HOUSTON – Week 13 of the 2024 college football season is upon us, with 21 games scheduled featuring coaches named to the American Heart Association Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Watch List. Of these games, four feature two teams coached by watch list selections.
Navy and Oregon are idle this week.
Last Week’s Results (WATCH LIST TEAMS IN BOLD)
No. 1 Oregon 16, Wisconsin 13
No. 2 Ohio State 31, Northwestern 7
No. 3 Texas 20, Arkansas 10
No. 4 Penn State 49, Purdue 10
Kansas 17, No. 6 BYU 13
No. 12 Georgia 31, No. 7 Tennessee 17
No. 8 Notre Dame 35, Virginia 14
No. 10 Alabama 52, Mercer 7
No. 13 Boise State 42, San Jose State 21
No. 14 SMU 38, Boston College 28
No. 15 Texas A&M 38, New Mexico State 3
Arizona State 24, No. 16 Kansas State 14
No. 20 Clemson 24, Pittsburgh 20
Florida 27, No. 22 LSU 16
No. 25 Tulane 35, Navy 0
Liberty 35, UMass 34 (OT)
Auburn 48, Louisiana Monroe 14
Illinois 38, Michigan State 16
Iowa State 34, Cincinnati 17
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23
No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) [FOX]
The weekend’s premier matchup is set for a noon ET kickoff on FOX, with Curt Cignetti leading undefeated and fifth-ranked Indiana into the Horseshoe for a matchup with Ryan Day and the second-ranked Buckeyes. Saturday’s matinee will be the 98th all-time meeting in a series that has been dominated by Ohio State, who leads 80-12-5. While the Hoosiers are looking for their first win in the series since 1988, Indiana reached the 10-win mark for the first time in program history last week and is one of only three teams remaining with perfect records.
Wake Forest (4-6, 2-4 ACC) at No. 8 Miami (9-1, 5-1 ACC) [ESPN]
The Hurricanes suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of Georgia Tech, and Mario Cristobal will look to get his Miami squad back on the winning path in the ‘Canes home finale against Wake Forest. Saturday’s game is the 12th meeting all-time between the two schools in a series dating back to 1939. Miami holds an all-time 8-3 advantage and has won seven straight against the Demon Deacons going back to the 1969 season.
No. 13 SMU (9-1, 6-0 ACC) at Virginia (5-5, 3-3 ACC) [ESPN2]
Rhett Lashlee leads his Mustangs east for the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Winners of seven straight, SMU has averaged 42.3 points per game during its winning streak. While the offense has been potent, the defense has been particularly stifling, particularly against the run. SMU is allowing just 99.0 rushing yards per contest – a number which, if it holds, would rank as the second-lowest average in school history; and the 2.96 yards per rush allowed would rank as the lowest total since the 1982 season.
No. 25 Illinois (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) at Rutgers (6-4, 3-4 Big Ten) [Peacock]
Last week’s win over Michigan State pushed coach Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini back into the Top 25 for the eighth time this season, and Illinois hits the road for its penultimate game of the regular season against Rutgers. Those eight appearances in the top 25 are the most for Illinois since the 2001 season, when Illinois appeared in 10 polls. Saturday’s game is the ninth all-time meeting between the two programs, with Illinois holding a 5-3 advantage. Rutgers won the last meeting between the two schools in the 2021 season.
UMass (2-8) at No. 10 Georgia (8-2) [SECN]
Georgia looks to finish strong between the hedges in Saturday’s non-conference tilt with UMass. Kirby Smart has led Georgia to a 36-2 mark in non-conference games, and will be facing off against UMass for the second time – also the second meeting in program history. Georgia was dominant in the first contest – rolling up 701 yards of offense in a 66-27 Bulldogs win in 2018.
UTEP (2-8) at No. 7 Tennessee (8-2) [ESPN+/SECN+]
The Volunteers and coach Josh Heupel will look to remain perfect at Neyland Stadium this year in Saturday’s non-conference matchup with UTEP. This will be the fourth meeting all-time between the two schools in a series that has been dominated by Tennessee. The Vols are 3-0 all-time but have outscored the Miners 106-16 in the three games – including a pair of shutout wins.
