W2Mnet College Football Top 25: Week 13

Rivalry Week lived up to the billing and sent the middle to bottom of College Football Top 25 polls everywhere into a tailspin. However, the biggest noise was made at the top of the heap. Most of the top College Football Playoff contenders took care of business, but it was the Ohio State Buckeyes who barked the loudest after Saturday’s win over the rival Michigan Wolverines. This gave way for Penn State to defeat Michigan State and win the Big Ten East. This is the W2Mnet College Football Top 25 for Week 13.

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide

Record: 12-0 (9-0 in SEC, SEC West Winner)

Last Week: 1

This week was one of the biggest tests for Alabama. On a week that saw a lot of teams lose to their rivals, Alabama ran away with their game. Next up for Alabama is a game against Florida for the SEC Championship. While the Gators should not prove to be a problem for Alabama, a bigger potential problem is off the field distractions. Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin’s contract is up at the end of the year and rumors are already swirling about if and where he will leave. This distraction could cause Alabama to stumble. – Daniel Anderson

(Next Week: SEC Championship Game vs. Florida)

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes

Record: 11-1 (8-1 in Big Ten)

Last Week: 2

“The Game” lived up to the hype. The Buckeyes were able to hold Michigan in double overtime to get the win. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, a win by Penn State means that Ohio State doesn’t make it into the Big Ten Championship game. Depending on who wins, the Buckeyes could find themselves on the outside looking in, when it comes to the playoffs. – Harry Broadhurst

#3 Clemson Tigers

Record: 11-1 (7-1 in ACC)

Last Week: 4

The Clemson Tigers absolutely steamrolled their South Carolina rivals. DeShaun Watson threw for 347 yards and six touchdowns, while Wayne Gallman added over 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground himself. This one was never a contest in the 56-7 win. Next up, Clemson faces Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. – Sean Garmer

(Next Week: ACC Championship Game vs. Virginia Tech)

#4 Washington Huskies

Record: 11-1 (8-1 in Pac-12)

Last Week: 6

Washington rolls into the Pac-12 Championship Game with a blowout victory. Defeating their rival Washington State 45-17. Jake Browning and the Huskies jumped out to a 28-3 lead in the first quarter of the Apple Cup and never looked back. The offense that had trouble getting into a rhythm against the USC Trojans two weeks ago was a thing of the past. Washington was able to do just about anything they wanted offensively, totalling 510 yards of offense and scored a touchdown in each of their first four drives. – Randy Isbelle

(Next Week: Pac-12 Championship Game vs. Colorado)

#5 Michigan Wolverines

Record: 10-2 (7-2 in Big Ten)

Last Week: 3

It was pretty simple for Big Blue. Win and you go to the Big Ten Championship Game. Alas, the best laid plans often go up in smoke. Michigan now could have the Rose Bowl, instead of a College Football Playoff birth staring them in the face. They still have a shot, but their chances look slim. – Harry Broadhurst

#6 Oklahoma Sooners

Record: 9-2 (8-0 in Big 12)

Last Week: 7

The Oklahoma Sooners had the week off this past weekend. Next, they face their rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a big match-up. The Sooners look to continue their current momentum over the Cowboys. If the Sooners win, they are in better position to argue for a playoff spot and surely have a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl locked-up. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: vs. Oklahoma State)

#7 Wisconsin Badgers

Record: 10-2 (7-2 in Big Ten)

Last Week: 5

The Wisconsin Badgers are the undisputed champions of the Big Ten West after their 31-17 victory over Minnesota. The defense once again does their job and the offense actually helped out a bit more than usual as well. Next up, a Big Ten Championship game against Penn State. – Harry Broadhurst

(Next Week: Big Ten Championship Game vs. Penn State)

#8 Penn State Nittany Lions

Record: 10-2 (8-1 in Big Ten)

Last Week: 8

Penn State got exactly what they wanted and after a slow start in the first half, pounced on Michigan State and got the 45-12 win Trace McSorley threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns to aid in said victory. Penn State now has a chance at making the case for a Playoff spot if they can beat Wisconsin next week in the Big Ten Championship game. – Harry Broadhurst

(Next Week: Big Ten Championship Game vs. Wisconsin)

#9 Colorado Buffaloes

Record: 10-2 (8-1 in Pac-12)

Last Week: 9

The Colorado Buffaloes complete their bid to go from last to first in their division. Now, they play in their first ever Pac-12 Championship Game next week. Colorado held off a tough Utah team who never let the Buffaloes pull away. A fourth quarter fumble return for a touchdown helped seal the deal late. Sefo Liufau wasn’t always on point, but he did enough to lead his team to victory. A tough test, and a third straight game against a ranked opponent, awaits Colorado when they take on Washington in the title game. – Randy Isbelle

