Written by Jesse Lamovsky

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Quarterfinal weekend in the 2011 NCAA Football Tournament was jam-packed with drama. Three of the four games were in doubt deep into the fourth quarter; top seeds LSU and Alabama were challenged on their own turf, while Boise State continued to roll with a spectacular comeback in Stillwater.

At the end of a wild weekend, the Tigers and Tide remain on a collision course, still the odds-on favorites to play for the National Championship in the Superdome on New Year’s Night. But for now it’s on to the semifinals, featuring a rematch of LSU and Oregon and an encounter between Alabama and the Cinderella Broncos of Boise State.

On to the quarterfinal recaps:

#1 LSU (15-0) 20, #8 Wisconsin (12-3) 14

Though they were double-digit underdogs going in, the Big Ten Champion Badgers gave the Bayou Bengals everything they could handle before falling in Baton Rouge.

Wisconsin drew first blood, silencing the sellout crowd in Tiger Stadium with a 12-play, 84-yard touchdown march late in the first quarter. A 38-yard Drew Alleman field goal made it 7-3 midway through the second and after a rare Wisconsin turnover, Spencer Ware barged over from the one to give LSU a 10-7 halftime lead. A second turnover led to Jordan Jefferson’s 12-yard toss to Rueben Randle and a 17-7 margin going into the fourth.

The Badgers moved the ball well all night, outgaining their hosts 324-277, but were thwarted by mistakes both self-inflicted and inflicted by the opposition. They finally put together another touchdown drive to make it 17-14, but LSU responded with a field goal and stamped out a last Wisconsin gasp to clinch it. The Badgers acquitted themselves well in hostile territory against a heavy favorite, but the Tigers- who haven’t played a complete game yet in this Tournament- are moving on to the semis.   

#5 Oregon (13-2) 46, #13 West Virginia (10-4) 24

Another first-half scoring blitz similar to the one that buried Southern Miss in the first round propelled the Ducks past visiting West Virginia and on to a semifinal rematch with LSU.

Terrance Mitchell’s interception of Geno Smith on the game’s third play set the stage for the Oregon outburst. LaMichael James scooted in from 18 yards out two plays later and the rout was on. With West Virginia committing four first-half turnovers the Ducks broke out to a 30-0 lead before halftime and cruised to the decisive victory.

Dana Holgorsen’s plan to take advantage of Oregon’s young secondary proved fruitless. Geno Smith did throw for 386 yards but completed only 21-of-47 and tossed four interceptions, three of which led directly to Duck scores. Meanwhile Oregon ran high, wide and handsome, piling up 340 rushing yards. LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner combined for 287 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, with James accounting for 168 yards and three scores.

Oregon now travels to Baton Rouge for a semifinal showdown with LSU, the team that defeated the Ducks on the season’s opening weekend. Chip Kelly’s team will be a major underdog but there is confidence emanating from Eugene: after all, no team in this Tournament has played better football than the Oregon Ducks.

#6 Boise State (13-1) 35, #3 Oklahoma State (12-2) 33

The Cowboys suffered one of the more stunning collapses in recent memory and Boise- naturally enough- became the new Tournament’s first mid-major hero. Down 33-14 with five minutes left, the Broncos ran off three touchdowns to steal the game and shock the sellout crowd at T. Boone Pickens Stadium, which went from joyous to funereal in moments.

For the first 55 minutes the home team dominated. Taking advantage of a pair of Boise turnovers, the Cowboys jumped out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead on two Joseph Randle touchdown runs and a field goal. Kellen Moore’s arm kept the Broncos in it- they trailed only 20-14 early in the fourth quarter- but when Randle plowed over for his third touchdown and Justin Blackmon hauled in a 19-yard score to make it 33-14 with 5:09 left.

At this point Mike Gundy went to his prevent defense. Boise promptly went 82 yards in five plays, Moore’s toss to Tyler Shoemaker making it 33-21 with 3:48 left. On Oklahoma State’s next possession Randle had the ball knocked out and Boise recovered at the Cowboy 38. It took the Broncos less than a minute to cash in on Moore’s fourth touchdown pass, a nine-yard aerial to Kyle Efaw. Now it was 33-28 with two minutes left- plenty of time to make the partisan crowd in Stillwater a little bit nervous.

They breathed easier when the Cowboys recovered the onside kick. All the Big 12 Champions needed was a first down and it would all be over. Instead they imploded. Mike Gundy’s team was twice hit with dead-ball penalties, stopping the clock. When they punted on fourth-and-long there was still 1:22 remaining- more than enough time for the red-hot Kellen Moore to work his magic.

Sure enough, Moore and his team proceeded to drive 85 yards to the game-winning touchdown. The senior quarterback finished the drive when he rolled right and hit Efaw in the corner of the end zone with 22 seconds left. It was the first lead of the night for Boise State, and it was the only one they needed.  

#2 Alabama (13-1) 31, #10 Clemson (11-4) 17

With a big play from the defense turning the Tide, Alabama survived a quarterfinal scare from the Clemson Tigers and will host Boise in one of this weekend’s two semifinal matchups.

The play came early in the fourth quarter with the score at 17-17 and momentum swinging the way of the visitors. Tajh Boyd’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Watkins had tied things moments earlier and, after a ‘Bama drive stalled, the Tigers were on the move again with a first down at the Alabama 41. Dropping back, Boyd was crushed by a blitzing Courtney Upshaw, the ball bouncing loose.  Nick Gentry scooped it up at midfield and rumbled all the way to the Clemson two before being hauled down. Trent Richardson danced in on the next play to make it 24-17 and after Richardson tacked on another scoring jaunt with a minute left, the Tide were free to dance on to the next round.

Clemson did not make it easy on them. The Tigers scored first on a Chandler Catanzaro field goal and despite struggling to move the ball consistently stayed within contact all afternoon. Their 81^st-ranked rushing defense contained Richardson, who finished with only 88 yards. Taking advantage of Alabama’s weak punting and resultant good field position, the visitors scraped together a pair of touchdown drives to come back from 10-3 and 17-10 deficits and sit on the verge of a major upset before Upshaw’s hit and Gentry’s return.

All of this sets up a fascinating semifinal matchup between Alabama, elite of the elite, and Boise, the perennial underdog from out West. It’s the ultimate proving ground for the Broncos, yet they don’t have to win to retain their dignity- they just need to keep it close. Alabama, old money, playing at home, has to win.