Big 12 Football

Texas defeated Arizona State in double-overtime during Wednesday's College Football Playoff quarterfinals game, but the Sun Devils may have had the chance to win it at the end of regulation if officials called targeting when Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe hit wide receiver Melquan Stovall on a tackle.

Officials reviewed the play and said it was not targeting, and Texas eventually won in the extra time.

As Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports relayed, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark called for a review of CFP officiating in the aftermath.

"Moving forward, we need to address CFP officiating to ensure national standards are developed," Yormark said. "These standards will be crucial to the CFP's future, and I look forward to discussing them with my fellow committee members when we meet next."

Stovall was tackled five yards short of a first down on a third-down play at the Arizona State 48-yard line with just more than one minute remaining in the game. Had targeting been called, the Sun Devils would have moved into Texas territory with a chance to pick up a few more yards and attempt a game-winning field goal.

Instead, they had to punt the ball back to Texas, which then moved into field-goal range before Bert Auburn missed his attempt.

Yet the SEC representative ended up prevailing when Quinn Ewers threw a touchdown pass to Matthew Golden on 4th-and-13 in the first overtime and Gunnar Helm for a score in the second overtime. Arizona State couldn't match the touchdown in the second overtime, ending its chance at a national title.

The targeting controversy overshadowed what could have been an all-time classic game.

It seemed like the Longhorns were going to cruise when they built a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter, but star Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo threw a touchdown pass and then ran for another score down the stretch. The Big 12 representative was successful on both ensuing two-point conversions to tie the game.

Skattebo also scored in the first overtime and finished with 143 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards and three total touchdowns in an incredible performance.

Much of the postgame conversation would have been about Skattebo had the Sun Devils won. Instead, it focused on the targeting controversy, which even drew the attention of former NFL referee and current CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore:

Texas ended up being the beneficiary of a critical non-call and is now two wins away from winning the national championship during the inaugural 12-team CFP.

Next up for the Longhorns is a de facto home game in the showdown with Ohio State in the semifinals in Arlington, Texas.

Arizona State couldn't have asked for more from Cam Skattebo on Wednesday.

The star running back had 30 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while racking up eight receptions for 99 yards in the 39-31 loss. On top of that, he threw a 42-yard touchdown pass on a trick play in the fourth quarter.

The heavy workload took a toll on Skattebo, though. He was seen on the ESPN broadcast vomiting on the sideline in the third quarter between possessions. Still, he continued to play to keep the Sun Devils in the game and eventually helped force overtime.

Per ESPN's Max Olson, Skattebo said he drank too much water but felt better after vomiting.

"That's when it all started," Skattebo said. "I had a rough first half, and I wasn't feeling too good. That second half, it was a different ballgame."

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham joked about Skattebo's tremendous effort after the game.

"Puke and rally," Dillingham said.

The outstanding game from Skattebo led to him being named Peach Bowl offensive MVP despite the Sun Devils coming up short.

"He's a special player," Dillingham said. "It's just Cam. It's exactly what I expected, bottom line. When you give him the ball, crazy things happen."

Skattebo's tremendous collegiate career is now over and he'll set his sights on the NFL draft this spring. The Sacramento State transfer ended the 2024 season with 1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground along with 605 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham received support from another notable Big 12 coach after the Sun Devils suffered a hard-fought 39-31 overtime loss to Texas in the College Football Playoff on Wednesday.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders complimented Dillingham in a post on X.

"We are proud of u and your team," Sanders wrote.

The Sun Devils faced a 24-8 deficit near the start of the fourth quarter in Wednesday's contest, but they were able to storm back and tie the game at the end of regulation.

Arizona State briefly took a seven-point lead in overtime, but Texas tied the contest once more on a fourth-down conversion with 13 yards to gain.

The Longhorns scored again, while an interception by Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt sealed the final result.

Despite the tough finish, it's hard to call Dillingham's second year with the school anything but a success. Arizona State reached 11 wins for the first time since 1996, securing a Big 12 title with a 45-19 victory over Iowa State on Dec. 7.

Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo thrived in Dillingham's offense, picking up 2,074 all-purpose yards and 22 total touchdowns before Wednesday's action. Skattebo also finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

While Sanders' Colorado team also challenged for a spot in the conference title game after switching from the Pac-12, he's repeatedly shown admiration for his opponent.

The Buffaloes' coach mentioned Dillingham when expressing his support for Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, as all three started at their respective schools during the same hiring cycle.

"I have a ton of respect for Matt Rhule," Sanders previously said, via ESPN's Kyle Bonagura. "He's in -- I call it our class of coaches. We all took on a tremendous test last year along with [Arizona State] Coach [Kenny] Dillingham and several others. So, I feel like we're a fraternity. So, I root for that class of head coaches that came in that year."

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Tuesday that Arizona State handed Dillingham a new five-year contract that will "put him in the top tier of Big 12 coaching salaries."

Following the Sun Devils' narrow CFP loss, Sanders applauded the effort from his conference foe.

