Somehow, 13 weeks of college football have already come and gone, leaving us with one, last Saturday of regular-season action. It's hard to believe that, a mere three months ago, we thought LSU, Clemson and Penn State were top-10 teams, that when Florida State beat Alabama, it meant times had changed in Tallahassee, and that when Miami beat Notre Dame, it meant that the Hurricanes would have a better shot at the playoff than the Irish. What fools we all were!
But the beauty of Week 14 -- of Rivalry Week -- is that the 13 weeks that preceded it are little more than periphery details.
Who cares if Ohio State has been the best team in the country, when all that matters is beating Michigan?
The massive disappointment felt by Clemson and South Carolina fans is of little consequence this weekend, when at least one fan base will earn some needed redemption after a lost season.
Florida fired its coach. Florida State is keeping theirs. None of that matters when the two face off Saturday.
Georgia Tech's defense has collapsed and so, too, the team's playoff hopes, but a win over rival Georgia would make this a magical season nevertheless.
Alabama has largely proved its playoff pedigree, but there's still the small matter of the Iron Bowl, where Auburn can get a head start on scripting a new story for a program still in search of its next head coach by not only beating its rival but by sending the Tide to the back of the playoff line.
Up and down the docket, the games are big -- not because of the records or the postseason stakes, but because Rivalry Week means something different altogether. It's bragging rights for a year, it's talking smack to your neighbors, it's a chance to right anything that has gone wrong in the past 13 weeks and finish the season with a defining moment. -- David Hale
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Stakes in key matchups
Title game scenarios
Quotes of the week
What's at stake in these key matchups?
No. 1 Ohio State (11-0) at No. 15 Michigan (9-2)
(noon ET, Fox)
The stakes: The Wolverines are seeking a fifth straight win in the series, which would be their longest winning streak in the rivalry since the 1920s. With a victory -- coupled with either an Oregon or Indiana loss -- Michigan could also advance to the Big Ten championship game while entering the CFP at-large bid conversation. The Buckeyes probably have already clinched a playoff berth. But they're still aiming for a first-round playoff bye and potentially the No. 1 seed. With a win over Michigan, Ohio State would also advance to the Big Ten title game for the first time in five years, while ending Michigan's hold on the rivalry -- the only blemish on Ryan Day's otherwise sterling tenure as Ohio State's head coach.
Ohio State wins if: The Buckeyes play up to their capability. Lately, they've inexplicably saved their worst performances for Michigan, including last season, when they stunningly lost at home as a three-touchdown favorite before bouncing back to win the national title. These Buckeyes have been even more dominant to this point. Ohio State ranks fourth in offensive efficiency, while its defense has given up only 84 points all season. Assuming wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are ready to go after battling nagging lower-body injuries, the Buckeyes are college football's most complete team with several future pros on both sides of the ball.
Michigan wins if: The Wolverines can hang around in the second half and intensify the pressure on the Buckeyes (9.5-point favorites), forcing Ohio State to play tightly yet again. Unlike last year, the Wolverines have the firepower on offense this time to test Ohio State, with dynamic freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, steady running back Jordan Marshall (who's expected to return from a shoulder injury) and budding freshman receiver Andrew Marsh, who has emerged as Underwood's go-to target in Big Ten play. If the Wolverines can land some big plays on offense and make the Big House crowd a factor, they have the defense (No. 5 nationally in EPA) to make this a fourth-quarter game, where, as this rivalry has proved over the years, anything can happen. -- Jake Trotter
No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0) at No. 16 Texas (8-3)
(Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
The stakes: For Texas, its playoff hopes. For A&M, it's history. The Longhorns, who have made the CFP semifinals the past two seasons, need an upset to stay alive. The 11-0 Aggies, who haven't won a conference title since 1998, can tie the school record of 12 wins and earn a trip to the SEC championship game. It's a rare high-stakes matchup for both programs; this will be only the 12th time both teams have been ranked coming into the game, which is being played for the 120th time. Texas has won eight of the previous 11 meetings under such circumstances.
Texas A&M wins if: If the Aggies' offensive line controls the game. A&M QB Marcel Reed completes just 42% of his throws under pressure but has been pressured on just 25% of dropbacks. The Aggies average 5.3 yards per carry between the tackles, and the Longhorns give up only 3.5 up the middle. On defense, if A&M can get Texas into third downs, it will have a distinct advantage. The Aggies have the best third-down defense in the country, allowing conversions only 21.5% of the time, second best in the FBS in the past 20 years, while Texas converts 41% of opportunities, 11th best in the SEC.
