Michigan overtakes USC and re-enters the race for the College Football Playoffs

Every Saturday, veteran national college football writer Matt Hayes analyzes four breaking stories and a 12-team College Football Playoff schedule.

First Down: Michigan: Welcome back, Bully Ball

Those hard, exhausting runs from Kalel Mullings. Stomping and thundering and echoing.

All the way to Columbus, Ohio.

Michigan found its way back to itself on Saturday, a tough 27-24 win and a welcome Big Ten loss to No. 12 Southern California. But look closer, folks.

For the suddenly shaky defending champions, it was not a surprise victory, but rather a return to a powerful running game – and a message to the Buckeyes.

Because while Michigan struggled through the first month of the season with difficult games against Texas and USC, Ohio State effortlessly fought its way through three guaranteed games without even breaking a sweat.

But just in case Ohio State – and everyone else in the Big Ten – thought Michigan had lost its bearings after dominating the conference for the past three seasons, the game-winning drive against USC ended that story.

Mullings' eight runs on the 10-play touchdown drive that led to the win — 4 yards, 63, 1, 8, 2, 3, 2, 1 — capped an 89-yard drive in which Michigan stepped up and played hard with four minutes left, just as it did all game.

The drive ended on fourth down from the 1 when Mullings stormed down the left side with 29 seconds left to score the decisive points. How dominant was the drive?

The highlight was Mullings' 63-yard run, where he dragged USC cornerback John Humphrey for eight yards. But the underlying reality for USC (and, hello, Ohio State) was: Trojans coach Lincoln Riley started calling timeouts after the 63-yard run because he knew his defense couldn't stop the run — and he was desperate to buy time.

Michigan managed 290 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 46 carries and, more importantly, left no doubt about where the rest of the season will lead.

Tennessee: Big Orange D stops Oklahoma

They lost focus in the fourth quarter and the result of a big road win in the SEC does not reflect the carnage that took place on the field.

But Tennessee has an elite defense overall.

Oklahoma could have played eight quarters and still not scored enough points to beat a full Tennessee team. It's no longer just about Volunteers coach Josh Heupel's blur ball offense.

The defense is beginning to resemble the SEC's elite defenses of the College Football Playoff era. A 25-15 win at Oklahoma included two forced fumbles, an interception, a safety and 11 tackles for loss.

Like typical Georgia in Tennessee.

And that's what Saturday night's practice in Norman, Okla. is all about. For Heupel's first three seasons in Knoxville, defense was largely optional for Tennessee.

Now this Tennessee team looks a lot like the Oklahoma team he led to the national title as quarterback in 2000. The ability to score a lot of points, coupled with the backbone of a powerful defense.

How good was Tennessee's defense really? The offense lost fumbles at the 20 and 35 yard lines and the game wasn't really close.

Oklahoma rushed for 36 yards on 34 carries and never managed to make any meaningful throws – especially when it mattered. Starting quarterback Jackson Arnold played so poorly that he was benched late in the first half for true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr.

Tennessee has a defensive line that rivals the elite units of the late 1990s under coach Phil Fulmer. They are athletic and active and dictate what the offense can do.

At the end of the game, Heupel accomplished what he always did at Oklahoma: 10 wins in 10 games as a player and now one win in one game as head coach.

Third Down: Utah’s Statement

So a big game came along in the Big 12 and Utah officially introduced its new league to what its old league had been struggling with for years.

A tough, talented team that will do anything to win a game.

For example, a nearly flawless away game under difficult conditions with a substitute quarterback filling in for the injured star. Or the tight end who outpaces the Wildcat and scores a touchdown from close range.

Or the defense – Utah's signature defense – that choked Oklahoma State in a crucial conference game that will have lasting implications for the College Football Playoff race.

You want defense? Utah built a 22-3 lead with six minutes left and Oklahoma State had 158 total yards. Then the Utes eased the pressure to avoid a big play and left Stillwater with a deceptive 22-19 victory.

“We made it a lot more dramatic than necessary,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game.

But consider this: Utah has already earned a win against one of the two teams with the players to beat the Utes – and will not face the other team (Kansas State) unless they play in the Big 12 championship game.

In fact, Utah — which should have star quarterback Cam Rising back next week against Arizona — will be favored in all remaining games. The toughest remaining tests appear to be a home game against Iowa State (November 23) and an away game against Central Florida (November 29).

More: Is Isaac Wilson related to Zach Wilson? Utah's true freshman QB starts against Oklahoma State

Fourth attempt: The rise of… Vanderbilt?

Diego Pavia deserved better than a hook field goal in an overtime loss to Missouri.

Better than Vanderbilt's defense, which buckled with a minute left in last week's loss to Georgia State and allowed a 75-yard touchdown drive in 55 seconds that would have clinched the win.

Vanderbilt – yes, Vanderbilt – should be 4-0, and we should all be celebrating the most influential transfer quarterback of 2024 instead of complaining about the same old Vandy.

More influential than Dillon Gabriel or Will Howard or Riley Leonard — all of whom ended up on championship teams — Pavia has brought one of the worst teams in the Power Four Conference to the land of respectability.

Had it not been for a missed 31-yard field goal against Missouri, Vanderbilt could have pulled off another major upset (Virginia Tech) in the first month of the season with the quarterback who recently caused a stir by urinating on a rival's practice field.

Pavia led New Mexico State to 10 wins in 2023, including a 21-point victory at Auburn. He came to Vandy where former coach Jerry Kill joined Clark Lea's staff and immediately changed the way the Commodores think about offense.

Through four games, Pavia accounted for 75.2 percent of Vanderbilt's performance, throwing for 543 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 279 yards and two more touchdowns. The Commodores have an off week before they get a chance to pull off another upset.

Against mighty Alabama on October 5th.

The College Football Playoff Table

Four power conference champions ranked 1-4 with first-round byes, the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion, and seven wildcards.

(1) Texas

(2) State of Ohio

(3) Miami

(4) Utah

(12) Boise State at (5) Georgia

(11) Kansas State at (6) Alabama

(10) Missouri at (7) Tennessee

(9) Oregon at (8) Ole Miss

First Down: Michigan: Welcome back, Bully Ball

Tennessee: Big Orange D stops Oklahoma

Third Down: Utah’s Statement

Fourth attempt: The rise of… Vanderbilt?

The College Football Playoff Table

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