College football winners, losers in Week 14: Oregon shores up CFP berth, bubble teams running out of time

Room on the College Football Playoff bubble shrunk to a premium on Saturday as well-positioned CFP hopefuls like No. 6 Oregon and No. 8 Oklahoma handled business in tense games that threatened to disrupt the national hierarchy. The day’s results left teams like No. 12 Miami and No. 14 Vanderbilt gasping for life, despite convincing road wins over ranked opponents.

The Ducks withstood a late push from rival Washington to win 26-14 and shore up their spot in the 12-team playoff by finishing the regular season 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten). The Huskies (8-4, 5-4) drew within 19-14 on a 13-yard touchdown connection between Demond Williams Jr. and Denzel Boston with 8:54 remaining.

But it took Oregon just three plays to strike back with a definitive blow in the form of a 64-yard catch-and-run from Dante Moore to Malik Benson. At the same time, the Sooners were busy outlasting LSU 17-13 in an ugly game that required OU’s offense to wake up late. 

Trailing 10-3 late in the third quarter, Deion Burks housed an underneath route from John Mateer to tie it. After a go-ahead LSU field goal in the fourth quarter, the Sooners surged ahead for good with a 58-yard connection between Mateer and a wide open Isaiah Sategna.

Those outcomes took some wind from the sails of the Hurricanes and Commodores, both of which needed big wins and some help in order to feel better about their chances of at-large inclusion.

Here is the full rundown of the day’s winners and losers.

Winner: Ohio State ends its Michigan misery

Ohio State earned its first victory over arch rival Michigan since before the COVID-19 pandemic, as the No. 1 Buckeyes stifled the No. 15 Wolverines in a 27-9 drubbing to cap a perfect regular season. Perhaps even more satisfying for the Buckeyes is that the win ended Michigan’s hopes of crashing the CFP party. 

The Wolverines threw the first couple of punches with a pair of early field goals. But the nation’s No. 1 total defense and No. 1 scoring defense quickly began showing its teeth. Ohio State held Michigan to just 163 total yards, which was 125 below its previous season low. The Buckeyes’ offense did its part, too. A soul-sucking 12-minute drive spanning the end of the third quarter and nearly half of the fourth only resulted in a field goal for Ohio State. But it effectively ended any hope Michigan had of extending its winning streak in the series to five.

Winner: Isaiah Horton has a career day

Alabama brought in former Miami receiver Isaiah Horton from the portal to serve as a secondary threat behind Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams. But in a thrilling 27-20 Iron Bowl win at Auburn, the redshirt junior became the unit’s lead playmaker. His three touchdown receptions marked a career high and helped stabilize a struggling Crimson Tide passing attack. The lasting image from the game will be his go-ahead score with 3:50 remaining, but his toe-tapping grab in the back of the end zone during the first quarter was even better.

Loser: LSU squanders a spoiler opportunity

LSU could have ruined Oklahoma’s season and delighted all the teams below the Sooners in the CFP hierarchy. The Tigers could have provided their fans with a joyful distraction from the stressful monotony of Lane Kiffin watch. They could have ended a frustrating regular season in scintillating fashion.

Instead, LSU squandered a teed up opportunity to shake up the national landscape by giving away a 17-13 win to the No. 8 Sooners. A distressing day of missed opportunities began just over three minutes in when quarterback Michael Van Buren passed up a clear opportunity to run for a touchdown on first-and-goal. Instead, he threw across his body into traffic and was intercepted. It was emblematic of the offensive ineptitude which plagued the Tigers all day. Their defense held OU’s equally listless offense in check for most of the day until finally breaking late with a pair of dreadfully defended touchdown passes from OU’s John Mateer. 

Loser: Chaos engulfs ACC

The most hilarious ridiculous potential outcome from the bevy of ACC tiebreaker scenarios came to fruition, as Saturday’s results paved the way for 7-5 Duke to reach next week’s ACC Championship Game. The Blue Devils handled their business with a 49-32 win over Wake Forest and then benefitted from Cal’s 38-35 win over No. 21 SMU. The Blue Devils finished 1-3 in non conference play with a blowout loss to Illinois and losses to non-Power Four foes Tulane and UConn. But with a 6-2 league record and tiebreakers on its side, Duke is heading to Charlotte with its chances of a CFP appearance still alive.

