The stakes of Rivalry Week have changed in 2024.
The terms and conditions, however, stay the same. It's about the one-year lease on bragging rights over your rival that is the best part of college football.
It is a different world in the 12-team College Football Playoff era. It is now possible to lose to your rival and still make a conference championship game. Or the College Football playoff. Or even win a national championship. Is that acceptable?
Five rivalry games could create more chaos in Week 14.
No. 6 Georgia travels to Georgia Tech at 7:30 p.m. ET on Black Friday. The early Saturday slate features The Game between Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State. No. 16 South Carolina meets No. 12 Clemson in the same time slot.
The 3:30 p.m. ET slot features No. 5 Notre Dame at USC, and the prime-time game is a much-anticipated matchup between reunited rivals in No. 3 Texas and No. 20 Texas A&M.
The 2024 college football season has been chaotic – and there is room for more chaos when it comes to the best rivalry games in Week 14. Here are a few wild scenarios that could unfold this week.
MORE: SEC title game scenarios | Big 12 | Big Ten | ACC
Best games on college football Rivalry Week
| MATCHUP | TIME | TV |
| No. 6 Georgia at Georgia Tech (Friday) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State | 12 p.m. | Fox |
| No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson | 12 p.m. | ABC |
| No. 5 Notre Dame at USC | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
No. 6 Georgia at Georgia Tech
What could happen: The Yellow Jackets send Georgia to the SEC championship game with three losses.
Could the SEC sell sending its premier program to a conference championship game with three losses? The Bulldogs allowed a season-high 226 rushing yards to UMass in Week 13, and Georgia Tech is 6-0 when it rushes for 190 yards or more. Could Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key author an upset in a one-sided series? Key is 6-5 vs. ranked teams, including a win over No. 4 Miami three weeks ago.
Georgia has won the last six meetings by an average of 38.5 points per game. It was closer last year at 31-23, and Key was 3-1 against the Bulldogs as a player. How would Kirby Smart be able to politick losing to the Yellow Jackets ahead of the SEC championship game?
Will it happen? Georgia Tech is 7-7 S/U and 9-5 ATS as an underdog with Key the last two seasons, and that includes the 28-23 upset against Miami on Nov. 9. The Bulldogs are 19-point favorites, so it's a long-shot in a series that needs a boost.
MORE: CFP, bowl projections entering Week 14
Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State
What could happen: Michigan upsets Ohio State, and the Buckeyes go from national championship favorite to a quick downward spiral.
The Buckeyes have won two of three top-five showdowns this season and can clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game with a victory in The Game. Ohio State coach Ryan Day has a chance to break a three-game losing streak to the Wolverines – an anchor that has weighed down a senior class that features team leaders such as Jack Sawyer and Emeka Egbuka, who returned to school to right that wrong.
What if Michigan – a 20.5-point underdog – pulls the upset? Could you imagine the blowback on the Buckeyes? It would not impact their College Football Playoff chances, but this is the game Ohio State fans want more than anything else. Ask them. Is it possible to lose to Michigan and win a national championship? The literal answer might be “yes,” but that's not how The Game works.
The psychological toll of another loss to Michigan – which would put Penn State in the Big Ten championship game if it beats Maryland – would be immeasurable.
Will it happen? Doubtful. The Wolverines don't have enough offense to pull this offensive firepower to pull this off, even if the 50-6 victory against Northwestern did get our attention. Michigan quarterback Davis Warren has more interceptions than TD passes. He would have to play the best game of his career, and that might not be enough against the Buckeyes' defense – which leads the FBS at 10.7 points per game.
That doesn't mean this game won't be competitive when you consider this tweet from Associated Press writer Josh Dubow:
Ohio State is ranked 2nd and Michigan unranked in latest AP poll. This is 3rd time in last 60 years that Ohio State is in top 5 and Michigan unranked when they played. Others:
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) November 24, 2024
No. 3 Ohio St 42, Michigan 41 in 2013
Michigan 28, No. 5 Ohio St. 0 in 1993https://t.co/Vm4j45wuNp
Ultimately, the Buckeyes' balanced offense – led by quarterback Will Howard – will wear out the Wolverines, especially if they go with tempo. It might be tight and tense for a half, but Day will improve to 2-3 against the Wolverines. The pressure will swing to Michigan coach Sherrone Moore after a 6-6 season heading into 2025.
