Week 12 is in the books and it brought fans another batch of chaos incarnate. Another top ten upset, game-changing injuries, and a ridiculous comeback have set the stage for a wild conclusion to the regular season. Here are the top five studs and duds from week 10
Stud: Anthony Gordon
Stanford never stood a chance against Washington State because Cougars’ quarterback Anthony Gordon was unstoppable. There are certainly far more clutch quarterback performances to highlight, but no one else in the country tossed 520 passing yards and five touchdowns.
Dud: The Texas Longhorns
Every time Texas has found its way back to ranked status, they’ve followed it by laying a massive egg. After being ranked No. 19 in the eyes of the committee, the Longhorns were upset by Iowa State. Texas had a sluggish offensive performance but did enough to win. The defense however nearly gave up 500 yards and couldn’t make a stop late in the game. Iowa State won the game on a walk-off field goal.
Stud: Oklahoma Sooners
Dud: Baylor Bears
There is so much to dissect in Oklahoma’s matchup with Baylor that I had to loop the two of them together. Baylor was on the verge of a playoff-altering upset over rival Oklahoma that could have set the Bears up for a run at the playoff themselves. Instead, they blew a 28-3 lead at home in embarrassing fashion.
Baylor’s atrocious fourth quarter was humiliating, and they absolutely deserve to be harshly criticized for their failure, but this game said more about Oklahoma than it did Baylor.
After a tough first half, Jalen Hurts ended with 297 passing yards, 114 rushing yards, and four passing touchdowns. He did all of that without his top receiver CeeDee Lamb. With everything looking lost and their playoff hopes slipping, The Sooners’ quarterback and the team’s defense rose to the occasion and led an epic 25-point comeback.
Stud: Kedon Slovis
USC football won’t be winning anything significant this season, but they have quietly been getting several incredible performances from quarterback Kedon Slovis. I’ve highlighted multiple great games by Slovis recently, but this is his best of the season by far. Cal might not be very good, but they still boast one of the nation’s best secondaries and Slovis was able to carve it up with 406 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Dud: The Minnesota Golden Gophers
One week after their impressive program changing win over Penn State, the Minnesota Golden Gophers were upset by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Minnesota fought back in the fourth quarter, but they were never able to sustain any consistency on offense. What suddenly looked like a potential playoff team has just as quickly devolved back to mid-tier Big Ten squad.
Stud: Jonathon Taylor
Wisconsin’s Heisman candidate running back had another dominant performance against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 215 total yards and a pair of touchdowns might be another day at the office for Taylor, but he continues to pump out amazing numbers each and every week.
Dud: Auburn’s Offense
Auburn was able to fight back in the fourth quarter of their matchup against Georgia, but like almost all of their closes games this year, it was too little too late. Ever since the Tigers’ season-opening win over Oregon, Bo Nix has struggled to move the ball against ranked teams.
Stud: Shea Patterson
Michigan’s starting quarterback has been under fire with endless criticism since the season began (most of it warranted), but he been playing a lot better in the second half of the season. He tossed 384 yards and four touchdowns this week against a Michigan State team that is built on its defense.
Dud: Injuries Across the Nation
There were a lot of serious injuries around the countries this week. From Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa’s season-ending hip injury to one of Georgia’s photographers being knocked unconscious on the sideline, the brutality of college football was on full display this week.
Other Notable Studs
Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett vs. UNC: 25-41, 359 YDS, TD
Clemson running back Travis Etienne vs. Wake Forest: 16 CAR, 121 YDS, TD
Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard vs. Kansas: 23 CAR, 122 YDS, 2 TD
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert vs. Arizona: 20-28, 333 YDS, 4 TD
Utah running back Zach Moss vs. UCLA: 17 CAR, 127 YDS, 2 TD
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow vs. Ole Miss: 32-42, 489 YDS, 5 TD
Other Notable Duds
No. 19 Kansas State Wildcats: Lost to West Virginia 24-20
