Week 13 of College Football is over, and let’s just say we were treated to some of the most dominant offensive performances of the entire season. Four ranked teams scored over fifty points this week. Additionally, the top spots remained largely unchanged, as all the top seeds secured victories this week. Let’s begin our recap.
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Ohio State put together a strong offensive performance to win 42-9. RB Bo Jackson rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ victory. Ohio State improves to 11-0 ahead of their big game next week against Michigan.
#3 Texas A&M Aggies vs. Samford Bulldogs
Texas A&M had as definitive a victory as any team could have. Aggies QB Marcel Reed threw three touchdowns in the first quarter, and Texas A&M never looked back – winning 48-0 against FCS Samford. The win brings Texas A&M to 11-0, and keeps them as one of three remaining undefeated teams.
#4 Georgia Bulldogs vs. Charlotte 49ers
Georgia had zero issues in their 35-3 victory over Charlotte. The Bulldogs ran for five touchdowns – three from Bo Walker, and two from Nate Frazier. This victory increases their record to 10-1.
#7 Oregon Ducks vs #15 USC Trojans
Oregon took care of business against a strong opponent in USC on College GameDay. Dante Moore had a strong performance with two passing touchdowns and 257 passing yards. The Ducks would win this one, 42-27. Oregon moves up to 10-1, while USC drops to 8-3, as their playoff odds sink.
#8 Oklahoma Sooners vs. #22 Missouri Tigers
In one of the lowest-scoring matchups of the week, Oklahoma’s defense neutralized the Tigers to win 17-6. The Sooners’ defense had four sacks and two interceptions in the dub. Oklahoma improves to 9-2, while Missouri drops to 7-4.
#9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Syracuse Orange
Jeremiyah Love put up another Heisman-level performance: 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries. Notre Dame blew out the injury-devastated Syracuse Orange by a score of 70-7. The 70 points were possible thanks to a whopping 35 points by the Fighting Irish in the first quarter. Notre Dame’s win makes them 9-2.
#10 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers
Alabama scored eight rushing touchdowns from six different players to shut out FCS Eastern Illinois 56-0. The Tide increased its record to 9-2 ahead of the Iron Bowl next week.
#11 BYU Cougars vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
BYU kept its Big 12 Championship hopes alive by beating Cincinnati, 26-14, on Big Noon Kickoff. LJ Martin ran for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. The Cougars bring their record up to 10-1 this season.
#12 Utah Utes vs. Kansas State Wildcats
A total of 98 points were scored in this game, but Utah completed an astonishing comeback to win 51-47. Kansas State was up 47-37 with roughly seven minutes left, but the Utes scored sixteen points to win the game. QB Devon Dampier had 354 total yards and four touchdowns in the victory. The close win for Utah improves them to 9-2.
#13 Miami Hurricanes vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Miami secured a victory this week against Virginia Tech by a score of 34-17. Carson Beck was huge for the Canes, throwing four touchdowns and 320 passing yards in the victory. Miami rises to 9-2 and keeps itself in good contention for a playoff spot.
VT also hired former Penn State coach James Franklin to be their next head football coach on November 17. Beginning in 2026, he will replace his former defensive coordinator from his time in Happy Valley, Brent Pry. Expect a historic transfer portal and recruiting class from the Hokies this offseason.
#14 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Kentucky Wildcats
Vanderbilt played a dominant game of football, winning 45-17. They were led by Diego Pavia, who passed for 484 yards and five touchdowns. The Commodores are now 9-2, and remain in strong contention for a playoff spot.
#16 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
In what was a much-needed win for Georgia Tech, they instead got outplayed by Pitt, 42-28. The Yellow Jackets fall to 9-2, while Pitt moves up to 8-3, and remains in play for the ACC Championship game.
#17 Texas Longhorns vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
Thanks to a dominant performance from QB Arch Manning, the Longhorns are still clinging to a playoff spot. Manning had 389 passing yards and four touchdown passes, adding a rushing touchdown and even a receiving touchdown to that. The 52-37 win for Texas brings them to 8-3.
#18 Michigan Wolverines vs. Maryland Terrapins
Michigan easily took down Maryland by a score of 45-20. They improved to 9-2 ahead of the biggest game of the season for them against Ohio State.
#20 Tennessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators
In a much-needed victory for Tennessee, they got in against Florida 31-11. The Vols increase their record to 8-3.
#21 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin showed why, despite being under .500, they are a very dangerous team. They took down Illinois 27-10, sinking the Fighting Illini to 7-4. Perhaps retaining Luke Fickell might be a smart decision after all.
#23 Houston Cougars vs. TCU Horned Frogs
In a low-scoring matchup, TCU was able to take down the ranked Houston Cougars, 17-14. The loss for Houston makes them 8-3, and drops them out of the rankings.
#24 Tulane Green Wave vs. Temple Owls
Tulane had a strong performance on both the offensive and defensive ends, winning their game against Temple, 37-13. Their victory improves their record to 9-2 and keeps them within reach of the American Conference Championship.
#25 Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Colorado State Buffaloes
Arizona State defeated Colorado State by a score of 42-17. The Sun Devils become 8-3 and remain in Big 12 title contention.
There weren’t any big shakeups at the top of the rankings, as all of the teams that were top-14 ranked in Week 13 remain in the top 14. The biggest improvements are Michigan, going up three spots, and Vanderbilt, going up five. The largest drop was Georgia Tech, going down seven spots. SMU, Pitt, and Arizona climb into the rankings. Illinois, Missouri, and Houston fall out of the rankings.
Next week features many key games that could be deciding factors in the conference championship games. #4 Georgia vs. #23 Georgia Tech, #3 Texas A&M vs. #16 Texas, #25 Arizona vs. #20 Arizona State, #12 Miami vs. #22 Pittsburgh, and #14 Vanderbilt vs. #19 Tennessee. But the biggest of them all is the greatest rivalry in College Sports: #15 Michigan vs. #1 Ohio State.
