This 12 months marks the tenth time up to now 15 seasons that Texas A&M has ranked inside the highest 10 of the AP ballot and/or Faculty Soccer Playoff Rankings sooner or later. The No. 3 Aggies are common sniffers of the game’s elite stratosphere since becoming a member of the SEC, however uncommon stayers.
Issues are formally completely different this time. That was confirmed on Saturday, when the No. 3 Aggies improved to 9-0 (6-0 SEC) with a 38-17 win at No. 22 Missouri. The win all however assured A&M of its first-ever Faculty Soccer Playoff look, though merely reaching the CFP can be a disappointment at this level.
Texas A&M hasn’t appeared within the SEC Championship Sport since becoming a member of the league in 2012. The Aggies have an inside observe to the league title sport and are well-positioned to snag a first-round bye within the CFP. Even when A&M slips out of the league title sport and misses out on a high 4 within the CFP rankings, it will nonetheless be primed to host a primary spherical sport.
What the Aggies have completed beneath second-year coach Mike Elko needs to be a lesson for all of the packages at the moment available in the market for a brand new coach. Elko wasn’t a “splashy” rent. He wasn’t poached from an enormous model and did not have any nationwide championship rings to flaunt at his introductory press convention.
However he’d confirmed his benefit as a head coach at Duke and knew the panorama at A&M from his time as this system’s defensive coordinator. Teaching on this period is about scheme and substance, not sizzle. A&M had a Heisman Trophy profitable quarterback in Johnny Manziel beneath Kevin Sumlin. He was adopted by a former nationwide championship profitable coach at Florida State in Jimbo Fisher.
Neither completed what Elko has completed in lower than two seasons with the Aggies.
Right here is the complete breakdown of winners and losers from Week 11 motion in school soccer, which featured a few wild escape acts from two of the Large Ten’s finest groups.
Loser: Missouri isn’t any match
No. 22 Missouri entered as only a seven-point underdog towards No. 3 Texas A&M, however the Tigers and their third-string quarterback had been no match for the Aggies. A&M cruised to a 38-17 win to achieve 6-0 in convention play for the primary time since 1998, when it was nonetheless a member of the Large 12. With starter Beau Pribula and backup Sam Horn each out for the season attributable to damage, Mizzou true freshman Matt Zollers confronted the unenviable job of constructing his first profession begin towards a protection stocked with elite expertise. It did not go properly. Zollers completed 7 of twenty-two for 77 yards and ended up on the fallacious facet of this weird sequence, which helped the Aggies construct their result in 14-0 simply earlier than halftime.
Winner: Oregon thrives on the margins
The margin between success and failure in school soccer has by no means been extra slim. Living proof: No. 9 Oregon’s 18-16 win at No. 20 Iowa. If Dante Moore didn’t match this throw into the tiniest window conceivable, the Geese simply might have ended up struggling a gutting loss that might have imperiled their CFP aspirations. However Malik Benson reeled it in to arrange Oregon for a game-winning area objective within the waning seconds. It was the second time Oregon has lived life on the sting on the street towards a ranked convention opponent and escaped with a win after a equally dramatic win at then-No. 3 Penn State on Sept. 27. Flip both or each of these outcomes within the different course and we may very well be speaking in regards to the Large Ten as a two-bid league. However as a result of the Geese have the clutch gene, they’re residing on the appropriate facet of this loopy sport’s line of demarkation between success and failure.
Winner: Indiana survives a thriller
After outscoring its final three Large Ten opponents by a median of 40 factors, No. 2 Indiana on its method to one other straightforward win Saturday at Penn State. Then, the Nittany Lions got here again from a 20-7 deficit and took the lead late within the fourth quarter. How would a Hoosiers crew so accustomed to profitable in blowout trend reply? Fairly properly, because it seems. Down 24-20 with beneath two minutes to play, Indiana marched 80 yards on 10 performs for a go-ahead rating. The drive featured two of the very best catches you will see this season and lifted the Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0 Large Ten) to a 27-24 win.
First, Charlie Becker elevated over a Penn State defender on the sideline for a outstanding seize that moved Indiana deep into Nittany Lions’ territory with beneath a minute left. Then, on third-and-goal, Omar Cooper Jr. bested his teammate with a toe-tapping landing seize that proved to be the sport winner. Blowing everybody out is enjoyable, however for a crew with championship aspirations, getting examined might be helpful as properly. IU has championship aspirations, and it may draw on Saturday’s clutch landing drive if and when tense moments come up within the postseason.
Loser: BYU produces a dud
No. 7 BYU suffered its first defeat of the season, because the Cougars could not get out of their very own means in a 29-7 loss at No. 8 Texas Tech. Among the many vital miscues had been a muffed punt, a missed area objective and an interception. The Crimson Raiders weren’t good, both, however they received the turnover battle 3-0 as BYU’s sloppy efficiency made it easy for TTU to win and canopy the double-digit unfold in a vital Large 12 showdown. A visit to the league title sport remains to be potential for the Cougars (8-1, 5-1 Large 12), however the seemingly opponent can be Texas Tech. If the rematch involves fruition, count on a motivated BYU crew that’s wanting to current a greater model of itself than what we noticed on Saturday.
Winner: Alabama’s protection delivers once more
On an evening when Alabama’s offense did not have its finest, the protection delivered one other collection of clutch performs within the No. 4 Crimson Tide’s 20-9 win over LSU. Yhonzae Pierre produced two of them. The imposing edge rusher dragged LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier down for a 14-yard loss on a vital third-down play within the third quarter. Later, he ended LSU’s hopes for items by forcing a fumble within the ultimate minutes.
