College Football Roundup: Could The Alabama-Clemson Dynasties Now Be Over?

Alabama and Clemson both suffered big losses that could be the beginning of the end of their reigns over college football

Andrew McDonough | Nov 7, 2022

“Remember, remember, the 5th of November” goes the British nursery rhyme commemorating Guy Fawkes Day. For college football fans in Athens, Baton Rouge, South Bend, and Fort Worth, November 5th was certainly an unforgettable day. College football’s first November weekend saw seven teams ranked in the initial CFP committee’s rankings lose – including 3 in the Top 10 – along with multiple other contenders pushed to the brink by their opponents, and at times, the elements.

The season’s final sprint figures to be full of drama, surprises, and suspense, but for now, let’s get to the Week 10 action.

GEORGIA 27 TENNESSEE 13

Tennessee learned the lesson on Saturday that Guy Fawkes realized a few hundred years before - if you’re going to kill the king, you better not miss. Tennessee turned a Georgia fumble on the opening possession into a field goal, but then the Bulldogs answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-3 lead.

However, the turning point in this game came from an unlikely source, Georgia punter Brett Thorson. With the score still 7-3 late in the first quarter and with Tennessee figuring to have good field position, Thorson booted a 75-yard punt that was downed at the 1-yard-line, pinning the Volunteers back and awakening the Sanford Stadium crowd. The Dawgs forced a three-and-out (being denied a safety by some controversial officiating) and got the ball back at the Tennessee 37-yard-line. Stetson Bennett hit Ladd McConkey for a touchdown pass on the next play, and the rout was on.

Georgia took a 24-6 lead into halftime and with Tennessee unable to consistently move the ball against the stout Georgia defense and rain pouring for much of the second half, the Bulldogs were never threatened. With no ranked teams remaining on the schedule until the SEC Championship Game, Georgia looks like a lock for the College Football Playoff. Even with a loss, Tennessee can still make the CFP, but without the ability to play for a conference title, the Volunteers will need some help.

NOTRE DAME 35 CLEMSON 14

Speaking of CFP dreams ending, Notre Dame used a vintage, Holtz-esque performance to crush Clemson on Saturday night in South Bend. With the loss, Clemson likely faces a second consecutive season without a CFP berth, calling into question whether the Tiger dynasty that Dabo Swinney build has come to an end.

With gusting winds making things difficult through the air, Notre Dame leaned on its special teams, defense, and ground game to pummel the Tigers and give Marcus Freeman the first signature win of his tenure.

Notre Dame kicked off the scoring when Prince Kollie returned the Irish’s FBS-leading 6th blocked punt of the season for a touchdown, Drew Pyne scampered for a score late in the second quarter to extend the margin to 14-0 heading into halftime, and then freshman CB Benjamin Morrison took over. Morrison’s first interception gave Notre Dame the ball at the Clemson 14-yard-line, and 3 plays later Audric Estime extended the Irish lead to 21-0. Then, on the ensuing possession, Morrison returned a DJ Uiagalelei pass 96 yards for a touchdown to seal the game.

The Irish play rivals Navy and Boston College before the season finale at USC. Win out, and Notre Dame still has a chance to secure a berth in a New Years’ Six bowl and at the very least head into the offseason with a ton of momentum. For Clemson, though the loss ends the chase for a national championship, the Tigers can still regroup and win the ACC title.

LSU 32 ALABAMA 31

Alabama and LSU traded body blows all night at Tiger Stadium and headed into overtime with the score tied 24-24. After Roydell Williams scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide a 31-24 lead, LSU QB Jayden Daniels broke contain on a 25-yard touchdown run to bring the Tigers within a point. Brian Kelly made the biggest call of his LSU career with the decision to go for 2, and his team rewarded his faith. Daniels found Mason Taylor at the front pylon, setting off the celebration in Baton Rouge.