(Next Week: Pac-12 Championship Game vs. Washington)

#10 Oklahoma State Cowboys

Record: 9-2 (7-1 in Big 12)

Last Week: 10

Oklahoma State were off this week. Next week, they head to Norman, Oklahoma for a huge match-up against their in-state rival Oklahoma. This has big implications for both teams. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: @ Oklahoma)

#11 USC Trojans

Record: 9-3 (7-2 in Pac-12)

Last Week: 11

The Trojans finish the regular season with eight straight wins and an impressive resume. USC trounced Notre Dame 45-27 to finish the year 9-3 but fall short of a Pac-12 Championship birth. Adoree Jackson was beyond impressive, scoring three times in three different ways. Jackson returned a punt, caught a pass and returned a kickoff all for touchdowns. USC did not get the Colorado loss they needed, but still have to be happy with the way the team rallied after a rough start to the season. – Randy Isbelle

#12 Western Michigan Broncos

Record: 12-0 (8-0 in MAC)

Last Week: 12

PJ Fleck probably had one of the best nights of his life on Black Friday, as his Western Michigan Broncos were successful against Toledo 55-35. Thus ending their regular season undefeated. Even better than that, Boise State lost, making it highly probable that with a MAC championship game win next weekend, the Broncos will be playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game. To get them the big Black Friday win, Zach Terrell passed for 198 yards while also finding a receiver in the end zone three times. Jarvion Franklin is usually the calling card on the ground, and he still had two rush touchdowns, but he was overshadowed by Jamauri Bogan, who rushed for 198 yards and a score. Senior receiver Corey Davis also stole the show by breaking the all time record for receiving yards by a single player in the history of college football as well. – Noah Mooney

(Next Week: MAC Football Championship Game vs. Ohio)

#13 Florida State Seminoles

Record: 9-3 (6-3 in ACC)

Last Week: 17

The Florida State Seminoles make it four straight over Florida in their 31-13 win. Dalvin Cook goes for 153 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Deondre Francois throws for a touchdown and runs in a touchdown late to seal the game with one minute left. Despite falling to Louisville and Clemson, Florida State finished the year strong with four straight wins. Dalvin Cook shattered Warrick Dunn’s rushing record too. FSU will probably still get an important bowl game in the end as well. – Sean Garmer

#14 West Virginia Mountaineers

Record: 9-2 (6-2 in Big 12)

Last Week: 19

The West Virginia Mountaineers defeated Iowa State in convincing fashion. This game was competitive in the first quarter, but West Virginia ran away with the game after that. Skyler Howard used his arm to rip apart the Cyclones defense with 330 yards passing and five touchdowns. Shelton Gibson caught two of those touchdowns as he lead the West Virginia receiving corps with 161 receiving yards. On the ground, Martell Pettaway did his own form of domination with 181 yards rushing and a touchdown. West Virginia bounced back from a big loss with a big win. They look to finish the season strong next week against Baylor. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: vs. Baylor)

#15 Stanford Cardinal

Record: 9-3 (6-3 in Pac-12)

Last Week: 24

The Stanford Cardinal had some mid-season issues, but finished strong. Stanford won their last five games, including Saturday’s 41-17 drubbing of Rice, to finish the season 9-3. Christian McCaffrey ran for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the blowout. McCaffrey’s season did not turn out the way he wanted, in the end. Stanford will now wait to see what bowl game they will be headed to, most likely one in late December. – Randy Isbelle

#16 Louisville Cardinals

Record: 9-3 (7-2 in ACC)

Last Week: 13

A 47 yard Field Goal by Kentucky with 12 seconds left, handed Lamar Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals their second straight loss to end their regular season. Lamar Jackson had a mistake filled three interception game and the costly fumble, which led to that game winning kick. Despite that, Jackson still delivered four touchdowns, breaking the ACC single season record (51). He also amassed 452 total yards of offense, including his eighth 100 yard rushing game as well. After riding high for a lot of this season, the ending has to be a big disappointment, which even a Heisman Trophy may not relieve. Not to mention, the loss gave Kentucky the Govenor’s Cup for the first time since 2010. – Sean Garmer

#17 Navy Midshipmen

Record: 9-2 (7-1 in American)

Last Week: NR

Navy absolutely walloped SMU 75-31 this weekend. It was obvious SMU’s defense wasn’t up to stopping Navy’s formidable triple option. Quarterback Will Worth only needed to throw for 104 yards and a touchdown, as his run game carried the load. He had 107 rush yards and three rush touchdowns. Many of his teammates joined him in the rush touchdown party with backup quarterback Zach Abey getting one, half back Toneo Gulley getting two, and fullback Shawn White getting one. Navy is now 9-2 and is breathing down Western Michigan’s necks trying to get that non Power 5 New Year’s Six bowl bid. – Noah Mooney

