CFB Blitz: Week 12 takeaways

College Football Blitz recaps the most important developments from the day's top games and examines their significance moving forward.

Venables has the blueprint for beating Bama

Alabama fans, take note: When you see Brent Venables on the schedule, consider taking the week off from watching the Crimson Tide. For the second straight season, Oklahoma's defense did the heavy lifting in an upset win over Kalen DeBoer's program. The Sooners forced three turnovers on the road, including a massive 87-yard pick-6. That makes six turnovers that Alabama has committed over the teams' last two meetings.

There was nothing pretty about the way Oklahoma handled its business. The offense barely sustained any success.

But the scoreboard doesn't come with pictures, and the final result (23-21) is all that matters to the Sooners, who captured their second straight road victory over a ranked opponent and will surely rise in the next College Football Playoff rankings.

The loss, which ended the Tide's 17-game home winning streak, was DeBoer's first in Tuscaloosa since taking the job prior to last season and his first while wearing the vaunted "black hoodie of death." It's also one that will sting mightily given how the game broke down.

Turnovers killed the Tide and wasted a remarkable defensive performance. Their inability to run the ball was the latest example of what's been a major issue for the team this year. Alabama entered the game ranking an eye-popping 120th in yards per rush (3.5), a mark that's sure to get worse after it averaged just 2.4 on Saturday. Ty Simpson can shoulder the load without a run game most weeks, but Venables' defense feasts on one-pronged attacks.

The defeat doesn't take Alabama out of the CFP race nor does it hurt its chances in the SEC. However, it makes the Iron Bowl at Auburn a must-win game, a scenario that will raise anxiety levels in Tuscaloosa.

Kirby masterclass for Georgia

You won't get much argument if you call Kirby Smart the best coach in the country, and the Georgia boss showed why once again with another win over Texas on Saturday. After the Bulldogs finally opened up a double-digit lead to start the 4th quarter, Smart opted for a surprise onside kick to immediately get the ball back and deliver the knockout blow.

It worked perfectly, but upon further review, the normally risky play came with very little downside for Georgia. Smart - along with everyone else watching - clearly saw that Texas' offense had nothing to stop a dominant defense for the Bulldogs. A failed onside kick would give the Longhorns excellent field position, but Smart likely decided the most pain that would inflict on Georgia was a field goal.

The victory completes the Bulldogs' SEC schedule with a 7-1 mark and makes Smart 3-0 against Texas the last two seasons. That will be more than enough to get the Bulldogs in the CFP with their seeding the only thing left to be decided.

We can stop talking about Texas in the CFP

Texas repeatedly tried to show us this season that it just wasn't that good, yet we continually ignored that and kept ranking the Longhorns. We ignored back-to-back games where they needed overtime to beat Kentucky and Mississippi State. We didn't bat an eye when Vanderbilt nearly erased a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit in Austin. The Longhorns even fooled the CFP committee to the point that they held a No. 10 ranking heading into Saturday's matchup with Georgia. Here's hoping we can all join together with the realization that Texas isn't a playoff-caliber team.

The Longhorns are now 4-3 versus power conference competition following the 35-10 loss to the Bulldogs. Their offense looked like a high school outfit, only cracking 200 total yards when the game was out of reach. The final rushing number was 23 yards on a laughable average of 1.4 per carry.

Maybe the Longhorns will shock Texas A&M in the final game of the season. After all, the Aggies nearly fell to bottom-feeder South Carolina on Saturday. Regardless of the remaining results, we've accumulated enough evidence to know that this version of Texas isn't worthy of a playoff spot.

Late charge gives Ole Miss the Kiffin Bowl

In classic college football fashion, Florida had the chance to greatly help its head coaching search by beating the man it wants to hire. It's no secret that Lane Kiffin is the desired candidate to take over in Gainesville - a situation that made the Gators' trip to Oxford even more dramatic. A second loss for Ole Miss would've also seriously dented its playoff hopes. For most of the contest, that outcome seemed likely before a late 14-0 run by the Rebels secured a 34-24 victory.

The key players from Saturday's win are a perfect representation as to why Kiffin is the "Portal King." Division II transfer quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for 301 yards, former Missouri running back Kewan Lacy ran for 224 yards and three scores, and ex-Nebraska standout Princewill Umanmielen supplied the game-sealing sack.

With the game finally decided in the last minute, the crowd began a boisterous "We want Lane!" chant that echoed around The Swamp. The Rebels are 10-1 and a virtual lock for the playoff, provided they avoid a shocking Egg Bowl loss to Mississippi State to end the year. The only question left to answer is whether that will be the last time Kiffin takes the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as the home coach.

Wait, Texas A&M won?

If someone told you the halftime score between No. 3 Texas A&M and unranked South Carolina was 30-3, you wouldn't have batted an eye. The unbeaten Aggies have looked downright dominant throughout their SEC schedule, while the Gamecocks entered Saturday sitting second to last in the conference with a dismal 1-6 record.

