A six pack of upset picks for college football rivalry weekend
The 2024 college football season has been a wild one and you just know rivalry week will match the craziness of the season. With that being said here are my six pack of upsets to mess up conference championship games, parlays, and the whole 12 team playoff field. Of course there may be others along the way, but with no further delay here are my picks:
Lets start in Tucson, AZ where the red-hot Sun Devils come into town with both Big 12 championship game and playoff implications on the line. You would think this would be an easy one for Arizona State considering how much the Wildcats hvae underachieved this season. Arizona would love nothing more than to ruin their in-state rivals playoff chances. If Arizona State comes into this game not focused watch out. I think we will see the upset Saturday afternoon.
In one of the most underrated rivalry games in America we will see South Carolina head to Clemson in hopes of getting a second straight win in the other Death Valley. There are plenty of people who think South Carolina should get consideration if they win this game. Clemson on the other hand is doing what they can to stay alive in the playoff talk, and the Game Cocks would love to be the ones to send the final shot to kill the Tiger's dreams. It should be a wildy entertaining game with a lot of chippiness and I feel really good about Shane Beamer's team pulling the slight upset on the road in this Palmetto State rivlary.
Miami heads to Syracuse and with a win will make the ACC Championship game and gets that much closer to being one of the 12 playoff teams. Going into the season I saw this a problem game for the Canes and I still believe that to be the case. Syracuse has been much better than most expected this season and Kyle McCord should have a huge day against a bad Miami defense. I just have a feeling that the Cuse will get loose and Fran Brown will be able to take a shower after the huge win. To see Cam Ward's playoff dreams crash and burn in the last week of the regular season is must see tv.
It's not a rivalry game by any means but Cincinnati hosts TCU with a bowl bid for the Bearcats on the line if they can get a win. The Frogs have had a few struggles on the road this year and again just get that feeling Scott Satterfield's team will be bowling.
Kansas State heads to Ames to play Iowa State Saturday night with both still having an opportunity to play in the Big 12 Championship game. It's going to be cold and this is going to be everything you'd expect to see from a Wildcats and Cyclones game with a lot on the line. It may be one of the most underrated games on the weekend, but I have more faith in Avery Johnson and DJ Giddons. A little night time Big 12 drama is what this season is full of so why would the last week in the season be any different? It is going to take until the last game of the Big 12 season for us to know who will be playing in Jerry's World next Saturday. It'll be a good night for the fans in purple.
Of course I had to save the biggest rivarly game of the weekend for last and of course that is the much anticipated game in College Station. Yes, The Game and the Iron Bowl are both bigger rivalry games overall, but this one hasn't been played in over a decade so it will have the most eyes on it. We know the storylines, we know the dislike between the fanbases, and we know the Aggies would give anything to beat the Longhorns in their first SEC tussle. I had the Aggies to start the season winning this one, have gone back and forth a little as the season has gone on, but sticking with my original pick. This win will make Mike Elko a hero amongst men, pulling out the close one late.