College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines the significance of them moving forward.
Lanning's gamble dooms Oregon
The game of the day between Oregon and Washington featured 1,114 yards of total offense, but the one yard the Ducks couldn't get is what determined the contest's outcome.
Dan Lanning's decision to attempt a 4th-and-1 conversion on his own 34-yard line with backup quarterback Ty Thompson under center is one that will likely haunt Ducks fans for the foreseeable future. Washington stuffed the attempt to take over in prime field position with 1:26 to play. The Huskies were in field goal range eight yards later, and Peyton Henry supplied the eventual winning points with a boot from 43 yards. The shocking defeat snapped Oregon's 23-game home winning streak and all but eliminated them from CFP contention.
A sleepy 13-10 game at the half exploded into life after the break, with both teams breaking out on the offensive end in a 35-point third quarter.
Penix's arm talent was on display all night, with his 76-yard rocket for a touchdown in the third quarter the early highlight of the second half. However, he saved his best for last, throwing a 62-yard laser across virtually the entire field to tie the contest with 3:07 to play.
It was then that Lanning opted to gamble, a decision made even more surprising by the fact starting quarterback Bo Nix was sidelined with an injury he suffered on the previous drive. The handoff exchange on the pivotal play was choppy between Thompson and Noah Whittington, and the Huskies defense was all over it from the jump.
The setback places USC alone atop the Pac-12 standings for the time being, with UCLA in action later on Saturday against Arizona.
TCU shuts down Texas
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After piling up 34 points in every single game this season, TCU showed it can win ugly with a sterling defensive performance against Texas on Saturday in Austin. It's a good thing the Horned Frogs' defense came to play for 60 minutes because their offense failed to arrive through 30.
The two teams combined for just 39 yards in the opening frame to set a new mark for the lowest total yardage in the first quarter of an FBS game this season. Things didn't exactly open up in the second quarter, either, as the game reached the halfway point with just 140 yards of total offense.
TCU made excellent halftime adjustments as it's done all season, outscoring the Longhorns 14-3 to take a two-touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter. While Texas would score late on a return of a Max Duggan fumble, the Horned Frogs held the Longhorns without an offensive touchdown for the entire contest. Texas only put up 199 total yards of offense in the loss, the first time the program has been held under 200 since 2015.
Sonny Dykes' 10-0 Horned Frogs team booked its place in the Big 12 title game with the victory. Should TCU continue to find ways to win, it'll be virtually impossible for the CFP to keep the Big 12 powerhouse out of the semifinals.
Alabama's defense holds on
Much has been made about Alabama's demise this season with the Crimson Tide entering Saturday's game at Ole Miss already sitting on two losses. Earlier in the week, we identified three areas where Alabama was lacking: the downfield passing attack, its lack of takeaways, and an excess of penalties. The Crimson Tide turned two of those areas around in Oxford to score a 30-24 road victory and eliminate the Rebels from the SEC West race.
First, Alabama's strong defensive effort helped the team play the spoiler in ending Ole Miss' hopes. While the Crimson Tide only forced one turnover Saturday after ranking second last in the country with six, it was a massive turning point. Zach Evans' fumble inside the Ole Miss 25-yard line allowed the Tide to punch in a touchdown shortly after to cut the 17-7 deficit to 17-14 at the half. Overall, Alabama stood tall and held the nation's 16th-ranked scoring offense to just 24 points after allowing 52 and 32 in its previous two losses.
Second, despite entering the contest leading the nation in penalties per game with almost nine, Alabama put together a disciplined showing that saw the team whistled for just five infractions Saturday, its lowest total this season.
While they won't be in the CFP, the Crimson Tide righting the ship should help them avoid their first three-loss campaign since 2010.
Ladd McConkey's turn for Georgia
Most of the discussion regarding Georgia this season has revolved around its dominant defense, or the offensive duo of Brock Bowers and Stetson Bennett. Ladd McConkey doesn't find himself in the spotlight often, but the speedy wide receiver shone brightest for Georgia on Saturday at Mississippi State.
McConkey caught five balls for 71 yards and a score, but it was his 70-yard touchdown run that was one of the biggest plays of the contest. The sophomore wideout has now topped the 50-yard receiving mark in seven games this season, and he gives the Bulldogs a much-needed outside threat.
A trip to Kentucky and a home date with Georgia Tech are now all that stands between the Bulldogs and another perfect regular-season record.
Perkins the hangover cure for LSU
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Like a significant number of college students on a Saturday morning, LSU was a little bit slow to get the day started. After knocking off Alabama last weekend, the Tigers faced an 11:00 a.m. CT kickoff with near-freezing temperatures in Arkansas.
Luckily for LSU, the team had the perfect hangover cure in the form of star pass-rusher Harold Perkins. The highly touted freshman was a force against Arkansas, tying the Tigers' single-game sack record with four in the narrow victory. Perkins' final stat line is the stuff of legend, as the fourth overall prospect in the Class of 2022 also had eight tackles and four tackles for loss. Most notably, he forced two game-breaking fumbles.
LSU's victory wasn't pretty as the offense looked stuck in the mud for almost the entire contest, but Brian Kelly will take it. After the Crimson Tide handled Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, the Tigers - who are still in the thick of the CFP race - now head back to Baton Rouge as division champions.
High-powered offenses get back on track
Tennessee and Ohio State were kept at bay last week thanks to Georgia's defense and bad weather, respectively, but the nation's two best offensive units got back on track in a big way Saturday.
The Volunteers welcomed Missouri to town by hanging 66 points on the Tigers. Hendon Hooker threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns while also adding 50 yards and a score on the ground. Josh Heupel's offense couldn't be stopped, piling up an outrageous 724 total yards to set a new program record.
C.J. Stroud made up for last week with five touchdown passes in a 56-point outburst against Indiana. The Buckeyes also ran for a whopping 340 yards, a very welcome sign after they struggled to move the ball on the ground at Northwestern. However, the victory didn't come without a cost as Miyan Williams was carted off late in the first half with an injury and didn't return. This is a major concern for the Buckeyes with star sophomore TreVeyon Henderson already sidelined.
Michigan knows its identity
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One of Jim Harbaugh's best attributes as a head coach is that his teams usually play to their strengths. They rarely try to be something they're not. His 2022 Michigan outfit might exhibit this principle more than any team he's previously coached. The Wolverines will ride Blake Corum, play exceptional defense, and make strong second-half adjustments to shut their opponents down. All three of these attributes were on full display Saturday in Ann Arbor in a 34-3 win against Nebraska.
Corum continued his rise up the Heisman rankings with another outstanding effort against the Cornhuskers. The star running back rushed for 162 yards and a score as part of the Wolverines' 260-plus yards on the ground. The defense was absolutely punishing the entire contest, stuffing Nebraska for just 146 total yards on the day. Plus, Michigan is now outscoring opponents 117-3 after halftime in the last five games after recording a 17-0 second-half scoreline Saturday.
A wounded Illinois team comes to the Big House next weekend before the blockbuster trip to Ohio State to close the season for the Wolverines. As long as they can stick to their script, the Wolverines got a good shot to knock off the Buckeyes and win the East division for the second straight season.
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