5. Iowa @ Wisconsin (3 p.m. on Fox)
A Big Ten West title is on the line Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Badgers remain undefeated in conference play, while the Hawkeyes have just one blemish in a loss against No. 6 Penn State. With the remainder of the teams in the West containing two or more losses, this game could ultimately decide who plays in Indianapolis, Indiana at the end of the season.
Wisconsin is no doubt the favorite to come out on top in front of the stripe-out crowd. The Badgers have played a hard brand of defense all year, leading them to a pair of convincing conference wins.
However, other than its 31-0 loss to the Nittany Lions, Iowa’s defense has been rock solid as well. That performance is still worrisome knowing that the Hawkeyes’ defense has to perform great for them to win with their putrid offense.
While the Badgers’ offense hasn’t been the most impressive, it definitely has not been as bad as the Iowa offense which ranks 131st in yards per game.
This game will likely be the first to 20 points wins. Ultimately, the Badgers have the better offense and the home crowd on their side. Wisconsin will take care of business and take down the Hawkeyes on Saturday.
Winner: Wisconsin
4. No. 10 USC @ No. 21 Notre Dame (6:30 p.m. on NBC)
The Jeweled Shillelagh is up for grabs this weekend in South Bend, Indiana. The Trojans come into the matchup unbeaten with sights set on a berth in the College Football Playoff while the two-loss Fighting Irish now just hope for a New Year’s Six appearance.
For USC, a win in this non-conference matchup could become crucial in deciding one of those last playoff spots, especially with other contenders like Ohio State and Louisville having a win over the Irish.
A one-loss Pac-12 champion has a chance to make the playoffs, but with the landscape shaping out the way it is in college football, the Trojans aren’t going to want to test that possibility.
Notre Dame has a great chance to make that a reality this weekend. USC’s defense has been poor this season and senior quarterback Sam Hartman needs a confidence-boosting game after the last three. Despite the pair of losses, the Irish still have a great team and Hartman is capable of a breakout performance.
It feels like an upset is brewing this weekend in this matchup and the Trojans defense is finally going to let them down after holding on for dear life these past weeks.
Winner: Notre Dame
3. No. 18 UCLA @ No. 15 Oregon State (7 p.m. on Fox)
This matchup is a crucial elimination game in the Pac-12. Both UCLA and Oregon State sit with a loss in conference play, but still with a chance to contend for a conference crown.
UCLA picked up a massive win over Washington State last weekend, setting up this prime-time matchup. However, the offense remains a struggle while the defense carries them to the finish line in most matchups.
The Bruins’ defense passed the test against junior quarterback Cameron Ward and the Cougars’ offense. The question is, can they do it again against an offense with similar production as the Cougars?
Oregon State matches up well with this team because their offense is capable of going blow-for-blow with the Bruins. The defense looked the worst it has all season last week against California, but other than that, it has held up to a standard more than capable of stopping the Bruins.
That will be exactly what happens in Corvallis, Oregon this weekend, as the Beavers will continue to stay in the thick of a Pac-12 Championship game with a key win over the Bruins.
Winner: Oregon State
2. No. 25 Miami @ No. 12 North Carolina (6:30 p.m. on ABC)
If it weren’t for one of the worst coaching decisions of all time by Miami head coach Mario Cristobal by not kneeling out the game against Georgia Tech, this would be a battle between two undefeated teams fighting to remain atop the standings in the ACC. Now this matchup is important for different reasons.
The Hurricanes cannot suffer another loss if they want to stay in the conference picture, after it seemed they would be one of the favorites for the title. Don’t let the blunder against Georgia Tech distract from the fact that Miami still boasts a powerful offense and a solid defense.
There is no doubt they can compete with the top teams in the conference, but that is going to be tested this week on the road against a dangerous quarterback in sophmore Drake Maye.
The Tar Heels’ offense has looked impressive this season behind Maye and the defense. However, they are untested, struggling to do what they need to do to win games convincingly. Miami’s offense will be the toughest they have faced so far.
With that being said, expect this game to be a high-scoring shootout. It will be fun for college football fans to watch as Maye goes back-and-forth with junior quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
This game has potential to go either way, but having to face the Tar Heels on the road after a letdown last week is going to be too much for the Hurricanes to overcome.
Winner: North Carolina
1. No. 8 Oregon @ No. 7 Washington (2:30 p.m. on ABC)
This massive week in the Pac-12 is highlighted by this huge matchup between two undefeated teams in Oregon and Washington.
There are tons of storylines to highlight in this one, such as the battle between two Heisman contending quarterbacks in Oregon senior Bo Nix and Washington senior Michael Penix Jr. Most importantly, a berth in the conference championship or the College Football Playoffs is on the line.
Penix Jr. has looked phenomenal this season and has been key to the Huskies’ success. The defense has been no slouch this season either, ranking 50th nationally in yards given up per game.
That defensive unit has its toughest challenge this week against the No. 4 offense in yards per game. Unfortunately for Oregon though, its defense is up against the No. 1 in the same category.Much like the game between UNC and Miami, college football fans will get a treat in the offensive and quarterback matchups. Ultimately, the Huskies will prevail with the home crowd on their side and Penix continuing to sling the football all over the field.
Winner: Washington