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As we enter Week 13 of the college football season, teams still fight for playoff positions and conference titles while others gear up for big rivalry games.

Despite an exciting regular season, the Tennessee Volunteers' prospects of advancing in the College Football Playoffs ended with a 63-38 loss to South Carolina in Columbia. However, Arkansas's 42-27 victory against Ole Miss was among the many shocking results in the SEC.

After a nail-biting victory against Baylor, No. 4 TCU advanced to 10-0 on the season and remained unblemished. With 6:38 left in the fourth quarter and behind 28-30, quarterback Max Duggan led an 11-play, 90-yard touchdown drive to trim the deficit to 28-26. 

In the end, it was Griffin Kell's 40-yard field goal that clinched the victory.

Despite formidable challenges inside their divisions, Georgia and Ohio State each came out on top, while USC won a thrilling Battle of Los Angeles and Alabama dispatched an FCS opponent. 

No. 3 Michigan barely stayed alive in the College Football Playoff race thanks to a tough test from Illinois. 

The Wolverines needed a fourth-quarter rally to escape a home shock loss after losing their top running back, Blake Corum, late in the second quarter. However, Jake Moody kept the Wolverines unblemished with four second-half field goals, including a 35-yard game-winner with nine seconds left.

As the season draws to a close, college football fans have plenty for which to be grateful during this holiday week. 

Four matchups between ranked opponents are kicking off the festivities, including two classic rivalries that will impact the College Football Playoff picture. 

On Saturday, Ohio Stadium will host a matchup of unbeaten teams between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan at noon, with the Buckeyes looking for vengeance after a 42-27 loss to the Wolverines last year. And at 3:30, in a heated in-state Pac-12 rivalry, No. 10 Oregon visits Oregon State.

Fans should anticipate an exciting final weekend of the regular season.

Here's a look at the AP's Week 12 top 25 rankings.

AP Top 25

1. Georgia 

2. Ohio State

3. Michigan

4. TCU

5. USC

6. LSU

7. Clemson

8. Alabama

9. Tennessee

10. Oregon

11. Penn State

12. Washington

13. Notre Dame

14. Utah

15. Kansas State

16. Florida State

17. UCLA

18. North Carolina

19. Tulane

20. Ole Miss

21. Cincinnati

22. Oregon State

23. Coastal Carolina

24. Texas

25. UCF

The race continues to heat up.

Although it may be too early to predict the 2022-2023 Heisman Trophy winner, there is still time to analyze the favorites and a few rising prospects after week ten. Three quarterbacks have separated this season from the pack: Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, and USC's Caleb Williams Young. 

However, competition for the remaining two spots has been intense. Following their impressive performances in week ten, QB Bo Nix (Oregon), RB Blake Corum (Michigan), and QB Drake Maye (North Carolina) remain in the headlines. In addition, the Heisman hopes of many players, including then-No. 6 Alabama QB Bryce Young, were heavily affected by Saturday's surprising shocks, especially the 32-31 overtime loss to then-No. 15 LSU.

Let's examine the top six Heisman candidates entering week 11:

Ten. QB Hendon Hooker

In a 27-13 setback to No. 5 Georgia on Saturday at Sanford Stadium, Hooker and the Vols suffered their first defeat of the season. Georgia went into halftime leading 24-6 after the Bulldogs' defense had made six sacks of the quarterback and limited Tennessee to only two first-half points. Hooker's chances of winning the Heisman Trophy are probably down after he passed for less than 200 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Week 10 Result: Loss to Georgia, 27-13

Week 10 Stats: 23-for-33, 195 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT | 18 rushes, 17 yards

Ohio St. QB C.J. Stroud

At Northwestern, C.J. Stroud faced his stiffest challenge yet, as he struggled through windy and damp conditions. While the Buckeyes recovered to defeat the Wildcats 21-7, their starting quarterback had his worst game as a starter, completing only 10 of 26 passes for 76 yards. Stroud had career-lows in completion percentage and throwing yards but added a career-high 79 running yards as Ohio State's rushing attack accounted for all three touchdowns. Following Tennessee Hooker's loss to Georgia, sports commentators now replace Stroud as the Heisman favorite.

Week 10 Result: Win over Northwestern, 21-7

Week 10 Stats: 10-for-26, 76 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT | 6 rushes, 79 yards

USC. QB Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams and the Trojans beat the Golden Bears on Saturday to follow up their week 9 victory. The explosive quarterback threw 360 yards and four touchdowns in the clinching 41-35 triumph. Williams has contributed to at least 398 yards and at least five total touchdowns in USC's last three games. In addition, he's completed 204 of 316 passes for 2,742 yards and 287 rushing yards this season. With 28 touchdowns and one interception, he ties for third place in the nation.

