NCAA College Basketball Recap #1

College Basketball has begun and we are already seeing some great basketball. The Maui Invitation, Battle 4 Atlantis, and other Thanksgiving tournaments are over. We now are currently into the conference challenges as the ACC played against the Big Ten and the SEC is now battling it out with the Big East. There has been impressive play by teams such as Indiana, Duke, Florida, Michigan, and Gonzaga. Other teams are starting off a little slower than expected, such as NC State, North Carolina, and UCLA. Here are my current rankings and analysis of what I have seen so far this season.

1. Indiana   7-0 

- The Indiana Hoosiers appeared to be struggling two weeks ago when they played Georgia and against Georgetown. The Hoosiers struggled against Georgia well into the fourth quarter until they pulled away and won 66-53. The Georgetown game really tested the Hoosiers as they needed overtime to pull off the 82-72 win. Since that game though, Indiana has looked solid. The blowout win over #14 North Carolina on Tuesday said a lot about this team. The Tar Heels are not the same team from last season, but the play from star sophomore Cody Zeller, junior Will Sheehey, and Victor Oladipo could not have been much better. Talk about shooting lights out. The lights literally went out in Assembly Hall for a brief moment. This game showcased how talented this team could be this season and Christian Watford only had two points on the night.

  2. Duke      7-0

- Out of any team in the country, the Duke Blue Devils have best resumé of wins right now. The Blue Devils defeated #3 Kentucky in Atlanta 75-68, #2 Louisville 76-71 in the Battle 4 Atlantis Championship, and #4 Ohio State 73-68 at home. The Blue Devils also had difficult games in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament against Minnesota and VCU. This Blue Devil team looked tired early against Ohio State and could only make shots from the line in the first half. In the second half though, the Blue Devils battled back and played great basketball against a tough Buckeye squad. Mason Plumlee's inside game and rebounding has been key to the success the Blue Devils have had. The Blue Devils have also seen the rise of freshman guard Rasheed Sulaimon, who is averaging 12.7 points per game. Look for Sulaimon to continue to be a huge part of the Duke offense along with senior guard Seth Curry, senior forward Ryan Kelly, and sophomore Quinn Cook. This team already looks better than they did last season. 

3. Michigan   6-0

- This may possibly be the best Michigan team we have seen in years. The Wolverines have defeated Pittsburgh, Kansas State, and NC State so far this season. The Wolverines, led by junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and sophomore guard Trey Burke, are currently scoring 80.8 points per game and are fifth in the nation with a field goal percentage of .529. I am impressed with the defensive of play from these Wolverines. Freshman forward Glenn Robinson III has had 19 rebounds in his last two games and has been a playmaker on offense averaging 12.2 points per game. Watch out for the Wolverines as the season continues, they are a lot stronger than last year's team that was upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Ohio. 

 4. Florida       6-0

- After a blowout 82-49 victory over Marquette last night, I am ready to put the Gators in the number four spot. Florida did have to cancel its first game of the season against Georgetown on the USS Bataan due to moisture on the court, but the Gators were able to blow out #22 Wisconsin 74-56 just days after the cancellation. The Gators are led by senior guard Kenny Boynton, who is currently averaging 14.5 points per game and has been almost solid from the free throw line going 22 for 25. The Gators also consist of senior forward/center Erik Murphy, who is averaging 4.2 rebounds per game and senior guard Mike Rosario, who has averaged 11.0 points per game. Freshman guard Michael Frazier III will also be a valuable asset to this team as he dropped 17 points on Marquette last night. Lastly, the Gators will play tough opponents in their next three of four games. The Gators must travel to in-state rival Florida State, #9 Arizona, and Kansas State in Kansas City. If the Gators get through these three games look for them to be undefeated until at least late January. 

5. Ohio State    4-1

- The Buckeyes lost in a close one at Duke on Wednesday 73-68, but these Buckeyes are a very talented bunch. The inside game is strong and the Buckeyes defensively shutdown Duke the entire first half. The Buckeyes are led by junior forward Deshaun Thomas who has been impressive this season by averaging 22.4 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. Junior guard Aaron Craft continues to be the key roll player in the Buckeye offense and junior guard Lenzelle Smith, Jr. currently has a three-point field goal percentage of .474. The Buckeyes will breeze through their non-conference schedule until December 22nd when they host Kansas.

6. Syracuse   4-0

7. Louisville  5-1

8. Gonzaga   7-0

9. Arizona    4-0

10. Kansas    5-1


Teams to watch: 

1. Oklahoma State (5-0)
- The Cowboys had a blowout win over #6 NC State 76-56 and have a tough guard game consisting of true freshman Marcus Smart.

2. Illinois (8-0)
- John Groce's squad has looked unstoppable so far this season. They won the Maui Invitation by defeating Butler 78-61. The play from senior guard Brandon Paul has been crucial as he has averaged 18.3 points per game.

3. Oregon (6-1)
- The Pac-12 is going to be up for grabs and the Ducks could be in the mix again. The Ducks knocked off #18 UNLV in the semifinals of the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas. The Ducks then almost upset #22 Cincinnati in the Finals. The play from the Duck's freshman and Rice transfer Arsalan Kazemi has been a large part of why this team has been successful.

