Week 12 of the college football season was one of the wildest we’ve seen this season. Several of the top teams fell, while one prominent player called out his coaching staff after his team attempted to execute a head-scratching game plan. No. 16 Navy had 12 players get at least one rushing attempt in their victory over Tulsa Saturday, while the leading receiver in Ohio State’s supposed high-powered offense netted just 22 yards against No. 9 Michigan State. Yet, that’s the beauty of college football — It never slights on the wackiness. Below is a recap of the most significant storylines from Week 12 of the 2015 college football season.
Most Significant Victory – No. 7 Oklahoma (10-1) defeats No. 18 TCU (9-2), 30-29
It wasn’t pretty, but No. 7 Oklahoma escaped No. 18 TCU with a 30-29 victory Saturday night in Norman, Okla. With less than a minute remaining in regulation, the Horned Frogs attempted to win the game with a two-point conversion, but Oklahoma’s Steven Parker swatted down TCU quarterback Bram Kohlhausen’s pass. Kohlhausen entered the game in the third quarter for Freshman quarterback Foster Sawyer, who sputtered in the contest starting in place of injured star quarterback Trevone Boykin. Despite losing quarterback Baker Mayfield to a head injury in the first half, the Sooners kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive with the narrow victory over the injury-riddled Horned Frogs. With a win over Oklahoma State next week, Oklahoma can claim the Big 12 Championship and make a real case for inclusion in the college football’s four-team tournament.
Most Surprising Victory – No. 10 Baylor (9-1) defeats No. 6 Oklahoma State (10-1), 45-35
Entering Saturday’s contest with No. 10 Baylor, the Oklahoma State Cowboys needed just two victories to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Cowboys were coming off a dominating victory over TCU, followed by a comeback victory over Iowa State. Meanwhile, Baylor entered the matchup coming off a crushing loss to Oklahoma with a backup quarterback under center. The Bears lost second string quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the first half of their matchup with Oklahoma State, but third string quarterback/wide receiver/running back Chris Johnson threw two touchdowns and ran for another to topple previously unbeaten Oklahoma State. The Cowboys loss opened the door for in-state rival Oklahoma to earn a spot in the Playoff.
Most Surprising Loss – No. 3 Ohio State (10-1) loses at home to No. 9 Michigan State (10-1), 17-14
In one fateful night, the Ohio State Buckeyes may have lost any chance of reaching the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes fell to No. 9 Michigan State Saturday afternoon as the Spartans were forced to wield a dual quarterback system with starter Connor Cook only able to watch from the sideline because of a shoulder injury. Nevertheless, Sparty kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired that likely dethroned the defending National Champions.
Ohio State’s game plan against Michigan State resembled the conservative style used by former head coach Jim Tressel. Tressel ball didn’t work for current Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer as his offense was largely lousy against the Spartans. If Michigan State defeats Penn State next week, they’ll head to the Big Ten Championship game with a shot at the Playoff. For Ohio State to reach the Big Ten Championship, they’ll need Michigan State to lose next week while defeating rival Michigan.
Overall Takeaway From Week 12 – Tom Herman was more important to Ohio State than we ever imagined
Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott wasn’t happy after the Buckeyes’ 17-14 loss to No. 9 Michigan State Saturday — And for good reason. Elliott, who blasted Ohio State’s play calling after the game, carried the ball only 12 times against the Spartans as just two of those carries came in the second half of a close contest. He had rushed for 100 yards in 15 straight games and was a serious Heisman Trophy candidate, but Elliott finished with just 33 yards and a touchdown against Michigan State. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett threw for just 46 yards and a touchdown against the Spartans, while Jalin Marshall led all Ohio State receivers with 22 yards and a touchdown.
