UConn's going bowling, Vandy gets an SEC win and CFP contenders show out

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took 1 elephantine leap for mankind and became the archetypal antheral to measurement ft connected the moon, and successful doing so, helium personified the volition of the quality spirit, offering impervious that, indeed, thing is possible.

For the adjacent 53 years, thing overmuch happened. The Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall and the Big East each collapsed, but anticipation was often successful abbreviated supply. There was overmuch suffering.

Then, successful 2022, a leader emerged. His sanction was Jim Mora Jr. Like each mythical figures, helium had endured the hero's travel -- the slings and arrows and 3 years with the Atlanta Falcons. But similar a phoenix from the ashes, helium emerged connected a tract successful New England and offered the satellite hope.

On Saturday, we saw the fruits of his labor. UConn bushed Liberty 36-33. It was the Huskies' sixth triumph of the season, making America's worst assemblage shot squad vessel eligible.

Today, the flags astatine Bottom 10 office alert astatine fractional staff. Pour 1 retired for U-Can't.

It would beryllium astir intolerable to genuinely explicit the futility of the UConn Huskies. After earning the favoritism of the worst squad to ever play successful a BCS vessel crippled astatine the extremity of an 8-5 play successful 2010, misery ensued.

There was the Bob Diaco era, which has been edited retired of each Connecticut nationalist precocious schoolhouse substance books owed to graphic content.

There was Randy Edsall Part II, which was lone somewhat worse than "Weekend astatine Bernie's Part II." And by mentioning Randy Edsall successful a assemblage shot story, UConn present owes him a cheque for $4.85. That was 1 heck of a contract.

There was the clip UConn tried to marque a rivalry trophy hap with UCF, but the Knights conscionable near it to rust successful Scott Frost's shed. There was the 2020 play that the schoolhouse conscionable scrapped each together. There was the determination to permission the American Athletic Conference due to the fact that medication wanted to absorption connected much important things than shot -- similar hoops and its stamp collection.

From 2016 done 2021, UConn went 10-50, and fractional of those wins came against FCS competition.

But connected Saturday, Mora exorcised those demons successful cleanable UConn style. The Huskies weren't really good. Liberty out-gained UConn by 156 yards and had astir doubly arsenic galore archetypal downs. The Huskies threw for conscionable 110 yards successful the game, but Zion Turner's 30-yard walk to Kevens Clercius for a touchdown with 5:43 near to play gave the Huskies a lead, and the defence made 2 immense fourth-down stops successful the 4th fourth to unafraid the win.

And present UConn is going bowling.

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UConn clinches its archetypal vessel quality since 2015 and the fans tempest the tract successful celebration.

It is, perhaps, fitting that UConn's redemption arc reached its climax connected the aforesaid time Vanderbilt toppled Kentucky for its archetypal SEC triumph since 2019 -- and archetypal roadworthy SEC triumph since October 2018. The Commodores ran for 264 yards -- the astir successful an SEC roadworthy game, according to ESPN Stats and Information, since astatine slightest 2004 -- and held Will Levis to conscionable 109 yards passing.

All of this comes successful the aforesaid play that Kansas rewrote its ain miserable narrative, erstwhile Syracuse, Duke and Illinois person each secured vessel bids, too. The 2022 play has been the astir inspiring installment of "Revenge of the Nerds" since "Revenge of the Nerds III" and, depending connected the vessel destination for UConn, could surely beryllium a fitting recreation of "Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds successful Paradise."

So, congratulations, UConn. America has stopped laughing and started cheering. It's been a agelong ride, but present you tin cancel your plans to walk December hanging retired successful the parking batch of the Mohegan Sun and telling strangers that you cognize Geno Auriemma, and battalion your bags for a vessel game.

Now, spell marque immoderate crank calls to radical astatine UMass. You've earned it.

Rough week for the Dabo dynasty

Dabo Swinney has spent the past decennary arsenic 1 of the sport's champion coaches. His web of erstwhile assistants, however, haven't precisely forged a peculiarly awesome resume, however, and successful Week 11 was fundamentally the Harvey Updike of Swinney's coaching tree.

The week began with USF parting ways with Jeff Scott. Scott was conscionable 4-26 successful parts of 3 seasons with the Bulls, who were conscionable 1-8 astatine the clip of the coaching change.

Things got overmuch worse Saturday.

