Mandel’s Closing Ideas: Alabama acquired its act collectively and appears Playoff certain … once more

And now, 20 Closing Ideas from Week 11, wherein Louisiana’s governor imported a rogue tiger from Florida to point out off on the sphere earlier than the Alabama recreation. (Sure, this actually occurred.)

1. Nick Saban gained so many trophies in his 17 seasons at Alabama, it’s straightforward to neglect all of the instances we thought no actually, this time the dynasty is crumbling. Like when the Tide acquired trucked by Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott in a semifinal. Or misplaced to Ole Miss in consecutive seasons. Or gave up 52 factors to Tennessee in 2022. Or, simply final season, once they misplaced at dwelling to Texas.

That workforce, like so many earlier than it, acquired its act collectively in time to achieve one other School Soccer Playoff. And now, Kalen DeBoer’s first Alabama squad — the one which infamously misplaced at Vanderbilt after which at Tennessee — could also be about to do the identical.

2. In a de facto CFP elimination recreation, No. 11 Alabama (7-2, 4-2) went to wet Loss of life Valley and unleashed Jalen Milroe on No. 15 LSU (6-3, 3-2) in a 42-13 beatdown. Milroe ran 12 instances for 185 yards and 4 touchdowns, together with a 39-yard rating on his workforce’s first drive and a 72-yard intestine punch to go up 35-6. Alabama racked up 311 yards on the bottom, and the Tide’s swarming protection did the remainder. Jihaad Campbell’s strip-sack of Garrett Nussmeier allowed Milroe to place Alabama up 21-6 earlier than halftime, and Deontae Lawson’s interception in the long run zone on LSU’s first drive of the third quarter opened the floodgates.

This was the most effective Alabama seemed for the reason that first half of its 41-34 win in opposition to Georgia on Sept. 28. The Tide nonetheless haven’t any margin for error, however with video games in opposition to Mercer, 5-5 Oklahoma and 3-6 Auburn, they may not want it.

3. The story of Brian Kelly’s first three seasons has been tantalizing teases (beating Alabama and reaching the SEC title recreation in 2022, Jayden Daniels’ Heisman run final yr) and irritating setbacks (season-opening collapses in opposition to Florida State and USC, imploding within the fourth quarter at Texas A&M two weeks in the past). This debacle suits by itself shelf. Getting blown out at dwelling to your greatest rival isn’t perfect for any coach, however this one is available in LSU’s first Alabama recreation since longtime nemesis Saban’s retirement. And now this will probably be Kelly’s third straight 9-3 common season (at finest).

Kelly left Notre Dame three years in the past largely as a result of he felt being at LSU gave him a greater probability at profitable a nationwide championship. However first, he’s acquired to make a Playoff. One thing his former college has a greater shot at this season.

4. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin advised reporters final December that his disgust following the Rebels’ 52-17 loss at Georgia final season spurred this system’s portal/NIL purchasing spree for large, athletic defensive linemen. As of some weeks in the past, it seemed like Ole Miss may need spent all that cash for naught, having dropped from preseason No. 6 to the underside of the highest 20.

On Saturday, although, Jared Ivey, Princely Umanmielen, Walter Nolen and standout Suntarine Perkins (not a switch) keyed an Ole Miss D-line that overwhelmed second-ranked Georgia’s offense in a program-defining 28-10 win. It was Kiffin’s first top-five win in 5 tries there, and the highest-ranked workforce the Rebels have ever crushed in Oxford.

Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2) is down to only 4-5 Florida and 2-8 Mississippi State on its schedule. Whether or not it will get again within the prime 12 on Tuesday, a 10-win Ole Miss workforce is prone to get an at-large berth.

5. Georgia (7-2, 5-2) has now performed 4 present Prime 25 groups — three of them on the street — and it exhibits. The Dawgs look beat up. They dedicated three second-half turnovers when the sport was nonetheless shut. Quarterback Carson Beck (20-of-31 for 186 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) was largely ineffective, and banged-up operating again Trevor Etienne was restricted to 6 carries. Now they’ve to show round and host No. 7 Tennessee, which boasts its personal dominant defensive entrance.

