Week 13 college football TV schedule and open thread

Rivalry weekend continues today, as several teams meet their most hated foes to close their regular seasons. An added bonus is that some of these games actually feature pairs of ranked teams and have stakes for conference championship games, and even playoff hopes.

The Gators get a prime-time slot for their contest in Tallahassee, a top-15 match-up with the Seminoles. That game will be aired at 8:00 p.m., on ABC.

Feel free to hang out in this thread while watching any of today’s games.

Here are our picks for today’s viewing windows:

Early (12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Eastern)

Michigan at Ohio State (12:00 p.m., ABC): The big-stakes rivalry games start early today with a top-3 match-up between two hated rivals with conference championship and playoff aspirations. The No. 2 Buckeyes have a great shot at the College Football Playoff with a win here (even if they don’t make it to the Big Ten Championship, as they would need Michigan State to beat Penn State in order to win their division). The No. 3 Wolverines just need to win this game to win the division and they go to the Big Ten Championship game, with their Playoff hopes intact.

Kentucky at Louisville (12:00 p.m., ESPN): The No. 11 Cardinals’ playoff hopes ended in a blowout loss to Houston last week. The Wildcats were once in second place in the SEC East. Really! Louisville is heavily favored in this one but could the Wildcats make some noise? Or will Lamar Jackson bolster his Heisman candidacy?

Georgia Tech at Georgia (12:00 p.m., SECN): They call this one Clean Old-Fashioned Hate. Georgia has had an inconsistent season, but have won their last three, including upsetting then top-10 Auburn. The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs both want to run the ball and both have defenses that have proven to be susceptible to the run at times.

Afternoon (3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern)

Auburn at Alabama (3:30 p.m., CBS): Had the No. 13 Tigers not coughed one up to Georgia, this year’s Iron Bowl would have had significant stakes. The No. 1 Crimson Tide have already clinched the SEC West and have yet to lose a game this season. Alabama is a big favorite, and with Auburn still dealing with offensive injuries, the Tide are likely to roll.

Mississippi State at Ole Miss (8:00 p.m., ABC): Both teams have had disappointing seasons. At four-wins, the Bulldogs will miss a bowl game. But the Rebels still can make one by winning this edition of the Egg Bowl.

Michigan State at Penn State (3:30 p.m., ESPN): Any intrigue in this game is dependent on the outcome of the Michigan vs. Ohio State game earlier in the day. If Michigan wins, No. 7 Penn State’s Big Ten Championship hopes are dashed. If the Buckeyes win, the Nittany Lions just need to beat the Spartans to win the division. On the other side, Michigan State is having its worst season under Mark Dantonio, but the 3-8 Spartans were close to upsetting Ohio State last week.

Evening (7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern)

At 8:00 p.m. it’s time to watch the Gators play the Seminoles on ABC. Obviously.