How did Rivalry Week get here so fast?
The 2025 college football regular season concludes before the conference championship weekend and 12-team College Football Playoff, and there is way more than just bragging rights on the line in Week 14. There also is a unique twist to Rivalry Week.
Black Friday is every bit as loaded as the Saturday action. ABC scored with a triple-header that includes Mississippi State at No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 4 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and an in-state rivalry between No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 17 Texas.
No. 1 Ohio State takes on No. 18 Michigan on Saturday, which will set the tone for the rest of the standard college football rivalries. The prime-time Iron Bowl between No. 10 Alabama and Auburn will determine who plays in the SEC Championship Game, and the ACC intrigue continues with Pitt at No. 13 Miami. All of those games carry huge storylines both on and off the field.
Here is a closer look at the best games of Rivalry Week:
UPDATED SCENARIOS: ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
Rivalry Week primer
Friday, Nov. 28
Mississippi State at No. 6 Ole Miss (12 p.m., ABC)
The game will be the secondary storyline—even if that's good, too. Ole Miss (10-1) can inch closer to a CFP appearance and has a chance to make the SEC Championship Game with a third straight victory against the Bulldogs. Mississippi State can clinch a playoff berth. But, let's be honest—we are simply waiting until after the game, when an announcement will be made concerning Lane Kiffin's future. It's safe to say this might be the wildest in the SEC, CFP—and perhaps all of college football on Black Friday.
MORE: How Georgia Tech's November struggles doomed its season
No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 16 Georgia Tech (3:30 p.m., ABC)
The Yellow Jackets' playoff hopes likely were extinguished with a 42-28 loss to Pittsburgh, which knocked them out of the ACC Championship hunt. Still, there's a chance for Haynes King to play spoiler against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a rematch of last year's 44-42, eight-overtime thriller. The Bulldogs have not lost to the Yellow Jackets since 2016. Would Georgia Tech have a playoff case as a two-loss team with a win against Georgia?
No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 17 Texas (7:30 p.m., ABC)
Who's ready for Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian in a spoiler role? Manning had 389 passing yards and six total TDs in a 52-37 victory against Arkansas in Week 13. The Longhorns are long shots to make the College Football Playoff, but they can ruin the Aggies' chance for an SEC Championship in the first game between the teams at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium since 2010. Marcel Reed had 206 total yards and an interception in last year’s 17-7 loss to the Longhorns. With a win, the Aggies would be the lone 12-0 team in the SEC—quite the accomplishment under second-year coach Mike Elko.
MORE: Meet Arch Manning's extended family, beyond Eli and Peyton
Saturday, Nov. 29
No. 1 Ohio State (11-0) at No. 18 Michigan (9-2) (12 p.m., Fox)
It's the best rivalry in college football. Ryan Day is 81-10 at Ohio State – a.890 winning percentage that is higher than Knute Rockne at.881. Yet the Buckeyes coach is 1-4 head-to-head against Michigan – a streak that has hung over the program. The Wolverines still have a shot to be the fourth Big Ten playoff team – and Sherrone Moore could improve to 3-0 against the Buckeyes. Ohio State receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate and Michigan running back Jordan Marshall all are battling injuries. Julian Sayin and Bryce Underwood are five-star QBs. Will Ohio State's defense under Matt Patricia – which has allowed just 84 points this season – be the difference?
Pitt at No. 13 Miami (TBD)
Make the ACC make sense. The Hurricanes (9-2) are still trying to get in the ACC championship game – and a victory against the Panthers would help. SMU and Virginia have to lose, too, but Miami can still generate an at-large case with another impressive victory. Pitt (8-3) also needs help to get in the ACC championship game. Maybe Pat Narduzzi was right about the Notre Dame game after all.
MORE: Where does Kalen DeBoer rank among college football's highest paid coaches?
No. 10 Alabama at Auburn (7:30 p.m., ABC)
Alabama (9-2) will know whether a victory will clinch its spot in the SEC Championship at this point because Texas A&M and Ole Miss will have already played. It's a golden opportunity for second-year coach Kalen DeBoer to silence the critics with his first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn (5-6) is playing for bowl eligibility and is in ultimate spoiler mode here. Nick Saban was 5-4 in nine career games at Auburn with Alabama. It's never as easy as it appears.
What else is on Rivalry Week?
-No. 14 Vanderbilt meets No. 20 Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Commdores are looking to break a four-game losing streak to the Vols, and Diego Pavia still has Vanderbilt on the CFP fringe.
-No. 19 Virginia also has a four-game losing streak to Virginia Tech. Will the Cavailers break that streak and clinch a spot in the ACC championship game?
-No. 8 Oklahoma faces LSU at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Sooners need a win at home, which would all but seal a CFP spot. Will the Tigers be making an announcement about Kiffin before the game?
-No. 9 Notre Dame and Stanford caps Rivalry Week at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Will the Cardinal throw one last wrench into the Irish's playoff hopes? That would be the out-of-nowhere upset that would alter the CFP picture.
MORE: Why Notre Dame refuses to join a football conference