College football Week 13 picks against the spread: Massive games in ACC, Big 12 races

On paper, the Week 13 slate has just a few clearly necessary video games after which a bunch of anticipated blowouts for the highest groups within the nation. Simply within the prime 10, two groups have bye weeks, two play FCS groups and three others are favored by greater than 30 factors.

That doesn’t create a whole lot of hype for this week’s motion, however the highlight video games have a lot on the road, whether or not they have an effect on potential convention title sport berths or have Faculty Soccer Playoff stakes.

Our workers has made picks in opposition to the unfold for six video games this week, plus wild-card picks on the backside (together with picks standings). Learn on for what to observe for within the 4 greatest video games, however first, listed here are the picks:

No. 22 Missouri at No. 8 Oklahoma

Midday ET on ABC

The No. 8 Sooners climbed the mountaintop, downing then-No. 4 Alabama to play themselves right into a playoff spot, for now. However the deadliest a part of summiting Mount Everest is definitely the journey down from the height, and a house sport in opposition to Missouri has “WARNING” written throughout it.

The Tigers could also be 7-3, however they’re a reliable group that misplaced to Bama on a final-possession decide and Vanderbilt when a Hail Mary catch landed a few inches wanting the aim line. They’ve top-of-the-line entrance sevens within the SEC, an All-American candidate at working again in Ahmad Hardy and will get beginning quarterback Beau Pribula again after what many thought was a season-ending damage in that Vandy sport.

Oklahoma continues to be the higher group, however the Tigers actually have the bona fides to be a menace ought to the Sooners come out affected by an emotional hangover.

Quarterback John Mateer seems practically at full power after his hand surgical procedure; he was once more wanting like a dynamic twin menace in opposition to Alabama, even when OU’s protection and particular groups did many of the work in that sport. Mizzou’s secondary is ripe for exploitation, even for a passer like Mateer, who has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three of the previous 4 video games. Plus, the Sooners have greater than sufficient of a move rush to disrupt a shaky Tiger offensive line.

Oklahoma earned a seat on the desk final week. Groups that keep there deal with their enterprise in opposition to lesser foes. If OU is locked in and enjoying offended, Missouri received’t be capable to hold tempo offensively. But when the Sooners drag and it turns right into a four-quarter sport, the excessive of the Bama win may very well be a short-lived peak in a near-miss season.

No. 15 USC at No. 7 Oregon

3:30 p.m. ET on CBS

So far as ripple results go, this sport is the largest stone on this week’s pond. Firstly of the season, No. 7 Oregon’s schedule seemed sturdy sufficient {that a} 10-2 displaying appeared like it will be playoff-worthy.

Retrospection has softened that schedule significantly, and the Geese misplaced to the most effective group they performed in Indiana. A second loss wouldn’t essentially knock them out, however their candidacy would definitely be up for debate, preserving hope alive for a half dozen fringe groups.

Conversely, No. 15 USC could be on the playoff precipice with an upset win in Eugene, and a follow-up victory in opposition to UCLA might cement their spot.

Given USC’s speedy ascension and Oregon’s lack of true assessments, the 9.5-point unfold appears a bit beneficiant even when the Geese are at dwelling. USC’s greatest query underneath Lincoln Riley has been whether or not the Trojans are bodily sufficient to match up with the Massive Ten powers, and whereas Oregon actually has the upfront benefit on either side of the ball, the hole will not be as vast as in years previous. The return of tight finish Kenyon Sadiq helps, and if receiver Dakorien Moore can swimsuit up, the Geese get significantly extra harmful.

USC has already proven itself to be extra combat-ready than in years previous. Its protection and tackling are vastly improved, and whereas the Trojans’ move rush isn’t as formidable because the convention powers, it’s efficient sufficient to be disruptive. The figuring out issue will probably be whether or not the Trojans can set up any semblance of a run sport in opposition to Oregon’s entrance seven. USC’s run blocking is undeniably its weakest level, and if there’s no menace of the run, the Geese are greater than able to shutting down a one-dimensional assault, even when it’s fueled by expertise like Jayden Maiava and Makai Lemon.

