We’ve hit the home stretch of the 2024 college football regular season.
There are just three weeks to go before conference championship week in the first week of December. Week 13 isn’t the most loaded slate, but it does feature two games between ranked opponents and games all over the country that have implications in conference title races.
And once again, those ranked games are in the SEC. The marquee game of the week is in Athens, Ga., as the Bulldogs play for their College Football Playoff life against Tennessee. Missouri, meanwhile, tries to keep its CFP flame flickering as a two-score underdog against a South Carolina team that beat Texas A&M two weeks ago.
Here’s what to watch in Week 13. All times are Eastern and all odds are from BetMGM.
Utah at No. 17 Colorado
Time: Noon | TV: Fox | Line: Colorado -11.5 | Total: 46.5
The Buffaloes’ path to the playoff is clear. Colorado will get a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff if it wins its final four games.
Entering the season, we figured that this game could have playoff impacts but that those impacts would be limited to Utah. Instead, it’s been an injury-filled nightmare season for the Utes again as they’re down to two healthy quarterbacks and lost TE Brant Kuithe to a season-ending injury against BYU in Week 11. QB Brandon Rose made his first career start in the controversial loss to the Cougars and suffered a lower leg injury on the final possession. Freshman Isaac Wilson will take back over as Utah’s starter. He’s appeared in seven games so far this season.
Colorado’s defense should be up to the task of slowing down the depleted Utah offense. Though Shedeur Sanders’ passing prowess and Travis Hunter’s two-way exploits get a lot of Colorado’s headlines, the Buffs’ defensive improvement is the biggest reason why they are in Big 12 contention. Teams are averaging just 217 passing yards per game against Colorado and 5.3 yards per play. That’s a full 60 yards per game and one yard per play fewer than 2023.
No. 23 Missouri at No. 21 South Carolina
Time: 4:15 p.m. | TV: SEC Network | Line: South Carolina -12.5 | Total: 44.5
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz was technically correct when he said his team was in the playoff hunt following its wild win over Oklahoma. Yes, this Mizzou team has been blown out at Texas A&M and Alabama, but it’ll get serious consideration for the postseason if it finishes the regular season at 10-2.
That task looks a lot more difficult than it appeared at the beginning of the season. QB Brady Cook is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game with ankle and wrist injuries. Cook injured his ankle against Auburn and then hurt his wrist against Alabama. He missed the win over OU as Drew Pyne started in his place. The offense hasn’t been nearly as good with Pyne at QB instead of Cook, but he led the Tigers on two TD drives in the fourth quarter. The Tigers only have a chance if Pyne plays like that during the entire game.
South Carolina has won three straight games after its two-point loss to Alabama. That includes a 44-20 win over Texas A&M. Given the way the Gamecocks played against both the teams that dominated Mizzou, you can understand why the Gamecocks are significant favorites. Especially with the way LaNorris Sellers is playing. He’s accounted for five TDs and nearly 500 passing yards over the last two games and hasn’t thrown an interception.
No. 1 Oregon at Wisconsin
Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: NBC | Line: Oregon -14 | Total: 52.5
Is this the toughest game remaining on the Ducks’ regular-season schedule? Oregon is off in Week 13 before a home game against Washington to end the season. A win in just one of those games also gets Oregon in the Big Ten title game even though the Ducks are tied atop the conference with Indiana and just a game ahead of Ohio State and Penn State.
We won’t get knee-deep into the tiebreakers here, but if Oregon wins Saturday night it will likely play the winner of next week’s Indiana vs. Ohio State game in the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. And since Oregon is off, it will get to watch that game very closely.
Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel’s chase of Bo Nix’s completion percentage record is likely going to be futile, though he could end up getting the Heisman at the end of the season. Gabriel is responsible for 28 touchdowns and will surpass 3,000 passing yards for the season if he throws for 153 yards Saturday night.
Wisconsin enters the game on a two-game losing streak following three consecutive wins. The Badgers fell 28-13 at Penn State on Oct. 26 and were blown out 42-10 at Iowa on Nov. 2. Wisconsin is averaging just 25 points per game in 2024 as Tyler Van Dyke is out for the season with a knee injury.