Western Kentucky (7-3, 5-1 CUSA) at Liberty (7-2, 4-2 CUSA) [ESPN+]
Saturday’s game between Western Kentucky and Liberty features the top two teams in the Conference USA preseason poll, but in week 13, the two teams would be on the outside looking in with regard to the conference title game if the season ended today. With both teams in contention for a position in the title game, Saturday’s game is a must-win for both squads. Jamey Chadwell has led Liberty to a bounce-back performance in the past two weeks, as the Flames have picked up back-to-back wins going into the season’s final two games against WKU and Sam Houston, who along with 6-0 Jax State, are all vying for a position in the conference championship. Liberty is 4-0 all-time against WKU.
Louisiana Monroe (5-5, 3-3 Sun Belt) at Arkansas State (6-4, 4-2 Sun Belt) [ESPN+]
The Warhawks have fallen on tough times as of late, dropping four straight, and Bryant Vincent has a tall task in front of him Saturday as he tries to right the ship going into the season’s final games. Arkansas State holds an all-time 32-14 advantage in the series, with ASU winning 14 consecutive meetings dating back to 2010. The Warhawks need to win one more game to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.
Kentucky (4-6, 1-6 SEC) at No. 3 Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) [ABC/ESPN+]
Steve Sarkisian and his Longhorns host Kentucky in just the second all-time meeting between the two schools – and the first since 1951. Those Wildcats – coached by Paul “Bear” Bryant – came up on the short end of a 7-6 matchup with Ed Price and the Longhorns. A win would give the Longhorns a 10-win season for the second consecutive season – the first time the Longhorns have registered a double-figure win total since the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) [CBS]
James Franklin leads Penn State into its final road matchup of the 2024 regular season, as the Nittany Lions square off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Saturday’s meeting is the 17th all-time between the two schools, with Penn State holding a 10-6 advantage in the series. At 6-1, Penn State is tied for third in the Big Ten with Ohio State, and the two sit behind undefeated Indiana and Oregon.
No. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) [ESPN]
Kalani Sitake leads his BYU squad into Tempe for a matchup with National Coach of the Week winner Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Arizona State holds a 20-8 advantage in the all-time series, with a good number of those games coming when both teams competed in the Western Athletic Conference from 1965 to 1977. The last meeting between the two programs – during the 2021 season – saw both teams ranked in the top 25 as well.
The Citadel (5-6) at No. 17 Clemson (8-2) [The CW]
Having completed the ACC portion of the schedule, Dabo Swinney and Clemson will close the 2024 regular season with a pair of home games against in-state competition, starting with FCS opponent The Citadel. Saturday’s matchup is the 40th all-time between the two schools, with Clemson leading the series 33-5-1. Clemson has won 18 consecutive meetings.
Texas Tech (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) at Oklahoma State (3-7, 0-7 Big 12) [ESPN+]
The Red Raiders have dropped three of four, but travel to Stillwater Saturday for a matchup with an Oklahoma State team that started the season 3-0 in non-conference play but has not been able to find the win column in Big 12 play. Joey McGuire will be looking for his first-ever win over the Cowboys in the 51st all-time meeting between the two schools. The series has been evenly matched – OSU holds a 24-23-1 advantage.
Pittsburgh (7-3, 3-3 ACC) at Louisville (6-4, 4-3 ACC) [ESPN2]
Pat Narduzzi will try to stop a three-game skid for his Panthers on Saturday as Pitt travels to Louisville. The meeting, the 21st all-time between the two schools, is the first of two road games for Pitt to close the regular season. The Panthers hold a 11-9 advantage in the all-time series, having won three of the last four. Narduzzi is 3-1 all-time against the Cardinals.
No. 19 Army (9-0) at No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) [NBC]
Yankee Stadium will be the setting for Saturday’s matchup of top-25 teams, as Jeff Monken leads his Army squad into tilt with Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 39-8-4, and 23 of those meetings have been played inside Yankee Stadium (1925-29, 1931-46, 1969 at the original stadium and once at the current). The most recent meeting between the two at Yankee Stadium was in 2010 and was the first-ever college football game played in The House That Jeter Built. Army enters Saturday’s game on a best-in-the-nation 13-game win streak.