Winner: Miami keeps cruising

No. 12 Miami closed the regular season with a fourth straight blowout win over ACC competition by thrashing No. 22 Pitt 38-7 on the road. The Hurricanes fell behind 7-3 early but dominated from there to finish at 10-2 (6-2 ACC) for a second consecutive season. The ‘Canes won’t be in the ACC title game after losing to both Louisville and SMU earlier in the season, but they are unequivocally looking like the league’s best team as December arrives. 

A season that began with receivers Malachi Toney and CJ Daniels balling out in a win over Notre Dame ended with the duo shining once again. Toney tallied 13 grabs for 126 yards and a touchdown while Daniels put the finishing touches on Saturday’s big win with this ridiculous grab in the final minute. But unless there’s an unlikely shakeup in the rankings, it likely won’t be enough to get Miami in the at-large picture.

Loser: Tennessee hosts Vanderbilt’s grand celebration

Neyland Stadium turned into a staging grounds for No. 14 Vanderbilt to celebrate its first-ever 10-win season, as the Commodores thrashed No. 19 Tennessee 45-24. Star quarterback Diego Pavia may have booked his trip to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony as he recovered from two first-half interceptions to surgically dissect a listless Volunteers defense with 383 total yards. 

Despite their standing as a 10-2 SEC team, the Commodores face tough odds to reach the College Football Playoff. But even if they are deprived of a chance to play for the national championship, the Commodores will always relish the state championship they secured Saturday. The first-ever ranked meeting between the in-state rivals marked Vanderbilt’s first win in the series since 2018 and capped the program’s most successful regular season in a century. Tennessee fans have made a habit over the decades of turning Nashville orange during their November meeting. But by game’s end in 2025, the ‘Dores had turned an emptying Neyland Stadium black and gold.

Winner: Ricardo Jones caps a big year

Clemson safety Ricardo Jones capped a big regular season with two massive interceptions in Clemson’s 28-14 win over rival South Carolina. The sophomore star’s first pick came in the end zone late in the third quarter just as the Gamecocks were driving for a potential go-ahead touchdown. His second was a game-clinching pick-6 off a ricochet. The pair of picks brought Jones’ season tally to an ACC-best six and highlighted a stingy second-half performance by the Tigers’ defense. South Carolina reached Clemson territory four times in the second half but never scored.

Loser: Colorado reaches a crossroads

Those waiting for Deion Sanders to throw in the towel on his Colorado tenure following a 3-9 season may want to watch his postgame press conference from Saturday’s season-ending 24-14 loss at Kansas State. Sanders didn’t sound like a coach ready to hang it up after an adversity-filled season.

“This fan base, this school, (athletic director) Rick (George), everybody deserves much better than this,” Sanders said. “They expected much better than this. I expected much better than this. We’re going to give them much better than this, starting tomorrow.”

Sanders said he’s “already evaluated” the program and is planning changes.

“I see everything being different, even me,” Sanders said.

Winner: Big 12’s best handle business

No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU are heading into next week’s Big 12 Championship Game on strong footing after avoiding potential pitfalls. The Cougars fell behind visiting UCF 14-0 before rallying for a convincing 41-21 win behind a pristine performance from Bear Bachmeier. The freshman QB completed 13 passes in a row over the second and third quarters as BYU seized control.

There was no drama whatsoever for the No. 5 Red Raiders, who dominated West Virginia from start to finish in a 49-0 win. While No. 13 Utah faces long shot odds of reaching the CFP as an at-large team, the Utes rounded out a strong final weekend for the Big 12’s best teams by beating Kansas 31-21 on Friday. All in all, it was a strong weekend for the contending class of a conference that passed the ACC in the Power Four hierarchy this season.

