Week 12 of the college football season turned out to be the place where dreams go to die. Let’s take a look at all of the headlines.
Ouch!
The season is over for Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After starting Saturday’s game against Mississippi State as a game-time decision because of his ankle injury, Tagovailoa suffered a dislocated hip late in the first half. He also suffered a posterior wall fracture after being brought down by a pair of MSU defenders.
Tagovailoa is expected to make a full recovery, but not in time to play again this season. The injury creates at least some questions about his pro prospects as well.
Meanwhile, Alabama will turn to Mac Jones at quarterback. He will start next week’s game against Western Carolina as a tuneup for the Iron Bowl with Auburn in two weeks. Of course, the Tide already need a fair amount of help if they’re going to get back to the College Football Playoff, and the injury to Tagovailoa doesn’t help.
Bears Blow It
The undefeated season is over for the Baylor Bears, who lost 34-31 to Oklahoma at home on Saturday night. The first half was all Baylor, which led 31-10 at halftime, only to get shut out in the second half and possess the ball for less than 19 minutes.
Despite turning it over three times, Oklahoma was able to come all the way back to win. Of course, unless either team loses both of their remaining games, Baylor and Oklahoma will meet again in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Back in the Gopher Hole
The Minnesota Golden Gophers also saw their hopes for a perfect season come to an end on Saturday, losing 23-19 to rival Iowa. The Gophers made some uncharacteristic mistakes that ultimately cost them in a game that they could have won.
Minnesota’s loss likely sets up a game against the Wisconsin Badgers in two weeks that will decide who wins the Big Ten West division and plays in the conference title game. Unless Wisconsin loses to Purdue next week, the season finale between Minnesota and Wisconsin will deduce the Big Ten West champ.
Please Stay
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Nebraska has given head coach Scott Frost a two-year extension that will keep him at his alma mater through the 2026 season. The move is a little surprising since Frost still has five more years left on the original seven-year deal he signed when he took the job two years ago, not to mention Nebraska is just 8-14 under Frost.
After losing at home to Wisconsin on Saturday, the Cornhuskers have lost four in a row and need to beat both Maryland and Iowa in their final two games to become bowl eligible.
Vote of Confidence
When the coaching carousel begins in a few weeks, South Carolina won’t be a part of it. The school’s athletic director, Ray Tanner, gave head coach Will Muschamp a vote of confidence on Friday, saying that Muschamp “will be our coach going forward.”
The Gamecocks proceeded to lose to Texas A&M 30-6 on Saturday, ending whatever slim hopes South Carolina still had of going to a bowl game. Muschamp is now 26-24 in four seasons at South Carolina but did take the program to a bowl game in each of his first three seasons.
