What To Expect On Saturday: CFB Week 13 Preview

Showtime

Ohio State is an undefeated #2, and the only thing preventing them from leading them all is a big time performance in a big time game. They get their opportunity this week.

Joey Goodsir, Editor-in-Chief
November 21, 2019

In a season of “shaking things out,” College Football is almost done shaking. The final touches come in these thrilling last few weeks, and I’ve got you covered with all the best action.

Before we get into games, some big news has swept the CFB world over the last week (typical for November): Alabama’s starting quarterback (and thus big news) is out for the year, and Minnesota’s undefeated boat sank at Kinnick.

Let’s go look at more stories with the results of games I highlighted last week…

About Last Week

I finished 8-1, making me 95-31 (75.40%) overall.

The day began with an expected result, as Indiana took Penn State to the wire, but the Nittany Lions ultimately got the win (When will Indiana finally beat a powerhouse they threaten?).

In the afternoon, Clemson’s dominance of Wake Forest proved that no ACC team is deserving of any kind of conversation. I was a little too optimistic on this one.

And lastly, Oklahoma made a huge comeback to pull of a needed road win against the undefeated Baylor Bears in the big one.

On Tuesday, the committee released their next set of rankings:

LSU (10-0)
Ohio State (10-0)
Clemson (11-0)
Georgia (9-1)
Alabama (9-1)
Oregon (9-1)
Utah (9-1)
Penn State (9-1)
Oklahoma (9-1)
Minnesota (9-1)
Florida (9-2)
Wisconsin (8-2)
Michigan (8-2)
Baylor (9-1)
Auburn (7-3)
Notre Dame (8-2)
Iowa (7-3)
Memphis (9-1)
Cincinnati (9-1)
Boise State (9-1)
Oklahoma State (7-3)
Iowa State (6-4)
USC (7-4)
Appalachian State (9-1)
SMU (9-1)

I don’t have a lot of complaints here, and I’m encouraged by Minnesota’s ranking, as well as the fact that no ACC team is seeing the rankings. The only arguments here are LSU/Ohio State and Bama/Oregon, and I side with the committee on both…for now. These conversations will get more heated very soon.

On to the previews….

Noon Game of The Week

Joe Hermitt
This play in the 2016 classic has shown that big moments are nothing new to this divisional matchup.

#8 Penn State @ #2 Ohio State

When: 11:00 CT

TV: ABC

Rain (Above 40%)? Yes (54% at kickoff).

Where: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)

Series History: OSU leads 19-14 (Last Time: OSU won 27-26 in 2018)

The following is the oddly long list of Saturday morning pregame shows that will be in town for this game:

ESPN’s College GameDay
FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff
BTN Tailgate

There is a College GameDay boycott movement brewing among OSU fans, citing claims of ESPN’s SEC bias and the more important Urban Meyer’s presence at Big Noon Kickoff as their rationale.

But there is no secret that this is what the national fans are looking forward to seeing, and the fans will bring it accordingly. This is potentially the biggest B1G matchup to date, with arguably Ohio State’s first high quality opponent this season (whether it is more OSU’s dominance or their opponents struggles that are contributing to the high regard of this team is a matter of opinion), and two of the bigger brands in the sport.

But exactly WHO is Penn State?

I mean, yes — they are the eighth best team in the country according to the CFP committee, but where is all the praise coming from?

Their resume includes barely-escaped traps in Pitt and Indiana, in addition to their close but solid defiance of Kinnick magic. And is that their biggest win? It’s either that or their near-loss White Out bonanza against a Michigan team that didn’t find any stability this season until the second half of that game. Of course they have a CFP committee signature “Quality Loss” to a Minnesota team that is having a Cinderella year.

My point is, this feels like just as much of a “show me” game for the Nittany Lions as it does for the Buckeyes, and that makes a blowout just as likely as a Big Ten grinder.

As for me, I just don’t think anyone (except maybe LSU) is on the same planet as the Bucks right now. They’ve had an inferno of a spark under Head Coach Ryan Day this season, and it doesn’t seem like they can be stopped with a full game of football in front of them.

