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Viewer's guide to Week 13: Can't-miss matchups, potential upsets, and more

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Three teams remain undefeated with two weeks still to play in the regular season. Around 11 are in the College Football Playoff picture.

A week after Georgia-Auburn and Baylor-Oklahoma provided fireworks, there's only one matchup between playoff contenders: Penn State's trip to Columbus. However, nine of the top 10 teams are in action this weekend.

theScore is here to guide your viewing experience. Here's our look at the can't-miss matchups, under-the-radar games, and potential upsets for Week 13 (all times ET).

The early slate

Must-watch: No. 8 Penn State at No. 2 Ohio State (noon, FOX)

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For the third consecutive year, Ohio State and Penn State meet as top-10 teams. The Buckeyes have prevailed by one point in each of the last two seasons.

This year's game could decide the Big Ten East, as well as a College Football Playoff spot.

The Buckeyes get dominant defensive end Chase Young back from a two-game suspension. Young has 13.5 sacks in eight games this season, including four against Wisconsin on Oct. 26.

Penn State will hope it has receiver KJ Hamler, who missed most of last week's win over Indiana because of an injury. Hamler is the Nittany Lions' top receiving threat. He has 46 receptions for 791 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Has potential: UCF at Tulane (noon, CBSSN)

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Neither UCF nor Tulane is in the mix for the AAC title at this point. But that doesn't mean the matchup won't be fun.

The Knights are coming off a 34-31 loss at Tulsa, their third defeat of the season. But they've scored 30-plus points in all but one game this year. Freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel (24 touchdowns, seven interceptions) continues to excel.

After a 5-1 start, Tulane has lost three of four. The Green Wave still have one of the best rushing attacks in college football, though. Three players, led by quarterback Justin McMillan, have gained more than 400 yards on the ground this season.

Upset alert: Illinois at No. 17 Iowa (noon, Big Ten Network)

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Iowa earned its first win against a ranked opponent in its fourth try last week when it topped Minnesota. The Hawkeyes' defense continues to be one of the best in the country, holding foes to 12.4 points per game.

But don't count out Illinois in this one. Iowa has to refocus following a big victory and the Fighting Illini have won four consecutive games.

Illinois was off last week after a 37-34 defeat of Michigan State. Lovie Smith's team has already qualified for its first bowl since 2014 and previously defeated a ranked Wisconsin squad.

Keep an eye on: No. 10 Minnesota at Northwestern (noon, ABC)

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Minnesota and Northwestern are on opposite tracks. The Golden Gophers, with a talented quarterback (Tanner Morgan) and star receiver (Rashod Bateman), rank fifth in the country in yards per pass attempt. Northwestern ranks 130th - dead last.

The Wildcats won their second game of the season last week, but it came against FBS' worst team, UMass. Minnesota should be hungry to rebound following a loss to Iowa. But it's still worth monitoring, as the Golden Gophers are among the dwindling number of teams still alive in the CFP race.

Midafternoon

Must-watch: Texas A&M at No. 4 Georgia (3:30 p.m., CBS)

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At 9-1 and in control of the SEC East, Georgia knows it must defeat the SEC West champion (likely LSU) in the conference title game to reach the playoff.

First, though, the Bulldogs must thwart any threat from Texas A&M.

Georgia has won with defense since its surprise loss to South Carolina, holding Kentucky, Florida, Missouri, and Auburn to a combined 31 points. In their last three games, the Bulldogs have allowed 155 rushing yards on 79 attempts.

The Aggies have won four consecutive contests, but none came against ranked opponents. They're 0-3 against ranked teams this year.

Has potential: No. 13 Michigan at Indiana (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

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Michigan is one of the hottest teams in college football just in time for next week's game against Ohio State.

The Wolverines have won three in a row by wide margins, including a 44-10 rout of Michigan State last week. The defense might be a top-10 unit nationally and the offense has improved - Shea Patterson has seven touchdown passes and no interceptions in the three wins. Luck has also been on Michigan's side, as it has lost only one fumble in its last four games after losing nine in its first six.

Indiana missed an opportunity for a signature win last week, falling 34-27 at Penn State. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey threw for a career-high 371 yards in the loss.

Upset alert: Texas at No. 14 Baylor (3:30 p.m., FS1)

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A 7-5 record would be a colossal disappointment for Texas in a year when it had designs on contending for the playoff. But the Longhorns are staring down that reality as they head to Waco as underdogs against Baylor.

Texas has been average in too many areas this season, and its pass defense hasn't been pretty. The Longhorns are allowing more than 300 yards per game through the air and rank tied for 117th in touchdown passes allowed (24).

It will be interesting to see how Baylor responds to coughing up a 28-3 lead last week against Oklahoma. Ranked 14th, the Bears have received the least amount of respect among the Power 5 teams with a lone defeat. Baylor ranks below three two-loss programs (Florida, Wisconsin, and Michigan).

Keep an eye on: Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech (3:30 p.m., ESPN2) or No. 25 SMU at Navy (3:30 p.m., CBSSN)

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Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech are two of the three teams tied in the loss column atop the ACC Coastal standings. Virginia is the other.

