2025 NFL Draft: College football recap, Week 14

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Notre Dame v USC
Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Season-finale recap and three standout performers

Multiple results from the final week of the college football regular season sent shockwaves through conference title races and the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP). There was more than one double-digit upset among top-10 teams in the previous rankings. Now, the conference title games are set and there’s a much clearer picture of the CFP landscape as we trudge into postseason play.

One of the biggest shockers of the day despite the massive rivalry between the two was Michigan going into Columbus, OH and knocking off No. 2 Ohio State 13-10. It’s been an embarrassing stretch for the Buckeyes against a bitter rival — this one being the worst of them with Michigan struggling on the field all season. But they nip Ohio State here and knock them out of the Big Ten Championship. The Buckeyes will now be an at-large team with no bye — meaning they’ll need to earn three straight victories to reach the National Championship Game. The Wolverines won despite missing two top players in tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson.

Third-ranked Texas handled No. 20 Texas A&M 17-7. This never truly felt like a game the Aggies could win despite blunders with turnovers by the Longhorns. The Texas defense stood on its head — not giving up a single point. The Aggies’ only points came on a pick-six in the second half that cancelled out a prime Texas scoring opportunity. The Longhorns walk into the SEC Championship Game while the Aggies are out of the running.

Sixth-ranked Miami blew a 21-0 lead on the road at Syracuse and ended up losing 42-38. The Hurricanes are to be on the outside looking in with yet another flawed performance from their defensive unit. This was a massive loss for the Hurricanes that takes star quarterback Cam Ward out of the race for a conference championship and potential national title.

Fifteenth-ranked South Carolina went on the road to defeat No. 12 Clemson in a matchup that proved to be relatively meaningless based on other results later in the day. Clemson is now in the ACC Championship Game with Miami’s loss with a chance at a qualifier to reach the CFP with a win. South Carolina is still finding themselves on the outside looking in with their playoff hopes after coming in at No. 14 in the new rankings.

Meanwhile in the Big 12 race, No. 18 Iowa State took down No. 24 Kansas State to set up a date in the Big 12 title game between Arizona State that will decide who heads to the CFP.

The regular season is in the books and it was the final complete slate of contests for the season with many college careers coming to an end. Let’s talk three prospects who sent the 2024 regular season out with a “bang.”

Notre Dame S Xavier Watts houses pick six, makes key plays against USC

Notre Dame was in a situation where they needed to win their season finale against a feisty USC team. One player who made a massive impact in this game was safety Xavier Watts. Watts is one of the more unsung heroes on this Notre Dame team who makes plenty of plays week to week. In a class where there’s a search to find who the second tier of safeties truly are, Watts is making a name for himself as a serious possibility for consideration.

The 6’0”, 200-pound Watts put his ball skills and versatility on display against the Trojans this week — including a jumped pick on a lazy pass in the end zone that he took and rolled down the USC sideline for 100 yards. Watts made several other key plays in coverage and in tackle support against a slippery group of USC receivers. Watts is now up to five interceptions on the season and has two years of very good statistical output on a high-quality defense.

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter go off with a bang in likely final game in Buffs uniform

Colorado may not have made the Big 12 Championship game for the right to have an opportunity to make the CFP. But two of the best players in college football got to light it up one more time before being sent off. Sanders went 34-of-41 for 438 yards and five touchdowns. He did have an interception. Sanders is a strong likelihood to be a first-round NFL Draft selection and he’s had some very strong performances to end this season.

Hunter went for 10 receptions and 116 yards plus three scores. He also added another interception to put a feather in the cap of his Heisman Trophy resume. Hunter is a heavy favorite to win the award. Hunter is one of the more unique prospects in some time. He’s as competitive as he is athletic, and there’s just not many people on Earth who could play to his caliber for as many snaps as he does per game. This is a special prospect and a favorite for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. If this is the last we’ve seen of him in the college game, a hat tip to Mr. Hunter for the history and the memories.

Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku finishes dominant campaign with monster performance against Pitt

Boston College isn’t a hotbed of player talent, but Donovan Ezeiruaku blew up this season finishing the regular season with 16.5 sacks. Saturday was his best overall performance of the season with a 3.5-sack and 4.5-tackle-for-loss game. There aren’t many edge rushers in college football moving quite like he does despite some size limitations. His game lends itself to being a high-quality situational pass rusher in the NFL. Totaling 16.5 sacks and an ACC Defensive Player of the Year honor will surely help his case come April.

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