The best week of the college football season is finally here. Rivalries are on the Thanksgiving menu, with an extra serving of games that feature College Football Playoff and conference championship game stakes.
Not a single Power 4 program has clinched a spot in a league title game going into Week 14. And no conference has as many rivalries worth tuning in for than the SEC. Five of the league’s games could have some sort of effect either on which teams will get a first-round bye or which teams might comprise the back end of the bubble. Maybe rivalries do mean more in the South …
But elsewhere around college football, there’s plenty of hate to go around—and with it, meaningful football. Sports Illustrated separated out 10 games that are a step above the rest when it comes to rivalry juice, stakes and just great football to watch. But, if you’re trying to watch every game that will have some sort of impact on the postseason, you can find out how to do that here.
Let’s get into it:
Navy Midshipmen (8–2) at Memphis Tigers (8–3)
Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Celebrate your post-Thanksgiving dinner stupor with service academy football. The Midshipmen control their destiny into the American conference championship game, but there’s no doubt they have the toughest matchup of the week. The issue for the Tigers in recent weeks has been the defense, which has been in the upper echelon of the league all season, yet seemingly ran out of gas against Tulane and East Carolina. That won’t bode well against a Navy offense that just ran for 338 yards on 6.4 yards per carry against South Florida, so expect the scoring to be as bountiful as your Thanksgiving plate.
No. 7 Mississippi Rebels (10–1) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (5–6)
Friday, noon ET, ABC
It’s hard not to love the Egg Bowl, one of the SEC’s fiercest rivalries. And the 2025 edition brings with it the highly anticipated inflection point for Lane Kiffin’s time in Oxford. Ole Miss and its head coach are expected to make a decision on Kiffin’s future following the game, but all of the fanfare couldn’t come at a worse time, when the Rebels are finally on the precipice of a trip to the CFP. With so much at stake, the Bulldogs host this year’s game after having been a tough out for SEC opponents like Tennessee, Florida and Texas this season. Plus, a bowl game is on the line for Mississippi State making this matchup have perhaps the highest stakes of any contest this weekend.
No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs (10–1) at No. 23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9–2)
Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
“Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” produced the rivalry game of the year in the 2024 season when the No. 7 Bulldogs needed eight overtimes to stave off the Yellow Jackets. The victory assured that Georgia would be in the playoff (even if it hadn’t won the SEC championship game over Texas the following week) and also just represented the sort of magic associated with the final week of the college football regular season. Less is on the line this year with the Yellow Jackets having essentially bowed out of the ACC championship game scenarios with a blowout loss vs. Pittsburgh last week, but if last season is any indication, this matchup should live up to its name.
No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies (11–0) at No. 16 Texas Longhorns (8–3)
Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
This is the second straight year that these two teams will meet as ranked opponents, but it’s honestly just refreshing to see this rivalry on the schedule every year again. The Aggies are ranked as the higher team for just the second time in the last 16 meetings and would surely like to clinch their spot in the SEC championship game, which would also likely come with a first-round bye in the playoff. Against all odds, Texas probably still has a path but there’s not enough space in this story to list out everything that might have to happen for that to be the case. CFP ramifications aside, there are stars all over the field in this game. Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed. Texas linebacker Colin Simmons. Aggies edge rusher Cashius Howell. Longhorns receiver Ryan Wingo. Come for the talent, stay for the Longhorn State animosity.
No. 25 Arizona Wildcats (8–3) at No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils (8–3)
Friday, 9 p.m. ET, Fox
Is that Kenny Dillingham’s music? It’s been no Sam Leavitt, no problem for the Sun Devils. Behind sixth-year man Jeff Sims, Arizona State has rattled off three straight wins against teams in the bottom half of the Big 12 and played its way into having a path into the league title game. The Sun Devils need at least two of the three teams above them or tied with (Texas Tech, BYU and Utah) to lose, but the taller task may be beating a solid Arizona team. The Wildcats have won four in a row after back-to-back one-score losses and are playing great in all facets of the game while doing so, particularly on defense.
