While there are a still a few high-profile matchups left in the world of College Football, we learned plenty from the early games. With that in mind, here are Five Things We've Learned So Far In Week 12 Of College Football.
Ohio State Won't Repeat
The Buckeyes' dreams of a repeat are over. The Michigan State Spartans waltzed into Columbus and pulled the stunning upset with its backup QB. A team finally shut down Ezekiel Elliott, who picked up just 33 yards on 12 carries. With the loss, the Buckeyes are unlikely to win the Big Ten Title. If they can't win their conference, the College Football Playoff committee won't be giving the Buckeyes a berth. The loss resulted in star RB Ezekiel Elliott ripping the Buckeyes' play calling.
Michigan State Is Back In The Playoff Race
Many discounted the Spartans' chances at making the CFP following a loss to Nebraska, but MSU is right back in the middle of things after upsetting Ohio State. Michigan State was dominant on defense, limiting the Buckeyes to a mere 132 yards of offense. Winning with backup QB Tyler O'Connor will only make the win look better in the committee's eyes. MSU was No. 9 in the most recent CFP Rankings, but they are sure to rise in the next edition. With Florida struggling against FAU (see below) and Ohio State losing, MSU is sure to jump to at least No. 7.
LSU Was A Fraud
The warning signs were there, but we ignored them. LSU snuck bye Mississippi State, Syracuse and Florida and we all thought that LSU was a true title contender. Oops. The Tigers have now lost three straight, losing to Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss. The Bama loss was forgivable, but the other two aren't. It's clear now that LSU was overrated. The losses have led to speculation that Les Miles is on the hot seat. Perhaps going their separate ways is the best thing for both parties.
Florida Has Major Issues On Offense
The last three games have been cause for concern for the Gators, and their most recent game was borderline terrifying. The Gators' offense has struggled without Will Grier. The Gators scored just 9 points against Missouri, 24 against South Carolina and 20 versus Florida Atlantic. Putting up just 252 yards of offense against a 2-8 FAU is not okay. The Gators better fix their offense soon, or they are in trouble. With FSU and Alabama up next, UF needs an offense that's clicking if it wants to win. QB Treon Harris needs to step up.
South Carolina Has Hit Rock Bottom
A terrible season got even worse for South Carolina. Head coach Steve Spurrier retired mid-season and the Gamecocks have dropped six of their last seven games. No of those losses is as bad as falling 23-22 to The Citadel, an FCS school. This is rock bottom for South Carolina, no matter what happens in their season finale against the Clemson Tigers.
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