Wildcats tamed in Waco

It seems like every year there is one day late in the season that “shakes up” the entire college football landscape. Saturday was that day, as the hopes of an appearance in the BCS National Championship game for Kansas State dwindled Saturday in Waco, Texas as the Wildcats lost to the Baylor Bears 52-24.

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was not at the top of his game Saturday, as he threw a season-high three interceptions. Klein was 27 for 50 in passing attempts, throwing for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Chris Harper was Klein’s main passing outlet, as he had 123 receiving yards and one touchdown.

The Baylor offense was firing on all cylinders, racking up 580 yards of total offense in the rout. Baylor running back Glasco Martin led the offense, rushing for 113 yards, and three touchdowns.

Kansas State is still in position to play in a BCS game, which could be a good consolation prize for them after Saturday’s upset loss. The loss paved the way for Notre Dame to claim the No. 1 ranking.

Stanford shocks many in upset of Oregon

Oregon kicker Alejandro Maldonado was in unfamiliar territory Saturday night. He has not had to make many kicks under pressure this season.

The Ducks’ BCS Championship hopes rested on the right foot of the junior kicker and with the game on the line, Maldonado lined up for a field goal to give the Ducks the lead in overtime. The kick clanked off the left post.

With that missed field goal, the Ducks’ national championship hopes took an extreme hit, as Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson hit a 37-yard field goal to win the game.

The Oregon offense struggled — by its standards — for most of the game. They were led by quarterback Marcus Mariota, who was 21 for 37 in passing attempts, throwing for 207 yards, while adding one touchdown and one interception.

The star of the game was the Stanford defense, as they held Oregon to its lowest point total on the season. Preparing to face the Oregon offense is a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare, and Derek Mason did a fantastic job in doing just that.

With the loss, Oregon falls to 10-1 on the season, and loses the upper hand in the PAC-12 North race.

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin

The Ohio State Buckeyes continued a perfect season Saturday, as they squeaked by Wisconsin 21-14 in overtime. The Buckeyes clinched the Big Ten Leaders division championship and could be well on their way to being atop the AP Top 25, a goal which is still attainable for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller had his worst game of the season, going 10 for 18 in passing attempts, throwing for a season-low 97 yards and zero touchdowns while rushing for 48 yards. Running back Carlos Hyde rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a two-yard run to seal the win in overtime.

An alarming statistic from this game was that Wisconsin outgained the Buckeyes in total yardage, 360 to 236. It was a record-setting day for Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, as he rushed for 191 yards and one touchdown. Ball’s lone touchdown on the day was his 78th of his career, tying the major college record.

Next week’s game against Michigan will be the de-facto bowl game for the Buckeyes. It will be Urban Meyer vs. Brady Hoke: Round 1.

Contact Chris Ginley at [email protected].