Your guide for the 2019 CFB Season (AKA: "Okay... let's try this again")

Surprising news!

Florida State coach Willie Taggart fired after 21 games

We now have 2 coaching firings in 2019; Chris Ash is gone from Rutgers, and now a shocker in Tallahassee as Willie Taggart is gone. ...I'll bet Manny Diaz and Miami are delighted; they made that happen, you know!

Week 11- Group of Five special

...Once again, I have a backlog of great games from the lesser divisions. And the college basketball season is starting tonight, too!
I guess this starts the busy part of the year for me, as I now present another edition of...


(All times are Eastern)
10. UT-Martin @ Austin Peay [4:00, ESPN+] (We now return you to the Ohio Valley conference, where former OVC punching-bag Austin Peay is in control of their destiny. All they have to do is win out, and they'll hold off Southeast Missouri State for the OVC title!
But also in the mix is UT-Martin; if THEY win out they'll have at least a share of the crown, so I'd say this is maybe the biggest game in many years for the Skyhawks and the Governors.)

9. Florida International @ Florida Atlantic [6:00, STADIUM Network] (Hey! It's the return of that obscure sports network called STADIUM. Anyway, that network will have the latest installment of the rivalry between the Golden Panthers and the Owls. FIU is looking for bowl eligibility here. But what's this? FAU is already at 6 wins, and is still after the C-USA East division? Expect a lot of "Lane Kiffin is back!" posts if FAU wins this one.
Oh, and don't expect too many mistakes; both James Morgan {FIU} and Chris Robison {FAU} are sharp passers.)

8. Liberty @ BYU [7:30, ESPNU] (Hugh Freeze is already paying dividends for the Liberty Flames, as the Flames are already sitting on 6 wins. One more victory, and they'll HAVE to put the Flames in their first-ever bowl!
But now they visit BYU, who just wants to sweep them away and focus on their own bowl plans. But BYU will have to stymie people like Antonio Gandy-Golden [who has over 1,000 receiving yards] to do it.)

7. Kent State @ Toledo [7:00 tonight, CBS Sports Network] (Early #MACtion is now underway! And Kent State is still in the conference mix entering November... proof positive that they're getting better. But Kent hasn't beaten their infrequent in-state rivals since 2006, and Toledo probably just wants to beat them again and move on. At least we'll get a lot of points scored tonight.)

6. New Hampshire @ James Madison [3:30, check local listings] (Now let's go and check up on the CAA leaders, James Madison! ...Hmm, they're still doing well at 8-1. But look out! New Hampshire is coming to town, and they're already back on track after a rough 2018 season. The Dukes must find a way around New Hampshire's defense to win this one.)

5. Ball State @ Western Michigan [8:00 tonight, ESPN2] (Returning to the MAC for a moment, do you know who's leading the West division? Lowly Ball State! Yep, the Cardinals are sitting atop the West... but maybe not for long. That's because tonight, Ball State visits the Broncos... who has a star RB {LeVante Bellamy} with over 1,000 yards rushing... and a QB {Jon Wassink} that's doing well so far. But the X-factor to me is the Cardinals offense; can it keep up with WMU's dynamic duo?)

4. UAB @ Southern Miss [4:00, NFL Network] (UAB has ridden a easy schedule to great success, but now it's time to find out how good the Blazers really are [I know UAB lost to Tennessee last week, but to me that doesn't count]! UAB will have games with La-Tech and North Texas to worry about later on, but this Saturday it's all about a road game with the Southern Miss Eagles. And don't expect any mercy from USM; they've lost 3 in a row to the Blazers, and they'll be hungry to break that UAB defense.)

3. Miami-Ohio @ Ohio [8:00 tomorrow, ESPN2] (This installment of the "Battle For the Bricks" might not decide who'll win the MAC East, but it'll play a BIG role into deciding it's winner. Ohio has dominated this rivalry as of late... until the Redhawks stunned them 30-28 last year. And the Redhawk offense-
Wait. Statistically, that offense is pretty bad. It'll have to take a BIG step up for Miami-Ohio to score the big road win.)

