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We highlight the college football games of Week 13 that are the most important or should be the best games to maximize your viewing pleasure.
The 25 Best College Football Games Of Week 13
We have some possible elimination games on the horizon again. We have seen that the CFP committee doesn’t think much of ranked wins, but they do of ranked losses. That’s interesting. Some SEC teams are slumming, while others have key conference games. More ACC chaos is coming, but we don’t know from which angle. Add to that the Lane Kiffin and Sam Leavitt drama, and it’s a microcosm of college football in 2025. We’ll count down the best games of the weekend and where to find them. All times are Eastern time.
25. Syracuse at (9) Notre Dame
Where to watch: NBC, 3:30 p.m.
Notre Dame has a painfully easy last two games, but could that hurt them? What if USC beats Oregon? Will both be ahead of the Irish? We could guess that USC would be with wins over Michigan and Oregon. Wins over Syracuse and Stanford — two of the worst teams in a conference that has a lot of them — can’t possibly help the Irish. There are all sorts of chaotic what-ifs that could involve the omission of Notre Dame from the CFP.
BYU beating Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship would certainly be one, since teams aren’t supposed to be punished for losing a CCG. SMU wasn’t last year. The ACC going full apocalypse and letting two Group of 5 Champions in is not out of the question. If that happens, it could be down to Notre Dame and Miami for the final CFP slot. I wonder who would win that game…
24. (20) Tennessee at Florida
Where to watch: ABC, 7:30 p.m.
I just want to see if Lane Kiffin shows up on the sideline…either sideline will do. We all know that this shouldn’t be a game. That said, Texas lost its playoff hopes on this field earlier this year.
23. Kentucky at (14) Vanderbilt
Where to watch: ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Vanderbilt needs some serious style points. Kentucky is somehow just one win away from bowl eligibility. They would need a win in Nashville or Louisville to make the bowl dreams come true. Missouri State and Delaware fans have a keen interest in Kentucky’s final two games. Vanderbilt just needs some chaos and two big wins to close the season. A sixth SEC team seems very unlikely at this point (as it should).
22. (13) Miami (FL) at Virginia Tech
Where to watch: ESPN, noon
Miami is the flag bearer for the ACC and still needs a miracle to make the ACC Championship game. This is all a moot point if they lose again. The state of Virginia has buried some playoff hopes before (including its own). A loss here would doom Miami. FPI is heavy on Miami (90.2%), but this line is off most of the books right now. That’s never a good sign. For what it’s worth, FPI had USF as a heavy favorite last week, and we know how that turned out.
You know what’s going to be fun? SMU winning the ACC and not getting into the playoff because both JMU and Tulane/North Texas are ranked higher. Then Miami gets in as an at-large because of the win over ND. Do we not see the ridiculousness of a 12-team playoff now? I warned about this 10 years ago about what a playoff expansion would do.
21. Arkansas at (17) Texas
Where to watch: ABC, 3:30 p.m.
The CFP put thoughts of a 9-3 Texas team making the College Football Playoff to bed (thank God). Now we just have an old-fashioned SWC rivalry that is on campus again and not at Jerry World. It’s going to be as entertaining as it sounds. I want to see what Taylen Green can do against the Texas defense.
20. Delaware at Wake Forest
Where to watch: ACC Network, noon
It’s going to be fun to watch this game. Nick Minicucci has been one of the best quarterbacks in FBS this year. Demond Claiborne is the best back that the Blue Hens have faced. Delaware needs to get to that magic sixth win and hope that a bunch of other 5-5 or 4-6 teams lose so the NCAA is forced to put them in a bowl. Delaware should get that sixth win against UTEP, but they’ll have a decent shot at Wake as well. This line has been pulled, but when it briefly opened, Wake was nearly a two-touchdown favorite. FPI feels the same at 88.2%.
19. Coastal Carolina at South Carolina
Where to watch: SEC Network, 4:15 p.m.
A Chanticleer vs. a Gamecock. Who you got? We have a nice, old-fashioned cock fight in Columbia here. It’s not South Carolina against Jacksonville State (that game was glorious, by the way) like it was last year, but we’ll take it. We had roosters fighting hens earlier this year. A cock fight cleanses the palette. Roosters beating up on hens was nothing short of bullying anyway.
18. Nebraska at Penn State
Where to watch: NBC, 7 p.m.
This was supposed to be a barometer for whether Nebraska was back or not. The Cornhuskers were thought to enter this game with maybe one loss. Same for Penn State. Instead, we have two teams without their starting quarterbacks, and Penn State clinging to hope for a bowl game. How about we just play volleyball instead?
17. Duke at North Carolina
Where to watch: ACC Network, 3:30 p.m.