Texas wins if: Arch Manning continues to be efficient running the offense. The Aggies average a sack on 10.6% of dropbacks, second best in the FBS, and Manning has been comfortable throwing quick strikes to Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V, who have combined for 40 catches and 785 yards over the past four games. Defensively, it will have to limit big plays, something that has bedeviled the Longhorns of late: Reed has 43 passes of 20 or more yards, second to Alabama's Ty Simpson (45). Texas has given up 37 such passes, second only to Arkansas (49). -- Dave Wilson
No. 4 Georgia (10-1) at No. 23 Georgia Tech (9-2)
(Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
The stakes: For two teams who've spent the bulk of this season with playoff aspirations, there's remarkably little postseason impact to be drawn from this one. Georgia Tech's disaster against Pitt almost certainly means the Yellow Jackets are out, short of a miracle berth in the ACC championship game. Georgia's win over Texas two weeks ago all but locked up a playoff bid for the Bulldogs. So, what's at stake here? Look no further than last year's eight-overtime thriller to understand. For Georgia, any postseason success would come tinged with regret if the Dawgs don't take care of business here. For Tech, finally toppling the hated Bulldogs would be more than enough to ensure this season went down in the history books as one of the school's best.
Georgia wins if: The Bulldogs' defense can stop Haynes King. A year ago, the Georgia Tech QB tormented the Dawgs throughout the game, throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another 110 yards and three scores in a 44-42 defeat. The Jackets' offense is relentless, thanks in large part to King's brilliance, and though he's guaranteed at least one more game with Tech before his college career ends, this will be his true farewell performance, meaning a player renowned for his toughness will leave nothing left in the tank. That puts the burden squarely on the Dawgs' defensive front, which has to manage to corral King in the pocket but also not let him burn them downfield.
Georgia Tech wins if: It can stop the run. Georgia's rushing offense has taken strides lately, but it still averages just a tick over 4.5 yards per carry -- solid, but hardly spectacular. But Georgia Tech's defense has made a habit of turning middling rushing attacks into unstoppable forces. The Jackets have given up at least 150 rushing yards in eight of their past nine games, and have surrendered 10 rushing touchdowns in their past three contests -- two of which were losses. Tech has to figure out a way to keep Georgia's offense one-dimensional, and if November's performances are any indication, that's going to be a major undertaking. -- Hale
No. 14 Vanderbilt (9-2) at No. 19 Tennessee (8-3)
(3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The stakes: There's more at stake for the Commodores, who can win 10 games in a season for the first time in school history and keep their CFP hopes alive. Depending on what happens elsewhere this weekend and next, Vandy could be in line for an at-large bid if it beats the Volunteers. Tennessee has won each of the past six games in the series (victories in 2019 and '20 were later vacated because of NCAA rules violations) and most of the scores weren't close. The Vols can win at least nine games for the fourth straight season and improve their standing in the SEC's bowl pecking order.
Vanderbilt wins if: Quarterback Diego Pavia continues to carry the Commodores. He has played spectacularly this season and has the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, per ESPN BET. Pavia has turned it up a notch down the stretch, throwing for more than 350 passing yards in each of his past three games with 14 touchdowns (three rushing) and one interception. In last week's 45-17 win against Kentucky, Pavia threw for a school-record 484 yards with five touchdowns on 33-for-39 passing.
Tennessee wins if: If the Volunteers contain Pavia and play keep-away as they did last season. In Tennessee's 36-23 victory in Nashville in 2024, it limited Pavia to 104 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. He ran for 45 yards. The Volunteers ran for 281 yards and went 11-for-15 on third down, limiting the Commodores to only 11 offensive plays in the second half. This UT defense isn't nearly as good as the one that led the Vols to the CFP last season. The Vols rank 14th in the SEC in scoring defense (27.2 points) and passing defense (247.1 yards), so they're going to have to sustain drives on offense again. -- Mark Schlabach
No. 10 Alabama (9-2) at Auburn (5-6)
(7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
The stakes: The stakes are fairly straightforward: Alabama clinches a spot in the SEC championship game with a win over its rival, and that would put it in position to get into the CFP. As it stands, Alabama is on the bubble. A win in Atlanta would guarantee the Crimson Tide a spot in the 12-team playoff; a loss and things might get dicier. As for Auburn, nothing would be more fitting than clinching bowl eligibility with a win over its hated rival as a massive underdog. This has been a disappointing season for the Tigers, but a victory would make its year.
