College football Week 13: Players to watch

If Northwestern beats Michigan State, it will be in the Big Ten title game. Chiaokhiao-Bowman has been big over the last two games, hauling in 12 receptions for 181 yards and four touchdowns in wins over Purdue and Wisconsin. His 22 catches in the Wildcats' five games this year are already a career high, and his three TDs against Purdue were his first touchdowns since he was a freshman in 2017. Chiaokhiao-Bowman and eighth-ranked Northwestern travel to Michigan State on Saturday. 

The Cyclones lead the Big 12 and have a huge showdown with Texas on Friday. Hall has been one of the best and most consistent running backs in the nation. He has rushed for at least 100 yards and a least one touchdown in all eight of his games this season. In his last six games, he has rushed for 139, 135, 185, 185, 133 and 135 yards. Consistent. 

The Tar Heels are a long shot to get to the ACC title game but they'll have an impact on the team that will get there. North Carolina welcomes in No. 2 Notre Dame, and quarterback Sam Howell wants to deliver on the biggest stage. He is tied for fourth in the FBS with 23 passing touchdowns and is fourth with  2,631 passing yards. He put up 550 yards and six touchdowns in his last outing, a win over Wake Forest.

The last time we saw Lawrence, it was a week before Halloween when the Tigers put away Syracuse, 47-21. Since that game, Lawrence missed two games due to testing positive for COVID-19 ... including a loss at Notre Dame that knocked Clemson from the top of the rankings. He was supposed to make his return last week, but Florida State and Clemson couldn't agree on whether to play the game (they didn't). Oh, and he is no longer the frontrunner for the Heisman trophy. Lawrence wants nothing more than to make a statement against Pitt to show the world that the Tigers are the team to beat in 2020.

McCormick has the second-most rushing yards in the FBS this season (1,094) and is coming off a dominant performance against Southern Mississippi. In that game, McCormick rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 victory. He's had four games of at least 150 yards rushing and three games with multiple touchdowns. The Roadrunners host the Mean Green of North Texas on Saturday.  

One thing we learned about the College Football Playoff committee's initial rankings is how highly it thinks of A&M. The Aggies are ranked fifth in the committee's eyes, just out of the top four, but it seems as if they can get in despite not winning a conference championship. Mond has really come through this season, throwing 16 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He held his own in duels against Alabama's Mac Jones and Florida's Kyle Trask (beating the latter) and last week threw for four TDs and rushed for another in a win over South Carolina. Texas A&M hosts defending national champion LSU on Saturday. 

In last year's Iron Bowl, Nix rushed for a touchdown, threw for another and completed a key two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to beat Alabama and end the Tide's run of College Football Playoff berths. Nix hasn't had the season he hoped in 2020 -- throwing for just 10 touchdowns and rushing for three more this season -- but he has been heating up of late. His completion percentage has shot up over the Tigers' last three games ... all wins ... and he has protected the ball much better. If Auburn wants to play spoiler to Alabama once again, Nix will need another great effort in one of sports great rivalries.

Patterson was a monster last week in the Bulls' win over Bowling Green. The junior ran for 301 yards and four touchdowns against the Falcons, giving him multiple-touchdown games in all three of Buffalo's wins. The Bulls have a huge game with Kent State on Saturday with first place in the MAC East division on the line. Last year, Patterson rolled up 141 yards in a three-point loss against the Golden Flashes.

Sure, Indiana lost its big game to Ohio State, but Penix and the Hoosiers proved they are really good. Penix threw for 491 yards and five touchdowns ... going blow-for-blow with Justin Fields. While the Hoosiers have been playing well, their upcoming game against Maryland could be a trap. There was so much buildup entering their matchup with the Buckeyes, and Indiana is staring at Wisconsin next week, so there could be a bit of a letdown against a very good Terps squad. Penix will need to have another big game if Indiana wants to continue its best season in decades. 

While CJ Verdell is gobbling up yards on the ground, Shough is having success with his arm. In the Ducks' win over UCLA, he threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns as Verdell struggled to get going (Shough actually outrushed Verdell). He has thrown for seven TDs over the last two games and has done a great job protecting the ball. Oregon faces rival Oregon State Friday night. 

Smith has had one of the best careers in Crimson Tide history. Last week against Kentucky, he set the SEC's all-time receiving touchdowns mark with his 32nd and 33rd TD receptions. He is inching closer to Alabama's school records for career receptions, receiving yards and 100-yard games. With just two regular-season games, probably an SEC title game and potentially two College Football Playoff games remaining on the schedule, setting those records will be difficult, but his impact on the program is undeniable. On tap is the Iron Bowl against Auburn; he is seeking his first 100-yard game against the Tigers. 

Yes, Kyle Trask is the Heisman frontrunner going into Thanksgiving weekend. He was a backup (albeit to D'Eriq King) during his last three years of his high school career. He was a guy who barely played and suffered two big injuries his first three years in Gainesville. Yet after coming in for an injured Feleipe Franks last season, he has taken hold of the job and has been dominant. He leads the FBS in passing touchdowns and is in the top five in passing yards. Florida hosts a Kentucky team that was blown out by Alabama last week, 63-3, so expect another huge game from Trask.

The Irish head to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina's high-octane offense. One way to slow down the Tar Heels is to keep the ball out of their hands, which is what Kyren Williams hopes to do. In Notre Dame's win over Clemson, Williams rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns ... including the game-winner. Two weeks ago, Williams was knocked out of the game against Boston College with an undisclosed injury, something head coach Brian Kelly deemed precautionary and not serious. So he should be fine against Carolina and get a ton of touches.