November 10th 2024.
On a wild Saturday across college football, another undefeated team seemed to have fallen as Brigham Young's fourth-down play failed and Utah began their celebration. However, the game took an unexpected turn when a yellow flag was thrown for defensive holding on the Utes, giving the Cougars a second chance.
It was at this moment that everyone knew the finish would be nothing short of legendary. And that's exactly what it was, and so much more. With quarterback Jake Retzlaff at the helm, the Cougars embarked on a 65-yard drive that led to a game-winning field goal by Will Ferrin with only three seconds left on the clock.
The momentum had completely shifted, and what was once a sure victory for the Utes had turned into a shocking 22-21 escape for Brigham Young, in front of the largest crowd ever at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Most of the 54,383 fans in attendance were left in stunned silence as the Cougars improved their record to 9-0 and remained on track for a spot in the Big 12 championship game.
But Utah's athletic director Mark Harlan was not silent. He walked into the postgame press conference and angrily criticized the Big 12 officials, stating that the game was "absolutely stolen" from his team. He went on to say that he was disappointed and that he would be speaking to the commissioner about the situation.
While he did not directly accuse the officials of trying to protect Brigham Young's undefeated record, it was clear that Harlan believed the holding penalty on cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was a crucial mistake. The call came as Retzlaff was sacked on fourth down with only 1:29 remaining, seemingly ending the game.
But the penalty gave Brigham Young new life, and they took advantage of it. Eight plays later, Ferrin's game-winning field goal sealed the deal and left the Utes and their coach Kyle Whittingham stunned.
Whittingham, who had seen his team lead 21-10 at halftime and then fail to score in the second half, was not as direct in his criticism of the officials. He simply said that it was a tough and unfortunate way to lose a game, and that the situation was ridiculous.
On the other hand, ESPN analyst Brock Osweiler pointed out that the holding penalty on Vaughn was a "really good call" by the officials, as he had grabbed the receiver's jersey early in the play. While the details were different, the finish of this game was reminiscent of the Cougars' previous win against Oklahoma State, where they scored the winning touchdown with only 10 seconds left on the clock.
Despite these controversial circumstances, the Cougars' success this season has been surprising and impressive. They were picked to finish 13th in the Big 12 preseason poll, but they have proven themselves as a top contender in the conference. And their undefeated record has come during a special year for the school, as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of their only national championship.
But even with their undefeated record, it's clear that the Cougars are not in the same league as the top teams in the SEC or Big Ten. They may not even be as good as Boise State, and there's no guarantee that they are the best team in the Big 12, especially with the recent success of Colorado.
Speaking of Colorado, their dream of reaching the College Football Playoff is alive and well after a convincing 41-27 victory over Texas Tech. The Buffaloes, who have now won three games in a row, looked like a Big 12 title contender as they overcame a 13-point deficit.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and receiver Travis Hunter led the way for Colorado's offense, but their defense was the real story of the game. They held the Red Raiders to only two touchdowns in the final three quarters, a significant improvement from last year's defense.
With this win, the Buffaloes now control their own destiny in the Big 12 race. They have three games left, and if they win all of them, they will secure a spot in the conference championship. And with their remaining opponents having a combined record of 3-16 in conference play, they will be favored to win each week.
While Colorado is surging, Oregon State is faltering. The Beavers suffered their fourth consecutive loss, a 24-13 defeat to San Jose State. Despite gaining 474 yards, they were plagued by turnovers and penalties, and they struggled to contain SJSU's passing game.
This loss puts Oregon State in a tough spot as they now need to win two of their final three games to become bowl-eligible. Two of those games are against Washington State and Boise State, and even if they beat Air Force next week, they will need to upset one of these teams to reach the six-win threshold.
Meanwhile, Arizona State managed to secure a win without their star tailback Cam Skattebo, who missed his first game of the season. Although it was a little bit of a problem for the Sun Devils, they were able to defeat UCF 35-31 with a late touchdown drive led by quarterback Sam Leavitt.
The Sun Devils have had a remarkable turnaround this season, with seven wins in nine games, which is quite an improvement from last year's record of seven losses in nine games. And finally, Washington's season in the Big Ten has come to an end with an 0-4 record in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.
Their latest loss was a humiliating 35-6 defeat at the hands of Penn State, who were coming off a tough loss to Ohio State. The Huskies were completely outplayed in every aspect of the game, and they will now have to win either against UCLA or undefeated Oregon in order to secure a bowl berth.
It was a disappointing end to a season that saw them struggle in games played outside of their own time zone. And as they look ahead to their final two games, they will need to step up their game in order to reach the six-win threshold.
Overall, it was a wild and eventful weekend in college football, with shocking finishes and unexpected turns. But one thing is for sure, the race for the College Football Playoff is heating up, and every win and loss matters as teams fight for a spot among the top contenders.
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