College Football 2018: 5 takeaways from Week 13

5. Elimination hit hard and fast

Michigan had a lot to look forward to entering Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines had the chance to defeat their rival Ohio State for the first time since 2011.

The game also had a lot on the line. For one, it would have sent Michigan to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game and for two, it would have kept the team’s playoff hopes afloat.

While there was a ton to play for, the Wolverines succumbed to second-half struggles which ultimately halted their “revenge tour” and eliminated them from playoff contention.

The shocking realization that such a promising season went swiftly awry and to the wayside was perhaps made even worse by losing to a rival for the seventh consecutive year.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh still has yet to take down the Buckeyes as a coach, but he has toppled Ohio State as a player.

Even though the playoff dreams were crushed, Michigan still has a bowl game to look forward to. Depending on how the playoff field shapes up, the Wolverines have a chance to play in a higher-end bowl game, considering they closed out the regular season with a 10-2 overall record –– with both losses being to top 10 teams.

Another team that saw its playoff hopes dashed was Washington State. The Cougars were on a roll from about midseason on but in the blizzard-like conditions presented to them in the Apple Cup proved too much.

The pass-heavy offense was stymied and surprise Heisman candidate Garnder Minshew –– who threw for an astonishing seven touchdown passes last weekend –– was limited to just 152 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown pass and instead, gave the ball away twice through interceptions.

With two losses, not only did the Cougars miss out on a possible playoff bid, but in all likelihood, wrecked the Pac-12’s representation in the playoff field.

Washington State was the only viable candidate for the conference to be selected for a playoff spot, but now it is more apparent that the Pac-12 won’t have a team in the playoff for the second consecutive season.