dawgbonejr

Dawgbone Jr's Weekend Observations

Born barkin', raised on Kirby's domination of rivals, and fueled by SEC and National championships - Dawgbone Jr recaps the weekend's biggest games all season long.

11.30.25

Week 14: Longhorns Shutdown Aggies, Ryan Day Finally Beats Michigan, Tennessee Crumbles Again

#7 Ole Miss 38 - Mississippi State 19

All week the storyline for this game was the future of Lane Kiffin, but the Ole Miss Rebels were not distracted by it. Ole Miss came out hot in this heated rivalry by scoring on its first two drives. QB Trinidad Chambliss had a career day, throwing for four touchdowns with 359 passing yards. Ole Miss was also able to lean on the run game with RB Kewan Lacy. Lacy carried the ball 27 times for 143 yards and scored once. The Rebels have struggled defensively all year, but they had one of their best performances on Black Friday. They struggled to stop the run, but they shut down a high powered Mississippi State passing attack. QB Kamario Taylor went 15 of 31 with 178 yards and an interception. This was a statement win for the Rebels, but Lane Kiffin’s time is coming to an end. With Kiffin taking the LSU job, Ole Miss will be weak come playoff time without their coach. This is a travesty for Ole Miss fans.

#4 Dawgs 16 - #23 Georgia Tech 9

Mercedes Benz Stadium was the host of this year’s Clean Old Fashion Hate and it was an ugly game. Both offenses struggled to move the ball. QB Gunner Stockton went 11 of 21 for only 70 yards in what was the worst game of his Georgia career, so the Dawgs leaned on the rushing attack. RB Nate Frazier had a solid game with 16 touches for 108 yards and felt like the only offense Georgia had. The Yellow Jackets, who have run the ball well all year, could not run at all. Tech ran it 23 times for only 69 yards. Haynes King, who has dominated ACC teams with his legs, finished with just 39 rushing yards. This was one of the best performances of the season for the Bulldogs defense. Since Texas A&M lost to Texas, the Dawgs will head back to Atlanta next week to face the Tide in the SEC Championship and will need to get the offense right as they face a team that has had their number for a long time. The Dawgs defense will also have to play much better than they did in the previous matchup against Alabama.

#3 Texas A&M 17 - #16 Texas 27

The Lone Star Showdown did not have as many stakes as last season, but Austin was rocking for this Friday night matchup. A&M, having one of its best seasons ever, wanted to beat its archrival to complete an undefeated season, but Texas shut that down. The first half was slow as both teams struggled offensively. Arch Manning and the Texas offense could not get anything going, and the Aggies had a scare when QB Marcel Reed went down, though he returned quickly. Texas A&M ended the first half with a huge touchdown to take a 10-3 lead, and all the momentum was in their favor. Something changed in the Texas locker room because they came out hot in the second half. The Longhorns scored 17 straight points to take a ten point lead and the crowd was electric. A&M answered with a fourth quarter touchdown, but an Arch Manning 35 yard touchdown run sealed the win. It was a rough season for Texas, but they ended on the right foot. For A&M, this was the first good SEC team they have really played and they struggled. This Aggie team will struggle in the playoffs.

#1 Ohio State 27 - #15 Michigan 9

Coming into the game, Ohio State had not beaten the Wolverines since 2019, Ryan Day’s first year as head coach. This year, Ohio State played motivated and dominated Michigan in the Big House. The past four years Michigan won because of its running game and ability to stop the run. Ohio State excelled in both areas on Saturday. RB Bo Jackson, a true freshman, ran for 117 yards on 22 carries and contributed in the passing game. Michigan did not run the ball horribly, but because Ohio State kept scoring, the Wolverines had to throw and rely on their young quarterback. OSU QB Julian Sayin continues to play efficiently. He threw an early interception but bounced back with three touchdown passes. The Buckeyes receiving core was a major problem for Michigan’s secondary. Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss all scored. Ohio State is by far the team to beat at the moment and looks like the favorite to repeat as National Champions.