2. Princeton vs. Dartmouth {From Yankee Stadium in New York City} [3:30, ESPNU] (When the Ivy League was putting their schedule together for the 2019 season, I'll bet they were a little nervous booking this game for historic Yankee Stadium. But now? It's working out brilliantly for them, as we got 2 unbeaten teams duking it out for 1st place in the Ivy League. And as for a prediction? ...Well, do you think Dartmouth's a little exhausted after that Hail-Mary win a week ago?)

And... yep, you guessed it. The #1 game on this list is on the "big-boy" Top 10... which will be coming out on Thursday. Yeah, I'm sorry.

Week 11- Top 10 Games

The 150th anniversary of college football just occurred yesterday. And all that the NCAA gave us to celebrate this milestone...

Miami (OH) vs. Ohio - Game Summary - November 6, 2019 - ESPN ...was this game in the MAC. ...But then again, college football did start with 2 northeastern teams (Rutgers and Princeton) a long time ago.
So with that milestone passed, the only thing left to do is solider on with...


(All times are Eastern)
10. Louisville @ Miami [3:30, ESPN2] (This game is just a simple fight for bowl eligibility in the ACC. And both Louisville and Miami has good storylines going for them: Louisville wants to finish a solid comeback from a 2-10 record in 2018, while Miami just got Willie Taggart fired from FSU! But Miami's defense has been VERY good as of late; the Cardinals might have a problem with that.)

9. Wyoming @ Boise State [10:15, ESPN] (Boise had their manhood tested just last week against a game San Jose State team... and they survived. Now their manhood will be tested again when 6-2 Wyoming comes to visit. The Cowboys will have to try to upset the Broncos with their backup QB, unfortunately. But if they DO somehow beat Boise, the Mountain division could turn into a giant mess.)

8. Missouri @ Georgia [7:00, ESPN] (The sleeper game of the week. Georgia is back in the national title discussion after beating Florida, but they still have 3 SEC games to go. And Missouri [and it's QB Kelly Bryant] will be seeking to stop a losing streak that they're currently on.)

7. Iowa State @ Oklahoma [8:00, FOX] (So we're finally going to see Oklahoma for the first time since their stunning loss to Kansas State. And their first game back is against Iowa State... who actually won the last time they visited Owen Field in Norman. We all know that both of these offenses will get points; it's just a matter of which defense can stop the bleeding for long enough to win.)

6. USC @ Arizona State [3:30, ABC] (...So after USC lost to Oregon last week [and lost badly], we're back to playing the waiting game with Clay Helton and the Trojans. And by the way, USC is about to introduce it's new AD Mike Bohn... today. Just a little news item I had to throw in there.
As for Arizona State, they've gone from a ranked team to an afterthought after 2 straight losses. They've had 2 weeks to stew over this; what new wrinkles will the ASU coaching staff add to win this one?)

5. Baylor @ TCU [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (It looks like TCU football is in a bit of trouble right now; they've lost 3 of their last 4 games, and two of their quarterbacks just left the program.
Nice try, Horned Frogs! I'm STILL picking you guys to upset the undefeated Baylor Bears! Why, you ask? Because Baylor is on the road for a rivalry game... with games against Oklahoma and Texas on the horizon. This is a PERFECT look-ahead spot for the Bears right here.)

4. Kansas State @ Texas [3:30, ESPN] (And speaking of Texas, they've had 2 weeks to stew over their loss to TCU [where their defense failed them again]. And ESPN is saying "this game is do-or-die for the Longhorns", with Tom Herman under a lot of pressure to fix that defense... and Sam Ehlinger is under a lot of pressure to do better after throwing 4 INT's in that recent loss.
But what about Kansas State? Well, they COULD lose a shot at the Big 12 title with a loss here, but I'm expecting that. But if the Wildcats somehow wins this...)

3. Iowa @ Wisconsin [4:00, FOX] (Look. This game LOOKS huge in the Big 10 West [in a ranked vs. ranked match], but it'll all depend on what Minnesota does in their game earlier in the day. Really, the only thing this installment of "The Battle for the Heartland Trophy" will decide is which team WON'T win the West division this year.
Yep! The loser of this game is GONE from the Big 10 race. Which is amazing, isn't it? 4 weeks ago, Wisconsin looked like a national title contender, and now they're behind the 8-ball. The Badgers HAS to find a way to break Iowa's vaunted D-line if they want to rebound and win this.)

