Week 13 of the College Football season was one of the quieter weekends of the season, especially in the SEC. This weekend only brought one matchup between ranked SEC teams, while this weekend was the annual weekend where the SEC gets hate from everyone for scheduling cupcake opponents in the middle of the Playoff hunt.
The biggest game in the SEC was between the Oklahoma Sooners, fresh off their win over Alabama, and the Missouri Tigers, who returned Beau Pribula. Brent Venables' team once again handled the challenge of facing a ranked opponent to continue their march toward the College Football Playoff.
Power Ranking the SEC: Oklahoma continues to climb into the Playoff field
Arkansas fans were treated to the same game they've seen all season long as the team hung around early before being simply overpowered. Freshman KJ Jackson showed plenty to be excited about, going 16-29 for 206 yards and a touchdown while adding another score with his legs. The defense is going to need a massive overhaul this offseason, as they were the problem once again, allowing 52 points and just under 500 yards.
Mississippi State spent this weekend on the bye as they prepare for a big showdown in the Egg Bowl, as Ole Miss has Playoff implications on the line, and the Bulldogs will be looking to become bowl eligible. The Bulldogs have grown a ton this season, and they can certainly head into 2026 with a ton of momentum if they can shock everyone in this game.
The Auburn Tigers fans finally got to see the quarterback they've been clamoring for as DJ Durkin started true freshman Deuce Knight. The Tigers' offense certainly looked improved, even considering it was against a lesser opponent, as Knight accounted for 6 touchdowns in his first start. The Tigers now have a chance to define their season as they could clinch bowl eligibility while knocking Alabama out of the Playoff race in the Iron Bowl.
After pushing Ole Miss to the brink last weekend, Florida no-showed against Tennessee on Saturday Night. The Gators allowed the Volunteers to jump out to a 31-0 lead in the 1st half, and despite the defense pitching a shutout in the second half, it still wasn't enough. This program is just waiting for the offseason to begin, and whether it's Lane Kiffin or another coach, they'll have plenty of work to do.
Shane Beamer's team suffered an emotional loss last weekend as it looked like they knocked off Texas A&M until the Aggies came roaring back. This team needed an easy game to get back on track as a group, and Coastal Carolina was just that. LaNorris Sellers accounted for 4 touchdowns while the defense kept Coastal out of the endzone until the 4th quarter, dominating this game.
After picking up 3 wins in a row, it looked like the Kentucky Wildcats were figuring everything out, just to get crushed by Vanderbilt. Cutter Boley struggled in this game, going 26-44 for 280 yards with a pair of touchdowns and interceptions. The defense allowed Diego Pavia to get whatever he wanted, allowing 604 yards in an embarrassing showing. Next week's game against Louisville is important for Mark Stoops, as making a bowl game would relieve a ton of pressure, while a loss could cost him.
The LSU Tigers are focused on the coaching carousel, and it's clear Brian Kelly wasn't the only issue as the Tigers eked out a 13-10 win over Western Kentucky. The offense was a mess as Michael Van Buren struggled passing while once again LSU struggled running the ball, which included a fumble returned for a touchdown as LSU was trying to close this game out. Blake Baker's defense was dominant once again, as it's starting to look like he'll stay in place when a new coach is brought in.
This weekend, the Missouri Tigers returned quarterback Beau Pribula, giving the offense a chance to find balance once again. Instead, Missouri's offense couldn't get anything going as Oklahoma took away the rushing attack, and the passing attack couldn't carry the unit. After a promising start to the season, Missouri has fallen apart in SEC play, and Eli Drinkwitz will need to add even more talent this offseason to turn this team into a contender.
The Tennessee Volunteers came out on fire against the Florida Gators on Saturday Night, taking a 31-0 first-half lead that proved to be more than enough to pick up the win. DeSean Bishop and Star Thomas powered the offense, picking up a combined 187 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Joey Aguilar took care of the football, adding a passing touchdown himself. The Vols will miss the Playoff, but they can salvage a bit by knocking off Vanderbilt and crushing their Playoff hopes.
The start of the game wasn't great for Texas as they let a bad Arkansas team hang around way too long. In the second half, Texas' offense kept rolling while the defense slowed the Razorbacks to get a big win. A few of the teams ahead of the Longhorns losing this weekend may put Texas in a place where they could be in Playoff contention with a win over Texas A&M.
Coming into the weekend, it looked like Vanderbilt had an interesting test as they faced a Kentucky team that was starting to click. Instead, the Commodores led 45-3 going into the 4th quarter, cruising to a 45-17 victory. Diego Pavia had another stellar showing, passing for 5 touchdowns and adding a score on the ground, powering the offense. Next weekend's game against Tennessee is pivotal, and it'll be truly cruel if the Commodores go 10-2 with losses to Alabama and Texas just to miss the Playoff.
After suffering their second loss of the season last weekend, Kalen DeBoer's team was able to relax as they beat up on Eastern Illinois. The Crimson Tide were never going to lose this game, but picking up the win sets up a high-stakes Iron Bowl, as a win should punch Alabama's ticket to the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff.
Brent Venables' team was thrown right back into action a week after beating Alabama as they faced a Top 25 team in Missouri. The Sooners' defense was dominant, holding an elite Missouri rushing attack to just 2 yards per carry on 35 attempts. After looking like they were going to miss the Playoff after the Ole Miss game, Oklahoma has ripped off 3 straight ranked wins, and they're a win over LSU away from pulling off an incredible run.
Ole Miss spent the week on the bye preparing for the Egg Bowl, and while the bye week brings a reason to relax, the Rebels spent the week on alert. The biggest story around Ole Miss right now remains LSU and Florida's courtship of Lane Kiffin, which the Rebels will hope is resolved as soon as possible, so this team can stay focused.
The Georgia Bulldogs got to play one last tune-up game before their season finale as they faced off against Charlotte. As is expected, Kirby Smart's team dominated the game, and getting to 10-1 on the season means they're almost certainly heading to the College Football Playoff. Next week brings another test for Georgia as they'll face Georgia Tech to end the regular season.
After a scary game last weekend, the Texas A&M Aggies got to enjoy themselves with a dominant win over Samford. The Aggies continue to remain among the top teams in the Country, and at 11-0 on the season, they will make the College Football Playoff. Next weekend brings one last big test against Texas, but this team has proven time and time again that they have what it takes to win a National Championship