4. Georgetown (4-1)
- The Hoyas defeated #11 UCLA, then gave #1 Indiana all they could handle in overtime and almost pulled off the upset. Pay attention to the play of junior guard Markel Starks. This kid has looked solid so far this season.

Potential Pretenders:

1. NC State (4-2)
- A lot of talent on this Wolf Pack squad that was ranked number six in the preseason ranking. Unfortunately, they were blown out by an unranked Oklahoma State team 76-56 and also lost at #3 Michigan 79-72. The play from freshman T.J. Warren and junior C.J. Leslie will hopefully get this Wolf Pack team back on track and in a position to compete for the ACC title.

2. UCLA (5-2)
- Here we go again with the drama surrounding the UCLA program. UCLA had to defeat UC-Irvine in overtime, lost to Georgetown, and then was upset by Cal Poly at home. Junior center Joshua Smith and junior guard Tyler Lamb have already left the program. It will be up to freshman Shabazz Muhammad to lead this Bruin squad the rest of the season.

3. North Carolina 
- The Tar Heels are obviously not as strong this season with the loss of their four star players from last season, but it doesn't mean they are a bad team. The Tar Heels look all out of sorts this season. The Tar Heels were almost blown out in Maui by Butler, then were manhandled at #1 Indiana 83-59.

College Football: Week 14 matchups to watch

We finally have reached the last weekend for teams to make their way into BCS Bowl games. The game this weekend with National Championship implications is the SEC Championship between #2 Alabama and #3 Georgia. The winner of this game will play #1 Notre Dame in Miami for the crystal ball. The craziness of the Big Ten will finally be decided in Indianapolis Saturday night as #12 Nebraska (10-2) will take on Wisconsin (7-5) in the Big Ten Championship for a ticket to the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin came close to defeating the Huskers earlier this season in Lincoln and have earned a spot in this game because of Ohio State and Penn State being ineligible. At the beginning of the season it was all about a rematch between Oregon and USC in the Pac-12 Championship. Here we are at the end of the season and we have #16 UCLA playing #8 Stanford for the second time in less than a week for a trip to the Rose Bowl. The ACC's wheel of destiny landed on Georgia Tech this season. Georgia Tech (7-5) will play #13 Florida State (10-2) for the ACC Championship after Miami (FL)
self-imposed a postseason ban on themselves making the Hurricanes ineligible for the ACC Championship. Lastly, there is a crucial game tonight for a potential BCS at-large bid for #17 Kent State or #21 Northern Illinois. The Kent State Golden Flashes only need to move up one more spot in the BCS standings to make it to a BCS Bowl game. The Northern Illinois Huskies need a lot more help with losses from Boise State, Texas, and UCLA. Even that may not be enough for the Huskies to be eligible for an at-large BCS bid.

ESPN College GameDay will be live from Atlanta, GA (10:00 AM ET)

Matchup: #2 Alabama vs #3 Georgia

Thursday, November 29th

1. Louisville @ Rutgers  7:30 PM ET ESPN

- Finally, the mighty Big East will be settled tonight in Piscataway. Louisville and Rutgers were both upset this past Saturday and dropped out of the BCS Standings. The winner of this game will play in either the Sugar Bowl or Orange Bowl. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are looking for their first BCS bowl bid in the school's history. Louisville went to a BCS Bowl game in 2007, where they defeated Wake Forest 24-13 in the Orange Bowl. The matchup in this game is going to be the Cardinals passing attack against the tough Scarlet Knight defense. Louisville will rely on the passing game of sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater has averaged 350.2 passing yards and 2.8 touchdowns in his past five games. The Cardinal offense has averaged 296.5 passing yards per game this season. The Scarlet Knights have not been strong on offense this season and have needed to win games by relying on its defense. The Scarlett Knight defense is holding opponents to only 114.4 rushing yards per game and just 15.1 points per game. What could be a key aspect in this game is if the Scarlet Knights rushing attack led by Jawan Jamison can show some sort of life and wear down a Cardinal defense that has not faired well against the run this season. Could we see "pandemonium in Piscataway" part II against Louisville?

Prediction: Rutgers 28, Louisville 24

Result: Louisville 20, Rutgers 17


Friday, November 30th

2. #21 Northern Illinois vs #17 Kent State  MAC Championship (Detroit, MI)  7:00 PM ET ESPN2

- The Golden Flashes of Kent State are very likely to be BCS bound if they can win this game. On the other hand, the Northern Illinois Huskies are looking to repeat as the MAC Champions and are hoping for a miracle that they hit the 16th spot in the BCS Standings. The Golden Flashes are on a 10-game winning streak after being blown out early in the season at Kentucky 47-14. The success of Kent State has been in part to its rushing attack. Running back Dri Archer, who should be able to go tonight, has rushed for 125 or more yards in three of his last four games. Archer also has 18 total touchdowns on the season. The Golden Flashes are 11th in the country in rushing yards per game this season with 241.5. The Huskies are led by explosive junior quarterback Jordan Lynch who has led an offense that is currently 9th in the country in rushing yards per game with 245 yards. Lynch's dual threat ability has caused him to be a nightmare for defenses this season. Lynch has averaged 229.1 passing yards per game, 134.2 rushing yards per game, and has accounted for 39 of the Huskies touchdowns this season. Not only are the Huskies sound on offense, but their defense continues to be tough year after year. The Husky defense is holding opponents to 17.5 points per game this season. The MAC Championship is more than just a game this year. It could potentially be for the conferences first BCS bid.