A slow start seems right for this one (because B1G) but in the second half, the home offense will score and the Chase Young conveniently-timed presence (lol) on defense will get things under control as they head into Hate Week (PSU would be more than validated if I’m wrong).

Ohio State Wins, 37-20

Who's Your Pick for Noon Game of The Week: Week 13?

#2 Ohio State (100%, 3 Votes)
#8 Penn State (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 3

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Other Noon Games of Note

Illinois @ #17 Iowa (BTN)

#21 Oklahoma State @ West Virginia (ESPN2)

Michigan State @ Rutgers (FS1)

Afternoon Game of The Week

The Athletic
Georgia and Texas A&M had an interesting (but infrequent) relationship
prior to this era as interdivisional foes.

Texas A&M @ #4 Georgia

When: 2:30 CT

TV: CBS

Rain (Above 40%)? Lots of rain on Saturday (80% at kick).

Where: Sanford Stadium (Athens, GA)

Series History: A&M leads 3-2 (Last Time: UGA won 44-20 in the 2009 Independence Bowl)

When I first titled this edition “Showtime,” I pondered changing it due to the continuously abysmal SEC schedule in Week 13, with their unacceptable November cupcake matchups before rivalry week (why is this a thing?). It’s a little sad when Ohio State is playing Penn State before The Game, while Alabama plays Western Carolina before the Iron Bowl.

I would like to thank Georgia and Texas A&M for being a nice exception to the rule. This is an exciting conference matchup between two great fanbases that has only had a spotty history. College Football should be pushing for more games like these — it’s that simple. Fans love to travel to classic CFB environments for the first time. There’s no need for regular season games at AT&T stadium when these awesome opportunities are waiting to be used.

As far as the game itself is concerned, the Georgia Bulldogs have switched into a higher gear since things looked quite dismal a month ago. They got the job done in a very crucial Cocktail Party game, put away Mizzou, and got a quality inter-divisional win on the road at Auburn. The door hasn’t just opened for Georgia to walk into a playoff spot recently, but they have actually risen back to that level of play.

The tests don’t stop, and they will take on an Aggies team that has seen a lot this season. It’s a surprise the committee hasn’t given A&M more love given the plethora of the “Quality Loss” — Clemson, Alabama, and Auburn. Since the last of those, they have won four in a row pretty comfortably, allowing them to fully gear up for a road upset.

The key factor will be A&M’s strong defense and their abilities to limit an insecure Georgia offense. It will take quite the full performance to actually flip the result though, and it’s hard to expect that to happen. Georgia’s defense will keep the ball switching hands back pretty quickly as well.

Like the rest of Georgia’s biggest games this year, this game will be much closer than expected. You won’t be surprised by the team that finishes on top though.

Georgia Wins, 28-24

Who's Your Pick for Afternoon Game of The Week: Week 13?

#4 Georgia (100%, 2 Votes)
Texas A&M (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 2

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Other Afternoon Games of Note

#13 Michigan vs. Indiana (ESPN) (Per Michael Raupp’s Unbiased Pick)

Texas @ #14 Baylor (FS1)

Night Game of The Week

Christian Petersen
He’s had a couple good ones, but will Herm Edwards get a wild, tenure-defining upset?

#6 Oregon @ Arizona State

When: 6:30 CT

TV: ABC

Rain (Above 40%)? Nope. Will be dry.

Where: Sun Devil Stadium (Tempe, AZ)

Series History: Oregon leads 20-17 (Last Time: Oregon won 31-29 in 2018)

After those two games, the slate becomes quite wide open. This matchup in Tempe, however, gives a good chance to build your knowledge of a loud participant in one of the biggest debates of our future.

All the factors will be weighed in this one — how much of the Ducks’ success comes from the overall weaknesses of the PAC 12? Can and will Justin Herbert “Kyler Murray” Oregon’s way into the playoff? Can Oregon claim equal dominance of inferior teams in the Alabama debate? We’re gonna get all of these answers when they travel to face a scrappy team that isn’t afraid to go out and get upsets every once in a while.

This game seems fairly simple to me — it’s a shootout: whoever can’t keep scoring loses. The Sun Devils have a fantastic receiver in Brandon Aiyuk, but Justin Herbert’s larger quantity of weapons will serve him well once these two teams break into the second half.