There actually wasn't a real "nutso" game this week. So to recap this week, we go straight to the "Good/Bad" segment. And trust me, there is a LOT of both:
It Was a Good Week for:
Texas A&M (WHOA! Texas A&M just keeps on winning, as they won their "main-event" game against LSU 38-23. And where the hell did Marcel Reed come from for A&M? He was a true maestro in the 2nd half for the Aggies.) Jimari Butler (Huh. Nebraska didn't get killed by Ohio State as I feared they would. And this defensive back for Nebraska did his part to help reverse fate, as he got a sack and 3 TFL's on the field.) Colston Loveland (This Michigan WR caught 2 TD passes [and a 2-point conversion] to help take down the Spartans. It's about time that Michigan's offense got a spark!) Indiana (Yay! The good times continue to roll for the Hoosiers, as they defeated Washington to get to 8-0. And the city of Bloomington also honored Lee Corso yesterday, so it's all good here.) Tulsa (Tulsa won the best "under-the-radar" game of the week, as they rallied in the 4th to stun UTSA 46-45.) Akron (I had to point this one out; Akron got their 1st win over an FBS team this year, as they upset Eastern Michigan 25-21.)
It Was a Bad Week for:
Duke (So despite Duke forcing SMU's new QB [Kevin Jennings] into making 5 turnovers, they STILL lost to the Mustangs in OT? Man, that's gotta be heartbreaking for them.) Kyle McCord (...I still remember that 5-INT horror show Kyle put on last Thursday, with 3 of those INT's going for touchdowns in the 1st half.) Northern Illinois (So Notre Dame has completely forgotten about the Huskies, as they smashed Navy without a second thought. And NIU just lost to rival Ball State to drop to 1-3 in the MAC-
Wait. Northern Illinois is now 1-3 in their own league. I ask again: WHY CAN'T THESE GUYS GET ANY CONSISTENCY?!) Missouri (So Missouri got shut out by Alabama yesterday. Oh well, at least we can safely take the Tigers out of the SEC race now.) Utah (These guys just lost to Houston. I thought they were gonna be a contender this year! Oh, and arch-rival BYU is still unbeaten. AND Utah State also won, too.)
And finally, don't get mad at Vanderbilt for their loss. I mean, they only lost by 3 to the mighty Longhorns; give them a break. Okay, I'll see ya'll later.
An important game took place last night in the Sun Belt; Louisiana won at Texas State to remain the only team unbeaten in conference play. Wait... That means I gotta get to work, right? So with the calendar about to go to November, let's get to...
The Top 10 Games of College Football [Week Ten]
(All times are Eastern)
10. San Diego State @ Boise State [8:00 Friday, FOX Sports 1] (There were a few good choices for the #10 spot this week, so why am I going back to Boise State? Because they're being challenged again, silly! San Diego State is neck-and-neck with the Broncos [despite a few hiccups], and they should put up a good fight if they can stop Ashton Jeanty and crew.)
9. Texas A&M @ South Carolina [7:30, ABC] (As the latest "SEC Shorts" video showed, Texas A&M fought long and hard to get to their shocking place atop the mighty SEC. But now comes the VERY hard part: Staying on top. This Saturday, they're visiting South Carolina... who's had a bye week to prep for the Aggies running game. And what's this about A&M now using a "2-QB system"? Don't they know that plan is dangerous?)
8. Louisville @ Clemson [7:30, ESPN] (Speaking of South Carolina teams coming off a bye week, here are the Clemson Tigers! Fresh off a bye, Clemson is now hosting Louisville in their quest to return to the ACC title game. But don't be fooled by Louisville's record; the Cardinals are quite dangerous [and their 3 losses were all by a TD or less]. And we got a QB battle between Cade Klubnik and Tyler Shough!)
7. Indiana @ Michigan State [3:30, Peacock] (Last week was a great week all around for Indiana football. They honored Lee Corso, they hosted "College Gameday", and they defeated Washington to get to 8-0 on the year. It was wonderous for the Hoosiers.