Prediction: Northern Illinois 32, Kent State 26
Result: Northern Illinois 44, Kent State 37 (2OT)

3. #16 UCLA @ #8 Stanford  Pac-12 Championship  8:00 PM ET FOX

- In less than a week, UCLA and Stanford will have played two games against each other. In round one this past Saturday, The Stanford Cardinal completely outplayed the UCLA Bruins and won by a score of 35-17 in the Rose Bowl. The Bruins must now travel to the "The Farm" to get revenge against a very tough and physical Cardinal team. Last week, I picked the Bruins to pull the upset. Boy how was I ever wrong. Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor went off for 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Stanford defense also shut down the UCLA offense by holding them to just 73 total rushing yards. Standout UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin rushed for only 65 yards and one touchdown leaving the offense up to the arm of quarterback Brett Hundley. If UCLA wants any chance of winning this time against Stanford, the offense must establish a running game. The UCLA defense must also prevent Stepfan Taylor from breaking free and running for big gains. We'll see if the Bruins have what it takes to win round two.

Prediction: Stanford 42, UCLA 21
Result: Stanford 27, UCLA 24

Saturday, December 1st 

4. #11 Oklahoma @ TCU  12:00 PM ET ESPN

- It's the Sooners last chance to win the Big 12 Championship. The Sooners need to defeat the Horned Frogs and then have Kansas State lose to Texas to be the winner of the Big 12. With a Big 12 Conference Championship, the Sooners would be guaranteed a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. The Sooners won in overtime in a shootout with in-state rival Oklahoma State this past weekend and TCU is coming off an upset victory at Texas. Sooner quarterback Landry Jones threw for an impressive 500 yards and three touchdowns this past weekend. Jones has thrown for 500 or more yards in his past two games and his main target has been junior wide receiver Jalen Saunders. Saunders has put up 285 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his past two games. A lot of pressure will be put on the Horned Frog defense to stop an offense that is averaging 41.7 points per game. The Horned Frog defense held the Texas Longhorns to just 13 points and 86 rushing yards last Thursday. They will need another gutsy performance from the defense, because the offense led by Trevone Boykin will not be able to put up enough points on the Sooner defense to win. Oklahoma should win this ball game and appear in the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl. If the Sooners do not win the Big 12 they will need to hope Kent State loses in the MAC Championship. Kent State could steal an at-large bid away from Oklahoma if they defeat Northern Illinois in the MAC Conference Championship game.

Prediction: Oklahoma 42, TCU 23

5. #23 Oklahoma State @ Baylor  12:00 PM ET FX

- Both of these teams put up over 40 points this past weekend and went into overtime. Look for this to be another Big 12 game where there is only offense and no defense. There could potentially be over 1,000 yards of offense in this game. The Oklahoma State offense has averaged 332.6 passing yards per game and has scored an average of 45.6 points per game. Quarterback Clint Chelf has looked solid since taking over the Cowboy offense four games ago. Chelf has averaged 251.7 passing yards per game and has thrown nine touchdowns. Baylor has been just as explosive on offense. Baylor has averaged 358.5 passing yards per game and is putting up 44.4 points per game. Quarterback Nick Florence has been amazing this entire season after having to replace Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. Florence has passed for 3,825 yards this season and 30 touchdowns. We can't forget about the running games of both teams either as Baylor and Oklahoma State have top 20 rushing attacks. This is going to be a very high scoring affair and it will be up to one of the defenses to make a stop late in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 54, Baylor 49

6. #20 Boise State @ Nevada  3:30 PM ET ABC

- The Boise State Broncos are not completely out of the BCS picture yet. With a win, the Broncos would need one of the two scenarios to happen. The first scenario is the Broncos would need UCLA, Kent State, Texas, and Florida State to lose. The second scenario would consist of UCLA, Kent State, and Texas losing, then the Broncos jumping Michigan in the BCS Standings. Boise State needs to get past Nevada though. We all remember what happened two years ago when the Wolf Pack pulled the upset at home against the Broncos. Two years has passed though and both teams are not what they were in 2010. Boise State's offense has not been as explosive with quarterback Joe Southwick, but the Bronco defense has been one of the best in the country. The Bronco defense is only giving up an average of 14.4 points per game and 133.5 rushing yards per game. This could be trouble for a Wolf Pack offense that relies heavily on their rushing attack led by 1,000 yard rusher Stefphon Jefferson and quarterback Cody Fajardo. If Nevada cannot get their running game going it could result in a blow out win for Boise State.

