College football winners, losers in Week 10: Oklahoma loses CFP hopes, Clemson’s feisty leader reemerges

Quarterbacks took middle level in Week 10 as the most productive and brightest in the game battled with convention championship goals at the line. Maligned Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe stood because the brightest of the bunch, whilst USC’s Caleb Williams fell quick. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. wanted just a little lend a hand, whilst LSU’s Jayden Daniels could not get any of his personal. 

Now, the College Football Playoff race is beginning to come into focal point. Only 10 Power Five groups stay with one or fewer loss after No. 9 Oklahoma fell in a devastating contention recreation. Five others struggled, finishing up in tight fourth-quarter battles with six groups in the preliminary College Football Playoff Rankings shedding general. The moment set of College Football Playoff Rankings this Tuesday will have to glance so much other. 

Additionally, convention championship races are settling down. Texas and Oklahoma State each have a transparent shot to the Big 12 Championship Game. Alabama and Georgia are frontrunners in their respective divisions. Iowa wrested regulate of the Big Ten West, whilst Washington knocked USC out of significant rivalry for the Pac-12. 

Let’s take a look now on the largest winners and losers of Week 10 in faculty football, together with contention video games coming right down to the cord and the Group of Five race most likely coming to an finish. 

Winner: Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy is essentially the most unkillable pressure closing in faculty football. This time truly felt like the top after Gundy’s Cowboys misplaced a 33-7 shocker towards South Alabama. Instead, Gundy dedicated to quarterback Alan Bowman, passed the ball to operating again Ollie Gordon and quietly reworked his program in a single day. 

Saturday afternoon in Stillwater, Oklahoma, would possibly were the best second of Gundy’s tenure. After happening 21-17 in the overall Bedlam towards hated rival Oklahoma, Oklahoma State went on a 10-0 run to take a lead it could by no means give up in a 27-24 victory. Gordon exploded for 137 yards and two touchdowns at the flooring because the Cowboys despatched OU to the SEC with a loss in the contention recreation. After the sport, Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Getting Back Together” blasted over the Boone Pickens Stadium audio system. 

But extra than simply incomes everlasting bragging rights, Oklahoma State is now in a tie with Texas for first position in the Big 12. The Cowboys are 3 wins towards Big 12 rookies clear of achieving the identify recreation for the second one time in 3 years. Times have hardly ever been higher in Stillwater. 

Oh, and via the best way, get started writing Gordon’s title to your Heisman Trophy ballots. After speeding for 137 yards and two touchdowns, the Texas local in the undisputed easiest operating again in faculty football. 

Loser: Oklahoma

For how giant the win used to be for Oklahoma State, the loss is similarly as crushing for Oklahoma. The Sooners scored only one landing in seven second-half drives that incorporated a couple of turnovers and two turnovers on downs. Oklahoma had two drives down fewer than seven issues with a possibility to win the sport however in the long run fell quick below drive. 

Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff hopes are useless. Their Big 12 identify recreation hopes are on lifestyles beef up. The Sooners will nonetheless have a possibility to doubtlessly make an Alamo Bowl, however this used to be now not the best way Oklahoma – the undisputed elegance of the Big 12 since its inception – sought after to depart the league. But maximum disturbingly, the closing 3 performances deliver up main questions concerning the state of this system. 

The offense has crumbled below drive in losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State, or even down the stretch in wins over UCF and Cincinnati. The protection has given up 31.3 issues in keeping with recreation over the past 3 video games after surrendering 10.8 issues in keeping with recreation previous to the Texas recreation. When Brent Venables took over this system, Oklahoma had a streak relationship again to 1999 of by no means shedding consecutive common season video games, outdoor of the pandemic season. Now, the Sooners have misplaced consecutive common season video games 3 separate occasions below Venables. 

Winner: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

Milroe won the lion’s percentage of grievance throughout an up-and-down begin to the season. After his efficiency in a 42-28 win over No. 14 LSU, Milroe has earned the best to flex. The sophomore used to be fantastic in the SEC West showdown, completing with 219 yards passing, 155 yards speeding and 4 speeding touchdowns. He scored 3 first-half touchdowns to outduel LSU counterpart Jayden Daniels and elevate Alabama to the entrance of the SEC West race. 

Milroe is an green participant who confirmed main rising pains early. However, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is beginning to learn to leverage Milroe’s prodigious dual-threat abilities. The 20 carries towards LSU had been the lots of the season, and it most effective helped arrange a extra whole passing recreation. Milroe has long past from being a legal responsibility to a valid asset as Alabama tries to make its case for the SEC identify. 

