Athlon Sports will update its top 25 every weekend after the games, which is an important part of every college football season.
Several games, including upsets by Florida (over Ole Miss), Oklahoma (over Alabama), Kansas (over Colorado), and Oregon State (over Washington State), were the main events of the 13th weekend of the 2024 season.
Ohio State beat Indiana in a big game that moved them closer to the College Football Playoff. In conference play, Texas and Penn State also won important games.
Oregon is still ranked No. 1 in the top 25 after Week 13. Ohio State, Texas, and Penn State are in that order. After Week 13, these are Athlon Sports’ top 25 college football teams:
College Football Top 25 Rankings (After Week 13)
1. Oregon (11-0)
Last Week: 1
Week 13 Result: Off Week
Today was a day off for the Ducks. Their last game of the season is next week against Washington. Oregon will also play in the Big Ten Championship on December 7.
2. Ohio State (10-1)
Last Week: 2
Week 13 Result: Defeated Indiana
They worked together as a team to beat Indiana 38–15, which was Ohio State’s second top-five win of the season. The Buckeyes gave up a touchdown drive of 70 yards to the Hoosiers on the first play, but they only gave up 81 yards the rest of the way.
The offense got good field position, which they turned into a touchdown, thanks to Ohio State’s special teams. They also returned a punt for a touchdown. On the other hand, quarterback Will Howard did a good job (22 of 26 for 201 yards and two scores).
3. Texas (10-1)
Last Week: 3
Week 13 Result: Defeated Kentucky
The Longhorns beat Kentucky 31–14, which was one step closer to making it to the SEC Championship Game. The Wildcats gave up 250 yards on the ground to Coach Steve Sarkisian’s team, while quarterback Quinn Ewers caught 20 passes for 191 yards.
Texas also had six sacks and 11 tackles for a loss at the line of scrimmage on defense. Next up is a huge matchup at Texas A&M.
4. Penn State (10-1)
Last Week: 3
Week 13 Result: Defeated Minnesota
Penn State had no trouble against Minnesota, but coach James Franklin’s team won 26–25 in Minneapolis thanks to some tough calls, including a fake punt with less than four minutes to play. With eight catches for 102 yards, tight end Tyler Warren once again came through in a big game.
5. Notre Dame (10-1)
Last Week: 6
Week 13 Result: Defeated Army
In the first half, the Fighting Irish scored 28 points, which was enough to quickly beat Army 49–14. The Black Knights’ great running game was limited to 207 yards, and no rush went longer than 19 yards.
Army’s defense gave up just 273 yards (9.4 yards per carry) and five touchdowns on the ground to Notre Dame’s running back Jeremiyah Love.
6. Georgia (9-2)
Last Week: 9
Week 13 Result: Defeated UMass
Coach Kirby Smart’s team did not play their best in Saturday’s win over UMass, but the Bulldogs pulled away for a 59-21 win. To keep things interesting, the Minutemen ran for 226 yards and caught a touchdown pass from 75 yards out.
But quarterback Carson Beck threw four touchdowns, and running back Nate Frazier ran for 136 yards. Georgia got its ninth win of the season. The Bulldogs also made it to the SEC Championship Game because Alabama and Texas A&M both lost on Saturday night.
7. Tennessee (9-2)
Last Week: 10
Week 13 Result: Defeated UTEP
The Volunteers got off to a slow start, but they finished quickly and beat UTEP 56-0. Tennessee’s second shutout of the season came against Kent State, and after Ole Miss lost to Florida, the team’s playoff chances got better.
8. Miami (10-1)
Last Week: 11
Week 13 Result: Defeated Wake Forest
The Canes got off to a slow start, but a 22-point fourth quarter helped them beat Wake Forest 42-14. Cameron Ward, the quarterback, scored three touchdowns, and after a rough start, Miami’s defense picked up the pace in the last two quarters.
9. Indiana (10-1)
Last Week: 5
Week 13 Result: Lost to Ohio State
With a 38–15 loss at Ohio State, the Hoosiers failed their toughest test of the season.
After scoring a touchdown on the first drive, the offense had a terrible game (2.6 yards per play), special teams made a few mistakes, and the defense could not get off the field when it mattered most.
Coach Curt Cignetti’s team has a good chance to make the College Football Playoff if they beat Purdue next week, even though they lost.
10. Boise State (10-1)
Last Week: 14
Week 13 Result: Defeated Wyoming
Boise State beat Wyoming 17–13, even though running back Ashton Jeanty was not fully healthy because of injuries. He is a candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
And because Colorado and BYU lost in the Big 12, the Broncos have a good chance to get a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff if they win.
11. SMU (10-1)
Last Week: 15
Week 13 Result: Defeated Virginia
After beating Virginia 33–7 on Saturday, SMU is going to the ACC Championship Game. Kevin Jennings threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns, which was more than enough to beat the Cavaliers.
The conference title game for the Mustangs is on December 7. They will play either Miami or Clemson.
12. Alabama (8-3)
Last Week: 7
Week 13 Result: Lost to Oklahoma
When Alabama lost 24–3, it was because they were dominated by Oklahoma. The Sooners’ ground game, which was only 11 of 26 for 164 yards and a quarterback rating of 164, never got going, and they pushed Alabama’s defense for 257 yards.
