Scully's Week 13 College Football picks: UCLA set to finish strong

Holiday feasts include college football, and the final week of the regular season features a large number of highly-anticipated rivalry matchups.

We’re betting three teams in Week 13 facing in-state opponents. Let’s get to it!

Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State

Since their lone loss, a 24-21 setback at Iowa State in late October, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have outscored the opposition by a combined 165-23 margin in the last four games. The Cowboys are playing their best football presently.

Oklahoma State will be poised for payback in this year’s Bedlam Series, after losing four straight home matchups to its bitter rival.

Oklahoma rebounded from its first loss, a lopsided 27-14 defeat at Baylor, with a victory over Iowa State last week, but the Sooners surrendered 25 first downs and needed an interception deep in their own territory to survive.

The Sooners' reliance upon the run (Oklahoma had only 96 passing yards against Iowa State) was a problem against Baylor, and Oklahoma State owns the nation’s fourth-ranked run defense.

Oklahoma State wins big!

NCAAF pick: Oklahoma State -4

Clemson vs. South Carolina

Grabbing the points with South Carolina, which has the playmakers to give Clemson a good game at home.

We’ve witnessed a commendable resurrection job from first-year coach Shane Beamer, who has 6-5 South Carolina bowl-eligible for the first time since 2018. The Gamecocks get after teams defensively and upset Auburn and Florida in the last two home games. Their confidence grows every week.

The offense has developed an identity since quarterback Jason Brown took the helm three weeks ago, ZaQuandre White has emerged as a dynamic presence out of the backfield and at receiver, and South Carolina brings offensive momentum to this matchup.

Clemson has been playing better, scoring 48 points against Wake Forest last week, but this will be the first legitimate defense the Tigers have faced since October.

Clemson may prove best in the end, but it will be closer than double digits against an up-and-coming South Carolina.

NCAAF pick: South Carolina +11.5

California vs. UCLA

UCLA is rolling, and no team is more inconsistent than Cal, which is vulnerable in this spot after a high-scoring victory over Stanford.

After posting a convincing win over Oregon State in late October, Cal threw in a clunker the following week at Arizona, losing 10-3. The Bears can’t put back-to-back efforts together, as they have scored 17 or fewer points in three of their last six games.

That’s a bad omen against Chip Kelly’s offense, which is playing its best football of the season. UCLA exits a 62-33 rout over USC, in which the Bruins scored 106 combined points over the last two weeks, and they look set to finish the season strong.

The Bruins will prove too prolific for California.

NCAAF pick: UCLA -7