The College Football Playoff debates have predictably shifted to the SEC schedule being harder, thus more teams should be let in from the conference where it “just means more.” Too bad Georgia is facing Massachusetts this week and Tennessee has UTEP. There are far more important games in the surrounding conferences that stand to spoil seasons and potentially catapult teams into a new realm of competition that we hadn’t expected in the preseason. Here are our top 3 picks for 2024 College Football Week 13.
No. 5 Indiana vs No. 2 Ohio State
Indiana has been the Cinderella of the 2024 college football season. Under first year head coach Curt Cignetti, who was just given a massive extension, Indiana has transformed from a sleepwalking program to Big Ten contenders overnight. Their biggest test lies ahead of them on Saturday when they head to Columbus and try to knock off No. 2 Ohio State whose lone blemish is a loss to the number one team in the country, Oregon. This is the number two defense taking on the number three defense in the country. Cignetti has a proven track record of big wins when he was at James Madison University and turned them into a powerhouse in the FCS ranks before they joined the FBS in 2022. This is his biggest game to date this year and while I love this story, there is something about playing on the road at Ohio State that makes me nervous for his guys. Prediction: Indiana 17 Ohio State 24
No. 14 BYU vs. No. 21 Arizona State
No one expected Arizona State to be ranked this season. They were picked to finish dead last in a “mediocre” Big 12 conference but instead have piled up eight wins and came away with their biggest win last week against Kansas State. ASU has put themselves in a position to play in the Big 12 Championship game and potentially play in the CFP, but they must win out for that to happen. In two weeks, they play against a weak Arizona team. This week, it’s BYU who was ranked 6th last week before getting upset by Kansas. ASU is explosive on offense with freshman sensation Sam Leavitt and the bowling ball of a running back in Cam Skattebo. The Cougars boast a stellar defense that can suffocate their opponents. This is the biggest game in the Sun Devils program in a decade. They have home field advantage and all the momentum on their side. Prediction: BYU 28 Arizona State 31
No. 4 Penn State vs Minnesota
I have Penn State as my biggest pretender ranked inside the Top 10. James Franklin has a trustworthy track record of falling flat on his face in the biggest games and this is no different. Penn State hasn’t had a true staple win this year. Their best wins are against USC and Illinois, who Minnesota has also taken down. This is a hungry Minnesota team that is peeved off after a loss to Rutgers. I think the Nittany Lions are going to be caught looking ahead at a potential shot to play in the CFP and lose their footing in this game. Minnesota has a great defense, ranked 12th in yards allowed per game. P.J. Fleck is a great motivator, and he will get his guys up for this game for the upset. Prediction: Penn State 20 Minnesota 21