Ohio State's emphatic win over Indiana kicked off a decisive penultimate week of the regular season in college football.

Throughout the action in Week 13, a few results offered much-needed clarity. That, of course, was both positive and negative, depending on your perspective. SMU is officially in the ACC Championship Game, for example, while, Ole Miss is no longer a contender for the College Football Playoff.

Chaos continued to rule the evening, too.

Notre Dame walloped then-unbeaten Army, and a couple more CFP hopefuls from the SEC suffered an upset loss.

It was a beautifully absurd day of the greatest sport.

Winner: Billy Napier and Florida

Florida fought hard opposite rival Georgia, but that setback early in November dropped the Gators to 4-4. With a gauntlet to come, it seemed that change was inevitable in Gainesville.

Instead, the school announced its commitment to Napier following the loss, and his team has flipped the script.

After expectedly falling at Texas—with a third-string quarterback—the Gators have earned back-to-back upsets. They shocked LSU last weekend before upending Ole Miss on Saturday. The result also pushed Ole Miss to the wrong side of the Playoff picture.

But this is about UF.

The defense has improved dramatically, while the offense has found a spark with DJ Lagway. Although the freshman QB was considered the future of the program, Graham Mertz's injury made Lagway the present. Two straight wins against ranked opponents have propelled UF to bowl eligibility, a target that never looked like a certainty this season.

Napier will return under a decent amount of pressure in 2025, but the offseason won't be so negative now.

Loser: Indiana's Big Ten Dream

No matter how the 2024 season ends, Indiana has made a statement under new coach Curt Cignetti. That part is undeniable.

As the Hoosiers ripped off a 10-0 start, however, their fan base properly began dreaming. Could this be the ultimate Cinderella story? Will the remarkable story include a chapter in the Big Ten Championship Game?

In short: Nope.

Though the afternoon started well, Indiana found itself trapped in the clutches of an unforgiving defense. Ohio State clamped down on the efficient IU offense and handed the Hoosiers a 38-15 loss.

Indiana's dream of making the CFP is alive. But there won't be a short trip to Indianapolis with a Big Ten title at stake.

Winner: SMU Secures ACC Title Shot

Even in the preseason, the idea of SMU reaching the ACC Championship Game was widely accepted as possible. After all, the Mustangs won an AAC title in 2023 and returned plenty of talent.

Still, the Mustangs have shattered most expectations.

Thanks to a comfortable 33-7 win at Virginia, they're now 10-1 and the first ACC team locked into the conference title game. If the Mustangs win that in two weeks, they'll be going to the College Football Playoff.

The wildest part is how poorly the year started for SMU. After barely beating Nevada, the Mustangs dealt with a musical chair-type situation at quarterback, lost to BYU and committed to Kevin Jennings over Preston Stone—a third-team All-AAC player last season.

Since then, though, the Mustangs have ridden the Jennings-led offense to national praise and the brink of a Playoff berth. They'll face either Miami or Clemson for the ACC title.

Loser: Colorado Hype, Again

How inconvenient for me.

Finally, the Buffs deserved the attention. After fading into the background after a couple of early losses, Colorado won four straight games behind Heisman Trophy favorite Travis Hunter, star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and a hugely improved defense.

Colorado, at 8-2 overall with a 6-1 mark in league play, controlled its path to the Big 12 Championship Game.

But the Buffs did not control their own destiny.

As it turns out, destiny had Kansas throwing yet another twist into a conference that has been fill of surprises in 2024. Colorado just couldn't stop KU running back Devin Neal, who racked up 287 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns in a 37-21 upset.

The loss didn't eliminate CU from Big 12 contention, but Deion Sanders' team needs some help in Week 14.

Winner: Arizona State's Big 12 Surge

Look, I've been guilty of not discussing Arizona State much in 2024. Losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati—the latter without QB Sam Leavitt—pushed the Sun Devils to the middle of the Big 12 standings.

As they started winning every week, however, the initial leaders of the conference have repeatedly fallen.

Texas Tech ruined Iowa State's perfect season, and Kansas beat Iowa State and BYU. Kansas State fell to Houston, then ASU knocked off K-State. And then on Saturday, Kansas continued its torrid run with an upset of Colorado while the Sun Devils took out BYU 28-23.

In just three weeks, the Big 12 race has become chaos.

Arizona State—which was picked to finish last in the conference this preseason—suddenly holds a shocking outlook: Beat rival Arizona, and ASU is going to the Big 12 title game.

Winner: Kansas While Making History

From a championship perspective, it's "too little, too late" for Kansas. Good thing we don't have to live in that world.

What the Jayhawks have accomplished in their last three contests is, quite literally, an unprecedented feat. They're the first team with a losing record to defeat a Top 25 opponent in three straight weeks.

Obviously, it's a unique brand of history that programs aren't desperate to set. Even being in this position requires as record that is three-plus games below a .500 winning percentage, which is not ideal. Kansas dropped a handful of one-possession margins on the way to 2-6.

The recovery, nonetheless, is a testament to KU's players, coaching staff and team culture. What was already a disappointing year for the Jayhawks could have worsened, given the recent competition.

Instead, they aren't feeling so bad about 2024—and a win at Baylor next weekend would mean KU makes a bowl, too.

Loser: Army in Statement Game

While saying I'm surprised would not be accurate, I anticipated Army would put up a better fight against Notre Dame.

In reality, the Fighting Irish straight-up steamrolled Army.

Notre Dame dominated from the start, forcing a three-and-out before a painless touchdown drive, a blocked punt and another quick score. Army showed a little life thanks to a goal-line stand but couldn't solve ND's suffocating defense, and the Irish led 28-7 by halftime.

Had the Cadets pulled off a stunner, they would've created a fascinating dilemma in the CFP rankings. In the aftermath of a 49-14 loss, however, that hypothetical is meaningless.

Army has clinched a berth in the AAC Championship Game, so this season can still be a great success.

But the vision of a miraculous Playoff run has vanished.

Loser: Alabama's CFP Chances

In the latest CFP rankings, I could not understand why Alabama jumped Miami. What did a victory over lower-division Mercer possibly change in the selection committee's mind?

The reason I mention that is solely for a reminder: If you're mad about something, it might not matter in a week.

Alabama went to Oklahoma as the heavy favorite to win and positioned well to make the Playoff. Four quarters later, the Crimson Tide should not be considered a CFP team anymore. Oklahoma stuck Bama with its third loss of the season in an overpowering 24-3 result. OU held Jalen Milroe and the offense to just 234 yards.

Sure, at their best, the Tide are excellent. Yet if results truly matter, their record and resume are not good enough.

Alabama's only remaining hope is that Week 14 descends into a nightmare for everyone else.

Winner: Tennessee's Playoff Odds

Texas A&M lost at Auburn, but Saturday's ridiculousness means the Aggies have numerous paths to the SEC Championship Game.

More poignantly, though, the upset-filled slate quieted the angst festering in Knoxville. After losing to Georgia, Tennessee fell behind Alabama, Ole Miss and UGA in the CFP rankings. I agreed with the placement, yet I understood the frustration from UT's perspective.

No worries, Vols, that's no longer a problem.

Tennessee closes the regular season at Vanderbilt. If the Volunteers topple in-state foe, they undoubtedly will be invited to the College Football Playoff as a 10-win team. Period.

Considering the madness of Week 13, I'm not sitting here guaranteeing a Tennessee win. The stakes, nevertheless, are apparent.