It’s Week 14 of the college football season, which means one thing: rivalry week. All kinds of things are on the line this weekend — conference championship berths, College Football Playoff spots and bragging rights.
Can Ryan Day finally beat Michigan? If so, No. 2 Ohio State will play No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten title game for the first time since 2019. The Buckeyes have all of their goals in front of them — winning the Big Ten and the national championship — but they have to beat their archrival first.
Later on, we’ll get the long-awaited revival of Texas vs. Texas A&M. These two programs have not played each other since 2011, but one of college football’s greatest rivalries will be renewed now that they’re both in the SEC. The No. 3-ranked Longhorns thought they got the last laugh 13 years ago when Justin Tucker drilled that 40-yard field goal as time expired; can the Aggies get revenge at Kyle Field on Saturday night?
Meanwhile, the Big 12 enters this final week of the regular season with no clarity about which teams will play for the conference championship. Nine — yes, nine — teams could make it according to myriad scenarios. In other words, expect chaos this Thanksgiving weekend.
With that, here are the top five games to watch this weekend:
Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
For Day and OSU, this one is about revenge. The Buckeyes have failed to beat their biggest rival over the past five years, and no matter how much success the program has had since then, winning this game is what matters.
Just look at what Day said about what it’s like to lose to Michigan on “GameTime with Ryan Day” this week: “Other than losing my father and a few other things, it’s quite honestly for my family the worst thing that [has] happened.”
[Read more: Michigan vs. Ohio State: Historic Big Ten matchup by the numbers]
Ohio State should take care of Michigan this time. The Buckeyes have the best defense in the nation and a top-10 scoring offense. They have talent at every position. They’ve been able to overcome two season-ending injuries to starting offensive linemen. They have star wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka and a defense full of future NFL players. It’s no secret that the Wolverines have struggled this season and that there’s not much at stake for them other than pulling off the upset of the year. In order to do that, though, quarterback Davis Warren would need to make explosive plays, which this offense hasn’t done all season. What’s more, they’d also need to channel the past three years of Michigan performances in the 120th edition of “The Game” and dominate Ohio State on the ground.
No. 8 Tennessee at Vanderbilt (Noon ET)
Tennessee is sitting pretty right now. Beat Vanderbilt, and all signs point to the CFP. The Vols are lucky they’re highly thought of by the selection committee and don’t have to play in the SEC title game in order to earn a place in the 12-team field. With a win Saturday, they could also potentially get an on-campus game in the first round, too.
In order to do that, they’ll rely on several things, including the SEC’s top running back in Dylan Sampson. The junior set a school record with 22 rushing touchdowns — the best in the SEC — and he’s averaging 187.45 yards per game.
However, Vanderbilt is no slouch. The Commodores are bowl eligible and have put together a respectable season, which included a massive upset of then-No. 1 Alabama in October. They almost beat then-No. 5 Texas later that month, too. Quarterback Diego Pavia has been impressive this season, throwing for 2,029 yards with 16 scores (seventh-most in the SEC) with only three interceptions. He’ll have to have a near-perfect game against the conference’s second-best defense, though.
No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson (Noon ET)
South Carolina is on a five-game winning streak, which includes victories over two Top 25 teams (Texas A&M and Missouri). Plus, we’ve already talked about the fact that the Gamecocks could easily be sitting with just one loss right now, having lost to LSU and Alabama by a combined five points earlier in the season. Freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers has improved every week and has scored 13 of his 17 touchdowns in the past five games.
Clemson, meanwhile, is looking for its first win over a Top 25 opponent this season. The only other one the Tigers have faced was Georgia in the season-opener, and the Bulldogs dominated, 34-3. Quarterback Cade Klubnik faces the stingiest defense he has faced (and that includes Georgia’s). The offensive line will have its hands full with Gamecocks defensive end Kyle Kennard, who leads the SEC in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (11.5).
Clemson will also be keeping an eye on the Miami (Fla.)–Syracuse game later in the afternoon. If the Tigers win and the Hurricanes lose, Clemson will find itself in the ACC Championship Game the following week.
No. 24 Kansas State at No. 18 Iowa State (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
The Big 12 is where this weekend’s chaos could happen. If Iowa State and Arizona State win their respective games (the Sun Devils play Arizona), then those two teams will meet in Arlington, Texas the following week for the conference championship game. That’s the easiest and most straightforward outcome. If either one loses, however, there are various scenarios in which other teams could find themselves atop the league.
The Cyclones may have the toughest test, as this is the only Top 25 matchup in the Big 12 this week. In addition to that pressure, Iowa State also has a chance to become the first team in program history to win 10 regular-season games. Needless to say, there’s a lot on the line.
Kansas State doesn’t have quite as much to play for, but could play spoiler. Especially with DJ Giddens, who’s one of the best running backs in the country, and defensive end Brendan Mott, who leads the Big 12 with 8.5 sacks.
No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M (7:30 p.m. ET)
The stakes here are clear: the winner will play No. 7 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Texas A&M thought it had escaped Texas when it left the Big 12 for the SEC back in 2012. Fast-forward 12 years later, and now the two are conference foes once again. In that time period, the Aggies have not played for an SEC title. The fact that the Longhorns could do that in their first year in a new conference does not sit well with anyone in College Station.
Additionally, if the Aggies lose, they’ll likely be eliminated from CFP contention. If Texas loses, however, they will still almost certainly be an at-large team in the 12-team field. If Steve Sarkisian’s team can beat Texas A&M and then get revenge on Georgia (who beat them in mid-October in Austin) and win the SEC, it would clinch the No. 2 CFP seed.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
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