SEC & Big Ten Week 14 Preview: Thanksgiving brings Family, Friends and Rivalries

No. 12 Wisconsin (9-2) at No. 8 Minnesota (10-1) – 3:30 p.m. on ABC

The Badgers and Golden Gophers meet Saturday in continuation of the longest uninterrupted rivalries in FBS football. The all-time series is knotted at 60-60-8.

On top of competing for the Paul Bunyan Axe, the winner of Saturday’s contest will also represent the West division against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship on Dec. 7.

The Badgers are in search of their fourth Big Ten West title in six years with the league’s current divisional alignment, while the Golden Gophers are seeking their first.

Now let’s take a closer look at the teams:

Wisconsin Quick Hits

• Quarterback Jack Coan has completed 72.7 percent of his passes on the season, ranking third nationally.
• Tailback Jonathan Taylor is the nation’s leading scorer with 22 touchdowns.
• Taylor also ranks second nationally in rushing (153.2 yards-per-game) and is looking to continue a streak of three straight 200-yard performances.
• The Badgers have allowed an average of just 14.4 points per game.
• The Badgers defense has also minimized big plays this season, allowing only 5.8 yards per passing attempt (seventh in the nation).
• Click here to see Wisconsin’s full game notes.
• Click here to see the Badgers week 13 depth chart.

Minnesota Quick Hits

• Minnesota is undefeated at home this year. The Gophers have never gone undefeated at home during a season at TCF Bank Stadium.
• Minnesota is one of two schools (LSU) to have two 1,000-yard receivers (Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman) and one 1,000-yard rusher (Rodney Smith).
• Johnson is also one of three active receivers and the only one from a Power Five conference to record consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards.
• Minnesota averages 35.9 points per game, which is the most by the team since 2003.
• Quarterback Tanner Morgan has thrown a touchdown in all 11 games this season, making him the first player in school history to do so.
• Morgan has also thrown 26 touchdowns this season, setting a single season program record).
• Click here to see Minnesota full game notes
• Click here to see the Golden Gophers week 13 depth chart.

Now let’s take a closer look at some of the other top games in the SEC and Big Ten this weekend:

Missouri (5-6) at Arkansas (2-9) – 2:30 p.m. (Friday) on CBS

Mizzou has won its last three season finales – all against Arkansas – and the Tigers are hoping to clinch bowl eligibility on Friday. A sixth win would mark Mizzou’s third straight bowl eligible season and would be the longest streak of bowl-eligible seasons since the team had seven straight such seasons from 2005-11.

No. 17 Iowa (8-3) at Nebraska (5-6) at 2:30 p.m. (Friday) on BTN

Nebraska enters Friday needing a victory in the Heroes Game matchup in order to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. The Huskers will also be looking for their first win over the Hawkeyes since 2014.

No. 1 Ohio State (11-0) at No. 13 Michigan (9-2) at Noon on FOX

The Buckeyes and Wolverines meet for the 23rd time with both teams ranked in the AP Top 10 (where Michigan is No. 10). The Buckeyes hold an 11-9-2 advantage in those contests, but Michigan has won seven of the last 10 games where both teams were in the AP Top 10. The Buckeyes have won the last three meetings.

Northwestern (2-9) at Illinois (6-5) at Noon on FS1

The Fighting Illini are looking to reach seven wins in a regular season for the first time since 2007. The two teams will also be playing for the “Land of Lincoln” trophy on Saturday. It will be the 11th battle for the relatively new rivalry trophy.

Indiana (7-4) at Purdue (4-7) – Noon on ESPN2 

In-state rivals Indiana and Purdue meet for the 122nd time on Saturday in the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket. The Hoosiers will be seeking to clinch their first eight-win season since 1993.

No. 3 Clemson (11-0) at South Carolina (4-7) – Noon on ESPN

The Tigers are facing the Gamecocks for the 117th time in series that Clemson leads 70-42-4. The football programs have been meeting annually since the 1909 season, which is the second-longest active streak of consecutive years played in a rivalry in the nation. The only longer consecutive rivalry is Minnesota vs. Wisconsin (113).

Louisville (7-4) at Kentucky (6-5) – Noon on SECN

The Cardinals are looking to tie up the all-time series with Kentucky, in which the Wildcats currently lead 16-15. The programs started meeting annually in 1994 with the Governor’s Cup on the line. Last time the teams met, Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson accounted for 340 yards and four touchdowns as the Wildcats defeated the Cardinals 56-10.

No. 4 Georgia (10-1) at Georgia Tech (3-8) – Noon on ABC

The Bulldogs and the Yellow Jackets are facing off for possession of the Governor’s Cup Trophy, a tradition that has been celebrated since 1995. Georgia leads the series with Georgia Tech 67-39-5, which doesn’t include the two Yellow Jackets wins during WWII (1943-44). The games were vacated because Georgia Tech utilized players from a naval officer’s training program hosted on campus.

Rutgers (2-9) at No. 10 Penn State (9-2) – 3:30 p.m. on BTN 

Penn State will look to continue recent domination over unranked opponents as the Nittany Lions hold a 32-2 mark against such teams in their past 34 games. The Nittany Lions are also looking to clinch their third undefeated season at home in the past four years.

Maryland (3-8) at Michigan State (5-6) – 3:30 p.m. on FS1

Michigan State is seeking to become bowl eligible for the 12th time in the past 13 years with a win. The Spartans will look to build on their recent success against Maryland – they are 4-1 against the Terrapins since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014.

No 5. Alabama (10-1) at No 15. Auburn (8-3) – 3:30 p.m. on CBS

Alabama has had the upper hand in recent meetings, claiming eight of the last 11 contests. In this 84th Iron Bowl, Auburn and Alabama will meet for the 72nd consecutive year. Alabama leads the overall series 46-36-1.

Vanderbilt (3-8) at Tennessee (6-5) – 4 p.m. on SECN

The Vols enter Saturday’s matchup against the Commodores riding a four-game win streak and have allowed only 126.7 passing yards per game in November; Vandy will look to continue its recent dominance in the series and win its fourth straight against Tennessee.

Texas A&M (7-4) at No. 2 LSU (11-0) – 7 p.m. on ESPN

The Aggies are the first team in history to face the No. 1 team in the nation (AP Poll) three times in a season, as it travels to top-ranked LSU looking for back-to-back wins in the series for the first time since 1994-95.

Florida State (6-5) at No. 11 Florida (9-2) – 7:30 p.m. on SECN

The Seminoles and the Gators will meet for the 64th time in program history as Florida State travels to Gainesville this weekend. Florida leads the overall series 35-26-2, but Florida State has won the last four meetings at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Before the Gators’ 41-14 win over the Seminoles last season, Florida had not beaten Florida State in five seasons.