8:00 AM ET
ESPN staff
We've made it to the last week of assemblage football's 2022 regular season.
The last week ever brings rivalries to the forefront and this play age-old matchups volition dictate what happens successful the College Football Playoff field.
A spot is reserved successful the CFP for the victor of The Game betwixt Michigan and Ohio State erstwhile again. Since the Wolverines took down C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes past play to gain a spot successful the playoff, revenge volition beryllium connected the minds of everyone successful Columbus.
Another imaginable playoff spot is connected the enactment Saturday nighttime successful L.A. arsenic USC hosts Notre Dame. The Trojans are the Pac-12's champion accidental astatine the CFP but archetypal volition person to get past a Fighting Irish squad that has won 5 games successful a enactment and aiming for a New Year's Six bowl.
Clemson hosts South Carolina aft the Gamecocks enactment unneurotic their champion show of the play against Tennessee past week portion a debased stakes Iron Bowl hits Alabama.
Tulane and Cincinnati conscionable with a spot successful the American Athletic Conference rubric crippled up for grabs and Oregon and Oregon State clash successful a ranked matchup.
These are the cardinal storylines up of the last week of the regular season.
No. 3 Michigan (11-0) astatine No. 2 Ohio State (11-0) (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)
There person lone been 11 different matchups betwixt these 2 teams with some ranked successful the apical 5 and successful 5 of those 11 games, the victor either went connected to the playoff, a berth successful the BCS nationalist title crippled oregon won the nationalist championship.
To accidental the stakes are precocious is an understatement. Both teams cognize what's connected the line. Although determination has been immoderate trash speech and vitriol successful the past, Michigan manager Jim Harbaugh is taking a antithetic attack to this year's game.
"We're precise grateful to beryllium successful this presumption to beryllium playing successful this game. Winner takes the East, victor takes each close there," Harbaugh said. "So, beardown opponent, and it's the benignant of concern that gives you the accidental to show however beardown our squad is. There's nary request to hate, beryllium grateful for the opponent. It's similar superheroes, it's done a beardown hostile you get to find retired who you are."
There mightiness not beryllium overmuch bulletin committee worldly this week for either team, but Ohio State has not forgotten the past. After Michigan won The Game past season, past violative coordinator Josh Gattis said connected the vigor that Ohio State was much of a finesse squad and not a pugnacious team.
Ohio State manager Ryan Day said this isn't the spot oregon clip to speech astir what was said successful the past, but choky extremity Cade Stover made it precise clear, helium is going to usage those words arsenic motivation.
"I truly don't springiness a s--- what anyone extracurricular this programme says astir our toughness," Stover said Tuesday. "We cognize what we've got."
Both teams are undefeated and person Heisman-caliber players, but some teams are besides dealing with cardinal injuries.
For Michigan, prima moving backmost Blake Corum was injured against Illinois, but told Detroit News newsman Angelique Chengelis that helium should beryllium bully to spell for the game. The Buckeyes person injuries successful the backfield arsenic good with Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson some banged up, but freshman Dallan Hayden stepped successful against Maryland and rushed for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Neither manager had an update connected their injuries, but neither seemed excessively acrophobic astir their squad oregon its health.
Day knows nary substance who's connected the field, they volition beryllium motivated by the nonaccomplishment from past play and some teams volition bring their champion Saturday. Day said helium didn't privation to enactment excessively overmuch connected his players regarding implications of this game, but helium has reminded them of what they felt similar aft the nonaccomplishment to the Wolverines past season.
"I deliberation you're shaped by whatever's happened successful your past and we person scars and it motivated america each offseason," Day said. "So, we've worked precise hard to get to this infinitesimal close here, and present it's clip to spell hole the champion we tin and that's what we're going to absorption connected physically, mentally and emotionally to spell play the hardest crippled we've ever played. And we'll find retired wherever we're astatine connected Saturday." -- Tom VanHaaren
No. 15 Notre Dame (8-3) astatine No. 6 USC (10-1) (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)
Billed astatine the top intersectional rivalry successful assemblage football, USC and Notre Dame participate the contention with some teams ranked for the archetypal clip since 2017.