2. Penn State @ Minnesota [12:00, ABC] (This game is historically known as "The Battle for the Governor's Victory Bell". Yet these 2 teams has only played each other 3 times this decade.
Oh well. This game is STILL gonna be huge; it's a QB battle between Sean Clifford and Tracy Morgan. Also, Minnesota just locked up P.J Fleck as their coach for a long time, but Penn State is back to thinking about playing for a national title. The X-factor is Penn State's defense; will it face a challenge this Saturday?)

1. LSU @ Alabama [3:30, CBS] (I was just gonna put this game at the top of this post, say that it's the #1 game, and move on. But the CFP committee has Ohio State ranked ahead of BOTH of these teams?! Are they serious? And the saddest part is, either Orgeron or Saban is gonna have to take that news lying down with a terrible loss. Which one will it be?)

Game with the best chance to be a bust: Clemson @ NC State (Putting this game on ESPN at noon? Fine. Putting this game on prime-time, knowing full well that NC State has a raft of injuries and Clemson is angry over being #5 in the CFP polls? Yeah, this "Textile Bowl" is gonna get ugly.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Florida State @ Boston College, Princeton vs. Dartmouth, Wake Forest @ Virginia Tech, Washington @ Oregon State, and Illinois @ Michigan State.

My prediction segment is next!

Week 11 Predictions

And by the way, my annual college basketball thread is now up and running! You should check it out... AFTER you take a gander at my picks for Week 11:

Maryland 7 @ (1)Ohio State 49
(2)LSU 21 @ (3)Alabama 28
(4)Penn State 38 @ (17)Minnesota 31
(5)Clemson 48 @ NC State 14
Missouri 21 @ (6)Georgia 34
Iowa State 20 @ (9)Oklahoma 53
Vanderbilt 13 @ (10)Florida 28
(12)Baylor 34 @ TCU 35
(18)Iowa 17 @ (13)Wisconsin 21
(15)Notre Dame 27 @ Duke 24
(16)Kansas State 28 @ Texas 38
(19)Wake Forest 41 @ Virginia Tech 26
UConn 6 @ (20)Cincinnati 49
Wyoming 9 @ (22)Boise State 24
East Carolina 14 @ (25)SMU 37

Other big games:
USC 35 @ Arizona State 31
Louisville 21 @ Miami 24

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy "Sarah's Cottage".

Friday recap

In the early games, Toledo and Miami-Ohio came out the big winners. We also learned that Washington's defense still cares about 2019 as they beat Oregon State.

UCF vs. Tulsa - Game Recap - November 8, 2019 - ESPN UCF's defense, however, does not. And now their reign of terror in the American conference is over... at least for now.

Week 11 Recap (Part 1)

So you're probably expecting me to be a woofer today, going on and on and on about how great it is that Alabama lost. Well... not really.

LSU vs. Alabama - Game Summary - November 9, 2019 - ESPN I mean, it's great that LSU was able to beat Alabama for the first time since 2011. But don't fool yourselves, people...
Penn State vs. Minnesota - Game Summary - November 9, 2019 - ESPN ...teams like Penn State also lost yesterday. So it's not over for 'Bama just yet.

Week 11 Recap (Part 2- Top 25 action)

Hey, I'll tell you what. Let's look at the rest of the Top 25, eh?

Well, Clemson's doing fine, Georgia's defense is doing fine, and Wisconsin is back to being fine. Texas and Virginia Tech dug deep to score big home victories, Baylor was able to dodge my upset trap, and SMU now has it's first 9-win season since 1984.

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma - Game Summary - November 9, 2019 - ESPN ...And Oklahoma nearly got humiliated at home again against Iowa State.

Week 11 Recap (Part 3- Everyone else)

And finally, we get to see what else happened on this very fun week in football!

