CFB Fast Forward: SEC Race To Atlanta Heats Up, Oklahoma State Creates Big 12 Frenzy, Pac-12 Runs Through Washington, Oregon

Another wild Saturday of college football has come and gone, with a few wrenches thrown into the playoff race. While the SEC had the spotlight on them, Alabama and Georgia took care of business, with the Big-12 losing a playoff contender, and the Pac-12 picture becoming clearer.

All eyes were on the SEC for obvious reasons, as the conference hosted two top-25 matchups. After Saturday's matchups, with Alabama and Georgia winning, we're on a path to a monster rematch.

While there wasn't much chaos to see in the South, there was a different story being written in the Big 12. Thanks to Oklahoma State, the conference standings look a lot different than where we were just two weeks ago.

The big game out west, with Washington and USC battling it out in Los Angeles turned into the high-scoring affair that most expected.

Path To The SEC Championship Could Lead To Rematch

The college football world was once again treated to a heavyweight showdown between LSU and Alabama. Unfortunately for LSU fans, the defense once again failed to show up, leaving it up to Jayden Daniels to carry the Tigers. On the other side, it was Alabama's Jalen Milroe who stole the show on the ground.

We knew what to expect from the LSU defense, but watching Jalen Milroe rush for 155 yards and four touchdowns wasn't on my bingo card. The battle between Daniels and Milroe was carried out on the ground, with both quarterbacks rushing for over 150 yards. But it was the Alabama defense that knocked Daniels out of the game near the beginning of the fourth quarter, bringing this war to a screeching halt.

Head coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 04, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

At the end of the day, Alabama has used Jalen Milroe to beat teams through the air, and on the ground, which LSU could not stop. Now, Nick Saban has a clear path to the SEC championship, with road games at Kentucky and Auburn to finish conference play.

Georgia Defeats Missouri, Ole Miss Beats Texas A&M, Setting Up A Massive Game Next Week

About five hours to the east, Georgia held-off a gritty Missouri squad in the second half. Thanks to the defense forcing two interceptions from Brady Cook, and Bulldogs QB Carson Beck managing the offense with two touchdowns, Georgia won 30-21. Unfortunately for opposing teams, Georgia is starting to look the part on offense, while the defense continues to find ways to attack the opposing backfield.

Credit goes to Missouri for once again giving Georgia a tough matchup, but the Tigers just didn't have enough late in the game on offense. Now, the Bulldogs road to Atlanta gets a tad bit interesting, with 10th ranked Ole Miss coming to town next week. Kirby Smart will then take his Bulldogs on the road to Tennessee, which could be an even bigger game if Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss can shock the Dawgs next week.

Speaking of Lane Kiffin, his Ole Miss squad defeated Texas A&M in a wild game in Oxford. There's certainly no love-loss between Jimbo Fisher and Kiffin, with the Aggies falling to 5-4 on the season. As for the Rebels, if they can upset Georgia, a trip to the SEC title game would probably still be out of the picture, but not the playoffs. Stay tuned.

The Big 12 Is Chaotic, Thanks To Oklahoma State

Just two weeks ago, we were all discussing the potential rematch between Texas and Oklahoma for the Big 12 title. Now, two weeks later, there's a different school from Oklahoma that's playing for a spot in the conference championship.

A back-and-forth battle between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State was the perfect way to end the 'Bedlam' rivalry. Quarterback Alan Bowman led the Cowboys with 334 yards passing, while Ollie Gordon II destroyed the Sooners on the ground, with 137 yards, 2 touchdowns. Even though Dillon Gabriel tried his hardest to keep Oklahoma's playoff hopes alive, it wasn't enough at the end, as the Sooners fell 27-24.

We have now entered the chaos part of the season for the Big 12 conference. The only team capable of making a playoff run is Texas, and they barely survived Kansas State. Playing without Quinn Ewers is obviously testing the nerves on Longhorn fans, as they try to hold onto their playoff ranking until he returns. It could've came to a halt if it weren't for the Texas defense, which stopped Kansas State on 4th and Goal to win the game in overtime.

After Saturday, it's now Texas and Oklahoma State sitting atop the Big 12 standings. But, we could have chaos if both teams drop one of their remaining three conference games. This would force the conference into tie-breaker mode. The Cowboys travel to UCF next weekend, while Texas will face TCU in Fort Worth.

Pac-12 Delivers A College Football QB Showcase, With USC-Washington

We talked about it all week, the matchup between Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. certainly delivered for 53 minutes. But, there was a twist in the offensive showcase, thanks to Huskies running back Dillon Johnson, who rushed for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns. USC came out firing, going toe-for-toe with Washington, thanks to Caleb Williams passing for 312 yards and 3 TD's.

But it was Washington that continues to look like a team that could cause problems for teams outside the Pac-12. Michael Penix Jr. had a nice game, with 256 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, but everything started on the ground. This was obviously a touch challenge for the Huskies, especially going on the road and USC's ability to keep pace on the scoreboard.

After this outing, we're on a path to seeing a rematch between Oregon and Washington for the Pac-12 title. Next up, Washington will host a tough Utah team, while Oregon will get its chance to play Caleb Williams, hosting USC next weekend in another opportunity for college football playoff chaos.

Other College Football Games Of Note

How about 'Tyler from Spartanburg' lighting a fire under Dabo Swinney this week, then seeing the Clemson fan base rally around this team. After a chaotic week of radio shows, press conferences, the 'us against the world' mentality, it paid off for the Clemson Tigers.

It felt like Notre Dame walked into a hornets nest on Saturday, and they got stung, multiple times. This was also a rough game for Sam Hartman, who threw 2 interceptions in the 31-23 loss. This will knock Notre Dame out of a New Year's Six bowl game, most likely. While on the other side, Clemson stopped the bleeding for now, and Dabo Swinney told everyone to "Buy Stock" in the Tigers moving forward. Ok.

The undefeated season for Air Force came to a screeching halt, thanks to Army, losing 23-3 and putting an end to any hopes of a New Year's Six Bowl.

In the Big Ten, the Michigan Wolverines took care of Purdue. But as you know, that's not the topic of conversation. It will be worth watching this week if the conference decides to make any type of move regarding the ongoing investigation into sign-stealing. After Connor Stalions, aka Jason Bourne, "resigned" or in easier terms was fired, the NCAA and Big Ten are being urged to make a decision.

We are unfortunately getting closer to championship Saturday in college football, which means we only have three weeks left in the regular season. So, enjoy the trash talking this week a little more, the regular season will be over soon.

Hopefully next weekend provides the same type of drama we witnessed on Saturday. The lineup is promising for another day of chaos.