In the penultimate week of college football’s regular season, Indiana and Army’s Cinderella runs ended with blowout losses, while the SEC was thrown into turmoil.
Here’s Week 13’s winners and losers.
Winner: Ohio State
College Football Playoff No. 5 Indiana (10-1, 7-1 in Big Ten) might not be as good as its record indicates. But No. 2 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 in Big Ten) certainly is.
The Buckeyes left no doubt about their place alongside No. 1 Oregon (11-0, 8-0 in Big Ten) at the top of the Big Ten class.
Ohio State held Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke to 68 passing yards, and the Hoosiers gained 83 yards as a team on 41 carries. The Buckeyes had five sacks, eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Trailing 7-0 after the first quarter, Ohio State held Indiana to zero yards in the second quarter as it took a 14-7 lead.
Per ESPN Bet, Ohio State (+260) is the favorite to win the national championship. With its stifling, aggressive defense and elite offensive playmakers, it’s hard to disagree.
Loser: Indiana special teams
The gap between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes was widest on special teams.
Indiana handed Ohio State 14 points thanks to poor special teams. Punter James Evans muffed the snap on a punt inside Indiana’s 20-yard line, and Ohio State gained possession at the 7-yard line.