College football is entering week 13. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 13.
1. The Game
Every few seasons The Game has National Championship implications. This week is one of those seasons. Ohio State enters this game at 10-1. They lost to Oregon early in the season, but have improved over the course of the year. They are in the CFP top four and just need to win out to make the CFP. Coming off of a win over Michigan State, the Buckeyes look like they will be tough to beat.
Michigan also enters the game with one loss and a chance to make the National Championship if they win out. The Wolverines have a good defense, allowing 16.1 points per game, and are fueled by a good pass rush. The pass rush will be the key in this game, as they’ll have to find a way to disrupt C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes’ offense.
2. Bedlam
Bedlam is also a game with huge implications. Oklahoma State enters the game with just one loss, which came at the hands of Iowa State. They have already clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game, but they’ll want to finish strong to keep their CFP hopes alive. The Cowboys have been fueled by their defense, which allows just 16.4 points per game. Against Oklahoma, they will have to play good defense and run the ball well to win the game.
Oklahoma bounced back from a loss to Baylor to defeat Iowa State. They are still in play for the Big 12 Championship, but will need to beat out Baylor in tie-breakers or defeat Oklahoma State to get there. Their offense has been inconsistent, as they can’t consistently run the ball. That will be the key to the game, because when they run the ball well the rest of the offense opens up. A win would keep Oklahoma’s slim CFP hopes alive.
3. The Iron Bowl
Although Auburn isn’t expected to be the most competitive in this game, the Iron Bowl is always worth watching. The Tigers do have some decent wins over Ole Miss and Penn State under their belts, but the up and down quarterback play has limited them. Their defense, specifically their talented corners, will be put to the test against Bryce Young, who is coming off a career day against Arkansas.
Alabama is rightfully favored heavily in this game. Their offense is firing on all cylinders and their defense shouldn’t be tested too much about Auburn. If they are able to win this game, they will set up an opportunity for a win-and-in game against Georgia in the SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide have a lot to play for and a rivalry could make something crazy happen.
4. Wake’s Chance to Play for the ACC Championship
After losing to Clemson, Wake Forest now needs to win in week 13 to ensure that they will be in the ACC Championship. The Demon Deacons have just one ACC loss on the season, with the other coming to North Carolina in a scheduled non-conference matchup. They play Boston College, who has quarterback Phil Jurkovec back from injury. That means Sam Hartman will need to play much better than he did against Clemson to help Wake Forest outscore the Eagles.
Without Jurkovec, the Eagles lost four in a row in ACC play. They have since gone 2-1 in his return. The Eagles are bowl eligible, but with Jurkovec are a much better team. Overall, the Eagles score 26.3 points per game, but with Jurkovec as the starter, they average 35.4 points per game. Boston College could pose a huge threat to Wake playing in the ACC Championship Game this year.
5. BYU’s Chance to Win the Pac-12
The Pac-12 will not have a team in the playoff after they beat up on each other all season. One team that has consistently help beat up on the conference is BYU. The Cougars are 4-0 against the Pac-12 with wins over Arizona, Utah, Arizona State and Washington State. They now have a matchup with USC to end the season.
BYU will be hoping to make a New Year’s Six Bowl Game as an at-large with a win and some help. USC will be trying to keep their bowl hopes alive with a win. They are 4-6 with a game against Cal that was rescheduled for conference championship week. With the Trojans losing four of their last six games, BYU should win and would then be 5-0 against the Pac-12 on the season.
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