Now it's time to get back to work: Indiana travels to rival Michigan State with the "Old Brass Spittoon" on the line. And the Spartans might not be world-beaters yet, but they're playing gutsy football. Indiana must stay on the gas pedal if they want that 9-0 start.)
6. Texas Tech @ Iowa State [3:30, ESPN] (The sleeper game of the week. Much like Indiana is trying to stay unbeaten, Iowa State is looking for an 8-0 start on the year. And for Texas Tech, they've been suffering ever since "College Gameday" called them a dark-horse contender in the Big 12. If Behren Morton and Tech doesn't break the Cyclones defense, the Red Raiders could be eliminated from the conference race.)
5. Florida vs. Georgia {from Jacksonville, FL} [3:30, ABC] (It's another installment in the Georgia/Florida rivalry, and both sides have had a week off to prepare for this. To me, this game will all hinge on what Florida does. Will their defense be able to stop Carson Beck and their former star RB Travis Etienne? And will Florida's new stars [like Jadan Braugh] be able to silence the Bulldogs D?)
4. Duke @ Miami [12:00, ABC] (Here's another big battle in the ACC, and these two teams are riding different emotions. Miami is happy after getting a much-needed easy win [over FSU, no less], while Duke's mind is scattered after letting SMU slip away with a win last week. Can Duke keep up with Cam Ward and the Miami offense, or will the Hurricanes shoo away another contender?)
3. Pittsburgh @ SMU [8:00, ACC Network] (I personally have been looking forward to this game for a while now. It's Pittsburgh vs. SMU, winner stays unbeaten in the ACC! A newcomer from the state of Texas, looking to stun another incumbent and keep climbing up. A Pittsburgh team, trying to keep alive their revival tour. And I'd love to see which style of play will come out on top.)
2. Oregon @ Michigan [3:30, CBS] (Here we go. Five months ago, this was one of those games where I thought "This looks wrong on SO many levels: Oregon going to Ann Arbor for a conference game?!". Well, we're here now. And it should be a spectacle when Oregon goes to Ann Arbor [for the first time since 2007] and tries to keep their #1 ranking. Will Michigan be up to the task? I mean, one of their QB's recently retired. And yes, they did beat Michigan State last week, but it wasn't a convincing win. Is Dillon Gabriel about to feast on the Wolverines D?)
1. Ohio State @ Penn State [12:00, FOX] (Uh, try to ignore the fact that a presidential candidate might be at the game, or that "College Gameday" is in Happy Valley again. Let's just focus on this HUGE Big 10 game that is the undisputed #1 game of Week 10. Ohio State has had Penn State's number over the last decade, so can they stop the Lions yet again? And will Penn State FINALLY get over the hump and stop the Buckeyes? Never mind the whole "Will Drew Allar go or not?" question; this is all mental for the Nittany Lions.)
Best "mid-major" game: East Tennessee State @ Mercer [Mercer defeated Western Carolina last week. Now here comes another big game for the Bears, as they host East Tennessee State to stay atop the Southern Conference.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Navy @ Rice (Will Navy recover from their crushing loss to Notre Dame last week? Considering that Rice just fired their head coach, my guess would be yes.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Minnesota @ Illinois, Ole Miss @ Arkansas, Wisconsin @ Iowa, and Jacksonville State @ Liberty.
Ohio State (7-1, 4-1) kept its hopes alive for a spot in the Big Ten championship game by beating the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1) for the eighth straight time.
www.espn.com
Another year gone, and YET ANOTHER tough loss to Ohio State by Penn State.
