Rivalry week always reveals the best and worst in teams, and the final week of the 2024 college football regular season didn't disappoint -- even if several games turned ugly.
Top-10 Miami and Ohio State were upset by unranked teams, but only one of them will likely miss the College Football Playoff. Meanwhile, at least nine games featured fisticuffs between players, and several exploded into all-out brawls. The primary instigator: road teams planting their school's flag at midfield on the opponent's turf after a win. No less than four flag-planters -- Arizona State, Florida, NC State, Michigan -- sparked post-game scuffles Saturday.
The Michigan-Ohio State melee snagged headlines after police deployed pepper spray to disperse the mob (we were there), but the only storyline that will linger is whether Ryan Day will ever win a big game.
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Let's not allow the ugliness overshadow a great slate of games, however. Believe it or not, the results may have cleared up the playoff picture heading into championship weekend, though the ACC and the SEC may be fighting over a final spot and the Big 12 may have issues landing a first-round bye because of Boise State's position in the CFP Rankings. For the CBS Sports College Football Power Rankings, we make a case for four SEC teams and four Big Ten teams in the playoff and explain whether Boise State deserves to be ranked ahead of a Big 12 champion.
Biggest Movers
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| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -- | 12-0 | |
The Ducks have flown above the chaos all season. Oregon drilled rival Washington 49-21 to finish the regular season undefeated as the No. 1 team in the rankings. It will now play Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game after not playing the Nittany Lions in the regular season. Dillon Gabriel threw 209 yards in his 61st career start, tying Bo Nix for the most QB starts in FBS history. He'll break the record next week.
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| 2 | 1 | 11-1 | |
A win is a win, especially when you're in the playoff hunt and playing a game on the other side of the country. Notre Dame returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat USC 49-35. Marcus Freeman is now the fastest coach in Notre Dame history to win 30 games (30-9). Up next is a playoff game in South Bend, Indiana.
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| 3 | 1 | 11-1 | |
The eyes of Texas are on Atlanta. The Longhorns had no trouble beating Texas A&M in the long-awaited renewal of the Lonestar Showdown. The defense blanked the Aggies, holding them scoreless and to only 244 total yards. Quinn Ewers threw a touchdown to his own team and a pick six to the Aggies - and Arch Manning scored on the ground - to send Texas to the SEC Championship Game. The rematch against Georgia will be for conference supremacy and a first-round bye. Can Texas score against the Dawgs defense this time?
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| 4 | 1 | 11-1 | |
James Franklin is back in the Big Ten Championship Game after an eight-year absence - with the help of Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have been impressive most of the season, and though many will point to close road games at USC, Wisconsin and Minnesota as weak spots, we see it as the sign of a gritty team. Grittiness is something that has been missing in previous seasons. The Nittany Lions dispatched Maryland 44-7 on Saturday.
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| 5 | 1 | 10-2 | |
Georgia's inconsistencies popped up again, but the Bulldogs exploded in the fourth quarter to rally before winning a nine-overtime thriller against Georgia Tech. As Kirby Smart said after the game, Tech's staff out-coached Georgia. But, in the end, the Bulldogs' immense talent won the day. Tech pushed the Bulldogs around in the trenches with a relentless effort you only see in an intense rivalry game. The game should only help the Bulldogs as they prepare for the College Football Playoff, but might the Bulldogs be ranked a tad too high? We can't wait to watch the SEC Championship Game.
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| 6 | 2 | 11-1 | |
SMU heads to the ACC Championship Game with an undefeated conference record after dispatching California 38-6. Cal hadn't lost a game by double digits all season before the Mustangs' shellacking Saturday. The Bears were forced to start backup quarterback Chandler Rogers, who struggled and threw for only 84 yards with Fernando Mendoza out with an illness. If SMU loses to Clemson this week, are the Mustangs still in the CFP?