Week 10 Result: Win over California, 41-35

Week 10 Stats: 26-for-41, 360 yards, 4 TD | 7 rushes, 38 yards, 1 TD

Michigan RB Blake Corum

This season, Corum's 1,187 yards and 16 touchdowns have placed Michigan back in the race for the College Football Playoffs. Saturday night, the RB contributed significantly to Michigan's 52-17 win against the Scarlett Knights by carrying the ball 20 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns. The explosive running back has topped the 100-yard mark in six consecutive games for the undefeated Michigan Wolverines, who are currently 9-0.  However, if Corum wants a strong chance of winning the Heisman Trophy, he must have a spectacular game against the Buckeyes to help the Wolverines reach the Big Ten championship game and move closer to a CFP spot.

Week 10 Result: Win over Rutgers, 52-17

Week 10 Stats: 20 rushes, 109 yards, 2 TD

North Carolina QB Drake Maye

Also notable from week 10 is No. 15 North Carolina's 31-28 victory, which was led by another outstanding performance by quarterback Drake Maye, who ran for 74 yards and completed 26 of 37 throws for three touchdowns and 288 yards. With his other 31 touchdowns this season, Maye leads the nation in touchdowns. In addition, the rookie quarterback's 2,964 yards rank him fourth in the country.

Week 10 Result: Win over Virginia, 31-28

Week 10 Stats: 26-for-37, 293 yards, 2 TD | 16 rushes, 74 yards, 1 TD 

Oregon QB Bo Nix

Oregon defeated Colorado 49-10, with quarterback Bo Nix completing 20 of 24 throws for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Nix has accounted for the Ducks' last four touchdowns in six of Oregon's nine games this season. Following their latest win, the quarterback has amassed 2,495 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in addition to 457 rushing yards and 13 scores, extending the Ducks' winning streak to eight games in a row. Nix, the three-time PAC-12 offensive player of the week, tops all FBS players in throwing percentage and total touchdowns this season.

Week 10 Result: Win over Colorado, 49-10

Week 10 Stats: 20-for-24, 274 yards, 2 TD | 9 rushes, 16 yards, 2 TD | 1 catch, 18 yards, 1 TD

WEEK 10 AP TOP 25 Rankings

1 Georgia

2 Ohio State

3 Michigan

4 TCU

5 Tennessee

6 Oregon

7 LSU

8 USC

9 UCLA

10 Alabama

11 Ole Miss

12 Clemson

13 Utah

14 Penn State

15 North Carolina

16 Tulane

17 N.C. State

18 Texas

19 Liberty

20 Notre Dame

21 Illinois

22 UCF

23 Kansas State

24 Washington

25 Florida State

And then there were two, but after this week, there will be just one.

The most significant development of the past weekend was TCU's victory against Oklahoma State in overtime by scoring 43-40 to go to the Big 12 Championship Game as the favorite. 

The Horned Frogs are one of two surviving Big 12 teams with an undefeated conference record and the only remaining Big 12 with an unblemished season record.

The Longhorns joined Kansas, Kansas State, and Baylor in close-quarters warfare with Iowa State, resulting in a 24-21 win for the Longhorns. 

Quinn Ewers and Xavier Worthy connected on a fourth-and-goal from the three-yard line to complete the game-winning drive for Texas, which covered 75 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown.

A lot of teams have struggled to move the ball against the Cyclones, but it is of more concern that a struggling Iowa State offense gained over 400 yards against Texas.

The Wildcats gained a position despite having a bye week, but Kansas continued to fall. 

Kansas has not been overpowering in Big 12 action, winning Oklahoma, and Iowa State by a combined total of eight points and pulling away from Texas Tech in a fourth-quarter tie.

The Crimson Tide lost against a stronger team for the first time after coming close in previous games (at Texas and home against Texas A&M). 

For the first time since 2006 and under Nick Saban's direction, that team was Tennessee, who ripped apart the Tide secondary with alarming ease as Bama racked up a Saban-record 17 penalties.

It is easy to assume that last weekend's action-packed games have made fans even more excited for week 8.

Eight teams in the polls, including four in the top 10, were defeated over the weekend's historic slate of games, causing a significant shakeup in the rankings this week.

Here's a look at the AP's Week 8 top 25 rankings.

1.  Georgia (31 1st-place votes)

2.  Ohio State (17)

3.  Tennessee (15)

4.  Michigan

5.  Clemson

6.  Alabama

7.  Ole Miss

8.  TCU

9.   UCLA

10.  Oregon

11.  Oklahoma State

12.  USC

13.  Wake Forest

14.  Syracuse

15.  Utah

16.  Penn State

17.  Kansas State

18.  Illinois

19.  Kentucky

20.  Texas

 

One of the oldest college football rivalries in Texas, the 96th Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B again promises to be one of the top FCS games of the 2022 season. In their final season together in the Western Athletic Conference, the Sam Houston Bearkats and the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks are back at NRG Stadium for possibly their last thrilling matchup. Following the 2022 season, Sam Houston will transition to Conference USA after spending 34 years in the Southland Conference with SFA and the last two seasons in the WAC. 