And on the heels of those 2 disappointing results, let's see what else was bad (and good) from Week 10 of this season:
It Was a Bad Week for:
The Liberty Flames (Well, Liberty flops again; they lost to Jacksonville State last Wednesday. Forget the CFP; now I don't know if Liberty will even make it to the C-USA title game!) Florida (Forget about the fact the Gators lost to Georgia again. That new wiz-kid quarterback DJ Lagway is now out for a while due to a hamstring injury. That's just unfair.) Clemson (Damn it, Tigers! You go up against a team that can fight back in Louisville, and you fall to pieces? I mean, you held Tyler Shough to no TD's, and he STILL beat you guys! That's it; you're a fraud until you prove me otherwise.) The Arizona Wildcats (3 months ago, the Wildcats were a Big 12 title contender while Arizona State was a struggling team. Now, it's the other way around! Arizona just got boat-raced by UCF, while Arizona State is now 6-2.) The "Bottom 10" standings (Ryan McGee's "Bottom 10" standings are gonna look a LOT different very soon; struggling teams like Wyoming, Troy, and UAB all got much-needed wins.
It Was a Good Week for:
The Baylor Bears (Talk about a gutcheck! Baylor won the best "under-the-radar" game of the week, as they sunk TCU on a last-second field goal. Maybe Dave Aranda will save his job in Waco after all!) The state of Texas (Baylor wasn't the only Texas team that won a big one last night. Look at the Mustangs; they clobbered unbeaten Pittsburgh! Just clobbered them! Houston is now cooking with gas, as they upset Kansas State. And speaking of upsets, my pick of Texas Tech came through in the clutch thanks to Tahj Brooks. Even UTSA joined in the fun, as they upset Memphis.) Indiana (Okay, so the Hoosiers spotted Michigan State 10 points early on. Didn't matter; once the Hoosier offense got going, the Spartans were toast. And now Indiana has their first-ever 9-0 start.) Kyle McCord (Last week was the worst of times for Kyle McCord against Pitt. But this week, he [along with Lequint Allen] pushed Syracuse to a bowl-clinching win over Virginia Tech. And THAT'S why you never give up!) That dancing "SEC Shorts" Vanderbilt guy (I have a feeling that we'll see that dancing Vanderbilt dude again on the next "SEC Shorts" video. Why? Because Vandy just scored their 1st-ever win AT Auburn... to grab their 6th win of the year and bowl-eligibility.) Kaleb Johnson (This Iowa RB scored 3 touchdowns as the Hawkeyes got a rare blowout win against rival Wisconsin.)
And finally, that Toledo/Eastern Michigan game is tugging at my heartstrings right now. What a way to win [or lose] a game... Man.
It's that time of year again! At 7:00 P.M., the first CFP rankings will be released. And at 8:00 P.M., almost everyone will be complaining about the first CFP rankings. It's like clockwork. And the reason I said "almost everyone" is... well, there's the election going on today.
So that means I'd better get this online now before the s--t hits the fan. Let's take a look at...
The Best "mid-major" games of Week 11!
(All times are Eastern)
5. Robert Morris @ Duquesne [12:00, check local listings] (I wanted to go with Miami-Ohio @ Ball State for this spot, but in that game the Redhawks are the only team with big stakes on the line. This game in Pittsburgh, however, has a LOT on the line. The winner will take over the top spot in the Northeast Conference... and take the inside track to that league's playoff spot in the FCS.)
4. Northern Illinois @ Western Michigan [7:00 tomorrow, ESPN2] (Here's the big MAC game this week. Western Michigan comes into November as 1st place in the league, but now it's time for them to EARN that spot in the MAC title game. As for the Huskies, I'm just waiting for them to return to the form they showed when they beat Notre Dame; will tomorrow be the day?)
3. UC-Davis @ Montana [10:00, ESPN2] (Here is the big game in the FCS this week. Montana is looking to silence UC-Davis and take a share of the lead in the Big Sky, b the Grizzlies will have to stop QB Miles Hastings and the high-flying Anteater offense to do it.)
2. Arkansas State @ Louisiana [5:00, ESPN+] (Has the Cajuns overcome a couple of lean years to return to their perch atop the Sun Belt? Right now it looks like it, as they're 7-1. Now Louisiana is hosting what may be their last serious challenger in the West division, as Arkansas State is right behind them [even though their offense have sputtered a few times this year]. Will the bye week they had help Arkansas State? Can their defense shut down Ben Wooldrige and the Cajun attack?)
