Winners and Losers from College Football Week 13

It has been yet another exciting weekend of college football. With only one week remaining, the bowl and conference pictures are starting to take shape.

Rivalry week featured a little bit of everything. From blowouts to overtime, it was another exciting Saturday along the college football landscape.

Even though there is still a lot to be decided next weekend, we learned more about some of the top teams in the country this weekend.

Here are the winners and losers from Week 13 of the college football season.

Winner: TCU Horned Frogs

TCU is the first winner of the weekend, as the Horned Frogs came out with an upset victory over Texas.

The Longhorns came into the game with Big 12 title aspirations and left as a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team.

Even though the game was relatively evenly played, TCU forced four Texas turnovers which proved to be the difference in the game.

TCU only attempted 10 passes all game long, while running the ball 48 times for 217 yards. The win assured TCU of a winning record and kept them in the middle of a bunched-up Big 12 race.

Loser: Texas Quarterbacks

The main reason Texas lost to TCU was due to the poor quarterback play. The combination of David Ash and Case McCoy threw three interceptions and only completed 21 of 38 passes.

Coming into the season, one of the main questions for Texas was the quarterback position, and for the most part, Ash has played relatively well.

Thursday night was a different story. The loss ruined the slim BCS hopes the Longhorns had coming into the game.

With a trip to Kansas State to close out the season, Texas may find itself in the bottom half of the conference by this time next weekend.

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes

The sign says it all, as the Buckeyes knocked off rival Michigan 26-21. The win capped a perfect 12-0 season and gave Urban Meyer a victory in his first ever game against the Wolverines.

Even though Ohio State is not bowl eligible, this is the biggest game of the season regardless. The Buckeyes forced four Michigan turnovers and did just enough to win.

The season is now complete, and if not for the bowl ban, Ohio State would almost certainly be playing for the BCS national championship.

Still, nobody could have expected this team to finish the year 12-0.

Loser: John L. Smith

After completing a 4-8 season, Arkansas interim head coach John L. Smith has been relieved of his duties and will not be back next season.

Even with everything that has happened in Fayetteville, a 4-8 season is still a big disappointment.

The Razorbacks would like to have a new coach in place within the next two weeks, and while many people did not expect Smith to be back unless the Razorbacks had an excellent season, 4-8 pretty much sealed the deal, even before the weekend began.

Winner: Pittsburgh Panthers

With a huge upset early in the day over Rutgers, Pittsburgh turned its season around and now has a legitimate shot at a bowl game.

The Panthers knocked off the Scarlet Knights 24-7 in dominating fashion. They now must beat South Florida on Saturday to become bowl eligible.

Rutgers, on the other hand, now needs to knock off Louisville on Thursday night to prevent a possible four-way tie at the top of the Big East standings.

The bowl game that was not thought possible heading into this weekend now seems likely with one game to go.

Loser: Washington Huskies

In a game that absolutely nobody saw coming, the Washington Huskies fell to rival Washington State in the Apple Cup.

The loss will not only knock Washington out of the Top 25, but will also hurt bowl positioning.

Washington State picked up its first conference win of the season and only its third overall.

After looking excellent the previous four games, Washington was downright awful on Friday night.

Winner: The MAC

With Kent State and Northern Illinois both winning on Friday, the MAC now has an opportunity to feature two 11-win teams on a national stage Friday night.

Both Kent State and Northern Illinois will come into the game 11-1, and it is likely both will be ranked in the Top 25 by the end of the weekend.

The nationally televised game will be the perfect opportunity for the MAC to showcase its talent on a national stage. The league has the two perfect teams to do just that.

Tune in Friday night for what should be a thrilling game.

Loser: Michigan Wolverines

Michigan had a chance to ruin Ohio State's perfect season on Saturday afternoon.

Instead, the Wolverines turned the ball over four times and virtually gave Ohio State the victory.

Devin Gardner was once again the starter at quarterback. He did not play an awful game, but certainly his worst during his short stint as the starter.

