Les is back, y’all. Amid rumors all week of his impending departure, Les Miles will remain at LSU. Before, during and after the Tigers’ win against Texas A&M, LSU fans let everybody know exactly how much they love their head coach.
Les Miles survives, Oklahoma clinches, and everything else college football Saturday
Good morning! It’s the Read Option, your Sunday wakeup roundup of college football stuff.
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The scene after the game was just as emotional, with LSU players carrying their coach off the field. And then Miles dabbed on his hot seat.
Oklahoma takes Bedlam and the Big 12. The No. 3 Sooners rolled past No. 11 Oklahoma State 58-23, likely becoming the first team to secure a Playoff spot.
It was brutal. Samaje Perine scored a touchdown thanks to Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook tricking a defensive back into thinking it was a long pass play. QB Baker Mayfield blocked a defender off his feet. There were hits so hard, you could see paint flying off helmets.
Lee Corso picked the Cowboys, and his mascot head nearly fell off when he fired a gun doing it.
Buckeyes smash the Wolverines. No. 8 Ohio State rebounded from the Michigan State loss with a 42-13 blowout of archrival, No. 10 Michigan. The Buckeyes gave Ezekiel Elliott the dang ball this time, and it worked, to the tune of 214 yards and two touchdowns.
The game was a little chippy, and Jim Harbaugh took exception to a questionable roughing the punter penalty that resulted in a Buckeye touchdown. Joey Bosa earned himself a strong position in the Piesman race with a self-tip interception and terrifying stiff-arm.
Ohio State players were locked out of their hotel rooms the night before, but it didn't matter. Ohio State fans, some alone in a sea of Michigan sadness, welcomed Harbaugh back to the rivalry in their own special way.
... but Michigan State secures the Big Ten East. The No. 5 Spartans put together one of their best performances of the season, beating Penn State 55-16 and clinching a spot against No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship. That will be a play-in for the Playoff, but all Mark Dantonio does is win, win, win no matter what.
Despite featuring two good defenses, the game featured highlight plays. Aaron Burbridge smashed the spin button and made Penn State’s defense look foolish. A strong Piesman candidate emerged as well; the Spartans handed the ball off to 296-pound center Jack Allen, who stiff-armed a defender on his way to the end zone.
Frank Beamer makes his 23rd straight bowl. Virginia Tech players carried him off the field after his final regular season game, as the coach shared an emotional moment with defensive coordinator Bud Foster and son Shane Beamer.
Frank also dabbed seven times in a row, putting all other coach dabs to shame.
Hokies reportedly land a big replacement. VT will reportedly hire Memphis head coach Justin Fuente, one of the hottest names on the market. Foster and Shane Beamer are also said to be sticking around. Memphis spent the day beating SMU 63-0 and moving to 9-3.
Coaching carousel moves along elsewhere:
- Tulane fired Curtis Johnson, and might look at Rob Ryan.
- Illinois retained interim coach Bill Cubit, to a two-year deal with only one “mostly guaranteed.”
- Tom Herman told players he “killed the South Carolina thing,” and Houston’s AD feels confident the Cougars can keep him.
- Iowa State will reportedly hire Toledo coach Matt Campbell, which is a pretty big coup.
Stanford beats Notre Dame, with drama. A blown replay gave the No. 6 Irish a free touchdown late in the fourth ... and it actually helped the No. 9 Cardinal. With the 38-36 victory, Stanford moves on to the Pac-12 Championship with a stronger Playoff case. USC dominated No. 22 UCLA, 40-21, and will meet the Cardinal, despite an 8-4 season and an interim head coach.
Clemson did fine. The No. 1 Tigers beat a bad South Carolina 37-32, making Gamecock fans mad in the process. The Tigers move forward to play No. 14 North Carolina in the ACC Championship. The Tar Heels beat NC State, 45-34.
Alabama did, too. The No. 2 Tide outlasted Auburn, 29-13, setting up an SEC Championship date with No. 12 Florida. Derrick Henry ran 44 times for 271 yards, and Lane Kiffin’s son dabbed on the field. Cam Newton was there, too, and an Alabama fan figured out the only way to make him mad.
Will Muschamp got way more maaaaaaad and was called for a penalty that helped Alabama score a field goal. But it’s OK. We’ll always have Will Muschamp, leaf blower.
The Tigers also scored another miracle Iron Bowl touchdown, this one reminiscent of the Hail Mary vs. Georgia two years ago.
Seminoles take down Florida again. No. 13 Florida State triumphed over the Gators 27-2, making Jimbo Fisher still undefeated in the Swamp. The closest thing the Gators got to an offensive highlight was their fans applauding a cop’s sideline catch.
After the game, Florida State’s Twitter account zapped noted Gator fan Marco Rubio.
Ole Miss takes the Egg Bowl. The No. 18 Rebels cruised past the No. 21 Bulldogs in Starkville, 38-27. Hugh Freeze danced.
Individual feats of excellence:
- Southern Miss wide receiver Mike Thomas, who leapt backward to make an incredible, one-handed catch.
- 280-pound BYU defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile, who scooped up a fumble return and juked his way to a touchdown.
- Grambling State quarterback Johnathan Williams, who literally dribbled the ball and still completed the touchdown in the Bayou Classic.
- LSU freshman Derrius Guice, who ran through an impossible number of pass tacklers on this incredible kick return.
- 285-pound USC defensive tackle Rasheem Green, who rumbled for a 31-yard touchdown.
- The Kansas Jayhawk, appropriately expressing its feelings towards an 0-12 season by throwing up in a trash can.
- Florida State freshman defensive back Derwin James, who flung aside a 295-pound lineman like it was nothing.
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