College Football Rankings: 10 Best Games on the Week 13 Schedule

College football’s Week 12 put the BCS back on the right track with the two best teams in the nation back on top in the polls. The loss to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Clemson were all major surprises, and the same can happen in Week 13.  

Right behind the tails of LSU and Alabama is No. 3 Arkansas looking to crash the party in the national title game.  

The BCS polls will continue to move up and down in the final week of the season as the teams fight for one of the top bowl games.  

Here are the best games this upcoming week that can still change the college landscape.

Florida vs Florida State

The Florida vs. Florida State game is a must watch game for me because of the in-state rivalry and how much they hate each other. 

Although both teams are in transition with new coaches Will Muschamp and Jimbo Fisher, the two teams still boast elite and explosive, young talent that will need a little more time in the coming years to compete in the national spotlight.  

This is a game that most people will likely pass on watching this week. That would be a big mistake. The two teams know that this is the biggest game of the year for them, as they look to finish the season on a good note. Look for a fun and exciting game with hard hits and explosive plays.

No. 8 Houston vs Tulsa

The Houston Cougars are one of the top ten teams in the nation, but they have not faced anyone of importance.  

This offense is explosive as can be, and quarterback Case Keenum has had one of the best performances I have ever witnessed in college football, throwing 38 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The Cougars have scored a total of 73 touchdowns this season. Houston needs this win to supplant Boise State for an at-large bowl bid. 

Tulsa started the season 1-3, but the losses came to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State Then they went on a seven game win streak. This team is very good and will look to upset the Cougars’ Cinderella season and keep them out of any bowl contention. 

The Cougars better not overlook Tulsa if they want to play in a BCS Bowl and be one of the only undefeated teams in the nation.

No. 15 Michigan vs. Ohio State

The meeting between Michigan and Ohio State was once one of the greatest rivalries in sports. In 2011, there have been a lot of changes but the prestige is still there. 

The Wolverines are riding a seven-game losing streak against the Buckeyes, and will look to finally break it. Brady Hoke has turned the Michigan program around and will utilize the most explosive player in the nation, Denard Robinson, to the fullest to try and beat the Buckeyes.  

Ohio State will definitely want this game in order to salvage their sub-par season. The Buckeyes will play with a lot of energy, and look to continue the Wolverines losing streak against them. This would be a huge win for the Buckeyes with all the suspensions and sanctions this team has faced this season. 

No. 13 Georgia vs No. 23 Georgia Tech

Georgia has solidified its spot in the SEC Championship, but needs to take care of business against the in-state rival Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs are one of the hottest teams in the nation, riding a nine game winning streak after dropping the first two games of the season.

Georgia is currently ranked 13th in the BCS polls and will look to move up to solidify one of the top bowl games. The No. 23 ranked Yellow Jackets are one of the youngest teams in the nation, but continue to impress with their explosive offense. 

Look for this game to be an offensive explosion. Both teams will give it their all in the 106th meeting in this rivalry.

No. 9 Oklahoma vs Iowa State

Oklahoma’s hopes of playing in the national title game is all but over with the bad loss to Baylor. The game that every Big 12 fan was hoping for was the final game of the season against the previously No. 2 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys fell to a below average Iowa State team in a trap game, and now the final game of the season is basically meaningless. 

The reason why I think that this game is a must-see is because the Cyclones recently shocked the Cowboys and will look to do the same against the Sooners. I love underdogs taking down the big dogs and I have a feeling that Iowa State will give the Sooners a run for their money.

This game is an upset alert.

No. 19 Penn State vs No. 16 Wisconsin

Penn State came away with a huge win against Ohio State amidst the firing of the legend Joe Paterno and the whole Penn State scandal. They face a very good Wisconsin team that is coming off of a solid win against Illinois. 

Whoever wins this game will get their chance at the conference title game and will get one step closer in playing in the Rose Bowl. 

Look for the Nittany Lions to continue to play inspiring football as they try to make Joe Paterno proud. 

No. 6 Stanford vs No. 22 Notre Dame

Stanford Cardinal are at risk of not playing in a BCS bowl this year with the loss to Oregon last week. It did not help the Cardinal’s chances with the Ducks losing to the Trojans. 

An impressive performance and a win would almost solidify Andrew Luck as the Heisman winner this year, so this game against Notre Dame is a big one. 

Notre Dame’s defense is ranked 28th in the nation, while the Cardinal’s offense is ranked 10th. The Irish’s defense has been improving each week, and has the potential to slow down Luck and the offense. Look for Notre Dame’s high-flying defense to be all over the field to try and beat this solid Stanford team in hopes of moving up in the rankings.

I am not a big fan of either of these teams, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Irish lock up Luck and win the game.

No. 17 Clemson vs No. 12 South Carolina

The SEC Championship is out of reach for the Gamecocks, but it doesn’t mean they can’t try to win the in-state championship against the Clemson Tigers.  

South Carolina has been impressive this season after losing their starting quarterback Stephan Garcia and star running back Marcus Lattimore. Coach Spurrier still has this team playing at a high level. 

Both teams entered this game with a 9-2 record, which is the first time these teams had as many wins leading up to this game in this series. This should be the best game in this rivalries history.  

This is the in-state championship of South Carolina, and it should be a great one.

No. 2 Alabama vs No. 24 Auburn

All Alabama needs to do is the win their final game against Auburn to play in the national championship game. The Tide continue to be impressive and have been dominating teams throughout this season.  

The Auburn Tigers have had their ups and downs with the quarterback play of Clint Moseley and Barrett Trotter, so the key for the Tigers to win will be giving running back Michael Dyer the ball. He is one of the best players in the country and will try to get a lot of yards on the ground. 

The Tides secondary and linebackers are so fast that it will be hard for the Tigers to pass.  Running the ball and hoping that Alabama can makes some mistakes will be the key for an upset. 

This is a trap game just as the previous one loss teams in Week 12 fell into, and the Tide must realize this in order to stay atop in the polls.

No. 1 LSU vs No. 3 Arkansas

This matchup this week heads the No. 1 LSU Tigers with their fast, suffocating defense against No. 3 Arkansas and their explosive offense. This game will most likely determine the SEC champion and quite possibly the national championship matchup. 

LSU continues to be dominate against all their opponents not named Alabama, and will look to slow down the powerful offense of the Razorbacks. The defense will need to play at an all-world level in order to stop quarterback Tyler Wilson, who has been carving up every opponent not named Alabama.  

Losing the final game of the season would likely push the Tigers out of the top two spots and likely out of the national title game. This game is the most important game of the season.  

The Razorbacks have not been in the national title game since 1964, and this game against the Tigers will be the biggest game of Arkansas nation. The spirits will be at an all-time level as they look to upset the Tigers. Arkansas will look to sling the ball down the field, challenging the best secondary in the country. 

This could be an epic matchup, just like those against the Tigers and the Tide earlier this season, but this game might have a little more importance, as a win will give one of these teams an easy ride to the national title game.