We're in the home stretch, and several conference and division titles could be clinched. This is the time of year for upsets, although we had few last week. Maryland beat Virginia Tech to basically demolish their chances of reaching the ACC Championship Game. USC knocked Stanford out of the Top Five and possibly cost them the Pac-12 North title. Nevada skunked San Jose State. I was surprised by Bowling Green's massive shutout of Ohio and UTEP's demolition of Florida International. Let's see if this week can provide some surprises.
Tues Nov 19
Buffalo Bulls at Miami Ohio Redhawks: Buffalo needs this game to stay in the title hunt. Fortunately, the Redhawks haven't won a MAC game all season. BUFFALO by 16
Wed Nov 20
#18 Northern Illinois Huskies at Toledo Rockets: The Huskies need this victory, not just to remain unbeaten but to clinch the MAC West. Toledo can be tough, though. This game won't be an easy victory for either team, and I label this one an "upset alert". NORTHERN ILLINOIS by six
Thurs Nov 21
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #20 UCF Golden Knights: Their near loss to Temple probably woke up the Golden Knights, who were starting to take their conference title for granted. With Cincy breathing down their necks, UCF needs to win out, so they have to win this battle of Knights. I think they will. UCF by 16
Rice Owls at UAB Blazers: Rice continues their march to a division title by pulverizing struggling UAB. RICE by 18
Fri Nov 22
Navy Midshipmen at San Jose State Spartans: San Jose State should win this one, but Navy can be tricky, and San Jose State already lost one they should have won. SAN JOSE STATE by eight
Top 25
Chattanooga Mocs at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide: This begins a string of SEC games against FCS opponents. Strange time of the year for them. ALABAMA by 30+
Idaho Vandals at #2 Florida State Seminoles: Not to be outdone, the Seminoles schedule a non-conference patsy. FLORIDA STATE by 34+
#3 Baylor Bears at #14 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Now THIS is my kind of mid-November matchup! The winner gains the edge in the Big XII title race and Baylor wants a shot at the National title. This type of high-stakes game is unusual for Baylor, but they have great talent. Their defense sucks, though, which gives the Cowboys a slight edge. If Oklahoma State can slow Baylor just enough, and the home crowd disturb the play-calling enough, the Cowboys could pull off the upset. BAYLOR by six
Indiana Hoosiers at #4 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes clinch the division with a strong victory here. OHIO STATE by 30
Memphis Tigers at #5 Louisville Cardinals: The Cards and Teddy Bridgewater continue to chase UCF for the first American Athletic Conference title. Memphis won't be an obstacle. LOUISVILLE by 24
#6 Missouri Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels: Ole Miss can be tough, but Missouri wants that division title and a shot at Alabama. MISSOURI by 17
#7 Oregon Ducks at Arizona Wildcats: Arizona can surprise, but I see Oregon taking advantage of Stanford's loss to USC. They won't lose the division now. OREGON by 24
Cal Golden Bears at #8 Stanford Cardinal: Stanford won't lose this one, but their title hopes are dwindling. STANFORD by 18
The Citadel Bulldogs at #9 Clemson Tigers: Do I really need to say anything about this game? CLEMSON by lots
#10 Texas A&M Aggies at #16 LSU Tigers: Both teams had byes leading into this game, so no advantage there. LSU's offense is good, but it's not as good as A&M's. The advantage is the Tigers defense, since A&M basically doesn't have one. Can LSU slow down the Aggies' offense? The key will be rushing the quarterback. Johnny Manziel has played hurt in games this season, but if he takes enough hits, his mobility is reduced. If LSU can do that, they can win. Otherwise, I have to favor the Aggies. TEXAS A&M by six
#11 Wisconsin Badgers at Minnesota Golden Gophers This game may ultimately mean nothing to either team in terms of division titles, as both Ohio State and Michigan State clinch their respective titles with victories. Still, Wisconsin is playing for a shot at a prestigious bowl game, and that ground attack can exhaust defenses. WISCONSIN by eleven
#13 Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats: The Wildcats tried to win their first conference game last week, taking Michigan into three overtimes before faltering. The Spartans defense won't allow it to go that far this game. MICHIGAN STATE by twelve