The Trojans, who moved up to No. 6 successful Tuesday's CFP rankings, person a realistic way to their archetypal playoff appearance, but not if they can't bushed Notre Dame, which has won 5 consecutive since a stunning location nonaccomplishment to Stanford.
"Enjoy being successful this moment, bask competing astatine this level," USC manager Lincoln Riley said of his connection to the players. "Our squad gets excited to play teams similar this, determination is nary question astir it. It's amusive playing truly bully contention successful chill venues with a batch of things connected the line. That is truthful overmuch fun, truthful clasp it."
The Heisman Trophy could beryllium connected the enactment for USC backmost Caleb Williams, who helped his candidacy with a career-best 470-yard passing show past week astatine UCLA. Williams has accounted for 40 touchdowns (33 pass, 7 rush) successful 11 games for USC, helping the nation's No. 2 discourtesy eclipse 40 points successful 5 consecutive games.
But helium hasn't faced galore defenses arsenic talented and dependable arsenic Notre Dame's, which ranks 16th nationally against the pass.
"They person bully players astatine each levels," Riley said. "They've built a endowment base. When their backups travel in, determination are inactive a batch of talented guys connected that field."
Both teams person elite antiaircraft ends. Notre Dame's Isaiah Foskey has 5.5 sacks successful his past 5 games and precocious became the school's vocation sacks person (25). USC's Tuli Tuipulotu is simply a nationalist antiaircraft subordinate of the twelvemonth campaigner with 11.5 sacks, tying him for archetypal nationally.
"He's a powerful, diversion antiaircraft end; helium tin bushed you up physically and besides usage his diversion quality to get astir you arsenic an violative lineman," Notre Dame violative coordinator Tommy Rees told ESPN. "They enactment him successful truly bully spots, effort to azygous him up. We've got to bash our portion to marque definite we're dependable successful our protections."
Rees believes Notre Dame's violative line, which entered the play with lofty expectations but struggled early, is playing astatine a higher level than immoderate radical successful the country. Notre Dame has efficaciously utilized moving backs Audric Estime, Logan Diggs and Chris Tyree and eclipsed 220 rushing yards successful 4 of the past 5 games.
USC ranks 96th nationally successful yards allowed but has excelled successful takeaways, starring the federation with 18 interceptions. The Trojans' turnover borderline -- 25 takeaways, 4 giveaways -- leads the FBS by a wide margin.
Rees, who went 2-1 against USC arsenic Notre Dame's starting quarterback, said decision-making from existent QB Drew Pyne, and the Irish's quality to support him, volition beryllium cardinal successful limiting the mistakes that person doomed USC's opponents. Pyne is averaging lone 170.3 passing yards per crippled but has thrown 19 touchdowns and lone 5 interceptions, avoiding immoderate games with aggregate picks this season.
"He's 8-1 arsenic the starting backmost astatine Notre Dame, and he's done a batch of bully things to assistance our programme triumph games," Rees said. "Anyone else's sentiment oregon communicative is benignant of nonsense to me. The occupation of the backmost is to triumph shot games. He's highly confident, and I'm excited for him to get a accidental retired determination successful L.A."
After dropping 8 consecutive to USC from 2002 done 2009, Notre Dame has won 4 successful a enactment and 8 of the teams' past 11 meetings. -- Adam Rittenberg
South Carolina (7-4) astatine No. 8 Clemson (11-1) (Saturday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN app)
The evident question pursuing South Carolina's 63-38 triumph implicit then-No. 5 Tennessee past week, a crippled successful which QB Spencer Rattler threw much touchdowns (six) than helium had successful 7 anterior SEC games combined (five), was what the heck happened?
Surely, South Carolina recovered a magic look by rewriting the crippled plan, throwing retired the playbook and replacing it with immoderate sorcerer's spells successful bid to travel up an wholly mediocre play with a stunning upset. A week earlier, the Gamecocks managed conscionable 237 yards and six points successful a nonaccomplishment to 6-5 Florida.
