CFB Week 14 winners, losers: CFP picture crystalizes

Another college football regular season is in the books. With conference championships next weekend, this Saturday was the last full weekend of action, and it delivered no shortage of memorable moments. 

Here are Week 14’s winners and losers.

Winner: Teams clinching College Football Playoff berths

College Football Playoff No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2 in SEC) punched its ticket to the first round of the CFP with a comeback 17-13 win over LSU (7-5, 3-5 in SEC). The Sooners were joined by No. 6 Oregon (11-1, 8-1 in Big Ten), which handled rival Washington (8-4, 5-4 in Big Ten), 26-14. No. 5 Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1 in Big 12) almost certainly guaranteed a playoff spot even with a loss next weekend in the Big 12 Championship Game following a resounding 49-0 win at West Virginia (4-8, 2-7 in Big 12).

With the top four teams in the country (Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia) and Ole Miss also already securing berths and two more conference champions qualifying automatically, the bubble is shrinking. Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas Tech are on the right side.

Earlier this week, Florida State president Richard McCullough wrote a letter confirming head coach Mike Norvell will return in 2026. He may have been better off saving that for drafts.

On Saturday, Florida State capped a second consecutive dreadful season with a 40-21 loss at Florida (4-8), keeping the Seminoles from becoming bowl eligible. The result also ensured Norvell a fourth losing season in six years as Florida State head coach. He’s been given a lot of leniency for someone with a spotty track record. The Noles’ faith in him is perplexing to say the least.

No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 in SEC) secured the first 10-win season in program history with a 45-24 road win at No. 19 Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 in SEC). Quarterback Diego Pavia rebounded from throwing two interceptions on the Commodores’ first four drives by leading the charge during a dominant second half. Vandy won, 24-3. He finished with 433 total yards, including 165 rushing, likely cementing his Heisman Trophy bid.

Vanderbilt didn’t get any help this weekend, with teams directly ahead of it in the CFP rankings winning, likely keeping it from receiving an at-large bid. But that by no means takes away the incredible season the Commodores had, one they can build on with head coach Clark Lea signing a new six-year deal on Friday.

Loser: SEC afterthoughts

The Kentucky Wildcats (5-7, 2-6 in SEC) and South Carolina Gamecocks (4-8, 1-7 in SEC) ended miserable seasons with decisive losses to ACC rivals Louisville Cardinals (8-4, 4-4 in ACC) and Clemson Tigers (7-5, 4-4 in ACC), respectively.

Kentucky lost at Louisville, 41-0, the program’s largest shutout defeat in rivalry history, and afterward, head coach Mark Stoops threatened there was a “Zero-percent chance I walk.” Per ESPN, the 13-year Wildcats coach has a buyout of roughly $37.7 million.

South Carolina entered 2025 with hopes of qualifying for the CFP but finished a 4-8 campaign — the team’s worst record since former head coach Will Muschamp’s last season (2020) — with a 28-14 home loss to Clemson.

Coach Shane Beamer offered a hollow vow when speaking with reporters, emphatically saying things will be different next season. Just trust him.

“I can one billion percent promise you this, when we have a hell of a season in 2026, and when I’m doing this press conference after the Clemson game next year, and we finish the regular season that, because of the success that we’re gonna have next season — I know we will — we’re gonna look back at this season and say, ‘It sucked going through it,’ but because of what we went through in ’25, it led us to what we just did in 2026,” Beamer said.