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at #19 South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gamecocks get to smear another poultry-based mascot into bird seed. SOUTH CAROLINA by lots
New Mexico Lobos at #21 Fresno State Bulldogs: Let's see, one-win New Mexico against unbeaten Fresno State. This is almost like the SEC games this week. FRESNO STATE by 33
#22 Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas State Wildcats: Despite a 6-4 record (including a loss to FCS South Dakota State), the Wildcats can still be a nuisance to Big XII teams. I like Oklahoma to win, but it won't be easy. OKLAHOMA by nine
#23 East Carolina Pirates at NC State Wolfpack: Time for the Pirates to show what they can do! Granted, NC State isn't an ACC powerhouse this season, but they are tough enough non-conference opposition to prove the Pirates' worth. EAST CAROLINA by 17
#24 USC Trojans at Colorado Buffaloes: This should be an easy game for the Trojans, setting up for a battle with UCLA. USC by 27
Cincinnati Bearcats at #25 Houston Cougars: Cincy came alive last week, after weeks of decent, but not outstanding, play. The Bearcats need this victory to contend with UCF for the conference title, since they don't play the Knights. For Houston, a loss here takes them completely out of the conference picture. This will be a hard-fought game. Houston has been more impressive during the season, but this game could go either way. HOUSTON by four
Big Ten
For the first time in many weeks we have a full slate of Big Ten games. Three featured ranked teams. Here are the rest:
Michigan Wolverines at Iowa Hawkeyes: Iowa had a bye to prepare for this game, while Michigan was shocked by Northwestern's defense. I think Michigan will bounce back, but watch out for Iowa. MICHIGAN by six
Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers: The curse of the Big Ten play may be lifted for the Illini this week! Purdue is, by far, the worst team in the conference. Illini's offense scored 35 points against a tough Buckeyes defense. Illinois' defense stinks, but so does Purdue's offense. ILLINOIS by 20
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Penn State Nittany Lions: This should be an interesting game. Neither team is playing for a division title, and Penn State is not playing for a decent bowl game. For both teams, it's a matter of pride. For Nebraska, their players may be playing for Coach Pelini's job, and that could be the extra motivation needed. NEBRASKA by four
Other Games of Interest
Duke Blue Devils at Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Duke takes one step closer to facing off against Florida State if they can exorcise the Demon Deacons. DUKE by 18
Bowling Green Falcons at Eastern Michigan Eagles: Bowling Green wants to remain even with Buffalo for the division title, so they will come at Eastern Michigan with everything they have, which is much more than teh Eagles have. BOWLING GREEN by 24
BYU Cougars at Notre Dame Fighting Irish: I love these intense rivalry games, as records go out the window. BYU should win this game, but the Irish can be unpredictable. I think BYU will lead, and they will have to hold off a late Irish charge. BYU by four
Marshall Thundering Herd at Florida International Golden Panthers: The shine is off the Golden Panthers this season, and Marshall is chasing East Carolina for a chance at the division title. MARSHALL by 27
Boise State Broncos at San Diego State Aztecs: Two 5-1 Mountain West teams, both battling for their respective division titles, go after each other in a game that should be a massive slugfest (although I hope no ACTUAL slugfests occur). Boise State has the edge in talent, but San Diego State can be tricky, and their defense has punch. This game may be decided by whomever has the ball late in the fourth, and how well they control the clock. BOISE STATE by four
GAME OF THE WEEK: #17 Arizona State Sun Devils at #15 UCLA Bruins: Two strong teams play with a division title on the line. The Sun Devils can clinch the Pac-12 South with a win, but UCLA won't make that easy. Both teams have strong offenses, with the Sun Devils perhaps a bit better. UCLA's defense can be intrusive, though, and don't discount what the Pasadena home crowd can do. If UCLA holds the ball late, they can control the clock and win. If the Sun Devils have at least 90 seconds for a shot to win, this game could go the other way. UCLA by three
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