As always, there was no shortage of headlines in college football this weekend. In case there was too much going on to keep track of, let’s go over everything you need to know.
Roll Tide, Rolled Ankle
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa only threw 12 passes during his team’s 35-13 win Tennessee before leaving because of a high-ankle sprain. The injury is on a different ankle than the one that required surgery last year between the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
Nick Saban said that Tagovailoa is set to have an MRI on Sunday that will give the team a better idea of how long he’ll be out. However, Saban has all but ruled out Tagovailoa for next week’s game against Arkansas.
The No. 1 Crimson Tide have a week off after that before taking on No. 2 LSU in three weeks. Alabama would no doubt love to have the Heisman frontrunner back for that game, although only time will tell.
Oh, The Humiliation
It was business as usual for most of the Big Ten this week, but the lone shakeup in the polls this week will come from the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers, who suffered a stunning 24-23 upset at the hands of Illinois despite being 30.5-point favorites on the road.
Despite a sluggish performance, the Badgers led 23-14 with less than 10 minutes left in the game. However, the Fighting Illini scored a touchdown to pull within 23-21, then kicked a last-second field goal to win it.
Wisconsin still has a chance to reach the CFP if it can run the table, including a road game against No. 4 Ohio State next week. Of course, losing to an Illinois team that’s still 3-4 and probably won’t go to a bowl game might not look great on their resume.
Big Game Loser
The game of the week in college football featured Jim Harbaugh and Michigan once again coming up short in a big game, losing to Penn State 28-21. The Wolverines fell behind 21-0 midway through the second quarter, although they managed to fight back and had a chance to tie the game late.
Alas, they fell short despite outgaining Penn State by over 100 yards. The loss ends almost any hope of a Big Ten East title for Michigan, while the Nittany Lions remain undefeated at 7-0.
The New OT
College football fans got to see the game’s new overtime rules this week in the game between North Carolina and Virginia Tech. After being tied 31-31 after regulation, both teams scored just a field goal and a touchdown during the first four overtimes.
The new rules stipulate that starting in the fifth overtime period, the teams only try two-point conversions until a winner is decided. Both teams failed to convert in the fifth overtime. In the sixth overtime, North Carolina again failed on its two-point try, but when the Hokies were successful, they won the game 43-41.
Scary Moment
During Oklahoma’s 52-14 win over West Virginia, there was a scary moment when the Sooner Schooner tipped over. The replica Conestoga wagon drives onto the field after every Oklahoma score.
After the team’s fourth touchdown on Saturday, two members of the spirit squad and a cameraman were thrown to the ground when it tipped and separated from the two horses pulling it. Fortunately, the university said everyone involved was evaluated for injuries and cleared without having to leave the stadium.
A statement from the Oklahoma Athletic Department blamed the crash on weight distribution.