And the #1 game on the list is... actually in a very rare spot. Tune in on Thursday to see what that spot is.
Huh. There wasn't any major yelling that happened with the first CFP rankings. Then again, it's hard to argue when you have 12 teams to pick instead of 4. Well anyway, it's time for the true battles to begin as elimination games are coming up.
You'll see what I mean as I present...
The Top 10 Games of College Football 2024 (Week 11)
(All times are Eastern)
T-10. South Carolina @ Vanderbilt [4:15, SEC Network] (Yep! The rare thing that I was talking about was... a tie on my countdown! I just couldn't decide which game [either the one in Nashville or the one in Denton] was bigger.
For the game in Nashville, it should be straight-up fun as 2 SEC surprises square off. It's a South Carolina team that just whacked Texas A&M, taking on those darn Commodores [and that dancing "SEC Shorts" dude that's gonna be at the game]. And with no more unbeatens left in the SEC, could Vandy...)
T-10. Army @ North Texas [3:30, ESPN2] (As for the game in Denton, we got a high-scoring North Texas team hosting the unbeaten Army Black Knights. And Army DOES have a ranking in the CFP [to the surprise of a few people who thought the CFP was gonna stiff Army], so the stakes are high for the Knights again. The only reason why this game isn't a stand-alone Top 10 game is North Texas' defense, which has been a little porous. Will the bye week help the Mean Green D stop Army?)
9. Maryland @ Oregon [7:00, Big 10 Network] (Oregon now has the #1 ranking in both the AP and CFP polls. That means all eyes will be on them as they continue Big 10 play, and this Saturday they'll play Maryland for the first time ever. Oh, and the Terps have had a bye week to devise a way to stop Dillon Gabriel. That might be the only hope Maryland has of winning this.)
8. Colorado @ Texas Tech [4:00, FOX] (The fight for a Big 12 title spot continues, as Colorado travels to Lubbock to have a reunion game with Texas Tech. Of course, Deion and Colorado will have the spotlight on them, but what about Tech? Can they avoid the hangover from upsetting Iowa State? Can QB Behren Morton keep up with Sheduer Sanders?
Hmm... maybe Colorado's running game will end up deciding things...)
7. Washington @ Penn State [8:00, Peacock] (Well, here we go again. Penn State loses a close one against Ohio State, everyone starts questioning James Franklin, they question the team's ability to win big games, etc. Well, this Saturday Washington is coming to "Happy Valley" for the first time ever. And Washington thinks they can upset the Nittany Lions... which MAY not help James Franklin's situation at all. Will Penn State's offense wake up and shoo away the Huskies?)
6. Florida @ Texas [12:00, ABC] (The program names alone will sell the game for the casual fan. But for Texas, they know they'll be hosting a desperate team in Florida, and that they'll have to recapture their mojo and confidence in order to survive. As for the Gators, they're 4-4, which should tell you a lot. But at least there's a chance that DJ Lagway will come back for Florida.)
5. Michigan @ Indiana [3:30, CBS] (Huh. Somehow I thought this was Indiana traveling to Michigan to deal with the "Big House" crowd. Well, in any event, here is a BIG hurdle that Indiana must clear to keep their now-blossoming CFP chances alive. As for Michigan, this may be their last chance [outside of Ohio State] to do something major in 2024. Come on, Michigan offense! DO SOMETHING!)
4. BYU @ Utah [10:15, ESPN] (Here we are! The "Holy War" will be a conference game for the first time since 2010. And just like Michigan, Utah knows that time is running out for them to do something major in 2024. BYU knows that Salt Like City will be nuts for this game, but I think that if their defense shows up they'll be fine. You hear that, Utes? Wake up your offense and make this game interesting!)
