It was one of the wildest weeks of college football this season, rivalry week. They beat Ohio State in “The Game” to finish the regular season unbeaten and earn a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Wolverines are still in the running for a spot in the College Football Playoff after their third straight win over Ohio State. Michigan got their sixth win of the season without coach Jim Harbaugh, who was done with his second three-game ban. He will play again next week in the league title game against Iowa.
The Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama was an instant classic. These are two teams that know how to end a grudge game in a dramatic way. Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe hit Isaiah Bond for a 31-yard score on fourth-and-goal with less than a minute to go. This kept the game from going bad and kept Alabama in the CFP race. Next week, the Crimson Tide play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
How did the teams that were in the running for the College Football Playoff National Championship do in Week 13? Now is the time to look at the report card for each top team with better chances of +10000 going into Saturday’s games.
SportsLine’s opinion on the odds
| Team | Odds | Grade | Analysis |
| 12/5 | B- | In Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, Georgia had a lot more trouble than it should have when beating rival Georgia Tech 31–23. Carson Beck had a tough game throwing the ball, only getting 175 yards. Kendall Milton, on the other hand, ran for 156 yards and two scores to help the Bulldogs win their 29th straight game. | |
| 12/5 | A+ | The game was old-fashioned, rough, and emotional, just the way Michigan liked it as they beat Ohio State 30–24 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines were in charge from the start, showing that they are Georgia’s biggest rival in the race for the College Football Playoff. | |
| 6-1 | B | Michigan didn’t completely beat Ohio State in their 30–24 loss, but it felt like the Buckeyes were always up against it. Kyle McCord, the quarterback, made two interceptions, and the running game had a hard time all afternoon. | |
| 7-1 | A+ | The College Football Playoff selection committee got a huge message from Oregon’s 31-7 win over Oregon State on Friday night. A top-20 win over a rival will make a big splash in the room, and if the Ducks beat Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game, they will almost certainly be in the CFP. | |
| 15/2 | C+ | Alabama beat Auburn 27–24, but the game should not have been that close. Milroe’s touchdown pass to Bond from 31 yards out on fourth down will go down in Alabama history. The Crimson Tide defense had a hard time stopping the Tigers’ running game, even though quarterback Payton Thorne wasn’t a threat in the passing game. Alabama doesn’t care about style points because a win over Georgia next week will make up for this poor game. However, it was by no means its best game. | |
| 14-1 | A+ | As Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told the Red Raiders, “You should beat Texas in their last regular-season game as a member of the conference.” But Texas Tech didn’t listen. The 57–7 win was led by Jaydon Blue, who ran for 121 yards and scored one touchdown. With the win, they secured a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and kept their chances alive for the College Football Playoff. | |
| 14-1 | C | In the Apple Cup, Washington was a 16.5-point favorite over Washington State. But Grady Gross made a field goal with seconds left to seal the win and let Washington finish the season 12-0. If the Huskies win out, style points don’t matter because they’ll make the CFP. But on Saturday afternoon, they didn’t get any. | |
| 14-1 | B | When Tate Rodemaker Jr. took over as backup quarterback, Florida State’s offense had a rough start. But running back Trey Benson got things going on the ground, and the Seminoles’ defense shut down the Gators to win 24–15. There needs to be a shift for the Seminoles because they lost Jordan Travis at quarterback, but coach Mike Norvell’s team did a good job. | |
| 100-1 | F | Kentucky beat Louisville 38–31, but Louisville lost because they turned the ball over three times and only gained 3.7 yards per carry. Before the game, the Wildcats had lost five of their last six games. But on Saturday afternoon, Louisville beat them like they were nothing. |
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