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Ohio State and Notre Dame looked the part of national championship contenders in Week 13.
The Buckeyes – who are No. 2 in this week’s Sporting News Top 25 – came one step closer to a Big Ten championship rematch against No. 1 Oregon. The Buckeyes beat Indiana 38-15, and the Hoosiers dropped to No. 8 as a result.
Now, Ohio State faces Michigan and can break a three-game losing streak in The Game on Nov. 30. To be honest, that’s not the game we want to see.
How about a rematch from last year’s 17-14 thriller against the Irish on Sept. 23, 2023. That was the one where the Buckeyes scored a late touchdown when the Irish had 10 players on the field, and Ohio State coach Ryan Day called out Lou Holtz afterward. How sweet would a rematch in the College Football Playoff be?
Notre Dame moves up to No. 5 after a 49-14 blowout against No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium. The Irish set up a win-and-in matchup against rival USC, which seemed unthinkable after a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7.
A playoff matchup between the Buckeyes and Irish would not materialize until the quarterfinals or semifinals at this point, but we would take it whenever and wherever it happened. Ohio State has allowed 10.2 points per game since the Oct. 12 loss to the Ducks. The Irish have allowed 11.6 points per game in their last five games. Of the 10-1 teams in the top-10, Ohio State and Notre Dame are on the best trajectory heading into Rivalry Week.
Here is a closer look at The Sporting News top 25 rankings.
MORE: SEC title game scenarios | Big 12 | Big Ten | ACC
Sporting News Top 25 rankings for Week 14
Here is a closer look at our latest top 25 ranking heading into Week 14:
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | PVS. | WEEK 12 RESULT |
| 1 | Oregon | 11-0 | 1 | Bye |
| 2 | Ohio State | 10-1 | 2 | Beat Indiana 38-15 |
| 3 | Texas | 10-1 | 3 | Beat Kentucky 31-14 |
| 4 | Penn State | 10-1 | 4 | Beat Minnesota 26-25 |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 10-1 | 6 | Beat Army 49-14 |
| 6 | Miami, Fla. | 10-1 | 10 | Beat Wake Forest 42-14 |
| 7 | Georgia | 9-2 | 9 | Beat UMass 59-21 |
| 8 | Indiana | 10-1 | 5 | Lost to Ohio State 38-15 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 9-2 | 11 | Beat UTEP 56-0 |
| 10 | SMU | 10-1 | 14 | Beat Virginia 33-7 |
| 11 | Boise State | 10-1 | 12 | Beat Wyoming 17-13 |
| 12 | Arizona State | 9-2 | 17 | Beat BYU 28-23 |
| 13 | Iowa State | 9-2 | 20 | Beat Utah 31-28 |
| 14 | BYU | 9-2 | 13 | Lost to Arizona State |
| 15 | Clemson | 9-2 | 18 | Beat The Citadel 51-14 |
| 16 | Alabama | 8-3 | 7 | Lost to Oklahoma 24-3 |
| 17 | Ole Miss | 8-3 | 8 | Lost to Florida 24-17 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 8-3 | 21 | Beat Wofford 56-12 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 8-3 | 15 | Lost to Auburn 43-41 |
| 20 | Tulane | 9-2 | 22 | Bye |
| 21 | Kansas State | 8-3 | 23 | Beat Cincinnati 41-15 |
| 22 | Illinois | 8-3 | 24 | Beat Rutgers 38-31 |
| 23 | Army | 9-1 | 19 | Los to Notre Dame 49-14 |
| 24 | Colorado | 8-3 | 16 | Lost to Kansas 37-21 |
| 25 | Missouri | 8-3 | NR | Beat Mississippi State 39-20 |
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