Another Big Ten top-5 showdown, plus plenty of Big 12 fun in Week 13

Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is TheAthletic‘s college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox.

The readers have spoken! Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon should be the third, mystery flavor at this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl. Frosted Blueberry and Frosted Boston Creme Donut came in second and third.

Now, we just count down the days until Dec. 28.

---

Week 13 Schedule

friday night lights

We’re one week away from an exciting slate of Black Friday college football games. But this week, there is one game involving a ranked team to keep an eye on (if you can stay awake). All times are ET:

• CFP No. 24 UNLV (8-2) at San Jose State (6-4) (10 p.m., FS1). The Rebels stayed close with Group of 5 Playoff favorite Boise State in October before falling 29-24. They are third in the Mountain West, which means there’s a chance we see that matchup again for the league title if Colorado State falls from second place.

Setting up your Saturday

Here’s a heat map for every ranked matchup this Saturday. As always, the darker the highlight = the higher the intrigue (there’s a lot this week!).

Noon

• Most important game: No. 5 Indiana (10-0) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1). The Hoosiers’ time to prove they belong has arrived. First-year coach Curt Cignetti has made IU this season’s most surprising contender, but how much success is tied to a schedule that hasn’t included a ranked opponent yet? We’ll find out on Saturday in Columbus. The Buckeyes will need to establish the running game against IU’s top-ranked rush defense while Indiana’s key will be to take advantage of Ohio State’s depleted offensive line (OSU starting center Seth McLaughlin won’t play after injuring his Achilles in practice).
• Most underrated game: No. 9 Ole Miss (8-2) at Florida (5-5). The Gators knocked LSU out of the CFP Top 25 by upsetting the Tigers 27-16 last week. Next up on their end-of-season gauntlet is an Ole Miss team coming off a bye week that beat Georgia the last time it was out. The Rebels rank first in the SEC in scoring offense and second in scoring defense. Florida needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility, but realistically, that might look more attainable on next week’s road trip to Tallahassee. After all, Florida State’s disaster season hasn’t gotten any better. The Seminoles are 1-9.

Afternoon

• Most important game: No. 14 BYU (9-1) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2) AND No. 16 Colorado (8-2) at Kansas (4-6). The afternoon window is all about the Big 12. Arizona State has won five of its last six and hosts a BYU team that just lost to Kansas and dropped eight spots in the rankings as a result. The Jayhawks are hosting Colorado after staging upsets in the last two weeks. The spread on both of these games is +/- 3 points (Arizona State and Colorado are favored). We’re in for some fun!
• Most underrated game: Kentucky (4-6) at No. 3 Texas (9-1). The Longhorns have looked human in three of their last four games. Meanwhile, Kentucky, which upset Ole Miss earlier this season, has since fallen to Vanderbilt, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee. Kentucky’s offensive line will need to protect QB Brock Vandagriff, who has been sacked 23 times this season, against a Longhorns squad that wreaked havoc on Arkansas’ Taylen Green last week (he was sacked six times). Texas could use a good boost this week before hitting the road for its much-anticipated game against Texas A&M next week.

Night

• Most important game: No. 19 Army (9-0) vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1). The Irish have been dominant since their early season stunner to Northern Illinois, and QB Riley Leonard looks to be hitting his stride, throwing for more than 200 yards in four of the last five games. But Army has been waiting on this game to put itself into the Playoff mix. This is the first time since 1959 that the Black Knights are playing in a game in which both teams are ranked. As for the game’s Yankee Stadium backdrop, the “Until Saturday” podcast crew debated the premise of playing football in baseball stadiums in today’s episode.
• Most underrated game: No. 15 Texas A&M (8-2) at Auburn (4-6). The Aggies haven’t gotten much attention on the CFP rankings show each Tuesday, but they are quietly in second place in the SEC and could play for a conference title bid when they renew their rivalry with Texas next week. But first, they’ll have to get past a struggling Auburn team that has just one conference win against Kentucky.

Click here for a full Week 13 schedule.

Need tickets? Go here. Stream the games on Fubo for free.

---

Quick Snaps

When Wisconsin travels to Nebraska On Saturday (3:30 pm, BTN), the teams will meet as 5-5 foes searching for bowl eligibility under second-year coaches who both fired their offensive coordinators this season. So, who would you rather be: Luke Fickell or Matt Rhule?

Meanwhile, Penn State and Minnesota will play for the Governor’s Victory Bell this weekend, which could be one of the least-known rivalry trophies in college football (Nittany Lions QB Drew Allar can’t even remember the name).

Has the expanded CFP made more games “matter” down the stretch? Scott Dochterman investigates the biggest piece of criticism against the expanded field.

Colorado two-way star and Heisman Trophy front-runner Travis Hunter will enter next year’s NFL Drafthe announced today.

📫 Love Until Saturday? Check out TheAthletic‘s other newsletters.

(Top photo Will Howard, right, and Quinshon Judkins: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)