What I wouldn’t give for them to move this to the Dean Dome and get a third iteration of Duke-Carolina in hoops…only this time let the football players play basketball and the football coaches coach it. It would be infinitely more interesting than this game will be. That being said, we know how rivalries can get. Even in the midst of the darkest Carolina football season in over a decade, the Heels still have a shot at a bowl if they win out against the two biggest rivals — Duke and N.C. State.
16. Missouri State at Kennesaw State
Where to watch: ESPN+, 2 p.m.
Both teams still have a shot at the Conference USA title. Kennesaw needs this more after losing to Jacksonville State last week. This promises to be a good game. Missouri State has seven wins in its first FBS season and only lost to SMU at home by 18. They also beat Marshall. Tell me how the Bears don’t deserve to be in a bowl game?
15. TCU at (23) Houston
Where to watch: Fox, 4 p.m.
Strange how Houston — also with no big wins — gets back into the rankings. It’s almost like Baylor’s Athletic Director was suppressing its former Southwest Conference foe. That’s right, all you young’uns. We used to have conferences that made sense not only in name, but location. Houston lost to West Virginia in its last home game and needed a miracle to beat Arizona in the one before that. Hey, at least TCU beat West Virginia.
14. Baylor at Arizona
Where to watch: TNT, 1 p.m.
Again, we’ll watch because of TNT’s superior production. It also doesn’t hurt that Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson leads FBS with 3,210 passing yards and is second in touchdown passes (29). Arizona’s Noah Fifita is also having a big year with 24 touchdown passes to only four interceptions (Robertson has nine). Vegas (-6.5 Arizona) and FPI (68.2% Arizona) must have watched this Baylor defense at some point this season. Actually, maybe not. If they had, the spread would likely be higher. The Bears have allowed more than 40 points in three of the last four games against Cincinnati, Utah, and TCU.
13. Washington State at James Madison
Where to watch: ESPN+, 1 p.m.
The fact that this game isn’t even on one of the networks is infuriating. Wazzu needs to win this or the home game against Oregon State to make a bowl. James Madison was on the outside looking in in the latest CFP rankings. The Dukes demolished Appalachian State last week. They’ll need to do the same here. If Tulane loses, JMU will be compared to North Texas or East Carolina, which is a more level playing field. Style points will undoubtedly matter in that situation.
The Dukes are big favorites in Vegas (-14.5) and in FPI (84.6%). They’ll need to win this game in a blowout since North Texas hung 59 points on the Cougars in September. If North Texas wins the American Conference, that parallel will be used by the committee to compare these teams.
12. (18) Michigan at Maryland
Where to watch: Big Ten Network, 4 p.m.
Michigan needs style points. Being stuck at 18 is suboptimal. Even with a win over Ohio State, it seems likely that Michigan wouldn’t jump eight spots in the rankings. A convincing win over Maryland would help the cause. Michigan looked bad against Purdue and worse against Northwestern — both Big Ten bottom feeders — but still managed to win. With the CFP admitting that style points matter this year. Michigan needs to come out and leave no doubt here.
11. Kansas at Iowa State
Where to watch: FS1, noon
Jalon Daniels deserved better. He’s having a great season with little talent at receiver and a room of injured running backs. Don’t even get me started on the defense. The Jayhawks need a win either here or against Utah to send Daniels off right with a bowl game. The chances of either seem remote after watching this defense for three months. Iowa State is a 4.5-point favorite in Vegas, and a solid 63.9% favorite according to FPI. Kansas needs to beat those odds to give Daniels a somewhat fitting sendoff.
10. Kansas State at (12) Utah
Where to watch: ESPN2, 4 p.m.
The CFP committee gave Utah a sweetheart ranking thanks to losses to two top-10 teams and a win over Sam Leavitt-less Arizona State. It’s kind of strange how Utah gets ranked a little better and Arizona State — who will be without Leavitt for the rest of the season and could be without Jordyn Tyson again — gets back into the rankings as soon as Utah’s Athletic Director is appointed to the committee.
That 12th slot is important because if chaos ensues in the next two weeks, we could see Utah get back into the playoff discussion. It includes a few unlikely scenarios, but in 2025, of all years, I wouldn’t rule them out.
9. Minnesota at Northwestern
Where to watch: Big Ten Network, noon
I’ve talked about the end of an era with Northwestern at the little palace on the lake. Today ends the era at Wrigley Field. Do you really think that Northwestern is going to move a game out of its new stadium to the friendly confines once it’s completed? Doubtful. The Wildcats need a win over either Minnesota or Illinois to make a bowl game. The Illinois game is in Champaign, so this is the best chance. Vegas (-3.5) and FPI (64.8%) agree.
