The only two games featuring ranked teams both come in the SEC and also serve as elimination games for both the SEC championship and the College Football Playoff. No. 3 Georgia visits No. 16 Ole Miss in the afternoon before No. 11 Alabama takes on No. 14 LSU.
As the SEC will dominate the day, don’t look past the Big 12, either. No. 9 BYU sits all alone in first and is set to renew its rivalry with Utah, while No. 20 Colorado plays at Texas Tech in a game that will severely dent the loser’s conference title hopes.
This game could come down to which quarterback plays better. While Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart has surged into the Heisman conversation in recent weeks, Georgia’s Carson Beck has taken a step back by throwing 11 INTs over the past five games. Beck has shown up when Georgia needs him to, however, and a frantic defensive front could pose a problem for the Rebels, as it did when these teams met last year.
Clemson laid an egg last week at home against Louisville and now likely has to win out to have a shot at the ACC title game. Can Clemson’s offense get back on track against a Virginia Tech defense that is allowing opposing QBs to complete just 56% of their passes? Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten both could return to action after missing last week’s game with injuries.
Given how Texas Tech’s season has gone, this is going to be a close game. Five of the Red Raiders’ six conference games have been decided by a single score. But the defense has been gashed by opposing quarterbacks. That could be good news for Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and a high-flying offense.
The loser is assuredly out of the College Football Playoff race with a third loss barring a wild finish to the season. Will LSU’s defense be able to hold up against dual-threat Alabama QB Jalen Milroe? Alabama will need to have much more composure than it did in its last road game. The Crimson Tide have been penalized 69 times through eight games. The crowd at night in Tiger Stadium won’t make things easy.
The two heated rivals meet for the first time since 2021 and the first time as Big 12 members. Utah is in desperate need of a win after losing its last four Big 12 games, and the Utes would love to spoil BYU’s perfect season. The Cougars’ ability to force turnovers is a big reason for their 8-0 record. Can they keep it up this week in the Holy War?
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Touchdown Miami!
Cam Ward finally finds Xavier Restrepo on a 38-yard touchdown to cut into Georgia Tech’s lead. Miami is right back in this thing.
Georgia Tech 28, Miami 23
Miami converts on fourth down
The Hurricanes were buried deep in their own territory but had to go for it on fourth-and-7. Jacolby George came down with the catch but suffered a big hit in doing so.
Miami has the ball at its own 40 and there’s 7:11 left.
Miami stuffed on fourth down again!
The Hurricanes were forced into another fourth-down situation, this time fourth-and-16 near the GT goal line, and Cam Ward is ripped to the ground.
There’s just 10 minutes left in this one.
West Virginia adds to lead
The Mountaineers look like they’re going to beat Cincinnati and stay in the Big 12 hunt (on the periphery).
There’s still over 3 minutes left but it’s a 10-point game.
Touchdown Georgia Tech!
The Yellow Jackets put in some serious work on that drive. Haynes King caps it all off with a 5-yard run to extend GT’s lead to two scores.
Georgia Tech 28, Miami 16
End of 3Q: Georgia Tech 21, Miami 16
The Yellow Jackets have the ball past midfield, but they’re facing a third-and-long as the third quarter comes to a close.
Touchdown Miami!
The Hurricanes cap off their touchdown drive with a pass from Cam Ward to Isaiah Horton. Miami goes for the 2-point conversion but doesn’t get it.
Georgia Tech 21, Miami 16
The Hurricanes appear to have gotten the wakeup call from that last touchdown. They’re now over midfield and nearing the red zone as time ticks away in the third quarter.
Touchdown Georgia Tech!
It’s the first career touchdown pass for Aaron Philo as the GT freshman finds Chase Lane for a diving touchdown. There’s just under 7 minutes left in the third.
Georgia Tech 21, Miami 10
GT stuffs Miami on fourth down
The Hurricanes had some positive momentum and were on the edge of scoring range, but another fourth-and-short ends in Cam Ward throwing an incomplete pass.
It’s Georgia Tech ball with 11 minutes left in the third quarter.
We are back for the second half in Atlanta. Miami has the ball first and it’s over midfield already.
Scoreboard update
Here’s where things stand as the first wave of games hits halftime:
Scoreboard update
Texas blowing out Florida
The Longhorns head into halftime with a 35-0 lead against the Gators.
Quinn Ewers’ halftime stats: 17 of 25, 297 passing yards, 4 touchdowns. Here was his fourth TD throw of the game:
Halftime: Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10
Once again, the Hurricanes are starting slow. We’ll see if the Yellow Jackets can maintain their lead if the Canes wake up in the second half.
Cam Ward’s halftime stats: 9 of 18, 133 yards and a TD (74-yard TD on Miami’s second offensive play)
Smith scores as OSU builds lead
Last week against Penn State was the first game all season Jeremiah Smith did not have a touchdown.
He’s found the end zone against Purdue as the Buckeyes add onto their lead just before the half. It’s the freshman’s ninth TD catch of the season — an Ohio State record.
Miami stopped on fourth down!
The Hurricanes were facing a fourth-and-short on the edge of the red zone, but Cam Ward couldn’t find anybody to throw to and the Yellow Jackets make the stop.
There’s 2 minutes left in the first half.
Touchdown Texas
Quinn Ewers has his third TD pass of the first half, but he didn’t have to do much on this one. Quintrevion Wisner caught a ball in the flat and sprinted 50 yards for the TD. It’s been one-sided in Austin so far.
Texas 21, Florida 0
Ohio State doubles lead
As expected, the Buckeyes won’t have much trouble today. Here’s Will Howard connecting with Gee Scott Jr. on a short pass to extend their lead to 14-0.
Touchdown Georgia Tech!
GT may have just found the formula to stay in the game against Miami today.
The last drive took almost 11 minutes as the Yellow Jackets hammered the ground game before scoring on a pass from Haynes King to Malik Rutherford. That was a 17-play, 75-yard drive that kept Cam Ward on the sideline for 10:45.
