College football picks: Michigan, Auburn among five underdogs that can pull off Rivalry Week upsets
Rivalry Week always features some upsets, and these five underdogs are teams that can knock off their archrivals in Week 14
We've reached Week 14 of the 2025 college football season, which is both the final regular season week but also Rivalry Week, when teams that flat out hate each other square off for bragging rights. Some of these games also will have major College Football Playoff and conference title game implications, which adds a fun layer to this weekend's slate. We've picked out five games where we think the college football betting underdog has a good chance to pull off the upset, with all spreads and money line odds are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
No. 15 Michigan (+10, +320) vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Even if the Wolverines were 0-11, you have to put this here considering Ryan Day's Michigan problem. But the Wolverines are 9-2 and, with a win, would have the best win of any team in the country this year and likely would make the CFP. The Buckeyes haven't really been tested this season, which could also be an issue heading into this rivalry game. The Wolverines are also at home here, looking for both a fifth straight win over the Buckeyes and a 6-0 mark at home this year. Even with how good OSU has been this year, the spread and money line odds seem steep considering how much better Michigan looks this year, especially at home. Even with a potential CFP bid on the line for the Wolverines, all the pressure is on the Buckeyes. Hopefully, no flags will be harmed on Saturday.
No. 16 Texas (+2.5, +105) vs. No. 3 Texas A&M
It feels like if any three-loss team will make the CFP outside of a potential conference winner from the ACC, it'll be Texas. The Longhorns are 8-3 and could make one last statement with a win over an Aggies team that is undefeated but has played some heart attack affairs this year, winning tight games against Notre Dame, Auburn, Arkansas and South Carolina. The Longhorns' much-maligned offense has quietly improved over the last month outside of a tough matchup against Georgia. Texas A&M has allowed plenty of points this year and Texas' defense has plenty of NFL talent. Plus, this game is in Austin, where the Longhorns are 5-0 this year.
No. 12 Vanderbilt (+3, +125) at No. 18 Tennessee
The Commodores are essentially the first team out of the CFP right now, but they should get some help between Rivalry Week and conference title games next week. That only matters if Vandy wins at Tennessee on Saturday. The Commodores have enjoyed a historic season in 2025 and are on the doorstep of a stunning CFP berth. They have to get past a tough 8-3 Tennessee team, and the Vols have notably won this rivalry matchup six years in a row. This is a different Vanderbilt team, however, with a good offense led by Diego Pavia and an underrated defense. Rivalry games usually bring out the best in everyone, but the Vols have next to no shot at the CFP and could come out flat against an inspired Commodores side.
Auburn (+6, +185) vs. No. 10 Alabama
It may seem weird to target a 5-6 Auburn team against a 9-2 Alabama team, but you have to look beyond the records here. First off, it's a rivalry game -- weird things happen. Secondly, Alabama has struggled on the road with four of its five losses under Kalen DeBoer coming away from home. And third, you have to look at Auburn's scores this year. Yes, the Tigers have lost six games in 2025 but four of those losses were by one score and the other two were by nine and 10 points. This is a team, even after firing head coach Hugh Freeze, that plays close games against tough competition. Plus, can you imagine the reaction to DeBoer losing a third game for the second year in a row, and this one coming to an Auburn side that has an interim head coach? It's hardly an improbable outcome.
Washington (+6.5, +200) vs. No. 5 Oregon
Washington went 3-0 against Dan Lanning and Oregon across 2022 and 2023 with DeBoer at the helm before falling last year in what wound up being a 6-7 campaign in Jedd Fisch's first year in Seattle. The Huskies are much better this year at 8-3 and have been excellent at home, going 5-1 this year with that being the program's lone loss at home since the start of 2022. Oregon has far more question marks this year than last year in what's been a relatively soft schedule outside of the Indiana game (loss at home) and Iowa on the road (win by two). Lanning and Oregon get a lot of love for the winning and style points the team has had the last few seasons, but the Ducks have struggled in rivalry games and big games in general late in the season, losing to Oregon State in 2022, twice to UW in 2022 and 2023 and getting blown out in the CFP last year. This is a sneaky upset spot at one of the better home-field advantages in the country.