Prediction: Boise State 42, Nevada 24

7. #2 Alabama vs #3 Georgia  SEC Championship (Atlanta, GA) 4:00 PM ET CBS

- This one is for all the marbles. The winner of this game goes to the BCS National Championship and the loser will likely be heading to the Cotton or Chick-fil-A Bowl. This is going to be a heavy weight fight with teams that had aspirations of making the National Championship before the season even began. These teams expected to be in Atlanta playing in a game of this magnitude. The Alabama Crimson Tide have a good offense with an even better defense. Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron has 25 touchdown and only two interceptions on the season. The offense also consists of a solid backfield with Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon, as well as a rising star in freshman wide receiver Amari Cooper. The Crimson Tide defense led by line backer C.J. Mosley and nose guard Jesse Williams have allowed just 9.3 points per game this season. The Crimson Tide defense is currently the best overall defense in the country and have not given up more than 24 points in any game this season.

The Georgia Bulldogs appeared to be out of the race with a blowout loss at South Carolina. Then the season changed in those two weeks after the South Carolina game. Georgia barely escaped Kentucky 29-24 and Bulldog safety Shawn Williams called his own defense "soft." Georgia went on to upset Florida 17-9 and took control of the SEC East Division for good. The Bulldog offense led by quarterback Aaron Murray continues to look better with 14 touchdown passes in his last five games. The Bulldog offense has also become more explosive with the help of freshman running back Todd Gurley, who has rushed for 1,138 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. The Bulldog defense has given up just 11.1 points per game since they lost to South Carolina in Week 6. Linebacker Jarvis Jones  has been a nightmare for offenses this season and looks to be one of the key players in stopping the Crimson Tide offense. This game will be all about defense and field position. Both offenses will be geared towards game management and not making mental mistakes that could put the opposing team's offense in scoring position. A lot of pressure will also be placed on Alabama kicker Jeremy Shelley and Georgia kicker Marshall Morgan to make key field goals. This is going to be a very close game between two very talented teams.

Prediction: Alabama 23, Georgia 17

8. #18 Texas @ #6 Kansas State 8:00 PM ET ABC

- It's as simple as this. If Kansas State wins this game, they win their first Big 12 Championship since 2003 and guarantee themselves a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. Wildcat Quarterback Collin Klein will get his final chance to impress Heisman voters against an improved Texas Longhorn defense. The Wildcat offense needs the rushing attack led by Collin Klein and John Hubert. The Wildcats had just 76 rushing yards against the Baylor defense two weeks ago. The Longhorns have struggled against the run this season by giving up an average of 201.5 yards per game, meaning this could be something the Wildcat offense takes advantage of. The Longhorn offense struggled against TCU last week and have replaced quarterback David Ash with Case McCoy. McCoy has come in late in the fourth quarter twice this season to try and revive the Longhorn offense after Ash had struggled. If the Wildcat defense can shutdown the Longhorn rushing attack and put pressure on Case McCoy, the Wildcats have a good chance of winning this game. The Wildcat defense must put the Baylor game behind them after they gave up 52 points and 580 yards. Kansas State has defeated Texas in their last four meetings. We will see if Texas has anything left in the tank after last week's loss.

Prediction: Kansas State 34, Texas 24

9. #13 Florida State vs Georgia Tech  ACC Championship (Charlotte, NC)  8:00 PM ET ESPN

- Florida State and Georgia Tech are both coming off of embarrassing losses to their in-state rivals. The Florida State Seminoles expected to be here at the beginning season. If the Seminoles do not win this game, the Seminoles season has gone right down the drain again. Quarterback EJ Manuel was banged up last week against the Gator Defense, but has been cleared and will be ready to play Saturday night. The Seminole offense has been good this season averaging 41.5 points per game, but it has been the defense that has been the backbone of this team. The Seminole defense has given up just 15.1 points per game and 280.9 total yards per game this season. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets made it to this game by default. Both teams ahead of the Georgia Tech in the ACC Coastal Division were ineligible to play. North Carolina had a one year bowl ban heading into the season and Miami (FL) recently self-imposed a bowl ban on themselves. The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech have one of the best rushing games in the country statistically with their triple option attack.  Last week though, Georgia shutdown the Yellow Jacket offense and held them to just ten points. The Yellow Jacket offense may be in even more trouble as they face the 4th best best defense in the country. The Seminoles should be headed to their first BCS Bowl game since 2005.

