2022 College Football Insider Week 14

Quote of the week

TEAM TO WATCH: MICHIGAN

As seven-point underdogs, Jim Harbaugh’s No. 3 Wolverines traveled to Columbus to take on second-ranked arch-rival Ohio State. With a 45-23 win, Michigan punched its ticket to the Big Ten Championship – and likely to the College Football Playoff.

The two teams traded blows until Michigan pulled away in the fourth quarter, notching three big touchdowns and allowing only three points to the Buckeyes. Ohio State has been known for its fast-moving offense, but Michigan seemed to move quicker in this matchup. Four of Michigan’s six touchdowns were 69 yards or longer, in addition to a 45-yard TD reception and a three-yard QB run.

Quarterback JJ McCarthy had one of his best performances this year, while Donovan Edwards emerged as a star in the absence of starting RB Blake Corum. With just days until Selection Sunday, we could be watching this squad all the way to the CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: TEXAS A&M

The Aggies have had their struggles this season, but they ended on a positive note in recording a surprising 38-23 win over LSU. The Tigers were playoff hopefuls as they prepared to face Georgia in the SEC Championship, but the Aggies stifled those hopes in handing LSU its third loss on the year.

Texas A&M’s key to victory came on the ground, as it outran the Tigers by nearly 90 yards. Additionally, the Aggies converted 10-of-15 on third down compared to LSU’s 4-of-11. Running back Devon Achane led the Aggies offense with a stellar performance despite a two-game absence and being limited in practices that week. Achane ran for a career-best 215 yards and two touchdowns.

The Aggies opened the fourth quarter with a one-handed touchdown reception from Moose Muhammad, boosting the Texas A&M lead to 31-17 – their first time all season scoring more than 28 points against an FBS team.

“We wanted more. We knew this was the biggest game of the season for us. These last two games will change the narrative for program history.”

- South Carolina QB and Pinnacle HS graduate Spencer Rattler on beating in-state rival Clemson, the

second-straight

top 10 win for the Gamecocks.

2022 Bowl PREDICTIONS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

SEMIFINAL AT THE VRBO FIESTA BOWL:

ESPN – Michigan vs. TCU Sports Illustrated – Michigan vs. TCU College Football News – Michigan vs. TCU USA Today – Michigan vs. TCU CBS – Michigan vs. TCU Action Network – Michigan vs. TCU

game of the week

#10 KANSAS STATE AT #3 TCU

The Horned Frogs look to cap off an undefeated season in the Big 12 title game, one of the more competitive conference championships on this weekend’s slate. They’ll get a 9-3 Kansas State team that held a 28-10 lead over TCU in the regular season before the Horned Frogs rallied for a 38-28 victory. Both teams are riding the momentum of dominant wins last week that wrapped up regular season play.

With a win, Sonny Dykes’ squad almost certainly secures a spot in the CFP, while K-State looks to solidify its place in a New Year’s Six bowl game. Kickoff at AT&T Stadium is at 10:00 a.m. MST on Saturday, December 3, on ABC.

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL:

ESPN – Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma Sports Illustrated – Maryland vs. Oklahoma College Football News – Wisconsin vs. Baylor USA Today – Wisconsin vs. Baylor

CBS – Maryland vs. Oklahoma 247 Sports – Maryland vs. Kansas

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT: Justin Jefferson

The Vikings have been a surprise this year, and LSU alum Justin Jefferson is a key contributor to their success. Jefferson is on pace for more than 1,900 yards in his third NFL season, which would surpass his previous season-high of about 1,600. In Minnesota’s 33-26 win over the Patriots on Thanksgiving, Jefferson recorded nine receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown catch. He played a massive role in the Vikings’ road upset of the Bills two weeks prior, including a highlight reel one-handed grab on fourth down to keep Minnesota alive.

Jefferson posted four catches for 87 yards in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl and showed off his red zone chemistry with Joe Burrow, as the former Tigers receiver was responsible for two of his team’s four touchdowns. Jefferson and the 9-2 Vikings are far above their divisional opponents in the NFC North, making an impressive push for the playoffs.

Big NEWS!

