College football is back in full swing. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 14.
In the last three years, Michigan has won The Game against Ohio State each season. The Wolverines have had an underwhelming season, but have defeated the Buckeyes as the underdogs before. Making it a defensive battle is Michigan’s best hope, as they still have talent on that side of the ball and allow just 21.5 points per game.
Ohio State has jut the one loss to Oregon on the year. Their defense and offense has been elite. The pressure will be on the Buckeyes in this game though. They haven’t defeated the Wolverines in a long time and a loss could derail their hopes of making the Big Ten Championship. Ryan Day is also under pressure to beat Michigan.
Texas hasn’t played Texas A&M since leaving the Big 12. The rivals will now meet again with a lot on the line. Texas has lost just once this year and looks like a shoo-in to make the CFP. The winner of this game will be in the SEC Championship Game as well. The Longhorns rank top 10 in scoring offense and defense making the matchup tough.
The Aggies lost in week 13 to Auburn, which hurts their CFP chances. They now may need to win the SEC to make the CFP, but they have to get through Texas to get there. Texas A&M will have the crowd behind them and a good rushing attack to help them pull off an upset. The rivalry coming back is good enough, but with the added stakes it is even better.
After a wild week 13, the Big 12 is still wide open for who could be in the conference championship game. Arizona State, Iowa State, BYU and Colorado each have two losses in the conference this season. If all teams win in week 14, Arizona State and Iowa State will be in the Big 12 Championship Game. If ASU, BYU and Colorado are tied with two conference losses, ASU and BYU will play.
All Big 12 games will be worth watching to see who makes it in the conference championship game. BYU hosts Houston, Iowa State plays Kansas State, Arizona State travels to Arizona and Colorado hosts Oklahoma State. Watching live on Saturday could be chaotic and a reflection of how the conference has been all season.
Miami has just one loss on the season, but they need to win in week 14 to make the conference championship game. The Hurricanes take on Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. They will need their offense, which scores the most points in the country, to show up to win a shootout. That is something they’ve had to do several times this season, but this time the pressure will be higher, as a loss could keep them out of the ACC Championship Game and by extension the CFP.
Syracuse has quietly gone 8-3 so far this season. The Orange have been led by quarterback Kyle McCord, an Ohio State transfer. They pass for 361.5 yards per game, which ranks second in the country. If they can force Miami quarterback Cam Ward into turnovers, they could pull off the upset and really shake up the ACC and CFP picture.
South Carolina has new life on possibly making the CFP with several teams losing last week. The Gamecocks are 8-3 on the season with wins over Missouri and Texas A&M. Their offense has been solid, but the defense has been great. They rank 14th in the country, allowing 18.2 points per game, as they are fueled by their defensive line.
Clemson also has a better shot at making the CFP after the results of week 13. A Miami loss could put them into the ACC Championship Game, but winning this game could put them squarely on the bubble. They have two losses on the season, to Georgia and Louisville. The Tigers score 38.7 points per game, which is improved over last season, while their defense has allowed 22 points per game, ranking them 40th in the country. It could be a good game by itself, but also because the stakes are potentially higher now
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