In previous years, Rivalry Week was all about the one-off game and having bragging rights for a full year.
While this is still the case for some teams, for others the game in front of them represents the final hurdle as far as earning a spot in the College Football Playoff is concerned.
Others still can afford a defeat this week and still remain on course to achieve all they want- think back to the Ohio State Buckeyes of 2024 who lost to the Michigan Wolverines AGAIN, and still earned a spot in the Playoff and ultimately finished the season as National Champions.
Now that is not to say that the entire Buckeye nation is not looking for revenge and to end this losing run against the Wolverines, but they certainly have more room to operate than say a team like the Mississippi Rebels, who will be facing rivals Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road.
Lane Kiffin's future will be confirmed on Saturday, but Friday is about winning to move into the Playoff, or losing and likely seeing Mississippi miss out.
The Alabama Crimson Tide, Miami Hurricanes, BYU Cougars and Oklahoma Sooners all have big games in which they are trying to stay alive in the Playoff conversation and so Rivalry Week has become so much more in 2025.
It was another inconsistent week for the College Football Picks in what has been another tough season.
Bad bounces hurt in places, but there have been too many poor selections and so the next few weeks need to be almost perfect to turn the numbers back around.
Games in Week 14 have been spread over a few days and selections from the Saturday offerings will be added to this thread, which begins with two Black Friday Picks.
Mississippi Rebels @ Mississippi State Bulldogs Pick: Double digit wins have become very common for the Mississippi Rebels (10-1) under Head Coach Lane Kiffin, but those successes have earned Kiffin plenty of attention.
After teams in the SEC fired Head Coaches during the course of the season, Lane Kiffin's name was at the top of the shortlists in Florida and LSU, two schools that feel they can offer the Head Coach more than Ole Miss.
A final decision on his future is expected to be announced as soon as Saturday, but an agreement has been made to keep Lane Kiffin as Head Coach for this hugely important Egg Bowl against rivals Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-6).
All of the attention is on Mississippi with the feeling being that a win for the Rebels will actually take them into the College Football Playoff, although there is also an outside chance it will be good enough to compete in the SEC Championship. Upsets will be needed for that to happen so the sole focus for the Rebels is making sure they win this game and avoid all the distraction around the Head Coach.
However, this is also an important game for the Mississippi State Bulldogs who are trying to end a three year wait to become Bowl eligible and who are also hoping to snap the two game losing run in this rivalry.
Both teams are playing after Bye Weeks, but there is going to be a question about how much Lane Kiffin's future has been a distraction to the players. They do have so much to earn out of winning this game, but the Rebels will have to focus if they are going to beat a Mississippi State Bulldogs team that have been plenty competitive, despite the 1-6 record in the SEC.
The Bulldogs have struggled to run the ball in recent outings and that is going to be an issue with the team likely to be a little one-dimensional in this game.
Blake Shapen has been sharing a bit of time with Kamario Taylor at Quarter Back and they are going to have to deal with the Ole Miss pass rush, regardless of who is operating behind Center. The Bulldogs Offensive Line have struggled to protect the Quarter Back as much as they have had issues in run blocking and that pressure can lead to mistakes, especially facing this Rebels Secondary that are still playing very hard in the bid to help the team reach the College Football Playoff.
This is a rivalry game so you have to expect motivation to help players produce at a higher level than they have been, but it is tough to see how the Mississippi State Defensive Line can slow the Rebels on the ground. In recent games they have allowed teams to rip off some big gains rushing the ball and Ole Miss are always going to use the Offensive Line to make life that much easier for Quarter Back Trinidad Chambliss.
Rushing the ball with some efficiency should also keep the pocket clean when the Quarter Back does drop back to throw the ball and this Rebels team have made some big passing plays in the four game winning run.
The Rebels have won four of the last five in this rivalry series and three of those wins have been by more than 7 points.
Distractions off the field and the decision to be made by the Head Coach have to be factors, but Ole Miss can show they are ready to compete in the College Football Playoff by putting together a solid road win in Starksville.
Indiana Hoosiers @ Purdue Boilermakers Pick: They have one foot in the Big Ten Championship Game, but the Indiana Hoosiers (11-0) will be motivated to beat a rival and finish the year unbeaten.
