Big 12, ACC races finally take shape
No. 8 Oklahoma (9-0) at No. 13 Baylor (7-2)
Noon Saturday, FOX
Oklahoma remains in the hunt for its seventh straight
Big 12 title and a possible spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Sooners, No. 8 in the latest CFP rankings, have one win against a ranked team (Texas) and could use another to impress the playoff selection committee. Baylor is coming off a stunning loss to TCU that set the Bears back in their hopes of returning to the conference championship for the second time in the last three years. Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams has completed 74% of his passes for 1,087 yards and 14 TDs with an interception over the last four games.
No. 1 Georgia (9-0) at Tennessee (5-4)
3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
With the SEC East crown already in hand, Georgia can turn its attention to going 8-0 in conference play for the first time in school history. The Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing 6.6 points per game. They’ve surrendered just five total TDs this season. Tennessee, which has lost four straight games to Georgia, leads the nation in offensive plays per minute at 2.92. The last time the Volunteers knocked off a top-ranked team was in 1985 when they upset then-No. 1 Auburn 38-20.
No. 19 Purdue (6-3) at No. 4 Ohio State (8-1)
3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
Ohio State hopes to avoid becoming the latest top-five teams to fall victim to Purdue. The Boilermakers knocked off Iowa (24-7), then No. 2 in the AP poll, and Michigan State (40-29), then No. 3 in the CFP rankings, so a win against the Buckeyes would be the trifecta. A win wouldn’t only throw the Big Ten East race into a tizzy, it would most likely knock Ohio State out of the playoff picture. Purdue’s David Bell could cement his status as the best wide receiver in the country with another prolific performance. The junior accounted for 22 catches and 457 yards in the wins against the Hawkeyes and Spartans.
No. 11 Texas A&M (7-2) at No. 15 Ole Miss (7-2)
7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Texas A&M remains in the hunt for an SEC West title, but the Aggies need Alabama to lose to either Arkansas or Auburn to make it happen. Ole Miss hopes to win eight games for the first time since 2015. To do so, the Rebels must contend with a Texas A&M defense that’s allowed 31 points the last three games. Aggies running back Isaiah Spiller has rushed for over 100 yards in three straight games and is 127 yards away from back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
No. 16 NC State (7-2) at No. 12 Wake Forest (8-1)
7:30 p.m. Saturday, ACC Network
Wake Forest has won three of the last four games in this series but dropped last year’s contest 45-42. The winner of this one gets the inside track on the ACC Atlantic title. NC State has the best scoring defense in the conference, allowing 16 points per game, and has given up a league-best two rushing TDs this season. Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman has passed for 300-plus yards in five straight games, including 398 yards in a loss to North Carolina last week.
Other top 25 games of note
No. 9 Notre Dame (8-1) at Virginia (6-3): The Cavaliers are hopeful star QB Brennan Armstrong (ribs) will play. No. 6 Michigan (8-1) at Penn State (6-3): The Nittany Lions are trying to play spoiler to the Wolverines, who still have Big Ten championship and CFP hopes.
Minnesota (6-3) at No. 20 Iowa (7-2): The Hawkeyes have won six straight in the battle for Floyd of Rosedale.