If the Hokies win the division, it would represent one of the best in-season turnarounds in the country. Virginia Tech lost 45-10 to Duke and dropped to 2-2 on Sept. 27. It has won five of six since then, with the only failure coming by a single point at Notre Dame. Moving to sophomore Hendon Hooker at quarterback has been a positive change.

Pittsburgh might crack the top 25 with a win over the Hokies, and Pat Narduzzi's Panthers are doing it with defense. They rank outside the top 100 in both yards per pass attempt and yards per rush but are inside the top 10 in yards per pass attempt allowed and yards per rush allowed.

Evening

Must-watch: TCU at No. 9 Oklahoma (8 p.m., FOX)

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TCU hasn't fared well against Oklahoma recently. In three games between the two teams since Lincoln Riley became Sooners head coach, his squad has won by scores of 38-20, 41-17, and 52-27.

Still, this is interesting. A win won't be a great addition to Oklahoma's resume, but a balanced showing of both offense and defense should resonate with the CFP committee. At this point, OU has three opportunities - against TCU, Oklahoma State, and in the Big 12 Championship game - to change the minds of those who determine the final four.

TCU picked up a critical victory over Texas Tech last week to improve to 5-5. Even if Gary Patterson's team can't pull off the upset this week, it will be favored in its regular-season finale against West Virginia as it tries to reach a bowl game.

Has potential: No. 6 Oregon at Arizona State (7:30 p.m., ABC)

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Oregon's defense continues to get better, holding Arizona to 240 total yards in a 34-6 win last week.

Freshman Kayvon Thibodeaux, one of the highest-rated recruits in the 2019 class, is playing an increasingly big role in that. Thibodeaux had two sacks last week, giving him a team-leading eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks for the year.

The Ducks present a tough task for an Arizona State team trying to turn around its season. The Sun Devils enter Saturday on a four-game losing streak, including a 35-34 defeat at Oregon State last week.

Upset alert: Tennessee at Missouri (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)

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With a win over Missouri, Tennessee would improve to 6-5 and clinch bowl eligibility - a remarkable recovery from an 0-2 start to the campaign. The Volunteers have won three in a row, including a 17-13 triumph at Kentucky last week.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are cratering. Missouri has scored just 13 points in its last three games.

Keep an eye on: Temple at No. 19 Cincinnati (8 p.m., ESPN2)

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Next week's game against Memphis has received more attention, but Cincinnati must win its final home contest of the season against Temple for the next one to matter. The Bearcats dropped two positions in the CFP rankings this week despite not losing, as the committee senses Cincinnati hasn't played well of late.

The Bearcats won 20-17 at South Florida last week, as USF's kicker missed four field goals. That came two weeks after a close call at East Carolina.

Temple is more than capable of making Cincinnati pay if the Bearcats are sluggish this week. The Owls own wins over Memphis and Tulane. If they defeat Cincinnati, and if the Bearcats also lose next week to Memphis, the AAC East could end in a three-way tie between the two teams in this matchup and UCF.

After dark

Must-watch: No. 20 Boise State at Utah State (10:30 p.m., CBSSN)

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Of the late-night offerings this week, the one with the most potential for fireworks is in Logan, Utah. This matchup could decide the Mountain West's Mountain division.

Both teams face uncertainty at quarterback heading into the game.

Boise State freshman Hank Bachmeier has missed the last two games because of an injury and backup Chase Cord was also sidelined in last week's win over New Mexico. Senior Jaylon Henderson started in the 40-17 victory and threw three touchdown passes.

Utah State, which is 5-1 in conference play, could be without veteran quarterback Jordan Love, who didn't play during the fourth quarter of last week's win over Wyoming for undisclosed reasons, according to Trent Wood of the Deseret News. Backup Henry Colombi has thrown 58 career passes.

At 9-1, Boise State is still in the mix for a New Year's Six bowl bid if it wins out.

Has potential: No. 7 Utah at Arizona (10 p.m., FS1)

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Arizona's defense is a mess. Head coach Kevin Sumlin fired both his defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in October, and defensive line coach Iona Uiagalelei was fired this week.

That doesn't make the matchup with Utah any more appealing, but the Utes are a playoff contender, and there aren't that many options this late.

Utah's path to the playoff is clear: it must win out. The Utes have played great as of late, pounding UCLA 49-3 last week. CFP chair Rob Mullens said the committee is well-aware that the Utes were without star running back Zack Moss in their only loss this season against USC.

Keep an eye on: Oregon State at Washington State (9 p.m., Pac-12 Network)

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Oregon State is an under-the-radar story of this college football season. The Beavers were one of the worst teams in a power conference in recent years but will be bowl-bound with a road win Saturday.

They improved to 5-5 last week with a 35-34 win over Arizona State, and it's the offense that's propelling the Beavers. Senior Jake Luton has 23 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season, while Isaiah Hodgins (73 receptions, 1,021 yards, and 13 touchdowns) has been among the best receivers in the country since the first week of the season.

Washington State has been a hard team to figure out this season. The Cougars played Oregon close and blew out Stanford, but they lost to California and blew a 32-point lead against UCLA.

Between Luton and Cougars quarterback Anthony Gordon (4,314 yards and 39 touchdowns), expect plenty of points through the air.

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