College Football: Week 13 Recap, Game Attended and Pick Results

The College Football Playoff rankings should look similar to last week's after the top four teams came away with wins. Teams were also eliminated from winning what has been wild races in the Big Ten West and Pac-12 South Divisions.

It doesn’t seem to be as surprising anymore, as No. 3 Florida State escaped yet again with a 26-yard game-winning field goal by placekicker Roberto Aguayo to give the Seminoles a 20-17 victory. It was their fifth game this season that was decided by six points or less.

While there was drama in Tallahassee, nothing was bigger than UCLA’s statement 38-20 win over crosstown rival USC to keep itself in contention for the division title. Quarterback Brett Hundley threw for 326 yards, three touchdowns and one interception to lead the Bruins to their third straight win over the Trojans.

No. 15 Arizona also kept itself in the Pac-12 South Division discussion with a convincing 42-10 win at No. 17 Utah. A win at home in one of the biggest Territorial Cup games ever in the in-state rivalry against Arizona State on Friday, along with a UCLA loss, would give the Wildcats a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

The Big Ten West Division will now come down to the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Saturday with No. 25 Minnesota upsetting No. 23 Nebraska on the road by scoring 14 unanswered points to win 28-24. No. 16  Wisconsin also edged out Iowa on the road, 26-24, with help from Melvin Gordon’s 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The winner will face Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6.

Eighth-ranked Ole Miss became the second ranked team in a row to be shut out by now-bowl-eligible Arkansas 30-0 and was eliminated from winning the SEC West Division title.

Game Attended

Colorado 10 at No. 2 Oregon 44

The second-ranked Oregon Ducks continued their quest for the national championship on Saturday with a blowout 44-10 win at home against Colorado. Heisman front-runner quarterback Marcus Mariota had an impressive outing in what was likely his final game at Autzen Stadium.

Mariota was 24-of-32 for 323 yards and scored four total touchdowns, which gave him 42 total touchdowns on the year and helped break former USC quarterback Matt Barkley’s Pac-12 single-season record of 41 touchdowns. He also became the fifth quarterback in FBS history to throw for 9,000 yards and rush for 2,000 yards.

Another threat in the backfield against the Buffaloes was freshman running back Royce Freeman, who ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Freeman rushed for 20-yard and seven-yard touchdowns in the first half to help give the Ducks a convincing 20-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Freshman wide receiver Charles Nelson was a threat in the receiving corps as well, as he recorded three receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns against a Colorado defense that heading into Saturday’s contest was surrendering an awful 38.6 points per game.

With a 34-point loss to Oregon, Colorado suffered its seventh straight loss of the season and fell to 0-8 in Pac-12 play. Running back Christian Powell led the offense with five carries for 51 yards against a Duck defense that held the Buffalo offense to only 226 total yards.

Oregon will face in-state rival Oregon State on the road in the Civil War on Saturday, prior to playing in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 5 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Pick Results

Overall Record: 42-23

Week 13 Record: 3-2

Note: Team in bold indicates author’s pick

Prediction: Nebraska 35, Minnesota 24

Result: Minnesota 28, Nebraska 24


Prediction: Ole Miss 31, Arkansas 17

Result: Arkansas 30, Ole Miss 0


Prediction: Arizona 27, Utah 24

Result: Arizona 42, Utah 10


Prediction: Wisconsin 31, Iowa 13

Result: Wisconsin 26, Iowa 24


Prediction: UCLA 35, USC 31

Result: UCLA 38, USC 20