Mountain West: We start in the Mountain West, where both Boise State and San Diego State both had tough games. Boise State was able to survive against Wyoming.
Nevada vs. San Diego State - Game Summary - November 9, 2019 - ESPN San Diego State, however, completely ruined themselves against Nevada.
P.S: Hawaii is bowl-eligible after beating San Jose State 42-40, and Utah State won at the last second against Fresno State.

Big 10: Jeez, Illinois fans! 5 weeks ago, you wanted to throw Lovie Smith into a dumpster and haul him away. Now after one comeback win over Michigan State, you want to throw a parade after he got you... bowl eligibility?! WOOOO! Go, Lovie Smith!

ACC: Miami is bowl eligible after beating Louisville. Virginia still controls their fate in the Coastal. And... FSU actually won with their interim head coach? Cool! At least the 2019 season won't be a TOTAL wash for the Seminoles.

Conference USA: It was actually a proud day for C-USA yesterday! Charlotte is now 5-5, and Southern Miss looks to be running on all cylinders. More good news came when FAU got it's 7th win; now people will talk about Lane Kiffin again! The more publicity, the better.
But the big story is Western Kentucky blowing out Arkansas. Not simply "beat" Arkansas, they BLEW THEM OUT. Does ANYBODY remember that WKU lost to CENTRAL Arkansas to start the season?!

SEC: Yes, something else DID happen other than LSU/'Bama; Tennessee won at Kentucky to move closer to a bowl berth.

Sun Belt: There were some sad times, as both Georgia State and Georgia Southern both lost.
Appalachian State vs. South Carolina - Game Summary - November 9, 2019 - ESPN But there was also this: A return to the happy times for good ol' App. State!

PAC-12: And finally, an update on the PAC-12! ...Well, Clay Helton is still the USC coach, so I guess USC won at Arizona State. Cal also won, and so did Stanfor- Wait. Stanford LOST at Colorado?! WHAT?!

More stunning news!

There’s no question Arkansas had to fire Chad Morris, but now a bigger question looms

Too bad. Chad Morris had a good recruiting class going for him, but the fact that Arkansas boosters are willing to sacrifice $10 million just to get rid of him is a damning sign that this tenure was awful.
In unrelated news, Vanderbilt's coach Derek Mason is starting to get antsy in his seat in Nashville.

Week 12- Top 10 Games

Sadly, there is no "Group of Five" special this week. Oh, there ARE a few good games from that group this week; Louisiana Tech is at Marshall, and App. State visits Georgia State to try to keep their national ranking. It's just that this site was down and...
Anyway, let's return to business on this thread with...


(All times are Eastern)
10. USC @ California [11:00, FOX Sports 1] (We begin this countdown with a rarity: A trilogy of games from the PAC-12 Conference! We start it off with USC's continuing quest to save Clay Helton's job, as they travel to a Cal team that they lost to last year. And Cal's defense may be struggling a bit, but Cal DID beat Washington State last week [snapping a 4-game losing streak in the process]. I think the fur will fly, but expect a low-scoring game.)

9. Arizona @ Oregon [10:30, ESPN] (Meanwhile in Eugene, we'll get the now 6th-ranked Ducks looking to smash Arizona and keep moving on to the CFP. Thing is, Arizona got the same bye-week Oregon got last week; will it help that awful Wildcat defense come up with a plan?)

8. UCLA @ Utah [8:00, FOX] (WOW! Oregon, Arizona, UCLA, and Utah all had byes last week! That's AMAZING! ...Sarcasm aside, Utah is hoping they can silence the surging Bruins and move on with THEIR CFP chances. As ESPN.com puts it, "How will a resurgent UCLA offense fare against Utah's elite defense?".)

7. Indiana @ Penn State [12:00, ABC] (Indiana is ranked in the AP Poll for the first time in a quarter-century! Congrats! That's gotta buy coach Tom Allen a few more years in Bloomington. So what's next for the Hoosiers?
Uh oh! Their next two games are against Penn State and Michigan! I guess we'll find out how good the Hoosiers REALLY are now! And as for Penn State... just know that they can't afford any more screw-ups with a trip to Ohio State coming next week.)