The Trojans have been in a position to do it in opposition to No. 18 Michigan, racking up 224 floor yards in opposition to a protection permitting the Twelfth-fewest speeding yards per sport. If they’ll replicate that success and the protection can drive Oregon quarterback Dante Moore to beat them together with his arm, USC might steal the long run Oregon imagined for itself when the season opened.

Pitt at No. 16 Georgia Tech

7 p.m. ET on ESPN

The ACC is in abject chaos in the meanwhile, with six groups nonetheless within the hunt for the convention championship sport. No. 16 Georgia Tech can deliver some semblance of order to issues with a win over Pitt, which might lock the Yellow Jackets into the ACC Championship Sport because the first-place group and successfully remove Pitt from competition.

If the Panthers conjure an upset as 2.5-point street underdogs, the ifs, ands and ors get much more complicated than they already are.

Greater than something, this sport ought to assist make clear whether or not Georgia Tech is a high quality group that allow its foot off the fuel the final two weeks in opposition to NC State and Boston Faculty, or a mean group that overperformed early and has regressed again to the imply. The Yellow Jackets’ massive win in opposition to Clemson, then ranked No. 12, has been diminished by Clemson’s collapse. The remainder of their schedule lacks any authoritative wins over high quality opponents.

Pitt is much from a nationwide title contender, but when the final couple weeks have actually been Georgia Tech’s prime gear, the Panthers have greater than sufficient to come back away with a win. Even after getting run over by Notre Dame, they nonetheless boast a top-10 run protection to counter the Yellow Jackets’ main mode of assault. Their passing offense, ranked sixteenth, can exploit Georgia Tech’s porous secondary. Plus, they need to don’t have any hassle working the ball since GT permits greater than 160 yards per sport on the bottom.

The ACC is a large number and can battle to get a couple of group into the playoff, however no less than this sport will illuminate whether or not the convention has a standout contender or not.

No. 11 BYU at Cincinnati

8 p.m. ET on FOX

The Massive 12 title sport continues to be up for grabs, although No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU are the one groups that require no assist to achieve it. The Crimson Raiders are on bye this week, and a win over scuffling West Virginia subsequent week would safe their slot. The Cougars’ path consists of this conflict with Cincinnati.

The Bearcats’ shock loss to Arizona was an enormous blow to their Massive 12 title probabilities, however downing BYU would hold them within the hunt. They’d require the proper groups to lose within the ultimate two weeks, however the door stays open, as does a path to the Faculty Soccer Playoff.

However the Cougars could kill that dream on the vine. BYU has a top-25 speeding assault, working for practically 200 yards per sport this season. The passing assault is much less strong, however the Bearcats’ protection is ranked 87th in opposition to the run and 88th in opposition to the move, that means the Cougs have greater than sufficient firepower to do injury.

The Bearcats can run the ball simply as nicely, however BYU is permitting simply 17.8 factors a sport. The Cougars’ run protection is actually the weakest a part of the armor, however it’s significantly higher than Cincinnati’s and the most effective the Bearcats’ three-headed assault of Tawee Walker, Evan Pryor (if wholesome), and quarterback Brendan Sorsby has confronted. The truth that Cincinnati is at dwelling is a component of what’s preserving the unfold tight, however the personnel matchup favors the Cougars.

Wild-card picks

Each week, our pickers choose one other guess of their selecting that isn’t restricted to the video games listed above.

Matt Baker: Arizona -6.5 vs. Baylor

Seth Emerson: Vanderbilt -9.5 vs. Kentucky

Sam Khan Jr.: Arizona -6.5 vs. Baylor

Austin Mock: Maryland +14 vs. Michigan

Dan Santaromita: Duke -7 at North Carolina

Daniel Shirley: Mercer +31.5 at Auburn

David Ubben: Tulane at Temple over 55.5

Chris Vannini: Pitt at Georgia Tech over 61.5

Picks standings