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College Football Empires Map: Ohio State doubles its domain

At the start of the season, each FBS team had land. Each week, we keep track of who’s taken what since then.

By Nathan Bingham

Welcome to Week 13 of the 2018 College Football Empires Map. Here are the rules:

To begin the season, each FBS team was given control of its surrounding territory. Each game that involves one or two teams with territory results in the winner claiming all of it. Results carry on week to week, so teams are always in the process of trying to regain or expand land. For more detailed rules, check out Week 1’s explanation.

Here’s the updated 2018 map after Week 13, with notes to follow.

Week 13 land exchanges

  • Washington used the advantage of snow to defeat Washington State and win the Apple Cup and land in Utah, New Mexico, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
  • Utah pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in school history to defeat BYU and win the Holy War, conquering the homeland of UAB in the process.
  • Ohio State looked like an entirely different team in The Game, dominating Michigan in every aspect and expanding its empire to contain Minnesota, Iowa, and some land in California.
  • UNLV defeated Nevada to win the homelands of Utah State, Arizona State, and UTSA, but more importantly, they won the Fremont Cannon to use for defense of this land. As UNLV is not bowl eligible, it’s the second team to be guaranteed land at the end of the season, the other being Albany.
  • Miami defeated Pitt to win the smallest empire left — it’s just Toledo — and to knock Pitt out of the top 25.
  • Texas A&M defended its land in the newest version of the Hundred Years’ War against LSU. The local zebra population finally pushed Texas A&M ahead, according to some of the Tigers.

How Championship Week can change the map

  • In a rematch of last year’s national championship game, Alabama and Georgia square off for the SEC title and for a spot in the Playoff. The winner will hold the most land area, population, and territories.
  • Washington and Utah will face off in the Pac-12 Championship with two empires on the line. Utah will look for revenge from this season’s earlier match-up, which Washington won by two touchdowns.
  • Memphis and UCF will attempt to extend their win streaks in their matchup in the American title game. The winner will plant itself right outside the top four in land, population, counties, territories, and — unfortunately in UCF’s case — the Playoff rankings.
  • Clemson will try to defend its land from the army of Pitt, which has a spooky history of defeating the No. 2 team while unranked.
  • Ohio State will try to fend off one of the other spooky teams, Northwestern, to try and make a case for being included in the Playoff.
  • Texas and Oklahoma will play a rematch for the first time since 1903. Oklahoma tries to defend its playoff hope, while Texas tries to defend its land.

The whole season to this point:

Stats!

Territories

1. Notre Dame- 21

t2. Alabama and Ohio State- 17

4. Texas- 16

5. Clemson- 12

Counties

  1. Alabama - 556
  2. Ohio State - 546
  3. Texas - 320
  4. Notre Dame - 313
  5. Oregon - 268

Population

  1. Notre Dame - 65,906,571
  2. Ohio State - 58,966,973
  3. Texas - 29,223,468
  4. Clemson - 24,114,545
  5. Alabama - 23,947,383

Land Area (sq. miles)

  1. Georgia - 700,256
  2. Oregon - 454,000
  3. Ohio State - 448,768
  4. Alabama - 376,708
  5. Notre Dame - 353,924

I’m also keeping track of a second map, which began in 2017 and carried over.

  • Alabama has yet to win any land on the Historic Map since it took its current empire from Georgia in the National Championship game last season. This Saturday, Alabama will look to do the same, while Georgia looks to take back what it lost.
  • In Week 4 of 2017, UCF took Memphis’ homeland only to hold on to it for over a season and a half. Memphis will get their third chance since then to take its home back and brings in its own empire, this time containing most of northern Texas and Oklahoma.
  • Entering this season, only three Big Ten teams held land. Two of those meet in the Big Ten Championship between Ohio State and Northwestern. With a win, Northwestern would be able to keep the largest chunk of land out of the Playoff for the second season in a row.
  • Earlier this season Oklahoma lost its land to Texas. Now that that land has been passed around the Big 12 and landed back in the hands of Texas, Oklahoma has its shot to win it back.
  • The last time North Dakota State and Montana State played was also in the second round of the FCS playoffs. In 2010, No. 25 North Dakota State upset No. 6 Montana State, 42-17. Montana State will look to return the favor on Saturday.
  • Notre Dame doesn’t play anyone this this week and will likely take its land into the College Football Playoff.

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