A win in Week 14 will likely be all the Hoosiers need to earn their place back in the College Football Playoff too and the development of this school over the last eighteen months has been really impressive. They are the Number 2 Ranked team in the Playoff Rankings and Indiana are going to want to maintain momentum ahead of what is expected to be a battle of unbeaten teams against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game.
The Purdue Boilermakers (2-9) would love to throw a spanner into the works for a rival, but they are 0-8 in the Big Ten even if Head Coach Barry Odom insists there has been growth for a team that finished 1-11 last season.
Sustaining drives will be hugely challenging for the Boilermakers who are not expected to be able to run the ball with any kind of consistency.
This is not an Indiana pass rush that has been getting to the Quarter Back in recent games, but this is a Secondary that have been capable of making plays as teams have perhaps become a little too one-dimensional against them. The Hoosiers will certainly feel they can contain the Purdue threat considering the Boilermakers have not scored more than 16 points in any of the last three games, while suffering blowout losses to the Buckeyes and Washington Huskies.
Indiana should be pretty comfortable putting the ball on the ground and using the Offensive Line to open up some solid lanes against this struggling Purdue Defensive Line.
It should all lead to Fernando Mendoza having time when he does step back to throw and the Hoosiers should be able to exploit this Secondary. A couple of key players will be back to shake off any fitness issues ahead of what is expected to be an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game and Indiana may not want to give too much away on the film tape, but they should still be comfortable in moving the ball both through the air and on the ground.
You have to expect the Boilermakers are going to be hugely motivated by the fact that they were blown out 66-0 in Indiana last season.
However, this Hoosiers team may be even better than the one the Boilermakers travelled to face last season and Indiana could run through this spread, even if the Buckeyes failed to cover a similar number.
Miami Hurricanes @ Pittsburgh Panthers Pick: Six teams still have some pathway into the ACC Championship Game and being able to keep alive Playoff consideration hopes.
Two of those are meeting in the early Saturday slot in College Football knowing they have to win and then hope things break their way later in the day.
The team that is perhaps going to have to go into the political business is the Miami Hurricanes (9-2) who have a win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but are just 5-2 in the Conference this season. They are clearly playing with 'style points' in mind and the Hurricanes are plenty respected as the highest Ranked team in the ACC, but they are unlikely to find a way into the top twelve without playing in, and likely winning, the ACC Championship Game.
Miami will have to first concentrate on this one before looking for a number of results to land their way the rest of the way- losing would mean elimination from all talk of a Playoff spot and so that has to be the focus, rather than concerning themselves too much about the upsets that will be needed to earn a spot in the Championship Game instead.
They are travelling to another interested party in the permutations when facing the Pittsburgh Panthers (8-3) who actually did Miami a favour by knocking off the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Week 13.
It means Pittsburgh have improved to 6-1 in the Conference and the path into the ACC Championship Game is much easier to manage- they need to win in Week 14 and hope either SMU or Virginia are upset as big favourites.
Again, those other games are out of the control of the Panthers and so the sole focus has to be on winning at home and matching the nine wins that were secured in the 2022 season.
Credit has to be given to Pittsburgh for the way they played in the big win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but this is another significant test for them. They are going to be trying to run the ball against a very good Miami Defensive Line, which is important to at least slow down the Hurricanes pass rush that will be looking to expose the inexperience of Mason Heintschel at Quarter Back.
It has to be said again that the Panthers deserve credit for the Offensive output in the win last week and Heintschel will have taken a lot of confidence from having what is arguably his best game of the season. However, doing the same against the Miami Hurricanes is another big test for a young Quarter Back and especially if the pocket is collapsing around him.
Throwing in this Miami Secondary is not going to be easy under the pressure expected and Mason Heintschel will have to be wary of the Interceptions that can be created by the road team.
Haynes King got himself into an early hole in the loss last week, but Miami have to be very confident that Carson Beck can avoid the same type of mistakes at the Quarter Back position.
