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    • Michigan surpasses USC to rejoin College Football Playoff race
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    Michigan surpasses USC to rejoin College Football Playoff race

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    Every Saturday, veteran national college football journalist Matt Hayes breaks down four trending stories and a 12-team College Football Playoff schedule.

    First Down: Michigan: Welcome Back, Bully Ball

    Those bruising, pounding runs of Kalel Mullings. Stomping and thundering and reverberating.

    All the way to Columbus, Ohio.

    Michigan found itself again Saturday, a punishing 27-24 rock-slam of a welcome Big Ten defeat to No. 12 Southern California. But look deeper, everyone.

    It wasn’t so much a surprise victory for the suddenly faltering reigning national champions as a renewed commitment to a strong running game — and a message to the Buckeyes.

    Because while Michigan struggled through the first month of the season with tough games against Texas and USC, Ohio State has won three guaranteed games and barely showed a drop of sweat.

    But just in case Ohio State – and anyone else in the Big Ten – thought Michigan had lost its way after dominating the conference the last three seasons, the winning drive against USC put an end to that narrative.

    Eight carries by Mullings on the 10-play winning touchdown drive — 4 yards, 63, 1, 8, 2, 3, 2, 1 — capped an 89-yard drive that saw Michigan line up with four minutes left and play bully ball. As it did all game.

    The drive ended, on fourth-and-goal from the 1, with Mullings slamming down the left sideline for the winning points with 29 seconds left. How dominant was the drive?

    Mullings’ 63-yard run, in which he carried USC cornerback John Humphrey for eight of the yards, was the highlight. But here’s the underlying reality for USC (and, hello, Ohio State): Trojans coach Lincoln Riley started calling timeouts after the 63-yard run because he knew his defense couldn’t stop the run ― and he was desperate to save time.

    Michigan had 290 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 46 carries and, more importantly, left no doubt about what the rest of the season will look like.

    Tennessee: Big Orange D shuts down Oklahoma

    In the fourth quarter they lost their focus and winning a big away game in the SEC does not compare to the chaos that unfolded on the field.

    But Tennessee, like everyone else, has an elite defense.

    Oklahoma could have gone eight quarters and not scored enough points to beat a complete Tennessee team. It’s not just about Volunteers coach Josh Heupel’s Blur Ball offense anymore.

    The defense is starting to look more and more like those elite SEC defenses of the College Football Playoff era. A 25-15 win at Oklahoma included two forced fumbles, an interception, a safety and 11 tackles for loss.

    What a typical Georgia of Tennessee.

    And that’s the point of Saturday night’s practice in Norman, Okla. Tennessee was defensive-optional for much of Heupel’s first three seasons in Knoxville.

    This Tennessee team looks a lot like the Oklahoma team he quarterbacked to a national title in 2000. The ability to score big with the backbone of a strong defense.

    How good was Tennessee’s defense? The offense lost fumbles at the 20 and 35, and the game wasn’t exactly exciting.

    Oklahoma rushed for 36 yards on 34 carries, and never really made meaningful throws ― especially not when it mattered. Starting quarterback Jackson Arnold played so poorly, he was benched late in the first half for true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.

    Tennessee has a defensive line that rivals the elite units of the late 90s under coach Phil Fulmer. They are athletic and active, and they dictate what the offense can do.

    At the end of the game, Heupel did what he has always done at Oklahoma: 10 wins in 10 games as a player, and now one win in one game as head coach.

    Third Down: Utah’s Explanation

    A major game was taking place in the Big 12 and Utah officially introduced its new league, which the old league had been dealing with for years.

    A strong, talented team that does everything it can to win a match.

    Like playing nearly flawlessly on the road in a tough environment with a backup quarterback covering for an injured star. Or the tight end running the Wildcat and scoring a touchdown on short range.

    Or the defense – Utah’s signature defense – that smothered Oklahoma State in a key conference game that will have a lasting impact on the College Football Playoff race.

    Want defense? Utah built a 22-3 lead with six minutes left, and Oklahoma State had 158 total yards. Then the Utes eased off the pressure to avoid giving up a big play, and they came out of Stillwater with a deceptive 22-19 victory.

    “It was a lot more dramatic than it needed to be,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game.

    But consider this: Utah has already beaten one of the two teams with the right roster to beat the Utes, and will not play the other team (Kansas State) unless they play in the Big 12 championship game.

    Utah — which should get star quarterback Cam Rising back next week against Arizona — will be the favorite in all of its remaining games. The toughest tests remaining appear to be a home game against Iowa State (Nov. 23) and an away game against Central Florida (Nov. 29).

    More: Is Isaac Wilson Related to Zach Wilson? Utah True Freshman QB to Start Against Oklahoma State

    Fourth Down: The Rise of… Vanderbilt?

    Diego Pavia deserves better. Better than a hooked chip shot field goal in an overtime loss to Missouri.

    Better than the Vanderbilt defense that gave up a 75-yard game-winning touchdown drive in 55 seconds in last week’s loss to Georgia State with just one minute to play.

    Vanderbilt – yeah, Vanderbilt – should be 4-0, and we should all be celebrating the most impactful transfer quarterback of 2024 instead of mourning the same old Vandy.

    More impactful than Dillon Gabriel or Will Howard or Riley Leonard ― all of whom landed on ready-made championship teams, Pavia has elevated one of the worst Power Four conference teams to the land of respectability.

    If the 31-yard field goal against Missouri hadn’t been missed, Vanderbilt could have pulled off one more big upset in the first month of the season (Virginia Tech), thanks to the quarterback who last went viral for urinating on a rival’s practice field.

    Pavia led New Mexico State to 10 wins in 2023, including a 21-point victory at Auburn. He arrived at Vandy with former coach Jerry Kill joining Clark Lea’s staff, and has immediately changed the way the Commodores think about offense.

    Through four games, Pavia has accounted for 75.2 percent of Vanderbilt’s production, throwing for 543 yards and four touchdowns, and rushing for 279 yards and two more touchdowns. The Commodores will have an open week before they get another upset chance.

    Against mighty Alabama on October 5.

    The College Football Playoff Schedule

    Four power conference champions ranked 1-4 with a first-round bye, the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion and seven at-large selections.

    (1) Texel

    (2) State of Ohio

    (3) Miami

    (4) Utah

    (12) Boise State at (5) Georgia

    (11) Kansas State at (6) Alabama

    (10) Missouri at (7) Tennessee

    (9) Oregon at (8) Ole Miss

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