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College Football


COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINNERS AND LOSERS: MISSISSIPPI GETS IN PLAYOFF POSITION


WITH A HUGE HOME WIN OVER GEORGIA, THE NO. 16 REBELS HAVE A PATH TO AN AT-LARGE
SLOT.

14 min
114

Mississippi fans tore down the goalposts after the Rebels’ signature win over
Georgia. (Randy J. Williams/AP)
Skip to main content
 1.  Mississippi (winner)
 2.  Miami (loser)
 3.  Indiana (winner)
 4.  Navy (winner)
 5.  Iowa State (loser)
 6.  Colorado (winner)
 7.  One-loss teams making layups (winners)
 8.  Jalen Milroe (winner)
 9.  LSU’s quarterback containment (loser)
 10. Ashton Jeanty (winner)
 11. UCLA (winner)
 12. Pittsburgh (loser)
 13. East Carolina (winner)
 14. Florida Atlantic (loser)

Analysis by Patrick Stevens
November 9, 2024 at 5:01 p.m. EST

Another weekend of college football is in the books. Here are some of the most
notable winners and losers:


MISSISSIPPI (WINNER)

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The Rebels were going to have to provide a reason to include them in the College
Football Playoff, and losses earlier in SEC play to Kentucky and LSU meant that
reason was going to have to be a victory over Georgia.

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Not an easy ask, but No. 16 Mississippi (8-2, 4-2) came through with a 28-10
defeat of the No. 3 Bulldogs on Saturday that led to some goal posts getting
removed from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium by jubilant fans.

The best way to describe the Rebels’ formula: getting something to show for
every drive in Georgia territory except a last-play-of-the-day kneeldown, which
required not only moving the ball against the Bulldogs but not rolling the dice
in fourth-down situations.

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Sure enough, Coach Lane Kiffin — known for embracing an aggressive approach to
fourth downs — tried to convert a fourth down once. Kicker Caden Davis made five
field goals; one was on a fourth and four, another on a fourth and five.

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Georgia was the biggest obstacle to getting to 10-2 and positioning the Rebels
for a playoff berth. They stand a decent chance at securing an at-large slot
with victories over Florida and Mississippi State to close the regular season.


MIAMI (LOSER)

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Miami has had a habit of allowing its opponents to stick around longer than they
probably should. It finally proved costly Saturday.

The No. 4 Hurricanes’ run at an unbeaten season is over after a 28-23 loss at
Georgia Tech, a game that appropriately ended with the Yellow Jackets taking a
knee out of victory formation a couple of times — something Miami obstinately
refused to do last season, at a severe cost.

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This wasn’t anywhere near as mind-numbing a loss as that 23-20 result was. It
wasn’t the stereotypical snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

No, this time the Hurricanes were simply beaten by a team that has proved time
and again it is comfortable playing highly regarded opponents. Georgia Tech
(6-4, 4-3 ACC) improved to 6-1 against ranked teams under Coach Brent Key even
as it toggled between quarterbacks and struggled almost as much as everyone else
has at containing Miami quarterback Cameron Ward.



What the Yellow Jackets did do was bottle up the Hurricanes (9-1, 5-1) on the
ground. Ward has rightfully generated a lot of attention, and it has sometimes
obscured what a potent combination running backs Damien Martinez and Mark
Fletcher Jr. have been for much of the season.

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Martinez had a solid 15-carry, 81-yard day. Fletcher managed 12 yards on four
carries. They weren’t bad, but neither of them had a run longer than 14 yards.

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It made Miami more one-dimensional than it usually is, and it also made the
Hurricanes more likely to get into third-and-long situations. All of it made the
Hurricanes just as vulnerable to a stumble as they were in close victories
against Virginia Tech, California, Louisville and (to a lesser extent) Duke.

The only difference? The Yellow Jackets cashed in just enough to win, and in the
process they badly damaged the Hurricanes’ at-large playoff hopes (not to
mention the ACC’s chances of nudging two teams into the 12-team postseason
field).


INDIANA (WINNER)

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It’s time for a moment of big-picture perspective on the No. 8 Hoosiers, who
dusted off Michigan, 20-15, on Saturday. It was what Indiana was supposed to do,
which in a historical context is remarkable. But from the way this season has
played out, it’s self-evident. In fact, this was arguably Indiana’s worst game,
and it still fended off the Wolverines.

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Consider:

Indiana has won 10 consecutive games for the first time in program history.

Not to be redundant, but it is 10-0 for the first time in school history.

It has won 10 games for the first time.

It is 7-0 in the Big Ten … you guessed it, for the first time in school history.

And now it gets to simmer for two weeks before visiting Ohio State in what has
improbably become one of the sport’s titanic matchups this season.




NAVY (WINNER)

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After back-to-back defeats, the Midshipmen very much needed to get back to who
they are.

They did so Saturday, easing past South Florida, 28-7, in a game that was
largely sorted out by halftime.