The former wide receiver only completed 11 of 20 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also coughed the ball up a few times.

Not a good day for Brady Hoke and the Wolverines. 

Winner: Georgia Bulldogs

There were still some question marks surrounding Georgia coming into this game, but the Bulldogs silenced their critics with a convincing 42-10 victory over rival Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets defense had no answer for a Georgia offense that scored six touchdowns in the first 39 minutes of the game.

A showdown with Alabama looms large next weekend, as the SEC title is on the line, along with a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

That game next weekend could be one of the best of the season.

Loser: Louisville Cardinals

After starting off the season with nine straight wins, the Louisville Cardinals have fallen on hard times in recent weeks, having lost two games in a row.

At home on senior night, the Cardinals laid an egg, losing 23-20 to Connecticut in triple-overtime.

Considered to be one of the most explosive offenses in the Big East, the Louisville Cardinals could do nothing until the final moments of the game.

In the end, it was too little, too late as the Cardinals fell for the second straight night and now need a win over Rutgers to remain in BCS contention.

Winner: Montee Ball

Even though Wisconsin lost in overtime at Penn State to close out the regular season, the Badgers are still headed to the Big 10 title game next Saturday and gave running back Montee Ball a night to remember. 

Ball became the NCAA all-time touchdown leader when he scored on a 17-yard run at the end of the first quarter.

His 79th touchdown passed Travis Prentice, who had held the distinction for the past 15 years.

Ball was so close last weekend against Ohio State before fumbling at the goal line, but he got redemption on Saturday. He finished the game with 111 yards and the one score on 27 carries.

Loser: Teams That Lost out on Bowl Eligibility

Coming into the weekend, there were plenty of teams that needed to win their final game of the season to become bowl eligible.

While some teams did come out with wins, there were a few that fell short and saw their season come to an end on Saturday.

Among those teams is Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons needed to knock off Vanderbilt at home to become bowl eligible. They fell to the Commodores 55-21 and saw their season come to an end.

Perhaps the toughest loss of any team was Marshall. The Thundering Herd fell 65-59 in double-overtime against East Carolina.

The Troy Trojans also saw their season come to an end with a three-point loss against Middle Tennessee as did the Missouri Tigers.

Winner: Teams That Became Bowl Eligible

While there were a few teams that lost out on bowl eligibility, there were even more that picked up that sometimes-elusive sixth win of the season.

Michigan State was the first of those teams, as the Spartans knocked off Minnesota 26-10 on the road. Fellow Big Ten member Purdue was victorious against Indiana.

Central Michigan became the seventh bowl-eligible MAC team on Friday. Also picking up win No. 6 on Friday was West Virginia.

Some of the teams that won their sixth game on Saturday include SMU, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, and Baylor.

Loser: Oregon State Defense

What was at one point in the season one of the best defenses in the country, the Oregon State Beavers group was manhandled from start to finish by a very talented Oregon offense.

The Ducks put up 48 points on the Beavers, dominating from start to finish en route to a 48-24 victory.

The Beavers allowed 570 yards of total offense to Oregon, including 430 on the ground.

The Civil War was not much of a battle at all, as Oregon was dominant from the beginning.

Winner: Bedlam

Oklahoma came out with a dramatic 51-48 overtime victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday. Even though the Sooners were victorious, everybody involved in Bedlam saw an excellent game.

It was a thrill-a-minute from start to finish. The game was back and forth, as Oklahoma tied it with four seconds remaining before winning it in overtime on a Brennan Clay 18-yard touchdown run.

The game featured over 1,100 combined yards of offense, including Landry Jones completing 46-of-71 passes for 500 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.

Oklahoma won, but anybody who had the opportunity to see the game saw one of the most exciting of the day.

Loser: Florida State Seminoles

Florida State had a shot to beat in-state rival Florida and propel near the top of the BCS standings.

The Seminoles were at home, and many people picked them to pull off the slight upset.

Instead, Florida State turned the ball over five times and gave the game away to the talented Florida defense.