6. Navy @ Notre Dame [2:30, NBC] (Yes! Two old rivals, both of them ranked, fighting for nothing more than bragging rights and a bigger bowl placement in December. And statistically, Navy has been doing better than Notre Dame this year... even though they haven't faced a guy like Ian Book yet.)

5. Wake Forest @ Clemson [3:30, ABC] (Clemson is now feeling a LOT better than they were last week. They're now #3 in the CFP polls, and with Wake's loss to Virginia Tech last week the Tigers can claim yet another ACC Atlantic title. But now the Demon Deacons [who can still put some points up on the board despite some injuries] are coming to visit. By the way, Vegas has made Clemson a 34.5-point favorite for this contest, all thanks to Clemson's terrifying offense. Can Wake find a way to slow it down?)

4. LSU @ Ole Miss [7:00, ESPN] ("The Battle of Magnolia Lane" gets another wrinkle this Saturday. Why, you ask? Well, think about it. #1 LSU... fresh off a huge win... over Ala-freaking-Bama... who MIGHT be having a hangover... going on the road... against an old rival. Just think about it.)

3. Minnesota @ Iowa [4:00, FOX] (LSU ain't the only team that has to worry about getting upset on the road; with their big win over Penn State last week, people are treating Minnesota like they may be an elite team. P.J Fleck and his team will have to prove it now, with games against Iowa and Wisconsin coming up.
Speaking of Iowa, here's another chance for them to win a big game; they've beaten the Gophers in the last 4 meetings for "The Floyd of Rosedale". And their defense has been good, but will it learn any lessons from their loss last week to Wisconsin?)

2. Oklahoma @ Baylor [7:30, ABC] (This was initially my #1 game of the week... until the new CFP rankings came out. ANYway, Baylor is back to being a force in the state of Texas after a few lean years, all thanks to the coaching of Matt Rhule. But if Baylor is to become a serious CFP contender, they must, MUST defeat the Sooners and have Charlie Brewer outduel Jalen Hurts.
As for the Sooners, their last two games [and their defense, for that matter] have not gone according to plan. It's gut-check time for that unit, and for Lincoln Riley's coaching.
P.S: Did you know that Baylor will face the Texas Longhorns next week?)

1. Georgia @ Auburn [3:30, CBS] (Thank you, playoff committee! You placing Georgia at #4 on the CFP polls makes "The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" a main-event clash once again. Because now Georgia must now prove that they deserve that ranking... against a school they've always hated. And the Crimson Tide will be watching this game closely, too... while secreting rooting for Auburn to win...)

Best "mid-major" game: Appalachian State @ Georgia State (I also initially had Louisiana Tech @ Marshall as my top "mid-major" game of the week... until the CFP polls made me change my mind. Now App. State is looking to resume dreaming about the "New Year's Six" by beating the upstart Panthers.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Ohio State @ Rutgers (Vegas has Ohio State as a 52-point favorite here. A f---ing 52-point favorite! Alabama didn't even get that against New Mexico State 2 months ago!)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Michigan State @ Michigan, Wisconsin @ Nebraska, Alabama @ Mississippi State, Florida @ Missouri, and Texas @ Iowa State.

My prediction segment is next!

Week 12 Predictions

It's time for a long-overdue look at how my picks have been doing recently.
Week 9: 13-3
Week 10: 13-4
Week 11: 13-4
Hey! That's pretty good! Let's hope this week's round of predictions go as well:

(1)LSU 41 @ Ole Miss 28
(2)Ohio State 54 @ Rutgers 7
Wake Forest 17 @ (3)Clemson 35
(4)Georgia 24 @ (12)Auburn 28
(5)Alabama 47 @ Mississippi State 21
Arizona 17 @ (6)Oregon 45
UCLA 35 @ (7)Utah 28
(8)Minnesota 21 @ (20)Iowa 24
Indiana 24 @ (9)Penn State 28
(10)Oklahoma 49 @ (12)Baylor 44
(11)Florida 28 @ Missouri 20
(14)Wisconsin 27 @ Nebraska 31
Michigan State 17 @ (15)Michigan 24
(23)Navy 24 @ (16)Notre Dame 27
(17)Cincinnati 35 @ USF 28
(18)Memphis 47 @ Houston 35
(19)Texas 42 @ Iowa State 27
New Mexico 10 @ (21)Boise State 34
Kansas 13 @ (22)Oklahoma State 41
West Virginia 17 @ (24)Kansas State 31
(25)Appalachian State 40 @ Georgia State 27

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy "Pokemon Sword and Shield" when it comes out tomorrow, OK?

