UK & Ireland Top 25 College Football Rankings: Week 13
By Simon Carroll
If the AP and the College Football Playoff committee can’t get it right, then perhaps we can!
With Week 13 bringing to an end the College Football regular season – and it being RIVALRY week – there was plenty at stake across a slate of games that began before Thanksgiving and ended in the small hours of Sunday morning. With high drama everywhere you turned, how did it affect the UK & Ireland media’s Top 25 rankings? Read on to find out!
25-21
25
Oregon State
24
SMU
23
NC State
22
Toledo
21
Oklahoma State
Things have somewhat unravelled in Corvallis the lst few weeks, with tough losses to good teams scuppering any hopes of winning the Pac-12 before Oregon State are abandoned by the rest of the conference. Add to that their head coach Jonathan Smith being poached by Michigan State, and clinging on to a ranking spot is probably scant consolation for the Beavers.
Welcome to the rankings SMU! The Mustangs have pulled together a nice season and booked their place in the American Championship Game. It’s a similar story for Toledo, who were a missed field goal against Illinois away from a perfect season. MAC football is a purist’s joy, and seeing them represented in the rankings is more than just reward for providing us with College Football on a Tuesday night.
Oklahoma State recorded ANOTHER remarkable comeback, this time against BYU, to book a date with Texas to decide the Big 12. And NC State end 2023 with a big rivalry win over UNC.
20-16
20
Notre Dame
19
James Madison
18
Arizona
17
LSU
16
Iowa
LSU & Notre Dame put the capper on remarkably similar seasons on Saturday with healthy wins, only cementing a feeling of ‘what could have been’ in both South Bend and Baton Rouge. Three losses apiece meant little to play for, but Brian Kelly and his successor Marcus Freeman will know the hard work starts now to take these two big programs from good to great.
In classic Iowa fashion, the Hawkeyes recored the sixth game this season where they scored 15 points or less. Remarkably, they’ve won four of those games, and are headed to the Big Ten Championship Game with a 10-2 record. Arizona, on the other hand, are on absolute FIRE right now. The Wildcats destroyed state-rivals ASU to make it their sixth win in a row, and with a bowl win could record double-digit victories for the first time in a decade.
And hats off to JMU, who capped a brilliant season with a beatdown of Coastal Carolina. The Dukes become bowl-eligible despite the NCAA’s arbitrary rules for FBS newcomers, due to the lack of six-win teams this season. The sun shines on the righteous – and there’s not a cloud to be seen in Harrisonburg right now.
15-11
15
Liberty
14
Louisville
13
Tulane
12
Oklahoma
11
Penn State
Two more Group of Five teams make the Top 25. It took Jamey Chadwell just one season in Lynchburg to achieve something that has never happened in the state of Virginia before – go through an entire regular season undefeated. Liberty now gear up for a Conference-USA title match against Jacksonville State. Tulane backed up an incredible 2022 with another big season, winning 11 games themselves. The Green Wave represent the best chance of a ‘small school’ going to a New Year Six bowl – just like they did 12 months ago.
Louisville tumble to 14 after a tough loss in the Kentucky derby. A playoff spot was highly unlikely anyway, and the defeat by the Wildcats doesn’t deny them a spot in the ACC title game. Penn State’s season was over two weeks ago, and a shutout of Michigan State, whilst impressive, won’t ease the feeling of inferiority in Happy Valley. James Franklin needs to break the Ohio State/Michigan glass ceiling to take the next step.
Oklahoma represent the folly of rankings. Despite being beaten by Oklahoma State, and their noisy neighbours playing in the Big 12 title game at their expense, the Sooners are still ranked higher than their foes – presumbaly due to one less loss on their resume. Where you rank OU is possibly the toughest decision of all the 2-loss teams; they have a big win against Texas, but look inferior to Penn State and Ole Miss, who haven’t beaten anyone of note. Go figure.
10-6
10
Ole Miss
9
Missouri
8
Alabama
7
Ohio State
6
Texas
Speaking of Ole Miss – a win in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving means that the Rebels have won 10 games twice under Lane Kiffin – something not achieved since Johnny Vaught back in the early 60’s. Despite the quick success in Oxford, there is the sense that challenging in the SEC is only going to get harder with the likes of Texas joining next year – who kept up the pressure on the playoff pack with a dominating performance against Texas Tech on Friday.
Missouri matched Ole Miss’ ten wins this season – which is much more surprising. Better still, the Tigers competed admirably in both their losses, and with the wind blowing in a different direction Mizzou could be undefeated right now. That would have meant them facing Alabama in the SEC title game on Saturday, after the Tide’s jaw-dropping win in the Iron Bowl. If you haven’t seen Jalen Milroe’s 4th & 31 conversion to beat Auburn on Saturday, then are you even a football fan?
Ohio State take their inevitable tumble after losing ‘The Game’. Where you slot in the Buckeyes at this juncture determines whether they have any chance of the playoffs now their season is over. Sit them above Alabama and Texas, and there is a route to the dance. Otherwise, they’ll need a hell of a lot of losses to sneak in.
5-1
5
Michigan
4
Oregon
3
Florida State
2
Washington
1
Georgia
I have been saying for weeks that the order of this top five is irrelevant. Interestingly, that still remains the case; all five programs have Conference Championship games this weekend. Win, and they finish in the top four. But slip up, and you open the door for one of the outside challengers…
Oregon & Washington face off in a rematch, with the winner all but assured of a playoff spot. Georgia, despite being top Dawgs, could lose to Alabama on Saturday and be on the outside looking in. And Florida State may look the most vulnerable of all, with their star quarterback out and a tough game against Louisville coming up. Meanwhile, Michigan are punished by one voter for their devotion to breaking the rules. Even with their dubious moral compass, the Wolverines will be tough to leave out should they end a perfect season with a win over Iowa for the Big Ten.
One more week to go – an plenty on the line. Catch you next week for the final rankings!
The penultimate UK & Ireland #CollegeFootball Media Rankings of the 2023 season are in!
— Owain Jones (@Owain_Jones_) November 28, 2023
🔹Oregon in a playoff place
🔹Texas waiting to pounce
🔹Can Louisville spoil the FSU party?
It is all to play for before the final rankings next week.#CFBPlayoff #CFB #NCAA #NCAAF #Top25 pic.twitter.com/KSvXSwk0tR
PLayers Of The Week
Offense: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Defense: Payton Wilson, LB, NC State
