College Football Rivalry Week: Games with Playoff Implications
The final game of the college football regular season is also Rivalry Week, as teams take on their most noted rivals, whether in or out of conference. Across college football, we have some of the most historic rivalries taking place this week.
While classic rivalries like Alabama vs. Auburn and Ohio State vs. Michigan don’t have the same excitement as past years, there are plenty of games with important College Football Playoffs implications.
With the expanded playoff to 12 teams, there is so much more meaning to these games, and plenty of teams still have a shot to get into the College Football Playoffs.
We will preview and predict the top games of the week, and be sure to stay tuned as we’ll give you CFB DFS picks for these games and more.
Best 2024 Rivalry Week CFB Games
Below are the best Rivalry Week CFB Games in 2024. Click any game to get the full game predictions below. Rankings are via AP for Week 13.
- #3 Texas vs. #15 Texas A&M
- #21 Arizona State vs. Arizona
- Michigan vs. #2 Ohio State
- More Rivalry Week Games
#3 Texas vs. #15 Texas A&M
Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Kyle Field, College Station, Tex.
TV: ABC, Streaming on ESPN+
With Ole Miss and Alabama both losing last week, this now sets up a win-and-you’re-in game for the chance to play Georgia in the SEC title game. Even with a loss, Texas will likely find itself in the College Football Playoffs. For Texas A&M, a win over No. 3 could likely give the Aggies a Playoff berth as well, plus a shot at a bye in the SEC Championship.
We think of Texas as one of the best teams in the country, but except for Georgia, it hasn’t played a ranked team, even in a stacked SEC.
Texas’ offensive success has come from QBs Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning not seeing much pressure, but what will happen when they play an elite defense? You can look back at that loss to Georgia to get a preview. The Longhorns allowed pressure on 25 of 58 dropbacks and were sacked seven times. A&M is a modest 30th in dropback EPA (-0.054) and has 23 sacks.
The Aggies need to get to the quarterback and control the clock on offense. This will be the best rushing offense Texas has seen this year, as A&M is 17th in FBS in rushing yards per game (208.4). If the Aggies still had Le’Veon Moss in the backfield, you could believe it would be no problem for them to run it down Texas’ throat.
That might not be the case, as they managed only 167 rushing yards on 3.2 yards per carry in a 4OT game against Auburn without Moss.
This could be a dogfight, but Texas can go to the ground like they did last week in their 31-14 win against Kentucky. Book the Longhorns a ticket to Atlanta.
#21 Arizona State vs. Arizona: Time, How to Watch
Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Arizona Stadium, Tuscon, Ari.
TV: FOX
The Big 12 is a jumbled mess in the final week of the regular season. Going into Saturday, nine teams still have a path to the conference championship.
A sentence we never thought we’d hear a couple of years ago is: “Arizona State has a chance to play in the Big 12 Championship.” It’s not just because no one knew the Sun Devils will be in the Big 12, but because this team has been terrible. Over the previous two seasons, they had a 6-18 record.
This offense finds ways to get it done, and they’ve been perfectly balanced on the ground and in the air. Sam Leavitt has been great; he’s fourth in the conference in passer efficiency (148.4). He isn’t going to blow you away, but he doesn’t need to.
That’s because of running back Cam Skattebo, who’s third in the conference in rushing yards (1,221) on 5.4 yards per carry and is coming off a 147-yard, 3-touchdown performance against BYU.
There were a lot of expectations for Arizona, but the Wildcats were never able to find consistency and have lost six of their last seven. It’s too bad because the QB Noah Fifita and WR Tetairoa McMillan tandem is one of the best in the country, and McMillan is projected to be a top-ten pick in the upcoming draft. Unfortunately, Fifita throws too many interceptions, and the defense allows nearly 30 points per game.
The Sun Devils have too much firepower for the Wildcats. This might turn into a high-scoring game, but ASU should have no problem getting the win.
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Michigan vs. #2 Ohio State: Time, How to Watch
Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Ohio Stadium: Columbus, Ohio
TV: FOX
The Big Ten championship is not set in stone. Oregon is in, but it won’t know who it plays until after Saturday. All Ohio State needs to do is win to get its rematch with Oregon. Even a loss could get them in as long as Penn State loses to Maryland, but an Ohio State loss combined with a Penn State win means the Nittany Lions face Oregon.
It’s strange to see Michigan unranked in this game, but that’s how this season has gone. Just because Michigan has no playoff potential doesn’t mean they won’t want to beat their most hated rivals in Columbus and put up a strong fight.
Michigan is still one of the better defensive teams in the nation, allowing 21.4 points per game (36th) and ranking 38th in net EPA. The drop-off from last year isn’t due to a lack of talent but more because the defense has been on the field more often in pressure situations.
Last year, the defense rarely stepped onto the field with a deficit, but that hasn’t been the case this season. This is due to an offense with no passing game, ranking 127th in passing yards per game (140.1).
You can’t play one-dimensional football against Ohio State, which can beat you on the ground or through the air. Just ask Indiana. There have been games where QB Will Howard has taken over and others where RBs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson chipped away with the ground game.
The rivalry factor won’t matter, as Ohio State is one of the best all-around teams. A couple of failed drives by the Wolverines could put this game away early.
Other Notable Games for Rivalry Week
Some of these have implications for getting into the conference title, but also, it’s some teams’ last chance to make a case to get an at-large bid in the playoffs
- Mississippi State vs. #15 Ole Miss — Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Ole Miss needs a lot to go right to get into the College Football Playoff, but it starts with a convincing win.
- #8 Tennessee at Vanderbilt — 12 p.m. ET
- Tennessee likely makes the Playoffs with a win.
- #16 South Carolina at #12 Clemson — 12 p.m. ET
- These teams are on the fringe of the Playoffs, so a win could mean a Playoff berth. With a win, Clemson can get a shot at the ACC Championship if Miami loses to Syracuse.
- #8 Miami at Syracuse — 3:30 p.m. ET
- What will be one of Miami's biggest test of the regular season, Miami will punch its ticket to the ACC Championship with a win here, and have a good shot at the College Football Playoff, regardless of the ACC Championship result. However, this is not really a rivalry at all.
- #10 Indiana at Purdue — 7 p.m. ET
- Indiana is a shoe in for the College Football Playoffs with a win.
- Kansas State at #17 Iowa State — 7:30 p.m. ET
- Iowa State clinches a Big 12 Championship berth with a win.
- Houston at #20 BYU — 10:15 p.m. ET
- BYU can make it to the Big 12 Championship with a win and Iowa State or Arizona State loss.
Get Rivalry Week CFB Action on PrizePicks
A lot of “win and you’re in” games this week for a chance at a conference championship and first-round bye in the playoffs. It only adds to the excitement that most games are against long-time rivals.
We preview these key games now to give you a better perspective on the picks and projections to help build your CFB lineup on PrizePicks — the easiest way to get in on the college football action.
With PrizePicks, you can simply pick more or less on two or more players’ stat projections, add them to your lineup, and win up to 200x your money during Rivalry Week. There’s no salaries, no roster restrictions — just fun.
Keep coming back to The Playbook for more picks and analysis for CFB DFS all season long.
Follow John Supowitz on X: @ImThatSupi
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