Prediction: Florida State 42, Georgia Tech 16

10. #12 Nebraska vs Wisconsin  Big Ten Championship (Indianapolis, IN)  8:17 PM ET FOX

- Earlier this season, Wisconsin blew a 17 point lead in Lincoln and lost to Nebraska 30-27. Since that game, the Huskers have squeaked out victories against Northwestern, Michigan State, Penn State, and Iowa. Wisconsin improved after losing that night in Lincoln, but have lost in overtime these past weeks against Ohio State and Penn State. In all honesty, these teams should be sending thank you notes to Ohio State for being ineligible to play in this football game. The Husker offense was shutdown last week at Iowa and were fortunate to come out of Iowa City with a 13-7 victory. The Huskers will rely again on the running game of Rex Burkhead, who rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown last week after being out since late October with a knee injury. The Badgers must rely on their running back Montee Ball as well. Ball set the record for most touchdowns in FBS history last week at Penn State. If the Badgers can pound it out on the ground that will open up wide receiver Jared Abbrederis to make plays down the field like he did against the Husker defense earlier this season. The key in this game is going to be the Wisconsin defense. The Badger defense has a talented linebacking core headed by Chris Borland and it will be up to them to contain Husker quarterback Taylor Martinez. Most people are looking for the Huskers to run away with this game and punch their ticket to the Rose Bowl. Just because the Badgers are 7-5 does not mean they don't have a chance to win this game. Expect round two between these teams to be just as close.

Prediction: Nebraska 26, Wisconsin 24

College Football Week 14: Big East Title

Thursday, November 29th

1. Louisville @ Rutgers  7:30 PM ET ESPN

- Finally, the mighty Big East will be settled tonight in Piscataway. Louisville and Rutgers were both upset this past Saturday and dropped out of the BCS Standings. The winner of this game will play in either the Sugar Bowl or Orange Bowl. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are looking for their first BCS bowl bid in the school's history. Louisville went to a BCS Bowl game in 2007, where they defeated Wake Forest 24-13 in the Orange Bowl. The matchup in this game is going to be the Cardinals passing attack against the tough Scarlet Knight defense. Louisville will rely on the passing game of sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater has averaged 350.2 passing yards and 2.8 touchdowns in his past five games. The Cardinal offense has averaged 296.5 passing yards per game this season. The Scarlet Knights have not been strong on offense this season and have needed to win games by relying on its defense. The Scarlett Knight defense is holding opponents to only 114.4 rushing yards per game and just 15.1 points per game. What could be a key aspect in this game is if the Scarlet Knights rushing attack led by Jawan Jamison can show some sort of life and wear down a Cardinal defense that has not faired well against the run this season. Could we see "pandemonium in Piscataway" part II against Louisville?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIwce8NxnnY

Prediction: Rutgers 28, Louisville 24

College Football Week 13 Recap

My Overall Record: 92-38
My Record in Week 13: 6-4

Best game from Week 13: #13 Oklahoma 51, #21 Oklahoma State 48 (OT)

"Civil War" between Oregon and Oregon State 

Most of the chaos was settled this past weekend. Notre Dame pulled their undefeated regular season off at USC 22-13. The Irish defense came up with a huge goal line stand again with minutes remaining to ice the game. The Irish are now Miami bound and playing for their first National Championship since 1988. The second spot in the National Championship game will go to the winner of the SEC Championship game between #2 Alabama and #3 Georgia. The other BCS bowl games are beginning to look a lot   less complicated now. Stanford clinched the Pac-12 North this past weekend at UCLA      35-17, meaning the Oregon Ducks will have to settle for an at-large bid to a BCS Bowl game. Nebraska was able to sneak out a close one at Iowa 13-7 on Friday to win the Big Ten Legends Division. The Ohio State Buckeyes hung on at home to beat Michigan 26-21 to go undefeated on the season. It's just to bad that the Buckeye's season is finished and they will not be going to the BCS National Championship due to their one year probation. The Florida Gators pretty much guaranteed themselves a spot in a BCS bowl game with an impressive 37-26 win at in-state rival Florida State. The craziest game on Saturday was the shootout in Bedlam between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Sooners needed a four yard touchdown run from Blake Bell with four seconds remaining to take the game into overtime. In overtime, The Cowboys kicked a field goal on their first possession, but the Sooners took advantage of the situation and won the game 51-48 on a Brennan Clay 18 yard rushing touchdown. Oklahoma must defeat TCU this upcoming weekend and needs Kansas State to lose at home against Texas to win the Big 12 Championship.

BCS Bowl Game Scenarios

BCS National Championship (Miami, FL)

#1 Notre Dame vs #2 Alabama or #3 Georgia 

Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ)

#5 Oregon (at-large bid) vs #6 Kansas State or #11 Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)

Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)

#12 Nebraska or Wisconsin (Big Ten Champion) vs #8 Stanford or #16 UCLA (Pac-12 Champion)

Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA)

#4 Florida (SEC at-large) vs #6 Kansas State or #11 Oklahoma or Rutgers or Louisville (at-large)

Orange Bowl (Miami, FL)

#13 Florida State or Georgia Tech (ACC Champion) vs Rutgers or Louisville or #17 Kent State

Note: If mid-major #17 Kent State defeats #21 Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship they can earn a BCS at-large bid. Kent State needs to be ranked at least 16th in the BCS and in front of a BCS automatic qualifier. Currently a Big East school is not ranked in the Top 25. 

