CFB Wrap-up: Takeaways from Week 10's biggest games

College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Knowles, Kelly deliver coaching master class

What was your favorite Penn State offensive touchdown against Ohio State in the last two years? Trick question - the only option is a meaningless score in 2023 with 29 seconds left to make the final score 20-12 instead of 20-6. The Nittany Lions mustered just two field goals on offense Saturday, with a pick-6 on Will Howard's opening pass being the only time they found the end zone versus the Buckeyes. It again wouldn't be good enough, with Ryan Day improving to 7-0 in the rivalry after a 20-13 win.

James Franklin's hire of Andy Kotelnicki as offensive coordinator was supposed to change how these contests went. It did the opposite Saturday. Jim Knowles' defense held Penn State to just 270 total yards and allowed only three completions to wide receivers all day. Kotelnicki is undoubtedly one of the top offensive minds in the sport, but the result showed he's yet to solve Knowles' defense.

On the other side, Chip Kelly turned in a play-calling masterpiece after Howard opened the game with a questionable throw on the pick-6. While 20 points on the board won't blow anybody away, Howard also fumbled a sure-fire touchdown through the end zone for a touchback. Kelly consistently got Howard wide-open looks in the passing attack - something he's done on 42.5% of his pass attempts this year, according to Max Olson of ESPN. Kelly also created plenty of lanes behind a depleted offensive line in the rushing attack. Taking off lost yards for sacks, the Buckeyes piled up 5.2 yards per carry against one of the nation's top defensive units.

Knowles and Kelly make a combined $4.2 million in salary this season, but Saturday's performance shows that the duo is worth every penny for Ohio State.

Another missed chance for Franklin, Penn State

It should've been different this time.

Ohio State limped into Happy Valley after losing to Oregon and scoring a narrow home win against Nebraska last week. The Buckeyes starting left tackle and his backup were both sidelined against the ferocious Nittany Lions' defensive line. New offensive coordinator Kotelnicki had standout quarterback Drew Allar healthy after he missed last week's second half.

There were 111,000 rabid fans on hand, ready to explode at the first sight of happiness - and they didn't have to wait long. Penn State took the opening drive 61 yards for a short field goal and the lead. That ballooned to 10-0 after the defense took Howard's first pass back for a pick-6. The vibes for the unbeaten Nittany Lions were unmatched, and it seemed like destiny that Franklin would finally get his first win against Ohio State and begin to flip the LOUD narrative that he can't win big games.

Instead, three hours later, the Nittany Lions scored only three more points, and the same things that had been said about Franklin now ring louder. The Pennsylvania native is now 1-10 versus Ohio State and 1-13 against AP top-five teams.

In the grand scheme of things, Penn State's hard-fought loss won't significantly change its chance at the 12-team playoff. An 11-1 Nittany Lions outfit with a loss to Ohio State is a lock for the postseason. However, Saturday was Franklin's latest opportunity to show us that Penn State isn't just a threat to make the playoff but to do damage once it's there.

Instead, the narrative around the Nittany Lions' big-game struggles will only grow, and our lasting image of Franklin on Saturday is of him jawing with hecklers on his way to the locker room.

Beck's gotta clean up the turnovers

It's fitting that the Florida-Georgia rivalry game is known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party because a number of Carson Beck's throws Saturday looked to be the result of some inebriated decision-making. The Bulldogs quarterback threw three interceptions against the Gators, marking the third straight game he turned the ball over at least twice. While that would be a death knell for most teams in the nation, Georgia has managed not only to win all three of those contests but has done it by double digits in each.

The final score against Florida showed a 14-point win, but the Bulldogs didn't take control until after Gators quarterback DJ Lagway departed due to injury. With starter Graham Mertz already out for the season, third-string Aidan Warner took over, and the Bulldogs defense feasted on the freshman.

Beck now has 11 interceptions this season - among the highest total in the country at the FBS level. Although Georgia has overcome those turnovers thus far, a road trip to Ole Miss awaits next week to face a defense leading the country in sacks.

