Culture
Ranking 134 college football teams after Week 13: Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas A&M re-learn an old lesson
Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams.
Winning games is hard.
That’s a press conference cliché you’ll hear from every coach, but it’s true, especially for coaches dealing with college athletes. How else can you explain what happened on Saturday?
For two weeks, SEC fans beat the narrative drum that Indiana hadn’t played anyone. On Saturday, Indiana played Ohio State and got manhandled 38-15. Vindication! Well, until a few minutes later when Ole Miss lost to a previously 5-5 Florida team. Then Alabama lost to a 5-5 Oklahoma team (by a 24-3 score). Then Texas A&M lost to a 4-6 Auburn team. Suddenly, three SEC teams that entered the day with two losses and a clear path to the College Football Playoff had a third loss.
It turns out, winning is hard. That’s not to say all 10-1 records are created equally, or that more wins should equal a higher ranking. They don’t. Beating good teams matters. But there has to be an appreciation for winning games, even against average or above-average teams.
At one point Friday, the SEC appeared to have a path to send five teams into the 12-team College Football Playoff. By the end of the weekend, three SEC teams are in the CFP field based on this week’s Athletic 134 rankings.
Every week this season has given us an upset that has upended the CFP. I wouldn’t pencil anything in heading into the final weekend either. It’s why we love college football.
But college football is more than strength of schedule rankings, betting lines and hypotheticals. You have to play games. That’s what sports are about. You never know what can happen. So when you get a win, no matter what kind of win it is, make sure you enjoy it.
Here is this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.
1-10
| Rank | Team | Record | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
11-0 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
10-1 |
2 |
|
|
3 |
10-1 |
3 |
|
|
4 |
10-1 |
4 |
|
|
5 |
10-1 |
9 |
|
|
6 |
9-2 |
8 |
|
|
7 |
9-2 |
10 |
|
|
8 |
10-1 |
12 |
|
|
9 |
10-1 |
5 |
|
|
10 |
10-1 |
13 |
Notre Dame fans, I told you I’d put you into the top five once you beat Army, and you did, so here you are. Beat USC, and the Irish will host a Playoff game in South Bend. I nearly put Notre Dame over Penn State, considering the Nittany Lions’ close calls against USC and Minnesota. But Penn State’s win against Illinois is now a top-25 win, and the Irish’s loss to Northern Illinois continues to be a drag. If they handle a USC team that took Penn State to overtime, there’s reason to jump the Nittany Lions.
Indiana drops to No. 9 after its loss to Ohio State, thanks to those aforementioned SEC losses. But the Hoosiers also have a good amount of solid blowout wins, and their strength of schedule in ESPN’s metric jumped up to No. 51, higher than Oregon, Miami, SMU, Notre Dame or Boise State, for what it’s worth. SMU is up to No. 8 in my rankings. The Mustangs are rolling and have that quality loss to BYU. I still don’t understand why Miami is higher than SMU in the polls and CFP rankings.
Boise State moves up to No. 10 after escaping a bad Wyoming team, but the Broncos are teetering with some recent close calls. Still, the UNLV win and Week 2’s close Oregon loss keep them around here for now. But with a rematch against No. 24 UNLV now likely in the Mountain West championship game, that Group of 5 spot in the Playoff is far from wrapped up.
Also, Georgia and Tennessee had better not overlook Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, respectively, this week.
11-25
| Rank | Team | Record | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
|
11 |
10-1 |
14 |
|
|
12 |
8-3 |
6 |
|
|
13 |
9-2 |
20 |
|
|
14 |
8-3 |
7 |
|
|
15 |
8-3 |
17 |
|
|
16 |
9-2 |
11 |
|
|
17 |
9-2 |
19 |
|
|
18 |
8-3 |
15 |
|
|
19 |
8-3 |
21 |
|
|
20 |
8-3 |
16 |
|
|
21 |
9-2 |
22 |
|
|
22 |
9-2 |
23 |
|
|
23 |
8-3 |
24 |
|
|
24 |
9-2 |
25 |
|
|
25 |
8-3 |
28 |
Miami is up to No. 11, even if it took a surprising amount of time to pull away from Wake Forest. But along with Indiana, the biggest winner from the SEC losses could be the ACC, which now has a strong case to get two Playoff bids, presuming SMU and Miami win this week. I have Miami in my CFP field as an at-large team.
Alabama and Ole Miss fall to Nos. 12 and 14, respectively. I don’t think the Tide are out of the CFP mix yet, but they’ll need help. Arizona State moves up to No. 13 after the win against BYU to take the top spot in the Big 12, while BYU falls to No. 16. The Cougars still have wins against SMU and Kansas State, so they don’t fall too far.
