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College football viewing guide: Week 13

The final week of the regular season is here, and many teams have a lot on the line this weekend.

NCAA Football: Mississippi at Mississippi State Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

College football is back, and that means our college football viewing guide is back to help you navigate the busy schedule ahead.

Each week we will do the heavy lifting, and figure out the top games that will be playing during each television window across college football. The final week of the regular season is here, and with that comes rivalries and season-defining games.

Let’s dive into the schedule for this crucial week of college football.

NCAA Football: San Diego State at UNLV
There are some big games in the Mountain West this weekend with division titles up for grabs.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, November 25

Fresno State (8-3) at San Jose State (5-6) —> 2:30 p.m. CST on FS1

Last season San Jose State won the Mountain West Conference. This season has not gone nearly as well for the Spartans, but a big win over Fresno State would likely give them a chance for consecutive bowls for the first time since 1987. Fresno State and Jake Haener have a chance to wrap up the MWC West Division crown with a win, and a San Diego State loss, so it won’t be easy.

No. 9 Ole Miss (9-2) at Mississippi State (7-4) —> 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN

Enjoy friends, family, and food aplenty during the day, but make sure to be in front of the television Thursday night for the Egg Bowl. This Thanksgiving Day staple is usually a highly fought contest that comes down to the end. Mississippi State is a slight favorite at home, but there is no telling how the game unfolds if history is any indication.

Friday, November 26

Morning games

Boise State (7-4) at No. 21 San Diego State (10-1) —> 11 a.m. CST on CBS

San Diego State not only has the best punter in the country, but they have had a really good season this year. They currently have a spot in the Mountain West Championship Game with a win, but a loss would knock them out of contention. Boise State is still one of the best G5 programs in the country, so this is a big game for all involved.

Other Friday morning games of interest:

Afternoon games

No. 16 Iowa (9-2) at Nebraska (3-8) —> 12:30 p.m. CST on BTN

This game is probably the most relevant for Wisconsin fans. Nebraska is strangely a home favorite despite quarterback Adrian Martinez being ruled out for the game. Can Scott Frost get his second B1G win of the season over No. 16 Iowa?

Syndication: HawkCentral
Nebraska and Iowa will square off Friday afternoon with the Hawkeyes still in contention for the B1G West.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 4 Cincinnati (11-0) at East Carolina (7-4) —> 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC

The Cincinnati Bearcats now find themselves in the top-4 of the College Football Playoff Rankings. Do they avoid a slip up against a good East Carolina team who has nothing to lose? Or is their stint as a playoff team short-lived?

Other Friday games of interest:

  • UTEP at UAB on ESPN+ at 1 p.m.
  • Missouri at No. 25 Arkansas on CBS at 2:30 p.m.
  • Colorado at No. 19 Utah on FOX at 3 p.m.
  • TCU at Iowa State on FS1 at 3:30 p.m.

Primetime games

North Carolina (6-5) at No. 20 NC State (8-3) —> 6 p.m. CST on ESPN

In another rivalry game, the NC State Wolfpack and North Carolina Tar Heels meet in a big ACC game. Both teams have high-powered offenses and are led by great quarterbacks. Expect plenty of fireworks in this contest.

Washington State (6-5) at Washington (4-7) —> 7 p.m. CST on FS1

With Washington State and Washington each searching for new head coaches, the Apple Cup does not pack the same punch as the past few years. However, this is still a hated rivalry game that means a ton in the state of Washington.

Saturday, November 27

Morning games

No. 2 Ohio State (10-1) at No. 5 Michigan (10-1) —> 11 a.m. CST on FOX

Michigan has not been able to beat Ohio State under Jim Harbaugh, but this weekend everything is on the line for Harbaugh and the Wolverines. The winner of this rivalry game takes home the Big Ten East and bragging rights. Ohio State’s offense has been electric this season, can Michigan do enough to slow them down?

Ohio State v Michigan
The game of the weekend is in the Big Ten with Ohio State heading to Michigan with the Big Ten East on the line.
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

Florida State (5-6) at Florida (5-6) —> 11 a.m. CST on ESPN

The Wake Forest/Boston College has larger implications across college football, but Florida/Florida State is a much bigger rivalry game. Add in the fact that the winner of this game is bowl eligible and expect a good game to flip between during The Game.

Other morning games of interest:

  • No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech on ABC at 11 a.m. CST
  • No. 18 Wake Forest at Boston College on ESPN2 at 11 a.m. CST
  • Maryland at Rutgers on BTN at 11 a.m. CST
  • Army at Liberty on ESPN+ at 11 a.m. CST
NCAA Football: Wisconsin at Minnesota
Jake Ferguson and the Badgers look to keep the Axe where it belongs and head to the B1G Championship.
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Afternoon games

No. 14 Wisconsin (8-3) at Minnesota (7-4) —> 3 p.m. CST on FOX

AXE WEEK! Not much more needs to be said for Wisconsin and Minnesota fans. The Badgers need a win to head to the Big Ten Championship once again, and to retain Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

No. 3 Alabama (10-1) at Auburn (6-5) —> 2:30 p.m. CST on CBS

Auburn will be without Bo Nix which dramatically changes their chances of taking down Alabama, but you never know. The Crimson Tide have had a couple of close scares in recent weeks, maybe Auburn can keep and close or steal one against their rival.

Penn State (7-4) at No. 12 Michigan State (9-2) —> 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC

Michigan State has lost two of their last three games and has not looked nearly as explosive on offense lately. Penn State has not been the same team the second half of the season either, so it will be interesting to see which team can regain their footing before bowl season.

Other afternoon games of interest:

  • Oregon State at No. 11 Oregon on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Northwestern at Illinois on BTN at 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Indiana at Purdue on FS1 at 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Virginia Tech at Virginia on ACCN at 2:45 p.m. CST

Primetime games

No. 10 Oklahoma (10-1) at No. 7 Oklahoma State (10-1) —> 6:30 p.m. CST on ABC

The second biggest game of the weekend is in Stillwater. Oklahoma has dominated this rivalry in recent years, but this is the best Oklahoma State team in years under Mike Gundy. Both teams have a chance to sneak into the College Football Playoff depending on how they finish the season. Bedlam should be a good one this season.

NCAA Football: Tulsa at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State has a chance to take down a rival while also bolstering their CFP resume versus Oklahoma.
Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Other primetime games of interest:

  • No 23 Clemson at South Carolina on SECN at 6:30 p.m. CST
  • No. 17 Pittsburgh at Syracuse on ACCN at 6:30 p.m. CST
  • Kentucky at Louisville on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. CST
  • No. 6 Notre Dame at Stanford on FOX at 7 p.m. CST

After dark

No. 13 BYU (9-2) at USC (4-6) —> 9:30 p.m. CST on ESPN

USC is without a full-time head coach after relieving Clay Helton earlier in the season, but they still have talent. BYU is looking to win 10 games in consecutive years for the first time since the early 2000s. While this game is not nearly what it could have been if USC was better, it is still a noteworthy late game.

Cal (4-6) at UCLA (7-4) —> 9:30 p.m. CST on FS1

Cal and Justin Wilcox have had back-to-back down years after making it to bowls in two of his first three seasons as head coach. They won’t be bowling this year, but they could take down Chip Kelly and UCLA to grab some momentum heading into the off-season.