Brohm delivers trademark upset

It wouldn't be a college football season without a Jeff Brohm-coached team taking down a ranked opponent in a major upset. This year's edition is now in the books, with Louisville storming into Death Valley and pounding No. 11 Clemson. That marks the fifth top-11 upset by Brohm since the start of the 2018 season.

A strong rushing attack and standout defense carries the day on the road, and that's exactly what Brohm's Cardinals leaned on for the win. Louisville ran over Clemson's defense for a whopping 7.9 yards per carry and held the Tigers' offense to just 4.5 yards per play.

Since its season-opening loss to Georgia, Clemson has been building its resume by bullying lesser opponents. But the Tigers again showed that they're a long way from being back among the nation's elite. The combined record of Clemson's opponents that aren't Georgia or Louisville is 20-32, with an outrageous scoring margin of 291-127 in those games. Put the Bulldogs and Cardinals contests on the board, and Clemson trails by a 68-24 scoreline.

Beware the South Carolina nights

Another night game at South Carolina, another ranked opponent going down in an upset. The victim was No. 10 Texas A&M this time, as the Aggies looked overmatched from the jump after their dominant win over LSU last week. Shane Beamer has established Williams-Brice Stadium as one of the toughest road atmospheres in the country once the sun goes down, the lights come on, and "Sandstorm" is blaring through the speakers. The win over Texas A&M has Beamer's record at 14-3 in home games that kick off after 7 p.m.

Mike Elko's defense was shredded by the Gamecocks' explosive play all night, as South Carolina scored touchdowns of 23, 52, and 57 yards. A week after saving the Aggies at home, Marcel Reed came crashing back to earth against a swarming pass rush. The Gamecocks sacked Reed three times, had six tackles for loss, and held Texas A&M to an eye-opening 4-of-15 third-down rate.

The Aggies' setback will be an important one in the SEC race as they're no longer undefeated in conference play. Five teams are now tied for the top spot at one loss, with Alabama among those sitting with two defeats.

ACC no challenge for SMU

Nobody has handled the move to a Power conference better than SMU in 2024. The Mustangs' first season in the ACC appears destined for the title after a dominant 48-25 home win over previously-undefeated Pitt on Saturday. Add the Clemson loss to Louisville, and Rhett Lashlee is on a collision course to face his former employer, Miami, in the championship game.

Pitt essentially stayed on the bus in the opening half with SMU piling up 299 total yards and taking a 31-3 lead to the locker room. Lashlee's offense used a near-perfect balance of the running attack and passing game in that 30-min span with quarterback Kevin Jennings lighting up the Panthers' defense.

Since falling to undefeated BYU in a Week 2 non-conference loss, SMU is a perfect 6-0 and averaging an absurd 43 points per contest. With fellow ACC co-leader Miami leading the nation in scoring, the conference race figures to be the most explosive in the sport.

Indiana earns style points

So, Curt Cignetti and Indiana were just bored at this point, right? That's the only logical explanation for the Hoosiers spotting Michigan State an early 10-0 lead on the road Saturday. That first-quarter deficit marked the lone time that Indiana has trailed in a game this season.

It took Indiana less than 10 minutes to erase that disadvantage, and the Big Ten co-leaders owned a 21-10 lead at half. The onslaught started immediately in the second half with a safety on Michigan State's opening drive to push the lead to 13. By the time the two teams walked off the field, the Hoosiers scored 47 unanswered points to pile up an eye-popping 47-10 final score.

The offense poured it on over the final three quarters but the defense might be the story from the win. Indiana allowed Michigan State a total of 77 yards after the opening quarter to make the runaway possible.

Cignetti has now been with the Hoosiers for nine games and has delivered nine double-digit victories. He's already matched the single-season record for wins with November only two days old. With Penn State losing to Ohio State, the Hoosiers are now tied with Oregon for top spot in the Big Ten.

Oregon's flying in the first half

Dan Lanning is on the short list of any argument for top coach in college football, and pre-game preparation is clearly one of the biggest strengths of the Oregon boss. The Ducks never waste time getting down to business every week, essentially ending any chance of an upset by halftime to set the stage for a comfortable finish.

