If I had one word to describe week ten of the college football season, it would be chaos. Yet again, the rankings have been shaken up, underdogs have risen to the occasion and some of college football’s rising stars put on electrifying performances. Here are some of week ten’s greatest upsets, top performances by players and marquee matchups for the coming week.
Biggest Upsets
South Carolina 44, No. 10 Texas A&M 20
The SEC is an unruly and unforgiving conference, where any team can win on any given night. This was the case for unranked South Carolina, who took down the No. 10-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in stunning fashion. The Gamecocks dominated A&M on the ground, which running back Raheim Sanders ran for 144 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers also had himself a game, garnering 350 all-purpose yards, tossing two touchdown passes while running for one on the ground as well.
Louisville 33, No. 11 Clemson 21
After winning six consecutive games, the No.11 -ranked Clemson Tigers were primed to prove themselves as a true playoff contender. However, the Louisville Cardinals traveled to Death Valley and stunned the ranked Tigers. Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough guided the Cardinals to victory, completing 17 of 35 passes for 156 yards, while calling his own number scoring a touchdown on the ground. Kicker Brock Travelstead proved to be the difference maker in this one, drilling four field goals and three extra-points, contributing 15 points on his own for the Cardinals.
Texas Tech 23, No. 11 Iowa State 22
After starting 7-0 for their best start in school history, the No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones were poised for an easy week ten matchup against an unranked Texas Tech squad. However, Tech had other plans, stunning the Cyclones 23-22 with a thrilling finish. At the end of the game, Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton led the Red Raiders on a 12 play, 71-yard drive, handing off the game-winning touchdown to Tahj Brooks with 19 seconds left to play. The upset ended Iowa State’s hopes of an undefeated season, putting them at a greater risk of missing the College Football Playoffs.
Top Performances
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
In a blowout 63-31 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart had himself a career game, absolutely torching the Arkansas defense. Dart completed 25 of 31 passes for a whopping 515 yards and six total touchdowns, putting on an impressive aerial showcase.
Brashard Smith, SMU
The SMU rushing attack was integral in the No. 20 Mustangs’ win over the previously undefeated and 18th ranked Pittsburgh Panthers by a score of 48-25. Leading the rushing attack was running back Brashard Smith. On 23 carries, Smith accumulated 161 yards while contributing two touchdowns to the Mustangs’ cause.
Stanquan Clark, Louisville
In a 33-21 win over Clemson, Louisville Cardinals linebacker Stanquan Clark played a crucial role in holding quarterback Cade Klubnik and the Tigers’ explosive offense to just 21 points. Clark recorded a career-high 13 solo tackles, which were ultimately priceless in holding the Tigers to just 12 conversions on 23 third-down attempts.
Games to Watch
No. 11 Alabama (6-2) at No. 14 LSU (6-2): Saturday – 7:30 p.m.
After a bye-week, quarterback Jalen Milroe and the No.11 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will travel to Death Valley to take on the No.14 LSU Tigers in a marquee SEC matchup. Both teams are virtually even, bolstering 6-2 records while looking to remain in the playoff and SEC championship race. This will be Alabama first-year Head Coach Kalen DeBoer’s’ first time coaching at Death Valley, which seeing how he handles LSU’s hostile environment should be quite interesting.
Michigan (5-4) at No. 8 Indiana (9-0): Saturday – 3:30 p.m.
Head Coach Curt Cignetti and his Indiana Hoosiers are having a historical season, boasting an undefeated 9-0 record and are serious Big 10 Championship contenders. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been at the forefront of the Hoosiers’ success, tossing for well over 2000 yards on the season and 19 touchdowns. Although the Michigan Wolverines are having a less-than stellar season, they’ve historically dominated the Hoosiers, winning 42 of their last 44 matchups. Being able to tame Michigan running back Donovan Edwards will be the key for Indiana in winning this ball game.
No. 2 Georgia (7-1) at No.16 Ole Miss (7-2): Saturday – 3:30 p.m.
Since losing to Alabama earlier this season, the Georgia Bulldogs have been nothing but impressive, mugging teams with their stifling defense while scoring points when they need to on offense. However, quarterback Jaxson Dart and his Ole Miss Rebels have other plans, looking to continue their offensive success to stun the Georgia Bulldogs.