(Next Week: AAC Championship Game vs. Temple)

#18 South Florida Bulls

Record: 10-2 (7-1 in American)

Last Week: NR

The South Florida Bulls defeated their in-state rival this weekend with a 48-31 victory over UCF. Quinton Flowers had 152 yards through the air without a score, yet he really excelled on the ground with exactly 152 yards rushing as well, with two touchdowns using his legs.Marlon Mack continued his great season with 155 rush yards and two scores. USF finishes the regular season at 10-2, after only losing to Florida State and Temple. While they won’t be in the American Athletic Conference Championship or make a New Year’s Six bowl game, USF finishes the regular season with an impressive resume and a good amount of momentum heading into bowl season. – Noah Mooney

#19 Florida Gators

Record: 8-3 (6-2 in SEC)

Last Week: 14

Florida lost a tough one to Florida State, but they already had a guaranteed date to face Alabama in Atlanta. This is probably going to be a worse game than the one against Florida State, but as we have seen this year, any team can beat any other team. Florida has exceeded all expectations so far this year, so they have nothing to lose and could be a very dangerous team in the SEC Title game. – Daniel Anderson

(Next Week: SEC Championship Game vs. Alabama)

#20 Auburn Tigers

Record: 8-4 (5-3 in SEC)

Last Week: 16

Did the Auburn Tigers lose to Alabama? Yes they did. Did anyone honestly expect anything different to happen? They played Alabama close, but just couldn’t get a touchdown. The Tigers season went about as everyone expected with some close wins and close losses. Going into a bowl game Auburn will be looking to gain some momentum for next year to possibly change those close losses into close wins- Daniel Anderson

#21 Virginia Tech Hokies

Record: 9-3 (6-2 in ACC)

Last Week: NR

Virginia Tech dismantled lowly Virginia with a 52-10 victory. The Hokies took a 28-0 into halftime and kept rolling after that. Jerod Evans threw for 253 yards and two scores, while Sam Rogers ran for over 100 yards and put in two touchdowns himself. The Hokies now have a huge game against Clemson for the ACC Championship next week.

(Next Week: ACC Championship Game vs. Clemson)

#22 LSU Tigers

Record: 7-4 (5-3 in SEC)

Last Week: NR

The LSU Tigers beat Texas A&M on Thursday night with an impressive offensive performance. The real headlines were made after the win with their head coaching announcement on Saturday. LSU deciding to keep Ed Orgeron as the head coach after this year. All accounts say that LSU decided to walk away from Houston coach Tom Herman opting to hire someone who wanted to be at LSU, as opposed to someone who wanted to make a bunch of money. The real interesting story will be if LSU is able to convince Lane Kiffen to come to Baton Rouge. If they can, LSU could be on track to unseat Alabama as the SEC West power. – Daniel Anderson

#23 Iowa Hawkeyes

Record: 8-4 (6-3 in Big Ten)

Last Week: NR

The Iowa Hawkeyes crushed any hope Nebraska had of having a shot in the Big Ten West with their 40-10 demolition on Friday. C.J. Beathard threw for three touchdown passes and 144 yards, while LeShun Daniels ran for 158 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns. Iowa ended their season on a major high note with victories over Michigan and Nebraska in two of their last three games. – Harry Broadhurst

#24 Air Force Falcons

Record: 9-3 (5-3 in Mountain West)

Last Week: NR

The Air Force Falcons pulled the Black Friday upset over the previously 19th ranked Boise State 27-20. Their pass game was non-existent with QB Arion Worthman only throwing for 45 yards on only five attempts. Their run game carried them to the win though. Worthman rushed for 86 yards, D.J. Johnson rushed for 73 and a touchdown too. Tim McVey picked up 61 yards and Jacobi Owens had 48 yards. The best part of the Falcon run game is that they have many players who pitch-in with rushing the ball downfield, which results in confusing the defense and keeps their players fresh. Their great approach towards the offensive run game has led Air Force to a 9-3 record on the season. – Noah Mooney

#25 Pittsburgh Panthers

Record: 8-4 (5-3 in ACC)

Last Week: NR

In a game that featured 20 touchdowns, Nate Peterman threw for four of them and ran one in as well. The 137 combined points broke the FBS record for highest point total in a single game. The 1,302 yards put up by both teams is utterly ridiculous, but in the end, what will be remembered is that Pittsburgh carries the win in the record books. This ends Pitt’s season on a three game win streak, which includes a huge win against Clemson. Pittsburgh now await their Bowl game fate, as they surely could wind up in one that occurs in late December. – Sean Garmer

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