College football week 13 consecutive picks
Week 13 candidates for Before The Snap include USC-Oregon, BYU-Cincinnati, Pitt-Georgia Tech, Missouri-Oklahoma, and Utah-Kansas State.
Style points don’t matter to No. 8 Oklahoma.
Last week’s win over No. 10 Alabama moved the Sooners into at-large position, making things much easier heading into games against No. 22 Missouri and LSU to end the regular season. Win by one point, one touchdown, five touchdowns and advance to the College Football Playoff.
One game lost, one more to go. It wasn’t pretty, but the Sooners defeated Missouri State 17-6 thanks to a rousing performance from a defense that forced two turnovers and allowed just 4.2 yards per play.
This offsets further lackluster production from offensive lineman and quarterback John Matthia, who completed 14 of 30 attempts for 173 yards and has exceeded 200 passing yards just once in the past four games. Mater gained a team-high 60 yards and completed two touchdown passes without an interception for the first time this season.
Ultimately, this offensive mediocrity will limit the Sooners from winning a single game in the playoffs, let alone racking up wins and reaching the national semifinals. Oklahoma has never gained more than 359 yards in an SEC game, and only one Power 4 opponent has topped 400 yards, No. 17 Michigan.
But that’s a future concern for a program focused on becoming the first SEC member to reach double-digit wins. And while it has struggled down the stretch, Missouri faces a much tougher test than LSU, which took another step back after firing Brian Kelly.
Taking care of business put the Sooners on top of Saturday’s biggest winners and losers.
winner
Oregon
No. 5 Oregon State, which has been roaming atop the playoff rankings despite only one notable win against Iowa two weeks ago, made a long-awaited statement by defeating No. 16 Southern California 42-27 in a competitive matchup with implications for the Big Ten and the playoffs. With this win, the Ducks will likely qualify and could sneak into a rematch with No. 2 Indiana if No. 1 Ohio State loses five straight to No. 18 Michigan. The defense forced two turnovers, allowed just 1.8 yards per carry and slowed down prolific wide receiver Makai Lemon. Makai Lemon had seven receptions and two scores, but only gained 34 yards. Dante Moore paced a balanced offense with 257 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.6 yards per pass attempt and 179 rushing yards.
SMU
If No. 12 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia finish the regular season with just one loss, an early loss to Wake Forest could knock SMU out of the ACC Championship Game. But just like last year, the Mustangs are rushing to the finish line in the regular season, and unlike last year, they could reach the ACC and win the championship if the Yellow Jackets lose to Pittsburgh or the Cavaliers lose to Virginia Tech. Against struggling Louisville, the Mustangs allowed just 228 yards and a 38-6 victory with Kevin Jennings scoring four total points.
virgin
No. 9 Notre Dame, which had two interceptions and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown as part of a 35-point first quarter, defeated Syracuse 70-7 and came within a hair of a playoff berth. While there was some concern that a head-to-head win in September would give Miami a jump in the playoff rankings, the Fighting Irish appeared to be among the true championship favorites against one of the biggest disappointments in a very disappointing ACC. Running back Jeremiah Love continued his solid run heading into the Heisman Trophy ceremony, rushing for 171 yards and three scores on 21.4 yards per carry.
Diego Pavia
Love may be ruled out as a Heisman finalist, but Pavia seems assured of a trip to Manhattan after leading No. 13 Vanderbilt to a 45-17 victory over Kentucky, going 32-of-38 for 484 yards and four touchdowns, with a team-high 48 yards and a score on the ground. The senior is virtually guaranteed to be the Commodores’ best Heisman finish since Carl Hinkle finished seventh in 1937, and could end up winning the award with another strong performance next weekend against No. 20 Tennessee.
tulane
No. 25 Tulane ranks third among Group of Five teams in the U.S. LBM Coaches Poll, but leads the playoff standings at No. 24, giving the Green Wave an inside track to an automatic spot in Group of Five. Getting there will ultimately require a win in the conference championship game, but Tulane avoided a sneaky test at Temple with a 37-13 win, leaving them just shy of a matchup with hapless Charlotte and away from a fourth straight American Championship.
loser
southern california
A loss at Autzen Stadium would end the Trojans’ Big Ten and playoff hopes. The path to the matchup against Indiana was slim. USC needs a win on Saturday and a win against UCLA next week before Michigan State beats Ohio State. Currently with three losses, the Trojans are not strong candidates for the large spot and must start looking ahead to the season, which will be a crucial transfer window as they continue to build a more complete roster. In the end, losses to Notre Dame and the Ducks won’t ruin this season for USC. The big mistake was a last-second field goal against Illinois early in the Big Ten game in a 34-32 loss.
james madison
Three explosive scoring plays – a 37-yard interception return, a 68-yard touchdown pass and a 58-yard touchdown run – helped No. 21 James Madison defeat Washington State 24-20, avoiding what would have been a crushing loss for the Dukes’ playoff hopes. While better than the alternative teams, the nature of their wins may be too difficult to overcome. WSU was very competitive in games against No. 6 Mississippi State and Virginia, but lost 59-10 to North Texas, one of the four teams competing for the national championship earlier this season. This result would be another factor in the Mean Green and American’s favor if JMU and UNT are the two teams in Group of 5 that are being considered for the playoffs.
north carolina
North Carolina, which had a 25-24 lead over rival Duke on a fourth-down stop with about nine minutes left in the game, gave the Blue Devils the ball back with a three-and-out, but allowed an 11-play, 67-yard touchdown drive and lost 32-25, ensuring that Bill Belichick’s trainwreck debut would fall short of bowl play. (Join Duke coach Manny Diaz and the applause for his fake field goal design that set up the Blue Devils’ winning score.) This will be the first year since 2019 to miss the postseason for the Tar Heels, who won at least six games in all six seasons under former coach Mack Brown.
Days after Baylor gave a public vote of confidence to coach Dave Aranda to return for the 2026 season, the Bears were bulldozed during a tumultuous fourth quarter at Arizona, resulting in a demoralizing 41-17 loss and a final game against No. 24 Houston on the brink of a bowl berth. The blame for four losses out of five games lies squarely with the defense. Baylor has allowed at least 41 points in all four setbacks, at least 34 points in five of six games, and at least 27 points in seven of eight conference games.