College Football: Week 13 matchups to watch

There are many crucial games this week that could make or break teams. The big game is #1 Notre Dame traveling to Los Angeles to take on rival USC. USC will be without senior quarterback Matt Barkley, who suffered a separated shoulder against UCLA this past weekend, and it will be redshirt freshman Matt Wittek that will lead the Trojans offense. The Pac-12 has two other games that are crucial for conference and BCS implications. The #4 Oregon Ducks will play at #15 Oregon State in their annual Civil War rivalry game, where Oregon could clinch an at-large BCS bid or North Division title. The other big Pac-12 game is #8 Stanford at #17 UCLA. The Cardinal are coming off a huge win at Oregon and are looking to win the Pac-12 North Division, as well as host UCLA in the Pac-12 Championship game next Friday. The Big 12's big games of the week are TCU at #16 Texas on Thanksgiving and Bedlam between #21 Oklahoma State and #13 Oklahoma. Both Texas and Oklahoma are looking to stay in the race for a Big 12 Championship.

The Big Ten Legends Division will be decided this weekend as #14 Nebraska plays at Iowa and #19 Michigan plays at undefeated Ohio State. A Nebraska win would guarantee them a birth in the Big Ten Championship game. An Iowa upset over Nebraska and a Michigan upset over Ohio State would result in Michigan playing Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. Lastly, two in-state non-conference rival games have BCS at-large bids written all over them. #4 Florida will travel to #10 Florida State and #12 South Carolina will go into hostile Death Valley to battle it out for the Palmetto State with #11 Clemson.

This weekend, I will be at the Civil War game in Corvallis between #5 Oregon and #15 Oregon State. The Ducks are coming off of a heartbreaking loss against Stanford and Oregon State is coming off a blow out win against Cal that basically ended the coaching career of 11 year Cal head coach Jeff Tedford. The Ducks need to establish a running game against one of the best rushing defenses in the country. The Beaver defense may not have as many talented players on the defensive side as Stanford, but the Beavers have proven they can stop some of the best running backs in the country. It will be interesting to see if Oregon running back Kenjon Barner can get back on track this Saturday. The Oregon defense played tough this past weekend against a tough Stanford defense. We will see if the Oregon defensive backs can handle the speed of Beaver wide receivers Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks.

#5 Oregon @ #15 Oregon State  3:00 PM ET Pac-12 Network

ESPN College GameDay will be live from Los Angeles, CA (Live at 10:00 AM ET)

Matchup: #1 Notre Dame @ USC

Thursday, November 22nd

1. TCU @ #16 Texas  7:30 PM ET ESPN

- The Thanksgiving game is no longer Texas A&M and Texas, but in fact TCU and Texas. With Kansas State losing this past weekend to Baylor, the Longhorns are suddenly back in the Big 12 title race. Since the Longhorns struggled and had to win in a shootout 56-50 over Baylor, the Longhorn defense has given up an average of only 15.3 points in their past three games. The Longhorn offense led by quarterback David Ash and running back Johnathan Gray have continued to improve since struggling against Oklahoma and Kansas. The Longhorn offense has averaged 39.6 points per game this season. The TCU Horned Frogs have lost three of their last four games in Big 12 play. TCU redshirt freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin was banged up against Kansas State two weeks ago and is looking to make big plays against the Texas defense. The Horned Frogs offense had averaged 35.6 points in their five games prior to playing Kansas State and were only able put up ten points against the Wildcat defense. We will see if TCU has what it takes to hang in with an improving Texas team in Austin.

Prediction: Texas 35, TCU 21
Result: TCU 20, Texas 13


Friday, November 23rd

2. #14 Nebraska @ Iowa  12:00 PM ET ABC

- The Nebraska Cornhuskers are looking to lock up the Big Ten Legends Division. The Iowa Hawkeyes have continued to struggle and will not be bowling this season. What better way for the Hawkeyes to finish the season than to upset the Huskers in their last game of the season. Last year, Nebraska won in a very defensive ball game over Iowa in Lincoln 20-7. We may see a game very similar to last season. The Huskers are led by quarterback Taylor Martinez, who has been clutch for his team this whole season. The Husker offense should be able to move the ball with the running ability of Taylor Martinez and through the passing game with wide receiver Kenny Bell. The Hawkeye defense is giving up 24.6 points per game and 165.1 rushing yards per game. The real question coming into this game will be if the Iowa ground game led by Mark Weisman can put up points on the Husker defense. The Hawkeyes have nothing to lose in this game and we will see if they can pull the upset.

Prediction: Nebraska 27, Iowa 12
Result: Nebraska 13, Iowa 7

Saturday, November 24th

3. #19 Michigan @ Ohio State  12:00 PM ET ABC

- The Ohio State Buckeyes are one game away from going undefeated this season. A great accomplishment that basically means nothing because they are ineligible to play in a bowl game this season. Buckeye nation has Jim Tressel and Terrell Pryor to thank for that. The Michigan Wolverines come into "The Horseshoe" with hopes of winning in Columbus for the first time since 2000. The Wolverines will use quarterback Devin Gardner who has won all three games a starter this season. Denard Robinson will likely come into play running back and also take snaps in the wildcat formation. The Buckeyes offense led by quarterback Braxton Miller has been lethal this season and looks to take advantage of a Michigan defense that is ranked 47th in the country in defending the rush. It will be interesting to see if the Wolverines can keep up in this one and be able to contain Braxton Miller the entire game. The Wolverines are the 11th best defense in the country, but playing at Ohio State and against an offense that is averaging 245.5 rushing yards per game could be rather challenging.

