The Big Ten title game could be decided in Week 13, and there are meaningful games up and down the college football schedule. Throughout Saturday’s slate, Sports Illustrated will give an updated look at the playoff seeding and matchups.
Update at 7 a.m. ET Saturday:
Welcome to the penultimate weekend of the regular season, which is more or less the equivalent of moving day in a golf tournament given the positioning teams are trying to do for one final push into the College Football Playoff bracket.
With a light slate in the SEC during Week 13 and a lack of impact midweek results, this is a massive opportunity for several programs to potentially jockey for at-large consideration with big wins or, perhaps, to lock up a first-round game at home for a few others.
Here’s how the bracket looks going into what should be an eventful Saturday in the sport from coast to coast.
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- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Texas A&M
- Georgia
- Texas Tech
- Mississippi
- Oregon
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- Georgia Tech
- Tulane
The Red Raiders are off this week but could clinch a berth in the Big 12 title game depending on the results Saturday around the rest of the conference. At this point, Joey McGuire’s team might have the most favorable path with the five-seed where it can meet a Tulane team that could be a win at Temple away from locking up hosting duties in the American.
Miami is the highest-ranked ACC team but the Yellow Jackets can lock up a spot in the conference title game and have a clearer path to the CFP. It won’t be an easy one against Pitt, but the path is there. As for Ole Miss, well, all eyes are on Lane Kiffin now and pretty much nothing else for the Rebels.
The Ducks might be the best team positioned to move up in the seeding between the Kiffin mess in Oxford, Miss., and with their two big games coming up against USC and Washington. They probably would love to slide up, too, given Dan Lanning’s record against Kalen DeBoer.
The Sooners defense continues to carry the team toward the playoff, clamping down on Missouri to set up a win-and-in scenario next week in Norman, Okla., against LSU. The Irish feel like they are in a similar spot should they win out, though would love for some chaos ahead of them so they can host a first-round game again.
It was a glorified scrimmage on Saturday for Georgia against lowly Charlotte as all eyes turn to that game in Atlanta against Georgia Tech which will ultimately determine the Bulldogs’ seed in the bracket.
The Aggies locked up their head coach to a new contract last week and their athletic director to the same this week. Add in locking up a CFP bid and all that’s left now is to beat rival Texas in Austin to go to the SEC title game for the first time.
There’s now a Curt Cignetti “Google Me” bobblehead for sale and one of them might be put in charge of the team next week for the second half against Purdue if the Hoosiers take care of business in West Lafayette, Ind., before making that coveted trip up the road to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game.
Michigan week has arrived in Columbus, Ohio, after dispatching Rutgers with ease. One has to figure that both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will be good to go for that one after resting up the past few weeks.
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