The Florida State Seminoles remain unbeaten after nine games this season – make that after 26 games dating back to 2012, long before Jameis Winston discovered how irresistible crab legs are. Are they really going to finish this season undefeated?
The Boston College Eagles will look to upset the juggernaut this Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium, although that’s one crazy thought. Like, Notre Dame-losing to-Northwestern crazy. Anything can happen, especially at this point of the season where top teams are usually derailed off their path to the top of the rankings.
It’s going to be one hell of a week in college football. Let’s check out the five best games to watch in Week 13.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Top Five Games to Watch in Week 13 of College Football
Kansas State Wildcats vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (Thursday, November 20)
Line: Kansas State Wildcats (-2) at West Virginia Mountaineers (+2) – view all NCAA Football lines
The Wildcats saw their five-game win streak get snapped after falling victims to the TCU Horned Frogs, 41-20, last November 8th. Despite the loss, the Wildcats remain in the hunt for the Big 12 title with a 5-1 conference record, tied for second with the Baylor Bears. Another loss, however, would be a big blow to their chances of topping the conference and making it to the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings.
The Mountaineers, meanwhile, are virtually out of the conference title picture after suffering back-to-back defeats to the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns. That doesn’t mean they’re just going to drop their weapons, though, as they look to clinch a ticket to a bigger bowl game this coming December.
Writer’s prediction: Kansas State wins 38-35.
USC Trojans vs. UCLA Bruins (Saturday, November 22)
Line: USC Trojans (+3.5) at UCLA Bruins (-3.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Trojans (6-2 in conference) and the Bruins (5-2) are hot on the heels of the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pac-12 South division standings. But this being a USC-UCLA affair, both teams are going to play with fervor regardless of their records.
Up for grabs in Pasadena is the right to take home the Victory Bell, which has been in possession of the Bruins over the last two years. The Trojans are coming off a 38-30 win over the California Golden Bears, while the Bruins are on a four-game win streak. UCLA beat the Washington Huskies on November 8, 44-30. At the forefront of the Trojans’ attack is Cody Kessler, who passed for 371 yards and four touchdowns against California. Kessler will match up with UCLA’s Brett Hundley, who won their battle last year, when he passed for 208 yards and rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the Bruins’ 35-14 win.
Writer’s prediction: UCLA wins, 35-27.
Boston College Eagles vs. Florida State Seminoles (Saturday, November 22)
Line: Boston College Eagles (+20) at Florida State Seminoles (-20) – view all NCAA football lines
It’s not a crab leg but Jameis Winston and the rest of the Seminoles showed they can steal a win nonetheless when they mounted a fourth-quarter rally to take down the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, 30-26.
For those keeping count, that’s the ‘Noles 26th-straight victory and they will look to extend that streak longer when they host the Boston College Eagles in Week 13. The Eagles are 3-3 in conference play and 6-4 overall but they’re going to be more than just an afterthought this season if they beat Florida State. The Seminoles have a high-risk, low-reward game at hand against the Eagles. A loss could take them off the College Football Playoff’s top four, while a win might not be enough to change their position in the rankings.
The Eagles aren’t patsies, either. They defeated then-No. 9 USC (37-31) back in September and hung tough in a 17-13 defeat to No. 24 Clemson in October.
Writer’s prediction: Florida State wins, 38-14.
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Iowa State Hawkeyes (Saturday, November 22)
Line: Wisconsin Badgers (-10) at Iowa State Hawkeyes (+10) – view all NCAA Football lines
Go ahead and wrap your head around Melvin Gordon’s insane accomplishment last week. The Badgers running back was a one-man wrecking crew in Week 12 when he rushed for a record-breaking 408 yards and four touchdowns to power Wisconsin past the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 59-24. He’s the kind of force that the Hawkeyes will have to deal with when the Badgers bring their imposing rushing offense (325.7 yards per game) to Kinnick Stadium.
The Hawkeyes, however, have shown some measure of success against the rush when they held the Illinois Fighting Illini down to just 88 rushing yards in their 30-14 win in Week 12.
Writer’s prediction: Wisconsin wins, 45-24.
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Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Baylor Bears (Saturday, November 22)
Line: Oklahoma State Cowboys(+27.5) at Baylor Bears (-27.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
The Cowboys are on a free fall, having lost four in a row, including their 28-7 blowout loss to the Texas Longhorns in Week 12. Unfortunately for Oklahoma State, the end of the tunnel isn’t likely to end at Waco, where the mighty Baylor Bears await the Cowboys.
If the Cowboys are to stage an upset, they will need both their offense and defense to click at the same time as Baylor is one heck of a good team – offensively and defensively. The Bears are No.1 in the conference in scoring (50.1) and scoring defense (21.0). The last team to taste the wrath of Baylor was Oklahoma, who the Bears gave a soul-crushing 48-14 defeat last Saturday.
Writer’s prediction: Baylor wins, 54-17.
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