College football game, Week 13: Rivals Week brings big stakes for The Game, Bedlam and more

The last full weekend of the season comes with turkeys, change of clothes and a bunch of competitive games. At stake are all four College Football Playoff points and six (out of 10) spots in the Power Five conference championship games.

Don’t fall asleep on the couch watching these bad boys. Let’s take a look at the big games set for Saturday, all of which will keep you glued to the tube all day long. It all started at noon ET but will continue overnight as the post-season picture is sure to be shaken.

Games: In Ohio State-Michigan, the winner will attend the Big Ten Championship Game and still live in College football The knockout round. The loser has to live with the shame for a year. Those are the stakes in The Game. 2 Ohio State sent the message that it was perfect to swim in the deep end of the playoffs with a win over Michigan State. Thing is, No. 5 Michigan sent the same message as a Maryland congestion.

Whatever happens, Jim Harbaugh has put together a successful season, a rebound season, a season that proves he really is a Captain Comeback of a different kind at Michigan. Of course, critics will be waiting to rush out of the Michigan Stadium tunnel, should the Wolverines lose their ninth straight loss to Ohio State.

But Michigan is getting what it pays for — a coach at half the price of competition for a Big Ten title and playoff berth. Yes, you could even call Harbaugh a bargain at this point. In Year 7, werewolves are on top of all of that in organizing the Buckeyes. The fourth season 10 victories were achieved.

Ohio State has sent a message to Michigan – and beyond – in the upheaval of Michigan State. But this weekly observation is still valid. Michigan is now more in line with Ohio State than at any time since fourth game 2016. Even taking that result into account (30-27 in doubles overtime), Michigan has lost an average of nearly three times. closest meeting with nearly 3 touchdowns.

This will be different. It Yes to be different. Harbaugh proved that last year’s 2-4 season was a mistake. He’s back in 2021, cheaper and better. Perhaps training for just $4 million a year (plus incentives) made him hungrier. His team is definitely improving. Werewolves don’t strike as deeply as Ohio State, but who are?

They are in the same building, which is The Big House. That should help with what promises to be a beautiful day in the mid-30s in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Let’s just say that Michigan Stadium had better help. It’s the largest stadium in the country but because of its size, noise tends to get into the air instead of down the field.

The tactic would be to keep the ball away from CJ Stroud and the best receiving corps in the game. In fact, Harbaugh succeeded. Offensively better under Josh Gattis. The defense is in the top 10 under new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Critics will wait if the Wolverines lose, but on this day, in this game, the Buckeyes are no longer up against their biggest rival. They will settle to get better. Ohio State 38, Michigan 27

Bedlam: At first glance, one of the best competitors in the country can hardly look like that. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy beat Oklahoma exactly twice in 16 meetings. That fits a pattern. Oklahoma State has won only 18 times in 115 all-time encounters. This bedlam is different. In fact, this could be the biggest match in the rivalry’s history.

It is basically a knockout game. For one of the few times in the series, it looks like the 7 Cowboys have the upper hand. The defense is generational, on par with Georgia this season. Winger Spencer Sanders has stopped violating the crippling turnover. It would be in the best interest of the Big 12 if the higher rated Cowboys won against the No. 10 Sooners and played the No. 9 Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game.

This game comes with an old chip on the shoulder of Oklahoma State. The last time the show came close to the championship, it lost to Alabama on the BCS leaderboard by 0.0086 points in 2011. That spread warrants an Alabama-LSU rematch, much to the displeasure of Oklahoma State. and give impetus to the current CFP . That is the CFP that Gundy and the Cowboys are currently chasing.

This may have added emotion. Gundy said this week could be the last Bedlam game in Stillwater, Oklahoma, considering the organizer’s move in – waiting for a stroll from the Boone Pickens Stadium crowd – “SEC, SEC, SEC.” Oklahoma State 27, Oklahoma 23

Iron Bowl: No Bo, no problem? Although Bo Nix did not join Auburn. He rocked the Iron Bowl bubble this week when he announced Alabama was given preferential treatment by officials. Well, you wouldn’t have six championships under Nick Saban without some kind of help, correct?

