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Now that we have reached week 13 of the American college football championship, there is an irrefutable certainty: Oregon remains the only undefeated team for now. The teams that remained at 0 defeats until last week lost their first game: so I’m talking about Indiana and Army.
Indiana loses its first game of the season against probably the worst opponent it could face at the moment: Ohio State. With a growing performance, the Buckeyes managed to beat the Hoosiers 38-15, confirming what was said in recent weeks about Indiana. I’m obviously talking about the fact that the Hoosiers’ calendar, decidedly lacking in comparisons with teams present in the ranking, had given them a considerable advantage in finding themselves undefeated at this point of the season.
This obviously does not take anything away from the merit of being in fifth place in the ranking until last Saturday. Indiana against the Buckeyes started by demonstrating its true offensive qualities by finding the advantage, but a series of errors that were too, too big instead allowed the Buckeyes to get back into the game immediately and then significantly spread the result.
I’m talking first of all about the failed punt by the Hoosiers that immediately takes the Buckeyes into the endzone, but also about the careless defense on Caleb Downs’ 79-yard return and the TD that follows a few minutes later by Jelani Thurman. Flashes of Indiana’s true potential appear again in the final quarter, when it is already too late.
Ohio State will play their last game against Michigan, Indiana will play against Purdue
In the golden helmet battle between Notre Dame and Army, the latter also loses its unbeaten record, again against an opponent in amazing form. Another similarity compared to the game between Indiana and Ohio State are Army’s errors, which certainly made the Fighting Irish’s job easier. One is certainly the failed punt by the Black Knights in the first quarter which extended the 7-0 lead already accumulated by Notre Dame to 2 possessions difference. Even Army QB Bryson Daily’s fumble on the run denotes a lack of attention, perhaps mixed with a bit of anxiety for the opponent, which however must always be very high in a game of this level.
Notre Dame wins by doing one of the things they do best, which is taking advantage of their consistency within games. Of course, with a department like the RBs that brings home 5 TDs with three different men, an absolute strong point for this university, everything becomes easier.
We already know who will win the award for best playing uniform
With a bit of difficulty comes the victory for Penn State, which beats Minnesota 26-25. The first half ends with the lead for the Golden Gophers who, with courage and creativity in the offense’s actions, had already predicted that the Nittany Lions’ day would be anything but easy. Among the points for Minnesota in the first half, noteworthy was an extraordinary trick play with a flea flicker for the TD after a reception by Jameson Geers and 2 points that came after a 1-point conversion failed by Penn State and returned to the endzone by Minnesota.
In the second half the difference was made by two first downs obtained by a 4th &1 at the end of the game. The first was obtained with a fake punt and the second was fundamental to prevent Minnesota from having even a few seconds to look for a field goal to overtake.
Penn State manages to remain in the top 4 in the rankings despite the far from easy victory
In the other games of the day, Texas managed to beat 31-14 an opponent such as Kentucky that has proven tedious for many teams during this season; Georgia easily beats UMass 59-21 and Miami wins against Wake Forest 42-14. A sensational third defeat of the season for Alabama, which disastrously lost 24-3 against Oklahoma, and also for Ole Miss, which was instead defeated by Florida. One thing about the Heisman Trophy after this Alabama game is absolutely certain: Jalen Milroe will not be the winner.
The new ranking after week 13
The first four positions still remain unchanged, while Notre Dame rises to fifth position with merit. Followed by Georgia, Tennessee, Miami, SMU and Indiana to close the top 10. Clemson rises to 12th and Alabama sinks back to 13th, with 3 defeats on the scoreboard. Arizona State rises by 7 positions after the victory against BYU, which instead ended up in 19th. New re-entry Missouri, position number 24 for the Tigers.
What does week 14 have in store?
On the occasion of the holidays, day number 14 is divided between Friday (the famous Black Friday) and Saturday. Ole Miss will play Mississippi State, Boise State will play Oregon State and Georgia will play Georgia Tech on Friday. On Saturday, Ohio State will face Michigan, Tennessee will face Vanderbilt and South Carolina will face Clemson, all at 6pm Italian time. At 9.30pm on the field will be Penn State against Maryland, Notre Dame against USC, Alabama against Auburn, Miami against Syracuse and California against SMU. During the night Oregon will take the field against Washington and Texas against Texas A&M. I would say a fairly eventful day.
Dillon Gabriel and his team will take the field on Saturday against Washington to maintain their unbeaten season
Student in “Communication Sciences”, great NFL fan since 2020 and writer in his free time. I love the United States, for this reason I dedicated a personal blog (@Speaking of USA) to write articles about this splendid country.
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How does Alabama’s unusual third loss impact the team’s playoff aspirations and potentially alter the coaching staff’s strategies in the remaining games?
This is a great summary of week 13 in college football. You effectively highlighted the major upsets, key performances, and the shifts in the rankings.
Here are some open-ended questions to spark discussion based on your article:
**Indiana’s Loss:**
* Did Indiana’s undefeated streak make them overconfident against Ohio State, or was Ohio State simply the better team on that day?
* What does this loss mean for Indiana’s chances of making the College Football Playoffs? Was their ranking ever realistic?
**Army’s Defeat:**
* How much of a factor were Army’s errors in their loss to Notre Dame?
* What does Notre Dame need to do to solidify their position as a playoff contender in the remaining weeks?
**Penn State’s Close Call:**
* Was Minnesota underestimated by Penn State, or did they simply have a strong game plan?
* With upsets happening around them, is Penn State in danger of missing the playoffs if they don’t win out?
**Overall Picture:**
* Alabama’s uncharacteristic third loss drastically changes the landscape. What are the implications for Alabama’s coaching staff and the program’s future?
* Who are the biggest contenders for the Heisman Trophy now that Jalen Milroe is likely out of the running?
**Thematic Sections:**
I’d suggest organizing the interview around these themes:
1. **Unranked Upsets:** Focus on the Indiana and Army losses and their impact on the playoff race.
2. **Playoff Contenders:** Discuss teams like Penn State, Notre Dame, and others vying for a playoff spot. Analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
3. **The Heisman Race:** Examine the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy in light of recent performances and Alabama’s struggles.
4. **Week 14 Preview:** Highlight the most anticipated matchups and discuss potential outcomes.
By using these open-ended questions and organizing the interview thematically, you can create a dynamic and insightful discussion about this exciting point in the college football season!