But when Georgia wins, it most likely clinches a CFP bid. It might be the Dawgs’ third Prime 25 win, on prime of its season-opening rout of present No. 23 Clemson and Oct. 19 smackdown at No. 5 Texas. A number of CFP contenders, together with Texas itself, don’t even have one.

Lose at dwelling, although, and the preseason nationwide title favourite would possibly miss the Playoff totally. I say “would possibly” as a result of we’ve by no means completed this earlier than, so maybe clever for now to keep away from absolutes.

6. Within the first season of the SEC’s 16-team configuration, half the groups within the league — Texas A&M (5-1), Tennessee (5-1), Texas (4-1), Georgia (5-2), Ole Miss (4-2), Alabama (4-2), LSU (3-2) and Missouri (3-2) — have both one or two convention losses. There are 28 doable championship recreation combos throughout that group. (A trio of three-loss groups are nonetheless mathematically alive, nevertheless it breaks my mind to think about that.)

No. 24 Missouri managed to stay within the combine with a miracle end in opposition to Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5). With 30 seconds left in a tie recreation, Mizzou’s Triston Newson stripped a scrambling Jackson Arnold. Zion Younger picked up the fumble and ran it again 17 yards for a landing to win it 30-23.

4 TDs within the last 198 seconds, punctuated by a scoop and rating for a Mizzou win ‼️

🎥 @SEC pic.twitter.com/J97xKmZM8m

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 10, 2024

7. Choice committee chairman Warde Manuel mentioned final week that the “eye check” led it to rank Miami No. 4, a curious remark given the Canes had been taking part in with hearth a lot of the season. It lastly blew up Saturday, when Georgia Tech (6-4, 4-3) ran for 271 yards whereas throwing for simply 99 in a 28-23 upset of the beforehand unbeaten Canes (9-1, 5-1). Cam Ward (25-of-39, 348 yards, three TDs, 0 INTs) was as soon as once more requested to do all of it, however Romello Top’s strip-sack of Ward with 1:48 left sealed the end result.

One loss doesn’t derail Miami’s CFP hopes, and it’s assured a spot within the ACC title recreation if it wins out. SMU (8-1, 5-0) is now alone in first, however Miami holds the tiebreaker in opposition to Clemson (7-2, 6-1). It was, nevertheless, a expensive blow for Ward’s Heisman hopes. He’s missing a signature win, and he’s not going to get one in opposition to Wake Forest or Syracuse.

8. No. 8 Indiana’s (10-0, 7-0) dream season reached one other milestone Saturday, in its closest name thus far. Michigan, down 17-3 at halftime, acquired as shut as 17-15 within the fourth quarter earlier than the Hoosiers held on 20-15. This marks Indiana’s first-ever 10-win season, no small feat for a college that’s been taking part in the game for 126 years. The 2 packages’ year-over-year reversals have been so dramatic — Michigan from 15-0 to 5-5, IU from 3-9 to 10-0 — that it’s now seen as a disappointment that the Hoosiers didn’t cowl the two-touchdown unfold.

Indiana now has an off week earlier than the defining recreation of its season: a Nov. 23 journey to No. 2 Ohio State (8-1, 5-1).

9. The primary Huge 12 version of the BYU-Utah Holy Conflict produced one of many rivalry’s wildest endings. On a last-ditch BYU fourth down with 1:35 left, it appeared Utah, up 21-19, sacked Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff at his personal 1-yard-line to place the sport away. However a defensive holding penalty gave BYU new life. Two performs later, Retzlaff threw a 30-yard strike to Chase Roberts to flip the sphere, ultimately establishing a 44-yard Will Ferrin subject purpose to offer the Cougars (9-0, 6-0) their first win at Rice-Eccles Stadium since 2006. It was the second time in No. 9 BYU’s final three video games that it got here again and gained within the final 10 seconds.

