Northwestern takes control of Big Ten West: 6 craziest moments of Week 12 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Northwestern has taken control of the Big Ten West, Purdue was screwed by perhaps the worst penalty call of the entire season and everyone got upset over a game getting postponed during a pandemic.
Here are the craziest moments from Week 12 of the college football season.
Tulsa stuns Tulane
We are going back to Thursday for this one because the Tulsa-Tulane game deserves mention. Tulsa trailed by 7 with less than a minute left with both of its top two quarterbacks knocked out with injuries. Third-string quarterback David Brin heaved a Hail Mary to the end zone as time expired and found JuanCarlos Santana to tie the game.
Both teams traded field goals in overtime, but Zaven Collins won the game for Tulsa with a pick-6 in double overtime.
Purdue gets screwed
Friday had perhaps the most controversial moment of the week in a game between Purdue and Minnesota.
Down 34-31, Purdue thought they had taken the lead with less than a minute remaining as Jack Plummer found tight end Payne Durham in the back of the end zone. The play, however, was called back for offensive pass interference.
It was a horrible call.
I take it back. It was worse than a horrible call. It was an indefensible call. A referee decided that this play warranted offensive pass interference in a critical moment that ended up costing Purdue the game as Plummer threw an interception the following play to seal the game.
Don't be that person who pauses and takes a screenshot of the two arm-battling and use that as evidence of a push-off. Watch the play. There is no push off and there is no pass interference, period. It was a horrible call, it decided the game and Purdue got screwed.
Clemson and Florida State postponed, everyone looks for who to blame
College football fans woke up to the news on Saturday that the return of Trevor Lawrence was not happening as the Clemson-Florida State game was postponed.
The fact that the game was postponed was not all that surprising -- it was just one of 18 games to be either postponed or canceled, after all -- but the game getting postponed on Saturday just hours before kickoff seemed to catch everyone by surprise.
The issue was reportedly a Clemson player who tested positive for COVID on Friday. He was symptomatic but tested negative twice over the week. The team, however, then tested on Friday and found out that player had tested positive after they were already in Tallahassee. Because that player had been practicing and traveled with the team, Florida State officials determined they were not comfortable going forward with the game and it was postponed.
The game was, of course, supposed to be the return of Lawrence who missed the past two games after he tested positive for COVID.
This is an understandable reaction from a player. As we are in a pandemic, however, I am sure fans of both teams reacted with maturity and understanding at the decision in order to keep the players safe.
*Checks Twitter*
Oh...oh, no....
Offense wins games, defense wins the Big Ten West
One of the big games of the week was Northwestern vs. Wisconsin. The Badgers were expected to roll after blowing out Michigan last week, despite how bad we all know Michigan is this year. Still, few gave the Wildcats a chance and that's when they always seem to get you.
Wisconsin had only turned the ball over once in two games prior to Staruday and quarterback Graham Mertz had not thrown an interception yet this season. Northwestern forced three picks and five total turnovers in a huge defensive performance in a 17-7 win.
Northwestern is now 5-0 and has the inside track on winning the Big Ten West and a place in the conference championship game.
A real football flop
Looks like you've got the wrong "football." If I wanted to watch acting this bad, I would turn on literally any Hallmark Christmas movie.
Referee gets caught in the play
This has to be every referee's nightmare.
