DALLAS, Sporting Alert – The top 25 college football schedule on Friday, November 25, as the battles for conference tournament places and College Football Playoff spots heat up.
Topping the list of battles is the clash between No. 5 Washington and state rival No. 23 Washington State for the Apple Cup with Pac-12 North title also on the line for both teams.
Follow Live Stats: #5 Washington v #23 Washington State
The battle at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., begins at 3:30 p.m. ET and will broadcast live on FOX.
The winner of this clash has a confirmed spot in the Pac-12 title game.
According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Huskies (10-1, 7-1) have a 60.9 percent to win against Washington State (8-3, 7-1) which is coming off a 38-24 defeat to No. 9 Colorado last Saturday.
The college football experts believe both sides are very close on offense, so the final outcome could very well come down to efficiency.
They believe the Huskies have the edge in that area.
A triumph for Washington would not only move them closer to winning the conference title but strengthened its position in the rankings for one of the top four slots in the College Football Playoff.
The game also gives Huskies quarterback Jake Browning a chance to add to his impressive resume this season with the Heisman Trophy candidate leading the Pac-12 with 37 touchdown passes.
“I just want them to prepare like they have and go over and compete like they have, which I know they will,” said Washington coach Chris Petersen ahead of the clash with the Cougars.
“We know it’s like, ‘All this hard work kind of comes down to this.’ But it’s really hard for me to say, like, ‘OK, now we’re really all-in on this.’
“I just think they’ve really been invested this whole year, every game.
“But it’ll be exciting. They get the rivalry. They get that we’re playing a heck of a team in a really hostile situation.”
Washington State’s Luke Falk has also been effective this term, passing for 3,935 yards and 36 touchdowns.
In another college football AP top 25 game, Tom Herman will be hoping to keep himself and his players focus when No. 20 Houston and Memphis clash live on ABC and WatchESPN at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
ESPN reports have been linking Herman to both LSU and Texas over the last 24 hours, which could disrupt what he’s got going on in Texas.
The Cougars (9-2) have won three straight, but none more special than the 36-10 hammering of then-No. 5 Louisville a week ago, which knocked the Cardinals out of the CFP discussions.
Elsewhere on the AP top 25 college football schedule on Black Friday, No. 19 Boise State takes on Air Force, No. 16 Nebraska and Iowa meet in a Big Ten showdown, while undefeated No. 21 Western Michigan (11-0) and Toledo face-off.
College Football AP Top 25
Friday, November 25
WatchESPN, ESPN2 and Fox will carry games live.
No. 20 Houston at Memphis 12:00pm ABC, ESPN3
NC State at North Carolina 12:00pm ESPN, WatchESPN
NIU at Kent State 12:00pm CBSSN / Stream
Arkansas at Missouri 2:30 pm CBS / CBS Sports Stream
Buffalo at Bowling Green 2:30 pm ESPN3
No. 19 Boise State at Air Force 3:30 pm CBSSN / CBS Sports Stream
No. 16 Nebraska at Iowa 3:30 pm ABC, ESPN3
TCU at Texas 3:30 pm Fox Sports 1, Fox SportsGO
No. 5 Washington at No. 23 Washington State 3:30 pm FOX, Fox Sports GO
Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss 4:00 pm ESPNews, WatchESPN
Toledo a No. 21 Western Michigan 5:00 pm ESPN2, WatchESPN
Baylor vs. Texas Tech 6:00 pm ESPN,WatchESPN
Cincinnati at Tulsa 8:30 pm ESPN2, WatchESPN
Arizona State at Arizona 9:30 pm ESPN, WatchESPN
