This Week in College Football: Week 13

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Thursday
7:30: Mississippi @ Mississippi State (ESPN): Okay, the Egg Bowl is usually good, but this year it figures the Bulldogs will just put the Rebels out of their misery.

Friday
11:30: Western Michigan @ Toledo (ESPNU): Toledo’s been a solid MAC team for years, but they’ve developed a reputation for blowing their shots at winning their division by suffering bad late-season upsets. They can clinch the MAC West here with a win over 5-6 Western Michigan.

Noon:

  • Miami @ Pittsburgh (ABC): Okay Miami, all you have to do is go to a half-full Heinz Field this Friday and not screw this up. It’s going to be cold but sunny. You’ll go to Charlotte (for the first time!) next weekend either way, but still, it’s important for the sake of the ACC that you’re undefeated.
  • Navy @ Houston (ESPN): Well, both these teams are 6-4, but they’ve arrived there by different ways. I’d actually thought Navy was done this year, but looking the balance of the season for the Midshipmen I like them here.
  • Baylor @ Texas Christian (FS1): Well, this one’s easy: TCU.
  • Northern Illinois @ Central Michigan (CBSS): It’s MACtion Friday, apparently! NIU needs this and a Toledo loss earlier to win the MAC West, while CMU is just trying to play spoiler. That said, I pretty heavily favor the Huskies here.

2:30: Missouri @ Arkansas (CBS): If you told me two months ago that Mizzou would be favorite by over a touchdown here, I’d have said you were crazy, but here we are.

3:30:

  • South Florida @ Central Florida (ABC): Here’s the one you’ve been waiting for, finally. Worth noting though that USF has continued to struggle a after their loss to Houston, which means that UCF enters as heavy favorites. Which isn’t to say that this won’t be close, but it’d be hard to see the Bulls pulling this thing out.
  • New Mexico @ San Diego Sate (CBSS): The Lobos have been pretty awful this year, this figures to just put them out of their misery.

4:00: Iowa @ Nebraska (FS1): Iowa figures to remain LIT IOWA, which sometimes mean destroying Ohio State by 31 points and sometimes means losing to Purdue. Which one are the actual Hawkeyes? Spoiler: it’s both. I like them here.

7:00: Western Kentucky @ Florida International (beIN): I like Western Kentucky here.

8:00:

  • Texas Tech @ Texas (FOX): They’re not rivals, sure, but nonetheless they’re playing for the Governor’s Spurs! You can’t deny that. Well, you can, but still. Texas Tech isn’t terrible or anything, but as the Longhorns have improved over the course of the year they figure to win.
  • Virginia Tech @ Virginia (ESPN): The Commonwealth Cup features a feisty Virginia, but I don’t think that will be enough to stop the Hokies.

10:30: California @ California-Los Angeles (FS1): It’s not officially the Battle of California, but it probably should be. Anyway, I have no idea who’s going to win this game, but UCLA did just fire their coach, so let’s roll with Cal.