Playoff implications loom large on Saturday with a lot of big games going on.
Championship week kicked off with a bang Friday night, as Utah and UTSA won the Pac-12 and Conference USA title games, respectively. It was Utah’s second win over the Ducks — who once found themselves very much in the thick of the College Football Playoff — and like the one earlier this season, it wasn’t particularly close. The Roadrunners played in a more exciting game, topping the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 49-41 in a shootout to take the C-USA.
Saturday is more of the same, with a slate of eight conference title games waiting for us. We took a look at the five most exciting and must-watch, so let’s get to it.
What is your latest top ten after a wild rivalry weekend in college football?
It was another week of college football and another week of craziness as Michigan finally got over the hump that is Ohio State, Alabama survived an incredible scare at Auburn, and Oklahoma State came back to beat Oklahoma and advance to the Big 12 Championship.
Where does Notre Dame check-in compared to that Oklahoma State team? That answer will hold such a key in deciding the final College Football Playoff team.
Here is Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt’s brand new top-10 rankings:
A Week 13 college football rooting guide for Wisconsin Badger fans
Wisconsin fans know what’s at stake in Minneapolis tomorrow when the Badgers take the field against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
With a win, the Badgers would finish the season with an 8-game win streak and a Big Ten West title after starting the season 1-3. With a loss, either Minnesota or Iowa will likely capture the division and the Badgers will fall a game short.
Well, there are other relevant games this weekend to the rest of Wisconsin’s season. Some have to do with the Big Ten picture, and some are more on the national stage.
Here is the complete Week 13 college football rooting guide for Wisconsin Badger fans:
Wisconsin can clinch Big Ten West two different ways this weekend
Wisconsin has controlled its own destiny in the Big Ten West since Purdue went on the road and defeated then-No. 2 Iowa. The Badgers have not lost since that point, charging towards their third Big Ten West title in five years.
It can be simple on Saturday: if Wisconsin beats Minnesota it will win the Big Ten West.
But that isn’t the only clinching scenario. A loss to the Golden Gophers opens the door for Iowa to defeat Nebraska and go to Indianapolis. But if the Hawkeyes lose, eyes will turn to Purdue’s contest against Indiana.
Here are all of the possible outcomes on Saturday:
After Oregon was blasted at Utah, how will the latest CFP rankings look this week?
The 12th week of college football was a week of extremes. Two top 10 teams fell but neither were favored and one lost to a higher ranked team, so upsets isn’t the right word but a shakeup is certainly coming to the College Football Playoff rankings when they’re released Tuesday night.
After Ohio State blew out Michigan State, Utah routed Oregon, and a surprisingly exciting game between No. 2 Alabama and No. 24 Arkansas, how will the new CFP rankings look?
Here is our best guess as to what the fourth set of rankings will look like:
The Wisconsin Badgers have controlled their own destiny in the Big Ten West since Purdue went on the road and upset then-No. 2 Iowa. The
The Wisconsin Badgers have controlled their own destiny in the Big Ten West since Purdue went on the road and upset then-No. 2 Iowa.
The Badgers have taken advantage, winning four straight since that date including decisive victories over West rivals Purdue and Iowa. Now, all that stands between Wisconsin and its third Big Ten West title in five years? Trophy games against Nebraska and Minnesota.
All likely scenarios will force Wisconsin to win both of those two games to win the division. But with a lot of significant Big Ten action set for Saturday, there’s actually one way the team can clinch the West before Sunday morning.
What needs to happen?
Wisconsin beats Nebraska
Illinois (without head coach Bret Bielema) needs to beat Iowa on the road
Indiana (who hasn’t won a conference game this season) needs to beat Minnesota
It’s unlikely…but you’re saying there’s a chance?
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There are 10 running backs better than Kyren Williams in 2021? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
The Doak Walker Award is given out annually to college football’s best running back. There are certainly some very good and exciting ones this year and although his stats aren’t as great as some of the others, Kyren Williams of Notre Dame is certainly on the short list of the best running backs in the country.
Yet somehow Williams was not one of the ten players to be named to the Doak Walker Award semi-finalist list:
Doak Walker semifinalists:
Tyler Allgeier, BYU Tyler Badie, Missouri Breece Hall, Iowa St TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio St Sincere McCormick, UTSA Bijan Robinson, Texas Abram Smith, Baylor Sean Tucker, Syracuse Deuce Vaughn, Kansas St Kenneth Walker, III, Michigan St
I am planning on writing a piece on how in this season that is lacking a true Heisman Trophy runaway favorite, how Kyren Williams is worthy of getting his name on ballots in a few short weeks.
We’ll save that for later but here is how some of the Twitter world reacted to Williams being left off the Doak Walker Award semi-finalist list:
The Irish made yet another addition to their 2022 recruiting class, going into the neighboring state of Ohio and picking up a verbal commitment from offensive lineman Aamil Wagner.
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Wagner become the 22nd commitment in a class that is viewed as one of the tops in the country. He joins an offensive line group that includes Ty Chan, Joey Tanona and Ashton Craig.
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It a group that has the potential to see one more addition, but that remains to be seen. Wagner is a fantastic prospect, one that has offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Auburn, Iowa, Michigan and others. Here is my scouts view of what to expect from Wagner when he arrives on campus for next season.