Clemson moves up to No. 17, and I don’t understand why the Tigers are No. 12 in both polls. They don’t have any good wins, and they shouldn’t be behind two SEC teams that beat Georgia, since Georgia whipped Clemson. If Clemson beats South Carolina, then we can start a CFP at-large conversation, but the Tigers shouldn’t be near there right now, and it’s going to be hard to convince me a second ACC spot shouldn’t go to SMU or Miami. I’m very curious where the committee puts Clemson. Anything close to No. 12 opens the possibility the Tigers jump the loser of the potential SMU-Miami matchup.
Kansas State is up to No. 19, back ahead of No. 20 Colorado and still ahead of No. 21 Tulane because the Wildcats beat both. Iowa State is at No. 22 and has a path to the Big 12 Championship Game after all.
26-50
| Rank | Team | Record | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
|
26 |
7-4 |
26 |
|
|
27 |
9-1 |
18 |
|
|
28 |
8-3 |
30 |
|
|
29 |
7-4 |
32 |
|
|
30 |
7-4 |
33 |
|
|
31 |
9-2 |
34 |
|
|
32 |
7-4 |
29 |
|
|
33 |
6-5 |
43 |
|
|
34 |
7-4 |
35 |
|
|
35 |
6-5 |
31 |
|
|
36 |
7-4 |
36 |
|
|
37 |
8-3 |
39 |
|
|
38 |
6-5 |
37 |
|
|
39 |
6-5 |
38 |
|
|
40 |
7-4 |
40 |
|
|
41 |
7-4 |
42 |
|
|
42 |
6-5 |
41 |
|
|
43 |
8-3 |
27 |
|
|
44 |
6-5 |
44 |
|
|
45 |
6-5 |
45 |
|
|
46 |
6-5 |
53 |
|
|
47 |
5-6 |
58 |
|
|
48 |
9-2 |
47 |
|
|
49 |
6-5 |
50 |
|
|
50 |
6-5 |
54 |
Army drops out of the top 25 to No. 27 after a 49-14 loss to Notre Dame. No. 28 Syracuse is quietly an impressive 8-3 in Fran Brown’s first season, including a win against UNLV. Florida climbs all the way up to No. 33 after beating Ole Miss, one week after the win against LSU. The Gators are the highest-ranked 6-5 team, with all five losses coming to top-25 teams.
Washington State tumbles to No. 43 after losing to Oregon State, which came after a loss to New Mexico. Oklahoma jumps up to No. 46 after beating Alabama, its first win since September. No. 47 Kansas is the best 5-6 team in the country. The Jayhawks are the first team in history to beat three consecutive top-25 teams while a sub-.500 team, the latest a dominant performance against Colorado. West Virginia beat UCF to get bowl-eligible and climb up to No. 50.
51-75
Boston College planted North Carolina and moves up to No. 52. James Madison drops to No. 55 after losing to Appalachian State in the snow, and the Tar Heels fall to No. 56.
Cal came back to beat Stanford, get bowl-eligible and move up to No. 54, still ahead of Auburn, which climbs after beating Texas A&M. Cal’s win against Auburn keeps the Golden Bears ahead.
Marshall jumps up to No. 65 after beating Coastal Carolina and remaining atop the Sun Belt East division. No. 73 Jacksonville State has won eight consecutive games after an 0-3 start and clinched a spot in the Conference USA Championship Game. Liberty’s win against Western Kentucky puts those two plus Sam Houston in the mix for the other CUSA spot.
76-100
Colorado State got bit, losing at Fresno State to significantly damage the Rams’ Mountain West championship hopes. They now need UNLV to lose to Nevada. Miami (Ohio), Ohio and Bowling Green are all 6-1 in MAC play heading into the final weekend, and all three move up after wins. No. 84 East Carolina is now 4-0 under interim head coach Blake Harrell, who is putting himself into the conversation to get the full-time job.
Oregon State moves up to No. 88 after beating Washington State but stays behind San Jose State due to the head-to-head result. Texas State tumbles to No. 91 after losing to Georgia State. Oklahoma State finally showed a pulse but lost 56-48 to Texas Tech to make it eight consecutive losses and an 0-8 record in Big 12 play.
101-134
No. 103 Florida State finally got a second win, against FCS Charleston Southern. No. 112 Charlotte beat FAU in a battle of interim coaches. No. 113 Central Michigan beat Western Michigan, and then coach Jim McElwain retired.
No. 134 Kent State missed its last best chance at a win in a 38-17 loss to No. 128 Akron. The Golden Flashes must win at Buffalo to avoid an 0-12 season.