#12 Miami 38 - #22 Pitt 7

With the Hurricanes outside the playoff picture, they needed to dominate on Saturday and they did just that. QB Carson Beck keeps improving as the season goes on. He went 23 of 29 for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Miami’s defense also shut down a good Pittsburgh offense. The Panthers ran for only 30 yards while Miami rushed for 140. Freshman WR Malachi Toney continues to shine and looks like the best young player in college football. Toney caught 13 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 30 yards. His best highlight was a touchdown throw to TE Elija Lofton. Miami is very hot right now, but losses to Louisville and SMU are ruining their playoff chances. They are by far the best ACC team, but they will not be playing in Charlotte next week.

#6 Oregon 26 - Washington 14

Playing on the road at Washington is one of the toughest challenges in college football, especially in a rivalry game. Oregon went into Seattle and quieted the crowd quickly. The Ducks struggled to run the ball, so they leaned on QB Dante Moore who played well in a tough environment. Moore was 20 of 29 for 286 yards and a touchdown. Malik Benson caught the touchdown and led the team with 105 receiving yards. Oregon really won this game because of its defense. Washington is dangerous offensively with QB Demond Williams Jr., but Oregon bottled him up. Williams Jr. went 15 of 30 for 129 yards with two interceptions. Washington ran the ball well, but the turnovers cost them the chance at an upset. Oregon is a dangerous playoff team as they are getting hot, and Dan Lanning will get his first playoff win this season.

LSU 13 - #8 Oklahoma 17

Oklahoma all season has won games with its defense and Saturday was no different. LSU managed only 198 total yards and their one turnover came inside Oklahoma’s five yard line. If LSU scores there, they probably win. Oklahoma’s offense was not much better. QB John Mateer continues to struggle and threw three interceptions. The Sooners also had no rushing attack, averaging only 2.7 yards per carry. LSU controlled much of the fourth quarter, but a busted coverage allowed a deep Oklahoma touchdown to Isaiah Sategna, who is their only real offensive weapon. The Sooners defense then turned LSU over on downs to secure a win and a spot in the College Football Playoff. This is a huge accomplishment for Brent Venables, but they will get bounced in the first round. For LSU, this has been a disastrous season, but the Lane Kiffin hire will change the direction of the program.

#14 Vanderbilt 45 - #19 Tennessee 24

The Neyland Stadium crowd was fired up because of comments Vandy QB Diego Pavia made about the Vols during the offseason. The Commodores backed up his talk with a dominant second half. The first half was a back and forth battle with both offenses moving the ball well, and it felt like the game would go down to the wire. Vandy came out hot in the second half with a six and a half minute touchdown drive, then Tennessee went three and out. Vandy got the ball back and put together another long drive that ended in a field goal, and from there the Commodores were in full control. Diego Pavia threw two rough interceptions, but outside of that he played lights out. He threw for a touchdown and ran for 165 yards on 20 carries with another score. This has been a historic end to the season for the Commodores and they are definitely a playoff caliber team, but they will not get in.

#10 Alabama 27 - Auburn 20

The last few Iron Bowls in Jordan Hare Stadium have come down to the wire and this year’s game delivered. The Crimson Tide started fast. Auburn was getting bullied by the Alabama defense, and QB Ty Simpson threw two touchdown passes to Isaiah Horton for a 17-0 lead. Auburn settled in and ended the half with two field goals. The Tigers needed a lot to go their way in the second half and they got it with two huge pass plays to Malcolm Simmons. One was a 64 yard touchdown and the other was a 66 yard play that set up a tying touchdown. Alabama was in a tough spot with Auburn stealing momentum, but Ty Simpson and the offense answered with a long scoring drive to take the lead with just over three minutes left. Auburn drove down the field looking to tie the game, but they had issues catching and holding onto the ball all day. QB Ashton Daniels threw a screen to Cam Coleman and Alabama’s Bray Hubbard forced a fumble to end the game. Alabama once again wins a close Iron Bowl in Auburn and the Crimson Tide solidify their spot in the CFP.

Conference Championship Predictions

American Athletic Championship: North Texas 38 - Tulane 31

Big 12 Championship: BYU 13 - Texas Tech 30

SEC Championship: Dawgs 21 - Crimson Tide 20

Big Ten Championship: Indiana 14 - Ohio State 38

ACC Championship: Duke 16 - Virginia 31

Bennett Wiggins (aka Dawgbone Jr)