Week 13 has arrived, bringing good fortune to some and bad luck for others. Such is the binary nature of college football.
Our list of the top seven games to watch includes three Top 25 showdowns and several others with conference championship implications. Unfortunately, several of them will be occurring simultaneously, so as always we recommend that you monitor the scoreboard closely and keep the remote within easy reach. As it happens, there’s a heavy emphasis on the early time slots this Saturday, but there will be offerings not included here for you night owls as well.
We begin, not surprisingly, with the Big Noon Kickoff.
No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State
Time/TV: noon ET, Fox.
Why watch: The day starts with this top-five showdown nobody saw coming in August. The Buckeyes’ lofty ranking is of course not a surprise, but the Hoosiers are enjoying what has already been a historic campaign under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. The winner has the inside track for a date with Oregon in the Big Ten title game, though the loser should still be in good stead for at-large playoff consideration. Indiana’s high-octane offense directed by QB Kurtis Rourke was slowed a bit by Michigan in its most recent outing, and DB Sonny Styles and the Buckeyes’ exceptional secondary could be even harder to solve. Hoosiers RBs Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton must help keep the attack on schedule. Ohio State QB Will Howard gets even more ground support from RBs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson in addition to an ultra-talented receiving corps. His offensive line took a hit this week with the loss of starting center Seth McLaughlin to an Achilles injury, however, and Hoosiers DE Mikail Kamara could take advantage of a reconfigured protection scheme.
Why it could disappoint: It’s the proverbial elephant in the room. Quite simply, Indiana has not faced an opponent of this caliber yet. They have, however, played a couple of teams in common with the Buckeyes (Michigan State and Nebraska) with equally impressive or better results. In short, the intrigue factor will have everyone’s attention at kickoff, then we’ll see how it unfolds.
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 17 Army
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC.
Why watch: The prime-time spotlight features this special contest at Yankee Stadium in New York involving two storied programs with big national followings. The game has been circled all season, and it now has the added bonus of carrying major playoff implications for both teams as the campaign winds down. The Black Knights have already secured a date with Tulane in the American Athletic Conference title game, and a win here would elevate the importance of that contest by an order of magnitude. The Fighting Irish, of course, have national championship aspirations of their own and must avoid a second loss to keep them alive. Notre Dame handled their first encounter with an option attack well last month against Navy, so ball security will be priority one for Army QB Bryson Daily and RB Kanye Udoh as they attempt to control the clock. Army does have outside threats like WR Casey Reynolds and RB Noah Short, but Notre Dame DL Rylie Mills will look to take away the pitch lanes. Fighting Irish QB Riley Leonard and RB Jeremiyah Love do a lot of damage on the ground themselves, so Army LB Andon Thomas will need a lot of help to keep the holes closed.
Why it could disappoint: See above. Notre Dame’s meeting with Navy turned into a rout quickly, so Army fans fervently hope this one does not follow the same script. Any long drives by the Black Knights that fall short of the end zone will be difficult to overcome.
WEEKEND FORECAST: Week 13 college football picks for every Top 25 game
PLAYOFF PREDICTION: Colorado enters field, Alabama grabs first-round bye
No. 15 Brigham Young at No. 22 Arizona State
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Why watch: Preseason expectations for the Big 12 race have practically been turned upside down as the campaign has unfolded. So it is that we find ourselves with this unanticipated Top 25 clash that is also a de facto semifinal contest for a spot in the conference championship game. The Sun Devils’ triumvirate of QB Sam Leavitt, WR Jordyn Tyson and RB Cam Skattebo can find multiple ways to generate yardage. Cougars LBs Harrison Taggart and Isaiah Glasker will lead the mission to keep them bottled up. BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has cooled in recent outings, and Arizona State DE Clayton Smith will do his best to keep him off schedule.
Why it could disappoint: It won’t if BYU’s recent pattern of wild finishes continues. But it’s possible that the book on the Cougars is out and the Sun Devils will take advantage of the friendly environs in a romp.
