Top 10 college football games of Week 14: Texas-Texas A&M leads rivalry games in playoff stakes
Thanksgiving Week has blessed us with rivalry games – old and new – with endless conference tiebreak and College Football Playoff scenarios, including Michigan at Ohio State, a top-15 Palmetto Bowl and the return of Texas vs. Texas A&M.
Let’s rank the top 10 games of Week 14, starting with honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable mention: Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State (Friday), Minnesota at Wisconsin (Friday), Miami-OH at Bowling Green (Friday), Mississippi State at No. 14 Ole Miss (Friday), Liberty at Sam Houston (Fri.), Georgia Tech at No. 7 Georgia (free), Nebraska at Iowa (free). Louisville at Kentucky, Maryland at No. 4 Penn State, Purdue at No. 10 Indiana, Washington at No. 4. 1 Oregon
(All point spreads are from BetMGM; click here for live odds. All kickoff times are Eastern and Saturday unless otherwise noted.)
10. Cal (6-5) at No. 9 SMU (10-1), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
SMU has already clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game, but the Mustangs still need a win to keep their Playoff hopes alive, just above Clemson and the throng of SEC teams with three losses in the latest rankings. A win would also complete an undefeated first season in ACC play, an impressive feat considering how Cincinnati, Houston and UCF have done since making a similar leap from the AAC to the power conference level. It would also tie last season’s total of 11 wins, with a chance for head coach Rhett Lashlee to then tie SMU’s all-season record of 12 wins set in 1935.
Line: SMU -13.5
9. Auburn (5-6) at No. 13 Alabama (8-3), 3:30 p.m., ABC
Not dead yet. Alabama, despite its third loss, is still in the bubble. If the selection committee ultimately looks for an excuse to keep the Tide in the field, they will have to come away with a win in the Iron Bowl on Saturday after their most lopsided regular-season loss in two decades. Bama faithful are still reeling from the stunning 24-3 loss to Oklahoma, and regardless of whether their CFP hopes are completely dashed, first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer is desperate to avoid losing to a mediocre but dangerous Auburn team that just defeated Texas. A&M in quadruple overtime.
Line: Alabama -11.5
8. No. 8 Tennessee (9-2) at Vanderbilt (6-5), noon, ABC
This could be a Playoff elimination game for the Vols. Tennessee has no chance of reaching the SEC Championship Game, and a loss would likely knock the program out of the 12-team field, but a win should put the Vols in. That’s not a gamble on the road against a decent Vanderbilt team, in a League where we just saw three top 15 teams lose on the road to unranked opponents. But Tennessee’s top-five defense nationally (4.3 yards allowed per play) should be able to bottle up a Commodores offense that hasn’t scored more than 24 points since beating Alabama in early October.
Line: Tennessee-11
7. No. 16 Arizona State (9-2) at Arizona (4-7), 3:30 p.m., Fox
The first Territorial Cup rivalry of the Big 12 era has more at stake than bragging rights. No team in the Big 12 controls its own destiny, but an Arizona State win puts it in very good position to clinch a spot in next week’s conference championship, with a Playoff spot likely up for grabs . There is only a single, multi-part tiebreaker that would keep the Sun Devils out of the conference title game with a win against their in-state rivals. Reaching that championship would mark quite a turnaround season for ASU and second-year head coach Kenny Dillingham after the program went 3-9 in 2023 and was picked last in the Big 12 preseason media poll.
Line: Arizona State -9
6. No. 6 Miami (10-1) at Syracuse (8-3), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
The selection committee has shown a willingness to forgive one loss in terms of rankings, and the Hurricanes have benefited from being on the right side of all but one of their close calls. Miami moved up two spots in the rankings this week, less because of Wake Forest’s blowout and more because of the carnage elsewhere. The Canes still need a win against Syracuse – the quietest eight-win team in the country? – to clinch a spot in the ACC Championship against SMU, but if they can get there, they’ll have a solid argument for an at-large Playoff berth even with a loss.