So, what's the secret?
"We called a batch of the aforesaid worldly we person each year," South Carolina manager Shane Beamer said. "If anything, determination was little successful the crippled plan. But [Rattler] played with a batch of assurance and helium was precise poised and knew wherever to spell with the ball."
South Carolina churned retired a humanities show against a top-five squad by simply doing what it's ever done -- and conscionable did it amended than usual.
If that seems illogical, possibly it's champion to measurement into the clip instrumentality and question backmost to August 2021. Rattler was the QB astatine Oklahoma, a preseason Heisman favourite and a adjacent unanimous prime to beryllium the archetypal wide prime successful the 2022 NFL draft. The feline was unquestionably talented.
But past Rattler's play went haywire, helium was benched and yet helium transferred to South Carolina. His caller location afforded lone minimal respite, and helium struggled to recreate the large numbers he'd posted successful 2020 that had made him a scout's dream.
Rather than presume Rattler was simply overrated oregon mislaid his touch, ideate erstwhile the pieces acceptable and it each clicked against Tennessee. Suddenly, the feline everyone loved 15 months agone was back.
"He made immoderate throws you conscionable can't defend," Clemson manager Dabo Swinney said. "You spell backmost and look and some, determination was that much" -- Swinney holds 2 fingers separated by six inches -- "that overmuch country betwixt a touchdown drawback and an incompletion."
If it seems similar a agelong shot, conscionable see the QB Rattler volition look successful this week's rivalry crippled against Clemson.
Back successful August 2021, DJ Uiagalelei was a feline with existent Heisman hopes, too, and with his large arm, helium looked similar an evident NFL prospect. But similar Rattler, his 2021 play went disconnected the rails arsenic Clemson tried to find the close supporting cast, Uiagalelei battled injuries and uncertainty and disapproval became the soundtrack to a mislaid season.
Uiagalelei didn't transportation similar Rattler did. Instead, Swinney spent an offseason praising the QB. The effect was a coagulated rebound play that, portion acold from Heisman-worthy, has kept the Tigers successful the playoff hunt. Still, Uiagalelei sees the parallels.
"I don't privation to speech astir anyone else's journey," Uiagalelei said, "but he's done a large occupation of conscionable sticking to being the idiosyncratic helium is and playing his crippled and not listening to the extracurricular noise."
For both, the highs whitethorn person been a spot overvalued. But the lows -- well, QBs person a mode of being cause heavy into the mire erstwhile things spell bad.
"He gets that, but he's been a fantastic teammate and a fantastic leader," Beamer said of Rattler. "I told him the different day, and I deliberation you tin accidental the aforesaid happening astir DJ -- DJ's the starting backmost and he's won 10 shot games. With Spencer, too, he's done a batch of affirmative things this year. It mightiness not beryllium the twelvemonth helium wanted statistically, but he's won a batch of shot games and done a batch of things for america arsenic a programme already."
Perhaps Rattler and Uiagalelei volition ne'er unrecorded up to the expectations galore had earlier the commencement of past season, but 2022 has been, unquestionably, a reminder that some are immensely talented.
"Both person had immoderate ups and downs, but DJ's truly played good for us," Swinney said. "He's a winner, a large person and an unbelievably committed guy. And Spencer, I've got a batch of respect for him arsenic a player. He's got each the tools."
Rattler and Uiagalelei were some asked this week astir their futures successful assemblage football. Both tin instrumentality for 2023 with hopes of gathering connected the steps guardant they've taken this year. Or they could leave, effort their luck successful the NFL draft, anticipation to beryllium radical incorrect again astatine the adjacent level.
There's astir apt nary elemental reply for either one. The way isn't astir truthful wide arsenic it might've seemed 15 months ago.
But Saturday's Palmetto Bowl volition let astatine slightest 1 of them to adhd different section to their idiosyncratic redemption stories.
"I wanted to travel present and triumph a batch of large games," Rattler said aft Saturday's triumph implicit Tennessee. "We've been doing that. And we've inactive got games to decorativeness out." -- David Hale
0:54
CFP enactment committee seat Boo Corrigan explains wherefore it has Clemson ranked down Alabama.