To get to the College Football Playoff, coach Kalen DeBoer’s team will have to go through a lot of trouble over the next two weeks.
13. Ole Miss (8-3)
Last Week: 8
Week 13 Result: Lost to Florida
Ole Miss lost 24–17 at Florida because they missed chances and turned the ball over three times. The Rebels had more yards (464 to 344) than the Gators, but they missed three chances in the red zone.
Unless chaos in other conferences helps coach Lane Kiffin’s team, the Rebels will not make it to the College Football Playoff. It will be a disappointing season.
14. Clemson (9-2)
Last Week: 16
Week 13 Result: Defeated The Citadel
The Tigers beat The Citadel easily 51–14, which took care of business. In a good game, the running game gained 302 yards, and coach Dabo Swinney’s defense did not let up a score until the third quarter. The 2024 season ends for Clemson with a game against rival South Carolina.
15. South Carolina (8-3)
Last Week: 18
Week 13 Result: Defeated Wofford
With an easy 56–12 win over Wofford, the Gamecocks have now won four straight games. LaNorris Sellers kept up his good end to the 24 season by going 23 of 27 for 307 yards and three touchdowns. The next game for coach Shane Beamer’s team is on the road against rival Clemson.
16. Arizona State (9-2)
Last Week: 21
Week 13 Result: Defeated BYU
They beat BYU 28–23 and are now one win away from the Big 12 Championship. After getting ahead 21-0, the Sun Devils let the Cougars get back into the game in the fourth quarter, which made things more interesting.
ASU’s strange post-game management was also a surprise, but coach Kenny Dillingham’s team still managed to win big. Cam Skattebo, the running back, had another great game with 147 yards.
17. Texas A&M (8-3)
Last Week: 13
Week 13 Result: Lost to Auburn
ASU came back from being down 21-0 to take Auburn to overtime, but coach Mike Elko’s team lost 43–41 and just missed a comeback.
Even though they lost, Texas A&M is still in the running to play for the SEC Championship. If Texas does not beat the Aggies next week, they will have to go to Atlanta to play Georgia for the SEC title.
18. BYU (9-2)
Last Week: 12
Week 13 Result: Lost to Arizona State
The Cougars tried hard in the second half to win, but their rally fell short, and they lost 28–23 to Arizona State.
In the last two quarters, quarterback Jake Retzlaff played better (22 of 38 for 297 yards), and BYU’s defense held the Sun Devils to just seven points, which gave coach Kalani Sitake’s team a chance to come back.
As a result, the Cougars lost both games, which makes it less likely that they will play for the Big 12 Championship.
19. Tulane (9-2)
Last Week: 20
Week 13 Result: Off Week
The Green Wave did not play on Saturday. They will play again on Thursday night against Memphis.
20. Iowa State (9-2)
Last Week: 22
Week 13 Result: Defeated Utah
The Cyclones beat Utah 31–28 to keep their chances of winning the Big 12 title alive. It was 405 yards of offense for Iowa State and 224 yards for Utah.
However, coach Matt Campbell’s team lost two turnovers, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown, and a punt was blocked and scored on.
Still, Iowa State was able to win in a tough game, which keeps its hopes of winning the Big 12 title alive for another week.
21. Kansas State (8-3)
Last Week: 23
Week 13 Result: Defeated Cincinnati
Kansas State beat Cincinnati 41–15 to get back on track after losing to Arizona State last week. The running game was led by DJ Giddens (143 yards), who averaged 7 yards per carry. The defense held the Bearcats to 374 yards in total.
22. Colorado (8-3)
Last Week: 17
Week 13 Result: Lost to Kansas
Colorado’s Big 12 title hopes took a huge hit with a 37-21 defeat to Kansas. The Buffaloes simply had no answer for the Jayhawks’ ground game (331 rushing yards allowed) and failed to force a punt over eight possessions.
23. UNLV (9-2)
Last Week: 24
Week 13 Result: Defeated San Jose State
It rained a lot, and San Jose State was very motivated, but UNLV still won 27-16 on Friday night. There were 47 plays in which the defense only gave up 112 yards, and the Rebels ran for 207 yards.
Since Fresno State beat Colorado State, UNLV is once again in the lead for a spot in the Mountain West title game.
24. Missouri (8-3)
Last Week: Not Ranked
Week 13 Result: Defeated Mississippi State
Mississippi State was a tough road game for the Tigers, but they beat them 39–20 to win their eighth game of the season. Brady Cook did a good job as a quarterback, throwing for 268 yards.
On the ground, 56 carries for 204 yards were successful. The Missouri defense let in a few big plays, but they also made enough important stops in the second half to let the offense score more points.
25. Illinois (8-3)
Last Week: Not Ranked
Week 13 Result: Defeated Rutgers
One of the craziest endings to a Week 13 game happened when Illinois played Rutgers on the road. With four seconds left, quarterback Luke Altmyer hit receiver Pat Bryant for a 40-yard catch and score, giving Illinois a 38-31 win.
That score added up to 23 points in the fourth quarter and helped the Fighting Illini win an important Big Ten road game.