Line: Miami -10.5
5. No. No. 24 Kansas State (8-3) and No. 18 Iowa State (9-2), 7:30 p.m., Fox
The rivalry known as Farmageddon is one of the oldest in college football, having been played every year since 1917 – 107 straight seasons. Last year’s rendition featured a memorable snow-covered cyclone disruption on the road. This season may be the most important home game in Iowa State football history. Similar to Arizona State, a win puts Iowa State in line to reach the Big 12 Championship, with most tiebreakers favoring the Sun Devils and Cyclones. Iowa State, which has never had more than nine wins in a season, could set a program record and have a shot at claiming its first conference title since 1912, when it was a member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Line: Iowa State -2.5
4. No. 5 Notre Dame (10-1) at USC (6-5), 3:30 p.m., CBS
See above for the point about the committee forgiving one loss. Notre Dame has the biggest loss of anyone in the Top 25, but that’s old news, especially considering the Irish’s dominance of late. All the “quality wins” have lost some luster as well, including the season opener against Texas A&M, but the lack of a second loss so far outweighs everything in the committee’s eyes. Now the Irish are in line to host a home playoff game if they can survive a rivalry road trip against USC, which, for all its warts, has been well at home in the Coliseum, with the lone loss coming by three points in overtime against Penn. Stands. If Notre Dame can improve on that result, it could surpass the No. 4 Nittany Lions in next week’s Playoff rankings.
Line: Notre Dame -7.5
3. Michigan (6-5) at No. 2 Ohio State (10-1), noon, Fox
Practically speaking, Ohio State needs a win to secure its spot in the Big Ten title game against Oregon, but The Game clearly goes much deeper than that. These Buckeyes are on a mission to exorcise some demons, the most important of which is beating Michigan for the first time in four years. This isn’t the same contending Michigan program that has defeated Ohio State in the last three meetings, but in many ways that puts more pressure on the Buckeyes. Michigan, which still has a solid defense, will step up for this game, and Ohio State can’t afford to lose even if it is safely in the Playoff with a loss. It may be a bad year for Michigan, and Ohio State may have bigger ambitions, but this game remains appointment viewing.
Line: Ohio State -19.5
2. No. No. 15 South Carolina (8-3) at No. 12 Clemson (9-2), noon, ESPN
There are a few layers to the Palmetto Bowl. It is an even rivalry game between the top 15 teams. Clemson is still in the hunt for the ACC Championship and needs a loss to Miami, but there’s also a budding subplot about whether the winner of this game has a chance to slide into a big Playoff spot. A more prosaic SEC has helped shore up a three-loss South Carolina with narrow defeats to LSU and Alabama; a win over Clemson and perhaps some losses elsewhere would give the Gamecocks an argument. On the other hand, Clemson — the first team to drop out of the final 12-team bracket — is hoping its two losses and a quality win over South Carolina can propel the Tigers to a big spot even if it misses the ACC Championship. Would the committee dare take Clemson on a two-loss SMU or Miami team that falls in the conference title game?
Line: Clemson-2.5
1. No. 3 Texas (10-1) at No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3), 7:30 p.m., ABC
I guess the conference realignment isn’t all bad. It revived this competition after a twelve-season hiatus, bringing back a bitter cross-state rivalry with decades of backstory and ill will. And while the game no longer takes place on Thanksgiving Day, the game goes about as well as SEC and college football fans could hope for, with a top-20 showdown to determine who will play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. For A&M, a win keeps its Playoff hopes alive and sends the Aggies to their first conference title game since winning the Big 12 in 1998. A Playoff spot is all but guaranteed for Texas, but it’s a chance to go to College Station and put an end to the finals. A&M’s season was on a sour note, with the Longhorns having a chance to establish themselves as SEC champions in their first season.
Line: Texas -5.5
(Photo of Texas A&M receiver Jahdae Walker: Michael Chang/Getty Images)
