Somehow, Week 13 of the 2024 college football season is here, and after what we witnessed in Week 12, it’s fair to wonder what’s in store down the stretch.
There are six games on the slate for Saturday, November 23, with kickoff times spanning from 2:00 p.m. CT to 7:00 p.m. CT.
It’s been a chaotic season thus far, with underdogs dominating through the first 12 weeks — going 31-24-1 against the spread and 24-32 straight up.
This week, the average line in Big 12 games is under 7.0 points, with four of the seven games having lines of 3.5 points or less. Here’s who will win each game, why they’ll win, and what our predicted final score is.
Arizona (4-6, 2-5) at TCU (6-4, 4-3)
Saturday, Nov. 23 | 2:00 PM (CT) | ESPN+ | Amon G. Carter Stadium; Fort Worth, TX | TCU (-11.5)
Arizona’s 27-3 win over Houston was certainly a positive trend for the Wildcats, and it also kept them in bowl contention for another week. With that being said, turning one win into two might be tough as they’ll be on the road taking on a TCU team that’s coming off a bye week and won three of their last four games. The Horned Frogs haven’t had the season they were hoping for, and Arizona can certainly say the same. TCU wins this one to move to 7-4, and drops Arizona out of bowl contention.
TCU 33, ARIZ 20
BYU (9-1, 6-1) at Arizona State (8-2, 5-2)
Saturday, Nov. 23 | 2:30 PM (CT) | ESPN | Mountain America Stadium; Tempe, AZ | ASU (-3.5)
Four teams have a realistic shot at making the Big 12 Championship Game, and two of them will be on the field in Tempe on Saturday afternoon. BYU is coming off its first loss of the season – a 17-13 loss to Kansas – and is a 3.5-point underdog as of Monday. Both of these teams have been incredibly surprising this season, and the dominance that we saw from Arizona State in the first half of its win over Kansas State suggests that the Sun Devils might be peaking at the right time. There’s been chaos in the Big 12 all season, and ASU beating the Cougars would make things so crazy heading into Week 14. So, that’s what I’m going with.
ASU 27, BYU 23
Texas Tech (6-4, 4-3) at Oklahoma State (3-7, 0-7)
Sat, Nov. 23 | 3:00 PM (CT) | ESPN+ | Boone Pickens Stadium; Stillwater, OK | TTU (-3.5)
In past seasons, this game likely would’ve had at least some impact on the Big 12 race, but when the Red Raiders and Cowboys square off against one another in Stillwater this Saturday, there won’t be all that much on the line. Texas Tech has secured bowl eligibility but is effectively out of the Big 12 race, while Oklahoma State’s chances at a bowl game were shot after their 38-13 loss to TCU a couple of weeks ago. Typically, I would take the Pokes in a position where they’re a home underdog, but Tahj Brooks might run for 250 yards and three touchdowns in this game with how OSU defends the run. Give me Texas Tech to win and cover.
TTU 41, OSU 23
Colorado (8-2, 6-1) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4)
Sat, Nov. 23 | 2:30 PM (CT) | FOX | Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City, MO | COLO (-3.0)
This is a tricky game, and one that will probably see a lot of action from the public as Colorado appears to be the vastly better team based on record alone. However, with how Kansas has played over the last four games, I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if the Jayhawks found a way of winning this game and throwing the Big 12 into complete anarchy heading into Week 14. Colorado has played well on the road and will be in the Big 12 title game if it wins out. Meanwhile, KU needs a win if they hope to salvage their season by making it to 6-6 to get bowl-eligible. Call me crazy, but I think Kansas shocks the world for the third weekend in a row.
KU 33, COLO 31
UCF (4-6, 2-5) at West Virginia (5-5, 4-3)
Sat, Nov. 23 | 2:30 PM (CT) | ESPNU | Milan Puskar Stadium; Morgantown, WV | UCF(-3.0)
Since making the switch to Dylan Rizk at quarterback, UCF’s offense appears to have found yards and points in bunches. The Knights must win this game to have a chance at bowl eligibility, while West Virginia has to win one of its final two games of the year if they hope to get to the postseason. It’s senior night in Morgantown, and there will be plenty of emotions on the home sideline. With that said, I think the visitors are trending in the right direction heading into this one.
UCF 34, WVU 28
Baylor (6-4, 4-3) at Houston (4-6, 3-4)
Sat, Nov. 23 | 6:00 PM (CT) | FS1 | TDECU Stadium; Houston, TX | BAY (-8.0)
Baylor’s offense has found itself under Jake Spavital and the Bears are starting to peak as the season comes to a close. Meanwhile, Houston had picked up back-to-back wins over Utah and Kansas State before getting blitzed by Arizona on the road last week. Houston’s defense has been excellent for most of the season, but this Baylor offense is playing about like Kansas did when the Coogs went to Arrowhead a month ago. That’s bad news for UH.
BAY 31, HOU 13
Iowa State (8-2, 5-2) at Utah (4-6, 1-6)
Sat, Nov. 23 | 6:30 PM (CT) | FOX | Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT | ISU (-6.5)
Iowa State dropped consecutive games before bouncing back against Cincinnati last week, but it might’ve cost the Cyclones a chance at a Big 12 Championship Game appearance. The only thing Matt Campbell’s team can do is win out and hope the teams ahead of them slip up. Meanwhile, Utah has had quite a disappointing season and cannot lose another game if they hope to go bowling. There’s something on the line for both teams, but we’ll take Iowa State in this one.
ISU 26, UTAH 20
Cincinnati (5-5, 3-4) at Kansas State (7-3, 4-3)
Sat, Nov. 23 | 7:00 PM (CT) | ESPN2 | Bill Snyder Family Stadium; Manhattan, KS | KSU (-8.5)
Kansas State laid an egg in the first half against Arizona State last week and it effectively locked the Wildcats out of the Big 12 race. There’s still a chance to win 10 games if they can win these next to and win a bowl game, but the 2024 season will be remembered by the “what-ifs” in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has hit a roadblock with three consecutive losses and needs to pick up a win either this week or next to get to six wins. Unfortunately for them, it won’t be at Kansas State.
KSU 34, CIN 27