Kalani Sitake’s workforce is having fun with a charmed season, and its luck could run out in some unspecified time in the future. However the hated Utes (4-5, 1-5) are having no matter is perhaps deemed the alternative of a charmed season.

10. No. 20 Colorado (7-2, 5-1) took an necessary step towards the Huge 12 title recreation, profitable 41-27 at Texas Tech (6-4, 4-3). Whereas Shedeur Sanders (30-of-43 for 293 yards, three TDs, 0 INTs) and Travis Hunter (9 catches, 99 yards, one TD) had been their common productive selves, defensive sort out Amari McNeill stole the present. Within the fourth quarter alone, he had 1.5 sacks (Colorado had six on the night time) and stuffed Tech star Tahj Brooks on a fourth-and-goal on the 1.

11. The Buffs now management their path to the convention title recreation due to Kansas (3-6, 2-4) handing No. 17 Iowa State (7-2, 4-2) its second convention loss with an out-of-nowhere 45-36 win. The Jayhawks at one level led 31-13. Lance Leipold’s preseason Prime 25 workforce misplaced 5 straight at one level however has since gained two of three, with a last-second street loss to Kansas State in between. KU may have an opportunity to mess up another person’s season when it hosts Colorado in two weeks.

12. Congrats to No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0), which probably turned the first-ever workforce to clinch a berth within the 12-team Playoff. (Once more, I’m avoiding absolutes.) The Geese acquired to the all-important 10-win mark with a 39-18 rout of Maryland (4-5, 1-5), and in contrast to 10-0 Indiana, they have already got their signature win in opposition to Ohio State. Defensive finish Jordan Burch was in all places, with two move breakups, a strip-sack that teammate Brandon Johnson returned for a landing and, most notably, a 36-yard run on a pretend punt.

Additionally: Quarterback Dillon Gabriel made historical past, changing into the all-time FBS profession chief in complete touchdowns on a 3-yard move to offensive lineman Gernorris Wilson. The sixth-year senior now has 180 throughout three colleges, surpassing Case Keenum’s 178.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel is the brand new NCAA all-time chief for complete touchdowns with 179 🔥

🎥 @CFBONFOXpic.twitter.com/dhsyfus1ms

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 10, 2024

13. I’m largely numb at this level to Florida State’s ineptitude — however please cease and think about simply how terribly the Noles have deteriorated in a yr. No. 10 Notre Dame (8-1) blasted them 52-3 in a prime-time NBC occasion, dropping Mike Norvell’s workforce — which, reminder, completed 13-1 final season — to 1-9. I can’t consider something prefer it in my profession, save for when Southern Miss plummeted from 12-2 in 2011 to 0-12 in 2012 after coach Larry Fedora left for North Carolina. His substitute, Ellis Johnson, didn’t make it to Yr 2.

However on this case, the coach who acquired FSU to 13 wins is identical one overseeing this otherworldly debacle. The eventual “30 for 30” on this workforce needs to be fascinating.

14. In 1984, future NFL Corridor of Famer Cris Carter set Ohio State freshman receiving information with 41 catches for 648 yards and eight TDs. Not one of the 11 first-round receivers to return by Columbus since then did higher. His information stood for 40 years till a phenom named Jeremiah Smith arrived from South Florida.

With six catches for 87 yards and a rating in No. 2 Ohio State’s 45-0 shutout of Purdue (1-8, 0-6), Smith now holds all of these information, with 45 catches for 765 yards and 9 TDs. And he’s acquired not less than one other 4 video games to go.

15. Contemporary off an idle week, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers regained his early-season type, throwing for 333 yards and 5 touchdowns within the fifth-ranked Horns (8-1, 4-1) 49-17 rout of undermanned Florida (4-5, 2-4). Texas had allowed 11 sacks in its earlier two video games in opposition to Georgia and Vanderbilt however solely gave up one this week on its first collection.

