By Week 12 of the school soccer season, virtually each sport is consequential. Nowhere is that extra clear than the ACC. Convention chief No. 14 SMU wanted each final second to outlive Boston School, whereas No. 20 Clemson and Pittsburgh performed an elimination sport. No. 19 Louisville dropped a stunner to Stanford that might have playoff implications and Miami followers have been grateful for a Hurricanes bye.
Throughout the game, highly-ranked groups discovered themselves in bother. No. 22 LSU misplaced within the afternoon window. No. 3 Texas performed an inconsistent sport in opposition to Arkansas. At this level of the season, survival is on the high of everybody’s thoughts, even when it does not include fashion factors.
Moreover, convention championship sport races are slowly beginning to come into focus. The AAC grew to become the primary league to formally set its title sport as Military and Tulane each clinched. Boise State did as properly within the Mountain West. After that, issues stay murky.
Listed here are the most important winners and losers of Week 12.
Beck has shouldered many of the blame for Georgia’s disappointing two-loss marketing campaign after throwing 12 interceptions in six video games. Towards No. 7 Tennessee and with out his high rusher and one other key receiver. the senior laid all of it out on the sector.
On key downs, Beck even leaned on his legs, changing a key second-and-10 and reaching the top zone for his first dashing rating of the 12 months. His receivers dropped 4 passes, a number of of them pinpoint. And nonetheless, Beck threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns in a must-win efficiency.
Beck has not been excellent in 2024 and nonetheless faces a steep hill to get again within the NFL Draft dialogue. However in opposition to Tennessee, he proved that he’s nonetheless able to taking part in like one of many nation’s greatest.
Curses aren’t actual, however there is likely to be an exception in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are on one of the vital astonishing runs of unhealthy luck in school soccer historical past. Nebraska has misplaced eight straight video games with an opportunity to make a bowl sport over the previous two years after reaching 5-1 and 5-3. The 28-20 loss to USC was one of the vital irritating.
USC took over with 10 minutes remaining within the fourth quarter. The Trojans transformed three third downs, burned almost eight full minutes of clock and punched the ball into the top zone to push the result in eight. Nebraska earned one final throw into the top zone and appeared to attract move interference. As a substitute, the move was intercepted.
Nebraska has video games left in opposition to Wisconsin and Iowa, however failing to select up a sixth victory in opposition to USC may price them a postseason journey as soon as once more.
The Solar Devils is likely to be the quietest convention title contender in America, however they kicked the door down on Saturday. Arizona State shocked No. 16 Kansas State 24-14 and positioned itself as the primary workforce out ought to Colorado or BYU slip. Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns and the Solar Devils pressured a pair of interceptions off KSU sophomore Avery Johnson.
Now, Arizona State is 8-2 for the primary time since 2014 in Kenny Dillingham’s second season. ASU was picked on the backside of the Large 12 after a 3-9 season. As a substitute, Arizona State is ready to enter the CFP Rankings and can host BYU subsequent in a marquee Large 12 showdown.
Colorado athlete Travis Hunter has slowly put collectively a strong Heisman Trophy case, however he confirmed off the entire bundle in a 49-24 win over Utah. Hunter posted 55 yards dashing, an interception and rushed for a landing within the win as Colorado scored probably the most factors on Utah’s elite protection since 2014 Oregon.
Hunter continues to construct up an elite two-way resume. After 10 video games, he has cleared 900 all-purpose yards, 10 complete touchdowns and three interceptions. He charges as one of many high cowl corners in school soccer and has a game-winning pressured fumble in opposition to Baylor.
The case for a defensive again to win the Heisman won’t ever be simple, however Hunter is hitting all of the benchmarks he must if he needs to turn into the primary to do it in almost 25 years.
Loser: LSU
After a disappointing loss of their opener Tigers fought again their approach again into the SEC Championship Recreation race with a resume that features an additional time win over No. 9 Ole Miss. After the final three weeks, it appears like that victory was the exception and never the rule. LSU dropped an embarrassing 27-16 sport to Florida, knocking the Tigers right down to 6-4 and out of a sensible shot at an SEC title. Florida was 0-4 in opposition to ranked groups heading into the sport, however the Tigers misplaced by double digits.
