College Football 2021: Top 3 under-the-radar games to watch in Week 13

Sadly the regular season comes to an end this week. However, there are some great matchups to conclude the regular season with bowl positioning and more importantly conference championship spots to be decided.rnrnWith Week 13 also being rivalry week, there is sure to be some extra juice as teams take the field. The two biggest matchups of the week are Ohio State at Michigan and the Bedlam Game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Both games will determine the matchups for their respective conference championship games.rnrnLast week Texas at West Virginia was one of our under-the-radar games and Texas did not disappoint. The Longhorns will finish with an under .500 record for the first time since 2016. Texas is indeed not back.rnrnAlso on the under-the-radar list last week, Pitt locked up a spot in the ACC Championship game last week. The Panthers are having their best season in well over a decade. Finally, South Carolina upset Auburn, securing bowl eligibility for the first time in three years.rnrnThe final under-the-radar games for this season features all unranked teams but still with a lot on the line. While the big games should be great, keep an eye on the following three matchups.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%203" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_209902" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 3. Maryland at Rutgers rnThe Terps and Scarlet Knights face each other Saturday afternoon with a bowl bid on the line. Maryland leads the all-time series and since the two schools joined the Big Ten at the beginning of the 2014 season.rnrnMaryland's key in this one will be getting the offense going early. Despite the up-and-down season, the Terps are averaging over 300 yards passing per game. Rutgers' defense is decent but far from dominant. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa should be able to find the yardage through the air. The Terps just need to convert those yards into points.rnrnThe Scarlet Knights on offense have mostly been a train wreck. Against Penn State a week ago, they were shut out after accumulating only 10 first downs and 160 total yards. In conference play, they are averaging less than 14 points per game.rnrnWhat may help Rutgers is the Terps defense is the worst in the Big Ten, giving up 34 points and 420 yards per game. The Scarlet Knights do not have to go crazy on offense to have a chance but they just need to be competent.rnrnThis one should be fun with bowl eligibility on the line. Both schools have lengthy bowl droughts, five years for Maryland and seven years for Rutgers. Expect both teams to give it their all to secure the important sixth victory.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%202" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_209906" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 2. Western Kentucky at Marshall rnThe Conference USA East title will be on the line with Western Kentucky facing off against Marshall. The Thundering Herd have won the last four matchups however the Hilltoppers won three in a row preceding Marshall's current streak.rnrnIt was looking bleak mid-season for the Hilltoppers. Since starting 1-4 however they have won six in a row. The Hilltoppers rely on their prolific offense. They average over 520 yards and 42 points per game, thanks mostly to their passing game. Quarterback Bailey Zappe only needs two more touchdowns to post 50 on the season and he also has a chance to pass the 5,000 passing yard mark against Marshall.rnrnWith all the talk of Western Kentucky's offense, Marshall is pretty darn good on that side of the ball too. They average over 480 yards and 35 points per game. The Herd are more balanced on offense than the Hilltoppers. Quarterback Grants Wells has over 3,300 yards on the season and freshman running back Rasheen Ali has 1,142 yards on the ground with 20 touchdowns.rnrnNeither team has a bad defense either, but with the prolific offenses, it is likely to be more of a shootout. If you like points, be sure to tune in. Also helps watchability with a division championship on the line as well.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%201" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_209907" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 1. Kentucky at Louisville rnThe football rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville may not be as intense as their basketball one. But there is still a lot of history and hatred between the two schools. Kentucky leads the all-time series and has won three of the last four matchups. The schools did not meet last season due to COVID-19.rnrnKentucky is looking to secure their second nine-win regular season under coach Mark Stoops. Lately, the Wildcat offense has been posting a ton of yards. They may have lost to Tennessee but still racked over 600 yards against the Vols. Against Vanderbilt they had over 400 yards and last week against New Mexico State, it was an insane 707 yards of total offense. The Aggies are one of the worst teams in college football, but accumulating 700 yards against anyone is impressive.rnrnThe Wildcats are fairly balanced. Quarterback Will Levis and running back Christ Rodriguez Jr. both are enjoying solid seasons and the Wildcats have racked up wins as a result.rnrnHowever, Kentucky has been hindered, especially in their losses, by turnovers. They have 22 on the season. Louisville needs to take advantage of this flaw. The Cardinals are actually averaging more yards and points than the Wildcats. If they capitalize off turnovers, they should be in this one.rnrnIt is great to see the crossover ACC-SEC rivalries return after a year-long break. The intensity for the Governor's Cup should be good and both teams are looking to improve their bowl standing.rnrn[story_link_next description="10%20Rivalry%20Week%20picks%20against%20the%20spread" url="https://saturdayblitz.com/2021/11/25/top-10-college-football-rivalry-week-picks-spread/" /]

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College Football 2021: Top 3 under-the-radar games to watch in Week 13

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