No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Michigan are playing the biggest game of the weekend, easily.
But there are still big games head coach Ryan Day will likely keep an eye on before and after The Game Saturday afternoon. Here's three big games from this weekend.
All odds are from BetMGM.
No. 4 Cincinnati at East Carolina: 3:30 p.m. Friday, ABC
Cincinnati is officially into the College Football Playoff picture, coming in at No. 4 in the final weekend of the regular season with championship matchups still looming. It seems as though the Bearcats have a spot in the top-four locked up if they just win out, possibly for a spot against Ohio State in one of the Playoff semifinal games, if the Buckeyes win their next two games
Here's what Day will be looking for from this game: how Cincinnati responds on the field when the expectation has arrived, already having shown enough to warrant a top-four spot with "style points" against SMU last weekend. Can QB Desmond Ritter, RB Jerome Ford and a Bearcat offense that has scored 40 points or more in six games this season — including their past two against South Florida and the Mustangs — along with a defense that is the seventh-best in the country, allowing 305.2 yards per game and is one of five teams in the country, along with Georgia, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and Iowa, to allow less than 4.5 yards per play, continue to show that dominance even with the attention as a Playoff team?
My pick: Cincinnati -14
No. 3 Alabama at Auburn: 3:30 p.m., CBS
This is a game that has gone back and forth for the past four years.
In games Alabama's won, it has been bloodbaths, winning the 2020 and 2018 versions of this game by an average of 30 points. In Auburn's wins in 2019 and 2017 — both at Auburn — the Tigers have won by a combined 15 points.
This time, Alabama is back in Auburn. As the Crimson Tide take on the Tigers, all eyes will be on Nick Saban's team, including Day's, to see if it has a prayer against Georgia in the SEC title game. Bryce Young and the Alabama offense could show up, pitting the No. 6 offense in the country against an Auburn defense that allows 371.3 yards per game and a quarterback completion percentage of 66.7%: tied with Kentucky for the highest in the conference.
Auburn is no slouch offensively either, recording 6.2 yards per play and more than 400 yards per game. But when the Tigers faced Georgia, it was an offense that mustered 10 points and 328 yards of offense, including only 1.6 yards per carry.
My pick: Auburn +20.5
No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma: 7:30 p.m., ABC
Bedlam: a series that has gone Oklahoma's way for the past six meetings, winning by an average of over 18 points.
Oklahoma State's playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, a spot that's been held by no other team than Oklahoma since its inception in the 2014 season. But the Cowboys have been dominant on defense, allowing 14.9 points per game, 18 touchdowns — six less than second-place Baylor in the conference — and 266.9 yards per game, the only Big 12 team inside the 300-yard total. Add a running back in Jaylen Warren, and you have a team that can win any game that it plays.
Since its loss to Baylor, Oklahoma struggled to pass Iowa State, beating the Cyclones by one touchdown. But the Sooners still have one of the better passing offenses in the country, averaging more than 266 yards per game and 8.7 yards per pass attempt with freshman Caleb Williams.
It seems like a Big 12 team has the chance to secure one of the top four spots in the Playoff and could be a team Ohio State may play when it's all said and done.
My pick: Oklahoma State -4
Other games to watch
Last week against the spread: 3-5; Overall: 24-32
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 5 Michigan: 12 p.m., FOX — Ohio State -7.5
No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech: 12 p.m., ABC — Georgia Tech +35.5
No. 11 Oregon vs. Oregon State 3:30 p.m., ESPN — Oregon State +6.5
No. 12 Michigan State vs. Penn State: 3:30 p.m., ABC — Michigan State +1.5
No. 6 Notre Dame at Stanford: 8 p.m., FOX — Notre Dame -20
But there are still big games head coach Ryan Day will likely keep an eye on before and after The Game Saturday afternoon. Here's three big games from this weekend.
All odds are from BetMGM.
No. 4 Cincinnati at East Carolina: 3:30 p.m. Friday, ABC
Cincinnati is officially into the College Football Playoff picture, coming in at No. 4 in the final weekend of the regular season with championship matchups still looming. It seems as though the Bearcats have a spot in the top-four locked up if they just win out, possibly for a spot against Ohio State in one of the Playoff semifinal games, if the Buckeyes win their next two games
Here's what Day will be looking for from this game: how Cincinnati responds on the field when the expectation has arrived, already having shown enough to warrant a top-four spot with "style points" against SMU last weekend. Can QB Desmond Ritter, RB Jerome Ford and a Bearcat offense that has scored 40 points or more in six games this season — including their past two against South Florida and the Mustangs — along with a defense that is the seventh-best in the country, allowing 305.2 yards per game and is one of five teams in the country, along with Georgia, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and Iowa, to allow less than 4.5 yards per play, continue to show that dominance even with the attention as a Playoff team?
My pick: Cincinnati -14
No. 3 Alabama at Auburn: 3:30 p.m., CBS
This is a game that has gone back and forth for the past four years.
In games Alabama's won, it has been bloodbaths, winning the 2020 and 2018 versions of this game by an average of 30 points. In Auburn's wins in 2019 and 2017 — both at Auburn — the Tigers have won by a combined 15 points.
This time, Alabama is back in Auburn. As the Crimson Tide take on the Tigers, all eyes will be on Nick Saban's team, including Day's, to see if it has a prayer against Georgia in the SEC title game. Bryce Young and the Alabama offense could show up, pitting the No. 6 offense in the country against an Auburn defense that allows 371.3 yards per game and a quarterback completion percentage of 66.7%: tied with Kentucky for the highest in the conference.
Auburn is no slouch offensively either, recording 6.2 yards per play and more than 400 yards per game. But when the Tigers faced Georgia, it was an offense that mustered 10 points and 328 yards of offense, including only 1.6 yards per carry.
My pick: Auburn +20.5
No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma: 7:30 p.m., ABC
Bedlam: a series that has gone Oklahoma's way for the past six meetings, winning by an average of over 18 points.
Oklahoma State's playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, a spot that's been held by no other team than Oklahoma since its inception in the 2014 season. But the Cowboys have been dominant on defense, allowing 14.9 points per game, 18 touchdowns — six less than second-place Baylor in the conference — and 266.9 yards per game, the only Big 12 team inside the 300-yard total. Add a running back in Jaylen Warren, and you have a team that can win any game that it plays.
Since its loss to Baylor, Oklahoma struggled to pass Iowa State, beating the Cyclones by one touchdown. But the Sooners still have one of the better passing offenses in the country, averaging more than 266 yards per game and 8.7 yards per pass attempt with freshman Caleb Williams.
It seems like a Big 12 team has the chance to secure one of the top four spots in the Playoff and could be a team Ohio State may play when it's all said and done.
My pick: Oklahoma State -4
Other games to watch
Last week against the spread: 3-5; Overall: 24-32
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 5 Michigan: 12 p.m., FOX — Ohio State -7.5
No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech: 12 p.m., ABC — Georgia Tech +35.5
No. 11 Oregon vs. Oregon State 3:30 p.m., ESPN — Oregon State +6.5
No. 12 Michigan State vs. Penn State: 3:30 p.m., ABC — Michigan State +1.5
No. 6 Notre Dame at Stanford: 8 p.m., FOX — Notre Dame -20