Nix can talk because he doesn’t have to play. Meanwhile, Bryan Harsin attended his first (and only?) Iron Bowl as a 19.5-point underdog. There doesn’t seem to be much of a chance for Auburn in this game except for history. It has beaten Bama in three of its last four visits to Jordan-Hare Stadium. This will be the final test for Harsin, whose name continues to resonate in Washington. Beat No. 3 Alabama, and he carved his name into history with Gus Malzahn.

Three big prizes are likely to be won by Alabama on Saturday: the Heisman Trophy (Bryce Young quarterback), the Outland Trophy (Will Anderson Jr. quarterback) and the Biletnikoff Award (widely received by Jameson Williams).

The Tigers can destroy the Crimson Tide’s playoff dreams, such as they are. Even if Bama gets through to Auburn, it still has a mission to beat No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. There are those who believe Alabama can still get in with a win over Auburn and a close loss to Georgia. I am not one of those people. For now, consider it a hurdle. Alabama 32, Auburn 19

Apple Cup: Both teams are interim coaches. However, Jake Dickert of Washington State has a realistic chance of getting the job at Wazzu. If his Cougars can beat the Huskies and Oregon State beat Oregon, Washington State, 7-5, will take the Pac-12 North and take on Utah, currently 8-3, for the Pac title. -twelfth. And someone, somewhere wants to make sure all Power Five champions get an automatic slot in the extended playoffs? Washington State 29, Washington 26

Oregon vs. Oregon State: Another Pac-12 success story. Jonathan Smith took the Beavers down from 2-10 in his first season to 7-4 in his fourth season. If Utah’s Kyle Whittingham isn’t Pac-12 Coach of the Year, that honor goes to Smith. He built a program of development based on a former Middle Tennessee recruit and transferred JUCO in quarterback (Chance Nolan). BJ Baylor has successively replaced Jermar Jefferson and is leading the rush Pac-12 team. We’ll see if the 11th Duck can bounce back from dropping out of the playoff race to beat Oregon State for the 12th time in the last 14 meetings. The Beavers win the North if they win and Washington State beats Washington. Oregon 33, Oregon State 30

Wisconsin and Minnesota: Each team can still win the Big Ten West and by extension the Big Ten. No. 14 Wisconsin win over the West. Minnesota will need help. Don’t fall asleep in Wisconsin, where there’s a legitimate No. 1 defense. Braelon Allen has emerged as the next defender. Wisconsin 20, Minnesota 10

Florida vs State of Florida: Dan Mullen had the choice to train this game and turn it down. Wonder how the Gators feel about that? It’s still a rivalry, but the main scene is Florida’s search for coaches. Billy Napier will have time to watch before his Louisiana game begins against Louisiana-Monroe. The Ragin’ Cajuns coach remains the favorite. Florida 35, State of Florida 17

The Palmetto Bowl: South Carolina’s Shane Beamer won six games in his first season as head coach. That qualifies him for the SEC Coach of the Year (non-Kirby Smart division) title. Dabo Swinney is familiar with the coach of the year awards. This is one of his best attempts, keeping a team together free from offense and without prospects. No 23 Clemson has won the last six meetings and still has a chance to win against ACC Atlantic. Clemson needed both Wake Forest (vs. Boston College) and NC State (vs. North Carolina) to lose. Clemson 26, South Carolina 25

Territory Cup: Arizona-Arizona State is notable because Herm Edwards is about to spend his best season with the Sun Devils. A win takes him to 8-4. Arizona is limping to the finish line 1-11 after losing last year 70-7. The vine is buzzing with the possibility that Edwards could return at 67, though The NCAA accusations are pretty graphic. Arizona State 55, Arizona 20

Notre Dame Cathedral vs. Stanford: A survival game for the Irishman Fighting Number 6. They still have a long way to go in the playoffs. Stanford has a lasting opportunity to upset ND. The first loss will be the College of Cardinals’ ninth since 2006. Brian Kelly is on his way to becoming a great Notre Dame. The most winning coach in ND history has won at least 10 for the fifth year in a row and six of the past seven years. That has never happened before in the show’s history. Notre Dame Cathedral 34, Stanford 13