The last full week of the college season has plenty of drama.
It all comes down to this.
There’s nothing quite like Rivalry Week but with all these storylines playing out across the nation, fans should be glued to their couches for 12 hours of gridiron goodness.
The final full Saturday of the college football season has bowl streaks on the line, playoff spots to win, coaches fighting for their job and rivals playing for bragging rights. Friday already delivered with UCF winning despite the injury to McKenzie Milton, Oklahoma and Texas punched their tickets to the Big 12 Championship Game and Washington won the Apple Cup over Washington State to clinch their spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah.
Saturday’s drama begins with College GameDay at 9 a.m. ET where ESPN has set up shop in Columbus for the showdown between Ohio State and Michigan.
The Game: Michigan at Ohio State – Noon
The winner clinches a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. Northwestern. If Michigan wins, it’ll be the first time under Jim Harbaugh’s tenure as coach and snap Urban Meyer’s six-game win streak vs. the school up north. Michigan has lost 13 of the last 14 but are 4.5-point favorites vs. the Buckeyes who have struggled mightily on defense.
If Ohio State wins, they’ll need a win against Northwestern and losses from either Clemson or Notre Dame in the finale against USC to have a shot at a playoff berth. They’ll also be rooting for Oklahoma to lose the Big 12 Championship Game and UCF to lose for the first time in three seasons.
Florida State tries to extend their bowl streak – Noon
Some teams are playing for championships this weekend, but Florida State is just trying to get bowl-eligible. The Seminoles have had a dreadful season but after beating Boston College last week they stayed alive for a bowl game. Florida State owns the nation’s longest active bowl streak and needs to upset the Gators to make it 37 straight years with a bowl game.
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate: Georgia Tech vs. Georgia – Noon
The Bulldogs can’t get caught looking past their in-state rival just because they play Alabama in the SEC Championship Game next Saturday. Kirby Smart will make sure his team is ready to play and defend the Ramblin’ Wreck’s option attack. A Georgia loss would end any talk about the SEC getting two teams in the Playoff.
Iron Bowl: Auburn vs. Alabama – 3:30 p.m.
This might be the most boring Iron Bowl game since Nick Saban came to Alabama. The Crimson Tide can clinch a playoff berth with a win because there’s no way they’d drop all the way from No. 1 to out of the top four with a potential loss to Georgia. After Alabama slept-walked in the first half vs. The Citadel last week, expect Alabama to put this one away early against a beleaguered Auburn team that has trouble scoring.
Palmetto Bowl: South Carolina vs. Clemson – 7:00 p.m.
Clemson looks for their first five-game winning streak vs. South Carolina since 1938 on Saturday. The No. 2 Tigers haven’t been tested in a month and a half and that won’t change on Saturday night. Clemson will look to tune-up their offense and the defense will continue to dominate, and then they’ll get out of the game to make sure they’re all healthy for the ACC Championship Game vs. Pitt next week.
Clay Helton’s last stand: Notre Dame vs. USC – 8:00 p.m.
Notre Dame is a win away from an undefeated season and their first appearance in the Playoff. What looked like a great game on paper months ago now looks like a laugher with the way USC has played of late. The Trojans need a win to get bowl-eligible, but they may also need a win to save Clay Helton’s job.
Mountain West madness: Utah State vs. Boise State – 10:30 p.m.
The winner of Utah State-Boise State will play Fresno State for the Mountain West championship. Utah State is fortunate to still be alive after Colorado State’s Hail Mary fail gave them a win last week when it looked like the Rams pulled off the miracle win. Expect plenty of points in this late-night affair, and keep an eye out on both coaches (Matt Wells, Bryan Harsin) who could be fielding job offers afterward.