SportfootballInjuries and Suspensions
Takeaways from Week 13 of College Football: Oregon proves it, Jeremiyah Love to New York
College football's inherent unpredictability is precisely what makes Saturdays so compelling, yet Week 13 served up a surprisingly bland slate that felt more like a preseason scrimmage than the penultimate act before rivalry weekend. With only two ranked-on-ranked matchups—Oregon's decisive 42-27 victory over USC and Missouri's handling of Oklahoma—the weekend lacked the nail-biting drama fans crave.The core issue lies in a broken scheduling matrix exacerbated by the era of megaconferences; the SEC and Big 12 now boast 16 teams each, the ACC has 17, and the Big Ten has 18, all having eliminated divisions, which creates imbalanced, bloated schedules. This structural flaw allowed a powerhouse like Texas A&M to face a procession of opponents from the bottom half of the SEC for the first two-and-a-half months, a situation as unsatisfying for analytics as it is for fans.We must engineer a fix to ensure the regular season's climax isn't undermined by such a feeble appetizer. On the individual performance front, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love has been nothing short of spectacular, compiling 1,306 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, with 1,580 total scrimmage yards and 20 total scores—numbers that would be even more monstrous if he weren't splitting carries with the equally talented Jadarian Price.Comparing Love to his own backfield partner only underscores his unique blend of electrifying speed and physical power, making a compelling, data-backed case that he's been the most outstanding player in the nation. Yet, the Heisman Trophy conversation remains disproportionately focused on quarterbacks like Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State's Julian Sayin, whose impending clash in the Big Ten title game could anoint the winner.It would be a travesty of voter myopia to overlook a non-QB of Love's caliber simply because his team isn't playing on conference championship weekend. Meanwhile, Oregon solidified its College Football Playoff resume with that statement win over USC, demonstrating an explosive, multi-faceted offense and a defense just stingy enough to contain Lincoln Riley's aerial attack.The Ducks, now poised to host a first-round game if they defeat Washington, are a nightmare matchup because they can beat you in so many ways, with or without their top passing weapons. Conversely, USC's defeat revealed a program still a reliable rushing attack and a dependable defense away from true CFP contention.In a devastating self-inflicted blow, Georgia Tech's defense collapsed for the third consecutive week, culminating in a 42-28 loss to Pitt that extinguished their ACC championship and CFP hopes, raising questions about whether head coach Brent Key was distracted by rumored openings elsewhere. This theme of coaching candidates stumbling at the worst possible moment played out across the country: Jeff Brohm's Louisville has lost three straight, Matt Rhule's Nebraska fell to Minnesota, Jedd Fisch's Washington lost to Wisconsin, and Eli Drinkwitz's Missouri dropped three of its last four, all as major jobs like Penn State and Florida came open. In the high-stakes coaching carousel, how you finish is often who you are, and this season's slate of presumed contenders is limping, not sprinting, toward the finish line.
#College Football Playoff
#Heisman Trophy
#Oregon Ducks
#USC Trojans
#Notre Dame Fighting Irish
#Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
#coaching carousel
#featured
