Projecting the biggest CFB games of 2023: Week 13

This is the 13th and final part of a series where I go week by week ranking what I expect to be the biggest games in college football. For a longer description of what this series is, start with part 1 here!

Rivalry Week is full of great games. There are way too many to list in just this article, but I still narrowed down my top 3. I expect conference realignment to raise the emotions for some games this year, and that’s reflected in this week’s list. But it’s rivalry week, almost every game will be worth a watch for one reason or another.

3rd – Oregon State at Oregon

The Civil War.

The 1st meeting was in 1894, and with 129 meetings, it is the 5th most played college football game at the FBS level. The schools are less than 50 miles apart, and the schools are about to be in different conferences. College Football doesn’t make sense anymore.

This Black Friday game will mean the world to everyone in Corvallis, Oregon. It’s possibly their last chance to stick it to the Big-Evil-Nike Ducks for delivering the death blow to their home, the Pac-12.

Oregon will want revenge from last year when they lost this game. They have grown accustomed to beating the Beavers, going 10-3 in the last 13.

Oregon State has a new QB that is expected to light it up (DJ Uiagalelei), and Oregon has returning QB, Bo Nix, who also expects to light it up. Both teams played good defense and ran the ball last year. Both should do so again this year.

This game could easily be for a spot in the Pac-12 title game, giving it even more meaning on top of the rivalry part and the realignment part.

2nd – Texas Tech at Texas

The Texas Sendoff.

Texas is on its way to the SEC, and its last regular season game is against in-state rival Texas Tech. Texas is the favorite to win the Big 12 in 2023 (and Oklahoma is 2nd). But the teams being left behind will be dead set on making sure Texas doesn’t go out on a high note.

Texas is back, right?

Every year Texas is back, but they only have one 10 win season in the last 13 years. But if you ask the AP writers, Texas is back, again, coming in at 11th.

They have the QB in Quinn Ewers (a fan in the back shouts, “Don’t forget about Arch Manning!”).

They have the WR in Xavier Worthy – I expect him to go in the 1st round of the draft.

They have the TE in Ja’Tavion Sanders – Conservatively a top 5 TE in the country.

But there are reasons to doubt Texas too.

RB Bijan Robinson is not replaceable.

Is the defense any good? (Probably).

This is Sarkisian’s first gig as a head coach, and he’s in year 3. Will he make the jump from good to great?

Texas Tech is underrated… according to me. They didn’t even crack the AP top 25 (they would’ve been 26 based on the receiving votes section). I have them at 16 in my ranking. They went 8-5 last year with a win over Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl. They beat both Texas and OU in overtime. And, they ended the season on a 4 game win streak. Things look promising in Lubbock.

Last year was Joey McGuire’s first season as HC, and I expect improvement in year 2.

This is more than just Texas Tech sending Texas off to the SEC. I see this game as a possible Big 12 championship game preview.