No. 7 Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia
Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Georgia -10.5 | Total: 48.5
Will Nico Iamaleava be healthy enough to play on Saturday? The Tennessee QB is reportedly in concussion protocol after he left Tennessee’s Week 11 game against Mississippi State at halftime. He’s officially listed as questionable on the SEC injury report.
If Iamaleava can’t go, it’s hard to see how Tennessee has much of a chance against the Bulldogs. The Tennessee offense hasn’t lived up to its lofty expectations with him under center, and asking Gaston Moore to go on the road in Athens and win his first start may be a bridge too far.
The Vols are in the top 10 despite an offense that’s been sluggish because of a phenomenal defense. Tennessee has one of the best defensive lines in the country and will look to give Georgia fits like Ole Miss did in Week 11. James Pearce Jr. leads the team with 5.5 sacks and is an All-American candidate.
Georgia is out of the College Football Playoff mix with a loss; the Vols’ visit on Saturday night gave the committee an easy out with its placement of the Bulldogs on Tuesday. If Georgia wins, the Bulldogs are back in the provisional bracket after Week 12. If Tennessee pulls the upset, then Georgia won’t be considered for the playoff the rest of the season. A loss seems farfetched to us. Just look at how Kirby Smart motivated his team ahead of the Texas game. A No. 12 ranking can provide a lot of motivation.
Kansas at No. 6 BYU
Time: 10:15 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Line: BYU -3 | Total: 56.5
Yes, your eyes aren’t fooling you. The undefeated top-10 BYU Cougars are favored by just a field goal at home against a team that has a losing record.
You can understand why oddsmakers are hedging against BYU. The Cougars have escaped twice over the last three games with late scores. Overall, four of BYU’s nine wins have come by a single possession and three of those wins are by three or fewer points. Even if the Cougars win on Saturday, don’t be surprised if they’re underdogs at Arizona State in Week 13.
Kansas took down Iowa State 45-36 in Week 11 and has won two of its last three games. The Jayhawks were among the preseason favorites for the Big 12 title, but have been the masters of the one-score loss. Five of Kansas’ six defeats have come by six points or fewer. That includes a two-point loss at Kansas State, a four-point loss at Arizona State and a four-point loss at West Virginia.
Jayhawks QB Jalon Daniels has thrown for at least one TD and rushed for a score in each of KU’s last four games. Against ISU, the 2023 preseason Big 12 offensive player of the year threw for 295 yards and two scores and rushed for 68 yards and a score. BYU will need to contain him to get the win.
Other games to watch
No. 3 Texas at Arkansas (Noon, ABC): These two old Southwest Conference rivals meet for the first time as members of the same conference since 1991. The Longhorns are significant favorites, but we’re not sure of anything with this Arkansas team. Don’t be surprised if the game is close, at least for the first half with both QB Taylen Green and RB Ja’Quinden Jackson listed as probable.
No. 20 Clemson at Pitt (Noon, ESPN): This game lost a lot of luster with Pitt’s loss to Virginia in Week 11. Clemson still has a decent chance at the ACC title but needs some help. That chance disappears with a loss to the Panthers, who need QB Eli Holstein back on the field. He left the loss to the Cavaliers in the second half with an apparent head injury.
Boston College at No. 14 SMU (3:30 p.m., ESPN): The Mustangs’ manageable road to the ACC title game begins with the Eagles at home. SMU has BC, Virginia and Cal over the final three weeks of the season. Boston College will be starting Grayson James at QB after he took over for Thomas Castellanos in Week 11. Castellanos won’t travel with the team to Dallas and is reportedly weighing a transfer.
Arizona State at No. 16 Kansas State (7 p.m., ESPN): Don’t overlook either of these teams in the race to the Big 12 title game. Both ASU and KSU are tied for third entering Week 12. Kansas State has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Colorado and Arizona State hosts BYU next week. ASU RB Cam Skattebo looks set to play after missing the Sun Devils’ Week 10 win over UCF.
