Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[Soapy]

Nah, I think y'all are a lock even with a loss. probably drop to 9/10

beat SC though

JaKobi Lane is a tough matchup

[ShireNiner]

Minnesota vs USC in the B10 Championship game still feels weird man

same. I’m a PAC12 guy, Oregon winning the game last year didn’t even feel exciting to me.

[ShireNiner]

Nah, I think y'all are a lock even with a loss. probably drop to 9/10

beat SC though

JaKobi Lane is a tough matchup

hopefully, in the end my “brutal” schedule ended up being pretty easy. Only two teams ended the season ranked that I played. Article coming on that.

[Caesar]

I agree with El Soapito that I don’t think a loss will knock you out of the CFP but you don’t want to be heading into it on the back of a loss.

[redsox907]

yeah I've seen 9th ranked teams still make the CFP with a loss to an unranked. I think you're fine either way. But its the difference between a bye week and going to someone else's turf for the 1st round.

git r done

[ShireNiner]

Trojan Triumph: #5 USC Outlasts #4 Minnesota in Big Ten Title Thriller


USC celebrates their first Big Ten title and a bye in the playoffs (ShireNiner PS5 images) Images

USC Trojans (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 5) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 4)
Big Ten Conference, Saturday, Dec 12, 2026

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#5 USC | 7 | 13 | 3 | 15 | 38
#4 MINN | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31

By:Aiden “AJ” Wexler, Minnesota reporter
Saturday, Dec 12, 2026 | Big Ten Championship Game


INDIANAPOLIS — In a game that lived up to its heavyweight billing, it was the West Coast firepower of the USC Trojans that finally pierced the "Power North" armor.

Behind a masterclass from quarterback Jayden Maiava and a game-clinching drive from Waymond Jordan, the No. 5 USC Trojans (12-1) captured their first Big Ten Championship with a 38-31 victory over No. 4 Minnesota (10-3) at a raucous Lucas Oil Stadium.

Coming into the game, Minnesota knew they had to be nearly perfect to come away with a win. They would need some luck and to play their best game of the season. The game almost started perfectly. On the first play of the game, Jayden Maiava was sacked and fumbled, but USC was able to recover the ball in their own red zone.

"That fumble was huge. If we had recovered that, who knows what would have happened if we had gone up early in the game with all the momentum?" Mick Smith said after the game. "The ball just did not bounce our way tonight."

Later in the first quarter, Minnesota took another hit when star pass rusher Emmanuel Karmo (12.5 sacks this season) left with a shoulder injury and could not continue. Without Karmo in pursuit, Maiava was able to operate against an exposed Minnesota pass defense that has been built on putting pressure on the quarterback all season.

"When Karmo went down, that opened the game for us. Without having to chip block him and keep a back in the backfield to help, we were able to open up the playbook, and you saw that more as the game went on." USC coach Lincoln Riley said. "Not keeping a running back in the backfield really opened up Jayden's options. That was a game changer for us."

Despite the setbacks, Minnesota finished the first half with momentum. Jourdan Thomas intercepted a pass across the middle, returning it 50 yards to put Minnesota in field-goal range late in the second quarter. The field goal brought the score to a 10-point game at the half.

Minnesota was able to score another touchdown in the third to slowly climb back into the game before the Golden Gophers took another major hit. Quarterback AJ Brand was knocked out of the game with a knee injury with ten minutes left, bringing in former starter Dylan Wittke to finish the game for Minnesota. With their leaders sidelined and the AJ Turner uncharacteristically stifled, the Gophers turned to Fame Ijeboi.

Ijeboi spearheaded a furious comeback, scoring two second-half touchdowns to pull Minnesota within striking distance. A 7-yard burst by Ijeboi with 1:56 left gave Minnesota their first lead of the second half, setting up the dramatic final drive for the Trojans.

