The Index, Week 13: The Iron Bowl and Deshaun Watson's threshold for pain

The Index is your definitive weekly guide to the real stories and controversies behind the latest college football headlines. This is everything you need to know, but on steroids.

We Like

The Iron Bowl

Yes, we know everybody and their grandmothers are biased towards the SEC, but after last Saturday's epic Iron Bowl, can you really blame them? 

Last week's matchup between Alabama and Auburn was everything you'd expect from a heated rivalry game, and will go down as one of the best in the Iron Bowl's 79-year history.

It also led to our next most-liked thing of the week.

Amari Cooper

To say Amari Cooper torched Auburn's secondary would be an understatement. 

Heck, it can even be argued the senior wideout's 13-catch, 224-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Tigers led to defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson's dismissal. 

Playing Missouri in the SEC Championship game this week, Alabama should employ the same type of offensive game plan they did against Auburn. 

USC Cheerleader shaking off big hit

USC's cheerleaders may look beautiful on the sidelines, but they're also tough as nails.

Case in point, this video of a cheerleader bouncing back to her feet seconds after taking a big hit from a Trojan defender in the back of the end zone. 

She even gets up faster than the defender. Somebody get her some pads and a helmet. 

We Don't Like

The Big 12 naming co-champions in the event of a tie

If Baylor and TCU both win their respective games this weekend, the Big 12 will present both of the teams to the College Football Selection Committee as conference co-champions.

"It's not within our prerogative to bind the selection committee that way. They're going to select who they think is the best team," commissioner Bob Bowlsby told ESPN's Heather Dinich. 

This basically erases Baylor's 61-58 head-to-head win over TCU on Oct. 11, which, if logic were to prevail, should serve as the tiebreaker. 

So much for a conference that promotes itself as having "one true champion."

Clemson's Deshaun Watson playing with torn ACL

Quarterback Deshaun Watson led Clemson to a 35-17 win over South Carolina last Saturday, ending the Tigers' five-year losing streak against the Gamecocks. 

The most impressive part of the freshman's win, however, was the fact he played through a torn ACL. 

We're not medical experts, but letting a young freshman play through a serious injury doesn't sound like a good idea. Especially considering it could hurt his chance at being paid to play football somewhere down the road. 

We're unsure about

Ohio State's Playoff chances without J.T. Barrett

It's awful to see any player go down because of an injury, especially when he's one of the nation's most dynamic play-makers. 

That was the scene Ohio State fans were forced to watch Saturday as J.T. Barrett was carted off the field after suffering a fracture in his right ankle. 

Head coach Urban Meyer said Barrett will be available for Spring ball, but the injury might very well prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the Buckeyes' playoff hopes. 

We Want

Championship Week to live up to the hype

Missouri vs. Alabama, Florida State vs. Georgia Tech, Baylor vs. Kansas State, Arizona vs. Oregon.

With plenty of premium matchups this week, our only hope is these are as exciting as we anticipate they'll be. 

Let's end what has been a wild 2014 season on a good note.