What’s at stake in Week 14? Well, it’s Rivalry Week and the final week of the regular season, so excitement is sure to be high with the conference championships just around the corner.

No. 3 Texas faces No. 20 Texas A&M in a conference matchup with a lot on the line. As they fight for a spot in the SEC title game, can the Longhorns perform in the red zone on Saturday at Kyle Field?

The Big 12 begins the week tied four ways at the top of the conference standings. Nine teams still have a chance to reach the Big 12 title game – what are the scenarios for each?

Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of Week 14.

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Rivalry Week | Texas-Texas A&M | Big 12 updates
Quotes of the week

Which rivalry has the biggest impact on the CFP?

Texas at Texas A&M (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC)

Considering that Texas A&M can advance to the SEC title game with a win against Texas and would certainly be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss, the Longhorns have to face the Aggies. A&M can still secure second place. There is no other team playing in a rivalry game with so many options. Then there are the stakes for Texas.

They’re still two wins away from the No. 2 seed, but if they don’t get to the SEC title game, that wouldn’t be in play. Assuming Texas drops below No. 5 with a loss to A&M – which is a safe assumption – the Longhorns would face a difficult first-round matchup. No matter how this game ends, it will have an impact on the playoff field. — Kyle Bonagura

Arizona State at Arizona (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)

The Arizona State-Arizona game has CFP implications for only one team, but that doesn’t make this game any less important. The Sun Devils must win to put themselves in a position to reach the Big 12 Championship Game and move up in the rankings to secure an automatic spot as conference champions. As it currently stands, the race for the Big 12 title is muddy with four teams entering league play this weekend that are 6-2. No. 16 Arizona State (9-2) is the highest-ranked among them, having picked up six wins in its last six games.

The Sun Devils would be heavy favorites to win most of the tiebreakers if necessary to secure a spot in the conference championship game. But the only way to even be in the mix is ​​to beat rival Arizona, which has won its last two meetings. Even though the Wildcats (4-7) are eliminated from bowl and playoff contention, there would be no greater victory than spoiling their rival’s season and taking home the Territorial Cup. — Andrea Adelson

South Carolina at Clemson (Saturday, noon on ESPN)

Surprisingly, it could be South Carolina that visits Clemson. The Gamecocks rose to No. 15 in the CFP rankings on Tuesday and may have the best chance of advancing to the 12 field among three-loss SEC teams. Unlike Ole Miss and Alabama, South Carolina hasn’t had a really bad loss. The Gamecocks probably would have beaten LSU if starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers hadn’t been injured in the first half (or if a few calls had gone their way). They have rattled off five straight wins since a 2-point road loss to Alabama, including definitive wins over No. 20 Texas A&M (home), Vanderbilt (away) and Oklahoma (away), as well as a narrow home win over No. 21 Missouri recorded.

A road win against another CFP ranked opponent could be enough to move South Carolina ahead of two teams it lost to (Ole Miss, Alabama). Clemson, meanwhile, will turn its attention to the Miami-Syracuse game, as a Hurricanes loss would put the Tigers in the ACC title game against SMU with a CFP spot on the line. — Adam Rittenberg

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What does each team have to do to win?

Texas: The Longhorns have won 10 straight true road games under Steve Sarkisian, the longest active streak in the FBS. But the atmosphere at Kyle Field on Saturday night will be unlike anything these Texas players have ever experienced. Quinn Ewers and his team will have to find a way to play calmly and with control if they want to get the job done in College Station.

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne’s effectiveness on downfield shots certainly stood out in the Aggies’ 43-41 loss last week. Thorne threw for 301 yards on the night but managed 230 yards on six completions. Sarkisian won’t hesitate to attack Texas A&M’s cornerbacks with his style of play, but his QB will have to get on point with his deep passing. According to TruMedia, Ewers is 9 of 31 (29%) on throws of 20 or more air yards this season, and his 271 passing yards on those throws rank 121st in the FBS.

