By Collin Stevens of The Roar
Week 13 of the 2022-2023 college football season was arguably the most action-packed collection of games this year. Fueled by a healthy dose of bad blood and rivalries that cross state-lines, fans witnessed a weekend filled with dramatic upsets that shook up the rankings like it was a game of Yahtzee. Unshakable from the No.1 position in this week's standings, however, are the Georgia Bulldogs, now 12-0 after a 37-14 win over Georgia Tech. While Tech jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, a stiff effort from the Georgia defense had the Yellow Jackets lost from the scoreboard until late in the fourth. For Big 10 titans Michigan (No. 2) and Ohio State, their meeting in Columbus ended far more historically than the Buckeyes would have hoped. The Wolverines smashed their hosts 45-23 in the Horseshoe for the first time since 2000, and Ohio State fell to No. 5 in the rankings. Sliding into the No. 3 spot, 12-0 TCU had a far less troubling weekend. The Horned Frogs offense was firing on all cylinders, and a decisive 62 points had Iowa State’s defense in a cyclone. TCU is set to take on 10th ranked Kansas State Saturday, Dec. 3 for the Big 12 Championship. Moving on, the Home of the 12th Man proved to be too much for the formerly No. 5 seeded LSU Tigers. A&M running back Devon Achane cut through the LSU defense like a-train, collecting 215 yards on the ground in the Aggie’s 38-23 win. The Tigers fall to No. 11 and will travel to Atlanta to face Georgia for the SEC Championship. USC and Alabama found statement wins and new rankings this week as well. The No. 4 Trojans toppled the fighting Irish of Notre Dame, while the Crimson Tide (No. 6) defeated Iron Bowl rivals, Auburn, 49-27. Tennessee moved up to No. 7, and Oregon fell all the way to No. 16 after a 38-34 loss to Oregon State.
As for the Clemson Tigers (No. 9), a 31-30 loss to South Carolina snaps a near decade-long run of dominance over the Gamecocks. A lack of offensive production in the fourth quarter plagued the Tiger offense, while turnovers late in the game sealed their fate. DJ Uiagalelei was 8/29 for 99 yards through the air, while Will Shipley carried the weight of the run-game with 132 yards on the ground. Though star wide-receiver Beaux Collins tacked on 65 yards on only 2 catches, he will miss the remainder of the season due to surgery on an injured right shoulder. Despite the loss, the Tigers only fall one spot in the standings, and look ahead to North Carolina (No. 24) and the ACC Championship. The 9-3 Tarheels picked up their most recent loss to NC State this past Saturday in a 30-27 OT thriller, and Clemson fans everywhere hope to see their Tigers add another one to the NC record. The two teams will play for the championship this Saturday, December 3 at 8:00 PM EST.
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