Biscuits & SEC Championship Week game-by-game recaps 2024
That was fun, huh? We got some smashmouth SEC football in the title game this year with a defensive showdown that went to OT. At the same time, we got to see a furious comeback from SMU, who erased a three-score second-half Clemson lead in the ACC title game, only to fall in regulation due to a missile of a field goal from the Tigers Nolan Hauser. Championship Weekend didn’t disappoint.
Here’s where the crew stands after Championship Weekend:
Bossman had another barn-burner week, as he’s 14-1 in the straight-up column in the last two weeks, which has helped him get back to dead even with Hammer. He also kept pace with Waco Kid in the ATS column. It’s still anyone’s game heading into bowl season and a few good picks could change the landscape considerably.
Let’s hit the recaps.
Bossman: This one was over at halftime, with Boise State putting up 21 in the first half and putting it in cruise control. UNLV finally scored their first points of the game with 9:06 left in the fourth quarter. The Rebels had their chances, but couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities and the Boise defense stiffened their upper lip when the going got tough to keep UNLV off the scoreboard, forcing a turnover on downs twice in the second half. Ashton Jeanty did what he always does, going for over 200, including a 75-yard TD run late in the second quarter. The UNLV defense played admirably despite getting smoked by Jeanty, as they didn’t give up another point to BSU after that Jeanty TD. Still, the Broncos have a solid defense in their own right, and frustrated UNLV all night. Great win for Boise who will now look to make an underdog run in the playoff and summon some of the magic of 2006.
Hammer: Ashton Jeanty dropped an emphatic Heisman moment on the entire country on Friday night. Against a stout UNLV run defense, Jeanty toted the rock 32 times for 209 yards and one touchdown. Bronco QB Maddux Madsen took care of the ball and accounted for the other two touchdowns. Boise State’s defense also showed out by only allowing 7 points. The Bronco front seven wreaked havoc on the Runnin’ Rebs to the tune of 6 sacks and 11 TFLs. Great win for Boise who was able to secure the #3 overall seed and a first-round bye. Regardless of your feelings about the new 12-team CFP format, it is pretty dang cool that a program like Boise, which has been a mainstay and dominant program at their level for 20 years, finally gets a chance. We’ll see if they can capitalize.
Bossman: I expected the Sun Devils to win here, but I did not expect the beatdown we saw in Arlington. Kenny Dillingham has this team playing at an extremely high level and it’s fun to see where he has this ASU program in just his second season at the helm. The Sun Devils put it to Iowa State, putting this one out of reach, 31-10, early in the second half. From there, the route was on. Sam Leavitt played nearly flawlessly at QB, posting a 99.1 QBR while RB Cam Skattebo introduced himself to America with a 170-yard two-TD game on the ground, including a 53-yard yard run where he broke 100 tackles. The Sun Devils dominated, but Iowa State shot themselves in the foot repeatedly, turning the ball over three times and missing a field goal. ASU capitalized on each Cyclones turnover, turning the miscues into 21 points. Hard to win when you give an offense like Arizona State’s three gifts. Great win for ASU, who shouldn’t be underestimated heading into the CFP.
Hammer: Man, what a game for Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Picked dead last by the media to start the season, and ASU is now in the CFP with a bye week as the #4 seed. A spectacular year in Tempe. In this game, Cam Skattebo was just too much for Iowa State to handle. Skattebo finished with 170 yards and two TDs on 16 carries while adding 38 yards receiving and another TD through the air. Sun Devil QB Sam Leavitt was surgical, throwing for 219 yards and three TDs on 12/17 attempts. ASU began to pull away in the second quarter and took a 24-10 lead into the half before blowing it open in the third quarter, outscoring Iowa State 21-0 in that quarter. Iowa State tried to hang in there but was simply overmatched. Hard to say enough about how special this season was for Arizona State, and now they are Big 12 champions in their first season in the league.
Bossman: This one was close as I expected, even though Oregon was in control most of the game, though never fully comfortable. The Ducks would go up by two scores, then Penn State would answer, keeping within striking distance. The Nittany Lions even had a shot to tie the game on their final drive, but Drew Allar threw a pick that sealed the game for Oregon. It was his second pick of the game, and both were critical errors. His first one came early in the second quarter, and the Ducks returned to the PSU one-yard line and punched it in for seven one play later. Ouch. Just another big game where Penn State comes up just short, in a game where they beat Oregon in multiple statistical categories. On the other side, Oregon just keeps winning and makes the plays they need to win. Dillon Gabriel lit up the stat sheet, completing nearly 70% of his passes for 283 yards and four TDs. The Ducks added 186 yards on the ground, including 87 yards and two TDs from Jordan James. Oregon will be a favorite to win the title after running the table in the regular season.