Prediction: Ohio State 34, Michigan 20

4. Georgia Tech @ #3 Georgia  12:00 PM ET ESPN

- The Georgia Bulldogs need to beat in-state rival Georgia Tech to stay in the race for the BCS National Championship game. The Bulldogs have already clinched a spot in the SEC Championship next win in Atlanta, but cannot afford to be upset. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets may be 6-5, but they have also clinched a spot in their championship game in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets have not defeated Georgia since 2008, but in their last three meetings the Yellow Jackets have only lost by an average of 9.3 points. The main matchup in this game will be between the Georgia Tech rushing attack, which averages 324.9 yards per game, and a tough Georgia defense that is only giving up 18.8 points per game and 135.9 rushing yards per game. Georgia Tech will have to be successful on the ground, otherwise this game will be over very quickly. Georgia Tech currently has the fifth worst passing game in the country. Without putting points on the board, the Georgia offense led by Aaron Murray will put the game out of reach on a Georgia Tech defense that has given up an average of almost 30 points per game. We'll see how long the Yellow Jackets can hang with the Dawgs in this one.

Prediction: Georgia 37, Georgia Tech 28


5. #5 Oregon @ #15 Oregon State  3:00 PM ET Pac-12 Network

- The Civil War means a lot more now than it did a week ago. The Ducks need to win this game to at least guarantee themselves an at-large BCS bowl game spot. The Beavers are out of the race with two conference losses, but still have a chance of winning ten games for the first time since 2006 as they try to knock the Ducks out of the BCS picture. The Beavers have not beaten the Ducks since 2007. Watch for the Ducks to come out focused. After last weekends tough loss to Stanford, I think Chip Kelly will have Mariota and company ready to go. What needs to improve is the Oregon run game. The Oregon offense cannot afford to get knocked around by the Oregon State defensive line the whole game, even though Oregon State is only giving up 108.7 rushing yards per game. If the Ducks cannot get the rushing attack going again it will be up to quarterback Marcus Mariota to open up the passing game. One key matchup to pay attention to is the Oregon secondary as they try to defend the quick and lethal wide receivers of Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks. Let's see if the Ducks can bounce back after a tough loss.

Prediction: Oregon 35, Oregon State 26

6. #4 Florida @ #10 Florida State  3:30 PM ET ABC

- The Florida Gators are back in the BCS mix after Kansas State and Oregon both went down last weekend. The Gators need to beat a tough Seminole team on the road and hope Notre Dame goes down at USC. The Florida State Seminoles have been a team that has been disrespected this season, due to the poor competition of the ACC Conference. Both Florida and Florida State have top five defenses. The Gators are giving up just 284.9 yards per game and the Seminoles are giving up 268.3 yards per game. The difference in this game will be if the Gators can put points on the board with the return of quarterback Jeff Driskel. The Gators struggled these past four weeks on offense as they only averaged 18.2 points per game against Georgia, Missouri, LA-Lafayette, and Jacksonville State. The Seminoles should be fine on offense with senior quarterback EJ Manuel at the helm. The Seminoles are currently averaging 42.9 points per game on offense. This is going to be a tough game for the Florida Gators to win and I'm not sure if they will make it out of Tallahassee alive.

Prediction: Florida State 28, Florida 13

7. #21 Oklahoma State @ #13 Oklahoma  3:30 PM ET ESPN

- The Bedlam game always means something. This year, the Oklahoma Sooners are aiming for a Big 12 Championship and/or a BCS at-large bid. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are hoping they can pull off the upset in Norman and have the opportunity to be co-champions of the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys have not won in Norman since 2001. Both teams have been putting up big numbers this season and have explosive passing attacks. Sooner quarterback Landry Jones, who will play his last home game Saturday, has been the leader of an offense that has averaged 40.8 points per game and 334.0 passing yards per game. The Cowboys have been just as explosive on offense this season, but have had to rotate between three different quarterbacks. The Cowboys have decided to start junior quarterback Clint Chelf again for this game. The Cowboys score 45.4 points per game and have averaged 337.0 passing yards per game. The rushing attack for the Cowboys has been solid as well with Joseph Randle. I will be surprised if this game does not turn into a shootout like it did two years ago. There will be a lot of offense and it will be whichever defense can make a stop when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Oklahoma 45, Oklahoma State 37

8. #8 Stanford @ #17 UCLA  6:30 PM ET FOX

- This is a crucial game for the Stanford Cardinal. If the Cardinal win they will be the champions of the Pac-12 North Division and host UCLA next Friday for the Pac-12 Championship. Stanford and UCLA are both coming off of huge victories from last weekend. Earlier this season, Stanford upset #2 USC, then moved up to number eight in the polls and was upset in their next game on the road at Washington. Stanford pulled the upset against #2 Oregon, and will now travel on the road to #17 UCLA. Will history repeat itself? What I will point out is that Stanford is a much tougher team with Kevin Hogan at quarterback and this provides defenses nightmares between trying to contain him and stopping running back Stepfan Taylor. The Stanford defense also continues to be the second best defense against the rush. The UCLA Bruins have almost an identical situation on offense. Freshman quarterback Brett Hundley has proven to be a nightmare for defenses along with one of the best backs in the country Johnathan Franklin. What differentiates these teams is Stanford wins by playing tough defense and UCLA wins by putting points up on the scoreboard. We should have a real close game between these two teams in the Rose Bowl.