8. Louisville at SMU
Where to watch: ESPN2, noon
Louisville will likely be without Isaac Brown again, but that hasn’t been what has lost the last two games for the Cardinals. Keyjuan Brown and Duke Watson have been good in relief of Isaac. The defense got chewed up against Cal, and the kicking lost the game against Clemson. Using Isaac Brown as an excuse is cringeworthy behavior. If SMU wins, they are likely in the ACC Championship Game for a second straight year. Vegas (-2.5) and FPI (67.9%) favor the Mustangs to make it happen.
7. Pittsburgh at (16) Georgia Tech
Where to watch: ESPN, 7 p.m.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi didn’t care about the Notre Dame game because it wasn’t a conference game. This is the one that Pitt has a vested interest in. Both Tech and Pitt have one conference loss. The loser of this game is likely on the sidelines for the ACC Championship Game, which is the only chance any ACC team other than Miami has to make the CFP. Pitt still has a chance to shake things up. Georgia Tech is a 57% favorite per FPI and a 2.5-point favorite in Vegas. We should see a good one here.
6. (24) Tulane at Temple
Where to watch: ESPNU, 3:45 p.m.
This is a huge one with the Green Wave currently the highest-ranked team in line to be the fifth conference champion. This is another tough road game with Temple’s Evan Simon only throwing one interception the entire season. Tulane needs to be largely mistake-free and run the ball. They have had problems with both at times this year. FPI gives Tulane a 66.4% chance of a win. Vegas agrees, with Tulane a 7.5-point road favorite. This does feel a little like a trap game.
5. California at Stanford
Where to watch: ACC Network, 7:30 p.m.
Both teams may be a disgrace to football, but the Axe is eternal. It doesn’t matter how bad one or both teams are; the Axe is everything. Even if the game is horrible, just watch the Guardians of the Axe stare each other down for four hours. It’s glorious. Even better is when one claims the Axe and runs off with it.
4. East Carolina at UTSA
Where to watch: ESPN+, 3:30 p.m.
What games is ABC/ESPN even showing this week? This one should be on a network! UTSA has won 24 consecutive conference games at home. ECU still only has one loss in the American Conference and took out Memphis to inch closer to the AAC Championship Game. Something has to give. It may be ECU’s playoff bid. FPI cares nothing about UTSA’s Dome field advantage, giving ECU a 62.8% chance of a win. Vegas knows, with ECU only favored by 2.5 points with no juice on it.
3. (11) BYU at Cincinnati
Where to watch: Fox, 8 p.m.
It’s kind of rough to have BYU ranked behind so many two-loss teams, especially with a big win over a Utah team that is still in the top 15. Notre Dame doesn’t have a win like that! This has all the makings of a trap game for the Cougars. Bear Bachmeier has passed enough road tests that he shouldn’t be the issue, but look what happened when Iowa State went to Nippert earlier this year. It wasn’t pretty. FPI has BYU as a pretty big (67.7%) favorite. Vegas isn’t as convinced with BYU only favored by 2.5 points.
2. (15) USC at (7) Oregon
Where to watch: CBS, 3:30 p.m.
Did anyone else notice how far USC got moved up for beating Iowa at home? It’s by design. If USC is to win this game, the Big Ten wants to make sure that it still gets a third team into the CFP. Oregon is still largely untested, yet is a 9.5-point home favorite. FPI agrees with the Ducks as a 71.9% favorite. If USC were to collect this win, how would the CFP treat Notre Dame? Alabama, Oklahoma, and USC would all have wins over top-10 teams. Notre Dame does not and cannot.
1. (22) Missouri at (8) Oklahoma
Where to watch: ABC, noon
While other SEC teams are playing cupcakes, we get this little-known rivalry. These teams hate each other. They used to play for the Peace Pipe until Oklahoma lost the trophy sometime around 1974-75. The search for it is still ongoing. Oklahoma spoiled Missouri’s chance at a National Championship in the 2007 Big 12 Championship. Missouri did the same to Oklahoma in 2010, when Oklahoma lost to an unranked Missouri team in October. Missouri scored 14 points in the last 65 seconds of the game last year in the rekindling of the rivalry. What kind of craziness will we see this year?
There is some chatter that Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula may return for this game, which is impressive considering how bad his injury looked in the Vanderbilt game. If he does return, he would certainly be limited, which would undermine his rushing ability. Vegas (-7.5 Oklahoma) has the line set like Pribula isn’t playing. FPI only has the Sooners as a 64.3% favorite. Oklahoma needs to win the last two games of the season to make the Alabama win count.
