Vols Get Gut-Punched

11/21/2022 Vols Get Gut-Punched

By: Jeff Yoder

Tennessee Takes Blow After QB Hendon Hooker Goes Down With Torn ACL

Tears for Tennessee… The Volunteers may have had a magic 2022 season behind Heisman-hopeful QB Hendon Hooker, but it’s over now. Hooker suffered a torn ACL in the fourth quarter of the Vols’ blowout loss to South Carolina on Saturday, effectively ending his college career and ending any playoff hopes for Tennessee. Elsewhere in college football, the top-4 in the CFB Playoff picture all needed narrow escapes to remain unblemished. TCU and Michigan had nail-biting wins that saved their season, and USC’s three-point win puts the Trojans in the mix for a playoff bid. Here’s what happened — and what changed — over the weekend:

 

Notable Highlights

#1 Georgia def. Kentucky (16-6)

#2 Ohio State def. Maryland (43-30)

#3 Michigan def. Illinois (19-17)

#4 TCU def. Baylor (29-28)

South Carolina def. #5 Tennessee (63-38)

#7 USC def. #16 UCLA (48-45)

#12 Oregon def. #10 Utah (20-17)

 

AP Top-10

1. Georgia (11-0) | —

2. Ohio State (11-0) | —

3. Michigan (11-0) | —

4. TCU (11-0) | —

5. USC (10-1) | ↑2

6. LSU (9-2) | —

7. Clemson (10-1) | ↑2

8. Alabama (9-2) | —

9. Tennessee (9-2) | ↓4

10. Oregon (9-2) | ↑2

 

Full AP Top-25

 

Additional Storylines

ESPN: USC Gets 1st Top-5 Ranking Since 2017

USA Today: Tennessee’s Heisman Trophy Candidate Hendon Hooker Out for Season

 

Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images