Only 54 for OSU? We taking the starters out after the opening kickoff?

Across The Field said:

Only 54 for OSU? We taking the starters out after the opening kickoff?

Click to expand...

top fraternity division flag football champ takes over in second half.

Week 12 Recap (Part 1)

Clemson has to be delighted after yesterday. They smashed Wake Forest...

Minnesota vs. Iowa - Game Summary - November 16, 2019 - ESPN ...then they saw Minnesota enter a place they never were good at, and suffered their first loss.

Oklahoma vs. Baylor - Game Summary - November 16, 2019 - ESPN And finally, Clemson woke up to find out undefeated Baylor blew it against Oklahoma. The Tigers are in the clear to defend their title!

Week 12 Recap (Part 2: The Group of Five)

Time to see what else happened in college football this week! And for a change of pace, we're STARTING with the "Group of Five":

American: Temple looked great against Tulane. Navy, however, got smacked against Notre Dame. And props to Cincinnati and Memphis, who both survived tough road games to win.
Wait. Cincy and Memphis are leading their divisions, and they're playing on "Black Friday", which means... Oh, boy.

Conference USA: Louisiana Tech lost to Marshall on Friday, which means they're now tied with Southern Miss for the lead in the West division. But the big story is Rice; they FINALLY won a football game!

MAC: You probably know all of this stuff already, but here goes: Miami-Ohio is sitting pretty in the East after they won and Buffalo lost. In the West we saw Western Michigan win in OT, and Toledo's comeback fell short against NIU.
Central Michigan vs. Ball State - Game Summary - November 16, 2019 - ESPN And then just yesterday, Central Michigan wins the best "under-the-radar" game of the week against Ball State.

Mountain West: Not much happened here; San Diego State, Boise State, Utah State, Air Force, and Hawaii all took care of their business.

Sun Belt: Georgia Southern and Arkansas State are now bowl-eligible, UL-Lafayette are now a 8-win team, and App. State is still alive!

Week 12 Recap (Part 3)

Georgia vs. Auburn - Game Summary - November 16, 2019 - ESPN
Oops! Almost forgot about this one! ...Oh well, at least this wraps up my coverage of the SEC; let's wrap up this week's recap!

PAC-12: Oregon and Utah continues to be awesome, while USC does well against the Cal Bears. Arizona State, though, is in a funk after blowing it against Oregon State 45-44.
But the big "WTF" in the PAC-12 right now is Stanford. Seriously, Coach Shaw, what's going on over there?!

Big 10: Wisconsin is fine, while Jim Harbaugh finally scratched a much-annoying itch against the Spartans.

Big 12: TCU still has hope for the postseason! But on the negative side, Kansas State is out of the rankings.
Texas vs. Iowa State - Game Summary - November 16, 2019 - ESPN And I guess the sharks in Vegas DID know what they were doing when they made Iowa State the favorite here.

ACC: And finally, Syracuse still has some life in their season! It should be exciting to see them take on a Louisville team that's now... bowl-eligible. ...S--t.

Week 13- Group of Five Special

We're getting close to the end, folks! Tonight we'll find out if Alabama loses ground in the rankings after Tua went down. But before that, let's have a brief look at the "Group of Five" schools with...


(All times are Eastern)
5. San Diego State @ Hawaii [11:00, Facebook Live] (There were a lot of contenders for the #5 spot; Marshall @ Charlotte, and Colorado State @ Wyoming among-st others. But this contest in Honolulu gets on the list, for one big reason: It'll decide who's gonna win the West division in the Mountain West.
That's right, folks! Either San Diego State [with a 6-2 conference record] or Hawaii [via tiebreaker at 5-3] is gonna go to the Mountain West title game! Will the Aztecs defense carry the day, or is Hawaii about to break it in half?)