Auburn (5-6) astatine No. 8 Alabama (9-2) (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
There's nary specified happening arsenic an inconsequential Iron Bowl. Just inquire the folks who unrecorded successful the authorities oregon the coaches and players who've been a portion of 1 of assemblage football's fiercest rivalries.
But this Iron Bowl volition instrumentality connected a antithetic consciousness Saturday. For one, it's the archetypal clip since 2007 that the crippled hasn't had nonstop College Football Playoff oregon BCS nationalist title crippled implications. Alabama has already mislaid 2 regular-season games and is retired of the playoff chase. This is the archetypal clip Alabama has gone into this crippled with 2 regular-season losses since 2010.
It's been a tumultuous play for Auburn, and the Tigers are conscionable trying to go bowl-eligible. But it's been a antithetic Auburn squad these past 3 games nether interim manager and erstwhile prima moving backmost Cadillac Williams. Auburn, playing with renewed life, has won 2 consecutive games connected the heels of a 39-33 overtime nonaccomplishment to Mississippi State nether Williams, who took implicit erstwhile Bryan Harsin was fired connected Oct. 31.
Auburn moving backmost Tank Bigsby said Williams is coaching the full squad with the "same energy" that helium coached the moving backs earlier being named interim caput coach.
"If you cognize Coach Cadillac, helium didn't alteration due to the fact that helium was the caput coach," Bigsby said.
One happening that has changed nether Williams is an Auburn moving crippled that has gone from sporadic to dynamic. The Tigers person rushed for much than 250 yards successful each of their past 3 games and averaged 5.4 yards per rush. Auburn has had a 100-yard rusher successful each of its 3 games nether Williams, and Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter person each rushed for 100 yards successful the past 2 games, wins implicit Western Kentucky and Texas A&M.
Alabama has been 1 of the toughest teams successful the state to tally the shot against this season, particularly those teams that are one-dimensional. The Crimson Tide are tied for eighth nationally successful rushing yards per effort allowed (3.1). But successful 4 antithetic SEC games, they allowed much than 180 yards connected the ground, and 1 of the things to ticker successful this crippled is whether oregon not Auburn backmost Robby Ashford tin loosen up the Alabama defence by having occurrence running. LSU backmost Jayden Daniels rushed for 95 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown tally successful overtime, successful the Tigers' 32-31 win.
The Crimson Tide won successful 4 overtimes a twelvemonth agone against the Tigers, and backmost Bryce Young rallied the Tide from a 10-0 deficit. They drove 97 yards for a touchdown precocious successful regularisation to unit the 4 overtimes and a 24-22 Alabama win. It's a crippled that changed the trajectories of some teams. Alabama went connected to triumph the SEC title and play successful the nationalist title game. Auburn and Harsin ne'er truly recovered, arsenic Harsin was the taxable of a university-directed probe a small much than a period aboriginal earlier being fired successful October.
And portion determination won't beryllium a nationalist title accidental down the roadworthy for Alabama this season, cipher needs to explicate the stakes to Nick Saban. As he's said aggregate times, if you don't triumph this game, careless of thing other you've accomplished, there's ever a but.
Of course, the backdrop to this crippled volition halfway connected the feline who won't beryllium coaching connected either sideline. A batch of signs are pointing to Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin being named Auburn's caput manager arsenic aboriginal arsenic Sunday.
Just the thought of Saban and Kiffin successful the aforesaid authorities is capable to spice up adjacent the spiciest of rivalries. -- Chris Low
No. 9 Oregon (9-2) astatine No. 23 Oregon State (8-3) (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)
On immoderate level, it feels similar the Ducks are making a winded, but valiant sprint to the decorativeness line. But if that's the lawsuit -- aft a adjacent nonaccomplishment to Washington and a adjacent triumph against Utah -- possibly the information of a determination rivalry crippled is precisely what Oregon needs to guarantee it plays astatine slightest 1 much meaningful crippled successful the Pac-12 championship. A triumph and the Ducks are in.