No. 4 Penn State at Minnesota
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Why watch: The Nittany Lions have only the Ohio State setback marring their record and are still seemingly in the committee’s good graces with two weeks to go. They’d be advised, however, not to stumble on the road against the Golden Gophers, who’ve had some disappointing results but can be dangerous nevertheless. Since the rough outing against the Buckeyes, PSU QB Drew Allar has taken advantage of less-accomplished defenses with plenty of help from RB Kaytron Allen and TE Tyler Warren. They could meet stronger resistance from DL Anthony Smith and the Minnesota front. Gophers QB Max Brosmer has been very good in stretches, though his protectors were overwhelmed in his most recent outing at Rutgers two weeks ago. Nittany Lions DE Abdul Carter could make his day difficult again, but he does have reliable targets in WRs Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer if he has time to find them.
Why it could disappoint: The Golden Gophers have pulled out a couple nail biters in the final minute, but some holes are just too deep. Some of the Nittany Lions’ more lengthy road trips have been adventures, but they’ll do their best to remove the suspense from this one.
No. 18 Colorado at Kansas
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox.
Why watch: Colorado can play its own way into the Big 12 title game. But this contest in Kansas City, KU’s home-away-from-home right now, is anything but a guaranteed win. The Jayhawks, fresh off handing BYU its first loss of the season, look to cause even more chaos in their late push to make the bowl lineup. While Buffaloes’ two-way standout Travis Hunter rightly draws a lot of attention, QB Shedeur Sanders has other weapons at his disposal as well, notably WRs LaJohntay Wester and Will Sheppard. KU, however, has the cornerback tandem of Mello Dotson and Cobee Bryant who can handle most coverage assignments. Jayhawks QB Jalon Daniels has played better of late after a miserable first half of the season. RB Devin Neal has also been a huge help, but Colorado DLs BJ Green and Keaten Wade will look to keep them in check.
Why it could disappoint: The Buffaloes must make sure that it does in all honesty. The Jayhawks have hung around in most of their games, though they’ve only recently figured out how to close. If this one is in doubt at all in the fourth quarter, there will be a lot of nervous viewers back in Boulder.
No. 9 Mississippi at Florida
Time/TV: noon ET, ABC.
Why watch: With some quality wins but that pesky ‘2’ in the loss column, Ole Miss finds itself in that precarious space between virtual playoff lock and the wrong side of the bubble. The Rebels hope to solidify their situation, but this trip to the Swamp against a rejuvenated Gators’ squad might not be a breeze. Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart was able to dissect the Georgia defense two weeks ago despite missing several of his main weapons. He will unfortunately not have RB Henry Parrish Jr. rejoining him in the backfield, but top WR Tre Harris is expected back in the lineup. Regardless, Dart must steer clear of Florida DL Tyreak Sapp. Gators QB DJ Lagway has also been battling injuries but provided a needed spark in last week’s upset of LSU. LB Chris Paul Jr. and the Rebels’ front must be ready for him.
Why it could disappoint: It will if the Rebels bring their A-game against a banged-up Florida secondary. The Gators should still get to bowl eligibility but might have to wait a week against hapless Florida State to pick up their sixth win.
No. 12 SMU at Virginia
Time/TV: noon ET, ESPN2.
Why watch: With only a home date with California remaining after this week, the Mustangs can all but sew up their place in the ACC title game with a win here in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers ran into a buzzsaw last time out at Notre Dame but have a chance to wrap up bowl eligibility on their home field. The bad news for UVa is SMU QB Kevin Jennings poses a two-way threat similar to what DB Jonas Sanker and Co. encountered in South Bend, a week ago. Cavaliers QB Anthony Colandrea has been known to put the ball in harm’s way when under duress, and DB Ahmaad Moses and several of his teammates in the Mustangs’ secondary will be ready to snare any arrant deliveries.
Why it could disappoint: The Cavaliers must hope the Mustangs are as generous with the ball as they were the last time they came east when they narrowly escaped Duke. Then again, SMU wasn’t exactly lights out at home against a depleted Boston College squad a week ago, so UVa might keep it interesting.