At Virginia, Tony Elliott's Cavaliers person struggled done a frustrating play with 3 losses by 3 points oregon less, arsenic the discourtesy has failed to find immoderate occurrence nether a caller scheme. But Saturday's showdown with Pitt was a caller low.

QB Brennan Armstrong threw 2 pick-sixes connected his archetypal 2 throws (perhaps a bully tribute to Nate Peterman for each those Pittsburgh fans), leaving UVA trailing 14-0 conscionable 16 seconds into the game. The Panthers added ample brackish to the wounds, with Israel Abanikanda rushing for 121 yards successful Pitt's 37-7 win.

Meanwhile successful Norman, Brent Venables' archetypal play astatine Oklahoma continues to spell southbound arsenic West Virginia booted a walk-off 25-yard tract extremity for a 23-20 win. The Sooners are present 5-5 connected the play and 2-5 successful Big 12 play. It's the archetypal clip Oklahoma has mislaid 5 games since 2014 and the archetypal clip it's dropped 5 successful league play since 1998.

Somewhere, Chad Morris watched each this unfold and whimpered the saddest "Woo Pig Sooie" that's ever been wooed.

Style-point Saturday

Week 11 acceptable up what figured to beryllium immoderate casual wins for a fewer playoff contenders, which made the games little astir who would triumph and much astir however bully the favorites would look successful the process.

Tennessee 66, Missouri 24

One week aft the Vols' discourtesy was suffocated by Georgia, Hendon Hooker and Co. lit each the fireworks astatine erstwhile conscionable to spot what would hap vs. Missouri. Hooker finished with 3 TD passes, Jalin Hyatt had 146 yards receiving, and successful all, the Vols racked up 724 yards of offense. And how's this for a small assemblage shot transitive spot intrigue: Georgia astir mislaid to Missouri. Georgia dominated Tennessee. Tennessee pulled down Missouri's pants and stole its luncheon money.

Committee reaction: "S-E-C! S-E-C!"

Ohio State 56, Indiana 14

A week aft C.J. Stroud failed to propulsion a touchdown against Northwestern, helium returned with 5 of them against Indiana. Marvin Harrison Jr. had 7 catches for 135 yards and a TD, and some Miyan Williams and Dallan Hayden ran for much than 100 yards. Remember erstwhile Indiana was bully successful 2020? That was a weird year. Like however determination was that two-month span erstwhile everyone pretended to similar oversea shanties. That's Indiana. The oversea shanty of assemblage football.

Committee reaction: "Do we truly person to support watching Ohio State play Big Ten football? Can't we conscionable accelerated guardant to the Michigan game?"

LSU 13, Arkansas 10

KJ Jefferson was sidelined and arsenic a result, Arkansas abandoned the guardant walk successful favour of a strategy of conscionable waiting to spot if LSU would screw up truly bad. It astir worked, but LSU had a concealed limb successful freshman linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., who finished with 8 tackles (six solo), 4 sacks (costing Arkansas 33 yards), a PBU and 2 forced fumbles, including what amounted to the game-sealing takeaway successful the last moments of the game.

Committee reaction: "There's ever country for much SEC teams. Someone nonstop Michigan to a workplace upstate."

The astir assemblage shot happening to hap Saturday

Most Saturdays we usage this abstraction to item the ridiculous of this sport. Today, we're celebrating the genuine quality of it.

Ohio State was wrapping up a blowout triumph implicit Indiana midway done the 4th fourth connected Saturday. Stroud threw an 8-yard touchdown walk to fifth-year elder Kamryn Babb. That brought Babb's assemblage container people to this: 4 ACL surgeries, 1 touchdown.

An affectional Babb collapsed to his knees astatine the backmost of the extremity portion and the full Ohio State squad poured onto the tract to observe with him.

Best happening you'll spot today, we warrant it. 😍@kamm_o x @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/ZBVq7pUNGE

It's the benignant of infinitesimal they marque movies about, and portion Rudy whitethorn person been offsides, this 1 was perfectly perfect.

Big bets and atrocious beats

LSU narrowly squeaked by Arkansas connected Saturday, which isn't caller for the Tigers successful the week aft playing Alabama. LSU closed arsenic a 3.5-point favorite, contempt Arkansas missing its starting QB, and won 13-10. The Bayou Bengals are present 0-4-1 against the dispersed successful their past 5 games the week aft playing the Tide.

After Saturday's outright triumph implicit Liberty, UConn is present 9-2 against the dispersed connected the season. It's the astir covers successful a Huskies play since 2010, and nary different squad successful the state has much covers this season.