Prediction: UCLA 31, Stanford 27

9. #12 South Carolina @ #11 Clemson  7:00 PM ET ESPN

-  It's the battle for the Palmetto State between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers. The Gamecocks have won the last three meetings by an average of 20 points over the Tigers. This game should be a lot closer, such as the games from 2005 to 2007. Clemson is in a good position to receive a BCS at-large bid for a potential Sugar Bowl bid. The Gamecocks unfortunately will have to settle for a potential Gator Bowl bid because of how many teams are in front of them in the SEC. The most interesting matchup in this game will be the explosive Clemson offense against the tough and physical South Carolina defense. The Tiger offense is led by quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Andre Ellington, and wide receivers Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins. The South Carolina defense led by defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will have their hand's full with a Tiger offense that consists of multiple weapons. Let's see if the Gamecocks can come into Death Valley and stop a Clemson team that is averaging 44.6 points per game.

Prediction: South Carolina 31, Clemson 28

10. #1 Notre Dame @ USC  8:00 PM ET ABC

- This is the big one on Saturday. If Notre Dame can get the win, they will play for their first national championship since the 1988-1989 season. The USC Trojans though are looking to do the unthinkable and pull off the upset with redshirt freshman quarterback Max Wittek. A lot of people are counting the Trojans out of this game simply because of the absence of quarterback Matt Barkley. If you think about it though, the Irish have only played one really impressive game this season against a quality opponent and it was at Oklahoma. The Irish have played down to teams like Purdue, BYU, and Pittsburgh. These three games all happened to be in South Bend too. The Trojans have had a disappointing season and they have nothing to lose in this game against the Irish. The Trojans have speed that the Irish have not witnessed this season. The impact players in this game for the Trojans are going to be potential Heisman Trophy candidate wide receiver Marqise Lee and running back Silas Redd. The Trojans have to establish a running game with Redd, so that the passing game can open up for inexperienced quarterback Max Wittek. The Trojans will need to mix it up against an Irish defense that has given up no more than 26 points in one game this season. The Trojan line has to be able to contain a tough Irish defense led by Heisman candidate linebacker Monti Te'o. On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how the Irish offense does against a Trojan defense that has struggled this entire season. We will see how Irish quarterback Everett Golson handles the pressure of playing in his biggest game as a starting quarterback. Will number one go down again and cause complete chaos within the BCS? We'll find out on Saturday night at the Coliseum.

Prediction: USC 28, Notre Dame 24

Friday Special: #14 Nebraska @ Iowa

2. #14 Nebraska @ Iowa  12:00 PM ET ABC

- The Nebraska Cornhuskers are looking to lock up the Big Ten Legends Division. The Iowa Hawkeyes have continued to struggle and will not be bowling this season. What better way for the Hawkeyes to finish the season than to upset the Huskers in their last game of the season. Last year, Nebraska won in a very defensive ball game over Iowa in Lincoln 20-7. We may see a game very similar to last season. The Huskers are led by quarterback Taylor Martinez, who has been clutch for his team this whole season. The Husker offense should be able to move the ball with the running ability of Taylor Martinez and through the passing game with wide receiver Kenny Bell. The Hawkeye defense is giving up 24.6 points per game and 165.1 rushing yards per game. The real question coming into this game will be if the Iowa ground game led by Mark Weisman can put up points on the Husker defense. The Hawkeyes have nothing to lose in this game and we will see if they can pull the upset. 

Prediction: Nebraska 27, Iowa 12

Thanksgiving game: TCU at #16 Texas

Thursday, November 22nd

1. TCU @ #16 Texas  7:30 PM ET ESPN

- The Thanksgiving game is no longer Texas A&M and Texas, but in fact TCU and Texas. With Kansas State losing this past weekend to Baylor, the Longhorns are suddenly back in the Big 12 title race. Since the Longhorns struggled and had to win in a shootout 56-50 over Baylor, the Longhorn defense has given up an average of only 15.3 points in their past three games. The Longhorn offense led by quarterback David Ash and running back Johnathan Gray have continued to improve since struggling against Oklahoma and Kansas. The Longhorn offense has averaged 39.6 points per game this season. The TCU Horned Frogs have lost three of their last four games in Big 12 play. TCU redshirt freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin was banged up against Kansas State two weeks ago and is looking to make big plays against the Texas defense. The Horned Frogs offense had averaged 35.6 points in their five games prior to playing Kansas State and were only able put up ten points against the Wildcat defense. We will see if TCU has what it takes to hang in with an improving Texas team in Austin.

Prediction: Texas 35, TCU 21