🏈 🔵 Alabama Plummets, Penn State Survives, & Kansas Remains Hot In Week 13
The Crimson Tide failed to find the endzone for the first time since 2011 in a shocking 24-3 loss to Oklahoma.
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Week 13 | AB’s Dudes Of The Week 😤
Devin Neal
Running Back, Kansas
The Jayhawks played their fourth ranked matchup in as many weeks against Colorado, and similarly to the squad’s last two outings, Kansas exceeded all expectations.
Lance Leipold’s bunch downed the Buffaloes 37-21, giving the 5-6 unit its third-consecutive top 25 victory.
Kansas’ offense exploded for a 23-point first-half output, largely on the coattails of running back Devin Neal.
The hometown, Lawrence, Kansas product received 37 carries, amounting to 207 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Out of the backfield, Neal also made his presence felt. He garnered four receptions for 80 yards and an additional score, capping off a four-touchdown performance.
Zane Durant
Defensive Tackle, Penn State
Minnesota held claim to nearly 35 minutes of possession in a thrilling 26-25 falter to Penn State. The Nittany Lions remained disruptive defensively courtesy of Zane Durant’s constant pressure.
The Golden Gophers accumulated only 107 rushing yards on 35 total carries, largely due to Durant’s resounding presence.
Durant picked up five total tackles in the four-quarter bout, including three solo stops and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Ultimately, Penn State ended the battle on its own terms by churning out a gutsy, 12-play, 72-yard drive spanning the game’s final 5:48 to secure the victory.
The Nittany Lions converted three fourth-down tries in the process, including a successful fake punt attempt on their own 34-yard line.
Cam Coleman
Wide Receiver, Auburn
Hugh Freeze’s relentless crew edged out No. 15 Texas A&M 43-41 in overtime, resulting in the Tigers’ second SEC win of the campaign and a field storming at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn’s offense posted its fourth matchup of 40 points or more due to Cam Coleman’s dominance on the outside.
The 6’3”, lengthy wide receiver caught seven passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, staining Texas A&M’s late-season playoff push before a highly-anticipated showdown with Texas.
Thanks to Coleman and Co., Auburn is entering Iron Bowl week with newfound confidence, with a battered Alabama squad reeling on the opposing sideline.
The AB Top 25 🔥
— Week 13 —
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Mood Tracker Across Fanbases 🤯
Alabama 📉
Flabbergasted
The Crimson Tide entered a primetime display in Norman as 14.5-point favorites over 5-5 Oklahoma and left without eclipsing double digits in a 24-3 beatdown loss.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe played his most incomplete game to date in an Alabama uniform, completing just 42% of his passes for less than 175 yards and three interceptions.
On the ground, Kalen DeBoer’s attack failed to generate any momentum. As a team, Alabama averaged just 2.3 yards per carry, amounting to 13 total first downs and 234 total yards.
“Extremely disappointed, frustrated,” DeBoer said postgame. “… There’s some simple things, uncharacteristic things that happened early in the game where we didn’t get the momentum on our side.”
Alabama dropped just five spots in the AP Top 25, falling to No. 13, but it remains to be seen where the Crimson Tide will be ranked in this week’s edition of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Indiana 👊
Calm
Curt Cignetti’s fired-up team embarked on an 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive in its first offensive possession to quiet down a crowd of 105,751 at Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
However, Indiana generated only 83 additional total yards for the remaining 50 minutes of action, falling 38-15 to the nation’s No. 2 squad.
Consequently, the debates began to spiral on social media – Does an 11-1 Indiana bunch still deserve a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff?
Directly after the game, many analysts across the country echoed tones of uncertainty. But, after a slew of upset losses to top teams throughout Saturday’s slate, the answer should now represent a resounding “Yes.”
Despite boasting a strength of schedule ranked No. 51 nationally, the Hoosiers’ body of work absolutely deserves a spot in the dance, assuming they knock off Purdue to finish the campaign with an 11-1 clip.
Who Made Money This Week? 💰
Austin Armstrong
Defensive Coordinator, Florida
It’s no secret that Ole Miss’s attack is an offensive juggernaut.
The Rebels hold claim to the SEC’s leading passer in yardage and touchdowns in Jaxon Dart, the conference’s eighth-leading rusher in Henry Parrish, Jr., and the most productive receiver, ranked No. 1 in receiving yards among SEC commodities, in Tre Harris.
However, Florida defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong held Ole Miss’s 41.4-points per game cohort to only three second-half points in a shocking 24-17 upset in The Swamp.
Florida’s opportunistic secondary turned Dart over twice, forcing two interceptions, including the game-sealing pick by Bryce Thornton, with 17 seconds remaining.
“Obviously, the defense was lights out [today],” head coach Billy Napier said postgame. “We played great field position, and made just enough explosive plays… Complementary football, football in its purest form, and [I’m] just really proud of our players and team.”
Suddenly, the Gators have picked up two consecutive victories over ranked teams, achieving bowl-eligible status with its most recent triumph.
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Shoutout to Connor Krause for helping to write this newsletter and putting it together!
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