Top 5 matchups for Week 13 of the 2024 college football season
3. No. 14 BYU at No. 21 Arizona State – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
BYU and Arizona State suddenly find themselves in a crucial Big 12 matchup on Saturday that could go a long way in deciding who wins the conference. The two programs have played 28 times going back to 1935, with the Sun Devils winning 20 of those contests. However, the Cougars have won three straight, including last time the teams matched up in Provo in 2021.
The first matchup between the two teams in Tempe since 1997 could go either way with Arizona State around a field-goal favorite. BYU might have been favored had it not suffered its first loss of the season last week in an ugly 17-13 defeat to unranked Kansas. The defeat came after only beating Utah by one point the week prior. Still, a Big 12 title and potential playoff berth are possible for the Cougars if they can win here and at home against Houston next week. That will likely require big efforts from quarterback Jake Retzlaff who leads an offense that puts up over 31 points per game.
The Cougars also have a solid defense that ranks 21st in the country, but they will be challenged by a hot Arizona State squad. Kenny Dillingham has turned things around in Tempe as ASU is 8-2 and is coming off a big road win over ranked Kansas State. Arizona State鈥檚 defense has been respectable, but perhaps its best chance of victory stems from its ability to run the ball thanks to 1,000-yard rusher Cam Skattebo. If he and quarterback Sam Leavitt put up another big game on Saturday, the Sun Devils could be in position to compete for a Big 12 title in a couple of weeks.
