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College football Week 13: 5 teams on upset alert

By Cody Williams

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators drops back to pass during the first half of their game against the Idaho Vandals at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators drops back to pass during the first half of their game against the Idaho Vandals at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /
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In the final week of the 2018 college football regular season with rivalry matchups galore taking place, which teams should be wary of an upset?

The final week of the college football regular season can only mean one thing: Sadness. Okay, that’s not actually true, but it is a bittersweet time of year as a season that feels like it was only kicking off not long ago at all is already coming to a close. As is always the case though, the regular season goes out with a bang with Rivalry Week and the high-profile matchups that always brings.

When it comes to these big rivalry games to end the regular season, just about anything can happen. There is so much emotion that goes into these games that sometimes talent disparities mean far less than they otherwise would. A rivalry game amplified by the postseason implications of the final week of the college football regular season means that outright calamity could be in the forecast.

And in the name of calamity, that means that we could see several upsets throughout the country transpire. If that is the way things play out, these late-season upsets could throw a gigantic monkey wrench in the College Football Playoff and bowl season picture. That’s the beauty of having Rivalry Week to finish off the year.

As we look through potential upsets in Week 13, however, two notable exclusions are Michigan taking on Ohio State and Alabama facing Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Though these are high-stakes rivalry games, I don’t see the higher-ranked teams falling, even given the emotion and pride that’s in play.

These five teams, however, can’t say the same as they’re on upset alert in college football Week 13.

5. Syracuse Orange

Rank: 20 | Opponent: Boston College Eagles | Time: Saturday, Nov. 24, Noon ET

Coming into Week 12 of the 2018 season, all of the talk in regards to potential upsets in college football seemed to center around the Syracuse Orange. Dino Babers’ team was meeting up with the unbeaten Notre Dame Fighting Irish and, having climbed to the 12th spot in the rankings, they seemed like a prime candidate to knock off Brian Kelly’s team in a neutral-site matchup. Things turned out much differently than that, however.

Syracuse got absolutely dismantled by the Fighting Irish and essentially nothing went their way. They weren’t playing particularly well with Eric Dungey on the field, but when he went out with a back injury, things spiraled downward in an immense way. That left the Orange with a 36-3 loss and heading into a rivalry matchup with Boston College in the final week of the season.

Now, the Eagles are coming off of being upset as well, going on the road and losing to Florida State last week. They have a stout defense, but their offense has been a rollercoaster this season, something only heightened by the fact that star running back AJ Dillon is currently not at 100 percent while he deals with an ankle injury.

Even still, playing at home and with Dungey either not playing or taking the field at less than 100 percent, you have to like the chances of Boston College in this game. They have the defense to control the game and, even if their offense sputters at times, that could be enough to pick up an emphatic win to end their regular season.

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