2021 College Football Insider | Week 14

2021 · Week 14 COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 14

Quote of the week “That’s about as good as it gets for college football.”

- Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy’s opening statement after defeating rival Oklahoma

TEAM TO WATCH:

Notre Dame

In its final regular season matchup, Notre Dame dominated Stanford, 45-14, to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Notre Dame QB Jack Coan threw two touchdowns and ran for another, finishing the day at 26-of-35 for 345 yards. TE Michael Mayer helped lead the offensive effort with nine catches for 105 yards, earning him the program record for most single-season receptions by a tight end with 64. On defense, the Fighting Irish kept Stanford scoreless through halftime before allowing their first touchdown in three games. A touchdown hadn’t been scored on Notre Dame since it faced North Carolina on Oct. 30.

Notre Dame is 11-1 with its only loss coming from No. 4 Cincinnati. The Irish have won seven straight games while outscoring their last four opponents, 162-23, and currently sit at No. 6 in the CFP rankings. Will all this be enough for the Fighting Irish to receive a Semifinals call? Will the Luck of the Irish be coming to Arizona? We will know during ESPN’s College Football Playoff Selection Show on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 10:00 a.m. (AZ Time).

TEAM OF THE WEEK:

Michigan

For the first time since 2011, No. 2 Michigan defeated rival and then-No. 2 Ohio State, 42-27, to earn a share of the Big Ten East Division title and claim a spot in the Big Ten Championship game.

Senior RB Hassan Haskins led the Wolverines offense with 169 rushing yards and five touchdowns, tying the school single-game record. Michigan posted 297 rushing yards and six touchdowns, only throwing the ball three times in the second half as its rush game dominated the Buckeyes’ defense.

The Wolverines’ defense held their rival to just 94 rushing yards, the Buckeyes lowest of the season. Senior DE Aidan Hutchinson recorded seven tackles and three sacks, setting the program’s single-season record for sacks at 13 and improving his Heisman Trophy candidacy.

Michigan will now face No. 13 Iowa in our Caesars Sportsbook Game of the Week.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 14

games of the week #10 OREGON VS #17 UTAH 12.3 | 6:00 PM | ABC

#9 BAYLOR VS #5 OKLAHOMA STATE 12.4 | 10:00 AM | ABC

#1 GEORGIA VS #3 ALABAMA 12.4 | 2:00 PM | CBS

#21 HOUSTON AT #4 CINCINNATI 12.4 | 2:00 PM | ABC

#15 PITTSBURGH VS #16 WAKE FOREST 12.4 | 6:00 PM | ABC For a full schedule of Week 14 games, click here. (All times in AZ time)

CFP Week 14 Rankings 1. GEORGIA

6. NOTRE DAME

2. MICHIGAN

7. OHIO STATE

3. ALABAMA

8. OLE MISS

4. CINCINNATI

9. BAYLOR

5. OKLAHOMA STATE

10. OREGON

For full rankings, click here.

game of the week #2 MICHIGAN VS #13 IOWA For the first time ever, No. 2 Michigan will appear in the Big Ten Championship, to face No. 13 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are making their second Big Ten Championship appearance and first since 2015. Michigan is favored to win by 10.5 points with the over/under opening at 43.5.

Iowa has won five of its last seven matchups against the Wolverines, most notably taking down then-No. 2 Michigan in 2016. Their last matchup in 2019, however, went to Michigan, which boasts a 42-15-4 record in the series history.

Michigan’s rush game is one of its greatest strengths, ranking ninth in the country with 224.9 yards per game. Michigan’s defense is also 14th in the country facing off against Iowa’s 13th-ranked unit.

The Hawkeyes’ defense only allows 105.8 rushing yards per game and will be a tough test for the Wolverines. After this clash of elite defenses, one team will be crowned the Big Ten Champion.

Michigan and Iowa will face off in the Big Ten Championship on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 6:00 p.m. (AZ Time) on FOX.

2021-22 Bowl PREDICTIONS: PLAYSTATION ® FIESTA BOWL

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL

ESPN Bonagura – Notre Dame vs. Baylor

ESPN Schlabach – Texas Tech vs. Maryland

Bowl Season – Michigan State vs. Baylor

Bowl Season – Texas Tech vs. Minnesota

CBS – Michigan State vs. Notre Dame

CBS – West Virginia vs. Purdue

USA Today – Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh

USA Today – Nevada vs. Louisville

Action Network – Notre Dame vs. Michigan State

Action Network – West Virginia vs. Purdue

The Athletic – Michigan State vs. Notre Dame

The Athletic – West Virginia vs. Maryland

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 14

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:

TAYLOR BURGOON First Year as Volunteer: 2019 Favorite Fiesta Bowl Game: Ohio State v. Clemson, 2019

Favorite Fiesta Bowl Moment: Clemson’s win against Ohio State right at the very end of the game.