Saturday was the latest example, with Oregon dominating Michigan in the opening half to take a 28-10 lead to the locker room on the road. That marks the third straight game that Lanning's team has held at least an 18-point lead at half. The Ducks have scored only 27 points across the last three second halves, and they still won every game by at least 21 thanks to the flying starts.

Behind any great coach are usually some top-flight assistants, and Will Stein is long past due to get his flowers as one of the best coordinators in the country. After setting records with Bo Nix at quarterback last season, Stein has integrated Dillon Gabriel into the offense seamlessly, and the Oklahoma transfer is putting up monster numbers. Gabriel torched Michigan's secondary for 294 yards and a touchdown through the air with another on the ground. Add the running back duo of Jordan James and Noah Whittington's 153 yards and three scores, and it's borderline impossible to slow down the Ducks.

BYU, Colorado win by not playing

The two biggest winners in the Big 12 this week didn't even have to strap up and take the field. Colorado and BYU enjoyed bye weeks and watched the conference title race fall favorably in their direction. Iowa State's perfect season came to a dramatic end with a Texas Tech touchdown in the final minute. Houston also scored late to shock Kansas State and hand the Wildcats their second conference loss.

Those results leave the Cougars as the only team in the Big 12 unbeaten in conference play, with Colorado now tied for second with the Cyclones. With both teams likely to be favored in their remaining four contests, there's a distinct possibility that BYU will face Coach Prime and the Buffaloes in the conference title game. Prepare yourselves accordingly.

Miami madness reaches new levels

If you want to sell someone on the madness of college football, make them sit down and watch an entire Miami game this season. The Hurricanes roller coaster did its ride again Saturday with a ridiculous game at home against Duke. Mario Cristobal's unbeaten team entered the contest as three-touchdown favorites, so naturally, the Blue Devils held an 11-point lead five minutes into the third quarter.

Cristobal then flipped the 'stop messing around' switch and Miami scored 36 points on 30 plays and won the game by 22 points. There's no team in the country that can look as beatable and as dominant as the Hurricanes in a string of just a few plays.

One of the few consistencies at Miami is the connection between Cam Ward and Xavier Restrepo. Ward passed for 400 yards and a whopping five touchdowns, while Restrepo caught three scores as part of his 146-yard performance. The senior wideout is now the Hurricanes' all-timer leader in both catches and receiving yards - an incredible feat considering the talent that's come through the program.

It would be a stunner for Miami not to make the playoffs at this point, which means the world should prepare for the Hurricanes' roller coaster to deliver must-see postseason TV.

Pavia completes the Freeze-peat

There will surely be plenty of friends and family on hand for Diego Pavia's eventual graduation from Vanderbilt. Hugh Freeze will also likely attend to ensure the quarterback is finally out of college eligibility and can stop haunting him. For the third straight year, Pavia has gone on the road to face Freeze's team - once at Liberty and twice at Auburn - and come out victorious as an underdog.

Pavia completed only nine passes, but two went for touchdowns against the Tigers. That was more than enough for a stout Commodores defense that held Auburn under 100 yards rushing to grab the upset win. The victory makes Vanderbilt bowl eligible for the first time since 2018 and sees the program beat Auburn and Alabama in the same season for the first time since 1955.

Dart, Watkins air show for Ole Miss

Jordan Watkins entered play Saturday with five receiving touchdowns in the past two seasons, so we can forgive Arkansas for not focusing the entire defensive game plan around him. However, the rest of Ole Miss' schedule might want to do that going forward. The senior wideout doubled his total in three ridiculous quarters against the Razorbacks with an outrageous quintet of scores, including a trio of touchdowns over 60 yards. The man throwing to Watkins, Jaxson Dart, set Rebels program records with 515 passing yards and six touchdowns in the blowout win.

Despite earlier losses to Kentucky and LSU, Ole Miss is still in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Rebels host No. 2 Georgia next week before finishing with Florida and Mississippi State. Should they win out, a 10-2 record with a victory over Kirby Smart's Bulldogs would look very appealing to the committee.