College Football Week 13 Recap

1. South Carolina stuns Clemson

It was close, but Deshaun Watson and the Tigers' offense proved to be too much for the Gamecocks, as they survived 37 - 32.  Clemson faces North Carolina in the ACC title game next, with a playoff spot on the line.  If the Tigers win, they are in.  A more interesting scenario will be encountered if North Carolina wins.  Would a one-loss Tar Heels team jump six spots to reach the top 4 if they knock off top-ranked Clemson?  Or would the committee go with a one-loss Ohio State or two-loss Stanford (assuming the Cardinal win the Pac 12)?

2. Auburn shocks Alabama

Auburn kept it close for a while, but eventually the Tide rode Derrick Henry to another Alabama victory, 29 - 13.  If they can make it past the reeling Gators in the SEC title game, they'll clinch a playoff spot.

3. Zeke bounces back with 200+ yards vs TTUN

It may have been a week too late, but #15 got the necessary carries and proved he can run against the best.  Elliott carried the ball 30 times for 214 yards as the Buckeyes rolled to a 42 - 13 win.  But with Michigan State handling Penn State, the Spartans clinched the B1G East title and removed OSU's shot at a repeat conference championship.  Don't count out the Bucks entirely, though.  FiveThirtyEight gives Ohio State a 22% chance to make the playoffs, despite not playing this weekend.

4. Nebraska thwarts Iowa's playoff hopes

Another game that was close, but eventually went the way of the favorite.  The Hawkeyes kept their B1G title and playoff hopes alive with a 28 - 20 win over the Cornhuskers, to record their first 12-win season in school history.  They head to Indy next week to face their toughest challenge of the year, squaring off against the Spartans in what is essentially a play-in game for a top four spot.

5. I use the letter M on Saturday

I tried, but was unsuccessful.  Too many words contain that vile 13th letter.  Perhaps a change to the alphabet is in order?  I suggest we replace 'M' with 'B' (for Buckeyes) in all words.  It bakes sense to be!

Week 13 record: 2 - 3
Overall record: 18.5 - 46.5

Other headlines from week 13:

Baylor, Notre Dame go down while Oklahoma solidifies position in top 4

We're starting to achieve clarity in the big dance which is the college football playoff race.  There are probably only 8 teams left with a realistic shot at competing for a national championship.  In just a few days, the list of contenders will be narrowed down to 4.  But will it be clear-cut or will there be controversy, like last year?

MSU center Jack Allen scores TD, Dantonio smiles

With a big lead, late in the game, the Spartans decided to try and get their senior center more involved in the action as he lined up at tailback for 1st and goal.  As rare as big guy touchdowns are, the score led to what might be even rarer: a Mark Dantonio smile (not shown in the below video as the film instantly vaporized the moment after it captured the MSU coach's mythical grin).