No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (11–0) at No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (9–2)
Saturday, noon ET, Fox
Ryan Day has lost four straight games to the Team Up North and each loss has resulted in more vitriol than the last—mostly from the Buckeyes’ own fan base. Ohio State at least managed to win a consolation prize, a measly national championship, last season to redeem the loss but there’s no doubt that the program needs to put its Michigan woes behind it. The Wolverines boast pretty much no quality wins yet still have managed to float around the playoff conversation as the fourth-best team in the Big Ten. A win over Ohio State would almost certainly be the most impressive victory by any team this year, so the stakes are high for both teams, which when mixed with two programs with this much history, makes for a pressure cooker ready to explode.
No. 12 Miami Hurricanes (9–2) at Pittsburgh Panthers (8–3)
Saturday, noon ET, ABC
Neither one of these ACC programs control their own destiny, but with some help could find their way into the conference championship game next week. Miami has quietly moved its way up the CFP rankings with wins over Syracuse, NC State and Virginia Tech—all essentially of no value. Still, the Canes find themselves on the back foot to Notre Dame and Utah when it comes to receiving an at-large bid. Rather than griping about its ranking or playing out the scenarios, Miami needs to focus on the goal right in front of them—beating a very good Pitt team on the road. The Canes have ridden the defense and much steadier hand of Carson Beck (eight touchdowns, no interceptions in his last three starts) and will need to continue the holistic approach to take down Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers.
No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores (9–2) at No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers (8–3)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Vanderbilt’s playoff dream isn’t over yet, but even if it doesn’t come to fruition, it’s been a remarkable season for the Commodores. This should no longer be a program that gets overlooked in SEC competition. What would solidify Vandy’s rise even further is a victory over its rivalry to the East. The Dores have beaten the Vols just six times since 1982, five of which came during a seven-year stretch from 2012 to ’18. Vanderbilt hasn’t won since then and has lost pretty handily the last six times out, so it’s for Clark Lea to prove if this historic year is for real, or just a fluke.
No. 6 Oregon Ducks (10–1) at Washington Huskies (8–3)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The Ducks have done everything they needed to do to put themselves in position for the Big Ten’s third bid and yet still might be under threat going into the final week. Awaiting them is a fellow former Pac-12 program, the second straight one Oregon has faced in the last two weeks, and a loss could boot the Ducks out of the field of 12. Washington has had a strange year and hasn’t shown any sort of evidence that it can beat a program of Oregon’s caliber. The loss at Wisconsin didn’t help matters either. But eight wins in Jedd Fisch’s second year at the helm is a step up—nine would be a whopping success.
No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide (9–2) at Auburn Tigers (5–6)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
I couldn’t not include the Iron Bowl in the main block of games, even if this isn’t your standard matchup between two top teams. Akin to the Egg Bowl, one program (Alabama) in this year’s meeting needs a win to avoid falling on the wrong side of the bubble. The other (Auburn) needs a victory over its most dreaded rival just to make a bowl game. It’s difficult to see the Tigers, already in search of Hugh Freeze’s successor, to get that win this season, but the Iron Bowl can be wacky. Auburn may get tricky with its quarterbacks after true freshman Deuce Knight accounted for six touchdowns against Mercer with Ashton Daniels opting to sit to preserve his redshirt. With Daniels expected to be back, interim coach DJ Durkin has options at his disposal—and a chance to give the fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium a high note to end the season.
Other games with CFP or Power 4 conference championship game implications
A disclaimer: some of these games might not be very competitive! But every single one matters and we think that obviously makes them worth watching.
Here’s 11 more games to keep an eye on over the holiday weekend.
- No. 13 Utah Utes (9–2) at Kansas Jayhawks (5–6), Friday, noon ET, ESPN
- Temple Owls (5–6) at North Texas Mean Green (10–1), Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers (11–0) at Purdue Boilermakers (2–9), Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
- No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders (10–1) at West Virginia Mountaineers (4–7), Saturday, noon ET, ESPN
- UCF Knights (5–6) at No. 11 BYU Cougars (10–1), Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- LSU Tigers (7–4) at No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners (9–2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- James Madison Dukes (10–1) at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6–5), Saturday, 3:45 p.m. ET, ESPNU
- Virginia Tech Hokies (3–8) at No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers (9–2), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Charlotte 49ers (1–10) at No. 24 Tulane Green Wave (9–2), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU
- SMU Mustangs (8–3) at California Golden Bears (6–5), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9–2) at Stanford Cardinal (4–7), Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ten Best College Football Games to Watch in Week 14: Which Rivalries Matter the Most.