With the game on the line, USC didn't flinch. A crucial 15-yard roughing the passer penalty against the Gophers on a 3rd-down stop gave the Trojans new life. Waymond Jordan capitalized, slicing through the Minnesota defense for a 10-yard touchdown and a successful 2-point conversion with just 56 seconds remaining. Minnesota drove the ball to midfield, but a failed Hail Mary attempt as time expired was the final ending for another Championship loss for the Gophers.

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Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
Kenrick Lanier II 3 yd pass from AJ Brand (4:21)
Ja'Kobi Lane 10 yd pass from Jayden Maiava (1:31)

Quarter 2
Caden Chittenden 38 yd FG 8:23)
Ja'Kobi Lane 75 yd pass from Jayden Maiava (4:55)
Caden Chittenden 33 yd FG (8:23)
Manuel Valles 35 yd FG (0:40)

Quarter 3
Fame Ijeboi 1 yd run (8:15)
Caden Chittenden 36 yd FG (4:08)

Quarter 4
Waymond Jordan 2 yd run (12:22)
AJ Turner 1 yd run (6:01)
Fame Ijeboi 7 yd run (1:56)
Waymond Jordan 10 yd run (2pt conversion good - 0:56)

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Soapys' Box Score
Passing
AJ Brand, 20/33, 171 yds, 60%, 1 TD, 1 INT
Dylan Wittke, 4/9, 44 yds, 44%
Jayden Maiva, 21/33, 63%, 360 yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing
Fame Ijeboi, 26 atts, 117 yds, 4.5 avg, 2 TDs
Xavier Ford, 7 atts, 68 yds, 9.7 avg
AJ Turner, 6 atts, 9 yds, 1.5 avg, 1 TD
Waymond Jordan, 9 atts, 34 yds, 3.7 avg, 2 TD
Receiving
Dearee Rogers, 6 rec, 43 yds
Kenric Lanier II, 4 rec, 33 yds, 1 TD
Joey Olsen, 5 rec, 51 yds
Ja'Kobe Lane, 5 rec. 140 yds, 2 TD
Defense
Mitch Horan, 9 tkls, 1 TFL
Aidan Gousby, 6 tkls, 3 TFL, 1 sack
Kerry Brown, 14 tkls, 4 TFL, 1 INT
Jourdan Thomas, 5 tks, 1 INT
Desman Stephens II, 13 tkls, 3 TFL
Chasen Johnson, 11 tkls, 1 INT
Isaiah Glasker, 8 tkls, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Christian Pierce, 8 tkls

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Aiden “AJ” Wexler is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

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Coming up Next from ShireNiner Nation:

• Injury updates for AJ Brand, AJ Turner, and Emmanual Karmo PLUS the bowl status for each.

• Does Minnesota deserve a playoff spot?

• A look around the CFB and conference championship games

Comments

[redsox907]

no shade here, that's a tough loss. Makes it worse it wasn't just Turner getting stuffed, but then Karmo and Brand going down to compound it. Lots of things to try and overcome, and yet they still needed a last minute drive to snatch victory



we'll get that lick back in the playoffs

[ShireNiner]

no shade here, that's a tough loss. Makes it worse it wasn't just Turner getting stuffed, but then Karmo and Brand going down to compound it. Lots of things to try and overcome, and yet they still needed a last minute drive to snatch victory



we'll get that lick back in the playoffs

Yeah, it was a tough game. I thought we would need something to go our way, besides the interception right before half, but nothing went our way, unfortunately. But credit to USC, I have never faced a team that had so many receivers open. They spread us out and picked us apart when the pass rush died.

