Julio Cortez/Associated Press
If you’re going to watch one game during rivalry week in college football, keep it simple and watch The Game.
No. 2 Ohio State (10-1) hits the road to take on No. 5 Michigan (10-1) in the 117th meeting between the programs. The winner will secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and take a major step toward locking down a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State-Michigan is one of just two matchups between CFP-ranked teams in Week 13, with the other being the Bedlam Series contest between No. 10 Oklahoma (10-1) and No. 7 Oklahoma State (10-1). As good as that game will be, you just can’t beat a matchup between top-five teams, so it’s no surprise that ESPN’s College GameDay crew will be live in Ann Arbor, starting at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Here’s a complete look at the games involving ranked teams in Week 13.
Week 13 Top 25 Schedule, Predictions
Thursday, Nov. 25
No. 9 Ole Miss 31, Mississippi State 21
Friday, Nov. 26
Boise State at No. 21 San Diego State, noon ET, CBS
No. 16 Iowa at Nebraska, 1:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Missouri at No. 25 Arkansas, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 4 Cincinnati at East Carolina, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Colorado at No. 19 Utah, 4 p.m. ET, FOX
North Carolina at No. 20 NC State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Saturday, Nov. 27
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 5 Michigan, noon ET, FOX
No. 18 Wake Forest at Boston College, noon ET, ESPN2
No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech, noon ET, ABC
Texas Tech at No. 8 Baylor, noon ET, Fox Sports 1
No. 24 Houston at Connecticut, noon ET, CBS Sports Network
No. 22 UTSA at North Texas, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Penn State at No. 12 Michigan State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Oregon State at No. 11 Oregon, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 3 Alabama at Auburn, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 14 Wisconsin at Minnesota, 4 p.m. ET, FOX
No. 15 Texas A&M at LSU, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 17 Pittsburgh at Syracuse, 7:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Oklahoma State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
No. 23 Clemson at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
No. 6 Notre Dame at Stanford, 8 p.m. ET, FOX
No. 13 BYU at USC, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Picks in bold.
Week 13 Preview
Jay LaPrete/Associated Press
If Ohio State’s offense operates at a level anywhere close to where it was against Michigan State in Week 12, there won’t be a hint of an upset Saturday.
The Buckeyes crushed the Spartans 56-7, with quarterback C.J. Stroud throwing for 393 yards and six touchdowns in the first half alone. Wideouts Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were almost impossible to cover, and star running back TreVeyon Henderson ran with ease when called upon, averaging seven yards per carry.
Michigan boasts one of the nation’s best defenses, ranking in the top 10 in yards per play allowed (4.67), offensive TDs allowed (21) and yards per game allowed (306.6). They should fare better than their in-state rivals did against the Buckeyes, but it’s going to take a masterful game plan from coach Jim Harbaugh and top-level execution to slow down Ohio State and win the Big Ten East.
Elsewhere in the top five, we have No. 1 Georgia (11-0) and No. 3 Alabama (10-1) playing rivalry games ahead of their SEC championship showdown Dec. 4. The Bulldogs’ top-ranked defense should have no problem stopping a lowly Georgia Tech (3-8) that lost 55-0 to Notre Dame in Week 12. This matchup should look like a tune-up game for Georgia.
Alabama has a tougher test against Auburn (6-5) in the Iron Bowl, but quarterback Bryce Young—who is in what appears to be a two-man race with Stroud for the Heisman Trophy—should be able to lead the Crimson Tide to a comfortable win coming off back-to-back games with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.
No. 4 Cincinnati (11-0) will look to preserve its undefeated record and hold on to a spot in the CFP with a road win over East Carolina (7-4) on Saturday.
Aaron Doster/Associated Press
Unlike teams from the Power Five conferences, Cincinnati can’t afford a single loss if it wants to stay in the top four, and the Pirates, riding a four-game win streak, pose a difficult challenge. Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell is looking to have his team focused and ready for East Carolina’s best shot.
“I don’t know that it’s like, all of a sudden, we’re doing something different because they’re on a four-game win streak,” Fickell said, per 247Sports’ Stephen Igoe. “But I think it’s obviously respecting and understanding what you’re playing and walking into. We‘ve said it all year: it‘s not the best team that wins the game; it‘s the team that plays the best.”
Meanwhile, Oklahoma State-Oklahoma could well end up being Part 1 of a Bedlam double feature. The Cowboys have already booked a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Sooners can claim the other berth with a win over the Cowboys on Saturday or if No. 8 Baylor (9-2) loses to Texas Tech (6-5). Recent history suggests we could see a rematch in the title game, as the Sooners have beaten the Cowboys six times in a row.
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