College football's Week 14 winners and losers
It's the Iron Bowl that will live forever. Forty-one years ago, two blocked Alabama punts lifted Auburn to a 17-16 win - a game remembered as 'Punt, 'Bama, Punt.' Saturday's win will be recalled similarly: 'Kick, 'Bama, Kick.'
The way the game ended is one thing: Auburn defensive back Chris Davis returned a missed field goal more than 105 yards for the game-winning score as time expired. For now, however, the bigger impact of the Tigers' 34-28 victory is how it shakes up the Bowl Championship Series race one last time, sending the Crimson Tide tumbling out of the picture and lifting coach Gus Malzahn's team into prime position.
Auburn can reach the BCS National Championship Game with a little help from either Duke or Michigan State, which meet Florida State and Ohio State, respectively, on Dec. 7. The Tigers could even leapfrog ahead of the Buckeyes, should the lure of the SEC prove too much for the BCS standings to ignore.
Other winners and losers from Saturday's college football action:
WINNERS
Georgia: Despite the injuries, despite the losses, despite the heartbreak of November's 43-38 loss to Auburn, the Bulldogs still continued one trend: they beat rival Georgia Tech. Georgia did so with junior Huston Mason subbing in place of senior quarterback Aaron Murray, who tore his ACL in last week's win against Kentucky. The victory was coach Mark Richt's 12th in 13 tries against the Yellow Jackets.
Southern Mississippi: It had been two years and 23 games - and two head coaches - since the Golden Eagles' last win. Saturday's 62-27 victory against UAB might make Southern Mississippi only 1-11, but notching a win after a long losing streak sends the team into the offseason on a positive note. The Golden Eagles barely avoided becoming the first team in FBS history to go 0-12 two years in a row.
Southern Miss wide receiver James Cox (15) and offensive lineman Rashod Hill (73) dunk coach Todd Monken on Saturday at Legion Field.(Photo: Marvin Gentry, USA TODAY Sports)
Duke: A victory against rival North Carolina gave Duke a program-record 10 on the year. Thinking back, those 10 wins match the program's combined total from 2000-7 - and the university hired coach David Cutcliffe right after the 2007 season, a decision that looks wiser with each passing Saturday. It's strange to say, but consider: Florida State will reach the BCS National Championship Game only if it can get past ... Duke.
LOSERS
Rutgers: Rutgers was once 4-1, believe it or not, with a home win against Arkansas and a narrow overtime loss to Fresno State. The Scarlet Knights have since dropped five of six, capped by Saturday's distressing 28-17 loss to Connecticut, to move on the fringes of bowl eligibility heading into next weekend's season finale against South Florida. With a move to the Big Ten coming next season, the program chose the wrong time for its worst stretch in several years.
Wisconsin: The Badgers could have smelled a BCS berth. For one, Ohio State's win against Michigan early Saturday afternoon maintained the Buckeyes' pace for an undefeated regular season. Later Saturday, Auburn's win against Alabama put OSU on a course for the BCS National Championship Game. Basically, had Wisconsin topped Penn State the Badgers could have earned yet another Rose Bowl berth. Losing to the Nittany Lions doesn't make 2013 a disappointment by any means, but it does send Wisconsin to a non-BCS bowl.
Florida: The final game of the year, a 37-7 loss to Florida State, stands as a microcosm of the Gators' entire season. A woeful offense fired blanks against a talented defense - though UF's offense was worthless against any defense, talented or otherwise. A defense stands tall for a short time, keeping Jameis Winston and friends under wraps for much of the first half, before losing steam and collapsing. The program's worst season in decades featured only 11 touchdown passes, a program low since 1989.
Paul Myerberg, a national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @PaulMyerberg.
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