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| 7 | 5 | 10-2 | |
Michigan 13, Ohio State 10. This wasn't supposed to happen, but it did. That's why we play The Game. Ryan Day has a Michigan problem, and despite all his efforts to jump that mental hurdle, he couldn't do it against a middling Wolverines team. Pin the issues on two missed field goals and a pair of interceptions, but the lack of a running game (77 yards) is the true culprit, and that could be an issue in the playoff.
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| 8 | 1 | 11-1 | |
The Hoosiers likely wrapped up a spot in the CFP with a 66-0 demolition of rival Purdue. Indiana continued its record-breaking season with its 10th double-digit win, the most in school history, while winning the most games in school history (11). The loss is the largest in Purdue history and Indiana's largest ever against an FBS team. Kurtis Rourke threw six touchdowns, tying for the most passing touchdowns in school history. Now, the Hoosiers wait to hear their playoff fate.
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| 9 | -- | 10-2 | |
Dylan Sampson was a machine (again) in leading Tennessee to a 36-23 win at Vanderbilt. He picked up 178 yards to become the school's single-season rushing leader (1,485 yards). Nico Iamaleava also threw four touchdowns. The Vols erased an early 14-0 deficit on the road and likely locked up a spot hosting a first-round CFP game in Knoxville.
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| 10 | 2 | 10-2 | |
What a turnaround by the Sun Devils. Second-year coach Kenny Dillingham clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game with a 49-7 victory against rival Arizona on the road. ASU carries a five-game winning streak into the title game, its first appearance since the 2013 Pac-12 Championship Game. Receiver Jordyn Tyson caught eight passes for 143 yards and a touchdown Saturday, pushing his total in November to 624 yards, which leads the country; however, he was injured during the third quarter and is likely lost for the season after emerging from the locker room in a sling.
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| 11 | 1 | 11-1 | |
Boise State took care of business in a 34-19 win against Oregon State. Ashton Jeanty was at his best, rushing for 226 yards on 37 carries and enters the Mountain West Championship Game with the fifth-most rushing yards (2,288) in FBS history. Can the Broncos do enough to stay ahead of the Big 12 champion and earn a first-round bye?
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| 12 | 2 | 9-3 | |
South Carolina is the hottest team in the country, but will the CFP Selection Committee reward the Gamecocks with a spot in the 12-team field? If they look at the Gamecocks' recent success much like the NCAA Tournament committee evaluates teams, they would reward them with a berth after winning six straight. South Carolina knocked off Clemson 17-14 on the road to give the Gamecocks their fourth win against a top-25 team this season - and all in the span of one month, becoming the fourth FBS team in history to match that mark. The Gamecocks deserve a close look.
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| 13 | 3 | 9-3 | |
A win is a win, but when you're clawing for a playoff spot, you need style points. The Rebels didn't score any Friday in their 26-14 win against Mississippi State. Lane Kiffin's crew trailed 14-10 at the end of the first quarter before rallying to victory. Jaxson Dart supplanted Eli Manning for most career passing yards in Ole Miss history but threw for a season-low 143 yards.
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| 14 | 1 | 9-3 | |
Has Alabama done enough to earn a spot in the CFP? Alabama can hang its houndstooth hat on wins against Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri and LSU - but two of those teams have since slipped out of the top 25. The Tide beat Auburn 28-14 on Saturday to win the Iron Bowl for the fifth straight season, their longest streak since winning nine straight from 1973 to 1981. Jalen Milroe broke the school record with 20 rushing touchdowns this season while rushing for 100 yards for a third time this season.
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| 15 | 2 | 9-3 | |
It's not often a team secures a spot in their conference title game by losing the season finale, but when you play a nonconference rival, anything is possible. The Tigers ended a bitter day with a dose of good news, though: They're still alive in the CFP race as Miami's loss at Syracuse lifted Clemson into the ACC Championship Game against SMU. On Saturday, Clemson gave up the lead to South Carolina for the first time with 68 seconds remaining, and then Cade Klubnik threw an interception with 16 seconds remaining at South Carolina's 18-yard line.