Loser: Air Force

The Falcons cruised throughout the first 8 video games in their time table, beating Wyoming and zooming previous Army to make their case for the most productive Group of Five group in the country. All Air Force needed to do used to be live on a combat towards Army, which got here into the matchup on a five-game shedding streak. Instead, it grew to become the ball over two times and used to be held to a few.9 yards in keeping with elevate in a surprising 23-3 dissatisfied loss towards the Black Knights. 

The loss shakes up the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy race; it is now unimaginable for Air Force to win it outright regardless of being a massively awesome group all yr to Army and Navy. The Falcons now want Navy to overcome Army to earn a percentage of the crown. But, simply as expensive, Air Force has taken a large step at the back of Tulane in the race for the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six slot. Even if the Green Wave lose, it is going to be tricky for Air Force to get again into the dialog towards a two-loss SMU or perhaps a two-loss Troy group from the Sun Belt. What will have been a traditionally a success season now comes right down to likelihood. 

Winner: Clemson

Does Tyler from Spartanburg belong in the loser or winner camp after seeing his Tigers dominate No. 15 Notre Dame? Clemson performed like a group possessed in a 31-23 dissatisfied victory, leaping out to a 24-6 lead early in the second one quarter and using it to the win. Clemson operating again Phil Mafah used to be dominant in aid of the injured Will Shipley, speeding for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries. 

After the sport, Clemson trainer Dabo Swinney took to the microphone another time at the broadcast and stood up for his program: “I know we’re down and everyone is throwing dirt on us, but if Clemson is a stock, you better buy all you freaking can buy right now.” The Tigers nonetheless wish to win no less than another recreation to achieve bowl eligibility, however feisty Dabo is again. Clemson wanted him. 

Loser: TCU

One yr in the past, the Horned Frogs had been on height of the school football global and taking part in for the unlikeliest of nationwide championships. Now, TCU has absolutely regressed and is dealing with probably the most worst seasons in fresh reminiscence after shedding 35-28 towards rival Texas Tech. TCU went down 20-7 at halftime and not absolutely recovered because it fell to 4-5 at the season. 

After the loss, TCU is now susceptible to lacking out on a bowl recreation for the second one time in 3 seasons and 3rd in 4 outdoor of the pandemic yr. The Horned Frogs have top-10 fighters Texas and Oklahoma closing at the time table along side a contention recreation towards Baylor. TCU has to move 2-1 towards the overall stretch simply to achieve the postseason. All 3 video games are losable. 

Winner: Washington

On an afternoon the place quarterback Michael Penix Jr. performed somewhat beneath his lofty usual, No. 5 Washington discovered alternative ways to win. Specifically, the Huskies offensive line had themselves an afternoon towards a USC protection stacked with blue-chips. Running again Dillon Johnson set occupation highs with 256 yards speeding and 4 touchdowns on simply 26 carries in the win. Impressively, 199 of Johnson’s yards got here ahead of touch – a testomony to simply how aggressively the Huskies driven USC to the aspect. Penix stays the odds-on Heisman Trophy favourite, however it has been a group effort to get Washington to a 9-0 get started. With video games closing towards No. 16 Oregon State and No. 18 Utah, the Huskies are proper on the right track to crash the College Football Playoff. 

Loser: Florida

The Gators began the yr 5-2, however issues have unraveled lately. After shedding 43-20 to Georgia one week in the past, Florida misplaced a 39-36 clunker towards Arkansas in additional time because the Razorbacks snapped a streak of 7 instantly common season losses towards Power Five fighters. The Gators had been outgained via greater than 100 yards towards a suffering Arkansas group. 

The largest factor for Florida is not the loss to Arkansas on my own, it is what comes subsequent. All 3 closing video games (at No. 14 LSU, at No. 12 Missouri, No. 4 Florida State) are towards ranked fighters. After the loss, Florida is at critical possibility of finishing the yr with 5 instantly losses and with its first ignored bowl recreation since 2017. 

Florida trainer Billy Napier has put in combination an elite recruiting elegance, sitting at No. 3 in the Top247 ratings for the 2024 cycle. But whilst the second-year trainer is not only being judged on his 11-11 report at Florida, it is honest to invite when Napier’s procedure will yield effects. 

Winner: Texas State

Nine years in the past, Texas State reached 7-5 in its first yr of FBS eligibility however used to be omitted of a bowl recreation after too many groups certified. On Saturday, the mistaken used to be after all righted. Texas State overwhelmed Georgia Southern 45-24 after a 38-0 run in the center two quarters to achieve bowl eligibility in trainer G.J. Kinne’s first season. The turnaround flew below the radar, however Texas State flipped from 4-8 to 6-3 via 9 video games after the Bobcats added essentially the most transfers of any FBS group this season. To make issues ever higher, Texas State president Kelly Damphousse and trainer G.J. Kinne celebrated the victory via leaping into the San Marcos River.