Alabama wins if: The matchup plays right into what Alabama does well. Auburn has a good run defense, and Alabama has struggled to get the ground game going; Auburn has a shakier pass defense, and Ty Simpson and his receivers have excelled in the passing game. So if Simpson can make plays to his skill players, the way he has for most of the season, Alabama will be in good shape. The key, like any game, is to take care of the football. Auburn is one of the best teams in the country at forcing turnovers.
Auburn wins if: Jeremiah Cobb has been one of the bright spots on offense for the Tigers, ranking No. 4 in the SEC in rushing with 936 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Though Alabama has made big improvements with its run defense in the last month of the season, if Cobb can get going on the ground, that would certainly help the Tigers control the clock and the game. As the underdog at home, staying in the game early to keep the crowd into it also will be key. -- Andrea Adelson
No. 12 Miami (9-2) at No. 22 Pitt (8-3)
(noon ET, ABC)
The stakes: Though neither team is a front-runner to make it to the ACC championship game, both could sneak in depending on a few different scenarios. For Miami to make it to Charlotte, the Hurricanes have to win and then get help from potentially three teams. The more likely scenario here is the Hurricanes have to win to keep any hopes of an at-large bid to the CFP alive. For Pitt, getting to Charlotte is much simpler: A victory, plus a loss by either Virginia or SMU gets the Panthers into the ACC title game with a CFP spot on the line. Easier said than done, of course.
Miami wins if: The Hurricanes have played at a championship level on defense for the bulk of the season, and they will have to do the same against freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel. Notre Dame proved that if he is under significant pressure, he could get flustered and make mistakes. Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor will be key. Carson Beck has nine interceptions on the season; six came in two losses. He has not thrown an interception since the loss to SMU, so continuing to play mistake-free in the passing game will be huge.
Pitt wins if: Pitt is known for its physical, aggressive defense, and that will be key to slowing Miami and forcing the Hurricanes into more passing situations than they want. That will ratchet up the chances that Beck makes a mistake. Last week against Georgia Tech, the Jackets intercepted Haynes King twice -- including a 100-yard pick-six. The way to keep Miami from teeing off on Heintschel is to make sure the run game is a threat, the way it was against the Jackets. Without Desmond Reid, Pitt got 201 yards on the ground from Ja'Kyrian "Boosie" Turner. -- Adelson
Conference championship scenarios
ACC
Virginia clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
SMU loss + Pitt loss + clinch tiebreaker over Georgia Tech/Miami/Pitt/SMU
SMU clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Pitt loss + Duke loss + clinch tiebreaker over Miami/Georgia Tech/SMU/Virginia
Pitt clinches a spot with:
Win + Virginia loss, OR
Win + SMU loss
Duke clinches a spot with:
Win + Pitt loss + SMU loss, OR
Win + Pitt loss + Virginia loss + clinch tiebreaker versus Miami
Miami clinches a spot with:
Win + Virginia loss + Duke loss + SMU win, OR
Win + SMU loss + Duke loss + clinch tiebreaker over Virginia/Georgia Tech/SMU, OR
Win + SMU loss + Virginia loss + clinch tiebreaker over Virginia/Georgia Tech/SMU, OR
Win + SMU win + Duke win + Virginia loss + clinch tiebreaker over Duke
Georgia Tech clinches a spot with:
Pitt win + Virginia loss + SMU loss, OR
Miami win + SMU loss + Duke loss + clinch tiebreaker over Virginia/Miami/SMU
Big Ten
Indiana clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Ohio State loss
Ohio State clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Indiana loss + Oregon loss
Michigan clinches a spot with:
Win + Indiana loss, OR
Win + Oregon loss
Oregon clinches a spot with:
Win + Ohio State loss
Big 12
Texas Tech clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
ASU loss, OR
BYU loss + Utah win
BYU clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
ASU loss, OR
Texas Tech loss + Utah loss
Arizona State clinches a spot with:
Win + BYU loss, OR
Win + Texas Tech loss + Utah loss
Utah clinches a spot with:
Win + Texas Tech loss + BYU win + Arizona State win
SEC
Georgia clinches a spot with:
Alabama loss, OR
Texas A&M loss
Alabama clinches a spot with:
Win
Texas A&M clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Alabama loss + Ole Miss loss
Ole Miss clinches a spot with:
Win + Texas A&M loss + Alabama loss
American
Tulane clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Loss by either North Texas or Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
Losses by both North Texas and Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
North Texas clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Losses by either Tulane or Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
Losses by both Tulane and Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
Navy clinches a spot with:
Win, and loss by either Tulane or North Texas
Loss by either Tulane or North Texas if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