The Seminoles were held to 300 yards of total offense, and star quarterback E.J. Manuel was also held in check, completing only 18 of 33 passes for 182 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.

Not a good showing in the biggest game of the season for the Seminoles.

Winner: Penn State Nittany Loins

Penn State closed out its season with an overtime victory over Wisconsin.

The Nittany Lions finished the season 8-4. While Ohio State completed its regular season 12-0, the more surprising record of the two might be the 8-4 mark Penn State posted.

With eight wins in its final 10 games, the Nittany Lions would likely be headed to a New Year's Day bowl game, but instead will not be eligible for four years.

Needless to say, nobody could have seen a season like this coming from Penn State.

Congratulations to Bill O'Brien and his staff.

Loser: Auburn and Gene Chizik

Nobody expected Auburn to have a 10-win season, but three victories is a major disappointment.

With that being said, not many people gave the Tigers much of a chance against Alabama on Saturday, but a 49-0 dismantling certainly puts Gene Chizik on the hot seat even more.

The Tigers trailed 42-0 at halftime and never really seemed interested in the biggest game of the year.

There were plenty of disappointments this season in the college football world, and one of the biggest of them all is the Auburn Tigers.

Winner: Landry Jones

Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones continues to put up huge numbers, and Saturday night might have been the best performance he has ever had.

The senior quarterback passed for 500 yards on 46-of-71 with three touchdowns and an interception.

He orchestrated a game-tying touchdown drive that saw the game go into overtime on a Blake Bell touchdown run with four seconds remaining.

While Oklahoma does have two losses, the Sooners have put a lot of points on the board all season, led by their talented senior quarterback, Landry Jones.

The next stop for Oklahoma is a road game against TCU, followed by a potential BCS bowl game.

Loser: UCLA Bruins

UCLA was given the monumental advantage of getting two tries to beat Stanford and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins failed miserably in their first try, losing 35-17 at home to the Cardinal.

What hurts most about this game is it was at home, and UCLA will now have to travel to Stanford for the Pac-12 Championship next weekend.

The way the Bruins played on Saturday night, it does not look like they are in any shape to hang with a team like Stanford next weekend unless some major adjustments are made.

Winner: Stanford Cardinal

Stanford put together one of the better performances it has all season, routing UCLA 35-17 on the road.

The win not only bumped Oregon out of the Rose Bowl conversation, but also gives Stanford a chance to beat UCLA once again and earn a Rose Bowl berth of their own.

The Cardinal were led by star running back Stepfan Taylor. The senior rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on only 20 carries. 

Needless to say, the Stanford defense was solid once again and continues to be the strength of the team.

Loser: Clemson Tigers

Clemson had a shot to knock off South Carolina and supplant itself as a legitimate BCS Bowl team.

Instead, the Tigers were defeated 27-17 by the Gamecocks, due in large part to a pair of Tajh Boyd interceptions.

Going from a BCS bowl to the Chick-fil-A Bowl definitely makes the Tigers a loser as far as this week is concerned.

Still, a 10-2 season is nothing to be ashamed of, and the Tigers still possess one of the best offenses in the entire country.

Winner: Bowl Eliglible Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss came out and played one of the best games it has played all year, knocking off rival Mississippi State 41-24 in the Egg Bowl.

The win was big for a number of different reasons. It gave the Rebels six wins and makes them bowl eligible just a year after going win-less in the SEC and only 2-10 overall.

After starting off the game slow, the Rebels responded by outscoring Mississippi State 27-3 in the second and third quarters.

That was the difference in the game as the Rebels will be bowling somewhere next month.

Loser: Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Many people may not know this but Southern Miss has successfully finished the season 0-12.

The Golden Eagles are the only FBS team that did not win a game the entire season. In the season finale, they were knocked off 42-24 at Memphis.

While this may not be big news, it is noteworthy.

Southern Miss had a few chances to win some games against awful teams down the stretch, but just came up short and at 0-12 is the only win-less team this season.

