10 Takeaways: Week 14
They call it "Hate week" for a reason
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10 Takeaways: Week 14
1. The Ryan Day era at Ohio State is over
I already emailed it to subscribers, but here is my full takeaway from Ohio State's fourth-straight loss to Michigan if you haven't read it already:
2. Miami gets Orange crushed
Speaking of coaches who can't get it done when it matters most - Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes lost to Syracuse after leading 21-0, costing themselves a spot in the ACC Title Game and possibly putting an end to their playoff hopes. Fun fact: Miami still hasn't won an ACC Title since joining the league in 2004. Their loss means Clemson takes their spot opposite SMU, and the Tigers now have a chance to back-door their way into the playoff even though they just lost to South Carolina:
The play of the game was Syracuse DB Devin Grant's 56-yard fumble return –that he also caused– for a TD, giving the Orange their first lead:
Syracuse is one of the best stories of the season. In Fran Brown's first year, they're on the verge of just their second 10-win season in two decades. They play with an attitude, led by QB Kyle McCord's nation's best 4,326 passing yards. He got the last laugh on Saturday:
3. Rivalry week turns into fight week
I'll be honest - players fighting after games isn't something that bothers me all that much. It's not something I'm actively rooting for, but I don't get how people are so shocked whenever it happens. These are 20-something year olds playing a violent sport. Emotions are always high, and they're even higher during rivalry week. I care less about Michigan planting a flag at Ohio Stadium's midfield and the ensuing fight than I do that police felt the need to pepper spray players and anyone else unfortunate enough to get caught in the crossfire. Anyway, the situation in Columbus got the most attention, but there was something in the air across the country:
- NC State and North Carolina duked it out:
- Arkansas and Missouri had postgame words:
- We had a mascot fight in Arizona:
And a fork plant:
- The Iron Bowl got chippy:
- We had a full-on helmet punch in Notre Dame-USC:
- Mike Norvell got in Billy Napier's face after Florida planted their flag in Tallahassee:
- And finally, Texas took some liberties with Texas A&M's midfield logo:
Again - I don't want to see anyone get hurt, but you can't love the passion and emotion of college football and not expect it to spill over sometimes.