College Football Games Worth Watching In Week 16
This article is a weekly thing we do at OutKick to let you guys know which games are worth watching each and every week. Needless to say, this week's edition is going to be fairly easy, as there are a ton of games scheduled that deserve your attention.
Not only is it championship weekend, there is also at least one other makeup "regular season" game which could have College Football Playoff implications. In other words, it's about to be a great weekend of college football.
Below are those six upcoming Week 16 matchups that should be on your radar as Saturday approaches.
No. 14 Northwestern vs. No. 4 Ohio State
Time: Noon ET (11:00 a.m. CT)
Channel: FOX
Betting Line: Ohio State -20.5
Over/Under: 57
Breakdown: Ohio State is still a Playoff contender, and they technically still have a player (Justin Fields) in the running for the Heisman Trophy. It's also only the second time this season the Buckeyes have played a quality opponent, with the first being 42-35 win over No. 11 Indiana.
Those two aspects alone make this game intriguing. Ohio State is in a good position right now, but this is still a chance to make a final statement that could act as the final tally needed.
No. 5 Texas A&M at Tennessee
Time: Noon ET (11:00 a.m. CT)
Channel: ESPN
Betting Line: Texas A&M -14
Over/Under: 51
Breakdown: A lot of these games are being mentioned because it's the last chance to make a favorable impression on the committee, but this is going to be especially important for Texas A&M. The opponent is only a 3-6 Tennessee rather than a true conference competitor.
In other words, it will have to be a dominant performance from the Aggies. Really, it's Kellen Mond and the passing game that needs to show out the most. The defense and run game have looked the part and don’t have much else to prove.
No. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa State
Time: Noon ET (11:00 a.m. CT)
Channel: ABC
Betting Line: Oklahoma -5.5
Over/Under: 58
Breakdown: Who here is shocked that we're discussing a two-loss Big 12 champ as a potential Playoff contender? I know I am. This is a conference that has fought its way back from the grave, and top 10 matchup is considered one of the better games of the weekend.
A lot is going to need to happen with the teams ahead of whichever one wins in this one, but at least there's hope. Oklahoma should win, but the climb from No. 10 to the top four will be much more difficult than from No. 6.
No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT)
Channel: ABC
Betting Line: Clemson -10.5
Over/Under: 60
Breakdown: We have already seen this matchup once, and it was a great game. Notre Dame edged out Clemson 47-40 in double overtime, but Trevor Lawrence was out due to COVID. That fact alone completely changes the dynamic heading into the rematch, but the Clemson defense is also in better shape from a health perspective.
The Tigers and Fighting Irish are both coming off an open week thanks to the ACC's decision to eliminate each team’s final regular season game. That should mean a well-rested group. We'll see if that ultimately helps or not, but Vegas currently has Clemson as a double-digit favorite.
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 7 Florida
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
Channel: CBS
Betting Line: Alabama -17
Over/Under: 74.5
Breakdown: This game would have been a lot more intriguing had Florida not blown it against LSU with a randomly thrown shoe. With that said, the Gators aren't completely out of running yet, and this should be a fun, high-scoring affair.
Plus, it's entirely possible -- likely, even -- that this game will determine the outcome of the Heisman Trophy race. Is it going to be Mac Jones, Kyle Trask or DeVonta Smith? It could literally be any of them at this point.
No. 23 Tulsa at No. 9 Cincinnati
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
Channel: ABC
Betting Line: Cincinnati -14.5
Over/Under: 45.5
Breakdown: We should already know which of these teams is better, but Cincinnati was forced to cancel last week's regular season matchup (for the second time) due to issues with COVID. As unfortunate as that was to see, it does give this game an unknown factor.
Sure, the Bearcats are favored by 14.5 points, but Tulsa has a good football team. Who knows what could happen. But with all that being said, Cincinnati has to do something impressionable here to get back into the Playoff discussion. Dropping in the rankings two-straight weeks is obviously heading in the wrong direction.
Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.