The Athletic 134 series is part of a partnership with Allstate. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
new video loaded: 250 Years of Jane Austen, in Objects
By Jennifer Harlan, Sadie Stein, Claire Hogan, Laura Salaberry and Edward Vega
December 18, 2025
“Window seat with garden view / A perfect nook to read a book / I’m lost in my Jane Austen…” sings Kristin Chenoweth in “The Girl in 14G” — what could be more ideal? Well, perhaps showing off your literary knowledge and getting a perfect score on this week’s super-size Book Review Quiz Bowl honoring the life, work and global influence of Jane Austen, who turns 250 today. In the 12 questions below, tap or click your answers to the questions. And no matter how you do, scroll on to the end, where you’ll find links to free e-book versions of her novels — and more.
On Dec. 16, 1775, a girl was born in Steventon, England — the seventh of eight children — to a clergyman and his wife. She was an avid reader, never married and died in 1817, at the age of 41. But in just those few decades, Jane Austen changed the world.
Her novels have had an outsize influence in the centuries since her death. Not only are the books themselves beloved — as sharply observed portraits of British society, revolutionary narrative projects and deliciously satisfying romances — but the stories she created have so permeated culture that people around the world care deeply about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, even if they’ve never actually read “Pride and Prejudice.”
With her 250th birthday this year, the Austen Industrial Complex has kicked into high gear with festivals, parades, museum exhibits, concerts and all manner of merch, ranging from the classily apt to the flamboyantly absurd. The words “Jane mania” have been used; so has “exh-Aust-ion.”
How to capture this brief life, and the blazing impact that has spread across the globe in her wake? Without further ado: a mere sampling of the wealth, wonder and weirdness Austen has brought to our lives. After all, your semiquincentennial doesn’t come around every day.
By ‘A Lady’
Austen published just four novels in her lifetime: “Sense and Sensibility” (1811), “Pride and Prejudice” (1813), “Mansfield Park” (1814) and “Emma” (1815). All of them were published anonymously, with the author credited simply as “A Lady.” (If you’re in New York, you can see this first edition for yourself at the Grolier Club through Feb. 14.)
Where the Magic Happened
Placed near a window for light, this diminutive walnut table was, according to family lore, where the author did much of her writing. It is now in the possession of the Jane Austen Society.
An Iconic Accessory
Few of Austen’s personal artifacts remain, contributing to the author’s mystique. One of them is this turquoise ring, which passed to her sister-in-law and then her niece after her death. In 2012, the ring was put up for auction and bought by the “American Idol” champion Kelly Clarkson. This caused quite a stir in England; British officials were loath to let such an important cultural artifact leave the country’s borders. Jane Austen’s House, the museum now based in the writer’s Hampshire home, launched a crowdfunding campaign to Bring the Ring Home and bought the piece from Clarkson. The real ring now lives at the museum; the singer has a replica.
Austen Onscreen
Since 1940, when Austen had a bit of a moment and Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier starred in MGM’s rather liberally reinterpreted “Pride and Prejudice,” there have been more than 20 international adaptations of Austen’s work made for film and TV (to say nothing of radio). From the sublime (Emma Thompson’s Oscar-winning “Sense and Sensibility”) to the ridiculous (the wholly gratuitous 2022 remake of “Persuasion”), the high waists, flickering firelight and double weddings continue to provide an endless stream of debate fodder — and work for a queen’s regiment of British stars.
Jane Goes X-Rated
The rumors are true: XXX Austen is a thing. “Jane Austen Kama Sutra,” “Pride and Promiscuity: The Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen” and enough slash fic and amateur porn to fill Bath’s Assembly Rooms are just the start. Purists may never recover.
A Lady Unmasked
Austen’s final two completed novels, “Northanger Abbey” and “Persuasion,” were published after her death. Her brother Henry, who oversaw their publication, took the opportunity to give his sister the recognition he felt she deserved, revealing the true identity of the “Lady” behind “Pride and Prejudice,” “Emma,” etc. in a biographical note. “The following pages are the production of a pen which has already contributed in no small degree to the entertainment of the public,” he wrote, extolling his sister’s imagination, good humor and love of dancing. Still, “no accumulation of fame would have induced her, had she lived, to affix her name to any productions of her pen.”
Wearable Tributes
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jane Austen fan wants to find other Jane Austen fans, and what better way to advertise your membership in that all-inclusive club than with a bit of merch — from the subtle and classy to the gloriously obscene.
The Austen Literary Universe
On the page, there is no end to the adventures Austen and her characters have been on. There are Jane Austen mysteries, Jane Austen vampire series, Jane Austen fantasy adventures, Jane Austen Y.A. novels and, of course, Jane Austen romances, which transpose her plots to a remote Maine inn, a Greenwich Village penthouse and the Bay Area Indian American community, to name just a few. You can read about Austen-inspired zombie hunters, time-traveling hockey players, Long Island matchmakers and reality TV stars, or imagine further adventures for some of your favorite characters. (Even the obsequious Mr. Collins gets his day in the sun.)