3. Miami @ Georgia Tech [12:00, ESPN] (Yep, I've moved the Miami/GT game all the way up to #3. And it's mostly because Miami is on the road and looking to stay unbeaten... and partly because of what happened between these 2 teams last year. Will last year's finish play with Miami's psyche? And if it does, will Georgia Tech take advantage?)
2. Alabama @ LSU [7:30, ABC] (No other way to say it: This is most likely a CFP elimination game. And it's between two bitter rivals. AND we all know what happened the last time Alabama went to Baton Rouge. Time for Jalen Milroe and Garret Nussmeier to lay it all on the line for their teams.)
1. Georgia @ Ole Miss [3:30, ABC] (So why is the game in Oxford at #1 and not the Alabama/LSU game? Simple: The rankings are higher, but the stakes remain the same. Colin Cowherd is backing Georgia all the way for the national title, but if Carson Beck doesn't correct his play the Bulldogs could get crushed against Ole Miss. And if Ole Miss can't stop Georgia, my national title pick is officially kaput. So, good luck Rebels! This is your last chance to fulfill championship dreams!)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Florida State @ Notre Dame (So this game is gonna be on NBC on primetime, and not the Washington/Penn State game? Fine, NBC, it's your loss.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: West Virginia @ Cincinnati, Clemson @ Virginia Tech, and Duke @ NC State.
So "Music Choice" is starting to play holiday music on their "Sounds of the Season" channel. Now I KNOW the pressure's on for all the teams. Let's see who can handle this pressure in Week 11:
Top 25:
Maryland 13 @ (1)Oregon 38
Purdue 6 @ (2)Ohio State 50
(3)Georgia 45 @ (16)Ole Miss 38 (4)Miami 32 @ Georgia Tech 31
Florida 17 @ (5)Texas 31
Washington 24 @ (6)Penn State 30
Mississippi State 13 @ (7)Tennessee 43
Michigan 21 @ (8)Indiana 28
(9)BYU 17 @ Utah 21
Florida State 13 @ (10)Notre Dame 24
(11)Alabama 38 @ (15)LSU 35
Nevada 10 @ (12)Boise State 39
(17)Iowa State 32 @ Kansas 17
Virginia 18 @ (18)Pittsburgh 28
(20)Colorado 31 @ Texas Tech 34
Utah State 14 @ (21)Washington State 35
(23)Clemson 37 @ Virginia Tech 28 Oklahoma 28 @ (24)Missouri 24
(25)Army 28 @ North Texas 34
Other big games:
Syracuse 20 @ Boston College 23
South Carolina 35 @ Vanderbilt 30
Arkansas State 22 @ Louisiana 27
Duke 27 @ NC State 21
My time's up. You've been great. Oh, and don't blame me for the election results; I voted for Harris!
OXFORD, Ms. — Football can be a very complex game sometimes. Kirby Smart has undoubtedly forgotten more football than most people can ever hope to know.
www.dawgnation.com
Yes! YES! My national title pick is still alive! Lane Kiffin and the Rebels come through in the clutch!
There was controversy and memorable moments galore in the latest rivalry matchup.
www.deseret.com
Now for this game, I'm feeling a range of emotions. On one hand, it is good to see BYU rally when people like Pitt and Miami didn't. On the other hand, this was my big upset pick of the week.
My dark side: "Nah, bro. It wasn't a bad pick; shit just happened, that's all."
Now let's move on and get to what else was good and bad from last week:
It Was a Good Week for:
Indiana (You're probably getting sick of seeing the Indiana Hoosiers on this side of the board, aren't you? Well, Indiana just won a dogfight over Michigan 20-15 for their 10th win. By the way, Indiana now has it's first 10-win season ever. Yes, EVER! From 1887 to now, Indiana has never had a 10-win season until this year.