Navy (7-2, 5-1 American Athletic Conference) scored on its first two drives to
create a 14-0 cushion, but it was a sequence in the final 30 seconds of the half
that all but locked things up.

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Ira Oniha picked off a pass and returned it to the Navy 47 with 14 seconds to
go. Fullback Alex Tecza rumbled for 15 yards on a play that took four seconds
and incentivized the Midshipmen to push for points to close the half. It worked
out: Tecza caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Blake Horvath with two seconds
remaining to make it a three-possession game.

With a victory over the Bulls (4-5, 2-3), Navy remained firmly in the mix for a
spot in the AAC title game. If the Mids beat Tulane next week and win at East
Carolina the day after Thanksgiving, they’ll play for a conference championship.


IOWA STATE (LOSER)

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Were the No. 17 Cyclones still sore about taking their first loss of the season
last week against Texas Tech? Possibly. Did they run into a Kansas team that’s
probably been a bit unlucky this season, going 0-5 in one-possession games?
Definitely.

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Both of those factors explain at least a little why Iowa State would lose to the
Jayhawks on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. But the way it happened, with Kansas
scoring on six consecutive possessions, rolling up 532 yards and collecting a
45-36 victory? That’s a bit more of a puzzle.

The Cyclones (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) entered the day ranked 19th nationally in total
defense, ninth in scoring defense and third in passing defense. To get torched
for 295 yards on just 12 completions by Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels
suggests it was a particularly dire day for Matt Campbell’s bunch.

Iowa State has gone from Big 12 leader to just another team in the conference
that needs help to play for a league title in a mere eight days. That has to be
sobering for a team that had checked a lot of boxes for the first two months of
the season.


COLORADO (WINNER)

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It’s hard to say anything happens quietly for the Buffaloes. But for all the
attention cast toward the program’s proverbial style, Colorado’s actual
substance has grown considerably since a Week 2 loss at Nebraska

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With a 41-27 victory Saturday at Texas Tech — after spotting the Red Raiders the
first 13 points — the No. 20 Buffaloes (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) have won three in a row
and six of seven. They’ve won four in a row on the road. Their only setback in
the past two months came by a field goal against Kansas State.

In other words, a program that was overly hyped before last season, obnoxiously
hyped after a 3-0 start and laughably exposed for its obvious flaws — an overall
lack of depth and poor play up front on both sides of the ball — has turned
itself into a credible team this year.

Does Colorado own an overwhelming set of victories? Not really; beating the Red
Raiders (6-4, 4-3) in Lubbock is probably the best accomplishment on the
Buffaloes’ résumé. But they would have lost a chunk of those games last season,
so credit where it’s due. With a manageable closing stretch (Utah, at Kansas,
Oklahoma State), Colorado is well positioned to reach the Big 12 title game.


ONE-LOSS TEAMS MAKING LAYUPS (WINNERS)

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At this point in the season, the primary goal for any one-loss team is not to
add a second loss any earlier than a conference title game. Blowing out an
opponent is just gravy.

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No. 5 Texas (8-1, 4-1 SEC) is a perfect example, having crushed Florida, 49-17,
as Quinn Ewers threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns. The Longhorns led 42-0
before the Gators (4-5, 2-4) finally scored.

Another team that understood the assignment Saturday was No. 2 Ohio State, which
had no trouble dispatching Purdue, 45-0. The Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) were
coming off three consecutive taut games — a loss at Oregon and defeats of
Nebraska and Penn State. Drubbing the Boilermakers (1-8, 0-6 was exactly what
they were supposed to do.

In the evening, No. 7 Tennessee pounded Mississippi State, 33-14, improving to
8-1 (5-1 SEC). And No. 10 Notre Dame (8-1) extended Florida State’s season-long
misery, delivering a humiliating 52-3 defeat to the Seminoles (1-9).




JALEN MILROE (WINNER)

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The Alabama quarterback loves facing LSU. More specifically, he loves to run
against LSU.

A season ago, Milroe enjoyed what was easily his best rushing game of the year
against the Tigers, rumbling for 155 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries in
a 42-28 victory.

And in Death Valley on Saturday, Milroe rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns
on just 12 carries as the No. 11 Crimson Tide (7-2, 4-2 SEC) routed No. 15 LSU,
42-13.


LSU’S QUARTERBACK CONTAINMENT (LOSER)

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Milroe might have an excellent two-year track record of torching the Tigers’
rushing defense. But he’s not the only quarterback to expose that group this
season.

South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 14.
Marcel Reed of Texas A&M came off the bench to collect 62 yards and three
touchdowns Oct. 26. And now Milroe sliced up the Tigers.

The latter two games have diminished the chances LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC) reaches the
playoff. Considering dual-threat quarterbacks aren’t going to disappear from the
game anytime soon, figuring out a way to stop them — and finding front-seven
options who can — has to be at the top of Coach Brian Kelly’s offseason to-do
list.


