The two favorites to reach the College Football Playoffs, also known as the top two teams in the country, had ranked tests on Saturday night, which they passed. First, No. 1 Alabama earned their second straight shutout in SEC play, as they blanked the 16th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, 24-0. Josh Jacobs had two total touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, as the Crimson Tide improved to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play. Damien Harris also scored from a yard out, as the running game took over in Tua Tagovailoa's first sub-par contest.
The quarterback was fighting a knee injury but still played, throwing for 164 yards and a score, along with one interception and a fumble loss. He was able to hand the ball off more often and depend on his defense for another strong performance one week after shutting out the LSU Tigers. For a second straight week, they were able to prove why they are the No. 2 ranked defense in the country. Tagovailoa did not play in the fourth quarter and was seen on the stationary bike for most of the final 15 minutes. Head coach Nick Saban claimed that he could've return if needed.
The Crimsons Tide earned their first consecutive shutouts since doing so against Western Carolina and Auburn to end the 2012 regular season. Their defense was able to sack Nick Fitzgerald five times, causing the Bulldogs' quarterback to finish with just 125 yards on 11-of-20 throwing. Mississippi State had just 44 yards on 30 carries as a team. The Crimson Tide now move on to host The Citadel in a non-conference matchup, while Mississippi State will return home to host Arkansas.
Meanwhile, the second-ranked Clemson Tigers were able to overcome a fast start from their opponents to top No. 17 Boston College, 27-7. Trevor Lawrence totaled two touchdowns on the day, including a six-yard scoring run in the third quarter. Lawrence threw for 295 yards and a score, as the Tigers out-gained the Eagles by a wide margin of 424-113. The win for Clemson improves them to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in conference, and they clinched the ACC Atlantic Division over Boston College.
The Tigers tight defense was able to knock Eagles quarterback Anthony Brown out of the game in the first quarter when Christian Wilikins threw him down to the turf on the first play from scrimmage for the home team. He would not return, which was announced in the second quarter, as the Eagles dropped to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in ACC play. Head coach Steve Addazio announced after the game that Brown was hospitalized with internal injuries, but did not give any specifics on his current condition.
The win for Clemson improves an already impressive senior class, who now has 50 wins, and has gone 23-1 in the division and 19-1 on the road. They held the Eagles to just nine first downs, this after Boston College took a 7-3 lead on Michael Walker's 74-yard punt return for a touchdown less than nine minutes in to the game. The Tigers will play host to the Duke Blue Devils next week, while Boston College will visit Florida State, with their division chances officially out of play.
The quarterback was fighting a knee injury but still played, throwing for 164 yards and a score, along with one interception and a fumble loss. He was able to hand the ball off more often and depend on his defense for another strong performance one week after shutting out the LSU Tigers. For a second straight week, they were able to prove why they are the No. 2 ranked defense in the country. Tagovailoa did not play in the fourth quarter and was seen on the stationary bike for most of the final 15 minutes. Head coach Nick Saban claimed that he could've return if needed.
The Crimsons Tide earned their first consecutive shutouts since doing so against Western Carolina and Auburn to end the 2012 regular season. Their defense was able to sack Nick Fitzgerald five times, causing the Bulldogs' quarterback to finish with just 125 yards on 11-of-20 throwing. Mississippi State had just 44 yards on 30 carries as a team. The Crimson Tide now move on to host The Citadel in a non-conference matchup, while Mississippi State will return home to host Arkansas.
Meanwhile, the second-ranked Clemson Tigers were able to overcome a fast start from their opponents to top No. 17 Boston College, 27-7. Trevor Lawrence totaled two touchdowns on the day, including a six-yard scoring run in the third quarter. Lawrence threw for 295 yards and a score, as the Tigers out-gained the Eagles by a wide margin of 424-113. The win for Clemson improves them to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in conference, and they clinched the ACC Atlantic Division over Boston College.
The Tigers tight defense was able to knock Eagles quarterback Anthony Brown out of the game in the first quarter when Christian Wilikins threw him down to the turf on the first play from scrimmage for the home team. He would not return, which was announced in the second quarter, as the Eagles dropped to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in ACC play. Head coach Steve Addazio announced after the game that Brown was hospitalized with internal injuries, but did not give any specifics on his current condition.
The win for Clemson improves an already impressive senior class, who now has 50 wins, and has gone 23-1 in the division and 19-1 on the road. They held the Eagles to just nine first downs, this after Boston College took a 7-3 lead on Michael Walker's 74-yard punt return for a touchdown less than nine minutes in to the game. The Tigers will play host to the Duke Blue Devils next week, while Boston College will visit Florida State, with their division chances officially out of play.