One challenge that Sarkisian’s Texas offense has encountered at times in big games: execution in the red zone. Over the last two seasons, the Longhorns have scored touchdowns on 53% of their red zone opportunities against ranked opponents. This is one of those weeks where settling for too many field goal attempts could prove costly. — Max Olson

Texas A&M: Follow the Georgia game plan, which is easier said than done if you’re not from Georgia. But to Max’s point, if the Aggies can rediscover their passing speed and pressure Ewers, especially if they can force Texas to try to beat them by throwing the ball, they will have a chance. Against Georgia, Texas was pressured on 39% of dropbacks, and Ewers was 5 of 13 for 46 yards on those plays. On the day, he completed just 44.4% of his throws 5 or more yards from the field.

According to ESPN Research, Ewers was 20 of 21 for 191 yards and two receiver touchdowns in space last week against Kentucky. But he was 0 of 10 on throws against tight coverage. Arkansas ran a three-safety look against Texas, and Ewers threw for just 176 yards, including going 1-for-2 for minus-8 yards and three sacks when was under duress in the first half.

If the defense can stay tight, against a really stingy Texas defense, the Aggies’ offense will simply have to be opportunistic, play with Marcel Reed’s legs and keep Texas off balance. — Dave Wilson

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What’s going on in the Big 12?

According to the conference, there are nine — yes, nine — teams that still have a chance to reach the Big 12 title game. That’s actually true, while the team that was arguably the best in the conference in November – Kansas, with wins over Iowa State, BYU and Colorado – is not in the group.

With Arizona State, Iowa State, BYU and Colorado all tied at 6-2, let’s take a look at the scenarios most likely to come into play.

• If all four win, the title game will be ASU vs. Iowa State.

• In a three-team matchup between ASU, ISU and BYU, BYU is eliminated.

• In a three-team matchup between ISU, BYU and Colorado, Colorado is eliminated.

• In a three-team matchup between ASU, BYU and Colorado, Colorado is eliminated.

In the event of a tie between three teams with ASU, ISU and Colorado, things will be chaotic, so here is the exact wording from the Big 12:

Do you have all of this? Good. And at the risk of complicating things unnecessarily, let’s take a break before going through all the other options. — Bonagura

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Quotes of the week

“Ryan Williams, I mean, yeah, he’s electric. He’s all this and that, but in my eyes he’s not really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself. He’s not a big player for me. . .. As I said, Bama is a big rival I’ve ever played against and I won’t lose to Bama as long as I’m here. — Auburn freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick

“I’ve said this from day one: I think when you have two programs as big as these two programs, as close to each other as they are, it doesn’t make a lot of sense not to play them. So it always felt strange not playing. And now to play for what we play for? Yes, I could imagine that it will be quite exciting on Saturday. – Texas A&M coach Mike Elko on his game against Texas this weekend

“I don’t think you really get emotional about things like that. I think you’re a much better coach if you stay calm, coach your players and teach them what it takes to win the game. “It’s going to be an emotional game, but it’s an interstate rivalry. There’s a lot of pride in the game, the lines, between the players.” – Georgia coach Kirby Smart on the game against Georgia Tech during Rivalry Week

“There is nothing that needs to be said. If you’re watching The Godfather 2 and Hyman Roth is talking to Michael Corleone, you know what’s happening in the background – it’s Notre Dame and USC. That’s all we have to say.” – Al Golden, Notre Dame defensive coordinator

“We have to have that edge. And we will do it because we know what is at stake. We felt what it was like not to win this game. It’s bad. It’s one of the worst things that has happened to me in my life.” Honestly, for my family, this is the worst thing that has ever happened to us, apart from the loss of my father. – Ohio State coach Ryan Day on the game against Michigan after three straight losses in the series

“What I had to say about the College Football Playoff, I said after the (Ohio State) game. The only thing I can say is that we are sitting in a good place. But we have to take care of business.” . This is it.” – Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti

“We are playing for a trophy. We’re playing Missouri. They’re a rivalry game for us. The kids that are on the team and play haven’t been here in the last year or two.” – Arkansas coach Sam Pittman on his team’s motivation this week against Missouri after two straight losses in the series, including a 48-14 loss last fall