ASHTON JEANTY (WINNER)

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Given a broadcast network audience for the first time this season, the Boise
State running back delivered like he normally has all year. Jeanty rushed for
209 yards and three touchdowns as the Broncos (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West) turned
back Nevada, 28-21.

It wasn’t the most complete game Boise State has put together, but that was
hardly Jeanty’s fault. He took at least 30 carries for the fourth consecutive
game, surpassed the 200-yard plateau for the fourth time this season and pushed
his total for the year to 1,734 yards — 26 shy of a mile.

The Heisman Trophy may well be Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s to lose at
this point, but Jeanty states a compelling case every time he converts a
typically heavy workload into gaudy numbers.




UCLA (WINNER)

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The Bruins’ second-half surge continued Friday with a 20-17 victory over Iowa.
That’s three in a row for UCLA (4-5, 3-4 Big Ten), which decidedly did not look
like a team capable of such a feat earlier in the season.

Now, there’s a little bit of a caveat on the surface. Iowa (6-4, 4-3) was
already down its top two quarterbacks, and after Brendan Sullivan got hurt in
the third quarter, the Hawkeyes had to turn to fourth-stringer Jackson Stratton.
And there might not be four scarier words in college football than
“fourth-string Iowa quarterback.”

But that wasn’t really the problem. UCLA led 17-10 at halftime. Stratton led a
tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, only for the Bruins to answer with
Mateen Bhaghani’s 27-yard field goal with 4:49 to go.

Bottom line: The Bruins added to their recent victories over Rutgers and
Nebraska and have perfectly winnable games against Washington, Southern
California and Fresno State to come. Coach DeShaun Foster’s first year in charge
at his alma mater could yet wind up with the Bruins in a bowl game.


PITTSBURGH (LOSER)

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From flying high at 7-0 to hoping it can scrap its way back into the ACC title
hunt at 7-2, it’s been a deflating couple of Saturdays for the No. 18 Panthers.

Pittsburgh was ambushed at SMU a week ago in a matchup of two teams that at the
time were undefeated in the ACC. That was much more eye-opening than a 24-19
loss to Virginia, the sort of defense-first game the Panthers have played plenty
of under Pat Narduzzi.

This one was even more tilted toward defense because quarterback Eli Holstein
departed with injury. But it was also a game Pittsburgh led at halftime and was
a two-point conversion away from tying with 10:32 left.

The national upshot for this game: The Panthers aren’t going to be a viable
at-large option for the playoff. It’s just one more team to check off that list
of possibilities this week.


EAST CAROLINA (WINNER)

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The Pirates have at least in some way responded to coach Mike Houston’s firing
after an Oct. 19 loss at Army. Thursday’s 49-14 thumping of Florida Atlantic is
another shred of evidence on that front.

That followed a 56-34 reaming of Temple two weekends ago, and the two victories
nudged East Carolina (5-4, 3-2 American) within a game of bowl eligibility under
interim coach Blake Harrell. The victories have nearly coincided with the
elevation of Katin Houser to the starting quarterback spot.

Houser took over the role in the Army game and has thrown for 13 touchdowns and
three interceptions in his three starts. That includes a 17-for-22, 343-yard,
five-touchdown showing Thursday.

Along the way, the Pirates have scored 105 points over the past two games after
failing to surpass 30 in their first six games against FBS opponents. They’ve
piled up 1,051 yards in their past two outings, including 581 against Florida
Atlantic.

The obvious caveat is that Florida Atlantic (2-7) is not good, and Temple (2-6)
is in the same neighborhood. Some of this might just be East Carolina beating up
on inferior teams.

But there is a little more juice to a program that has a long history of pumping
out fun, competitive teams than there was a month ago. (Among the quarterbacks
to star for the Pirates: Jeff Blake, David Garrard, Dominique Davis, Shane
Carden, Gardner Minshew and Holton Ahlers). That alone justifies throwing a bit
of a spotlight on East Carolina’s so-far-successful attempt to turn around its
season.


FLORIDA ATLANTIC (LOSER)

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The Owls haven’t been on too many radars since Lane Kiffin left for Mississippi
after the 2019 season, and for good reason. The program hired Willie Taggart
months after his brief tenure at Florida State concluded, then was dealt
three-of-a-kind in the win column. Unfortunately for Taggart, those were three
fives, and he was sent on his way in favor of Tom Herman.

The former Houston and Texas coach went 4-8 in his Florida Atlantic debut last
year, a season that coincided with the school’s jump from Conference USA to the
American Athletic. Not great, but perfectly understandable given the conditions.

The Owls didn’t have to contend for a league title for this year to be a
success, but it wasn’t unreasonable to think they would be better. But at 2-7
overall and 0-5 in the league after Thursday’s shredding at East Carolina,
that’s probably not on the menu.


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