4. Louisiana Tech @ UAB [3:30, ESPN+] (After losing last week against Marshall, Louisiana Tech is now tied with Southern Miss in the C-USA West division. But not to worry! La-Tech already defeated Southern Miss, so if they just win out they'll be fine.
Their next game, however, won't be easy: A road date with 7-3 UAB, who has another proud defense to show off. The Bulldogs has to get their offense going again in order to survive.)

3. SMU @ Navy [3:30, CBS Sports Network] (Both SMU and Navy are looking up at Memphis in the AAC West, so about the only thing this game will settle is who will NOT win their division this year.
Navy's defense gave up QUITE a few points in their terrible loss to Notre Dame last week, so it'll be desperate to prove the critics wrong. On the other hand, SMU will have 2 weeks to prep for Navy's triple option attack, which is always a plus. Just know that-
Wait. SMU's RB Xavier Jones has over 1,000 yards rushing? OOOOOOO...)

And... that's actually it, because the top two games on this list are on my "big-boy" Top 10 list coming out on Thursday. Again.

Week 13- Top 10 Games

Jeez, I had to go to the doctor yesterday for my annual, and they got a blood sample from me- Oh, man. I can't help but wor-
What? ...Oh, sorry. I was just rambling to myself. Let's get down to business as I present...


(All times are Eastern)
10. Temple @ Cincinnati [7:00, ESPN2] (In the "Group of Five", there are two contests this week that'll help decide the fate of two "New Year's Six" contenders: Cincinnati and Boise State. First, there is this bout in the American as Cincy is looking to win at least one of their last 2 games to confirm their ticket for the AAC title game. Problem is, those two games are against Temple and Memphis, so it won't be easy.
I'll be looking at Temple's running game; it's been lacking in recent weeks, but if it gets going here the Owls will have the offense needed to REALLY bug the Bearcats.)

9. Boise State @ Utah State [10:30, CBS Sports Network] (Later in the "Group of Five", we'll have this bout. And it's higher on the list than the Temple/Cincy game for a couple of reasons. First [as you can plainly see], Boise is on the road while Cincy is not. Second, Boise has a bigger chance to lose their division; Utah State is nipping at Boise's heels in the Mountain, and so is Air Force.
And third, nobody really knows who's gonna be the starting QB for EITHER team. A lot of intrigue in this game, to say the very least.)

8. TCU @ Oklahoma [8:00, FOX] (After that historic comeback win over Baylor last week, Oklahoma still has a chance to make the CFP! ...A small chance, maybe, but still a chance! Now the Sooners look to keep moving against a TCU team that has struggled to find consistency throughout the season. Then again, Oklahoma have kinda been dancing on the razor's edge over their last few games...)

7. Boston College @ Notre Dame [2:30, NBC] (I initially had this game in the Top 5, but now I'm not so sure about BC's ability to push the Fighting Irish. Oh sure, AJ Dillon is closing in on 1,500 rushing yards for BC, but can the Eagles move the ball if Notre Dame stops him? And Ian Book is BALLIN' right now; can BC get to him?)

6. Oregon @ Arizona State [7:30, ABC] (About 6 weeks ago, people were actually excited about ASU football; the Sun Devils were ranked and ready to challenge for the PAC-12 South. Now they're 5-5, losers of 4 straight games, and they're wondering why they can't close out games.
Now they're getting a visit from a Oregon team that's still thinking playoff, and it may be Herm Edwards's last chance to do something great in 2019.)

5. Michigan @ Indiana [3:30, ESPN] (Yes, Indiana did lose to Penn State last week. But I watched that entire game... and you know what? Indiana didn't look that bad; they hung in there with the Nittany Lions. I'm hoping that Michigan is gonna remember that and NOT get caught looking ahead to... you-know-who.)

