College Football Recap: Week 13

Story posted December 1, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Parker Silverman

The final week of college football regular season action featured four ranked-on-ranked matchups, including a Big Ten Showdown between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan and a potential upset between No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 6 USC.

It’s only fitting to start the recap with the game of the week on paper. Known across the college football world as “The Game,” the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes hosted their archrivals, the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines. Ohio State entered with one of the top offenses in the country, with Heisman candidate C.J. Stroud at the helm. Michigan came in with the nation’s best ground attack, led by running back Blake Corum.

In a game expected to be tightly contested, Michigan won in a lopsided affair, 45-23. The Buckeyes led 20-17 midway through the second quarter, and that’s when Michigan began to pull away.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards ran all over the Buckeyes defense, taking 22 carries for 216 yards and two touchdowns, including a 85-yard touchdown late to seal the deal.

Ohio State was able to move the ball through the air, as C.J. Stroud threw for 329 yards, and receivers Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. both notched over 100 yards. The backbreaker for the Buckeyes were their struggles in the red zone, as Stroud threw two costly interceptions in Michigan territory, one inside the 20-yard line.

No. 6 USC downed No. 15 Notre Dame on Saturday, 38-27. Heisman front runner Caleb Williams put on another show, passing for 232 yards and one touchdown, while adding 35 yards and another three scores on the ground. He was sensational, and the Heisman at this point is Caleb’s to lose.

USC senior back Austin Jones was a great compliment on the ground, rushing 25 times for 154 yards. Sophomore defensive back Calen Bullock also had a crucial pick, a real turning point in the game.

The Fighting Irish traveled to southern California having the potential to upset the Trojans. Sophomore quarterback Drew Pyne was exceptional, passing for over 300 yards and three scores. The achilles heel for the Irish was their lack of a rushing attack, having five different rushers combine for only 90 yards.

The third ranked-on-ranked matchup of the weekend also comes from the Pac-12, as No. 9 Oregon took on No. 21 Oregon State. The Ducks stormed out to a sizable lead, up 31-10 early in the third quarter. The Beavers rallied, crawling all the way back and eventually stopping Oregon short at the goal line late to seal a 38-34 victory.

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix had a solid performance, passing for 327 yards and two scores. Nix connected early and often with senior receiver Chase Cota, who caught nine passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.

Oregon State’s rushing attack was prevalent, as it ran for 268 yards and five touchdowns. The Beavers’ dominance in the running game wore down Oregon’s defense, and was key to their victory.

The biggest moment in the game came at the very end, as Oregon drove the ball down the field in a goal-to-go situation. The Ducks ran two plays from the Beavers’ one yard line, and were denied four straight times in goal-to-go, falling just short at a chance to play for the Pac-12 title.

The final marquee matchup of the weekend came from the group of five, as No. 17 Tulane took down No. 24 Cincinnati in an American conference showdown, 27-24. The Green Wave relied on workhorse back Tyjae Spears, rushing a whopping 35 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

Cincinnati struggled to get it going through the air, as sophomore passer Evan Prater only completed ten passes on the day for 106 yards. The Bearcats ran it well, however, notching 235 yards and three scores on the ground. It wasn’t enough to overcome the Green Wave’s early momentum, as Cincinnati fell just three points short.

Parker Silverman is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.