Week 13 of the college football season was chaos.

Seven top-20 teams were eliminated Saturday, likely ending the SEC’s hopes of getting four teams into the College Football Playoff. Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all went under, making the bubble situation seem dire. There were also problems in the race for the Big 12 title, as BYU and Colorado each lost, leaving Arizona State and Iowa State to take their fate into their own hands. What a great job Kenny Dillingham has done as head coach of the Sun Devils after they were ranked last in the conference to start the season.

I thought this year was going to be great because of the playoff expansion, although you wouldn’t really know what to expect until things unfolded. Well, that was the best regular season I can remember so far in my career.

Now let’s get to my top 10!

1. Oregon (Last week: 1)
Record: 11-0
Result week 13: idle

Ohio State looks more impressive every week, but it’s difficult to rank it at No. 1 when the team it beat is still undefeated. Oregon had Saturday off, which was a crucial bye week for the Ducks as they will play in the Big Ten Championship Game following their match against Washington. It’s definitely optimal to get as much rest as possible as they want to play well into January.

2. Ohio State (Last week: 2)
Record: 10-1
Result week 13: Defeated Indiana 38-15

What I love most about Ohio State: There are answers everywhere. When you get into these matchup games, these playoff games and championship games – and inevitably into the future when we end up crowning a national champion – you get to a point where you need answers and you need to adapt. You won’t be able to just throw your fastball right down the middle and win.

In college football you often see teams rely on what they do best. This won’t always be there for you. So you have to have a side seat. Ohio State has the answers. It can do many different things to beat you at the top end.

Offensively, Ohio State has shown throughout the year that it can do just about anything. The Buckeyes can obviously throw the football outside. Quarterback Will Howard has proven that he can be very good. In fact, this was one of his best and most efficient games as a Buckeye. Their wide receiver corps is incredible. I love that they can run the ball when they need to. They ran the ball well when needed against Penn State and threw it well when needed against Indiana.

Defensively, they are starting to have multiple answers on that side of the ball. This is not a team that has only one system, that has weaknesses that can be defeated by attacking that very thing. We’ve seen the Buckeyes adjust since the Oregon game. OSU put so much pressure on quarterback Kurtis Rourke as it allowed just 15 points and 151 total yards. A lot of that happened on the first series and then on that late touchdown drive. Midway through the game, Indiana couldn’t do much. Ohio State even scored a punt return touchdown from safety Caleb Downs in Saturday’s game, so this is a team that can beat you in many ways.

3. Texas (Last week: 3)
Record: 10-1
Result week 13: Defeated Kentucky 31-14

Texas picked up another decisive win on Saturday. The only concern was the health of quarterback Quinn Ewers, who suffered an ankle injury in the win. He will reportedly be fine playing at Texas A&M. Anyone who has heard or read me over the course of the season knows that I think Arch Manning is a more than capable replacement.

4. Penn State (Last week: 5)
Record: 10-1
Result week 13: Defeated Minnesota 26-25

This was a gutsy win by Penn State on Saturday in Minnesota. How about a fake punt in your own territory when you’re up by one point late in the fourth quarter and your playoff hopes are on the line? Slow applause for head coach James Franklin on this decision. Penn State needs a big upset of Michigan to reach the Big Ten Championship Game, but hosting a first-round playoff game seems appropriate. That would be quite a scene in Happy Valley.

5. Georgia (Last week: 6)
Record: 9-2
Result week 13: Defeated UMass 59-21

This is still a dangerous team. When Georgia is at its best, it can certainly win a national championship. Quarterback Carson Beck had another strong performance on Saturday, throwing for 297 yards and four touchdowns.

6. Notre Dame (Last week: 10)
Record: 10-1
Result week 13: Defeated Army, 49-14

Another dominant win for Notre Dame on the weekend, giving Army quick work. I know Northern Illinois’ loss in Week 2 wasn’t great, but Notre Dame could be a sneaky team heading into the CFP. It looks like the Fighting Irish will host a first-round game. I wouldn’t want to play against the Notre Dame team in South Bend. They are a physical team that is more talented than you think. They also gain confidence and take their eighth win by at least three points.

7. Tennessee (Last week: 9)
Record: 9-2
Result week 13: Defeated UTEP 56-0

Nobody had a better Saturday than Tennessee. Everything that needed to happen for Tennessee happened. The Vols clapped and did the Gator Chomp as they watched Florida beat Ole Miss. Maybe it didn’t feel right for Tennessee fans to cheer for Florida, but those feelings can be put aside when the playoff spots are on the line.

8. Miami (Florida) (Last week: Unranked)
Record: 10-1
Result week 13: Defeated Wake Forest 42-14

I’ve said it all season, but I still believe in quarterback Cam Ward. Although Miami’s defense wasn’t great, Ward was great, throwing for the second-most yards in the country (3,774) and leading the country in touchdown passes (34). He is expected to be in New York for the Heisman Trophy announcement, while Miami may have benefited from Saturday’s chaos.

9. Indiana (Last week: 4)
Record: 10-1
Result week 13: Lost to Ohio State, 38-15

Let’s get into this first: Indiana is firmly in the College Football Playoff. There’s no doubt in my mind, and there’s probably no doubt in the committee’s mind, because everything changed for Indiana after Saturday’s loss. If business takes care of Purdue, Indiana should be there.

The matchup against OSU was too big for Indiana at the time, but top-five matchups are always too big for teams the first time they play them. This has happened all year long. Georgia and Ohio State live in this atmosphere, and both programs lost top-five matchups on the road earlier this year.

While Georgia and Ohio State experience these matchups 365 days a year, the same cannot be said for Indiana. It is a program that tries to reach a higher level. The Hoosiers didn’t know exactly how good they were heading into the year. This was thrust upon Indiana because it played so well in its 10 previous games. There were times in this game when I think the moment was too big for the players and coaches. I think head coach Curt Cignetti would even admit that.

The punt team threw Indiana back. You won’t win a football game if you allow 14 points due to mistakes by your punt team. Had they not had a botched snap on a punt late in the first half or allowed a punt return touchdown to open the second half, the Hoosiers’ fourth-quarter touchdown would have made it a three-point game.

I don’t think Indiana played badly. Was Ohio State’s defense dominant? No doubt about it, but Indiana’s defense held Ohio State to a season-low 316 yards. It was very similar to the way Georgia lost to Ole Miss. Indiana played better than Alabama did against Oklahoma in its loss.

This game wasn’t proof that Indiana wasn’t as good as we thought. Rather, this was proof that Ohio State is a state Really Good. The top five teams are 23-3 at home this season. Indiana made some drastic, big mistakes that cost the game. I know Indiana will be better the next time it gets the chance.

10. SMU (Last week: 10)
Record: 10-1
Result week 13: Defeated Virginia 33-7

SMU took care of business against Virginia over the weekend. You can’t argue with what SMU is doing. Head coach Rhett Lashlee did a great job. It’s actually similar to what Cignetti did in Indiana or Deion Sanders did in Colorado. Lashlee brought many transfers with him from Miami, where he was previously the offensive coordinator, and they are largely contributing factors. In its first year in the ACC, SMU will play in the conference title game and will clinch a spot with Saturday’s win.

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst and host of the podcast.The Joel Klatt Show.“Follow him around @joelklatt And Subscribe to The Joel Klatt Show on YouTube.

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