Welcome to Week 12 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 12, with notes to follow.

Week 12’s land changes

The big land transfer of the week came with Texas’s win over Iowa State in a dominating fashion. Texas is now the Big 12’s sole owner of land after taking the 16 territories that Iowa State had gathered. Texas now only has Kansas standing between it and the Big 12 Championship game as well.

Oregon defeated Arizona State, eliminating the Sun Devils from the Pac-12 Championship race and taking significant land in the north as well as some on the Mexico border.

Despite this being one of their best seasons in the history of UAB, the Blazers were unable to fend off the Aggies of Texas A&M, losing the three territories they had possession of and eliminating Conference USA from the map.

Arkansas State kept its Sun Belt hopes alive and took over Charlotte with a win over Louisiana-Monroe.

Memphis also kept their conference title hopes alive with a win over SMU and in doing so, picked up four territories.

Albany got its first conference win of the season, defeating Stony Brook with a last-second field goal. Stony Brook will continue on into the FCS playoffs, while Albany will just have to settle for newly acquired land. With this win, the FCS playoffs will have no impact on the Empires map, as Albany did not make the playoffs and North Carolina A&T will forgo the playoffs to play in the Celebration Bowl. Thus two pieces of land are officially claimed for the year.

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Rivalry Week’s map stakes

The Ohio State-Michigan has a lot on the line once again this season. The winner will win the Big Ten East and face Northwestern in the Big Ten title game, will likely find itself in the Playoff, and will take over 17 territories in nearly every part of the United States.

The Apple Cup between Washington State and Washington will determine the Pac-12 North champion and also the owner of all of the land Washington State currently owns.

The winner of Memphis-Houston will play UCF in the American championship game, which will likely combine the empires of UCF and Memphis, provided that UCF can continue its win streak and beat USF this week.

The Iron Bowl usually ends up competitive. Auburn will try to ruin Alabama’s perfect season and take the Crimson Tide’s empire

The Holy War between Utah and BYU will be fought over a land once occupied by dragons in Alabama. If Utah wins, it will take the land into the Pac-12 Championship game against the winner of the Apple Cup.

The whole season to this point:

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Stats!

Territories

1. Notre Dame- 21

2. Alabama- 17

3. Texas- 16

t4. Ohio State and Clemson- 12

Counties

Alabama - 556 Texas - 320 Notre Dame - 313 Michigan - 306 Oregon - 268

Population

Notre Dame - 65,906,571 Ohio State - 44,483,938 Texas - 29,223,468 Clemson - 24,114,545 Alabama - 23,947,383

Land Area (sq. miles)

Georgia - 700,256 Oregon - 454,000 Alabama - 376,708 Notre Dame - 353,924 Texas - 289,638

I’m also keeping track of a separate map that began in 2017.

Memphis defeated SMU Friday night to take most of Oklahoma, Northern Texas, and Western Arkansas, along with some other territories scattered throughout the map

Texas defeated Iowa State to regain possession of the land they lost to Oklahoma State earlier this season and gain a couple more territories as well.

It’s possible we have only three teams left on the Historical Map at the end of year two. In order for this to happen we need some chaos, but not too much.

First Clemson must lose to South Carolina or Pitt as well as miss the playoff.

Texas and Georgia win their games against Kansas and Georgia Tech.

Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Oklahoma all win out and make the playoffs (Ohio State could instead of Michigan, but might need help to make the playoffs).

If this happens, the winner of the playoff would own the empires currently owned by Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas, Georgia, and Ohio State.

Elsewhere, UCF must beat USF. The winner of the American would then own the empires of UCF and Memphis.

North Dakota State’s land will remain in FCS for another season no matter what.

If all this happens, we would finish the season with just three teams left: the winner of the FBS playoff, the winner of the FCS playoff, and either the AAC champ or a team that beats the AAC champ in a bowl.