 

Led by Head Coach K.C. Keeler, the 2022 Bearkats are replacing 16 starters from an 11-1 team that reached the FCS quarterfinals a year ago. One of those new additions to the roster is QB Jordan Yates, a grad transfer from Georgia Tech, who started the season and currently leads the team with 195 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown. 

 

Sam Houston is coming off its first win of the season after an opening day loss to Texas A&M in College Station. Against Texas A&M Commerce, the Bearkats won 27-17 with Yates scoring on a six-yard touchdown run before junior Keegan Shoemaker came off the bench to lead three scoring drives. RB Zach Hrbacek, a redshirt freshman from Troy, rushed for 131 yards on 19 carries (6.9 yards ave.) and a fourth-quarter touchdown to give the Kats a 24-10 lead, earning the WAC’s Offensive Player of the Week.

 

In contrast, SFA has a number of returning starters for this year’s matchup, including QB Trae Self, WR/Kick returner Xavier Gipson and WR Lawton Rikel. Both Gipson and Self have been named to the initial 2022 Walter Payton Award watch list, presented by Stats Perform to the national offensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision. 

 

Colby Carthel, in his fourth season as head coach, is coming off a record-setting home opener and his first shutout at SFA. Last week, the Lumberjacks not only scored the most points in a WAC game in history in their 98-0 victory over Warner University, they also moved up to No. 14 in the latest FCS Coaches Poll. Self was 12-for-14 for 266 yards and four touchdowns, while Gipson finished with six receptions for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Lumberjacks defense added a pair of touchdowns on fumble recoveries by senior defensive linemen Marje Smith and DE BJ Thompson. 

 

Last year’s BOTPW culminated in a dramatic comeback when Sam Houston overcame a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to finish with a 21-20 victory over SFA. The Bearkats hold a 58-35-2 edge in the all-time series entering the 2022 matchup.

The 2022 Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 1, from NRG Stadium in Houston. The game will be televised on Bally Sports Southwest with radio broadcast of the game on SportsRadio 610 KILT-AM.

 

HOUSTON - As college football fans gear up for another action-packed weekend, let's review the stunning turn of events of week two and current rankings.

Without their primary quarterback, who left with a sprained collarbone late in the first quarter, the Longhorns could not come out on top against number one Alabama, succumbing 20-19.

Following their tight victory, the Crimson Tide slipped from the top in the AP Top 25, with Georgia capturing the position following a dominant performance against an FCS opponent Samford.

After losing to Appalachian State 17-14 on Saturday, things don't look good for Texas A&M.

The Aggies could not score four or less in six of their eight possessions. In terms of productivity, just one of these possessions resulted in a touchdown. The longest of these drives gained only 29 yards, and one ended up in the end zone.

Another top-10 team, No. 9 Baylor, loses in double overtime to No. 21 BYU 26-20 in a nail-biter.

During the second overtime drive, BYU held on to a goal-to-go scenario as quarterback Blake Shapin fired a fourth-down ball out of the back of the end zone to clinch the victory.

Texas Tech upset No. 25 Houston 33-30 in overtime in another Texas clash.

It was the last matchup between the longtime Southwest Conference rivals before the Cougars moved from the American Athletic to the Big 12 the following year.

As expected, this weekend is filled with exciting matches.

Baylor will face Texas State at 11:00 a.m., kicking off the day's games at McLane Stadium. The UH will then host Kansas at 3:00 p.m. Then, Texas Tech will travel to Carter-Finley Stadium at 6:00 p.m. to play NC State.

The Texas A&M matchup with Miami at Kyle Field is wrapping up the evening at 8:00 p.m.

 

College football rankings for Week 3 AP Poll

1 Georgia 2-0

2 Alabama 2-0

3 Ohio State 2-0

4 Michigan 2-0

5 Clemson 2-0

6 Oklahoma 2-0

7 USC 2-0

8 Oklahoma State 2-0

9 Kentucky 2-0

10 Arkansas 2-0

11 Michigan State 2-0

12 BYU 2-0

13 Miami 2-0

14 Utah 1-1

15 Tennessee 2-0

16 NC State 2-0

17 Baylor 1-1

18 Florida 1-1

19 Wake Forest 2-0

20 Ole Miss 2-0

21 Texas 1-1

22 Penn State 2-0

23 Pittsburgh 1-1

24 Texas A&M 1-1

25 Oregon 1-1