By: Joe Cumberland (@punterjoe)
Big10 Gets 4 Into Playoffs
Week 8 brought an end to the regular season and an end to the season for a pair of Big10 teams. The USC Trojans wrapped up a conference title a couple of weeks ago, but the other two spots were tightly fought for. In the end, Michigan State and Ohio State claimed those spots. Michigan, however, still earned a bid via vote-in. The final spot came down to the final week and all 3 teams ended up getting a deserved invitation to the postseason. Oregon and Penn State saw their seasons end. Let’s jump in and see how the final week of Big10 play shook out.
USC Dominates Oregon To End Ducks Season
The #1 ranked USC Trojans hosted Oregon to finish out the regular season. The Ducks certainly had a better season than last, but their final game of Season 22 was one they’d rather forget. USC won 51-10 in dominating fashion. The Trojans dominated time of possession 30:58 to just 14:53 for the Ducks. The lack of offensive opportunity for Oregon resulted in just 271 total yards. USC, on the other hand, managed 647 yards, 154 on the ground, and 493 through the air. The Trojans improved to 5-0 in conference play and 7-1 on the season.
Jamesyn Golde went 41 of 49 for 493 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also added 54 yards on the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns with his legs. Halfback Dash Delano rushed for 100 on 18 carries. Jamarcus Simpson III continued his great season by posting 192 yards on just 8 catches with 2 touchdowns. Wideout Aniyah Late had her best game of the season, hauling in 9 passes for 121 yards and a score. KJ Johnson III caught a touchdown pass and added 85 yards on 7 snags.
Leading the change for the Trojans defense was linebacker Derrick Davis, who has a case for Defensive Player of the Year, he finished with 10 tackles, 3 for a loss, and a sack. Safety Payson Parker picked off a pass and had 8 tackles. Jett Trevor and Bobby Biggs each added a sack from their defensive line positions. The Trojans’ defense was on the field for less than 15 minutes in the contest and held Oregon to under 300 total yards.
The season comes to an end for Oregon. The Ducks improved this season with a record of 3-5 overall, 1-4 in Big10 play. Conference champion USC drew the #2 overall seed in the playoffs and drafted conference foe Ohio State in the first round. Catch that contest on Thursday night at 8:30.
Spartans Overcome Off Night In Happy Valley
Michigan State may have been looking ahead to the playoffs and not focusing on a winless Penn State team. The last regular season game of the schedule saw Michigan State have to fight tooth and nail to escape with a road win. Holding the ball 8 minutes less than the Nittany Lions, the Spartan offense managed just 327 yards and 9 first downs on the night. Luckily for the 10th-ranked Spartans, the defense was up to the task. The 3 turnovers forced and 5 sacks certainly had an impact on the outcome.
Cole Mantell has enjoyed a stellar season for Michigan State. The star quarterback would tell you he underperformed in this contest but held his team together for the win. Mantell went 18 of 29 for just 142 yards while throwing one score and an interception. He showed off his legs with a 62-yard scamper for a touchdown. Freshman standout David Michael may be the top newcomer in the CFSL. In his regular-season finale, he carried the ball 23 times for 131 yards and found paydirt once. DeMarcus White caught a 10-yard pass for a touchdown to aid in the effort.
Timmy Britt’s 13 tackles led Michigan State, but safety Chucky Charles also had himself a game. Charles added 11 stops to go along with a sack and 3 tackles for loss. Tomlin Bettis had a sack and made 10 stops from his linebacker position. Perry Eldridge and Thunder Rain had interceptions, while John Baer, Jeremiah Johnson, and Matthew Tyler also had sacks.
Penn State finishes the season with an 0-8 record. Michigan State claimed an automatic playoff spot as the #6 overall seed. They will face the 11-seed North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday night at 8:30.
Ohio State Earns Playoff Bid
All eyes were on Columbus as the CFSL watched to see who would lock down the third playoff spot for the Big10. Michigan and Ohio State both needed a win to avoid having to be voted in. The Buckeyes found themselves with one of the best overall records but still fighting for a postseason spot. A 45-24 win over the Wolverines would seal the deal. Ohio State managed 440 yards total offense on 122 rushing and 318 passing. The Buckeye defense forced 3 turnovers in the victory.
Jaylen Tyree finished 30 of 37 for 318 yards and 4 touchdowns. Despite being sacked 4 times the quarterback still had 91 yards rushing on 12 attempts and added a score on the ground. Halfback Emily Davis caught 1q passes for 51 yards but had just 24 yards rushing. Eden Ballard kept his production numbers up, the wideout had 96 yards with 2 going for a score on 5 catches. Korbin Hardin caught 6 passes 91 yards and a score, while Smokey Woods hauled in a touchdown on one of his 3 catches.
Safety Jeremy Schultz forced a fumble that led to a turnover and also had 12 tackles. Mason Davis had 8 tackles from his linebacker position. Jesse Stork and Joshua Edmonds added sacks. Safety Mak Griffin returned an interception 29 yards for a pick-6, while corner Isaiah Bonilla also intercepted a Michigan pass.
Michigan needed to be voted in and had that happen. The Wolverines will face the #4 seed Aggies of Texas A&M on Wednesday night at 6:30. Ohio State has another conference matchup as they will face the #2 overall seed in the USC Trojans. That game is Thursday night.
Big10 Week 8 Results
USC defeats Oregon 51-10
Michigan State defeats Penn State 24-17
Ohio State defeats Michigan 45-24
Big10 Round One Playoff Schedule
Tuesday, March 4th
#11 North Carolina @ #6 Michigan State 8:30 PM CST (on Twitch)
Wednesday, March 5th
#13 Michigan @ #4 Texas A&M 6:30 PM CST (on Twitch)
Thursday, March 6th
#15 Ohio State @ USC 8:30 PM CST (on Twitch)
Big10 Game of the Week
It’s playoff time and while they’re all important games, the two conference teams facing one another sticks out. USC is 7-1, Ohio State is 6-2.Yes, the Buckeyes are the 15 seed, but they have the potential to knock off the defending national champs and pull the upset. The battle between Jamesyn Golde and Jaylen Tyree should be fun to watch.