Florida, right down to a third-string walk-on quarterback, has extra ache forward with video games in opposition to Ole Miss and LSU. AD Scott Stricklin’s announcement this week that third-year coach Billy Napier will retain his job means Gators followers should grin and bear it.

16. Virginia coach Tony Elliott acquired the most important victory of his three-year tenure when the Cavaliers (5-4, 3-3) went to No. 23 Pittsburgh (7-2, 3-2) and gained 24-19. Virginia, which gained simply six video games mixed in Elliott’s first two seasons, got here in on a three-game shedding streak and looking out much less and fewer prone to finish its five-year bowl drought. It nonetheless faces a frightening last stretch, visiting Notre Dame, internet hosting No. 13 SMU (8-1, 5-0) and shutting at rival Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3), however beating a ranked foe could assist construct confidence.

17. The final time Military completed a season 9-0, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis — Mr. Inside and Mr. Outdoors — led the Cadets to the 1945 AP nationwide championship. Military acquired again to 9-0 Saturday for the primary time in 28 years with a 14-3 win over North Texas (5-4, 2-3), its second straight week holding an opponent and not using a landing. Imply Inexperienced quarterback Chandler Morris got here in because the nationwide chief in passing yards at 359.1 per recreation however was 24-of-37 for 214 yards with two picks in opposition to the Black Knights.

After every week off, Military will play its most important non-Navy recreation in many years when it faces No. 10 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium. Value noting, that 1945 workforce confronted the Irish on the outdated Yankee Stadium and gained 48-0.

18. UCLA to its credit score has not solely salvaged its season after a 1-5 begin however can realistically eye a bowl berth in head coach DeShaun Foster’s debut season. The Bruins (4-5, 3-4) notched their third straight convention win Friday, 20-17 over visiting Iowa (6-4, 4-3). The Huge Ten’s 18th-ranked dashing offense rose as much as acquire 211 yards (125 from junior T.J. Harden). In the meantime, UCLA’s protection held Iowa star Kaleb Johnson to a season-low 49 yards.

UCLA performs one other Friday night time recreation subsequent week at Washington, earlier than internet hosting USC and Fresno State. It’d be one thing if the Bruins acquired bowl-eligible earlier than the Trojans.

19. Your weekly Ashton Jeanty replace: The Boise State star notched his fourth 200-yard recreation of the season, dashing 34 instances for 209 yards and three TDs within the Twelfth-ranked Broncos’ (8-1, 5-0) 28-21 win over Nevada (3-8, 0-5). Jeanty is now at 1,734 yards for the season and averages 179.8 yards in convention play. At that tempo, he’ll end the common season (together with the convention championship recreation) with 2,453 yards. That might be No. 2 all-time, behind solely the good Barry Sanders (in 11 video games) in 1988.

20. Within the craziest recreation of the day, Jacksonville State quarterback Tyler Huff threw a 49-yard Hail Mary to Cam Vaughn with no time left that ought to have crushed Louisiana Tech 38-37 — besides that Garrison Rippa missed the additional level. Thankfully for Rippa, the Gamecocks (6-3, 5-0) pulled it out in additional time, 44-37, to stay in first place.

A PRAYER ANSWERED @JaxStateFB TIES THE GAME WITH A HAIL MARY pic.twitter.com/0bTb78yzkK

— CBS Sports activities School Soccer 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 10, 2024

In the meantime, in an epic battle on the different finish of the standings, UTEP (2-8, 2-5) went to double additional time to beat FBS newcomer Kennesaw State (1-8, 1-4), 43-35. Which itself bailed out kicker Buzz Flabiano for lacking a 40-yarder on the finish of additional time.

Neglect the CFP race. Clearly, we have to begin watching extra Convention USA soccer.

(Photograph of Jalen Milroe: Aric Becker / ISI Photographs / Getty Photos)