Two of the three remaining undefeated college football teams (Alabama and Miami) experienced their first defeat of the season on Saturday (Nov. 25). The losses don't take them out of the playoff picture but make everything much more complicated. With the conference championship games next Saturday (Dec. 2), there's one more week before the committee decides which teams are in and which ones are out.

Alabama (11-1) loses to Auburn (10-2) 26-14

Is Alabama in the top four even with the loss? The winner of the SEC Championship (Georgia vs. Auburn) game will be guaranteed a spot, but can the conference get two teams in?

Auburn was the better team on Saturday (Nov. 25), but the Crimson Tide's defeat was on-the-road in a hostile environment (see summary below) and will arguably be the best ‘loss’ that a team will have all season.

Just last year, Ohio State earned a spot in the playoffs without playing in their conference championship, so including Alabama wouldn’t be without precedent. But are the Crimson Tide more deserving than a one- or two-loss ACC, Big Ten, or Big 12 champion? That’s what the committee will have to decide when the top four teams are announced.

Miami (10-1) loses to Pittsburgh (5-7) 24-14

Any time a top team loses a game late in the season, they’re playing with fire in regards to a playoff berth.

But even if the Hurricanes had beaten Pittsburgh, it’s more than likely that Miami would still need a win over Clemson in the ACC Championship to secure a spot.

Like last Saturday (Nov. 18) against Virginia, the Hurricanes got off to a slow start versus Pittsburgh. The Panthers held a 10-7 lead at halftime, but extended that margin to 10 in the third quarter on a nine-play, 65-yard drive.

The Hurricanes couldn’t gain any traction on offense, punting on their first six possessions in the second-half. It wasn’t until Pittsburgh went up 24-7 that Miami answered with a score; Malik Rosier hit Braxton Berrios for a 39-yard touchdown, but it was much too late.

Clemson (11-1) defeats South Carolina (8-4) 34-10

Is this the new number one-ranked team in the country?

Clemson sure played like it over in-state rival South Carolina. The two teams exchanged punts on their first possessions, but the Tigers put points on the scoreboard after Ryan Carter intercepted a Jake Bentley pass and took it to the house for a touchdown. Clemson extended their lead on a 10-play, 79-yard touchdown drive and then went up 20-0 when quarterback Kelly Bryant found Hunter Renfrow on a four-yard score (missed extra point).

The Tigers effectively put the game to bed on the first play of the second-half; a 61-yard connection from Bryant to Renfrow swelled the Clemson lead to 27-0. Bryant passed for 272 yards and two touchdowns. No matter where the Tigers are ranked, a win over Miami is still a necessity.

Oklahoma (11-1) defeats West Virginia (7-5) 59-31

Heisman-favorite Baker Mayfield didn’t start the game after his antics on the Kansas’ sideline last Saturday (Nov. 18). But the Sooners scored a touchdown on their first possession without him as running back Rodney Anderson punched the ball in from the four-yard line. After a West Virginia field goal, Mayfield returned on Oklahoma’s second series and steamrolled the Mountaineers, captaining his team to five touchdowns (and a field goal) in the first-half to go ahead 45-10 at halftime.

Each team scored twice in the third quarter, but the game was over by the start of the fourth. Mayfield finished with 281 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Sooners take on TCU next week in the Big 12 Championship game, and a win should punch their ticket into the final four.

Wisconsin (12-0) defeats Minnesota (5-6) 31-0

Wisconsin easily took care of business against the Golden Gophers. The Badgers’ defense was spectacular, and freshman sensation, running back Jonathan Taylor, led the offense with 149 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. The Big Ten’s hope for a playoff berth is all riding on Wisconsin. They’ll take on Ohio State next week in the conference championship game.

Auburn (10-2) defeats Alabama (11-1) 26-14

Auburn’s amazing run continues. The Tigers defeated the number one-ranked team in the country (Georgia) on November 11th and did so again on Saturday (Nov. 25) to put themselves into National Championship contention. From the start, Auburn outplayed Alabama.

The Tigers scored the first touchdown of the game on a 12-play, 95-yard drive that culminated in a jump pass from running back Kerryon Johnson to Nate Craig-Myers.

Alabama responded with a touchdown in the second quarter, but Auburn kicked a field goal to reclaim the lead just before the half. The Crimson Tide came out in the third quarter and marched 79 yards in five plays to go ahead 14-10. But that's when the Tigers grabbed hold of the game and never looked back. An Auburn field goal cut the deficit to one, and then quarterback Jarrett Stidham led the offense on a 12-play, 69-yard drive to take a 20-14 lead. Following an Alabama fumble, the Tigers scored again on a Stidham 16-yard touchdown run.

Along with his touchdown pass, Kerryon Johnson rushed for 104 yards and a score but left the game with an injured shoulder. Stidham finished with 288 total yards and touchdown run. Auburn gets a chance to earn their spot in the playoffs next Saturday (Dec. 2) with a win over Georgia.

Georgia (11-1) defeats Georgia Tech (5-6) 38-7

Georgia had no problem defending their in-state rival’s option rushing attack. Georgia Tech was held to just 226 total yards and forced to punt five times. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind a Nick Chubb one-yard run and Jacob Fromm to Javon Wims 21-yard touchdown pass. After a field goal just before halftime made the score 17-7, Georgia had touchdowns drives of 77, 67, and 85 yards to start the second-half.

Fromm passed for 224 yards and two touchdowns, while Sony Michel ran for 85 yards and a score. It’s revenge time for Bulldogs next week in the SEC Championship game against Auburn.
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