5 things we learned from Week 13 College Football Playoff rankings

Nov 19, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) celebrates the victory against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) celebrates the victory against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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What we learned from the Week 13 release of the College Football Playoff rankings and what it means for Michigan, LSU, USC, Clemson, Notre Dame football, and more. 

There always seems to be something to debate about when it comes to the College Football Playoff rankings and the Week 13 edition is no different.

LSU held firm at No. 5, despite the fact that USC notched a win over UCLA, a team ranked in the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Alabama is still ahead of Clemson which shouldn’t be that big of a surprise to people. There is still a long way to go and a lot of football to be played.

Looking at the Week 13 College Football Playoff Rankings, here’s what we learned and what it means going into the final two weeks of the college football season.

The USC ranking doesn’t matter

Look, I get USC fans being pissed about being ranked fifth, but at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter.

LSU controls its own destiny and while the Trojans are close to doing that, we can’t forget that LSU still has a game against Georgia and if it wins that game, it’s going to the College Football Playoff.

The interesting thing in that scenario is what would happen if USC and TCU win out. The Ohio State/Michigan winner would be No. 1, and LSU would be No. 2 in my opinion in that scenario. Then, I think Georgia and TCU, if it was undefeated, would get the last two berths.

USC would have a strong case to make though, especially to make it over Georgia. The Trojans will have three straight wins over ranked teams if they win out and the same record as the Bulldogs.

Georgia looks like the No. 1 team and its resume includes wins over Tennessee and Oregon, although the Tennessee win could lose some value.

I said the Trojans controlled their destiny this past week and I was wrong because if LSU upsets Georgia, USC will probably wind up at the Rose Bowl.

That means Trojan fans, you need Georgia to win out and that’s pretty much it (if USC keeps winning), although a TCU loss might help matters if LSU beat Georgia.