One for the Ages

Michigan fans were grinning ear to ear as the Wolverines were winding down the clock to cap off an impressive win over state rival Michigan State. After controlling the lead for the entire game, the Wolverines just needed to execute one final punt with ten seconds left to ice the victory. Fans were preparing to leave after watching their home team win a hard-fought battle against an undefeated opponent. What followed on the final play will burn as a scar in the hearts of Michigan fans for an eternity. If you were wondering how Showdown Saturday played out in college football, Week 7 certainly exceeded the hype.

On the final play of regulation, the Michigan punter dropped and regained the ball, attempted to kick it in a flurry of Spartan players, and essentially handed the ball and the victory to Michigan State. The Spartans recovered the botched punt and successfully returned it to the endzone for a game-winning, heartbreaking, and utterly shocking finale that left over 100,000 fans speechless. Michigan, who looked so good for 59 minutes and 50 seconds, forfeited the game 27-23 in one of the most bizarre and miraculous plays in recent history.

             
                                  This image is compliments of ESPN.

What does this means for the college football landscape? After the dust settled, Michigan fans soon realized that their surging team would most likely be eliminated from the playoff, as indeed they probably are. With two losses, the Wolverines need to play flawlessly the rest of the year, and it still won't be enough if the teams in front of them don't lose. On the other hand, Michigan State is in prime position to make a playoff run; this sets the stage for a glorious battle between the Spartans and Ohio State late in the season.

Speaking of the Buckeyes, Ohio State finally looked like the No. 1 team in the country Saturday night; it only makes sense that they would get their act together just in time to play Penn State. The Buckeyes struggled early with Cardale Jones at quarterback, but after making a switch to backup J.T. Barrett, they looked unstoppable. Penn State pulled close at several points in the game thanks to the tremendous efforts of freshman running back Saquon Barkley, but it simply wasn't enough. J.T. Barrett brought the read-option dynamic to his offense, and the Nittany Lions couldn't handle the running quarterback.

             
                             This picture is provided by Paul Vernon.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Iowa remained perfect with a monstrous 40-10 victory over Northwestern. The Hawkeyes have an easy schedule before them; keep an eye on them for a sneaky playoff run!

Turning to the SEC, No. 10 Alabama earned another convincing win over No. 9 Texas A&M. The Tide ran the ball all over the Aggies, and their defense scored three times off three interceptions! No. 6 LSU used a trick play to defeat No. 8 Florida 35-28 in a very close matchup. Alabama and LSU seem to be the two strongest teams in the conference at this point.

Next week should be far less hectic in the world of football, but watch out for a couple keys games. Although I'm predicting a win for the Utes, No. 3 Utah may struggle on the road against a feisty USC squad. Also, be sure to check out Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss; I'm predicting A&M bounces back with a victory.

            
                                This image is courtesy of Dahlelama.

Watch Penn State recover from its loss with a win over Maryland on Saturday! It should be a fun game!