Oregon State volition get conscionable arsenic motivated. The Beavers person softly enactment unneurotic a fantastic play nether caput manager Jonathan Smith. Take the blowout nonaccomplishment to Utah successful Salt Lake City distant and they've mislaid their different 2 games by a combined six points. At 8-3, it volition beryllium casual for Oregon Stage to lucifer the Ducks' information contempt not having a travel to the rubric crippled connected the line. Since 2003, Oregon State has lone won 9 games successful a regular play once.
And portion the communicative for the Ducks this play has mostly been their offense, it's their defence that comes into this crippled with immoderate momentum. As Smith noted earlier this week, Oregon's defence unopen down a bully discourtesy successful Utah past week during what was a tough, low-scoring affair.
"They're explosive connected offense, and we cognize we're not going to triumph this crippled 3-0, oregon going into it we don't deliberation so," Smith said. "But past you get into these games and each crippled is simply a small spot different."
One of the anchors of that explosive Ducks' discourtesy led by backmost Bo Nix has been starting halfway Alex Forsyth, who missed the Utah crippled owed to a close enarthrosis injury. Oregon manager Dan Lanning did not shed overmuch airy connected whether Forsyth would beryllium capable to play successful this week's game.
"It's that clip of twelvemonth erstwhile you're banged up and you're hurting and it's not Week 1 anymore," Lanning said.
If Oregon is limping to the decorativeness line, it feels similar the Beavers are catching their stride, which volition apt marque this an adjacent matchup. And what amended mode to headdress disconnected Smith's turnaround of the programme successful Corvallis than with a signature triumph against Oregon State's astir hated rival. Potentially keeping them retired of the Pac-12 championship? That would conscionable beryllium icing connected apical of the cake. -- Paolo Uggetti
No. 19 Tulane (9-2) astatine No. 24 Cincinnati (9-2) (Friday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN app)
Cincinnati fans person been clamoring for a alteration astatine backmost for a portion now.
Well, they whitethorn get what they asked for astatine an absorbing clip -- during the regular-season finale against Tulane with a travel to the American Athletic Conference title crippled connected the line.
So far, there's been nary determination connected whether starting backmost Ben Bryant volition beryllium acceptable aft helium suffered a ft wounded during past week's triumph astatine Temple. He near the crippled successful the 2nd fractional and returned to the sideline connected crutches.
Following successful Desmond Ridder's footsteps was ne'er going to beryllium easy, but Bryant has fallen abbreviated of expectations. For one, he's not arsenic skilled a runner arsenic Ridder, checking successful with minus-118 rushing yards this season. And portion he's been coagulated wide successful the passing crippled (21 touchdowns, 7 interceptions), helium hasn't been a existent difference-maker, ranking seventh successful the AAC successful QBR (57.4) and 5th successful yards (2,732).
So, naturally, fans person been wondering astir his backup, Evan Prater, 1 of the astir sought-after recruits successful programme past and a subordinate who has the quality to tally the shot erstwhile called upon.
Before the Temple game, the erstwhile four-star imaginable had played lone sparingly, completing 6 of 8 walk attempts for 111 yards, nary touchdowns and nary interceptions. But, during that time, helium carried the shot 9 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Then, Prater came connected against Temple and looked good, completing 12 of 17 passes for 127 yards, nary touchdowns and nary interceptions. He besides ran 9 times for 24 yards.
Afterward, Cincinnati manager Luke Fickell praised Prater, saying helium did a bully occupation of what helium was asked to do. As the crippled progressed, Fickell said coaches gave him much opportunities.
"I thought helium moved astir the pouch truly good and delivered immoderate truly bully balls," helium said.
Against a stout Tulane secondary that gives up lone 189.5 passing yards per game, Prater's quality to premix things up arsenic a runner could travel successful handy. UCF backmost John Rhys Plumlee rushed for 176 yards against the Green Wave lone a fewer weeks ago; Tulane is giving up an AAC-high 4.03 yards per unreserved to quarterbacks this season.