No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson
What could happen: Clemson could lose to South Carolina and back into the ACC championship game.
How? This is a non-conference game, of course. South Carolina is on a five-game winning streak which includes victories against No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Missouri. Clemson hasn't defeated a ranked team this season, but the Tigers would advance to the ACC championship game and face No. 9 SMU if Miami loses at Syracuse on Saturday. Clemson has won eight of the last nine in the series, and Tigers coach Dabo Swinney is 2-1 against South Carolina coach Shane Beamer.
Will it happen? Swinney took a shot at the CFP last week, saying, "We basically have the SEC-Big Ten Invitational." So, what would he say if South Carolina – who has a great three-loss resume – beats Clemson but the Tigers get the automatic bid by winning the ACC? This isn't that far-fetched at all – even if the most-difficult part is the Orange pulling the upset on the Hurricanes as 10.5-point underdogs.
No. 5 Notre Dame at USC
What could happen: Notre Dame loses to USC – and still makes the playoff.
Since the Oct. 5 bye week, Notre Dame has won six games by a combined score of 267-65. Notre Dame has four wins against ranked opponents this season and a resume that would be good enough for a first-round bye if they were in a conference.
What could go wrong? What if Lincoln Riley and the Trojans play spoiler here? USC is 4-1 at home this season, and the only loss was a 33-30 overtime thriller against No. 4 Penn State on Oct. 12. USC has won three of the last four against Notre Dame at The Coliseum.
Will it happen? Notre Dame is a touchdown favorite, and its rushing attack ranks 11th in the FBS with 221.8 yards per game. That – and a nasty defense – will make it tough on USC quarterback Jayden Maiava – who led the Trojans to victories against Nebraska and UCLA.
Even if USC does win, however, Notre Dame could still slip into the 12-team field. But what about the loss to Northern Illinois? What about it? There are more mulligans in this format. A loss to the Trojans is the difference between a home and road playoff game at this point.
No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M
What could happen: Texas A&M beats Texas – and the SEC playoff mess becomes even more complicated.
The winner of Texas-Texas A&M advances to the SEC championship game. The Aggies and Longhorns haven't met since 2011, a 27-25 thriller the Longhorns won on a walk-off 40-yard field goal by Justin Tucker. Kyle Field will be rocking, and this is the most-compelling game on Rivalry Week. Texas is a 4.5-point favorite, and a victory would send them to the SEC championship game in Year 1. The Aggies have yet to play in the SEC championship game.
What if Texas A&M wins? Let's take this a couple more steps based on these results:
- No. 13 Alabama beats Auburn
- No. 15 Ole Miss beats Mississippi State
- Georgia Tech beats Georgia
- Missouri beats Arkansas
- LSU beats Oklahoma
- Texas A&M beats Texas
- Vanderbilt beats No. 7 Tennessee
- South Carolina beats Clemson
Here is what the SEC standings would like for the nine teams with three conference losses or less:
| TEAM | W | L | W | L |
| Georgia | 6 | 2 | 9 | 3 |
| Texas A&M | 6 | 2 | 9 | 3 |
| Texas | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| LSU | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| South Carolina | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Ole Miss | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Missouri | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Alabama | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
Will it happen? It's a lot to ask for a clean sweep of four underdogs among Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, but three of those teams are at home.
Who are the playoff teams at that point? Texas would be the only two-loss team. The SEC championship game would be a battle of three-loss teams in Texas A&M and Georgia.
You would have Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Ole Miss and Alabama arguing their case as three-loss teams, and it is possible that the SEC would get anywhere between two to four teams. Imagine the consequences for the conference that dominated the four-team era. Would divisions be instituted? Would this lead to more Super League talk that turns the College Football Playoff into the SEC-Big Ten Invitational?