What happened to the high-powered Ohio State offense that blew the doors off Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon en route to last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship? Look no further than the departure of offensive coordinator Tom Herman, who is in his first season as the head coach of the 10-1 Houston Cougars. Houston is having its best season since 2011, while the Buckeyes offense has looked lethargic the entire season. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer took the blame for the play calling after the loss to Michigan State, but Ohio State’s offense hasn’t looked anything close to what it did last season. A win against rival Michigan next week would help heal some of the wounds the Buckeyes suffered Saturday.
Other Notable Outcomes
No. 1 Clemson (11-0) defeats Wake Forest (3-8), 33-13 No. 2 Alabama (10-1) defeats Charleston Southern (9-2), 56-6 No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1) defeats Boston College (3-8), 19-16 No. 5 Iowa (11-0) defeats Purdue (2-9), 40-20 No. 8 Florida (10-1) defeats Florida Atlantic (2-9), 20-14 No. 11 Stanford (9-2) defeats California (6-5), 35-22 No. 12 Michigan (9-2) defeats Penn State (7-4), 28-16 UCLA (8-3) defeats No. 13 Utah (8-3), 17-9 No. 14 Florida State (9-2) defeats Chattanooga (8-3), 52-13 No. 22 Ole Miss (8-3) defeats No. 15 LSU (7-3), 38-17 No. 16 Navy (9-1) defeats Tulsa (5-6), 44-21 No. 17 North Carolina (10-1) defeats Virginia Tech (5-6), 30-27 Connecticut (6-5) defeats No. 19 Houston (10-1), 20-17 No. 20 Northwestern (9-2) defeats No. 25 Wisconsin (8-3), 13-7 Temple (9-2) defeats No. 21 Memphis (8-3), 31-12 No. 23 Oregon (8-3) defeats No. 24 USC (7-4), 48-28
Standout Players
Vernon Adams Jr. – Quarterback – Oregon – 407 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, 1 interception in 48-28 victory over No. 24 USC
Deshaun Watson – Quarterback – Clemson – 343 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions; 10 carries, 44 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 33-13 victory over Wake Forest
DeShone Kizer – Quarterback – Notre Dame – 320 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions; 7 carries, 33 rushing yards in 19-16 victory over Boston College
Chad Kelly – Quarterback – Ole Miss – 280 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 12 carries, 81 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 38-17 victory over No. 15 LSU
Christian McCaffrey – Running back – Stanford – 192 rushing yards; 1 reception, 49 receiving yards, 1 touchdown in 35-22 victory over California
Samaje Perine – Running back – Oklahoma – 188 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 30-29 victory over No. 18 TCU
Royce Freeman – Running back – Oregon – 147 rushing yards; 2 receptions, 50 receiving yards in 48-28 victory over No. 24 USC
Justin Jackson – Running back – Northwestern – 139 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 13-7 victory over No. 25 Wisconsin
Elijah Hood – Running back – North Carolina – 115 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 30-27 victory over Virginia Tech
Arkeel Newsome – Running back – Connecticut – 114 rushing yards in 20-17 victory over No. 19 Houston
Dalvin Cook – Running back – Florida State – 106 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 52-13 victory over Chattanooga
KD Cannon – Wide receiver – Baylor – 5 receptions, 210 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns in 45-35 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma State
Germone Hopper – Wide receiver – Clemson – 3 receptions, 120 receiving yards, 1 touchdown in 33-13 victory over Wake Forest
Sterling Shepard – Wide receiver – Oklahoma – 8 receptions, 111 receiving yards, 1 touchdown in 30-29 victory over No. 18 TCU
Noel Thomas – Wide receiver – Connecticut – 7 receptions, 108 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns in 20-17 victory over No. 19 Houston
Bralon Addison – Wide receiver – Oregon – 5 receptions, 105 receiving yards, 1 touchdown in 48-28 victory over No. 24 USC
Jordan Payton – Wide receiver – UCLA – 7 receptions, 105 receiving yards in 17-9 victory over No. 13 Utah
Chris Brown – Wide receiver – Notre Dame – 6 receptions, 104 receiving yards, 1 touchdown in 19-16 victory over Boston College