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl features Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup. As we eagerly await the Dec. 27 kickoff, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports, and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news for week 14:

Big Ten Big 12

• The Big Ten has three teams in the CFP Top 10 heading into week 14: No. 2 Michigan, No. 5 Ohio State and No. 8 Penn State.

• Michigan is one of the three FBS teams that remains undefeated. The Wolverines have the chance to finish the regular season with no losses as they take on Purdue in the Big Ten Championship.

• The Big Ten ends the season with nine bowl-eligible teams: Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota and Wisconsin. This is the largest bowl lineup in conference history.

• Nebraska announced former Carolina Panthers, Temple University and Baylor University head coach Matt Rhule as their new head coach, signing him to an eight-year contract.

• The Big 12 has three teams in the CFP Top 25 this week: No. 3 TCU, No. 10 Kansas State and No. 20 Texas.

• TCU is one of the three FBS teams that remains undefeated. With a win over K-State in the Big 12 Championship, the Horned Frogs could finish the regular season 13-0 and become the first team since 2016 Oklahoma to finish undefeated in conference play.

• The Big 12 ends its year with 80% of teams bowl eligible: TCU, Kansas State, Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma and Kansas.

• Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman earned his 101st career victory after beating Kansas on Saturday. He is one of 28 active FBS head coaches to reach the 100-win mark, including one of 15 who are currently at Power 5 schools

MORE THAN JUST A GAME

CHARITY

SPOTLIGHT:

The MVP Foundation

Middle school can be an impressionable time for students. Many are trying to find their place and who they want to become. They often struggle through these complicated years without guidance, mentorship or necessary life skills –and that’s where the MVP Foundation can help.

The MVP Foundation was one of 40 nonprofit recipients for the Fiesta Bowl Charities 2022-23 grant cycle. The MVP Foundation’s mission is to instill necessary life skills in at-risk or disadvantaged sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys in Maricopa County.

The grant will fund MVP’s annual Leadership Academy camp in March 2023, a 3-day intensive camp that is held each spring in Williams, Arizona. Fiesta Bowl Ambassador and MVP Foundation Executive Director Ronda Parker says the academy’s main goal is to motivate the boys to create better behaviors, and to let them know that there is a successful path for them. The academy allows these students to come together, form friendships and learn to believe in themselves and their abilities, reminding them that they are special and building their confidence.

The organization’s impact is seen by parents as well as teachers and administrators at their schools. According to Parker, one teacher noted that the 13 students who attended the leadership academy camp improved their math scores by nearly 40 points, compared to the rest of the class who improved by 16 points.

“I find myself getting teary-eyed because I think to myself, we aren’t only impacting these boys. We are impacting so many around them,” Parker said.

As the MVP Foundation approaches its 11th year, Parker’s focus continues to be on growing the leadership academy and impacting more middle schoolers in Maricopa County. “We want to grow the program not only by getting more boys involved but also by having more consistent events throughout the year,” she said.

KABOOM! GLENDALE

On November 18, more than 100 volunteers from Fiesta Bowl Charities and partners came together to build two new, innovative playgrounds and a multi-purpose sport court from the ground up at Glendale’s O’Neil Park. More than 6,000 children per year will benefit from the new play space.

“We are excited to see Fiesta Bowl Sports Complex at O’Neil Park come to life and be part of the revitalization of this neighborhood park,” said Kristina Chumpol, Senior Director of Community Relations for the Fiesta Bowl.

“We know that the two playgrounds and sport court will provide a safe play space for youth of all ages for many years to come.”

The two nearby schools dismissed students for the day just as volunteers finished work on the site, introducing an excited group of community families to their custom play space. The area of Glendale in which O’Neil Park is located comprises a 78% minority population, with a median household income of $32,610 and an average poverty rate of 35.2%. The new play space at O’Neil Park contributes to the City of Glendale’s ongoing project to address infrastructure disparities across the city, providing a safe place for children in the community to experience play.

In addition to the newly-built structures, Fiesta Bowl Charities will later install an 80,000-square-foot football field. The field, the final step in the new complex, will be the playing surface used in the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl in downtown Phoenix.

Given the outdated infrastructure that was in place at O’Neil Park, a complex like the one built on Friday has long been a wish for this community. It will allow local children to be active, healthy, and gives them access to valuable social-emotional learning opportunities and the chance to build positive relationships with other youth.