Kelly and this LSU team now have the inside track to represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game and Kelly deserves credit for transforming the culture at LSU. The Tigers are a mentally tough football team and did not commit any of the self-destructive mistakes that doomed Ed Orgeron’s tenure or even earlier games this season against Florida State and Tennessee. LSU had multiple chances to fold in this game – starting with the first drive where Alabama drove the length of the field – but always answered. The Tigers intercepted Bryce Young in the end zone on the first drive, held Alabama to field goals on back-to-back drives in the second quarter, overcame deficits of 9-7, 15-14, and 21-17 in the second half, and then got the win in overtime.

For Alabama, it will be very interesting to see how the Tide respond to this loss with a road trip to Ole Miss coming up next week. Alabama is still alive for a New Years’ Six bowl, but gone is the aura of invincibility that was the hallmark of Nick Saban’s program for the past decade.

McDONOUGH’S MUSINGS

~ After picking Clemson to beat Notre Dame in the predictions article, I spent some soul-searching time on the internet searching far and wide for the best recipe for crow. In the end, I just decided to keep it simple – brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sear on the grill until medium rare. Nothing ever tasted so delicious.

~ It doesn’t happen often, but Nick Saban got outcoached on Saturday, by Brian Kelly no less. After both Alabama touchdowns, Saban made the decision to go for the two-point conversion, and the Tide were stopped both times. While the first decision was understandable (trying to stretch a 15-14 lead to 17-14), the second one did not make sense (trying to stretch a 21-17 lead to 23-17). Had Alabama kicked the extra point after the second touchdown, Will Reichard’s 46-yard field goal with 24 seconds left would have been the game-winner.

~ It’s incredible how little the Miami vs. Florida State game registers nationally. What once was one of the great rivalries in college football is now little more than a footnote. On Saturday, the Seminoles dominated Miami and rolled up a 45-3 win. Florida State outgained Miami 456-188, and after Tyler Van Dyke left with an injury, Miami had no answers on offense. Mario Cristobal was brought into reestablish “The U”, but no one thought it would be this big of a rebuild. This Miami team had high expectations coming into the season but after non-competitive losses to Duke and Florida State with Clemson and Pittsburgh still on the schedule, the Hurricanes may miss a bowl.

~ North Carolina continues to fly under the radar, but Saturday’s 31-28 victory over Virginia moved the Tar Heels to 8-1, with the only loss coming to Notre Dame. Drake Maye had another stellar performance, throwing for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushing for another 74 yards and a score, and Josh Downs caught 15 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown. For the season, Maye ranks 4th nationally in passing yards, 1st in touchdowns, 5th in yards per attempt, and 2nd in QB rating. Without a clear-cut Heisman frontrunner at this point, expect Maye to start getting some national hype, especially if the Heels finish the regular season 11-1.

~ Here’s my College Football Playoff top-10 for this week. Last week’s ranking is in parentheses:

Georgia (9-0, LW: 1) – I’ve been consistent in having Georgia #1, and the Bulldogs rewarded my faith with a 27-13 win over Tennessee. Georgia is all but a lock for CFP right now.
Ohio State (9-0, LW: 3) – The Buckeyes move up a spot with Tennessee’s loss. I attribute Saturday’s sloppy win over Northwestern more to the elements than a fundamental weakness with Ohio State.
Michigan (9-0, LW: 4) – Michigan moves up a spot with Tennessee’s loss.
TCU (9-0, LW: 6) – It took another second-half comeback, but at the end of the day, TCU is still undefeated. Time to reward the Frogs by moving them into the top 4.
Tennessee (8-1, LW: 2) – There’s no shame in losing on the road to Georgia, and Tennessee remains ahead of Oregon because they lost to Georgia by 14 compared to Oregon’s 49-3 loss. However, with no ranked teams left on the schedule and no path to the SEC Championship game, the Volunteers need help to move up.
Oregon (8-1, LW: 7) – Oregon moves up a spot due to the Clemson loss in advance of a massive matchup with Washington, who will be ranked by the committee this week.
UCLA (8-1, LW: 9) – The Bruins hop Clemson and Alabama. I’m higher on the Pac-12 than the committee, and UCLA has a better record than LSU and impressive wins over Utah and Washington.
LSU (7-2, LW: NR) – The Tigers were ranked way too high in the initial CFP rankings (#10), but they do now own wins over Ole Miss and Alabama, which moves them ahead of USC, Clemson, Alabama, and anyone else. However, this is still a team that lost to Florida State and then was blown out at home by Tennessee.
Clemson (8-1, LW: 5) – Clemson will end up lower than this in the committee rankings, but it’s not like a loss at Notre Dame is a devastating loss. Also, though swoons by Wake Forest and Syracuse haven’t helped the strength of schedule, the Tigers also own a win over NC State. USC and Ole Miss do not own a single win over teams who will be ranked in the committee’s top 25. At the end of the day, your record and who you beat still needs to matter.
Alabama (7-2, LW: 8) – The Tide get the nod over Ole Miss and USC. They own a win over a ranked team (Texas), and their two losses were both on the road by a combined 4 points to my 5th and 8th ranked teams.

STOCK UP

~ Georgia – The Bulldogs reminded the nation that the road to the national title runs through Athens. Georgia was dominant in its 27-13 victory over Tennessee, and because the Bulldogs won the matchup at the line of scrimmage (Tennessee rushed for just 94 yards on 42 attempts, 2.2 YPC), the Volunteers were consistently in third-and-long, a big reason they converted just 2-14. Georgia should roll through its closing stretch against Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech before the SEC Championship Game.

~ Notre Dame – Clemson came into Saturday’s matchup ranked 7th in the country in rush defense, allowing only 87.9 YPG. However, Notre Dame’s offensive line played with a nastiness and physicality that had been missing for most of the last 30 years and steamrolled the Tigers. Notre Dame ran 47 times for 263 yards (5.6 YPC), and even when Clemson knew Notre Dame was going to run, the Tigers couldn’t stop it. The Marcus Freeman era has officially begun, and this Notre Dame program has a giant opportunity in front of it to build momentum heading into next season. Man, this feels good!

~ LSU – Since getting blown out 40-13 by Tennessee, LSU owns victories over Florida, Ole Miss, and now Alabama. Yes, LSU is an easy program to win at, given the fact that it is the only Power Five program in a talent-rich state, but Brian Kelly still deserves an immense amount of credit for building a resilient locker room culture. Remember, this was a team that fielded just 38 scholarship players for the 2021 bowl loss to Kansas State. All of a sudden, LSU controls its own destiny and will be favored in the three remaining games against Arkansas, UAB, and Texas A&M. Win out, and the Tigers will face Georgia in the SEC Championship with the chance to crash the College Football Playoff.

~ Kansas and UConn – Kansas had lost a bit of steam over the past month after a torrid start, but Saturday’s win over Oklahoma State, Kansas’ first victory over a ranked team since 2010, secured the Jayhawks’ first bowl berth since 2008. Speaking of downtrodden programs, a shout out is also in order for UConn. Saturday’s win over UMass moved the Huskies to 5-5 in Jim Mora’s first season, and though the next two matchups against Liberty and Army are not easy, UConn still has a chance to complete a remarkable turnaround and make a bowl. This would be a massive achievement for a program that was close to dropping FBS football a couple years ago.

~ The Pac-12 – After a tumultuous offseason that cast the long-term future of the league into doubt, the results on the field continue to be quite encouraging for the self-appointed “conference of champions”. The league had 5 teams debut in the initial CFP rankings, and Oregon, UCLA, and USC all still have a shot to make the College Football Playoff. Oregon remains the league’s best chance, and no one in the country outside of Athens, GA is playing better than the Ducks right now. Oregon has a brutal closing stretch to the season, hosting Washington and Utah before the finale at Oregon State and likely the Pac-12 Championship Game. Win out and the Ducks have to like their chances of winding up in the CFP.

