Blue Devils finish on high note
The Blue Devils came out on top on Senior Night, beating Wake Forest 41-21. After two disappointing losses to Virginia Tech and North Carolina that dropped Duke from atop the ACC Coastal Division, the Blue Devils were able to regroup and cruise by an opportunistic Demon Deacon squad.
Senior receivers Issac Blakeney and Jamison Crowder led the charge, combining for 15 receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown. Crowder now has the third-most receiving yards in ACC history, with 3, 539 yards. Crowder trails only Peter Warrick and former Blue Devil Connor Vernon. Anthony Boone threw for 275 yards and a touchdown and the Blue Devils never trailed in the game; the Demon Deacons came within one possession for only five minutes in the third quarter.
Although the Blue Devils have some work to do in their bowl game to return to the top 25, the senior class had reason to celebrate after going to three straight bowl games and posting Duke’s first ever back-to-back nine win seasons.
A new number one
Alabama rose to the No. 1 spot after beating No. 20 Auburn 55-44 in the Iron Bowl. Amari Cooper had a career day with 224 yards receiving and three touchdowns and T.J. Yeldon came back from injury to pace the Crimson Tide with 127 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn led until the fourth quarter when Alabama overpowered Auburn’s defense with three straight touchdown drives. Florida State fell to No. 2 after barely beating lame duck Florida 24-19. Florida kicker Austin Hardin missed two crucial field goals that would have put the Gators up in the fourth quarter. Although Florida State is undefeated, the Seminoles fell to No. 2 by virtue of not having a convincing win all season.
It is the first time Alabama is ranked No. 1 this season and it extends the streak to seven straight seasons of being No. 1 at some point, the longest such streak since Miami from 1986-92.
Uncertainty in the top ten
The story of the season has been the resurgence of Ole Miss and Mississippi State bringing football glory to the Magnolia State. This past weekend’s Egg Bowl did not disappoint, with then-No. 18 Ole Miss upending then-No. 4 Mississippi State 31-17. Running back Jaylen Walton carried the Rebels with 148 yards and a touchdown, including this 91-yard scamper. Ole Miss rose to No. 13 and Mississippi State fell to No. 10 this week, opening up the debate of who will be the fourth best team in the nation at season's end.
No. 3 Oregon stayed put after dismantling Oregon State 47-19 in the Civil War. TCU rose two spots from No. 6 to No. 4 after a convincing win against Texas on Thanksgiving. The TCU defense had five takeaways, including a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Baylor remained at No. 5 after surviving a late comeback from Texas Tech, 48-46. Quarterback Bryce Petty did not return after a helmet-to-helmet hit gave him a mild concussion, which will make things interesting this week in practice as the Bears take on No. 9 Kansas State in their season finale.
Ohio State rose one spot to No. 6 after cruising to a 42-28 win against its rival, the Michigan Wolverines. Ezekiel Elliot ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns, but the win came at great cost. Heisman Trophy contender J.T. Barrett was bent awkwardly under a lineman and broke his ankle, ending his prolific season. The Buckeyes will look to redshirt sophomore Cardale Jones to start in the Big Ten Championship against No. 11 Wisconsin Saturday.
Rivalry weekend lives up to hype
No. 12 Georgia tech rose four spots from No. 16 after outlasting No. 15 Georgia 30-26 in overtime. Georgia fell out of its No. 8 spot due to the loss. After the Bulldogs' Malcolm Mitchell caught a touchdown with 18 seconds left to potentially win it, the Yellow Jackets drove down the field quickly and kicked a field goal, sending it to overtime. Georgia Tech running back Zach Laskey scored from two yards out and the defense held to give the Yellow Jackets the win for the first time in 13 years.
UCLA dropped seven spots to No. 16 after getting crushed by Stanford 31-10. The Bruins lost out on their Pac-12 South lead and any hopes at a College Football Playoff spot. The Cardinal defense stymied quarterback Brett Hundley and Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan passed for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
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