A Saturday that featured six games matching ranked teams, including three battles of unbeatens, promised to set the tone for the second half and sort contenders from pretenders. No. 5 Michigan stepped forward emphatically in the Big Ten. No. 13 TCU made an improbable rally to become the Big 12 favorite. And No. 6 Tennessee put the Southeastern Conference on tilt. A season that was supposed to be about three elite teams marching toward a national championship has now taken a turn.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Chase McGrath made a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 6 Tennessee a 52-49 victory over No. 3 Alabama on Saturday. As soon as the kick knuckle-balled through the uprights, some of the more than 100,000 fans stormed the field to celebrate the Volunteers ending a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide. It didn’t take long for the goal posts to go down. Hendon Hooker drove the Vols 45 yards in 18 seconds to set up the winner. Jalin Hyatt caught six passes for 207 yards and a Tennessee-record five touchdowns. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, a game-time decision because of a sprained right shoulder two weeks ago, completed 35 passes for 455 yards and two TDs.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kendre Miller scored on a 2-yard run in the second overtime, and 13th-ranked TCU beat No. 8 Oklahoma State 43-40 in a matchup of the Big 12′s last remaining undefeated teams. Fans stormed the field after Miller got into the end zone for the 6-0 Horned Frogs, who had gone into the fourth quarter trailing by two touchdowns. The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime. Oklahoma State got the ball to start the second overtime, but after a holding penalty and three incomplete passes in a row, the Cowboys had to settle for Tanner Brown’s fourth field goal, a 52-yarder.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Cameron Rising threw for 415 yards, ran for three touchdowns, and scampered up the middle for a go-ahead two-point conversion with 48 seconds left in No. 20 Utah’s 43-42 victory over No. 7 Southern California on Saturday night. Rising rushed a yard for a touchdown on fourth down to set up the deciding conversion. Caleb Williams threw for 381 yards and five touchdowns for Southern California (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12). Utah (5-2, 3-1) held the Trojans on their last-ditch drive, handing them their first loss as a record crowd of 53,609 shook Rice-Eccles Stadium and then flooded the field. Dalton Kincaid had 15 catches for 217 yards, the most for a Ute since Carl Harry had 255 yards in 1988.