No. 12 Boise State (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) at Wyoming (2-8, 2-4 Mountain West) [CBSSN]
Boise State closes its Mountain West slate on Saturday with a matchup with the Wyoming Cowboys. Spencer Danielson is looking to push the Broncos’ win streak to eight games – the longest such streak since 2014 – and by doing so, clinch a position in the 2024 Old Trapper Mountain West Championship Game. (A loss by UNLV would also clinch a position in the game for Boise State). The series has been lopsided in favor of the Broncos – Boise State holds a 17-1 advantage and has won seven consecutive meetings, with Wyoming’s lone win coming in 2016.
No. 7 Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) at Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC) [ABC/ESPN+]
The Crimson Tide have climbed back up to No. 7 nationally, as Kalen DeBoer has led Alabama to three consecutive victories. Saturday’s matchup between two of the most successful programs in the history of college football will be the first conference meeting between the two schools, and just the seventh all-time. Oklahoma leads the series 3-2-1, but it was the Crimson Tide who came out on top in the most recent meeting – the 2018 CFP semifinal.
No. 15 Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) at Auburn (4-6, 1-5 SEC) [ESPN]
The Aggies and Auburn Tigers square off Saturday in Texas A&M’s final road matchup of the 2024 regular season, and coach Mike Elko’s squad has won eight of the last nine contests this season. Saturday’s matchup will be the 15th all-time between the two schools, and the Aggies hold an 8-6 all-time advantage in the series – including winning three of the last four meetings.
No. 22 Iowa State (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) at Utah (4-6, 1-6 Big 12) [FOX]
Iowa State snapped a two-game skid on Saturday with its win over Cincinnati, and travels to Utah its final regular-season road game. Matt Campbell has the Cyclones bowl eligible for the seventh time in nine seasons, and at 5-2 in league play, Iowa State is tied for third behind 6-1 Colorado and BYU. Saturday’s matchup is just the sixth in the all-time series between the two schools, with Iowa State currently holding a 4-1 advantage. The two teams last met in 2010, with Utah picking up a blowout win. Prior to that, the teams had not met since 1976.
Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at LSU (6-4, 3-3 SEC) [SECN]
Clark Lea leads Vanderbilt to Tiger Stadium for the first time since 2009 for a matchup with Brian Kelly and LSU. The matchup is the 33rd all-time between the two schools, with LSU holding a 24-7-1 advantage in the series. Vanderbilt will be looking for its first win the series since 1990, with LSU’s streak currently sitting at nine games. Vanderbilt’s last win in Baton Rouge came in 1951.
Cincinnati (5-5, 3-4 Big 12) at Kansas State (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) [ESPN2]
Kansas State is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses for the first time since 2021 in its final home game of the 2024 season. The all-time series between the two teams is led by Cincinnati, who has a 4-2 advantage in the series going back to the 1951 season. Cincinnati won the first four meetings between 1951 and 1966, with K-State winning the last two in 1995 and 1996.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
- THREE’S COMPANY – Only three undefeated teams remain in the FBS this season – Indiana, Army, and Oregon – with only Oregon guaranteed to be perfect going into Week 14 thanks to its idle status.
- WHO’S THAT COMING DOWN THE TRACK? – It’s a mean machine in red and black, and that machine in Athens is the only team in the nation with two wins against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 10 (Georgia has beaten Texas and Tennessee). Georgia is also one of two teams (along with Oregon) to have three wins over current AP Top 25 teams.
- FLIPPING THE SCRIPT – BYU and Arizona State have certainly outperformed expectations in the Big 12 this season – BYU was picked 13th out of 16, while ASU was picked to finish last. The Cougars are currently tied for first with Colorado at 6-1 in league, while Arizona State’s 5-2 mark has them nipping at the heels of both the Cougars and the Buffaloes.
- NOTABLE NOTABLES – Saturday’s matchup between Army and Notre Dame marks the first time since the 1958 season that both teams have been ranked in the AP Top 25.
- THE B1G GAME – Ohio State and Indiana. After beating Michigan to register the first 10-win season in program history, the Hoosiers had a bye week to prepare for what may be the single biggest game in the history of the Indiana football program. Standing on the other sideline will be one of the most storied programs in college football history, the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are in the midst of an exceptional season of their own. Both teams are playoff contenders, and may still be in the mix regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s matinee.
###