Hammer: I got my prediction correct, in that Oregon would win and cover. That was too easy. Betting against Penn State and James Franklin against an elite team is foolproof. However, I didn’t see the game playing out the way it did. I thought Penn State’s defense would put up more of a fight, and I also did not expect Penn State’s offense to be able to move the ball that effectively. Dillon Gabriel played calm, cool, and collected for Oregon, tossing for four touchdowns and 283 yards. The Ducks also ran the ball effectively, totaling 186 yards on 41 carries as a team. On the other side, Penn State ran the ball all over Oregon. Kaytron Allen had 124 yards and a TD on 14 carries, Nicholas Singleton had 105 yards on 10 carries, and Drew Allar had 54 yards and a TD on five carries. Very impressive performance from the Nittany Lions offense. Ultimately, Oregon did not turn the ball over and Penn State threw two interceptions that cost them dearly. The Ducks go wire to wire as the only undefeated team in college football and win the Big Ten title their first year in the conference. Dan Lanning is rolling.
Bossman: What a barn burner of a game this was. Oh and not to toot my own horn here (but I will), I NAILED this score right on the DOT. That’s how it’s done, baby. It looked like this one was over at halftime as the Tigers were rolling in the first half, taking a 24-7 lead into halftime. Then SMU woke up. The Mustangs reeled off 24 points to tie the game at 31 with 16 seconds left in the game. Unfortunately for Rhett Lashlee and Co., the Ponies made a critical error on special teams, letting Clemson KR Adam Randall return the ensuing kick 41-yards, which set up a Cade Klubnik pass to Antonio Williams for 17 yards to the SMU 38-yard line…and then it was time for Nolan Hauser. He hit a 56-yard bomb of a kick as time expired to finish off SMU. Impressive win for the Tigers who showed grit to get the job done when the Mustangs had them on their heels for the entire second half. Cade Klubnik got back on track with 262 yards and four TDs, and importantly, didn’t have a turnover. Onward to the playoff for both of these teams.
Hammer: The tale of two halves. Dabo Swinney and Clemson came out firing just like I thought they would, looking like the kings of the ACC that they have been for the last decade. Cade Klubnik and the Tigers were rocking early, jumping out to a 24-7 lead over SMU thanks to two Mustang turnovers. Then in the second half, SMU came roaring back as Kevin Jennings came alive. The Mustangs outscored Clemson 24-10 in the second half and even ended up out-gaining the Tigers 458 to 326 on the night. But, Dabo and Clemson found a way. After SMU scored the game-tying touchdown with just 16 seconds left, Clemson returned the kickoff 41 yards to the Clemson 45-yard line. There was hope. Then Cade Klubnik completed a 17-yard pass to Antonio Williams and called timeout with three seconds remaining. Clemson kicker Nolan Hauser then calmly stepped up and drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired to give Clemson the win and another ACC title.
Bossman: Dang it, Georgia just got the job done and found a way. Lose your starting QB? Slide in Gunner Stockton. Get outgained by over 100 yards? Defense forces three turnovers. This was a great win for Georgia and a head-scratching loss for Texas. The Horns passed for 358 yards, picking apart the Dawgs defense since their run game couldn’t get anything going (31 rushing yards). That’s when those aforementioned turnovers came into play, along with two missed field goals. The key stat here is that Texas attempted six field goals, going 4/6 - It’s going to be tough to score against Georgia’s defense, but being unable to get in the end zone all but once isn’t a winning recipe. The Horns offense continues to sputter along, misfiring at this critical point in the season. Big win for Georgia as they add another SEC title to the trophy case.
Hammer: Georgia might have an Alabama problem, but they sure don’t have a Texas problem. They dominated the Longhorns earlier this year in Austin and found a way to win again in the SEC title, despite the odds being stacked against them. Texas looked like the better team, especially early in this game. But they could not finish drives and had to settle for field goals early. Texas also missed two field goals. The chances were there for Texas to take this game, but they never could. Leading just 6-3 at halftime, and facing Georgia’s backup QB Gunner Stockton, the Longhorns couldn’t get the job done. The main reason Georgia pulled this win out was their physicality. For the second time this season, the Dawgs defensive front bullied Texas, holding them to 31 yards rushing on 28 carries. In addition to the low rushing numbers, Georgia was in the backfield all game long, finishing with 15 TFLs and six sacks. Bully ball.
