football season was that the Roadrunners entered the final game of the season ranked and perfect. They had several dramatic wins and a head coach named Jeff Traylor, who has been mentioned for bigger openings.
There wouldn't be any great finales for UTSA on Saturday. The Mean Green boat raced the Roadrunners in a 45-23 loss. It was the biggest win of the season for the coach since he was a hot commodity in leading his team to back-to-back nine-win seasons.
This was a big weekend for upsets, and while there isn't a lot of national clout around UTSA, this was a big loss for the Group of Five program that had teetered on the verge of powerhouse status this season.
Frank Harris got banged up and Eddie Lee Marburger had some positive flashes, but this was about the Mean Green dominating both sides of the ball. A team that had been strong all year was only 2-for-13 in third-down conversions.
On the other side of the ball, North Texas ran away with the game with
The Roadrunners came back for a huge victory over the Blazers to win the West Division title. This was not the way they wanted to end the season.
North Texas had a chance to get into the playoffs, and they played like it. The UTSA couldn't finish the season.
Tom Hauck is a photographer.
The Utah game was a poor performance by the Oregon Ducks, who had a chance for a national championship.
They wouldn't do that with their title hopes.
Despite losing to Oregon State last year, the Ducks went into this game with revenge on their mind and led the Beavers from the beginning in a 38-29 win in Eugene.
Anthony Brown had three touchdown passes and 358 yards of total offense as he led the Utah to a victory over the Oregon State. In the win, Dye had 99 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown.
It was Dye who set the tone early with a 20-yard scoring run as Oregon built a 14-point first-quarter advantage. The game was never really close. The game was already in hand when Oregon State scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.
It hurts to not have the chance to play in the College Football Playoffs after all the chaos that happened on Saturday. It's a big deal to make it to the conference championship game for the third year in a row. Playing in the Rose Bowl is not a bad prize.
It was a disappointing end to a good season for the Beavers. Washington State's win Friday night in the Apple Cup ended any chance for the Oregon State to win a conference title.
It would have been nice to beat the Ducks again. The team was not having anything.
The Associated Press's Rogelio V. Solis.
Lane Kiffin took two years to turn around Ole Miss football.
The Egg Bowl was the culmination of a historic regular season for the Rebels, who beat Mississippi State 31-21 on Thanksgiving night. It was important for the Rebels, even though it was far from the shootout they were expecting.
Ole Miss won for the first time in school history with a thorough domination. The Rebels still have a bowl game to get to 11, and they're going to get a great draw, too, but Kiffin's transformation has been impressive.
Matt Corral was the perfect quarterback until he threw an ill-advised pick with 8 minutes left in the game and the team was down by 18 points. He had two touchdown runs.
Corral made plays even in the rain. He churned out first-down yards with his feet when plays broke down.
D.J. Durkin's defense was the best sign for the program. The Rebels have played better recently after a bad season a year ago and some ups and downs on that side of the ball.
The Rebels allowed 21 or fewer points in five of the last six games. There was a 31-20 loss to auburn. The Rebels made things miserable for Will Rogers for the second year in a row. The Spartans had six points with 8 minutes left.
The Rebels got the big rivalry win in unconventional fashion, and it wasn't the chilly rain that cooled off the offense, but the edge rush of Sam Williams.
Rebecca S. Gratz is a reporter.
One of the biggest cliches in sports is that a team issnake bit. You have to wonder if Nebraska is playing football in a pit of vipers.
The Cornhuskers lost to the Hawkeyes on Friday, giving them seven straight wins in the rivalry and 10 victories for the season. The Big Ten title game will be played after Wisconsin's loss to Minnesota.
The Cornhuskers lost because of another vintage Nebraska meltdown.
The Huskers led by 21 points late in the third quarter against an Iowa team that was not able to score. The Hawkeyes blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to five.
