Brian’s College Football Top 5: Week 14

Photo by Barbara J. Perenic from USA Today Sports

That’s it.

We still have bowl games. We still have conference championship games. But we no longer have a full Saturday slate of college football this year.

It flew by like always.

So, for the final time this regular season, let’s do this.

Honorable Mention: Flag Planting

What a weekend for planting flags at midfield.

We had plenty all over the country, and subsequent fights from it all over the country.

That’s what rivalry week is all about!

5. UTEP Miners

2-9 UTEP taking on 3-8 New Mexico State is what rivalry week is all about.

Two teams that are not good, will not be going to a bowl, and from the outside looking in, really don’t have anything to play for.

But they’re rivals. So the one thing you desperately want to do is take down your rival, and get bragging rights over the year in that area of recruiting.

This year, it was UTEP who came out on top with a 28 point second half to beat New Mexico State.

3-9 record and a loss to an FCS team.

But who cares?

They beat New Mexico State.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks

3rd and 16. Palmetto Bowl and playoff hopes on the line. Down 14-10 in a hostile Death Valley.

Doesn’t mean a thing for redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who had one of the scrambles of the season to get the game winning touchdown for South Carolina over rival Clemson.

The future isn’t bright for South Carolina.

The present is.

3. Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa had 164 yards.

Iowa had 5 first downs.

Iowa was 0-10 on third down conversions.

Iowa won 13-10.

Wouldn’t have it any other way.

2. Syracuse Orange

I’ve spent multiple times this year talking about how Tempe, Arizona for Arizona State used to be a house of horrors.

Well, the Carrier Dome, or whatever it’s called now, was that for Syracuse once upon a time.

And on Saturday, it became one once again, as the Orange came back from down 21-0 to upset Miami, and very possibly end their playoff chances entirely.

Cuse loves to play spoiler.

1. Michigan Wolverines

Remember what I said earlier about UTEP and New Mexico State?

Two teams who had nothing to play for.

It was kind of the same, here.

Sure, Ohio State could play for a Big 10 title and better seeding, but they were already locked into the playoff, and Michigan had already clinched a bowl game but wasn’t going to get anything better than that.

But watch how Michigan’s defense played. Watch how they reacted after clinching the win. Watch how pissed off Ohio State was that they lost, even though it doesn’t end their season.

This stuff matters, and the Wolverines now have 4 straight over their bitter rival.

Rivalry week is what this sport is all about.