The superpowers asserted themselves over the upstarts Saturday.
In a season that has been dotted with upsets and surprises, the most talented teams are rising to the top.
No. 7 Michigan State and No. 13 Wake Forest have been good stories, but against No. 5 Ohio State and Clemson, they were outclassed.
And No. 4 Oregon, which has been trying to prove it belongs among the elite, showed at Utah that it most definitely does not yet belong.
In Columbus, Ohio, the day’s marquee matchup was over for all intents and purposes after about a quarter. The Buckeyes were up 49-0 at halftime on the Spartans behind a near-perfect performance by C.J. Stroud, who called it a day in the third quarter with 432 yards passing and a school-record six touchdown passes.
If there is an offense in the country that might have a chance to do more than just dent No. 1 Georgia’s ferocious defense, it might be the Buckeyes’.
“We have a high ceiling, and we’re still striving towards greatness,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
Next up for the Buckeyes and their star-studded offense is a trip to No. 8 Michigan, which looked ready against Maryland to try to break an eight-game losing streak in The Game.
That loss to Oregon in September is a distant memory for Ohio State, which is one victory away from a fifth straight Big Ten title game appearance. The Buckeyes have won the previous four.
In Death Valley, Clemson put together its best offensive performance of the season and slammed the door on the slightest glimmer of hope Wake Forest (9-2) and the Atlantic Coast Conference had to put a team in the College Football Playoff.
The Tigers (8-3) are too far gone to make the playoff for a seventh straight season, but suddenly their hope is to extend their streak of six straight ACC titles. If Wake loses next week at Boston College and North Carolina State loses to North Carolina, Clemson is back in the conference title game for a rematch against No. 20 Pitt.
Michigan State has had remarkable turnaround in Year 2 under coach Mel Tucker, who is reportedly weighing a massive contract extension from the school because it believes he can build a program that can truly threaten Ohio State.
The Spartans learned Saturday there is still a long way to go.
Even if Wake were to stumble next week, this has been the Demon Deacons’ best season in more than a decade, clueing in the rest of the country on the nice job coach Dave Clawson has done at the smallest Power Five school in the country.
Still, Wake’s experienced roster and creative offense was no match for Clemson’s dudes, led by freshman running back Will Shipley.
The Tigers were the first team this season to hold the Demon Deacons under 35 points, and they extended their winning streak over Wake to 13. After a 2-2 start, Clemson has a path to New Year’s Six bowl.
“They’ve rallied and they battled,” coach Dabo Swinney told reporters. “The foundation of our program has won the day for us.”
A foundation built on four straight top-10 recruiting classes.
In the Big 12, No. 12 Oklahoma has spent much of the season searching for its top form, but after bouncing back from last week’s loss behind five-star freshman Caleb Williams, the Sooners will head into Bedlam at No. 9 Oklahoma State positioned for a fifth straight conference title game appearance. OU has won the previous four.
The Sooners have pedigree and Bedlam history on their side (six straight victories and 16 of 18). Oklahoma State enters on tear. After shutting out Texas Tech, the Cowboys have won four straight by a combined 165-23.
In the SEC, No. 2 Alabama locked up its side of the conference against Arkansas, booking a spot in what figures to be a titanic championship game against No. 1 Georgia.
If Stroud isn’t the leader in what has felt like a wide-open Heisman Trophy race, it’s probably the Crimson Tide’s Bryce Young. Alabama’s star first-year starter passed for a school-record 561 yards and five touchdowns against No. 21 Arkansas.
Before the season, there was a feeling of inevitability at the top of college football, with four super teams (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma) dominating their conferences and Georgia trying to enter that conversation.
With Thanksgiving approaching, a season that at times seemed to be trending toward chaos is on the verge of falling into place largely as expected.
