Week 13 of the college football season brought yet more wreckage and dashed College Football Playoff dreams as the field of hopefuls continues to dwindle.
Other programs, meanwhile, are dealing with the reality of once-promising seasons finishing in a freefall or with a late gutpunch.
These are the eight saddest fanbases after Week 13 of the college football season.
This is Lincoln Riley’s fourth season at USC, and while his initial arrival spiked expectations that he could finally be the one to lead the Trojans back to the top of college football, it’s fair to wonder now if he’ll ever get the program anywhere close to that.
For all the attention that James Franklin received for his struggles in big games at Penn State, Riley is generating a similar narrative so far in his time with the Trojans.
Riley led USC to 11 wins in his debut season, with quarterback Caleb Williams winning the Heisman Trophy, but even that team lost two big clashes with Utah in the regular season and Pac-12 championship game to miss out on the playoffs, and then lost in the Cotton Bowl to Tulane.
After finishing 8-5 and 7-6 the last two years (with plenty of disappointments in big games along the way), USC fans were getting their hopes up again entering a spotlight showdown at Oregon on Saturday night. The No. 15 Trojans had the chance to play their way onto the CFP bracket with wins over the No. 7 Ducks and then UCLA next week.
Alas, USC didn’t look to be on the same level as Oregon, losing 42-27 to take those playoff hopes off the table.
It was a tied game early in the second quarter when USC gave up an 85-yard punt return touchdown to Malik Benson and never fully recovered. It was reminiscent of the Trojans’ loss at Notre Dame when they led in the third quarter before yielding a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and never recovered.
USC can still get to 10 wins with a bowl victory, which would be a big step forward after the last two years, and it has the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the country right now.
But at some point, Riley has to show he can win the big games at USC.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) is tackled by Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Joey Zelinsky (45) in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The wheels really fell off Georgia Tech’s bandwagon the last three weeks, and now the Yellow Jackets are officially out of the playoff picture.
It started with a 48-36 loss at NC State, followed by another near-upset loss vs. Boston College, before rallying for a 36-34 win over the ACC’s worst team.
But the final blow came swiftly Saturday as Pittsburgh scored the first 28 points on the way to a commanding 42-28 win over No. 16 Georgia Tech.
To start 8-0 and finish like this is tough to reconcile for Yellow Jackets fans, especially as another loss could be coming next week vs. No. 4 Georgia.
Louisville football coach Jeff Brohm and his team have lost three straight games after a strong start to the season. / Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Louisville was 7-1 and No. 15 in the initial CFP rankings, had the momentum from that upset win at Miami and was trying to crash the playoff party as one of the biggest surprises in college football.
Since then? The Cardinals have now lost three straight games, in overtime to Cal, 20-19 to Clemson after two late field goals and then in a 38-6 blowout defeat at SMU this weekend.
That’s a brutal slide for a fanbase that had its hopes of an ACC title or a playoff breakthrough.
California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox. / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Cal fans have lost most of their patience with head coach Justin Wilcox over the years and his penchant for losing close games or coming up short in big moments.
And sure enough, just as the Bears were enjoying what could have been the best season of Wilcox’s nine-year tenure, it happened again.
Cal was 6-4 coming off that momentous overtime win at Louisville, followed by a bye week to get ready for the rivalry clash with Stanford, and then a big game vs. SMU, followed by a bowl game. After five straight losing seasons, the Bears had a chance to match or exceed their highest win total under Wilcox (8-5 in 2019).
But a 31-10 loss at Stanford undermines any hope this season will be viewed as a step forward for Wilcox.
Losing a rivalry game is always tough. Losing a rivalry game when that rival comes in 3-7 is tougher. Losing to a 3-7 rival and getting blown out as they score the final 24 points of the game is … ouch.
The Bears are now 6-5 and will be underdogs next week vs. SMU, suggesting another middling finish under Wilcox.
Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. / Melina Myers-Imagn Images
The hits keep coming for Florida State fans.
The Seminoles’ freefall from a top-10 ranking to 5-6, including another humbling loss Friday night to NC State (21-11), is tough enough.
But Florida State fans who were at least hoping for a program reset and coaching change now have to come to grips with the announcement Sunday that embattled head coach Mike Norvell will return in 2026.
Norvell had the Seminoles on the doorstep of the playoffs in 2023 with a 13-win season, but after dipping to a 2-10 nadir last year and then the collapse this season after a 3-0 start, it doesn’t inspire much optimism for the direction of the program.
Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield prepares to take the field with the Cincinnati Bearcats before the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and BYU Cougars at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 22, 2025. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Much like Louisville, Cincinnati had exceeded expectations and perhaps played over its head to position itself in contention in the conference race and maybe even the CFP, only to then lose three straight games.
After losses at Utah and against Arizona, the Bearcats lost 26-14 to No. 11 BYU on Saturday to remove any hope of sneaking into the Big 12 championship game via a complicated tiebreaker scenario.
This season has still been a step forward for Cincinnati after going 3-9 and 5-7 in coach Scott Satterfield’s first two seasons, but the sting of what-could-have-been is going to hang over it all now for Bearcats fans.
Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema yells to his players during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images
Illinois had lofty expectations this season — maybe too lofty — after a breakout 10-3 finish last year. The Fighting Illini were even ranked in the top 10 early this season.
But it’s clear now that was always a reach for this team.
Illinois has settled back into mediocrity at 7-4 after its worst loss of the season Saturday — a 27-10 blowout loss at Wisconsin to a bad Badgers team that had beaten only one other Power Four opponent.
Colorado and coach Deion Sanders lost to Arizona State on Saturday to drop to 3-8. / Ben Queen-Imagn Images
It was expected Colorado might take a step back this season with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and star quarterback Shedeur Sanders off to the NFL, but this has been far more humbling than Buffaloes fans were braced for.
Colorado took its fourth straight loss Saturday night and yet another lopsided one in a 42-17 defeat at No. 25 Arizona State.
Coach Deion Sanders has changed coordinators and quarterbacks and none of it has helped.
The Buffs are 3-8 with only one win over a Power Four opponent.