STOCK DOWN

~ The ACC – Clemson’s loss to Notre Dame all but eliminates the ACC from playoff contention for the second consecutive season. Though North Carolina and Florida State have been bright spots for the league, the national perception of the ACC has taken a major hit the past couple weeks as Miami, Wake Forest, and Syracuse have fallen off a cliff. Compounding the embarrassment for the conference is its scheduling agreement with Notre Dame. Though financially beneficial for the ACC, it’s not a good look when the Irish have won 28 straight regular season games against ACC opponents and this season own dominating victories against both of the likely participants in the ACC Championship Game.

~ Texas A&M – The Aggies are rumored to have spent $30 million securing their 2022 recruiting class, and it seems that in this time of high inflation, $30 million doesn’t buy what it used to. Texas A&M fell 41-24 to Florida on Saturday, bringing their record to 3-6 on the year and marking the first time the Aggies have lost 5 consecutive games since the Carter administration. The 2020 season is looking more and more like an outlier each week, and Texas A&M needs to win out just to make a bowl. This figures to be an interesting offseason in College Station.

~ Oklahoma State – Dorothy said “there’s no place like home” while wishing to go back to Kansas. Those words are being echoed by Oklahoma State as the Cowboys try to get out of Kansas as quickly as possible. Oklahoma State entered the Sunflower state bright-eyed and bushy-tailed just two weeks ago, sporting a top-10 ranking and dreams of a second-straight New Years Six bowl appearance. After being outscored 85-16 the last two weeks in listless losses against Kansas State and Kansas, the Cowboys head back to Stillwater with the look of a team that quit. The outcomes of the next three weeks, a tough matchup against Iowa State next weekend, the Bedlam game at Oklahoma, and the finale against West Virginia will determine the tenor of the offseason.

~ Arkansas – Remember back in September when Arkansas was in the top-10? Unfortunately for the Hogs, games in October and November count too, and on Saturday Arkansas became the latest casualty of the Hugh Freeze redemption tour, falling to Liberty 21-19 after KJ Jefferson was stopped inches short on the game-tying two-point conversion. Now, Liberty is a quality football team (just ask BYU), but the Flames should be no match for a team from the big, bad SEC, right? Arkansas still has the chance to play SEC West Kingmaker with visits from LSU and Ole Miss the next two weeks, but if rankings hold, Arkansas may need a victory in the season finale at Missouri just to save a bowl bid.

~ Illinois – Dennis Green said it best when describing a Monday Night Football loss to the Bears in 2006/commenting on the 2022 Illinois football team – “they are who we thought they were!”. Illinois managed to lose this weekend at home, to a downtrodden Michigan State team whose players may be held criminally liable for last weekend’s brawl, in a game the Illini outgained the Spartans 441-294, had 25 first downs, and won the time of possession battle. Illinois went just 6-17 on third down and an appalling 1-6 on fourth down. 5 Illinois drives ended without points inside the MSU 30-yard-line, always a recipe for an upset loss. Little was expected from Illinois heading into the season, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised – this is just the Illini returning to form.

BEST GAMES OF WEEK 11

Note – AP rankings used rather than CFP rankings, since they reflect this weekend’s results

#7 LSU at Arkansas, 12 PM, ESPN
#20 Notre Dame at Navy, 12 PM, ABC
Louisville at #12 Clemson, 3:30 PM, ESPN
#10 Alabama at #11 Ole Miss, 3:30 PM, CBS
#22 UCF at #16 Tulane, 3:30 PM, ESPN2
#24 Washington at #6 Oregon, 7 PM, FOX
#4 TCU at #18 Texas, 7:30 PM, ABC
#15 North Carolina at Wake Forest, 7:30 PM, ESPN2

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Published Nov 7, 2022

ANDREW MCDONOUGH