As usual, rivalry week gave us a large number of upsets and surprising results. Michigan, playing in the Big House, kept it close against Ohio State. Since they weren't sure they could stop Carlos Hyde in overtime, they went for a 2-point conversion to win instead of kicking the extra point for a tie. The Buckeyes prevented the score and saved themselves the embarrassment of a loss. Alabama didn't fare so well in the Iron Bowl. Despite leading at halftime, the Tigers kept them confused in the second half, and pulled off the upset victory. South Carolina shocked Clemson (and me!) with their easy dominance over Tahj Boyd and company. UCLA also dominated their crosstown rival USC, and Louisiana-Monroe upset in-state rival Louisiana-Lafayette.
We had some upsets and surprises not related to long-standing rivalries, too. Marshall was hugely dominant in a win over East Carolina. San Jose State upset Fresno State, handing them their first loss of the season. Saturday dawned with UConn beating Rutgers and winless Temple topping Memphis, then continued with winless Southern Miss knocking off UAB and Penn State shocking Wisconsin.
We have regular games and conference championships to discuss. I've even thrown in picks for the second round of the FCS playoffs!
Thursday Dec 5
#5 Louisville Cardinals at Cincinnati Bearcats: This is Teddy Bridgewater's last chance to impress Heisman voters, so I think he'll have a good night. This game is doubly important if UCF stumbles against SMU. LOUISVILLE by 13
#21 Oklahoma Sooners at #7 Oklahoma State Cowboys: This game is important for the Cowboys, as they can win the Big XII title with a victory. I don't expect Oklahoma to make it easy for the home team, though. OKLAHOMA STATE by 11
Texas Longhorns at #8 Baylor Bears: The previous game will already be over when this game begins, so Baylor and Texas will know if a Big XII title is on the line. Baylor will want to win anyway, to improve their bowl status. Texas has quelled the cries for Mack Brown's job, so if the conference title is not on the line, I'm not sure how much fight they will have. BAYLOR by 20
#16 UCF Golden Knights at SMU Mustangs: The Knights can clinch the first American Athletic Conference title with a win. I think they'll do it, but it might not be as easy as they will think. SMU can play tough, and may take an early lead. UCF will ultimately win, though. UCF by nine
FCS playoffs
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at #8 Montana Grizzlies: Coastal Carolina is a relative newcomer to the playoffs, They had a strong opening round game, but now the competition gets stiffer. Montana is experienced in these situations, having won the FCS title a few times. I like the Grizzlies talent, and I think their experience will give them an edge. MONTANA by nine
Fordham Rams at #7 Towson Tigers: Both of these teams have been in these playoffs before. Fordham has a slightly better record in the playoffs, as well as having a better 12-1 record against the ranked Tigers. While Sacred Heart gave Fordham some problems in the first round, I like the Rams' chances to advance here. FORDHAM by six
Jacksonville State Gamecocks at #6 McNeese State Cowboys: These Gamecocks don't play quite as well as the those in South Carolina, but they do have a similar 10-3 record. Despite that, McNeese is an old hand at these playoffs, often beating teams with better records. I like their chances, despite the overwhelming first round victory that brought the Gamecocks here. MCNEESE STATE by 12
New Hampshire Wildcats at #5 Maine Black Bears: These two teams face off frequently; in fact, they just faced each other two weeks ago. Then, the Wildcats beat Maine. However, that was a home game for the Wildcats, and now the Black Bears want revenge. I like Maine in the rematch. MAINE by eight
Sam Houston State Bearkats at #4 Southeastern Louisiana Lions: Louisiana teams have been doing well in important games this season. Sam Houston has the experience, and they might win, but I'm drawn to the magic that has been building in the Bayou State. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA by six
South Dakota State Jackrabbits at #3 Eastern Washington Eagles: The Jackrabbits would love a chance to face North Dakota State, but first they need to get past the Eagles. They might, as Eastern Washington has a history of faltering in these playoffs, but I'll give the slight edge to the home team. Watch out for the upset, though! EASTERN WASHINGTON by three
Tennessee State Tigers at #2 Eastern Illinois Panthers: Tennessee State had an impressive blowout shutout of Butler in the first round to get here, but I have to favor the strong 11-1 Panthers. EASTERN ILLINOIS by 16
Furman Paladins at North Dakota State Bison: The Bison are unbeaten, thanks to their opening week upset of Kansas State. I'll be favoring them throughout the playoffs. NORTH DAKOTA STATE by 20
Conference Championships
MAC - #23 Bowling Green Falcons v #11 Northern Illinois Huskies: The Huskies want the win to gain a spot in a BCS bowl. Bowling Green won't make that desire easy, as they are a strong team. However, I don't think their defense can slow down all-purpose QB Jordan Lynch. Lynch is actually my favorite for the Heisman, followed by Teddy Bridgewater. If Lynch has another colossal performance, there may be many more people who agree with me. NORTHERN ILLINOIS by 13
SEC - #4 Missouri Tigers v #9 Auburn Tigers: I'm sure everyone will be favoring Auburn after their win over Alabama, but I'm going the other way. Gux Malzahn mistakenly gave Missouri all the incentive they need for their defense to spank the Tigers - by overlooking them! Gux Malzahn, in his post-game interview, stated that it was be a "crime against the nation" if Auburn was not granted a spot in the National Championship Game after beating Alabama. Uh, excuse me, Coach Malzahn, but you still have another game to play. Ignore Missouri at your own peril! The Tigers are motivated to knock off Auburn, and that will definitely open the door to the National Championship to Ohio State. MISSOURI by three
PAC-12 - #6 Stanford Cardinal v Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils have a strong offense, but strong offenses don't bother the Stanford defense. After all, they not only slowed by STOPPED the Ducks high-powered offense. I see a similar result brewing here. STANFORD by ten
MOUNTAIN WEST - #20 Fresno State Bulldogs v Utah State Aggies: The Bulldogs are not playing for an unbeaten season and BCS bowl, but I don't think they'll be so disappointed to lose this game. They just have too many tools, more than the Aggies can stop. FRESNO STATE by 16
ACC - #24 Duke Blue Devils v #1 Florida State Seminoles: Duke has had a historic season, but midnight is chiming. The Seminoles are just too strong, and the Tallahassee police are delaying any action against Jameis Winston until after this game and the Heisman results are announced. I'm not sure they can delay it all the way until the National Championship Game, but Florida State will at least gain a spot to that game. FLORIDA STATE by 23
BIG TEN - #2 Ohio State Buckeyes v #10 Michigan State Spartans: The SEC Championship Game will be over by the time this game starts, so Ohio State will know just how impressive they need to be. Their defense struggled against Michigan, but that was a strong offense. Strong offenses have played well against Ohio State this season (Northwestern, Wisconsin, Michigan), but the Buckeyes dominate against lesser offenses. The Spartans defense, though, is stronger than anything Ohio State has seen. Can they get past that? I think so, but the winning margin may be smaller than the Buckeyes would like. Fortunately, a Missouri win in the SEC Championship will eliminate the need for a large margin of victory. OHIO STATE by six
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