#5 Indiana Hoosiers @ #2 Ohio State Buckeyes
The time has finally come to see what Indiana is truly made of. The Hoosiers have been the best story of the 2024 season thus far. Before this year, Indiana had three winning seasons since 1995. In Curt Cignetti’s first year in charge, Indiana is 10-0 — it had won nine total games the past three years — and is a strong performance away from likely clinching a spot in the College Football Playoff. A win over Ohio State would send Indiana to the Big Ten Championship for a showdown with No. 1 Oregon. Will it happen? We wouldn’t be shocked. However, the Buckeyes have more talent, they are playing at home and they’ve been here before. Indiana will keep it close but ultimately fall just short.
Prediction: 34-30, Ohio State
#14 BYU Cougars @ #21 Arizona State Sun Devils
Before the season began, Arizona State was picked to finish last in the Big 12 by the media. BYU didn’t fare much better, as the media placed the Cougars at No. 13. A few months later, the two teams will meet in Tempe with an opportunity to move one step closer to playing in the Big 12 Championship. BYU is coming off its first loss of the year, while the Sun Devils are riding a four-game winning streak punctuated by last week’s big win over then-No. 14 Kansas State. This game will come down to the wire with the Sun Devils ultimately protecting their turf.
Prediction: 27-26, Arizona State
#19 Army Knights vs. #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This matchup will be the most important game played at Yankee Stadium since the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the World Series. For Notre Dame, a win would likely clinch a spot in the 12-team CFP. The Irish have won eight in a row since their shocking loss to Northern Illinois and a victory over Army would be their fourth over a ranked opponent (Texas A&M, Navy, Louisville). Army needs to finish undefeated if it has a chance of reaching the CFP. They are currently seven spots behind Boise State and would need to pass the Broncos to secure an automatic berth. While we think Army will keep this game close, Notre Dame will have too much talent for the Knights to overcome.
Prediction: 23-10, Notre Dame
#16 Colorado Buffaloes @ Kansas Jayhawks
Colorado is officially on upset alert. While Kansas has a 4-6 record, it has knocked off two ranked opponents in a row (Iowa State and BYU) and its last loss came by two points at Kansas State. Remarkably, the Jayhawks have led their opponents for more time this season than either No. 4 Penn State or No. 10 Georgia. Colorado has rattled off four impressive wins in a row and is three victories away from playing in the CFP. Deion Sanders will have his team ready to rock following Kansas’ win over BYU last week.
Prediction: 37-24, Colorado
USC Trojans @ UCLA Bruins
One of the most storied rivalries in collegiate sports, UCLA vs. USC. These two teams have endured tough seasons. USC entered the year with dreams of reaching the CFP and has instead staggered to a 5-5 record. The Bruins started the year 1-5 including losses to Oregon, Penn State, Indiana, and LSU, but have since gone 3-1. The two programs have split the last four meetings with USC winning both games at the Rose Bowl. However, that streak will end on Saturday and Lincoln Riley’s seat will continue to warm up.
Prediction: 28-24, UCLA