Well, it was the visitors who shockingly held the edge in College Station after an incredible first-half showing. South Carolina forced three turnovers and hit multiple big plays to stun the massive crowd and fire up Shane Beamer on his way to the locker room.

File that one under "videos that preceded unfortunate events" because Beamer's mood would change drastically. There were 286 reasons why a comeback seemed improbable, with SEC teams being a perfect 286-0 since 2004 when leading by at least 27 points in a conference game.

That record is now 286-1 after the Aggies had a second half for the ages. Four touchdowns on their first four drives - all 70 yards or more - took care of the 27-point deficit as their defense pitched a shutout and allowed just 76 total yards. The Gamecocks' offense turned in only one drive lasting more than 2:15, leaving their defense exhausted.

Marcel Reed rebounded from a dismal opening half with 298 passing yards in the final 30 minutes, and the defense sacked a suddenly overwhelmed LaNorris Sellers four times. It was the type of all-around performance that helped Texas A&M enter the game undefeated in the first place.

It wasn't pretty, but we've long preached the importance of teams winning their clunkers to retain momentum. The Aggies did exactly that and gained a lifelong memory in the process.

Receiver duo has USC thinking CFP

We need to get Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane an NIL deal with the U.S. Postal Service because the receiver duo delivers through rain, sleet, snow, and heat. Despite Iowa bringing torrential rain to Los Angeles the last two days, the Trojans leaned on Lemon and Lane for a combined 17 catches, 218 yards, and a touchdown. Their efforts helped USC turn a 21-10 halftime deficit into a crucial 26-21 win over the Hawkeyes, firmly planting the team in the CFP race.

Lincoln Riley was as enthusiastic as ever down the stretch, celebrating multiple times on the sideline as his team clinched the victory. He called it a "culture win" postgame - certainly a message to those who have previously criticized his team's ability to win in adverse conditions. He'll get another chance to quiet his critics next week with a blockbuster matchup versus Oregon on deck.

For Iowa, the close result was just the latest during a good season that's also had plenty of what-ifs. Kirk Ferentz's program has now lost four games to ranked opponents this year by a combined 15 points.

Narduzzi wasn't lying

Nobody told Pat Narduzzi that Notre Dame's trip to Pittsburgh was supposed to be one of the biggest games of the week. The Panthers' head coach dropped a shocking quote Monday, essentially admitting that his team was more focused on its final two ACC contests than the nonconference matchup with the Fighting Irish.

"I'd gladly get beat (103-10) or 110-10 in that game," Narduzzi said. "They can put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that."

Here's the thing: Narduzzi wasn't exactly wrong, but it's surprising that he was so honest publicly. Notre Dame didn't quite hang 100 on Pitt, but it raced out to a 14-0 lead and then coasted to a comfortable victory.

The final score of 37-15 means the Irish have now won eight straight games by an average of 26 points. Only meetings with lowly Syracuse and Stanford remain, making it likely that Notre Dame finishes 10-2 and reaches the CFP for a second straight year.

Rodriguez makes Heisman case

Look, the Heisman is likely going to a Big Ten or SEC quarterback, but Texas Tech is trying its best to get Jacob Rodriguez some love. The Red Raiders linebacker announced himself to the national audience last week with 14 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception in a big win over BYU. He was once again dominant Saturday versus UCF, but a cameo on offense helped bring some extra attention his way. The former high school quarterback lined up under center and plunged in for a two-yard touchdown on the first offensive play of his collegiate career, much to the delight of Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes.

Rodriguez added an interception shortly after scoring the touchdown, and the Red Raiders finished the evening with a 48-9 blowout victory to strengthen their argument for a top-four spot in the next CFP rankings. At the very least, the Heisman committee should send the man an invite to New York for the ceremony in December.

Navy sinks USF playoff bid

If South Florida's CFP bid took on water with a loss to Memphis, consider it sunk after Saturday's defeat at the hands of Navy. The Midshipmen gashed the Bulls' run defense for 338 yards on an outrageous 53 attempts to emerge with a 41-38 win. The result marked South Florida's third loss, including its second in conference, making it almost certain that the team will miss the playoff.

Upset wins over Boise State and Florida early in the year made South Florida a potential CFP darling, with the Bulls looking primed for the Group of 5 spot in the 12-team field. However, that excitement has fizzled following their second loss in the last three outings. Meanwhile, head coach Alex Golesh has received attention for vacancies at power conference programs across the country. It would be foolish to blame the loss on those rumors, but Navy was significantly more prepared for the contest, generating a 24-9 halftime lead.

South Florida's loss is great news for James Madison, as the Dukes, who have a perfect Sun Belt record and just one loss overall, could become the G5 favorite to make the playoff.