So, TOO BAD! The Hoosiers get celebrated again.) The Military (What a great way to honor the veterans, as all 3 military schools won yesterday. Army's defense shut down North Texas, Air Force upset Fresno State, and Navy beats USF to get off the schneid.) San Jose State (Hey! San Jose State defeated Oregon State for their 6th win, and now Ken Niumatalolo's team is bowl-eligible.) James Madison (The Dukes are now 7-2, and it looks like they're bowling again. Yep, the Dukes have now surprised us for the THIRD year in a row.)
It Was a Bad Week for:
LSU ("College Gameday" was there. The majority of the hosts picked LSU to beat Alabama. Well, oopsy-doopsy! Alabama smacked LSU around [with Jalen Milroe running for 4-TD's], and now LSU's title hopes are dead.) Teams looking for a rebound (Teams like Pittsburgh and Iowa State were looking for bounce-back wins to return to CFP contention. Neither of them got it; Virginia surprised Pitt AT Pitt, and Kansas outgunned the Cyclones.) Ball Security (Georgia Tech shocked #4 Miami yesterday! And for the 2nd year in a row, the Jackets did it thanks to Miami fumbling the ball at the worst possible time. And the OU/Missouri game? The Sooners fumbled it away late, so another upset pick goes splat.) Louisiana Tech (I feel so bad for La-Tech today. They were leading Jacksonville State for most of the day, but then that Hail-Mary happened. But JSU missed the extra-point, so La-Tech gets a do-over in OT! ...But the Bulldogs still lose anyway. Man.)
And finally, Florida didn't stand a chance against the proud Longhorns. Oh well, at least Billy Napier won't get fired this season.
Here is just a simple list of "lower-division" games going on this week. No more, no less (All times are Eastern):
Western Michigan @ Bowling Green [7:00 tonight, ESPN2] (This is the big MAC game of the week. Bowling Green is surging up the standings in the MAC, and is now looking to beat Western Michigan and take over 1st place. Playing proud defense will be key for the Falcons to win this one.)
Abilene Christian @ Tarleton State [7:00, ESPN+] (By the way, the other 3 games on this list are all in the FCS. This one is from the anomaly called the United Athletic Conference, as Abilene and Tarleton fight for 1st place in the league. It's an in-state battle [both Abilene and Tarleton are from Texas]! And you got 2 superstars [Abilene QB Maverick Mclvor and Tarleton RB Kayvon Britten] leading their respective teams!)
Missouri State @ North Dakota State [3:30, ESPN+] (The Missouri Valley is in an familiar place, as North Dakota State is leading the league. But uh oh! Here comes Missouri State, who has the same conference record as the Bison: 6-0. And QB Jacob Clark is balling out for the Bears [25 TD's and over 3,100 passing yards]. It's not "Winner-take-all" in the Missouri Valley, but it's DAMN close to being it!)
Montana State @ UC-Davis [8:00, ESPN+] (The last game on the FCS slate this week has ended up being the biggest one. It's undefeated Montana State, visiting 9-1 UC-Davis! The Bobcats are #2 in the FCS polls, while the Anteaters are #4. And both teams have proud running backs to show off [Scottre Humphrey for Montana State, and Lan Larison for UC-Davis]. Don't miss this doozy out west!)
And by the way: 2 games from the "Group of Five" have made it to my "big-boy" Top 10 list this week! Tune in Thursday to find out which ones!
So after a long song-and-dance with my anti-virus program, I'm here. Let's just get going right now with...
The Top 10 Games of College Football 2024 [Week 12]
(All times are Eastern)
10. Kansas @ BYU [10:15, ESPN] (Originally, I had Ohio State vs. Northwestern at #10. But if you take away the 'Wrigley Field' part, I think Ohio State will roll in that battle. So instead, we'll go to Provo for the latest adventure of the unbeaten BYU Cougars! BYU is looking to just shoo away Kansas and continue their CFP push, but what's this about Kansas only being a 2.5-point underdog? Does Vegas know something we don't?)