Had LSU received, the Tigers would have been in favorable tiebreaker possession to achieve the SEC Championship Recreation. As a substitute, LSU’s season is over. Making issues worse, the Tigers offense struggled to achieve the top zone in opposition to a protection that ranks among the many worst within the SEC. There are not any actual solutions on this program. The Tigers below Brian Kelly are miles away from actual rivalry.
Winner: Sizzling seat coaches
Coming into the 2024 season, few coaches sat on on hotter seats than Baylor’s Dave Aranda and Florida’s Billy Napier. After the performances this weekend, each have primarily locked up their returns to their packages in 2025.
Aranda confronted a troublesome street after falling to 2-4 in the course of October. Because the bye week, the Bears have revved their engines. Baylor shocked West Virginia 49-35 to select up their first-ever win in Morgantown and return to bowl eligibility. The Bears are all of a sudden on a four-game profitable streak and needs to be favored of their ultimate two contests. Instantly, the Bears’ first profitable file since 2021 is on the desk.
Napier beforehand earned a vote of confidence from athletic director Scott Stricklin however pushed his luck with a lopsided 49-17 loss to No. 3 Texas. Beating LSU is the primary win over a ranked opponent in 14 months and provides the Gators an opportunity to make a bowl sport with a win over a hapless Florida State squad on Nov. 30. Napier simply wanted one optimistic second, and he has it.
Loser: Pittsburgh
Pitt had a large alternative to select up a uncommon win in opposition to Clemson and keep within the ACC Championship Recreation image. Regardless of outplaying them for a lot of the sport and ending with almost 100 extra yards, a number of severe psychological errors price them in a 24-20 loss.
The worst got here in the beginning of the primary quarter when Pitt charged all the way in which to the 1-yard line. The Panthers dedicated an unlawful formation, delay of sport and false begin to astonishingly flip it right into a third-and-goal on the 16-yard line. 4 extra factors would have been extremely helpful in a 4-point loss.
Clemson bought the ball again with 96 seconds remaining. On the third play of the drive, quarterback Cade Klubnik flummoxed the Pitt protection for a 50-yard landing. That they had eight yards dashing on 26 carries earlier than the breakaway.
Pittsburgh’s loss drops it to 7-3 and primarily knocks them the Panthers of the ACC title sport race. With a win, they might have been in a tie for third place with a tiebreaker over Clemson. The Panthers are nonetheless having an amazing 12 months, however are actually on a three-game shedding streak. SMU broke them.
Winner: Tulane
Sustaining success by means of teaching adjustments is without doubt one of the hardest issues to do in school soccer, particularly on the Group of 5 stage. Previous to Will Fritz’s departure, the final time a Tulane coach completed with a profitable file was 1998. The Inexperienced Wave dropped from 12-0 to 3-8 the following season. In his first 12 months at Tulane Jon Sumrall is once more establishing himself as a rising celebrity within the sport.
With a 35-0 win over Navy, No. 25 Tulane clinched a spot within the AAC Championship Recreation for the second straight season. The Inexperienced Wave have received eight straight video games and their solely losses have been fourth quarter video games in opposition to Kansas State and on the street in opposition to Oklahoma. Tulane has received solely two convention championships since final profitable the SEC in 1949. Sumrall can add a second in three years.
Western Michigan bought off to a blazing 4-0 begin to MAC play, however the Broncos have fallen again to earth and out of the convention title race in current weeks. Western Michigan fell 31-13 to fellow MAC contender Bowling Inexperienced, because the Falcolns bottled up the Broncos’ productive offense. Star operating again Jaden Nixon was held to solely 22 yards on seven carries and quarterback Hayden Wolff turned it over twice. The MAC title race is now doubtless right down to Miami-Ohio, Bowling Inexperienced and Ohio.
One of many greatest upsets in school soccer got here on the FCS HBCU stage this weekend. Mississippi Valley State entered the matchup in opposition to reigning Celebration Bowl champs Florida A&M as 31-point underdogs and on a 15-game shedding streak. FAMU was on a 23-game dwelling profitable streak. MVSU quarterback Ty’Jarian Williams led the Delta Devils with 251 yards and two touchdowns and the protection pressured three fumbles in a 24-21 win.