NFL Week 13 is in the books, and there’s a new number one team. The Big 12 has taken over at the top of college football rankings with Oklahoma State taking home its first win of the season over TCU.
The “college football rankings after week 1” is a blog post that ranks the top 25 teams in college football after week 13. The blog post also includes a poll to see who you think should be number one.
1:15 a.m. ET
- ESPN personnel
Rivalry Week is saved for the final week of the season for a reason, and it never disappoints.
At Michigan, Ohio State was losing the whole game and lost. Alabama was behind Auburn the whole game and won. And Bedlam was just that: bedlam.
The last week of the 2021 college football season reflected the sport’s unpredictable character throughout the year. Snowy conditions, a four-overtime game, coach ejections, and… chaos were all on display.
As teams prepare for a postseason push, conference championship week looms big, while others are forced to wait and pray for fortunate outcomes.
But, before we get to the championship games, let’s take another look at the regular-season Power Rankings.
Georgia’s defensive dominance continued in the regular-season finale, as the Bulldogs defeated Georgia Tech 45-0 for their third shutout of the season. Georgia has not been shut out in an intrastate series since 1964. The Bulldogs were undefeated for the first time since 1980, when they won the national title. They’ll aim to break the skid by beating Alabama in Saturday’s SEC championship game in Atlanta, which would secure the Bulldogs the No. 1 seed in the CFP and maybe eliminate the Crimson Tide. Brock Bowers, a rookie tight end for Georgia, had another spectacular day against Tech, catching three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver George Pickens, who tore his ACL in the spring, made his debut appearance for the Bulldogs, catching one pass for five yards. Schlabach, Mark
Under Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines won their first game versus Ohio State. Michigan had not defeated Ohio State since 2011, and it did that on Saturday with a 42-27 victory. Hassan Haskins of Michigan raced for five touchdowns, a school-record for a running back versus Ohio State. Haskins rushed for 169 yards, while Michigan as a team rushed for 297 yards, the most against an Ohio State team led by Ryan Day. Michigan’s defense recorded four sacks and limited Ohio State to 64 total run yards. Aidan Hutchinson, a defensive end, recorded three of those sacks, breaking Michigan’s single-season sack record with 13. With the win, Michigan will now represent the Big Ten East in the Big Ten championship game. — VanHaaren, Tom
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In a 35-13 victory against East Carolina, Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder passed for 301 yards and won home field advantage for Saturday’s American Athletic Conference championship game against Houston. Ridder surpassed 12,000 total career yards in the victory, becoming the school and American career-record holder. In addition, Cincinnati became the second team in school history to complete the regular season undefeated, following the 2009 Cincinnati squad. The Bearcats have now won 15 consecutive games against league opponents and 38 consecutive games versus unranked opponents. Andrea Adelson’s remark
Until it wasn’t, it was one of the worst performances of the Nick Saban era. The offensive line was terrible, and the mental mistakes came thick and fast, including a bobbled snap on a field goal try and an ill-advised targeting penalty that took Alabama’s top receiver, Jameson Williams, out of the game. Then, with 1:35 remaining in regulation, everything changed. Bryce Young came back to preserve his team’s season – and his Heisman Trophy chances – by leading a 97-yard game-tying drive and then winning it in overtime with a 2-point conversion throw to John Metchie III. Alex Scarborough’s remark
The Cowboys survived a classic Bedlam thriller — only the third time in 116 games that both teams were ranked in the AP top 10 — by trading punches with Oklahoma and clamping down late to finish the regular season with an 11-1 record and prepare to face Baylor in the Big 12 championship game next week. The Oklahoma State defense, which has been outstanding all season, was gashed in single coverage at times but came back to halt the Sooners on their last eight possessions. With the victory, the Cowboys have topped the Big 12 rankings at the end of the regular season for the first time since 2011. Dave Wilson is an author.
