Games involving Indiana, Army and Arizona State are among the most meaningful matchups of Week 13 — just as we all predicted back in August.
But it’s true. No. 5 Indiana heads to the ‘Shoe to take on No. 2 Ohio State in the game that will make or break the Hoosiers’ chances to make the College Football Playoff. The unbeaten Black Knights could play their way into the CFP picture, too, if they can knock off the sixth-ranked Fighting Irish at Yankee Stadium. And a pair of Big 12 tussles — BYU at Arizona State and Colorado vs. Kansas — could drastically alter the Big 12 race (and that league’s Playoff chances, too).
There’s so much at stake in so many corners of college football heading into the penultimate weekend of the regular season. It’s exactly what I’d hoped for when the Playoff expanded from four to 12 teams — more teams in the mix in late November, which would mean more late-season meaningful games.
And here we are!
Here’s specifically what I’m watching for in Week 13:
Can Indiana hang with the most talented team it will face?
The Hoosiers have crushed every opponent they’ve faced this season, except for one: Michigan. The Wolverines may be having a down year, but that defensive front still has players who will soon be playing in the NFL. And Indiana’s offensive line had its hands full against them. Ohio State will be more talented across the board and a much tougher out for a team that’s anchored by a bunch of guys who, this time last year, were playing in the Group of 5. Indiana has been the story of the season, but we’re about to learn so much more about this team and its eventual December plans. A shocking win over Ohio State (which is down another offensive lineman now, with center Seth McLaughlin tearing his Achilles this week) would allow Indiana to play for a Big Ten title and all but assuredly earn a College Football Playoff berth, too. A blowout loss to the Buckeyes might knock them out of CFP contention altogether. But what about a 10-point loss? 13? 7?
Can Army hang with the most talented team it will face?
The Black Knights are 9-0 but only have two wins against FBS teams that are currently .500 or better on the season. They have already secured a spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game, where they will face Tulane. The winner of that game will surely be in the mix for the fifth conference champion spot in the 12-team CFP (though the AAC champ would still likely need to root for Boise State to lose in the Mountain West title game). Of course, Navy awaits as well. So, there’s a ton for Army to play for between now and mid-December ... but, still, no other opponent quite like Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish defense is one of the best in the nation, and its offense has been rolling for the past two months. This is not the same Notre Dame team that lost to Northern Illinois, and because it endured that upset, you can bet it won’t let its guard down for one second against Army. For the Black Knights to have a chance to pull off the upset (or at least keep it close), they’ll have to do it by playing the game their way — long drives to limit possessions and shorten the game, a heavy dose of the run game and the occasional throw from Bryson Daily when most effective. But it’s a big ask.
Will BYU bounce back strong from its first loss of the year?
The Cougars fell eight spots in this week’s CFP rankings after their loss to Kansas last Saturday. Now their backs are truly against the wall, as they almost assuredly need to win out and win the Big 12 title game to earn a spot in the 12-team field. And they’re up against an 8-2 Arizona State team that has played its way into the Big 12 race as well. Kenny Dillingham is the architect of one of the sport’s great turnarounds this season, as the Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago amid NCAA sanctions. Now, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt and co. could be a huge problem for BYU. This should be one of the most intriguing (and one of the closest) games of the day.
Will Colorado get itself one step closer to the Big 12 title game?
Colorado is 8-2 and controls its own destiny in the Big 12 race. The Buffs are three wins away from a Playoff berth in coach Deion Sanders’ second season. They’ve got the Heisman Trophy frontrunner in two-way superstar Travis Hunter and a quarterback who might be the first taken in the 2025 NFL Draft in Shedeur Sanders. They’re so much better than they were a year ago, and their quick-strike offense is the stuff of nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators. But Kansas is ready for the challenge after knocking off two top-20 foes (Iowa State and BYU) in the past two weeks. Jalon Daniels and the Jayhawks are finally playing like we thought they would back in the preseason, and they’re drastically impacting the Big 12 race as a spoiler. Can they take down three top Big 12 contenders in a row?
