10 college football takeaways: TCU strengthens its Playoff case while Oregon falls flat

Several College Football Playoff favorites flexed their muscles while some contenders fell short. Here are 10 takeaways from this week’s college football action:

1. Ohio State and Michigan remain on a collision course. C.J. Stroud tossed five touchdowns to give Ohio State an easy win over Indiana. At the same time, Blake Corum rushed for at least 100 yards in his seventh straight game as Michigan downed Nebraska, keeping both Big Ten powers undefeated. If both teams stay the course, their regular season finale could decide not only who wins the Big Ten East and a spot in the title game but could give the winner an edge in the College Football Playoff hunt.

2. TCU strengthens its case for playoff consideration. Kendre Miller and Max Duggan combined to score a pair of touchdowns to propel TCU to a 17-10 win over Texas to keep the Horned Frogs undefeated and clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship. It was another challenging game for Sonny Dykes’ team, but TCU overcame a slow start to find a way to win on the road and move one step closer to a possible spot in the Playoff semifinals.

3. Oregon’s playoff chances slipped through its fingers. Oregon did almost everything it could to pull away with their ninth straight win. Still, it wasn’t enough as Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. tossed two touchdowns and the Huskies’ defense held the Ducks in the end, handing them their second loss of the season and ending their hopes for a playoff spot. With UCLA’s loss to Arizona, USC remains the Pac-12′s best chance of getting a team into the semifinals.

4. Alabama is not ready to pack it in. Once again, it came down to the final drive as Alabama survived a late effort by Ole Miss to pull out a road win against a top-15 team. The Crimson Tide bounced back from their devastating overtime loss to LSU last week thanks to quarterback Bryce Young, who rallied his team from an early double-digit deficit. The win keeps Alabama’s hopes alive for a possible spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game.

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5. LSU claims the SEC West title with some help. What an inaugural season for LSU coach Brian Kelly, who guided the Tigers to their first SEC West divisional crown with a win over Arkansas and an Alabama win over Ole Miss. Freshman linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. helped LSU avoid a letdown with 4 sacks and two forced fumbles that sealed the win over the Razorbacks and set the table for the Crimson Tide to help give LSU its first divisional title since 2019.

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6. Kentucky’s recent struggles amp up pressure on Mark Stoops. After a hot start helped propel them to a No. 7 ranking, it looked good for Kentucky and coach Mark Stoops. But losses in four of the Wildcat’s last six games, including a stunning 24-21 loss to a Vanderbilt program that hasn’t beaten an SEC team since 2019, have some critics questioning whether there need to be changes made on the coaching staff.

7. It was a tale of two halves for Notre Dame. A week after its 35-14 rout of then-No. 4 Clemson, Notre Dame appeared to pick up right where it left off, jumping to an impressive 35-13 halftime lead over Navy Saturday. The second half, however, was nearly a disaster for the Fighting Irish, who managed just 12 yards of total yards of offense and almost lost the game after allowing 19 straight second-half points to the Midshipmen. With a spot in the New Year’s Six still on the table, Notre Dame needs all the help it can get.

8. The Big Ten West is a jumble. Two weeks ago, Illinois held a commanding two-game advantage in the Big Ten West and appeared to be on its way to a divisional crown and a shot at its first conference championship since 2001. But back-to-back losses by the Illini to Michigan State and Purdue have opened the door for four teams (Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota and Wisconsin) to make their cases to claim the top spot and a trip to Indianapolis.

9. UCF controls its path to AAC Championship. Two weeks after its fourth-quarter win over Cincinnati, UCF marched into New Orleans and knocked off Tulane, giving the Knights control in the race for the American Athletic Conference Championship and a possible spot in the New Year’s Six Access bowl. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee returned to the lineup and combined for 308 yards of offense and 3 touchdowns as UCF needs wins against Navy and USF to lock in a spot in the title game.

10. Jim Mora Jr. has done a masterful job coaching at UConn. When UConn chose to be independent in football in 2019, many thought there would be little chance of success for the Huskies. Yet Jim Mora Jr. has changed that in his first season as coach by leading the team to a 6-win season and bowl eligibility for the first time since 2015. UConn has now won five of its last six games and a win over Army this week could give them the most wins in a season since 2010.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.