To conclude the regular season 11-1, the Irish easily dispatched a substantially outmatched Stanford squad. Notre Dame led 24-0 at halftime and outgained Stanford 509 to 227 yards. Irish quarterback Jack Coan threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns on 26 of 35 passing with an interception, while Kevin Austin Jr. and Michael Mayer both had 100-yard receiving games. Kyle Bonagura (Kyle Bonagura)
With a 31-21 victory against Mississippi State in an Egg Bowl that was much more of a defensive contest early on than expected, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels clinched their first 10-win season in school history. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral led the way with 234 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, as he has all season, while wideout Dontario Drummond was his favorite target with 14 receptions for 138 yards. Ole Miss is presently preparing for a New Year’s Six bowl, which Corral has said he would participate in if he is healthy. Harry Lyles Jr., Harry Lyles Jr., Harry Lyles Jr., Harry
Baylor escaped a visit from Texas Tech by the skin of its teeth, 27-24, thanks to two turnovers, 10 points off of those mistakes, and a missed field goal at the buzzer. Bears redshirt freshman quarterback Blake Shapen completed 20 of 34 throws for 254 yards and two touchdowns while stepping in for injured starter Gerry Bohanon. With seven minutes remaining, Shapen’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Ben Sims supplied the winning margin, allowing the Bears to overcome two lengthy Tech scores in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t nice, but the Bears will compete for the Big 12 championship next week due to this win and Oklahoma State’s win against Oklahoma. Bill Connelly’s quote
A week after being absolutely humiliated by Ohio State in a blowout loss, Michigan State put up a valiant effort on a snowy Saturday to defeat Penn State and claim the program’s 10th victory of the season. The Spartans had a balanced attack against the Nittany Lions’ strong defense, with quarterback Payton Thorne making some crucial plays in bad conditions and running back Kenneth Walker III putting up a performance that may cause Heisman voters to rethink his ranking. Michigan State took a 30-20 lead on Thorne’s 20-yard touchdown throw to Jayden Reed on fourth-and-15, while Walker rushed for 138 yards and a score. Two turnovers were forced by Michigan State’s defense, which had been abysmal the week before. Michigan State put on a spectacular show that might earn them a berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game. Heather Dinich is a writer.
The Buckeyes regressed to their awful form from the start of the season, particularly on defense, after appearing like the team they always aspired to be the last two weeks. They couldn’t stop Hassan Haskins and Michigan’s rushing attack, giving up 297 yards and six touchdowns, including 188 yards in the second half. Ohio State didn’t have a single sack or tackle for loss, and quarterback Cade McNamara received almost no pressure. For the first time since 2011, the Buckeyes were thoroughly defeated in The Game, thanks to a poor run game and ten penalties. Ohio State is likely out of contention for the College Football Playoff, and it must assess its defense, which has slowly deteriorated since two top-3 NFL draft prospects left following the 2019 season. Adam Rittenberg’s remark
As the Cougars defeated Southern California 35-31, running back Tyler Allgeier broke the 100-yard rushing barrier for the fourth time in five games. Early in the fourth quarter, USC grabbed a 31-28 lead, but BYU retook the lead with 3:57 left on a 7-yard touchdown run by Jackson McChesney. The victory puts BYU in contention for a spot in the New Year’s Six. Bonagura’s
This season, the Ducks haven’t exactly made it seem easy. Even though they jumped out to a 24-3 halftime lead over the Beavers in the fight for the Platypus Trophy on Saturday, you knew a second-half delay would be in order. Oregon State fought back, recovered an onside kick, and was on the verge of putting the Ducks’ win in peril, but the Ducks hung in there and allowed their rushing game carry them to a 38-29 victory. The triumph against the rivalry team wasn’t without controversy, including a bench-clearing brawl and an expulsion. The Ducks were able to wash away the foul taste that Utah left in their mouth last weekend with a balanced attack (275 yards in the air, 231 yards on the ground). While the plane journey back from Salt Lake City was “difficult” since the Ducks had earned the blowout, they were able to put it behind them on their route to the Pac-12 championship game, according to Oregon coach Mario Cristobal. Paolo Uggetti (Paolo Uggetti)
Pitt ultimately regained its stride after a sluggish first half, winning 31-14 against Syracuse for their 10th victory of the season. Kenny Pickett completed 28 of 38 passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns. Pitt’s next test will come in the ACC championship game versus Wake Forest, as everyone predicted before the season began. Lyles Jr.’s comment
The Sooners gave the Cowboys everything they could handle in the first half, but the Cowboys stopped them in the second. OU’s offense did not score after halftime for the first game since 2000. Oklahoma State’s pass rush racked up 26 pressures on dropbacks, the highest since ESPN began monitoring them in 2011, forcing OU quarterback Caleb Williams to continue creating plays with his feet. The Sooners’ six-year winning streak in the Big 12 is gone. After the win, though, coach Lincoln Riley poured cold water on LSU conjecture, so the emphasis now shifts to a bowl game and how Riley can turn around an offense that has been an oddity this season. Wilson’s words
The Utes were comfortable during their 28-13 victory against Colorado, which was a far cry from their overpowering showing against Oregon the week before. Tavion Thomas (142 yards) and TJ Pledger (103) each ran for more than 100 yards as Utah tied for its best regular-season record since the league expanded to 12 teams in 2011. (8-1). Bonagura’s