Kenny Dillingham didn't sugarcoat how losing to Texas in the Peach Bowl felt on Wednesday.

The Arizona State head coach was blunt after the 39-31 double-overtime loss, which eliminated the Sun Devils from the College Football Playoff.

"God, that one sucked," Dillingham said, per Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee.

Considering the journey Arizona State has had this season, it's no surprise to see Dillingham and his squad heartbroken after the loss. The Sun Devils faced earlier losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati but managed to stay in the CFP race by winning their final five regular season games. They punched their ticket to the Playoff with a Big 12 championship win over Iowa State.

On Wednesday, Arizona State seemed on its way to a loss against Texas, going into halftime trailing 17-3.

But the resilient Sun Devils, behind heroics from star running back Cam Skattebo, crawled back into the game. They faced a 24-8 deficit heading into the final quarter but scored on a trick play to make it 24-16 after a two-point conversion.

On the defensive side, they picked off Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers before capitalizing on offense to tie things up.

Arizona State scored first in overtime and the Longhorns answered, sending the game into double-overtime. After Texas scored first, an interception on the other end sealed the win for Texas.

Though they came short of their goal of winning a national championship, it was a year of tremendous growth for Dillingham and the Sun Devils. They went just 3-9 in Dillingham's first season a year ago before finishing 11-3 this year with a conference title in their first season as Big 12 members. Arizona State also won 11 games for the first time since 1996.

It's clear Dillingham and the Sun Devils are trending upwards, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them right back in the College Football Playoff next season.

Despite facing the No. 1 defense in the nation when it meets Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, Arizona State is not short on confidence.

Sun Devils star running back Cam Skattebo made a bold declaration about his chances against the Longhorns during Monday's media day availability.

"There's nobody out there that can stop me," Skattebo said, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson.

Skattebo wasn't the only Arizona State player to express their confidence on Monday, as Adelson noted that Sam Leavitt stood by his previous declaration that he is going to prove that he's the better quarterback in the game as opposed to Texas starter Quinn Ewers.

Skattebo is in the midst of a breakout senior year in which he finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He rushed for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding 37 catches for 506 yards and three more scores.

When asked repeatedly how he'd fare against the No. 1 defense in the country, Skattebo said he doesn't think Texas is going to present anything he hasn't seen before.

"They continue to keep saying that people are going to try to stop me," Skattebo said. "There's nobody out there that can stop me. We played in 13 games, and I've been the target on each one, so I'm not too worried. We're going to play our game and play ball and see what happens there."

Skattebo added that he respects the Longhorns, but he knows they have to respect him as well.

"If they're studying hard, there's a reason. I have full respect for them, because they understand what they're playing against, and that's why I love playing in games like this, because they constantly look at me as a threat, and that's something I've always wanted to be," he said. "And if I'm a threat on the football field against an SEC team that was the runner-up to win their conference, then I think I'm in a pretty good position."

Deion Sanders shut down any rumors that he's trying to influence where his sons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, get selected in the 2025 NFL draft.

On social media, Sanders called out "multiple idiots" who "will say things that totally aren't true" about the Colorado head coach.

"It will be multiple IDIOTS that will say things that totally aren't true regarding where I would like (Shedeur) & (Shilo) to play in the (NFL)," Sanders wrote. "If I say it I will say it directly to whom it may concern not a attention seeker. I do know (Roger Goodell) personally!"

Though Sanders claims he won't influence where his sons go in the draft, the Buffaloes head coach previously said he'd step in if Shedeur, Shilo or Travis Hunter were drafted to teams he didn't want them to play for.

"All this is subjective because I know where I kind of want them to go," Sanders said in March. "And let's not forget Shilo (Sanders). But I know where I want them to go. There's certain cities where it ain't going to happen. ...It's going to be an Eli (Manning)."

It's unclear if Sanders still has that thought process, but it could shake things up this draft season if Sanders has a say in where his players will get drafted.

Shedeur is coming off a tremendous final collegiate season at Colorado. He had 4,134 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, adding another four scores on the ground.

His outstanding play alongside Hunter led the Buffs to a 9-4 finish.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department lists Shedeur as the No. 9 overall player in this year's draft class and the second-best quarterback, only behind Miami's Cam Ward.

While Shedeur will certainly be one of the first players of the board, Shilo might fall a bit further. The safety didn't have the same caliber of season, recording 45 tackles, one sack, two passes defended and a forced fumble.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders led the team to a successful 2024 season that included its first bowl game appearance in four years, and fans are set to get a deeper look at the Buffaloes' impressive campaign.

Amazon's Prime Video announced that season three of Coach Prime will premiere on Jan. 7 and released the trailer for the show on Monday:

The trailer for the third season of Coach Prime highlighted the evolution of the Colorado football program in just two years under Sanders. He took over a team that went 1-11 the year before he arrived.

In 2024, the Buffaloes finished the year with a 9-4 record after suffering a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl, their first bowl game since 2020. Still, Colorado's upward trajectory has reignited the fan interest in the team and created a bright future for the program.

Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter's Heisman Trophy campaign will also be documented in the upcoming season of Coach Prime. Hunter established himself as the biggest star in the sport by excelling both as a wide receiver and cornerback, bringing even more national attention to Colorado.

Most importantly, the 2024 season was the last time Sanders got to coach his sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and defensive back Shilo Sanders. Both players are headed for the 2025 NFL draft, and their final year together will be the central theme of the show's upcoming season.

Coach Prime first premiered in December 2022 and followed Sanders' final season as head coach of Jackson State. The second season premiered the following year and documented the highs and lows of Colorado's 2023 campaign in which the team started with three straight wins before finishing with a 4-8 record.

After finishing his college career in Saturday night's Valero Alamo Bowl, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter reportedly has already begun taking steps toward his new life at the professional level.

According to David Rumsey of Front Office Sports, Hunter will sign with hip-hop star Lil Wayne's agency Young Money APAA Sports for his on-field representation in the NFL. Rumsey added that Young Money beat out major sports agencies such as WME, CAA, Klutch Sports Group, and Athletes First, all of whom reportedly made pitches to Hunter near the end of the 2024 season.

Hunter, who is the No. 1 player in the B/R NFL Scouting Department's 2025 draft big board, is now one of the highest-profile athlete clients represented by Young Money, which also represents new Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and new Colorado defensive end Jehiem Oatis, the latter of whom transferred from Alabama. The agency also has divisions across the NFL, NBA, soccer and college sports.

During his acceptance speech after winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy earlier this month, Hunter gave a shoutout to Lil Wayne, which probably was an early indication that he was leaning toward joining Young Money. Young Money APAA Sports co-founder and CEO Adie von Gontard also posted two photos on Instagram with Hunter and the Heisman Trophy after the presentation ceremony in New York City.

Hunter will continue his partnership with SMAC Entertainment for his off-field representation. The agency, which also works with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and head coach Deion Sanders, helped Hunter earn a slew of NIL deals, including an Adidas deal that will continue in his professional career.

Colorado suffered a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night. In his final collegiate game, Hunter recorded four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown on offense with four tackles on defense.

After Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' college career came to an end in Saturday night's Valero Alamo Bowl, he received a kind gesture from his heir apparent.

Colorado incoming freshman and class of 2025 4-star quarterback Julian Lewis posted a locker room photo on social media praising him for leaving "big shoes to fill":

Lewis was one of 10 early enrollees who were in attendance to watch the Buffaloes as they suffered a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night. Sanders threw for 208 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 16-of-23 passing in the loss.

Lewis was the No. 6 quarterback in the nation in 247Sports' composite. He initially appeared to be heading to USC before he de-committed from the program last month and committed to Colorado just a few days later. He will likely be competing for the Buffaloes' starting job with Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter, who committed to the team earlier this month.

At 6'0" and 185 pounds, Lewis is a bit undersized, but he's still expected to have a bright future and the potential to make an immediate impact in 2025.

"Overall, projects as a new-age point guard that can push the tempo in a modern spread attack with his pin-point accuracy and savvy decision making," 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins stated. "Smaller stature is not ideal, but has the skills and confidence to win games on Saturdays – and potentially right away."

While losing Sanders will lead to some adjustments, it appears that the Buffaloes are in good hands with Lewis and Salter stabilizing things under center going forward.

It was more than the loss that was weighing on Colorado head coach Deion Sanders following the Buffaloes' 36-14 defeat to BYU in the Alamo Bowl.

Sanders said in his postgame press conference it was "tough to know" this is likely to be the last time he coaches sons Shedeur and Shilo on the gridiron.

In the locker room after the game, Sanders told his players not to be "angry" about the outcome but use the Alamo Bowl as a learning experience instead:

Before the game kicked off, the significance of the occasion wasn't lost on Sanders. He was visibly emotional in an on-field interview with ESPN's Taylor McGregor when thinking about the "journey" he has taken with Shedeur and Shilo:

The Hall of Fame cornerback's comments and his heartfelt reaction to coaching his sons' last college game are notable within a different context.

Throughout the season, people have floated the idea that Deion and Shedeur could in effect be a package deal for an NFL team. A franchise with a high draft pick could hire Deion and then tab Shedeur as its quarterback of the future.

Sanders has maintained his long-term commitment to Colorado, saying in November he's "got a kickstand down" in Boulder.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg also cited a source at Colorado who said in December that Coach Prime is "acting as if he's back."

"I think he's all-in," the source said. "Normally, you can tell when guys are fed up and they're trying to leave and they're unhappy. They're probably going to pay him a lot of money, extend his contract, keep him happy."

Still, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN followed up to report there's a belief that NFL teams might be willing to at least reach out to Sanders as a prospective candidate.

On Saturday at least, the 57-year-old didn't sound like somebody who's expecting to work in the pros, where the opportunity to coach Shedeur and/or Shilo would again present itself.