You gotta love it … games won on the field and not in the eye of public perception. Another unbelievable week on the gridiron:
• Kansas, a 31-point underdog vs. Texas on the road in Austin, pulled off the upset in overtime, 57-56. Kansas hadn’t won a game on the road in the Big 12 since 2008 (56 games).
• Auburn scored touchdowns on its first four possessions and led 28-3 before Mississippi State rattled off 40 straight points behind Will Rogers’ 415 passing yards and six touchdowns to win 43-34.
• No. 1 ranked in the AP poll, Georgia trailed by its largest margin (seven points) of the season after Tennessee scored on its initial possession before the Bulldogs crushed the host Volunteers 41-17 to remain undefeated (10-0).
• Then-No. 3 Alabama, a 52-point favorite, drubbed one-win New Mexico State 59-3 to extend its record to 9-1.
• Current No. 3 Cincinnati is 10-0 and has yet to receive any respect from anyone except themselves and the Bearcats’ fans.
• Rancho Cucamonga/Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud took a big step toward the Heisman Trophy with an outstanding performance, completing 31 of 38 passes and throwing for five touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 59-31 rout of Purdue.
• Pitt QB Kenny Pickett became the school’s all-time leader in passing yards in a 30-23 Thursday night win over North Carolina, overtaking Alex Van Pelt.
• Oklahoma, which flirted with disaster against Tulane, West Virginia, Texas and Nebraska finally suffered its first defeat, against Baylor in Waco, Texas.
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Help wanted: Head football coaches at LSU and USC. Add Washington as Jimmy Lake was fired Sunday night.
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The college football playoff rankings through this past weekend’s games are: 1. Georgia (10-0); 2. Alabama (9-1); 3. Oregon (9-1); 4. Ohio State (9-1).
Only four make it … on the outside looking in at the moment are Cincinnati (10-0), Michigan (9-1), Michigan State (9-1), Notre Dame (9-1) and Oklahoma State (9-1).
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• The Cleveland Browns scored first to take a 7-0 lead, then watched the New England Patriots score the next 45 unanswered. The Browns have not won in Foxborough since 1992. Their coach that year was Bill Belichick.
• In their 43-3 rout of the Atlanta Falcons, the Dallas Cowboys set a franchise record for highest scoring quarter (29 in the second) and they enjoyed their biggest halftime lead (36-3) since 1971.
• The Tennessee Titans has now won six in a row and have beaten five 2020 playoff teams. They lead the AFC with an 8-2 record.
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One of the best linebackers of all-time, Hall of Famer Sam Huff, died Nov. 13 at age 87. The West Virginia product helped the New York Giants reach six NFL championship games, before finishing his career in Washington.
In the nation’s capital, he later teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen in the radio booth, calling all three of the franchise’s Super Bowl titles.
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College football picks
WAKE FOREST +4 1/2 vs. Clemson
WESTERN KENTUCKY -10 vs. Florida Atlantic
NOTRE DAME -17 vs. Georgia Tech
NFL football picks
CLEVELAND/DETROIT over 45
WASHINGTON +3 1/2 vs. Carolina
MINNESOTA + 2 1/2 vs. Green Bay
Season totals : 27-20
Season %: 57%
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A look at college basketball and the NBA next week in Inside Information.
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