On Tuesday, Fickell didn't extremity his manus astir who would commencement astatine quarterback. He said they're "optimistic" astir Bryant's betterment but they won't cognize his availability until person to crippled time.
"If [Bryant is] capable to bash it, past you cognize what, we could spell that direction," helium said. "But, we got to person preparations successful some ways." -- Alex Scarborough
Clinching scenarios for Week 13
Spots already clinched
• ACC: Clemson and North Carolina
• Big 12: TCU
• Pac-12: USC
• Conference USA: UTSA
• Mountain West: Boise State and Fresno State
• Sun Belt: Coastal Carolina
Big 12
• Kansas State clinches with a triumph vs Kansas OR Texas nonaccomplishment vs Baylor. According to ESPN Analytics, there's an 88% accidental the Wildcats scope the Big 12 title game.
•Texas clinches with a triumph vs Baylor AND Kansas State nonaccomplishment vs Kansas. There's a 12% accidental the Longhorns scope the Big 12 title game, according to ESPN Analytics.
Big Ten
• The victor of Saturday's Michigan-Ohio State crippled wins the East. According to ESPN Analytics, there's a 71% accidental the Buckeyes scope the Big Ten title crippled (29% for the Wolverines).
• Iowa clinches the West with a triumph vs Nebraska OR losses by Illinois (at Northwestern) and Purdue (at Indiana). According to ESPN Analytics, there's an 84% accidental the Hawkeyes scope the Big Ten title game.
• Purdue clinches the West with a triumph astatine Indiana AND Iowa nonaccomplishment to Nebraska. There's a 12% accidental the Boilermakers scope the Big Ten title game, according to ESPN Analytics.
• Illinois clinches the West with a triumph astatine Northwestern AND losses by Iowa (vs Nebraska) and Purdue (at Indiana).
Pac-12
• Oregon clinches with a triumph astatine Oregon State OR Washington nonaccomplishment astatine Washington State. According to ESPN Analytics, there's a 78% accidental the Ducks scope the Pac-12 title game.
• Utah clinches with a triumph astatine Colorado AND losses by Oregon (at Oregon State), Washington State (vs Washington) and California (vs UCLA). According to ESPN Analytics, there's a 15% accidental the Utes scope the Pac-12 title game.
• Washington clinches with a triumph astatine Washington State AND (1) losses by Oregon (at Oregon State) and Utah (at Colorado) oregon (2) losses by Oregon (at Oregon State) and UCLA (at California).
American
• The victor of the Tulane-Cincinnati crippled connected Friday clinches a spot successful the American title game.
• UCF clinches a spot successful the American title crippled with a triumph astatine South Florida.
• Even with a loss, Tulane clinches a spot successful the American title crippled with a UCF nonaccomplishment astatine South Florida.
• Even with a loss, Cincinnati clinches a spot successful the American title crippled with losses by UCF (at South Florida) and Houston (vs Tulsa).
• If Houston wins and Cincinnati and UCF loses, the necktie betwixt the Bearcats and Cougars volition beryllium breached by composite machine rankings (Cincinnati is presently good up of Houston successful those rankings)
Conference USA
• North Texas clinches with a triumph vs Rice OR Western Kentucky nonaccomplishment astatine Florida Atlantic. According to ESPN Analytics, there's a 91% accidental the Mean Green scope the Conference USA title game.
• Western Kentucky clinches with a triumph astatine Florida Atlantic AND North Texas nonaccomplishment vs Rice. According to ESPN Analytics, there's a 9% accidental the Hilltoppers scope the Conference USA title game.
Sun Belt
• Troy clinches the West with a triumph astatine Arkansas State OR South Alabama nonaccomplishment vs Old Dominion. There's a 75% accidental the Trojans scope the Sun Belt title game, according to ESPN Analytics.
• South Alabama clinches the West with a triumph vs Old Dominion AND Troy nonaccomplishment astatine Arkansas State. According to ESPN Analytics, there's a 25% accidental the Jaguars scope the Sun Belt title game.
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