They sacked Smothers for a safety. The redshirt freshman signal-caller had given Iowa fits through the first three quarters as Nebraska built its lead, but he was shut down after that.
The Huskers drove the field for a potential game-tying or go-ahead score, but Smothers threw an interception inside the 2-yard line, and Iowa ran out the clock for the win.
The 19-0 fourth-quarter face-plant was a faux pas that gave the team a dubious mark. They end the season with a shorter leash.
In Big Ten play, the Huskers have a zero point differential, yet they finished with a 1-8 league mark. Maybe no team is better at finding a way to lose.
The Icon Sportswire is a part of the Getty Images.
The Mountain West Conference title game berth was on the line.
The San Diego State Aztecs needed a win to represent the West division in next week's championship but were trailing by 13 points at home and couldn't muster anything. He benched ineffectual Lucas Johnson in favor of Jordon Brookshire.
The Aztecs saved the season after the move.
After losing his job to Johnson, the passing game flourished on its way to 10 wins and a grudge match against a team with championship game ambitions of its own. The signal-caller made the most of his second chance.
The Broncos couldn't stop him once he entered. The Broncos were knocked out of the chance to make it to the title game when the Aztecs scored 24 unanswered points to win 27-16.
If the Aztecs had lost, they would have jumped into the top half of the table.
The people of brookshire were not having it. He completed 11 of his 15 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown and was dynamic on the ground, too, with his big body barreling over Broncos defenders. He had nine carries for 46 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side, the defense kicked it up a notch, smothering Hank and forcing him into a couple of turnovers. He was either hit or sacked when he dropped back to pass.
The Aztecs will try to finish the season as the best team in the Mountain West next week, after their 11th win of the year.
Chris Seward is a photographer.
This week's "Losers" category seems to have a lot of collapses. You won't find worse than North Carolina's collapse against North Carolina State.
The Tar Heels led by nine points with 2:12 left in the game, but gave up a 64 yard touchdown toss from Leary to Emezie and an onside kick recovery.
On the final drive, UNC was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty and a defensive pass interference on Storm Duck to give the Pack a chance for the go-ahead touchdown.
After jumping on UNC early, the Wolfpack looked like they were going to lose the game, but Sam Howell's last-second heave into the end zone was picked off.
Mack Brown told the team that they had to finish, according to InsideCarolina's Isaiah Lucas. We have to be more mature and we can't have the penalties. We did everything we could to not finish the game.
NCSU made all the plays with the game on the line, keeping its hopes for a spot in the conference championship game alive until Wake Forest beat Boston College.
This was about what North Carolina failed to do. They broke down at the end like they did in the loss to Pittsburgh. It's a familiar refrain from Brown's team. There was a lot of promise but it was not enough as the season ended with a 6-6) loss.
This was a typical bad-break way to end the regular season.
Mary Schwalm is a reporter.
Wake Forest locked up their coach, Dave Clawson, with a contract extension earlier this week after rumors swirled around him.
The Atlantic division of the conference was locked up on Saturday.
Needing a victory to stave off North Carolina State and Clemson, the Demon Deacons traveled to Chestnut Hill and took care of business against Boston College with a 41-10 domination.
The story of the season has been the way the Deacs handled an improved Eagles team. There are a lot of feel-good stories around the country, but you won't find many with the legitimacy of Wake.
Sam Hartman was terrific leading the "Clawfense" again Saturday, as he was terrific for the No. 21 Demon Deacons, and he had 236 passing yards, 51 rushing yards and four total touchdown.
Hartman has been the better quarterback this year, despite the fact that North Carolina's Sam Howell was the best in the conference entering the year. He will face Kenny Pickett in the title game of the conference.
On the other side of the ball was the biggest positive for Wake Forest on Saturday. The defense was terrific against Boston College, allowing just 182 total yards (19 passing yards) and nine first downs.
The team rose to the occasion, despite the fact that it was a big show with so much at stake. His contract is worth every penny because of games like this.
