Ohio State at Michigan, Oregon State at Oregon headline the Top 10 games of Rivalry Weekend
Time flies, huh?
It seems like the 2023 season just started, yet it’s already Rivalry Week featuring a monster slate of games before college football enters a dizzying December — with conference championship games, the transfer portal, the early signing period, bowl games and the College Football Playoff Semifinals on New Year’s Day.
So as we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s enjoy some great football the final weekend of the regular season, too. Just like your dinner plate Thursday, the cupeth run over with storylines and matchups with major implications.
Here are my 10 Top games of Rivalry Week in 2023:
1. No. 3 Ohio State at No. 2 Michigan
A no-brainer. The Wolverines, despite all their off-the-field turmoil, are favorites in “The Game” for the first time since 2018. Sherrone Moore will again be on the sidelines in place of Jim Harbaugh, but the real question is can he get better play out of quarterback J.J. McCarthy?
Meanwhile, Ryan Day is looking to snap a two-game losing streak to Michigan, and he has his best defense (hasn’t allowed over 17 points all season) ever at Ohio State. The winner likely wins the Big Ten and gets a Top-2 seed in the College Football Playoff. The loser ends the regular season staring at real internal strife.
2. No. 11 Oregon State at No. 6 Oregon
The Ducks have been mollywhopping inferior teams all season, but they’ll finally face a pair of offensive and defensive lines capable of giving them some problems in perhaps the final Civil War for the foreseeable future.
The Beavers wasted a real opportunity to upset Washington last weekend, but while they’re no longer in contention for the Pac-12, they can spoil Oregon’s magical season — both a spot in the title game and a path to the playoff — with an upset in Autzen Stadium, somewhere they haven’t won 15 years. Bo Nix needs another strong showing to remain atop most Heisman hot boards.
3. Washington State at No. 5 Washington
The Huskies have navigated the gauntlet of their schedule — three straight wins over the then-ranked team — with a chance to clinch a perfect regular season to go to the Pac-12 Championship. Michael Penix Jr. is still in the Heisman Trophy hunt, too.
Three weeks ago, this game looked like a snoozer, but Washington State is suddenly renewed after blasting Colorado, and an upset over its in-state rival would secure bowl eligibility. Thankfully, this isn’t the final Apple Cup, as the two schools announced plans to extend the series on Sunday.
4. No. 4 Florida State at Florida
Which team can emotionally get off the mat after what happened last weekend? The Seminoles lost starting quarterback — and the backbone of Mike Norvell’s reclamation project in Tallahassee — Jordan Travis to a devastating season-ending leg injury in the win over FCS North Alabama. The Gators should’ve upset No. 9 Missouri only to play terrible defense in the final 45 seconds to allow a game-winning field goal. Both programs will be running out of backup QBs.
In a battle of backup QBs, Tate Rodemaker will look to keep FSU undefeated and in position for a CFP spot, while Max Brown will make his first-career start hoping to lead the Gators to bowl eligibility. Despite UF’s struggles of late, this has been a one-score game in the last two meetings.
5. Texas Tech at No. 7 Texas
The Longhorns still haven’t technically clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship, so a win over the Red Raiders would do just that while keeping their CFP hopes alive.
Steve Sarkisian would like to get a double-dose of revenge in this game, too — as Texas Tech upset Texas last year, and this offseason, conference commissioner Brett Yormark made it clear he hoped Joey McGuire & Co., beat the Longhorns again as a goodbye present from the Big 12.
The Red Raiders haven’t had the season they hoped, but they are on a three-game winning streak — all one-possession victories.
6. Kentucky at No. 10 Louisville
The Cardinals clinched a spot in the ACC Championship with a win over Miami, but if Jeff Brohm can end Louisville’s four-game losing streak in the Governor’s Cup, his team will likely secure a New Year’s Six Bowl berth (Orange Bowl, probably). While the Cards could absolutely upset FSU in the ACC title game, the Seminoles desperately want them to beat UK for them to remain a Top 10 opponent.
It’s been a miserable season for Kentucky, which has lost five of six games. But an upset over a bitter rival would cleanse some of the pain for Mark Stoops’ program.
7. No. 17 Arizona at Arizona State
The Wildcats, winners of five straight in 2023, snapped a five-game losing streak in the Territorial Cup last season, and a win Saturday could sneak Jedd Fisch’s team into the Pac-12 title game if Oregon loses to Oregon State.
Fisch is already one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel, and winning nine regular-season games with the Wildcats would merit real National Coach of the Year consideration.
8. No. 13 Ole Miss at Mississippi State
These two teams could be 0-11 each and the Egg Bowl will always be one of the best rivalry games because of how much these two programs hate each other. This has been a tradition of wacky and wild games in recent years, and there are stakes in this year’s showdown, too: Lane Kiffin is looking to deliver Ole Miss its second 10-win regular season ever, perhaps locking down a New Year’s Six Bowl berth.
As for Mississippi State, the Bulldogs have an interim head coach but are a win away from making a bowl game for the 14th straight season. Expect some fireworks as the tryptophan starts to kick in Thursday night.
9. No. 8 Alabama at Auburn
The Tigers just paid New Mexico State $1.8 million to embarrass them in Jordan-Hare Stadium, so how much do you think they’d cough up not to have to face a red-hot Alabama team looking to make another statement for the College Football Playoff committee?
It’ll be Hugh Freeze’s Iron Bowl debut, but unless Auburn gins up some of its classic Tigers voodoo, that will simply be a footnote in a game Nick Saban is looking to use as a tuneup for No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship.
10. UTSA at No. 18 Tulane
While not a traditional rivalry game considering UTSA just joined the AAC, Saturday’s matchup features all sorts of storylines: The final regular-season games of two of the best G5 quarterbacks the last few seasons in Michael Pratt and Frank Harris.
Oh, and both programs are 7-0 in conference play looking for a victory to clinch a spot in the AAC Championship. There’s a possibility this could be the first of two games between the new conference foes over the next two weeks. Jeff Traylor, who has already reportedly interviewed for the opening at Texas A&M, hopes to add another highlight to his resume, while Willie Fritz looks to lead Tulane to back-to-back New Year’s Six bowl games.