College Football Week 13 Winners and Losers: Alabama, Washington, FSU get crucial wins
College Football Week 13 Winners and Losers: Alabama, Washington, FSU get crucial wins
With the conclusion of the 2023 college football season, the spotlight now shifts to the postseason. The excitement builds up this weekend with a robust roster of conference championship games.
The 2023 college football season has concluded, and attention now shifts to the postseason, beginning this weekend with a packed schedule of conference championship games. As of Friday night, teams from all corners of the nation will engage in competition, with the ultimate goal of attaining league satisfaction and securing berths in the College Football Playoff. This time of the season brings excitement to fans as they eagerly anticipate wins and the ongoing growth of their teams’ legend. The alluring scent of triumph permeates the atmosphere.
The only noteworthy development in the College Football Playoff rankings during Week 13 was the defeat of No. 10 Louisville by Kentucky; otherwise, there were no unexpected outcomes at the top. As a result, the College Football Playoff scenario has become highly unpredictable, showcasing four undefeated teams and four teams with a single loss at the forefront of the rankings. There are significant stakes involved during conference championship weekend. Is there a better outcome for all of us? We sought games that carry significance on conference title weekend. For someone who is a fan of all things college football, that is the epitome of satisfaction.
Are there any locks in the College Football Playoff?
Indeed, the CFP does not feature any locks. If you possessed any gold bars, would you wager them on any of the four remaining undefeated teams to secure a playoff spot despite a loss? It is implausible that I would wager anything in the likelihood of that happening. The four-team playoff is venturing into an unparalleled territory in its final season, as eight teams possess one loss or fewer heading into conference championship weekend. The college football playoff rankings could see a different landscape if top teams lose and shuffle.
Who is a lock for the College Football Playoff with a win?
Georgia (12-0): The Bulldogs won 31-23 at Georgia Tech, moving to 12-0. Georgia wasn’t as dominant against the Yellow Jackets as in recent weeks. We’ll attribute that to the rivalry week and the impending SEC championship game against Alabama.
Michigan (12-0): The Wolverines are in line for their third consecutive playoff appearance with a win over Iowa in the Big Ten title game. Michigan held on against Ohio State for — not coincidentally — a third straight win over the Buckeyes on Saturday and is a three-TD favorite against the Hawkeyes. If there’s a team you can safely pencil into the playoff, it’s Michigan.
My main takeaway from “The Game” is that Sherrone Moore may be a strong candidate for a head coach position.
Sherrone Moore, who has filled in for a suspended Jim Harbaugh and now holds a 4-0 record this year, has genuinely capitalized on his chances. Moore’s aggressive play calls and calculated fourth-down decisions drove No. 3 Michigan’s 30-24 victory over second-ranked Ohio State on Saturday.
Washington (12-0): Grady Gross sealed the victory for the Huskies with a walk-off field goal, crushing Washington State’s hopes of reaching a bowl game. Despite the ongoing seismic activity in Washington, the Huskies persist in their winning streak, reminiscent of TCU’s performance the previous year. To maintain a perfect 13-0 record and secure a playoff spot, Washington must now overcome Oregon.
Florida State (12-0): This season defies history in its unusual aversion to chaos. No. 5 Florida State (12-0, 8-0 ACC) defied the odds by defeating rival Florida 24-15 at the Swamp, even without star quarterback Jordan Travis, overcoming a 12-0 deficit in the first half and enduring Tate Rodemaker’s temporary absence. Whether Travis is there or not, the committee won’t exclude an undefeated Power 5 team. All that’s left to do for the Seminoles is to win next week’s conference championship game against No. 10 Louisville (10-2, 7-1 ACC).
Oregon (11-1): The Ducks put on a commanding performance against Oregon State on Friday night, establishing themselves as the top team in the Pac-12. Oregon stands alone among the teams in this group, with just one loss. However, defeating a top-five Washington team will secure the Ducks a spot in the playoff, regardless of other outcomes in college football.
Who is out of the College Football Playoff?
The absence of a two-loss team in the postseason field will lead to the disappearance of the four-team playoff. Louisville’s hopes of a successful season took a hit on Saturday with their second loss against Kentucky, leaving the Cardinals likely to drop in the rankings below teams like Ole Miss and Penn State.
Full conference championship slate:
AAC
SMU vs. Tulane (4 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC)
ACC
Florida State vs. Louisville (8 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC)
Big Ten
Michigan vs. Iowa (8 p.m. ET Saturday, Fox)
Big 12
Texas vs. Oklahoma State (Noon ET Saturday, ABC)
Conference USA
New Mexico State at Liberty (7 p.m. ET Friday, CBSSN)
MAC
Toledo vs. Miami (Ohio) (Noon ET Saturday, ESPN)
Mountain West
Two of UNLV vs. Boise State (3 p.m. ET Saturday, Fox)
Pac-12
Oregon vs. Washington (8 p.m. ET Friday, ABC)
SEC
Alabama vs. Georgia (4 p.m. ET Saturday, CBS)
Sun Belt
Troy vs. Appalachian State (4 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN)
Winners
Oregon, Texas, and Alabama. This weekend, the one-loss teams competing for a CFP spot all came out on top. It came powerfully and assertively in Oregon and Texas. In a commanding performance, Oregon defeated Oregon State 31-7 on Friday night to advance to the Pac-12 title game. Things were more challenging for Alabama. In a surprising turn, the Crimson Tide scored on fourth-and-goal from the 31-yard line with 32 seconds left to play, shocking Auburn. In a highly improbable manner, Jalen Milroe’s pass to Isaiah Bond kept Alabama’s CFP hopes alive.