His Offensive Line is likely going to make sure that Beck is kept in third and manageable spots on the field and that should give the Quarter Back the time to attack this Pittsburgh Secondary that has been allowing players to thrive when throwing against them. The pocket is likely going to be kept clean for Carson Beck, but he will have noted that the Panthers picked up two more Interceptions last week in the win over the Yellow Jackets and winning the turnover battle feels vitally important to the outcome of this one.
Carson Beck had 2 Interceptions in the loss to the SMU Mustangs, but has bounced back in this three game winning run- in those victories, Beck has 8 Touchdown passes without throwing an INT and that gives the Miami Hurricanes the edge.
In recent seasons, Pittsburgh have been a very good home underdog to back, but they are 0-2 against the spread in that spot this season, including a blowout to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Head Coach Pat Narduzzi had suggested the game was not as important as others before that defeat, which may have contributed to the eventual performance, but the Panthers have also been well beaten by the Louisville Cardinals at home and Miami can at least offer an argument to the Playoff Committee by winning well here.
UCF Knights @ BYU Cougars Pick: The pressure is on the BYU Cougars (10-1) to finish the Big 12 season with one more win and improve the 7-1 record, while also confirming a spot in the Championship Game.
Of course there has to be a benefit from the fact that the Cougars will have no one else to blame but themselves if they are not able to secure a spot in that Championship Game and keeping Playoff hopes alive. The permutations have become very simple in the fact that the Cougars have to win this game and they are set as a big favourite to do that.
No one wants to underestimate the UCF Knights (5-6), especially as they have the motivation to earn a sixth win and to become Bowl eligible. Hopes were kept alive by beating struggling Oklahoma State in Week 13, but the Knights know they have to be a lot better to secure a win over one of the top teams in the Conference, especially having only produced a 2-6 record in Big 12 play.
Prior to that win, the Knights had been struggling and suffered blowout losses to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Baylor Bears during a run of three straight defeats. This has been a team that have been struggling to run the ball and to ease the pressure on Quarter Back Tayven Jackson, and that is likely going to be an issue in this game against a tough BYU Defensive Line.
Some Quarter Backs have had recent success throwing the ball against the Cougars Secondary, although that is also as BYU have begun to play soft with a lead. Tayven Jackson will have a challenging time playing behind the chains, while that will also give the Cougars pass rush plenty of encouragement to pin the ears back and get after him when he drops back to throw the ball.
The Cougars should be more encouraged when they have the ball and this is a team that have continued to defy expectations after winning at Cincinnati as well as they did last week.
BYU's Offensive Line should be able to establish the run in this game against a 'weaker' opponent than some faced in recent weeks, while young Quarter Back Bear Bachmeier has been growing as a passer the longer the season has gone on. He will have seen the recent numbers that the UCF Secondary have been allowing and the Cougars should be able to move the ball with consistency, as long as they are not thinking too far ahead and what a win will mean to the team.
Last season the Cougars won very well as an underdog on the road at UCF, but they are hosting in Week 14 of the 2025 season and that should contribute to another strong win in this campaign.
MY PICKS: Mississippi Rebels - 6.5 Points @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Indiana Hoosiers - 28.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Miami Hurricanes - 7 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
BYU Cougars - 17.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Oklahoma Sooner - 10.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Illinois Fighting Illini - 7 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Alabama Crimson Tide - 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
USC Trojans - 21.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Week 13: 3-3, - 0.35 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.83% Yield
Week 12: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)
Week 11: 1-5, - 4.09 Units (6 Units Staked, - 68.17% Yield)
Week 10: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)
Week 9: 3-3, - 0.19 Units (6 Units Staked, - 3.17% Yield)
Week 8: 2-3, - 1.18 Units (5 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)
Week 7: 4-1, + 2.62 Units (5 Units Staked, + 52.40% Yield)
Week 6: 2-4, - 2.22 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37% Yield)
Week 5: 1-5, - 4.20 Units (6 Units Staked, - 70% Yield)
Week 4: 2-4, - 2.14 Units (6 Units Staked, - 35.67% Yield)
Week 3: 4-4, - 0.36 (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)
Week 1: 1-4, - 3.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 62.80% Yield)
Week 0: 2-1, + 0.75 Units (3 Units Staked, + 25% Yield)
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