Loser: Kentucky looks stuck with Stoops

If Kentucky had beaten Louisville and recovered from a 2-5 start with victories in four of its past five games, then perhaps retaining veteran coach Mark Stoops would have been more palatable for a growing faction of UK fans seeking change. But after a 41-0 shellacking at the hands of the rival Cardinals, Kentucky is in a brutal situation. The Wildcats (5-7) were outscored 86-17 over their final two games and will miss a bowl for the second straight season. 

Fire Stoops, right? Well, it’s not that simple. The 13th-year coach would be owed his full $38 million buyout within 60 days, meaning Kentucky would have to pay one of the biggest buyout figures in college football history with no hopes of an offset from his potential future job. And if you’re waiting for Stoops to walk away on his own accord or to negotiate his buyout down to a more manageable figure, you might be waiting a while.

“Zero means zero,” Stoops said. “Zero percent chance I will. I’m going to be here as far as I’m concerned. Now, I can’t control what decisions that are made. But if you’re asking me, I said zero. Zero means zero.”

Loser: Florida State denied bowl eligibility

Selling a controversial decision to retain coach Mike Norvell would have been easier for Florida State if it had capped the regular season with a win at rival Florida to secure bowl eligibility. Instead, the Seminoles were left to lick their many wounds following a listless 40-21 loss to the Gators. The outcome dropped FSU to 5-7, ensuring it will miss a bowl for the fourth time in six seasons under Norvell. Outside of the 2022 and 2023 seasons when Florida State went a sterling 23-4, Norvell is 15-30. The highs of 2023 were spectacularly high, but they are beginning to pale in comparison to the many lows a once-proud program has experienced under Norvell’s direction. 

Winner: Terry Smith rests his case 

Penn State completed a late-season rally to reach bowl eligibility under interim coach Terry Smith by outlasting Rutgers 40-36. Exactly how the Nittany Lions’ coaching search will finish remains a mystery, but Smith made a compelling case to win the full-time job. The 56-year old former Penn State receiver and longtime cornerbacks coach kept the Nittany Lions engaged after a 3-6 start that included five gut-wrenching losses by six points or less. Saturday’s win over the Scarlet Knights was no defensive clinic, but it showcased the resolve Penn State found under Smith.

Loser: Jeremiah McClellan’s catch wiped off

Oregon receiver Jeremiah McClellan nearly made a sensational catch on the first play of the fourth quarter in the No. 6 Ducks’ 26-14 win over Washington. McClellan cradled the football against his helmet as he went to the turf. It was ruled an incompletion on the field, and the call was upheld upon review. It wound up as a consequential ruling, as the Ducks were forced to punt. Washington scored on its subsequent drive to pull within 19-14 and inject some drama into the rivalry showdown. You be the judge: catch or no catch?

Winner: Miami (Ohio) secures its spot

Miami (Ohio) is headed to the MAC Championship Game for a third straight season after beating Ball State 45-24 to reach 7-5 (6-2 MAC). Thomas Gotkowski threw three touchdowns for the Redhawks, who own a tiebreaker over fellow 6-2 teams Ohio and Toledo. They will face Western Michigan, which secured the league’s regular season title on Tuesday night with a 31-21 win over Eastern Michigan. The Broncos (8-4, 7-1) will be making their first conference title game appearance since 2016. But hoisting the trophy will require getting revenge on a Miami team that won the regular season meeting 26-17.

Winner: Jacksonville State walks it off

Jacksonville State secured its spot in the Conference USA Championship Game by rallying from a 14-point deficit to beat Western Kentucky 37-34 on a 28-yard field goal from Garrison Rippa as time expired. WKU would have gone to the title game with a win, and the Hilltoppers seized control with three straight touchdown drives to begin the game. But the Gamecocks responded with a relentless rushing attack as quarterback Caden Creel and running back Cam Cook each surpassed 135 yards on the ground.

Jax State will host Kennesaw State in the title game. It will be a matchup between first-year coaches Charles Kelly (Jacksonville State) and Jerry Mack (Kennesaw State).