This wasn’t a typical week for the “Game Balls” department with multiple 400-yard passing games to parse, too many 200-yard rushing games to reckon with, a depth of dynamic defensive performances to debate, etc.
There were just nine FBS games across college football last week as the conference championships tied a bow on the regular season, but we still have a full allotment of 10 Game Balls to award for the best performances.
Here goes.
Indiana WR Charlie Becker
Becker didn’t have more than 2 catches or 52 receiving yards in a game for Indiana until mid-November before reeling off three 100-yard performances in the span of four games, including a career-high 126 yards on 6 catches in the Hoosiers’ 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship battle of unbeatens.
Indiana lost key wide receiver Omar Cooper early in the game Saturday, but Becker rose to the occasion and made one of the biggest plays with a 51-yard reception on third down to set up the Hoosiers’ go-ahead touchdown midway through the third quarter.
That catch took Indiana to the Ohio State 29 and keyed the Hoosiers’ longest drive of the game in what was a defensive standoff for most of the four quarters.
With the win, Indiana secured its first No. 1 ranking in program history and the top seed in the College Football Playoff, and that very possibly wouldn’t have happened without Becker’s big catch.
Western Michigan RB Jalen Buckley
Buckley rumbled for 193 yards and 2 TDs on 19 carries, averaging 10.2 yards per carry, in leading Western Michigan to a 23-13 MAC championship win over Miami (Ohio).
That included a tone-setting 67-yard TD run on the third play of the game and a 64-yard TD run in the third quarter to stretch the Broncos’ lead from 16-6 to 23-6.
That marked a season-high rushing total for Buckley but it was actually the third game of his career with at least 190 rushing yards. This was Western Michigan’s second MAC championship.
James Madison RB Wayne Knight
Wayne Knight has been one of the best players on one of the best teams in the country all season but hadn’t received a Game Ball yet. It’s time.
Knight was at his best in the biggest game of the season, leading James Madison to 31-14 win over Troy for the Sun Belt championship and a College Football Playoff berth. The junior averaged 10.1 yards across 21 carries, rushing for a season-high 212 yards and a TD (plus 12 receiving yards).
The TD was a 73-yarder early in the second quarter to give JMU a 10-7 lead it would never relinquish. It was the longest run on his career.
Knight has rushed for 1,263 yards and 9 TDs for the 12-1 Dukes.
Boise State QB Maddux Madsen
Boise State left no doubt in winning a third straight Mountain West championship, beating UNLV 38-21, and Madsen was a major reason why.
The veteran QB accounted for four first-half touchdowns as the Broncos jumped out to a 28-7 lead on his 39-yard TD hookup with Malik Sherrod.
Madsen completed 17 of 31 passes for 289 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs and added a 10-yard rushing TD to tie his season-high with those four scores. He was playing in his first game since Nov. 1 after working his way back from an ankle injury and was named the offensive MVP of the game in his triumphant return.
Tulane RB Jamauri McClure
McClure had just 8 carries through the first two and a half months of the season, but the redshirt-freshman running back broke out down the stretch with rushing totals of 94, 122, 69 and 121 yards — the latter coming in Tulane’s 34-21 AAC championship game win over North Texas to secure its spot in the College Football Playoff.
McClure, who also had a 12-yard reception, piled up those 121 yards on a season-high 22 carries, including a 30-yard highlight-reel run and a touchdown.
With QB Jake Retzlaff (145 passing yards, 0 TDs) having a quiet game, McClure was the catalyst offensively for the Green Wave.
Kennesaw State QB Amari Odom
Odom was the definition of clutch in leading Kennesaw State to a fourth-quarter rally and 19-15 win over Jacksonville State in the Conference USA championship game.
Odom was an efficient 26-of-32 passing for 246 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs, but it’s what he did on the Owls’ final drive that puts him on this list.
Kennesaw State was up 12-0 early in the fourth quarter before allowing Jacksonville State to reel off 15 straight points and take a late lead, leaving Odom and the Owls one last shot to answer with just over 4 minutes remaining.
Facing a third-and-27 from their own 38, Odom hit Christian Moss for a 26-yard completion deep down the middle, setting up a successful fourth-down conversion. Later facing a fourth-and-14 from the Jacksonville State 37 with under a minute to go, Odom extended the game with his legs on a 14-yard run for the first down. He then tossed the game-winning 11-yard TD pass to Navelle Dean.
It was Kennesaw State’s first Conference USA championship as the Owls improved to 10-3.
Tulane LB Chris Rodgers
If the AAC championship game wasn’t already in hand already, it sure was after Rodgers scored on a 35-yard interception return for touchdown in the third quarter for a 31-7 lead over North Texas. He plucked the ball out of the air off the receiver’s hands and was off to the races to punctuate the Green Wave’s phenomenal season.
Rodgers also finished second on the team with 7 tackles in helping secure that CFP berth.
Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez
Many wanted to see Rodriguez and his signature mustache among the Heisman Trophy finalists this week in New York City, but he didn’t get enough votes. That’s OK — he’s getting another Game Ball for his efforts.
Rodriguez had a game-high 13 tackles and a tackle for loss while keying another dominant defensive effort for Texas Tech vs. BYU in a 34-7 Big 12 championship game victory.
This may be a routine day of work for Rodriguez, but that doesn’t make it any less special the impact he has week after week. It was his sixth double-digit tackles game of the season.
Overall, the Big 12 defensive player of the year has 117 tackles (61 solo), NCAA-leading 7 forced fumbles (with 2 fumble recoveries), 4 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 11 tackles for loss, a sack and 2 rushing TDs for the No. 4 team in the country.
Georgia QB Gunner Stockton
Arguably, the most impressive win of the weekend was Georgia dominating Alabama, 28-7, in the SEC title game to win the high-stakes rematch after losing to the Crimson Tide earlier this fall.
And Stockton delivered one his most efficient games as a Bulldog to make that happen, completing 20 of 26 passes for 156 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs while finishing second on the team with 39 rushing yards. That is surely the lowest passing total to garner a Game Ball this season, but considering the weight of the moment and the ramifications on College Football Playoff seeding, Stockton’s performance merits the recognition.
After throwing interceptions in each of the previous three games, he was dialed in from the start and all three of his TD passes came on third downs — including this dart to Dillon Bell from the 5-yard line to make it 14-0 in the second quarter.
Stockton was deservedly named the SEC championship game MVP as the Bulldogs locked up the No. 3 seed for the playoffs and a first-round bye.
James Madison DL Sahir West
West, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound redshirt freshman, has been a solid, emerging piece for James Madison’s defense all season and was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, so this didn’t come out of nowhere.
But last Friday night he was an absolute star.
West racked up a team-high 10 tackles (double his previous high), 5.5 tackles for loss (after having 8.5 during the regular season) and 3 sacks (after having 4 all season) to help send the Dukes to the College Football Playoff.
His final sack caused a fumble that JMU returned 22 yards for a touchdown with 3:17 left in the fourth quarter to help seal the win and make it a 17-point game.
