Over the past week, I have given you the top Week 13 games of the 2013 college football season with the biggest BCS Bowl Game implications, the top upset picks as well as the top games to exploit against the point spread. Some of those games have dual appeal, as many of the games with BCS Bowl Game implications also come with an upset alert. If we have learned anything over the past few weeks it is that anything can happen in the world of college football, especially as it relates to everyone’s least favorite three dirty letters, the B-C-S. But, before certain top teams can worry about playing in a BCS Bowl Game or even the BCS Championship Game, they must first take care of business in their own conference. It is almost a foregone conclusion that if a team does not win its conference championship, then it will not play for the BCS Championship. It is also difficult to play in any BCS Bowl Game without first winning a conference championship game, although one other team from the same conference will at least have a shot, depending on what happens to teams outside of the six power conferences, as well as the automatic qualifiers. Week 13 has plenty of games that could help shape the conference championship picture in a few weeks, but five, in particular, certainly stand out more than the others.
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We will get to those games shortly, but first, take a look at the complete results from the latest Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. The latest poll asked college football fans across the country whether or not they would go back to relive one more day in college if they were granted the opportunity. Overall, the majority said that they would jump at the chance at 56 percent, while another 40 percent admitted that they have placed their college days behind them, opting to decline the opportunity. If you had the choice of going back to relive one more day in college or continuing to move in with your life as it stands today, which decision would you make?
Breaking down the poll results further revealed that women were more likely to go back to school for one more day than men, with results of 60 percent to 54 percent. The poll also found that Pac-12 fans would wish to relive a day of college most, at 61 percent, followed by Big 12 fans at 60 percent and Big Ten fans at 58 percent. Looking at the Week 13 schedule, all three conferences have at least one big game with conference championship implications. Some have more than one, but at least one game from each conference could all but guarantee the winner of those games a spot in the title game.
Check out the infographic below, as well as more results from the latest Discover Fan Loyalty Poll, including just how far some fans have gone to show their school spirit.
When it comes to school spirit and supporting your favorite team, most college football fans don’t resort to body art, face painting or possible thievery to show school spirit. The vast majority, 79 percent, have never done any of these things. However, 17 percent of fans have gone to the extreme by:
- Getting a tattoo related to your team, 3 percent
- Painting body parts, 3 percent
- Coloring your hair, 3 percent
- Stolen the rival team’s mascot, 1 percent
- You have done more than one of these, 4 percent
- You’ve done much crazier, c’mon!, 3 percent
What is the craziest thing that you have done to show your school spirit? If you have ever done any of these things in the past, then clearly, you are a true fan. If you have never partaken in any of these traditions, would you ever consider doing it in the future? If your favorite team was playing to sew up a berth in the conference championship game in December and you were in attendance at that game, would you be at least a little more tempted to do something crazy to show your school spirit? Maybe not a tattoo, but what about hitting up the local stores for a bit of paint or hair dye? Than again, maybe not…
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
At this point of the season, obviously there will be key games each weekend from here on out to determine which teams will play in the conference championship games. While a handful of teams have already clinched a spot in their conference title game, such as the Florida State Seminoles from the ACC Atlantic Division, others can still shake up the entire picture with a win this weekend. With that being said, take a look at the five biggest games with conference championship implications during Week 13:
* Baylor Bears at Oklahoma State Cowboys – This is the biggest game of the weekend, with it being the only one featuring two teams ranked in the top 10 of the current BCS Standings. The only difference between this game and the other four is that the Big 12 does not have a conference championship game at the end of the season. They have only 10 teams in the conference, and thus do not meet the NCAA qualifications to hold such a contest. Still, the winner of this game is on the inside track to win the Big 12 regular season championship and therefore earn a spot in a BCS Bowl Game.
* Duke Blue Devils at Wake Forest Demon Deacons – Two teams playing in a Week 13 game without being ranked can still have conference championship implications. Wake Forest is not the team fighting to face Florida State, but Duke can take one step further by winning on the road on Saturday. It will not clinch a spot in the ACC title game, as the Blue Devils would still have to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels on Thanksgiving weekend, but a win will go a long way.
* Wisconsin Badgers at Minnesota Golden Gophers – Despite having at least one team ahead of them in the Big 10 Legends and Leaders divisions, both Wisconsin and Minnesota hold out hopes of playing in the Big 10 Championship Game. Wisconsin has the more difficult path, as it would need to win out and have the Ohio State Buckeyes lose both of their final two games. Spoiler alert: that is not going to happen. Minnesota controls its own destiny, as a win over Wisconsin on Saturday coupled with a Michigan State loss this weekend and a Gophers win over the Spartans could place them in the conference title game in a few weeks. A long shot, sure, but still a possibility.
* Arizona State Sun Devils at UCLA Bruins – The Pac-12 South could be decided by the winner of this game. The Bruins need a win plus help, while the Sun Devils could lock it up with a win on Saturday. The winner could wind up either facing the Oregon Ducks or Stanford Cardinal in the Pac-12 Championship Game, depending on whether or not the Ducks can win their two final games.
* Missouri Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels – The Rebels are going bowling. That much is certain. But they are not going to the SEC Championship Game or any other BCS Bowl Game. Still, they can prevent the Tigers from going there as well. If Missouri can defeat Ole Miss on Saturday and the Texas A&M Aggies the following week, then they will face the winner of next Saturday’s Iron Bowl game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers in the SEC Championship Game. A loss in either of those contests will send the South Carolina Gamecocks to the conference title tilt. This one is huge for a Tigers team who entered the season with lower expectations.
What do you think about how things could shake out over the course of the final three weeks of the 2013 college football season? As we have seen on more than one occasion, anything can happen in the NCAA. That is why we will all watch with a careful eye to see just how different things could look after each weekend from here until the bowl games are announced.
Make sure that you stay tuned to Boston Super Blog for all of the latest polls and results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. We have got you covered throughout the remainder of the 2013 college football season, leading all the way up to the BCS Championship Game! Make sure to Like Discover on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!
The Discover Fan Loyalty Poll is conducted twice a month by Rasmussen Reports, a nationally recognized leader in polling, who gathers sentiment by phone from 1500 college football fans who follow games at least once per week on television, radio, in person or online. The Poll leads up to the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl. Discover’s commitment to college football includes relationships with ESPN and Notre Dame Football on NBC.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers home loans, private student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its direct banking business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.
