- No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 9 Oklahoma State
- Saturday — 7 p.m. — ABC
The annual Bedlam game holds a special kind of magnitude this year. Oklahoma comes into its annual rivalry game with momentum and a shot at a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Sooners trounced Baylor on the road and withstood a fierce comeback by TCU at home. But getting by Oklahoma State on the road might be their toughest test yet. Despite getting crushed by Baylor last week, the Cowboys’ sophomore quarterback Mason Rudolph has been electric, throwing for 3,591 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. Plus, anything can happen in a rivalry game. This Saturday night showdown is a must-see this weekend.
- No. 7 Baylor at No. 15 TCU
- Friday — 6:30 p.m. — ESPN
The state of Texas’ version of the Holy War stood as the de facto Big 12 title game before the season started. Now, this game is relegated to the conference’s second-biggest game of the weekend behind Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State. But everything is still on the line for these two teams. A win for Baylor keeps the Bears’ Big 12 title and playoff hopes alive in the event Oklahoma State wins. A win for TCU gives the Horned Frogs revenge for the last-second loss to Baylor last year and a better ranking after a tough couple weeks. So the luster might not be what it could have been, but expect one heck of a game as you eat those Thanksgiving leftovers.
- No. 8 Ohio State at No. 12 Michigan
- Saturday — 11 a.m. — ABC
Like Baylor vs. TCU, this game is in a much different spot than it appeared before the season began. Michigan was expected to struggle under first-year head coach Jim Harbuagh. But here the Wolverines are, just a muffed punt away from having one loss and being in the playoff discussion. Meanwhile, Ohio State fans are saying “O-H! N-O!” after a last-second loss to Michigan State on Saturday. But the issues go deeper than a “1” in the loss column. Junior running back Ezekiel Elliott threw the coaching staff under the bus after the defeat and announced that he would not be back in 2016. If this is a sign of a rift in the Buckeyes’ locker room, the Wolverines stand a good chance of winning their first game in this series since 2011.
No. 4 Notre Dame at No. 13 Stanford
- Saturday — 6:30 p.m. — FOX
This might be the best game nobody is talking about. It could also have the biggest playoff implications of any game on the weekend schedule. Notre Dame overcame a close loss at Clemson and the loss of junior quarterback Malik Zaire to hold the No. 4 spot in the playoff committee’s rankings. But the Fighting Irish have only played one ranked team — Temple — in their last four games. Stanford, on the other hand, sits with two losses but could alter the playoff rankings. A Stanford win keeps its long-shot hopes of a playoff spot alive. Even if you’re watching another game Saturday night, definitely keep an eye on this one.