A Botanical Homage
Created in 2017 to mark the 200th anniversary of Austen’s death, the “Jane Austen” rose is characterized by its intense orange color and light, sweet perfume. It is bushy, healthy and easy to grow.
Aunt Jane
Hoping to cement his beloved aunt’s legacy, Austen’s nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh published this biography — a rather rosy portrait based on interviews with family members — five decades after her death. The book is notable not only as the source (biased though it may be) of many of the scant facts we know about her life, but also for the watercolor portrait by James Andrews that serves as its frontispiece. Based on a sketch by Cassandra, this depiction of Jane is softer and far more winsome than the original: Whether that is due to a lack of skill on her sister’s part or overly enthusiastic artistic license on Andrews’s, this is the version of Austen most familiar to people today.
Cultural Currency
In 2017, the Bank of England released a new 10-pound note featuring Andrews’s portrait of Austen, as well as a line from “Pride and Prejudice”: “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!” Austen is the third woman — other than the queen — to be featured on British currency, and the only one currently in circulation.
In the Trenches
During World War I and World War II, British soldiers were given copies of Austen’s works. In his 1924 story “The Janeites,” Rudyard Kipling invoked the grotesque contrasts — and the strange comfort — to be found in escaping to Austen’s well-ordered world amid the horrors of trench warfare. As one character observes, “There’s no one to touch Jane when you’re in a tight place.”
Baby Janes
You’re never too young to learn to love Austen — or that one’s good opinion, once lost, may be lost forever.
The Austen Industrial Complex
Maybe you’ve not so much as seen a Jane Austen meme, let alone read one of her novels. No matter! Need a Jane Austen finger puppet? Lego? Magnetic poetry set? Lingerie? Nameplate necklace? Plush book pillow? License plate frame? Bath bomb? Socks? Dog sweater? Whiskey glass? Tarot deck? Of course you do! And you’re in luck: What a time to be alive.
Around the Globe
Austen’s novels have been translated into more than 40 languages, including Polish, Finnish, Chinese and Farsi. There are active chapters of the Jane Austen Society, her 21st-century fan club, throughout the world.
Playable Persuasions
In Austen’s era, no afternoon tea was complete without a rousing round of whist, a trick-taking card game played in two teams of two. But should you not be up on your Regency amusements, you can find plenty of contemporary puzzles and games with which to fill a few pleasant hours, whether you’re piecing together her most beloved characters or using your cunning and wiles to land your very own Mr. Darcy.
#SoJaneAusten
The wild power of the internet means that many Austen moments have taken on lives of their own, from Colin Firth’s sopping wet shirt and Matthew Macfadyen’s flexing hand to Mr. Collins’s ode to superlative spuds and Mr. Knightley’s dramatic floor flop. The memes are fun, yes, but they also speak to the universality of Austen’s writing: More than two centuries after her books were published, the characters and stories she created are as relatable as ever.
Bonnets Fit for a Bennett
For this summer’s Grand Regency Costumed Promenade in Bath, England — as well as the myriad picnics, balls, house parties, dinners, luncheons, teas and fetes that marked the anniversary — seamstresses, milliners, mantua makers and costume warehouses did a brisk business, attiring the faithful in authentic Regency finery. And that’s a commitment: A bespoke, historically accurate bonnet can easily run to hundreds of dollars.
Most Ardently, Jane
Austen was prolific correspondent, believed to have written thousands of letters in her lifetime, many to her sister, Cassandra. But in an act that has frustrated biographers for centuries, upon Jane’s death, Cassandra protected her sister’s privacy — and reputation? — by burning almost all of them, leaving only about 160 intact, many heavily redacted. But what survives is filled with pithy one-liners. To wit: “I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.”
Stage and Sensibility
Austen’s works have been adapted numerous times for the stage. Some plays (and musicals) hew closely to the original text, while others — such as Emily Breeze’s comedic riff on “Pride and Prejudice,” “Are the Bennet Girls OK?”, which is running at New York City’s West End Theater through Dec. 21 — use creative license to explore ideas of gender, romance and rage through a contemporary lens.
Austen 101
Austen remains a reliable fount of academic scholarship; recent conference papers have focused on the author’s enduring global reach, the work’s relationship to modern intersectionality, digital humanities and “Jane Austen on the Cheap.” And as one professor told our colleague Sarah Lyall of the Austen amateur scholarship hive, “Woe betide the academic who doesn’t take them seriously.”
W.W.J.D.
When facing problems — of etiquette, romance, domestic or professional turmoil — sometimes the only thing to do is ask: What would Jane do?
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