9. Arizona State @ Kansas State [7:00, ESPN] (I also made a change at the #9 spot as well. Originally I had Missouri vs. South Carolina [since it's a battle of ranked teams]... but there really isn't too much on the line in that game in Columbia. So instead, it's on to Manhattan, Kansas for this evening game. And it's an elimination game in the Big 12! Yep, the loser of this game is DEFINTELY not going to the Big 12 title game.)
8. Oregon @ Wisconsin [7:30, NBC] (Wisconsin has had a bye week to figure out how they're gonna try to stop the mighty Oregon Ducks. Will that be enough, or will the Badger offense have to play out of their minds? As for the Ducks, this is their last road game of the regular season. And they just want to get to 11-0 for the first time since 2010.)
7. Tulane @ Navy [12:00, ESPN2] (OOOOO! This could be the AAC's biggest game of 2024! The Tulane Green Wave is now ranked in the CFP, and they're traveling to Annapolis to face the Navy Midshipmen. So what will happen? Will Tulane wash over Navy and clinch a spot in the AAC title game? Or will Navy pull the upset and keep hope alive for a Army/Navy AAC championship game?)
6. Utah @ Colorado [12:00, FOX] (...Ah, both Utah and Colorado have an early-morning kickoff, so I'm not upset about the timing of the game. Anyway, the "Rocky Mountain Showdown" makes it's Big 12 debut, and Colorado is now in 2nd place in their new league. And to me, how good this game will depend on Utah. They need to either stop Sheduer Sanders, or get their own passing game going. Otherwise, the Utes will blow their last chance to do something good in their 1st year in the Big 12.)
5. Boston College @ SMU [3:30, ESPN] (Wow! This run by SMU is amazing! They haven't been ranked this high since the heyday of the early 80's. But Boston College is not a team to take lightly; just ask Syracuse last week. Will the rugged Eagles ruin SMU's joyride, or will Kevin Jennings and his team keep rolling?)
4. Boise State @ San Jose State [7:00, CBS Sports Network] (Yeah, I can't believe it either! San Jose State made it in the Top 5 of one of my lists! They have been doing well, and now they'll host mighty Boise State for a chance to throw a monkey-wretch into the CFP rankings. And don't think that won't happen; Boise has been a little wobbly over the last couple of weeks [just ask Nevada].
And Emmett Brown has been doing great for San Jose this year. Hmm... I think Ashton Jeanty will need some help from his own QB [Maddux Madsen] so that Boise can win this one.)
3. Virginia @ Notre Dame [3:30, NBC] (So Northern Illinois is now bowl-eligible. Now that Notre Dame doesn't have to worry about the Huskies anymore, they can focus on beating Virginia and continuing their push for a CFP berth. As for the Cavs, they're coming off a great win over Pittsburgh last week, and they want more. Stopping the Irish offense will be key for Virginia to get back-to-back wins over ranked teams for the first time since 2008.)
2. Texas @ Arkansas [12:00, ABC] (Why is this game all the way up at #2? Well, mostly because it's a reunion game between old rivals Texas and Arkansas. AWW! Let's see these two Southern teams beat each other up in a conference game for the first time since 1991!
Oh, I just remembered! There's also the fact that Arkansas defeated Tennessee earlier this year. What makes you think that another upset like that can't happen again, especially since Arkansas has had a bye week to get their defense back into working condition?)
1. Tennessee @ Georgia [7:30, ABC] (Oh, the #1 game of the week was easy to figure out. Heck, this is 1 of only 2 ranked-vs.-ranked matchups this week. And for Georgia, it wasn't the end of their playoff push when Ole Miss defeated them. It could, however, be the beginning of the end if the Bulldogs doesn't correct themselves quick. As for Tennessee, this is the spotlight game that they've been craving for. Will they become a legit national title contender in Athens? And will RB Dylan Sampson be the man to lead the Vols to victory?)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Penn State @ Purdue (Wait. CBS is gonna broadcast Purdue being steamrolled by Penn State? And not Oregon/Wisconsin or Nebraska/USC? Fine, CBS, whatever makes you happy.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Clemson @ Pittsburgh, Cincinnati @ Iowa State, Missouri @ South Carolina, and Washington State @ New Mexico.