The Demon Deacons thrashed Boston College 41-10 to win the Atlantic Division and a berth in the ACC championship game against Pitt next Saturday. It’s the school’s second division championship, and just the second time Wake Forest has won ten games. Quarterback Sam Hartman’s incredible season continued with three throwing touchdowns and a running touchdown for the sixth time this season, the most by any ACC player in a single season in the last 15 years. A.T. Perry of Wake Forest recorded two touchdown receptions, surpassing the school record of 13 touchdown receptions in a season. — Sheldon Adelson
The Hawkeyes aren’t the most overpowering or flashy 10-win team in the country, but they know how to overcome slow starts to win crucial conference games. Iowa rallied from a 21-6 third-quarter hole to beat Nebraska, scoring the game’s last 22 points with two field goals, a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, a safety, and a touchdown. Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras aided the comeback in the second half, but Iowa’s opportunistic defense and outstanding special teams once again propelled the Hawkeyes, who added two more takeaways to their total. Caleb Shudak completed 4-of-4 on field goal tries, nailing three from 44 yards or more. Linebacker Jack Campbell made 16 tackles. — Richard Rittenberg
Attention span is going to be a problem when you have a road game against one of the poorest teams in FBS the week before your biggest meeting of the season. And it was for Houston against UConn at moments; the score was 14-7 late in the first half. However, the Cougars cruised to a 45-17 win, their 11th in a row, thanks to a 17-0 third-quarter outburst. Seven Houston defenders combined to sack Huskies quarterbacks seven times; Houston quarterback Clayton Tune threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns; and, after going 7-13 in Dana Holgorsen’s first two seasons, the Cougars are 11-1 heading to Cincinnati next weekend for a titanic AAC championship battle. — Sean Connelly
After falling down 16-3 early in the second quarter, the Aztecs rallied for a 27-16 victory against Boise State. With the Aztecs down 13 points, quarterback Jordon Brookshire took over for an injured Lucas Johnson and answered with a magnificent performance to help San Diego State win a berth in the Mountain West final game. Brookshire completed 11 of 15 throws for 192 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown. Bonagura’s
Dabo Swinney’s squad beat South Carolina 30-0 in Columbia on Saturday night for the sixth time in a row. D.J. Uiagalelei threw for 99 yards and an interception for Clemson, while running back Will Shipley rushed for 128 yards and a score for the Tigers. For the first time since 2014, the Tigers end the regular season with a 9-3 record and will not play in the ACC championship game. Lyles Jr.’s comment
Despite missing out on a chance to compete in the ACC title game, the Wolfpack had their greatest season under Dave Doeren. NC State became the only team this season to win despite trailing by nine or more points in the last 2:30 of regulation with a heart-stopping 34-30 comeback triumph against the rival Tar Heels on Friday night. For the first time since 2002, and just the third time in school history, the Wolfpack defeated Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina in the same season. — Sheldon Adelson
The Ragin’ Cajuns have climbed back into the Power Rankings for the first time since losing to Texas in the first week of the season. Louisiana has been flying under the radar for the most of the season, but it extended its winning run to 11 games with a 21-16 victory against UL Monroe on Saturday. The Ragin’ Cajuns will play Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Conference championship game next week, a club they defeated 41-13 earlier this season. Coach Billy Napier’s last game with the program might be this one. Or isn’t it? Who knows what will happen. What we do know is that Louisiana has won ten games for the third consecutive season. Shea Carlson is a writer.
After three consecutive defeats in the middle of the season, the Wildcats were written off nationally, but they finished the season with three straight victories to finish 9-3. The season came to a climax on Saturday, when two-point underdog Kentucky defeated rival Louisville 52-21 in a game that wasn’t really close. Will Levis, Kentucky’s quarterback, had a career day running for 113 yards and four touchdowns, while the Wildcats piled up seven rushing touchdowns. With the win, the Governor’s Cup will be held in Lexington for the third consecutive year. Carlson’s words
As the Badgers missed their opportunity to win the Big Ten West division, they were unable to run the ball and quarterback Graham Mertz failed to create an efficient passing game. The Badgers’ seven-game winning run was stopped, and their chances of meeting Michigan in the Big Ten title game were shattered. Minnesota, which was unranked and had four losses, reclaimed Paul Bunyan’s Axe thanks to their suffocating defense. Wisconsin freshman Braelon Allen was restricted to 47 yards on 17 attempts after surpassing the 100-yard mark in each of his previous seven games. Mertz threw an interception and completed 21 of 38 passes for 171 yards. Wisconsin was 5-of-17 on third- and fourth-down conversion attempts. Dinich –
The Aggies were down for the most of their game against LSU, but it didn’t make the defeat any easier to swallow. LSU took the lead for sure with 20 seconds remaining after grabbing a 24-20 lead with 7:33 left in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard touchdown throw from Max Johnson to Jaray Jenkins. Despite a breakthrough effort by defensive tackle Micheal Clemons, who recorded four sacks on the night, the Aggies were defeated. Lyles Jr.’s comment
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The “college football rankings 2022” is a list of the top college football teams in the nation after Week 13. The list takes into account both conference and national rankings.
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