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| 16 | 5 | 10-2 | |
Does Miami even deserve a spot in the playoff at this point? Probably not. The Hurricanes do not own a win against a ranked team and their 42-38 loss Saturday at Syracuse is yet another chapter in a long book of blown leads punctuated by an incapable defense. Miami built a 21-0 lead against the Orange and watched it melt away in the second half. The Hurricanes will sit at home instead of playing for the ACC championship.
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| 17 | 2 | 10-2 | |
Iowa State will play in the Big 12 Championship Game for the second time in history after winning a school record 10th game Saturday after the Cyclones knocked off Kansas State 29-21. Rocco Becht completed a career-low 37% of his passes in the bitter cold weather, which also affected K-State QB Avery Johnson, who connected on a career low 43 of his throws. In a season that was bordering on disappointment a month ago, the Cyclones still have a shot at crashing the CFP.
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| 18 | -- | 10-2 | |
18. BYU
BYU won a 10th game for the third time in five years with a 30-18 victory against Houston. The Cougars forced four turnovers to snap a two-game losing streak, but it was too little too late in the Big 12 title race. The Cougars were eliminated late Saturday night with Iowa State's win against Kansas State. Jake Retzlaff again carried the Cougars, scoring two touchdowns on the ground, as he threw for 167 yards.
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| 19 | NR | 9-3 | |
Syracuse rallied from a three-touchdown deficit for a shocking 41-28 win against Miami. It's the Orange's first win against a top-10 team since 2017. Receivers Trebor Pena and Jackson Meeks each eclipsed 100 yards in the comeback win. And how about Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, who threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns. You can bet some Ohio State fans wish they had him for their rivalry game against Michigan on Saturday. More importantly, the Orange recorded a nine-win season for only the third time since 2000, doing so in Fran Brown's first season. Take a shower (or a Gatorade bath), coach, you deserve it!
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| 20 | -- | 9-3 | |
Illinois secured its first nine-win season since 2007 and Aidan Laughery rushed a season-high 172 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-28 win against Northwestern. Two of the Illini's three losses this season were against top-10 teams.
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| 21 | 1 | 9-3 | |
What a feeling it must have been for Deion Sanders to celebrate his final regular season game coaching his two sons with a 52-0 blowout of Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, Travis Hunter likely solidified himself as the Heisman Trophy winner with 116 receiving yards and three touchdowns to go along with an interception. The victory is the program's largest in conference history since 1990 and its largest shutout win since 1991.
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| 22 | 1 | 8-4 | |
That loud thud you heard the last two weeks is emanating from College Station, Texas. A week after losing at Auburn, the Aggies were still alive in the SEC race but proved listless on offense in a 17-7 loss against rival Texas on Saturday. The Aggies' offense didn't score and seven drives ended in Texas territory, including fourth-down failures at the 10- and 4-yard lines. The Aggies averaged only 2.9 yards per rush.
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| 23 | -- | 9-3 | |
Maalik Murphy threw a 39-yard touchdown to Jordan Moore as time expired to lift Duke to a 23-17 win against Wake Forest in the regular-season finale. The Blue Devils trailed by 14 points in the second half. The program's first season under Manny Diaz has been a massive success, and they'll get a chance to win a 10th game in the bowl season. Duke has won nine games in two of the last three seasons.
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| 24 | -- | 10-2 | |
UNLV can play spoiler and earn a spot in the playoff with an upset of Boise State this week in the Mountain West Championship Game. It's a rematch of last season's championship game. UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 168 yards and rushed for 104 yards while scoring a combined three touchdowns in the win Saturday.
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| 25 | -- | 10-1 | |
Army's Bryson Daily tied the AAC record for touchdowns and the defense picked off a pass in the final 90 seconds to secure a 29-24 win against UTSA to finish the regular season undefeated in conference play. Army has won 10 games only four times in program history but have done so three times under coach Jeff Monken. The Black Knights will host Tulane in the AAC Championship Game this week.
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