The long and athletic lineman is an absolute monster as a run blocker, Wagner has quick feet that he uses to drive defenders off the ball and away from the play. His long arms come into play in the pass game also, keeping edge rushers away from getting to his quarterback. Wagner does need to work a bit on his pass protection footwork, but with better coaching that will come.
What really stands out his his nasty demeanor on the field, Wagner looks for and initiates contact and it ends up as many pancakes for the lineman. It might take a redshirt year for Wagner to be ready to make a difference for the Irish, but when he does, he will be yet another excellent lineman that suits up in the Blue and Gold.
Alright College Football – how weird can we get for the next month?
Notre Dame sits at 8-1 on the season and ninth in the newly released College Football Playoff rankings. The Irish moved up one spot from last week but need a lot of help in order to go from ninth to the top four, especially with no ranked opponents and real chances to impress the nation remaining.
But how crazy would things have to get in order for Notre Dame to make the College Football Playoff? Despite being unlikely, I still have fun each week trying to make their chances the highest I can on FiveThirtyEight.
Here is what I figured out this week and why Notre Dame fans may have to adapt red as their favorite color for the next month.
Riley Lewis and Po En Huang took home medalist honors after a rain-shortened 18-hole shootout.
The 20th annual Golfweek International Junior Invitational was still able to crown two new champions, despite being shortened to just 18 holes thanks to a rained-out first round on Saturday.
There were 21 countries represented, and in the end, it was Riley Lewis of the United States and Po En Huang of Taiwan who took home medalist honors after the 18-hole shootout at Eagle Landing Golf Club in Orange Park, Florida.
Huang was paired with Maximillian Jelinek of the Czech Republic, who led the event for the majority of the day thanks in part to a trio of birdies to take a 2-under score to the halfway house. Huang bided his time and was just one shot back of Jelinek as the pair made the turn, alongside a handful of other competitors.
Po En Huang poses with the trophy following his win at the Golfweek International Junior Invitational at Eagle Landing Golf Club. Photo by of Ron Gaines/Golfweek
It wasn’t until the duo got to the par-3 13th where the tide turned. Huang birdied while Jelinek bogeyed, forcing a two-shot swing.
With the roles reversed, Huang was able to hold off any further advances from the field with five pars to close out his round for a 2-under 70 and a one-shot victory.
On the girls’ side, Lewis was able to use her back-nine birdie barrage to finish with a 4-under 68 and a two-shot victory over McKenzie Mages.
One over through nine holes, Lewis turned on the afterburners with birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15 to gain the difference over the field.
“I played alright on the front side,” Lewis told Golfweek. “[I] knew I needed some more birdies for a top finish. Once I made birdies on [Nos.] 10, 11, and 12, I thought to myself ‘time for a comeback’.”
Pulling off just that, the 2022 Iowa commit found herself in the winner’s circle after an extended break from tournament golf.
With their wins, Lewis and Huang join a list of champions that include Nick Gabrelcik, Morgan Hoffmann, Stephanie Meadow, Annie Park, Bailey Tardy and Peter Uihlein.
Riley Lewis poses with the trophy after winning the 2021 Golfweek International Junior Invitational. Photo by of Ron Gaines/Golfweek
Past champions of the Golfweek International Junior Invitational
2001
Chanin Puntawong and Nicole Perrott
(Champions Gate, Orlando)
2003
Jon McLean and Tiffany Chuda
(Sea Trail, Sunset Beach, North Carolina)
2004
Peter Uihlein and Jenny Arseneault
(Sea Trail, Sunset Beach, North Carolina)
2005
Rafael Lee and Isabel Lendl
(Sea Trail, Sunset Beach, North Carolina)
2006
Morgan Hoffmann and Elisa Aoki
(Ocean Plantation, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina)
2007
Julian Suri and Stephanie Kim
(Grand Cypress, Orlando)
2008
Josh Eure and Stephanie Meadow
(Longleaf, Pinehurst, North Carolina)
2009
Mike Miller and Stephanie Meadow
(Reunion Legacy, Orlando)
2010
Sam Chun and Doris Chen
(Reunion Independence, Orlando)
2011
James Yoon and Annie Park
(Shingle Creek, Orlando)
2012
Zachary Healy and Yueer Cindy Feng
(Celebration, Orlando)
2013
Luis Garza and Bailey Tardy
(Shingle Creek, Orlando)
2014
Marcos Montenegro and Ana Paula Valdes
(Champions Gate, Orlando)
2015
Robin Wang and Ya Chun Chang
(Lake Buena Vista and Tranquilo, Orlando)
2016
Jan Schneider and Chin Tzu Chen
(Disney Magnolia and Palm, Orlando)
2017
Jeremy Sisson and Chin Tzu Chen
(Innisbrook, Palm Harbor, Florida)
2018
Nick Gabrelcik and Meiyi Yan
(Mission Inn, Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida)
2019
Tony Chen and Jenny Kwok
(Champions Gate, Orlando)
2020
Alejandro Fierro and Toa Yokoyama
(Hammock Beach Conservatory and Ocean Courses, Palm Coast, Florida)