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT:

Breece Hall

Iowa State RB Breece Hall had a historic game in the Cyclones’ 48-14 win over TCU, posting career highs in rushing yards (242), total touchdowns (4) and rushing TDs (3). His 80-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career and sixth-longest in school history. Hall also recorded a career-high 281 yards from scrimmage. His most notable accomplishment, however, was breaking the NCAA FBS record for most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown, extending to 24 games.

Favorite Fiesta Bowl Job: Working as a foursome captain at the annual PNC Fiesta Bowl Par 3 Challenge presented

by Chapman Automotive.

Interesting fact: My cousin is Drew Henson, who played for the Detroit Lions and the New York Yankees.

Why I Serve the Fiesta Bowl: I serve the Fiesta Bowl so I can give back to the community while getting to meet great people and have fun doing it.

One of those games was the 2020 PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl, during which Iowa State defeated Oregon 34-17.

In the 50th Annual Fiesta Bowl game, Hall had 34 carries, one short of the Bowl record, for 136 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Iowa State is now heading into Bowl Season, where Hall will look to continue his touchdown streak. Hall finished the regular season with 1,472 rushing yards (5th in FBS), 20 touchdowns (T-1st in FBS) and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week recognition (for the sixth time in his career).

Selection Sunday!

It’s finally here! On Sunday, Dec. 5 we will learn which teams are coming to play in the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl! Be sure to follow the Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl on social media to stay in the loop as we will be sharing fun and informative updates throughout the day.

You can also tune into the College Football Playoff Selection Show on ESPN starting at 10:00 a.m. (AZ Time). PlayStation Fiesta Bowl pairings will be announced at 12:30 p.m.

(AZ time). Don’t miss out on one of the most exciting days in college football!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 14

CAESARS SPORTSBOOK

FAN LOUNGE

BIG NEWS The Guaranteed Rate Bowl features Bowl Season’s only Big 12 vs. Big Ten matchup. As we eagerly await the Dec. 28 kickoff, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news from Week 14:

BIG 12 • The Big 12 has three teams in this week’s CFP Poll – No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Baylor, No. 14 Oklahoma • Oklahoma State and Baylor will face off in the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship game on Dec. 4 at 10:00 a.m. (AZ Time) on ABC. This is the Cowboys first appearance in the game and the second appearance for the Bears Experience the excitement of college football Bowl Season in a new, high-energy, engaging and social atmosphere, with the introduction of the Caesars Sportsbook Fan Lounge at the PlayStation® Fiesta and Guaranteed Rate Bowls.

This space is highly-desired, with only a limited capacity of 800 tickets available for the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl and 500 for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, so act now to join in the action.

For the first time, a combination of beer garden, football game and socializing meet in the Caesars Sportsbook Fan Lounge. This social-style concept provides hours-long entertainment with food, drink, mingling and cheering on the college football action on the field.

CLICK HERE TO LOUNGE LIKE AN EMPEROR

• A trio of Oklahoma State players received the final Big 12 weekly football awards after the team’s 37-33 win over Oklahoma - Malcolm Rodriguez (defensive) for his 11 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks, Brennan Presley (special teams) for his 100-yard kickoff return, and Collin Oliver (newcomer) for his two fourth-quarter sacks that insured the Cowboys victory • Seven Big 12 teams are Bowl Season bound and will continue their season in Bowl games throughout the country: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and West Virginia

BIG TEN • The Big Ten has four teams in the CFP rankings – No. 2 Michigan, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 11 Michigan State, No. 13 Iowa • Michigan State forced a late turnover by Penn State to score a touchdown and recovered an onside kick with less than a minute left to beat the Nittany Lions, 30-27. The win was the Spartans 10th of the season, the first time the team has earned 10 wins since 2017 • Minnesota CB Justin Walley was named Big Ten Newcomer of the Week after grabbing his first career interception. His third quarter interception helped Minnesota take the lead and, eventually, win the game, 23-13, over Wisconsin. A win from then-No. 14 Wisconsin would have landed them in the Big Ten Championship game in place of Iowa • Nine Big Ten teams are Bowl Season bound and will continue into the postseason: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 14

JA NUA RY 1 , 2022

DE CE M B E R 28, 2021

F I E S TA B O W L . O R G /FIESTABOWL

@FIESTA_BOWL

GUARANTEEDRATEBOWL

@RATEBOWL

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 14