Thanksgiving means a gravy boat full of rivalries in college football.
Headlined by The Big Game in Ann Arbor Saturday afternoon, Week 13 also includes The Egg Bowl, The Iron Bowl, and The Apple Cup.
Last week’s highlights at the Top of the NBC Sports weekly poll included a hard-fought win in a driving rainstorm by the Washington Huskies on the road at Corvalis against Oregon State, Michigan looking a little vulnerable for maybe the first time this season at College Park against the Maryland Terrapins, and Florida State’s spot in the playoff placed in jeopardy as Jordan Travis was loaded into an ambulance in Tallahassee.
An additional note from last week is the elite play of the Heisman contenders. Their individual and collective numbers from the weekend are truly video game stats. Wow!
As has become the norm, last week’s results have brought substantial change to this week’s NBC Sports Top 25.
Join in the college football conversation FRIDAY 11AM ET. It’s a Black Friday Special!! From sides to totals to props, get ready for the weekend of college football with the NBC Sports College Football Betting Q&A.
1 Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 11-0 | ATS: 4-6-1 | Last Week: 1
Next up: Saturday @ Georgia Tech (6-5) | Spread: Bulldogs -24.5 | O/U: 60.5
2 Michigan Wolverines
Record: 11-0 | ATS: 5-5-1 | Last eek: 2
Next up: Saturday vs. #3 Ohio State (11-0) | Spread: Wolverines -3.5 | O/U:45.5
3 Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: 11-0 | ATS: 7-3-1 | Last Week: 3
Next up: Saturday @ #2 Michigan (11-0) | Spread: Wolverines -3.5 | O/U: 45.5
4 Washington Huskies
Record: 11-0 | ATS: 5-5-1 | Last Week: 5
Next up: Saturday vs. Washington St. (5-6) | Spread: Huskies -16.5 | O/U: 68.5
5 Florida State Seminoles
Record: 11-0 | ATS: 6-5 | Last Week: 4
Next up: Saturday @ Florida (5-6) | Spread: Seminoles -6.5 | O/U: 50.5
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports): With Jordan Travis out for the season, Florida State is the first team to exit the Top 5 in the last month or two. I thought Oregon should be at No. 5, but I was outvoted. If Florida State loses, chances are Georgia is safe, along with the winners of Oregon vs Washington and Ohio State vs Michigan. If Oregon loses twice, look for both of the Big Ten schools to make the playoff or perhaps longshot Alabama.
Eric Froton (@CFFroton): A strong resume-building win for Washington coupled with the heartbreaking injury to Jordan Travis was enough to vault the Huskies over FSU for me. Florida State faces a Florida team that also lost starting QB Graham Mertz on Saturday, followed by Louisville in the ACC Championship. Florida State’s best hope is to win out with Oregon beating Washington in the Pac-12 title game, then pray that the committee gives them the playoff nod over OU or the loser of Michigan vs. Ohio State. Still a very realistic path.
6 Oregon Ducks
Record: 10-1 | ATS: 8-2-1 | Last Week: 6
Next up: Saturday vs. #16 Oregon St. | Spread: Ducks -13.5 | O/U: 61.5
7 Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 10-1 | ATS: 8-3 | Last Week: 7
Next up: Saturday @ Auburn (6-5) | Spread: Tide -14.5 | O/U: 49
8 Texas Longhorns
Record: 10-1 | ATS:5-5-1 | Last Week: 8
Next up: Friday vs. Texas Tech (6-5) | Spread: Longhorns -12.5 | O/U: 53.5
9 Missouri Tigers
Record: 9-2 | ATS: 7-4 | Last Week: 9
Next up: Friday @ Arkansas (4-7) | Spread: Tigers -7.5 | O/U: 54.5
10 Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 9-2 | ATS: 8-3 | Last Week: 12
Next up: Friday @ Michigan State (4-7) | Spread: Nittany Lions -20.5 | O/U: 42.5
11 Louisville Cardinals
Record: 10-1 | ATS: 6-5 | Last Week: 11
Next up: Saturday vs. Kentucky (6-5) | Spread: Cardinals -7 | O/U: 50.5
12 Mississippi Rebels
Record: 9-2 | ATS: 6-4-1 | Last Week: 13
Next up: Thursday @ Mississippi St. (5-6) | Spread: Rebels -10.5 | O/U: 55.5
13 Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 9-2 | ATS: 7-4 | Last Week: 14
Next up: Friday vs. TCU (5-6) | Spread: Sooners -10.5 | O/U: 63.5
14 LSU Tigers
Record: 8-3 | ATS: 7-4 | Last Week: 16
Next up: Saturday vs. Texas A&M (7-4) | Spread: Tigers -10.5 | O/U: 66.5
15 Arizona Wildcats
Record: 8-3 | ATS: 9-2 | Last Week: 17
Next up: Saturday @ Arizona State (3-8) | Spread: Wildcats -11.5 | O/U: 50.5
Dalzell: Oregon, Alabama, and Texas remain alive in the playoff hunt and if I had to pick one team to make the college football playoff, I would roll with the Ducks. Arizona is likely the most surprising team on this list but after the smackdown over Utah last week, I am now a believer in the Wildcats’ hype. Arizona will be a fun team to back in a bowl game.
