College Football Week 13 in Review
Hey, everyone.
It wasn’t a weekend full of big-time match-ups but there were some interesting results. A nice appetizer for RIVALRY WEEK coming up!
Notable games
Ohio St 28 Penn St 17
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead at halftime and increased the margin to 21-0 in the third quarter. Blowout underway, right? Not so fast, my friend! Penn St clawed their way back into it and cut the lead to 21-17. Ohio St held a significant advantage in total yards (417-227) but finally had a game in which they didn’t look 100% locked in. They are human. Whew. The Buckeyes committed three turnovers and didn’t have to worry about much of a Penn St passing attack once starting QB Sean Clifford left the game due to injury. Ohio St wins the Big Ten East and will face Wisconsin or Minnesota in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Georgia 19 Texas A&M 13
Another great performance from the Georgia defense who have only allowed one opponent to reach the twenty point mark all season, and that took a pair of overtime periods (South Carolina). The question still remains. Is their offense dynamic enough to hang with LSU in the SEC Championship Game? As noted, the defense is elite, but the ground game is not as devastating as what recent teams put on the field (97 yards on the ground vs the Aggies). Georgia gets a virtual bye week (Georgia Tech) and can start thinking about the big game with the Tigers. Texas A&M will be a tough bowl opponent for someone. They are starting to play better football and note that their losses have come vs ROLL TIDE, Clemson, Georgia and Auburn. LSU is up next. Yikes.
Arizona St 31 Oregon 28
The Fighting Herms destroyed the playoff chances of the Oregon Ducks with a 31-28 upset win in Tempe. Oregon still has a spot in the PAC 12 Championship Game but this loss has to sting. It was their first defeat since August (!) (Auburn) and now have to face a rapidly improving rival in the Civil War (Oregon St) before playing Utah (unless they lose to the Buffs) in the title match. Oregon QB Justin Herbert threw a pair of unseemly INTs and Arizona St QB Jayden Daniels showed why he is a star in the making by throwing for over 400 yards.
Oklahoma 28 TCU 24
The Sooners have been really inconsistent over the past month or so but found a way to get the job done vs a scrappy TCU squad. QB Jalen Hurts continues to rack up wins but he has been a bit loose with the football at times this year. They are a fun team to watch but definitely feel like a team that can be beaten by either Oklahoma St, or Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game. Their playoff hopes are on life support and they need to win out and see what happens.
Hawaii 14 San Diego St 11
Had to mention this one! Very happy for Hawaii to beat the bully on the block and clinch a West division crown. Head coach Nick Rolovich has done a great job rebooting this program and hopefully he’ll start to get more recognition.
MEGALOCKS TOP 10 after WEEK 13
This is how we rate teams based on who would win a theoretical match-up on a neutral site. It’s NOT meant to be a “playoff” ranking.
- Ohio St – Survived a battle with Penn St. Now it’s time for Michigan.
- LSU – Final tune-up this week vs Texas A&M. Close to even with Ohio St in our numbers.
- Clemson – Flying under the radar. Are they elite, or just really good? Schedule has been soft.
- Georgia – Absolutely nasty defense. Offense is not getting any better.
- Oklahoma – A bit shaky. Essentially even with ROLL TIDE in our ratings.
Next in line (in alphabetical order)
Alabama – Still very much in the playoff discussion.
Auburn – Have a legit shot to topple ROLL TIDE in the Iron Bowl.
Florida – Very balanced and talented but a notch below the elite teams.
Michigan – Playing their best football heading into the Ohio St game.
Utah – They’re in beast mode.
BIG GAMES THIS WEEK
Ohio St at Michigan
Can’t wait for this bad boy. There are a number of factors that make this game very interesting, outside of the usual intensity and hatred that are sure to be on display. Will Ohio St be a little distracted by the bigger goals that lay ahead of them? Michigan is peaking. Will that matter? How will Ohio St perform in their first road test of the season? Potential rain and/or snow. Gonna be fun to watch.
Alabama at Auburn
Auburn has to feel that they have a great shot to win given that they are playing against the Tide’s back-up QB and a vulnerable defense. This could be a signature moment for Tigers’ QB Bo Nix. It could also be a big statement from the Crimson Tide telling everyone that they plan on making the college football playoff once again. Must watch TV!
Wisconsin at Minnesota
The Badgers have the experience. The Gophers are full of confidence and playing well on both sides of the football. Should be a very competitive and entertaining game. The winner takes down the Big Ten West and gets to face Ohio St for all the conference marbles.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma St
This year’s edition of BEDLAM features a pair of top-25 teams, one of which is headed to the Big 12 Championship Game. Will the Sooners be able to maintain the level of focus and intensity required to beat a well-coached and hot team on the road? A less talented Cowboys squad gave Oklahoma all they could handle last year in a 48-47 loss. Expect some fireworks.
Texas A&M at LSU
Last year’s battle was a SEVEN overtime classic in which the Aggies finally prevailed by a score of 74-72 (!). If you believe the LSU coaches and players they are laser-focused and ready to exact revenge before taking on Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
Enjoy Week 14!