New week, similar Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State’s stud sophomore receiver added to his prolonged spotlight montage with seven receptions for 109 yards and a landing in No. 1 Ohio State’s 34-10 win at Purdue. Oh, did we point out that was Smith’s first half line? He made one other three catches within the second half to complete with a career-high 10 receptions, additional bolstering his candidacy in a Heisman race that additionally options his quarterback, Julian Sayin.
Loser: Auburn flames out once more
Taking part in at No. 16 Vanderbilt in its first sport because the firing of coach Hugh Freeze, Auburn produced 563 yards, which was greater than it ever managed towards an FBS opponent throughout Freeze’s tenure. Sadly for the Tigers, the tip consequence was all too acquainted: Auburn discovered a method to lose. The Tigers fell 45-38 in time beyond regulation after main by 14 within the first half. If there is a silver lining, it is that Auburn discovered some life offensively behind quarterback Ashton Daniels. At 4-6, the Tigers might want to beat Mercer and win the Iron Bowl towards Alabama so as to keep away from lacking a bowl for the third time in 4 years.
Loser: Deion’s downfall continues
Colorado’s goals of bowl eligibility met their finish Saturday in a 29-22 loss at West Virginia. The Mountaineers entered with simply 17 sacks for the season however racked up seven towards the Buffaloes. Maybe it was Colorado’s shoddy offensive line play that motivated third-year Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders to make a head-scratching resolution early within the fourth quarter. Down simply 22-16 and dealing with a fourth-and-4 from the WVU 17-yard line, Sanders performed it secure and went with a area objective to attract inside 22-19. A landing would have given Colorado a lead and left the Buffaloes in a much better place down the stretch. With nothing to lose late in a season going sideways, it was a timid resolution from Colorado’s brash coach.
Winner: Georgia avoids drama
Georgia made a behavior of crushing SEC opponents and avoiding fourth-quarter drama throughout its back-to-back nationwide championship runs in 2021 and 2022. Parity has been on the rise within the SEC since then, and that has been mirrored within the seemingly never-ending collection of shut league video games the Bulldogs have performed this season.
However for one afternoon not less than, it felt like outdated occasions for No. 5 Georgia, which stomped Mississippi State 41-21 on the street. With UGA coming off a gritty rivalry win over Florida and heading towards a high-stakes residence showdown towards No. 13 Texas subsequent week, it was a basic entice spot. UGA fell in an early 7-0 gap. From there, Georgia bludgeoned Mississippi State with a 38-0 run that got here with a gentle cadence of explosive performs.
Loser: Florida owned by Kentucky
Kentucky’s 38-7 win over Florida was its largest win in an SEC sport because it beat Vanderbilt by 31 factors in 1998. It additionally marked UK’s fourth win over the Gators up to now 5 seasons. Issues acquired so unhealthy for Florida that interim coach Billy Gonzales benched sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway after his third interception. The Gators are actually 1-10 over their final 11 SEC video games.
Winner: James Madison quietly builds its case
Be careful for James Madison. The Dukes (8-1, 6-0 Solar Belt) have reeled off seven straight wins following Saturday’s 35-23 victory at Marshall to insert themselves into the CFP dialog. When the sport went ultimate, JMU had the second-best odds of any Group of Six crew to achieve the playoff (+240 at FanDuel) behind solely South Florida.
James Madison’s solely loss got here in a aggressive displaying on the street towards No. 14 Louisville. All however one among its victories are by double-digits. Second-year coach Bob Chesney has himself a squad, and we simply may see that squad within the CFP bracket.
Loser: Temple not often sees the soccer
Temple possessed the soccer a whopping complete of two occasions within the second half of its 14-13 loss at Military. The Black Knights pressured a three-and-out with 10 minutes left and proceeded to expire the remainder of the clock with an 18-play drive. The extended collection included zero cross makes an attempt and nil factors, however it completed precisely what the Black Knights needed it to perform. This was service academy soccer at its best, as Military possessed the soccer for over 22 minutes within the second half. The Black Knights accomplished only one cross all sport however transformed on 11 of 19 third- or fourth-down performs to maintain the chains shifting and the clock rolling.
Winner: Wisconsin celebrates a uncommon win
Some are going to flame Wisconsin followers for dashing the sphere following the Badgers’ 13-10 win over No. 23 Washington. Has this once-proud program actually fallen to this point {that a} slim win over a barely ranked crew is getting field-storming therapy? The reply is unequivocally sure. Wisconsin (3-6, 1-5 Large Ten) is nearly assured to overlook a bowl sport in consecutive seasons for the primary time since 1991 and 1992. The Badgers entered averaging fewer yards per sport (261.9) than some other Energy 4 crew by greater than 30 yards. They mustered simply 205 yards and 12 first downs agains the Huskies however in some way discovered a method to win. When that is the product, you rejoice the wins the place you will discover them.
Winner: UConn makes an announcement
UConn’s win over UAB final acquired the Huskies bowl eligible for the second straight season. However Saturday’s 37-34 win over Duke made a considerably louder assertion. The Blue Devils are within the thick of the ACC title race and entered with one of many nation’s hottest quarterback in Darian Mensah. The Huskies picked him off twice and acquired one other large efficiency from their very own star QB, Joe Fagnano, who tossed three touchdowns. The veteran star is as much as 25 touchdowns with out an interception on the season and has the Huskies within the combine to match or exceed final 12 months’s program record-tying 9 victories. Fourth-year coach Jim Mora Jr. is quietly doing a masterful teaching job.