Froton: The playoff race is essentially down to eight teams, with Oregon/Bama/Texas still harboring realistic postseason dreams. Oregon faces the toughest test of Thanksgiving weekend in the final Civil War of the Pac-12 era, while Alabama faces a sputtering Auburn that just lost 31-10 to New Mexico State. Louisville survived a spirited challenge on the road at Miami and set the stage for a prominent bowl with a victory over in-state rival Kentucky. It is a game I will witness in person.
16 Oregon State Beavers
Record: 8-3 | ATS: 6-5 | Last Week: 10
Next up: Friday @ #6 Oregon (10-1) | Spread: Ducks -13.5 | O/U: 61.5
17 Kansas State Wildcats
Record: 8-3 | ATS: 7-3-1 | Last Week: 23
Next up: Saturday vs. Iowa State (6-5) | Spread: Wildcats -10 | O/U: 47.5
18 Tulane Green Wave
Record: 10-1 | ATS: 4-7 | Last Week: 19
Next up: Friday vs. UTSA (8-3) | Spread: Green Wave -3 | O/U: 52.5
19 Iowa Hawkeyes
Record: 9-2 | ATS: 5-5-1 | Last Week: 25
Next up: Saturday @ Nebraska (5-6) | Spread: Cornhuskers -1.5 | O/U: 26.5
20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: 8-3 | ATS: 7-3-1 | Last Week: 21
Next up: Saturday @ Stanford (3-8) | Spread: Fighting Irish -25.5 | O/U: 51.5
21 Liberty Flames
Record: 11-0` | ATS: 8-3 | Last Week: NR
Next up: Saturday @ UTEP (3-8) | Spread: Flames -17 | O/U: 58.5
22 Clemson Tigers
Record: 7-4 | ATS: 5-6 | Last Week: NR
Next up: Saturday @ South Carolina (5-6) | Spread: Tigers -7 | O/U: 51.5
23 Toledo Rockets
Record: 10-1 | ATS: 5-6 | Last Week: NR
Next up: Saturday @ Central Michigan (5-6) | Spread: Rockets -10.5 | O/U: 55.5
24 James Madison Dukes
Record: 10-1 | ATS: 7-4 | Last Week: 20
Next up: Saturday @ Coastal Carolina (7-4) | Spread: Dukes -9.5 | O/U: 50.5
25 North Carolina State Wolfpack
Record: 8-3 | ATS: 6-5 | Last Week: NR
Next up: Saturday vs. North Carolina (8-3) | Spread: Tar Heels -3 | O/U: 54.5
Fell out of the Top 25: North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, and Utah
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Dalzell: Oregon State dropped its golden opportunity losing by two points to Washington at home while pitching a second-half shutout. Unacceptable. The Beavers let us all down. Keep an eye on Iowa. The Hawkeyes could drop a game this weekend to Nebraska as they look ahead to the winner of Michigan/Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
Froton: Kansas State fended off Kansas to continue their big brother-like dominance over the Jayhawks. NC State’s late season win streak is even more impressive factoring in their use of both Brennan Armstrong and MJ Morris at quarterback. Liberty is simply too much for CUSA to handle and deserves to be in a better conference. A Clemson victory over South Carolina would bring the CFB world one step closer to a Holiday Bowl, AKA The DJU Bowl, showdown between Oregon State and Clemson.
The boys will be breaking down all the games and answering your questions this Friday morning on the NBC Sports College Football Betting Q&A at 11A Eastern. It’s a SPECIAL EDITION of the Q&A. They’ll be taking sides and totals as well as placing a few bets for pizzas and roast beef sandwiches.
Enjoy the games and enjoy the sweat.
*all odds courtesy of BetMGM
