CFP Week 14 winners, losers: Flag-planting trend comes out on top

A scuffle ensued while Ohio State head coach Ryan Day stared off into the distance, perhaps wondering if he had just coached his last regular-season game at Ohio Stadium.

No. 16 Arizona State (10-2, 7-2) followed its 49-7 romp over in-state rival Arizona (4-8, 2-7 in Big Ten) with defensive lineman Jacob Rich Kongaika planting a pitchfork at the Wildcats' midfield logo, setting off another skirmish.

The Mack Brown era at North Carolina (6-6, 3-5 in ACC) ended with NC State (6-6, 3-5 in ACC) planting its flag on the Tar Heels' field after a 35-30 win and the two teams needing to be separated.

No. 4 Penn State (11-1, 8-1 in Big Ten) scored a meaningless touchdown on the last play of regulation in a 44-7 win over Maryland (4-8, 1-8 in Big Ten). Afterward, Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley let Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin know he didn't appreciate the 4th-and-12 touchdown as time expired.

Was Saturday a great day for sportsmanship? Not at all. But it was a reminder that Rivalry Week isn't manufactured drama. For better or worse, these teams don't like each other.

Loser: Ryan Day

This was supposed to be the year. Ohio State was too big to fail. Instead,  Day's $20 million Buckeyes roster lost for the fourth consecutive time to Michigan, the first time that's happened to the program since 1988-91.

Despite posting a 66-10 record in seven seasons as Ohio State head coach, Day's failures against Michigan (he's 1-4 all-time) reveal a coach who shrinks in big moments. With a potential road playoff game looming in the first round of the 12-team CFP, the losses might keep coming.

Winner: Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord

The scapegoat for Day after losing to Michigan in 2023, McCord capped his strong 2024 season with an upset 42-38 win over No. 6 Miami (10-2, 6-2 in ACC).

Syracuse (9-3, 5-3 in ACC) erased a 21-point deficit to finish head coach Fran Brown's with only its third nine-win season since 1998.

McCord finished his season with the Orange 367-of-558 (65.8 percent) for 4,326 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. We're thinking he wasn't the problem at Ohio State.

Loser: Miami

The Hurricanes blew their chance to clinch an ACC Championship Game berth with its loss to Syracuse. 

Miami now finds itself in a position no team wants to be: with its fate in the hands of the committee, which will likely compare it to three-loss SEC teams No. 13 Alabama (9-3, 5-3 in SEC), No. 14 Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 in SEC) and No. 15 South Carolina (9-3, 5-3 in SEC). If SEC bias is real, Miami will be left out of the Playoff.

Winner: South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers

Speaking of the Gamecocks, their sophomore quarterback had an epic performance in their 17-14 road win against No. 12 Clemson (9-3, 7-1 in ACC).

Sellers had 164 passing yards, 166 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, including the winning score with 68 seconds remaining, as South Carolina won its sixth consecutive game.

Loser: Texas A&M's offense

The Aggies' lone path to the CFP was to win the SEC, which was possible until their offense was shut out in a 17-7 loss to No. 3 Texas (11-1, 7-1 in SEC).

No. 20 Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3 in SEC) scored its only touchdown on a 93-yard pick-six. The offense was held to 244 yards, 0-of-2 in the red zone and 4-of-11 on third downs.

Winner: Notre Dame and Indiana

The state of Indiana had plenty to be proud of on Saturday, as two Indiana colleges likely clinched playoff berths.

No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1) pulled away from USC (6-6, 4-5 in Big Ten) with two long interceptions returned for touchdowns in a 49-35 win, while No. 10 Indiana (11-1, 8-1 in Big Ten) easily dispatched Purdue (1-11, 0-9 in Big Ten), 66-0. 

The Hoosiers outgained the Boilermakers 582-67. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke finished the win 23-of-31 for 349 yards and six touchdowns. 

With both teams sporting only one loss, their spots in the 12-team playoff should be secured. Depending on how championship weekend unfolds, the two might even play each other in the first round.

Loser: Purdue

It wasn't all good for Indiana. The state, that is. As noted above, Purdue was shut out to end one of the worst seasons in program history.

Not only were the Boilermakers outscored 261-17 against playoff-bound teams Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana, but one of the program's most prominent alumni, Drew Brees, disowned it at College Station.

"I always wanted to be an Aggie," Brees, who played quarterback at Purdue from 1997-2000, said in a candid video posted to social media.

After the season the Boilermakers just had, we wouldn't blame anyone for changing their commitment.