College football Saturdays don’t get much better than the one we just experienced. With so much going on, let’s catch up on all of the headlines in case you might have missed something.
A Tale of Two Kickers
The game of the day might have been South Carolina’s upset of No. 3 Georgia. Despite losing quarterback Ryan Hilinski to a knee injury midway through the game, the Gamecocks outplayed Georgia on the road and survived a wild, double-overtime ending.
South Carolina kicker Parker White missed two field goals, including a potential game-winner in the first overtime period. However, he made a field goal in the second overtime while Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship missed the field goal he needed to send the game to a third overtime.
It was a game the Gamecocks needed just to get into a bowl game, while the Bulldogs saw their College Football Playoff hopes take a huge hit.
Rivalry Runs Deep
Things got heated between No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 Texas even before the 11 a.m. local kickoff. Every player on both teams was issued an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty before the game started because of a skirmish on the field during warmups in which a couple of the refs were hit by players.
If any player was issued another unsportsmanlike penalty during the game, they were to be ejected. Referee Mike Defee called the incident “an embarrassment to everyone.” After things settled down, Oklahoma won the game 34-27.
Survive the Showdown
Death Valley in Baton Rouge lived up to its reputation on Saturday night for being a place where dreams go to die. No. 5 LSU scored the final 21 points of the game to erase a 28-21 deficit against No. 7 Florida and beat the Gators 42-28.
Florida put up a valiant effort on the road but couldn’t stop LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who went 21 for 24 throwing the ball for nearly 300 yards. With the win, the Tigers remain undefeated and have their second statement win of the year after beating Texas last month.
Of course, all is not lost for the Gators, who still control their own destiny in the SEC East.
No More Points
Somewhat quietly, No. 8 Wisconsin is flying under the national radar despite improving to 6-0 on Saturday with a 38-0 win over Michigan State. It’s already the fourth time this season the Badgers have kept a shutout, although the first against a Big Ten opponent.
We’re just two weeks away from Wisconsin traveling to Columbus to take on Ohio State in what could be a battle of two unbeaten teams and a preview of the Big Ten Championship Game.
We Got Your Back
In some off-field news, Penn State players showed support for safety Jonathan Sutherland on Saturday by wearing T-shirts during warmups that said: “Chains, Tattoos, Dread & WE ARE.” The shirts were a response to Sutherland receiving a letter from a Penn State alum who criticized his dreadlocks and appearance.
Penn State officials took the shirts from the players out of concern for NCAA compliance. Head coach James Franklin said he was disappointed that the players didn’t let him know of their intentions before the game to wear the shirts after addressing Sutherland’s letter earlier in the week.