[ShireNiner]

10 BYU 20 | 15 MISS 14 | 1 USC 38 | 11 CLE 44 | EMU 34
2 TTU 39 | 4 UFL 52 | 7 MINN 31 | 6 SMU 17 | 12 MOH 41

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The Road to Las Vegas is set: Big Ten dominates the playoffs but Red Raiders still favorites


CFP Playoffs are set and ready to start next weekend (ShireNiner PS5 images) Images

By:Steven Koenig
Dec 14, 2026 | NCAAF

The college football regular season has reached its fever pitch, and as the dust settles on a chaotic Championship Weekend, the landscape for the 12-team playoff has finally been set. From Lubbock to Gainesville, the final Saturday of the season provided the kind of high-stakes drama that has become synonymous with this new era of the sport. As programs prepare for the most grueling postseason in history, a mix of perennial powerhouses and fresh-faced challengers have emerged to fight for the right to lift the trophy in Sin City.

The biggest story of the weekend took place in the Big 12, where No. 2 Texas Tech capped off a perfect 13-0 season by systematically dismantling No. 10 BYU in a 39-20 victory. The win secured a first-round bye for the Red Raiders and likely put the finishing touches on a Heisman-winning campaign for quarterback Conner Weigman. Weigman was nearly perfect against a tough BYU secondary, throwing for 279 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing the poise that has made Texas Tech the most dangerous team in the country. For the Cougars, the loss is a sting to their resume, but they remain a formidable out in the bracket as they prepare for a first-round trip to Minneapolis.

In the SEC, the Florida Gators made a loud statement that they are no longer just a "sleeping giant." Led by junior sensation DJ Lagway (Soapys favorite), the No. 4 Gators overwhelmed No. 15 Ole Miss in a 52-14 rout. Lagway’s 300-yard, two-touchdown performance solidified Florida’s status as the top overall seed in the SEC, earning them a well-deserved bye. Meanwhile, No. 11 Clemson provided one of the most eye-opening results of the day, crushing No. 6 SMU 44-17. The Tigers’ defense looked like the units of old, suffocating the Mustangs' high-powered offense and setting up a fascinating first-round rematch between the two programs.

Lower down the rankings, the Group of Five race provided its own share of fireworks. Florida International pulled off a 42-40 thriller over UTEP, but the real story was in the MAC. Eastern Michigan’s loss to Miami (OH) proved to be the golden ticket for the RedHawks. With a 41-34 victory, Miami (OH) officially clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, a historic achievement that sends them to Athens for a date with Georgia. Additionally, New Mexico’s 36-33 upset over Boise State shook the bottom of the rankings, ending the Broncos' hopes of a late-season surge.

The resulting playoff bracket is a fascinating puzzle of styles and regional rivalries. The top four seeds—USC, Texas Tech, Ohio State, and Florida—will watch from the sidelines during the first round, awaiting the winners of four campus-site games. The most intriguing of these matchups might be the No. 10 BYU versus No. 7 Minnesota showdown. The Gophers, coming off a heartbreaking loss in the Big Ten Championship, must quickly regroup to host a BYU team that is desperate to prove they belong after their loss to Texas Tech. These two teams met in week two last season when Minnesota won 27-20 at Minneapolis.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 12 Miami (OH) faces the daunting task of traveling to face No. 5 Georgia. The Bulldogs, led by a star-studded roster, are heavy favorites, but the RedHawks have nothing to lose. The winner of that contest will advance to face a rested Florida team in what would be a massive regional clash. Meanwhile, the battle for the ACC and Big Ten prestige continues as No. 9 UCLA heads East to face No. 8 Pitt. This matchup features two of the most improved teams in the country, with the winner earning the right to face top-seeded USC in the quarterfinals. Finally, the No. 11 Clemson Tigers will face No. 6 SMU for the second time in two weeks. After Clemson’s dominant performance in the first meeting, SMU will be looking for revenge on their home turf, with the winner moving on to face No. 3 Ohio State.

What did you think of this story?

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Steven Koenig is a senior writer for ShireNiner Nation covering College Football. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for MSNBC Sports. He is based in Boston, MA. Follow Steven on Twitter @SteviesFake.

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Comments

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[redsox907]

@SteviesFake

BYU should be an easy warm up. TTech is a different story