4. Pittsburgh @ Virginia Tech [3:30, ESPN2] (I had a feeling that this game would play a part in solving the ACC Coastal mystery. Pitt has been doing good so far at 7-3, with QB Kenny Pickett putting up some great numbers. Meanwhile, Va-Tech seems to now have their act together after a couple of tense moments early in the year; will their defense rise to the occasion on their Senior Day?
Oh! On a completely unrelated note, Virginia is sitting at 5-2 in the division... with their game against Va-Tech coming up. You think they won't be paying attention to this?)

3. Texas @ Baylor [3:30, FOX Sports 1] (Both of these Texas teams are coming off bad losses; the Longhorns offense sucked against Iowa State, and we all know what happened to Baylor. Now they must face each other one-on-one in a big rivalry game where a lot of points are [once again] expected.
Here's the thing, though. Baylor still has big hopes for their season; if they win out they can get a rematch against Oklahoma to avenge that loss. What exactly is Texas playing for now? And why do I still see them defeating the Bears, anyway?)

2. Texas A&M @ Georgia [3:30, CBS] (Nearly everyone in the SEC will be taking a vacation this week. Yep, most of them will just kick back, punch out an FCS opponent while gorging on cupcakes, and then just sleep all day. And only Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, and Texas A&M will be working this Saturday.
Trouble is, Georgia has to play against A&M and it's QB Kellen Mond. And I'll bet that Georgia is a bit tired after fighting off Auburn. ...Or maybe I'm overthinking it, and that Georgia's defense will carry the day once again.)

1. Penn State @ Ohio State [12:00, ABC] (Now we're finally going to see Ohio State get tested this season! Not just at the Wolverines next week, but right here against Penn State. People have tossed away the Nittany Lions after they lost to Minnesota 2 weeks ago, but if they shock the Buckeyes they're right back in the mix! But PSU's offense will have to find a way to slow down Justin Fields in order to do it.)

Game with the best chance to be a bust: Purdue @ Wisconsin (Wisconsin is back in the Big 10 title hunt! And it's all thanks to Minnesota getting their 1st loss last week. Now all Wisconsin has to do is win out and they're off to Indy!
...So, I think Purdue is catching the Badgers at a bad time.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: California @ Stanford, Oklahoma State @ West Virginia, UCLA @ USC, Illinois @ Iowa, and Oregon State @ Washington State.

My prediction segment is next!

Week 13 Predictions

Relax! I didn't forget about you guys today. So before I have to go find an antenna for my brother's radio, here are my picks for Week 13 (FBS vs. FCS games don't count):

Arkansas 17 @ (1)LSU 50
(8)Penn State 24 @ (2)Ohio State 31
Texas A&M 14 @ (4)Georgia 24
(6)Oregon 49 @ Arizona State 21
(7)Utah 40 @ Arizona 31
TCU 20 @ (9)Oklahoma 52
(10)Minnesota 27 @ Northwestern 21
Purdue 10 @ (12)Wisconsin 44
(13)Michigan 34 @ Indiana 27
Texas 38 @ (14)Baylor 35
Boston College 17 @ (15)Notre Dame 27
Illinois 13 @ (17)Iowa 24
(18)Memphis 41 @ USF 27
Temple 27 @ (19)Cincinnati 28
(20)Boise State 24 @ Utah State 21
(21)Oklahoma State 48 @ West Virginia 27
Kansas 10 @ (22)Iowa State 35
UCLA 37 @ (23)USC 31
Texas State 12 @ (24)Appalachian State 41
(25)SMU 38 @ Navy 21

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy "WWE Backstage".

Week 13 Recap (Part 1)

Last night, my town got hit with a blast of winter weather. First some rain, then about a inch of snow. How does that relate to this post? Well, there was a bit of rain and snow on the CFB fronts this week.

Penn State vs. Ohio State - Game Summary - November 23, 2019 - ESPN We started out with some pretty snowy results; Ohio State actually survived getting tested against Penn State. Meanwhile, teams like Baylor and Utah remains upbeat after scoring wins of their own.

Oregon vs. Arizona State - Game Summary - November 23, 2019 - ESPN And then, a sad rain fell over the Oregon Ducks as their playoff shot went kaput.