Losses by both Tulane and North Texas if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
South Florida clinches a spot with:
Win, and loss by two of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
Win, and losses by all of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
East Carolina clinches a spot with:
Win, and loss by two of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
Win, and losses by all of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams
Conference USA
Jacksonville State clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Kennesaw State loss
Western Kentucky clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Kennesaw State loss + finish ahead of Kennesaw State in computer metrics
Kennesaw State clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Western Kentucky loss + finish ahead of Western Kentucky
MAC
Western Michigan clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Ohio win, OR
Miami (Ohio) loss
Toledo clinches a spot with:
Win + Western Michigan win, OR
Win + Miami (Ohio) loss
Miami (Ohio) clinches a spot with:
Win + Western Michigan loss, OR
Win + Central Michigan win
Ohio clinches a spot with:
Win + Northern Illinois win + Miami (Ohio) loss + Central Michigan win + Beat Central Michigan in team rating score metric
Central Michigan clinches a spot with:
Win + Ohio loss + Miami (Ohio) loss, OR
Win + Western Michigan loss + Ohio loss + Miami (Ohio) win, OR
Win + Kent State win + Miami (Ohio) loss, OR
Win + Kent State loss + Miami (Ohio) loss + beat Ohio in team rating score metric
Mountain West
San Diego State clinches a spot with:
Win, OR
Losses by Boise State and UNLV, OR
Finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams
Boise State clinches a spot with:
Win + San Diego State win, OR
Win + finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams
UNLV loss + New Mexico loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams
UNLV clinches a spot with:
Win + Boise State loss + New Mexico loss, OR
Win + San Diego State loss + finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams, OR
Boise State loss + New Mexico loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams
New Mexico clinches a spot with:
Win + Boise State loss, OR
Win + finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams, OR
Boise State loss + UNLV loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams
Fresno State clinches a spot with:
Win + Boise State loss + New Mexico loss + UNLV loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams
Hawai'i clinches a spot with:
Win + Boise State loss + New Mexico loss + UNLV loss + finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams
Utah State clinches a spot with:
Sun Belt
James Madison has clinched a spot in the championship game
The Southern Miss-Troy winner will clinch a spot in the championship game
Quotes of the week
"Very important," Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said Monday when asked about the importance of finishing the season with the Rebels amid speculation over his future entering Friday's Egg Bowl. "I've never thought of anything different than that."
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore on "The Game" and the Wolverines' rivalry with Ohio State: "It's a feeling that you can't really describe. It's an intensity. It's just an aura about it that you just can't describe until you get on the field. It's awesome to be a part of. It's the best rivalry in sports in my opinion. ... It's competitive and there's nothing like it."
Alabama's Kalen DeBoer on the Iron Bowl: "I know what [it] means to the state here. A huge deal for us, as well. It's a big game for a lot of reasons. We just focus on what it is, and it's our big rivalry game. It's an SEC game on the road. It'll be an awesome environment. Just blessed to be a part of it, especially here on this Thanksgiving week, that's what you think about it."
"Beating them does a lot for me," Washington's Jedd Fisch said ahead of Saturday's visit from Oregon. "Knocking them out is just another part of it. We want to do everything we possibly can to get a win on Saturday. That is our plan to do everything possible to get that done. We will work exceptionally hard, knowing that we have a really, really good opponent coming into town."
"I like that [for] this game that we get an opportunity to stand alone," Texas' Steve Sarkisian said of the Longhorns' Friday night matchup with Texas A&M. "OK, so whether it's Thanksgiving or Friday after Thanksgiving, I just think this game deserves the spotlight to stand alone. The fact that we're playing on Friday night with all the eyes of college football on it -- really the football world on this game -- I think this game deserves that. So whatever that looks like [in the future]. Again, I'm not the decision-maker on that. But I do think this is a great opportunity for us."
"Nothing matters, except a win on Saturday at noon," Pitt's Pat Narduzzi said of his Panthers, who are vying for a spot in the ACC title game as Miami visits in Week 14. "Nothing matters. We can't control what other people do. We could have controlled it earlier in the year in one of our other ACC games, but all we can do is control and focus on one thing. We start worrying about other things out there, it doesn't matter."