The No. 5 team in the CFP rankings entering the weekend lost by 23 points (albeit to the No. 2 team). No. 7 and No. 9 both lost to 5-5 opponents, and No. 7 got blown out. No. 15 and No. 16 lost to 4-6 opponents, and No. 12 nearly lost to a 2-8 foe. No. 14 nearly came back from 21-0 down (and nearly completed the funniest Hail Mary of all time) but didn't.
On the 13th official Saturday of the 2024 season, college football lost its damn mind.
Granted, the two biggest upstart stories of the season, Indiana and Army, took wicked roundhouse rights from two of the best (and meanest) teams in the country, but nothing else really made much sense Saturday. The chaos made some convoluted title races simpler -- for example, by simply staying quiet and beating UMass (while giving up a few too many rushing yards, to be honest), Georgia clinched a spot in the SEC championship game when everyone else stumbled. But other races are almost indecipherable. Case in point: There's an eight-way Big 12 tie still on the table.
It is November's curse that so many messy, chaotic and incredibly important things happen, and instead of basking in them, we must immediately move on and brace for the next round of mess. Week 13's primary job was to set the table for Rivalry Week, which will give us countless games and storylines to track. And because of Thanksgiving, we have less time than normal to prepare.
So let's look back on Week 13 ... by looking forward to Week 14. Here are the 43 most important and relevant rivalry games to follow, 24 of which could have some impact on the CFP. All gas, no brakes. (All times are Eastern.)
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At-large CFP bids
Group of 5 CFP bid
Conference races | Bowl eligibility
Week 13 surprises
Heisman of week | Favorite games
