Well, we are coming down the final stretch of the college football season. Every game matters when it comes to college football, but the games at the end of the season always seem to matter just a little bit more. A loss early in the season can be overcome, but a loss now can really hinder any teams’ chances at making the playoffs.
Speaking of the College Football Playoffs, the first official rankings were released. Keep in mind, moving forward the only rankings that matter are the playoff rankings, not the AP Poll. For the full top 25 you can follow this link here.
If you just want the condensed version, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Ohio State round out the top four. The next two at 5 and 6 include Texas A&M and Florida. There are some other notable teams receiving recognition, as well. Undefeated Cincinnati and BYU debut at 7 and 14, respectively. Oklahoma has worked their way back up to 11, and surprise team Indiana is at 12.
Now, for the main event, my picks for week 13. Last week I went a meager 10-10 but I did get my lock correct, so I count that as two wins. Therefore in my mind I actually went 11-10, which means it is my fourth straight week over .500. Now for the picks:
Friday, November 27
15 Iowa State @ 20 Texas: This game is actually considered a “pick'em” game and considering the way Texas has been playing of late, I am riding the Longhorns to victory.
Nebraska @ Iowa (-13.5): There isn’t much to say here, other than Nebraska is a dumpster fire right now. Iowa wins huge.
2 Notre Dame (-5.5) @ 22 North Carolina: Notre Dame is the clear number 2 team in the country right now. If they want to hold this they gotta handle teams like UNC.
9 Oregon @ Oregon State (+13.5): This game is known as the Civil War. It is a huge matchup when it comes to Oregonians, but that is about it. Expect the Beavers to fight, but ultimately come up short.
Saturday, November 28
Maryland (+11) @ 12 Indiana: Indiana proved to everyone they are legit with the way they battled Ohio State. However, I think this has potential to be a letdown game.
Ohio State (-28) @ Illinois: Ohio State should feel disrespected that they are only ranked 4th right now. They take out their anger and win by 40.
Kentucky (+24.5) @ 6 Florida: Kentucky is coming off one of the worst losses in program history from last week. They don’t have a chance to win, but I think they can keep it within 24.
Penn State @ Michigan (-2.5): Who would have thought neither of these teams would be ranked for this game? Regardless, somebody has to win this and with Harbaugh coaching for his job the Wolverines find a way to win.
Texas Tech @ 21 Oklahoma State (-11): If I am being honest, this is probably a game I would stay away from. OSU should win this game easily but after their most recent loss, the team might have lost passion since their playoff hopes are gone.
23 UL-Lafayette (-18.5) @ UL-Monroe: I would be lying if I said I was an expert on UL-Lafayette football. All I know is I will continue to bet on them until they let me down.
16 Coastal Carolina (-16.5) @ Texas State: Coastal is a team that should feel extremely disrespected by the CFP Rankings. They are undefeated and got no love from the committee. Much like Ohio State I expect them to ball out and take out their anger. Oh yeah, this is my LOCK of the week, too.
11 Northwestern (-13) @ Michigan State: I think Northwestern shocked most people with their upset over Wisconsin last week. I expect them to carry that momentum and take it to the Spartans.
Pittsburgh @ 3 Clemson (-23.5): Clemson is still feeling the effects of their loss to Notre Dame. Moving forward I expect a blow out in every Clemson game left on the schedule.
22 Auburn (+24.5) @ 1 Alabama: This year’s Iron Bowl should be a good one. I might regret this pick but Auburn and Alabama is usually always a competitive matchup. 25 points just feels like too much for me.
Mississippi State @ Ole Miss (-9.5): The Egg Bowl might be the best rivalry in college football involving irrelevant teams. These two teams hate each other and always put on a show. Ole Miss will run away with this one late, though.
LSU @ 5 Texas A&M (-14.5): The Aggies are right on the cusp of making their first ever playoff appearance. If this is going to happen a solid win over LSU is needed.
UGA (-21) @ South Carolina: New starting QB for UGA JT Daniels looked like the real deal last week. Combine that with South Carolina being a giant mess right now and this should be an easy cover for the Dawgs.