Oklahoma State. Miraculously, the Pokes came back from an 18-point deficit. Despite trailing 24-6 at halftime, the Cowboys rallied to lead 27-24 with 53 seconds left. Despite BYU’s efforts to send the game to OT, the Cowboys came out on top, thanks to Trey Rucker’s outstanding performance. He made a crucial play by stripping the ball from BYU’s Isaac Rex, ensuring the 40-34 win. OSU, who started the season with a 2-2 record, has improved to 9-3 and is poised to shock Texas in the Big 12 title game.
Ole Miss and Missouri. Who anticipated that Ole Miss and Missouri would achieve 10-win seasons as they entered the season? Ole Miss triumphed over Mississippi State on a chilly Thursday night in the “Egg Bowl,” securing a remarkable 10-2 record for the second time during Lane Kiffin’s four-year tenure. The Rebels’ season was nearly flawless, except for two road games against Alabama and Georgia, the teams vying for the SEC championship. In Missouri, the Tigers had an emphatic win over Arkansas, pushing their record of 10-2. Under Eli Drinkwitz’s leadership, Mizzou is finally headed towards a New Year’s Six bowl after years of struggling.
Tulane and SMU. The AAC title game is set to be a thrilling showdown as No. 23 Tulane plays host to SMU. With wins this weekend, both teams sealed their perfect 8-0 records in AAC play. With a 29-16 victory, Tulane secured their place in the league title game. SMU delivered an impressive blowout win over Navy, with a final score of 59-14 on Saturday. Tulane boasts a record of 11 wins and only one loss, while SMU has achieved an impressive 10 wins and two losses. The winner of next week’s game could earn the Group of Five spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.
Liberty. If the AAC champion is not awarded the sought-after New Year’s Six bowl spot, it might be given to No. 25 Liberty instead. The Flames capped off their regular season with a 42-28 victory over UTEP on Saturday, completing Jamey Chadwell’s first year as head coach with a flawless 12-0 record. The Flames’ chances of receiving an invitation to a significant bowl game hinge on their success against New Mexico State in the Conference USA title game and SMU’s ability to defeat Tulane.
Eastern Michigan, Louisiana, Marshall, Northern Illinois, Old Dominion, Rice, South Florida, Syracuse, UCF, Utah State, Virginia Tech, Cal. These teams reached their sixth victory this weekend and punched their ticket bowl eligibility.
Losers
Ohio State. Ohio State failed to win the crucial game for the third year in a row. Michigan emerged victorious over the Buckeyes, leading to the Wolverines claiming the Big Ten East. The last two seasons were complete blowouts, but this 30-24 loss in Ann Arbor - was just as heartbreaking. In the final minute, Ohio State had a shot at scoring the winning touchdown, but their hopes were dashed when Kyle McCord threw an interception. It marked his second interception of the game; The second may have ended OSU’s chances of getting to the CFP. Coach Ryan Day suffered another devastating loss, bringing his record against Michigan to 1-3 while maintaining an impressive 40-0 record against the rest of the Big Ten.
Louisville. Their rival Kentucky crushed the Cardinals’ College Football Playoff aspirations. The Cardinals boasted a remarkable 10-1 record and held the No. 10 ranking heading into the weekend. They had minimal margin for error heading into the weekend, and with the crushing defeat to unranked Kentucky, the best they can aspire to is a New Year’s Six bowl game.
Nebraska. The Cornhuskers needed to secure victory in at least one of its final four games to qualify for a bowl game, a feat they had not accomplished since 2016. Following a winless start, the Huskers won five out of their next six games but ultimately suffered four consecutive losses, losing by a total of 16 points. They suffered a 20-17 defeat to Michigan State, a 13-10 loss to Maryland, a 24-17 overtime defeat to Wisconsin, and a heartbreaking 13-10 loss to Iowa on Friday. In this realm, there are no moral victories to be found, solely the possibility of what could have transpired.
North Carolina. The Tar Heels crumbled again, marking their second consecutive season of failure. In the previous year, UNC began the season with a 9-1 record, only to succumb in its last four games and conclude with a 9-5 standing. This year, UNC began with a 6-0 record and subsequently suffered defeats in four out of their final six games, concluding the regular season with an 8-4 record. On Saturday, NC State defeated UNC with a score of 39-20, marking their third successive loss to the rival Wolfpack. The last two seasons have seen UNC’s defense perform dreadfully, failing to capitalize on the presence of Drake Maye, a potential first-round pick at quarterback. You have to empathize with Maye at this juncture.
BYU, Central Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Navy, Nebraska, South Carolina, TCU, Washington State, Colorado State. Despite their best efforts, these teams could not secure bowl eligibility over the weekend.
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