Ohio State, Texas A&M on upset alert? College football bold predictions for Week 13

The light at the end of the tunnel that is the college football season is getting closer and closer. Week 13 will the be the last Saturday with a full slate of games with the elongated Thanksgiving weekend schedule next followed by championship weekend.

This weekend's games provide plenty of opportunities for surprising results as the pressure to make the conference title games and potentially the College Football Playoff is at its greatest. Ohio State and Notre Dame face ranked opponents. So does Brigham Young, and Penn State also hits the road. So where will the upsets happen Saturday?

That’s why the USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here. Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith and Dan Wolken weigh in with their bold predictions for Week 12 of the college football season:

29 in a row for Ohio State over Indiana

It's certainly not Indiana's fault that their 2024 schedule has been Charmin-soft. Like every other team in the nation, they play the opponents on said schedule and shouldn't apologize for beating the snot out of most of them because that's what good teams are supposed to do.

Cinderella's step up in competition happens at noon on Saturday when the Hoosiers travel to play Ohio State, a nearly 11-point favorite, which goes to show either people haven't watched Indiana or Vegas knows something the rest of us don't. If this game was played in Bloomington, then most would give the Hoosiers a puncher's chance. But it's not., and given the fact that Ohio State has beaten Indiana 28 straight times doesn't bode well either. The stakes are big and the loser is all but eliminated from Big Ten title game consideration, so Look for another Buckeye victory, which will also booster its playoff ranking. -- Scooby Axson

Indiana shocks Ohio State to remain undefeated

Why not let the dream season continue?

Even though it has been dominant nearly all season, Indiana still isn’t getting enough respect thanks to a relatively easy schedule. The matchup against Ohio State is their ultimate measuring stick, and will determine whether the Hoosiers deserve a College Football Playoff bid or not. It’s presumed the Buckeyes, with one of the top defenses in the country, will halt Indiana and expose them. But don’t count out Curt Cignetti’s team. With a need to prove itself, Indiana’s offense delivers some big punches to take down the Buckeyes and stun the nation with an 11-0 record. After the win, there’s no denying Indiana is a playoff team. -- Jordan Mendoza

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Kansas does it again with upset of Colorado

Kansas takes down another ranked Big 12 opponent by beating Colorado to climb within a win of bowl eligibility. While a loss wouldn’t erase CU’s chances of reaching the conference title game, the Buffaloes would need some help elsewhere to ensure a chance at making the playoff. The Jayhawks have lost six games, most in heartbreaking fashion, but rebounded after dropping a rivalry game to Kansas State to resemble the team picked in the Top 25 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. -- Paul Myerberg

Penn State takes playoff hit at Minnesota?

The Nittany Lions have risen to No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings by passing all their tests except a stumble against Ohio State. Their last two road contests against quality opponents have not been walkovers. Penn State trailed at halftime against Southern California and Wisconsin before comeback victories. It would be advised not to a have a slow start against the Golden Gophers, who have one of the top defenses in the country and will be difficult to score against. Look for this game to be low-scoring and turn on one big play or a turnover. And don't be surprised if it is the Nittany Lions that fall and lose their grip on a playoff spot. -- Erick Smith

Big 12 chaos breaks out

We’re about to have complete chaos in the Big 12. A very realistic scenario is in play that would result in a four-way tie for the lead after this weekend’s games.

First, Arizona State would have to beat Brigham Young in Tempe. This seems quite likely given the way both teams have been trending. Next, Colorado would have to lose to Kansas, less likely but plausible with the Jayhawks finally figuring out how to close in recent weeks. Finally, Iowa State needs to handle its road trip to Utah, where the Utes’ season is circling the drain. Will it all happen? Oh yeah. Bring on the tiebreakers. -- Eddie Timanus

Auburn takes down Texas A&M to shake up SEC

Texas A&M has been one of the season’s overachievers, and there’s still a chance for the Aggies to be a playoff team. Next weekend’s home game against Texas, resuming a rivalry that has been dormant since 2011, has everyone’s attention. It could even be for a spot in the SEC championship game. However, the Aggies first have to go to Auburn. And for all of Auburn’s problems this season they still have a good defense and have only been blown out by Georgia. They’re probably due for a big win, and knocking a good A&M team out of the playoff mix is the most Auburn thing possible. So that’s what will happen Saturday. -- Dan Wolken

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football Week 13 bold prediction: Ohio State, Texas A&M upset?