The day's most pivotal players.
JEREL WORTHY • DT, Michigan State.
The Spartans' first collision with Wisconsin in October didn't exactly evoke clouds of dust, on either side. But despite bursts by the Badgers to begin and end the game, the Big Ten's No. 1 defense did hold the Big Ten's No. 1 offense out of the end zone for three quarters — from the middle of the first to the middle of the fourth — while sacking Russell Wilson twice and forcing the nation's most efficient quarterback into two of his three interceptions on the year. (He hasn't thrown another one since.)
Wilson's record-breaking efficiency is still largely an effect of Wisconsin's focus on establishing the power running game to set up the pass, and he's yet to throw against a defense that isn't primarily concerned with being bludgeoned between the tackles. But he hasn't seen many immovable objects as imposing as Worthy between the tackles, either. If Worthy can clog, occupy and otherwise disrupt the Badgers' blocking in the middle of the line, the Spartans can occasionally pin their ears back on the pass rush and remind Wilson of his worst night on the job.
KENNY STILLS and JAZ REYNOLDS • WRs, Oklahoma.
Go-to senior Ryan Broyles went down for the year in the Sooners' Nov. 5 win over Texas A&M, and the subsequent two games have resulted in a) A loss to Baylor, b) The sloppiest offensive effort of the year against Iowa State, and c) Zero touchdown passes for quarterback Landry Jones in either game. Last week's three-interception slog against the Cyclones — likely Jones' last home game in Norman before he bolts for the NFL Draft — was arguably the worst day of his career.
Stills and Reynolds have been reliable and occasionally spectacular as Jones' second and third options, but Broyles' absence left a 9-catch, 128-yard-per-game hole the Sooners have yet to fill. Against Oklahoma State point-per-minute attack, they'll need all of it and more.
ANDRE BRANCH • DE, Clemson.
The first time Virginia Tech ran into Clemson, Branch sacked Logan Thomas four times, forced a fumble and won ACC Defensive Player of the Week, anchoring a defense that held the Hokies to season lows across the board and kept them out of the end zone entirely en route to a 23-3 rout. It's been downhill from there: The Tigers have yielded at least 28 points in six consecutive games, and lost three of the last four by double digits. Their last chance to rediscover their mojo tonight in time to steal an Orange Bowl bid begins with their best playmaker up front rediscovering his knack for creating havoc.
AUSTIN DAVIS • QB, Southern Miss.
Forget slowing down Case Keenum: The Golden Eagles' upset bid in Houston rests on the arm of the other record-breaking passer in the Conference USA title game, who has the unenviable mission of keeping USM on pace with the most prolific offense in the nation. Davis already owns every school passing record — here is the obligatory mention that those marks once belonged to a young Brett Favre — but unlike Favre or USM's other top-shelf quarterbacks (Reggie Collier, Lee Roberts) has never led an upset over a ranked team. No line in his bio would stand out more than outgunning Keenum for the Eagles' first conference championship since 2003.
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Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.