Winner: Oregon Offense

After struggling mightily against Stanford a week earlier, the Oregon offense was back to its old self in a 48-24 victory over Oregon State in the Civil War.

The Ducks totaled 570 yards of total offense, including 430 yards on the ground.

Running back Kenjon Barner carried the ball 28 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow running back De'Anthony Thomas rushed 17 times for 122 yards and three scores.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota passed for 140 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 85 yards and another score.

Needless to say, this group returned to its old ways.

Loser: Lane Kiffin

USC did everything it could to hang in against Notre Dame, but in the end, the defense of the Fighting Irish was just a little too much.

What particularly hurt USC was the timeout called by head coach Lane Kiffin midway through the fourth quarter.

The play resulted in a touchdown, but was not allowed because of the timeout.

That hurt the Trojans, and they just could not punch the ball in at the goal-line in key situations. That was the difference in the game.

The season can not end soon enough for USC. However, a bowl game awaits.

Winner: Johnny Manziel

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel further supplanted himself as the Heisman favorite. He had another outstanding game to end the regular season in a 59-29 victory over Missouri.

Manziel finished the game 32-of-44 passing for 372 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also carried the ball 12 times for 67 yards and two more scores.

While it was hard to imagine Manziel winning the Heisman Trophy a month ago, at this point in the season, he is now the clear-cut favorite and should hear his name called in New York City a few weeks from now.

Loser: The Entire ACC

Another Saturday has come and gone. Once again it was a big disappointment for the ACC.

With some key non-conference games, the ACC fell flat on its face, losing its four non-conference games against the SEC.

In the biggest of them all, Florida State fell to rival Florida 37-26. Clemson also fell victim to rival South Carolina, losing 27-17.

Georgia Tech did not represent the conference well, losing 42-10 against a much more talented Georgia team.

The final ACC team who went down in defeat was Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons were throttled by Vanderbilt 55-21.

Certainly not a good day at the office for the ACC.

Winner: Florida Gators

Florida proved once again why it is one of the best teams in the country, knocking off Florida State 37-26 on the road.

While the Gators did allow more points than they have all season long, the defense was still dominant. The group forced five turnovers, and that was clearly the difference in this one.

Even though the Notre Dame win means Florida will not be playing for the national championship, a win over Florida State does mean the Gators will likely find themselves in the Sugar Bowl.

Quite a surprising season for Florida in 2012.

Loser: The Big East

It was another tumultuous week for the Big East as Rutgers jumped ship and will be leaving the conference in favor of the Big Ten. 

That is not good news for a conference that was just starting to get back in order after being purged over the past few years.

If that news was not bad enough, it looks like more teams will be taken from the Big East in the weeks and months to come.

With the top two teams in the conference Louisville and Rutgers both losing this week, there might not be a ranked team in the entire conference on Sunday night.

Winner: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The biggest winner of the night is without question the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They punched their ticket to the BCS National Championship game with a 22-13 road victory over USC.

It was not pretty and sometimes, it was even lucky, but Notre Dame managed to win all of its games en route to a 12-0 season.

They will take on the winner of the Alabama-Georgia game in the SEC Championship.

Expect a low-scoring national championship similar to what was witnessed last season.

Loser: SEC and Notre Dame Haters

For those fans who were excited a few weeks ago when it looked like Kansas State would be playing Oregon for the BCS National Championship, it is a completely different story right now.

The national championship will feature Notre Dame against the winner of the Alabama-Georgia SEC Championship game.

Once again a lot of fans will be rooting for the lesser of two evils, whomever that may be.

Don't look now, but we could be in store for a national championship similar to what we had to deal with last season.

Winner: South Carolina Gamecocks

Playing without Marcus Lattimore and Connor Shaw, South Carolina went on the road and beat rival Clemson 27-17.

The win knocked Clemson out of BCS contention and also gave South Carolina a better bowl game.

Without question, the key to victory for the Gamecocks was the play of the defense, led by do-it-all rush end Jadeveon Clowney.

When it comes to talent, few teams in the country have more than South Carolina and that was on full display Saturday night.

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