Honestly, last week was a mixed bag in the prediction market. Oh, I went 4-0 in unranked games, but teams like Miami and North Texas and Texas Tech let me down. And the less said about the "Holy War", the better.
Let's see if I can correct my bad luck with these picks for Week 12 [FCS vs. FBS games don't count]:
Top 25:
(1)Oregon 30 @ Wisconsin 21 (2)Ohio State 42 @ Northwestern 14 (3)Texas 41 @ Arkansas 30 (4)Penn State 47 @ Purdue 10
Kansas 17 @ (6)BYU 31
(7)Tennessee 27 @ (12)Georgia 29
Virginia 17 @ (8)Notre Dame 28
(13)Boise State 46 @ San Jose State 38
Boston College 18 @ (14)SMU 27
New Mexico State 8 @ (15)Texas A&M 40
Arizona State 30 @ (16)Kansas State 28
Utah 14 @ (17)Colorado 24
(18)Washington State 46 @ New Mexico 17 (19)Louisville 39 @ Stanford 23
(20)Clemson 22 @ Pittsburgh 27
(23)Missouri 20 @ (21)South Carolina 27
(22)LSU 37 @ Florida 31 (25)Tulane 34 @ Navy 27
Other big games:
Nebraska 20 @ USC 27
Syracuse 24 @ California 28
Hmm... Should I have mentioned the "Holy War" during my Utah/Colorado preview? I wonder. Anyway, enjoy your weekend.
Expert recap and game analysis of the Oregon Ducks vs. Wisconsin Badgers NCAAF game from November 16, 2024 on ESPN.
www.espn.com
And how about this close call? Oregon could have joined BYU on the upset block. Instead, the Ducks survive. And now they have their "Great Escape" victory they can point to when they make the CFP.
Before I give more thought to buying a "Nintendo Switch Online" membership, let's look at what else was good (and bad) from Week 12):
It Was a Good Week for:
Cody Rhodes (The "American Nightmare" saw his favorite team shut down Tennessee in the 2nd half, and so Georgia is still alive in the CFP race. Oh, and I think Cody was the only one on "Gameday" that picked Kansas to shock BYU.) Jeremiyah Love (It's nice to see someone OTHER than Riley Leonard score a rushing TD for Notre Dame. Jeremiyah ran for 137 yards and 2-TD's to help the Irish beat Virginia.) The state of South Carolina (Both Clemson and South Carolina won thrillers yesterday! Clemson used a late TD run by Cade Klubnik to beat Pittsburgh, and the Gamecocks outmuscled Missouri 34-30.) Emmet Kenney (This guy became a hero for Stanford, as he kicked a 52-year field goal with no time left to upset Louisville.) Tulane (*sigh* Sorry, guys, there'll be no Army/Navy AAC title game this year. That's because the Green Wave closed out Navy 35-0, and now Tulane is in their 3rd-straight AAC title game.)
It Was a Bad Week for:
Nebraska (Nebraska just lost to USC, and now they're 5-5 on the year. The Huskers CAN'T miss a bowl game again. Please, God, don't do this to us.) Washington State (Rece Davis is happy that New Mexico shocked Washington State last night 38-35. The rest of the country is not. Poor Cougars; I wanted their Cinderella ascension to continue.) Sun Belt favorites (The Eagles got upset by Troy, and Marshall defeated Coastal Carolina. And with that, GSU have lost 1st place in the Sun Belt East division. The West also saw a shock to the system; 8-1 Louisiana got upset by South Alabama.) Pat McAfee (Baylor was able to get bowl eligible yesterday... at West Virginia's expense. Sorry, Pat.) Boston College (Boston College were unable to get another upset win, as SMU fought them off in Dallas 34-24.)
And finally, Montana State was able to hold off a fierce UC-Davis rally to win their big game in the FCS. Fun stuff, really!