This Weekend in College Football: Week 12

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Ohio State @ Michigan (ABC): Bright and early, the way they like it up and Big Ten country. Or perhaps they just want to get it over with? Ohio State should be able to roll against this defense.
  • Minnesota @ Iowa (ESPN): While I’m sure we’d all like Iowa to lose again, they should manage to beat a now-hapless (but bowl eligible!) Minnesota squad. 13-9 sounds about right.
  • North Carolina @ Boston College (ESPN2): It’s been erroneously reported Clemson has already clinched the ACC Atlantic. Not quite true, as BC should win out, but they would need Clemson to lose to have a shot. I like BC’s odds of winning out, but not so much the odds of Clemson winning.
  • Duke @ University of Miami (ESPNU): After last week’s game, I’m okay with saying that this Duke team is better than years past. That’s also not saying much, but it’s a start. Miami should still win, though.
  • Mississippi State @ Arkansas (SEC/Gameplan): Speaking of improved squads, Miss State is a lot better than years past, but again it says a lot about how bad they were that they’re still 4-6 and probably going to lose to Arkansas.
  • Maryland @ Florida State (Raycom/Gameplan): FSU can get bowl eligible as long as they avoid falling to an utterly dreadful Maryland team. Since the rumors of the death of FSU’s offense seemed to be greatly exaggerated, they should be able to get it.

12:30: Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (FSN): Well, Oklahoma probably won’t win 65-21 this time around. Heck, they may even not win overall. It’s hard to tell at this point. I think I’ll take OU.

2:30: Connecticut @ Notre Dame (NBC): Ahahahahahaha. Anyway, ND should actually still win, as loathe as I am to admit. If there’s a team that deserves a break, it’s UConn.

3:30:

  • Louisiana State @ Mississippi (CBS): I’m comfortable with saying LSU is probably a little better with this defense thing than Tennessee is. I refuse to be fooled by Ole Miss’s and McCluster’s sudden display of competence, or the fact that LSU at one point was losing to Louisiana Tech. LSU.
  • Pennsylvania State @ Michigan State (ABC/ESPN): It’s pretty bad when you reasons is over because you lost to the only decent games you played. Michigan State made a late charge to bowl eligibilty, but I think PSU can pull this one out, as they have been all year.
  • Virginia @ Clemson (ESPN/ABC): If BC loses to UNC in the early game, this game is moot. Otherwise, Clemson needs only to avoid a terrible loss to clinch the ACC Atlantic and meet us for a re-match in Tampa. They should be able to take care of business.
  • North Carolina State @ Virginia Tech (ESPNU): Though VPI fans may be off the bandwagon, they should still beat NCSU.
  • Air Force @ Brigham Young (CBSCS): This is pretty much a battle for bowl pecking order in the Mountain West. It’s hard to judge because these teams have both lost to TCU and BYU will probably lose to Utah (as AF already has). I like BYU better, I think AF will give them all they can handle.
  • Wisconsin @ Northwestern (BTN): Mike Kafka says he wants the elusive 8th win, but deep inside the ennui of existence in the face of the world triumphs. Wisconsin keeps on doing what they do, which is win 9-10 games but not the Big Ten.

4:00:

  • Arizona State @ California-Los Angeles (FSN): So Arizona State’s starting their 3rd string QB this weekend. I still think both of their backups look like they stepped out of a JV high school game and onto the field, but hey, whatever works for them. Well, except it’s not working terribly well. Meanwhile, UCLA is on a 2-game roll… against the two worst teams in the conference. So this could be good, in a sad sort of way. I’ll go with UCLA at this point.
  • San Diego State @ Utah (Versus): Utah rolls.

7:00: Vanderbilt @ Tennessee (ESPNU): Sigh, I wish Vandy could win this game. It would be so great to see the calls for Kiffin’s head after a loss to Vandy. Sadly, Vandy just can’t score points this year. UT rolls.

7:30:

  • California @ Stanford (Versus): It’s the Big Game! Cal put forth a valiant effort in the win against Arizona last weekend, but how can you pick against Stanford at this point? I sure can’t.
  • Tulsa @ Southern Mississippi (CBSCS): Don’t look, but Tulsa has lost five straight. Hard to believe. But they just got absolute owned by ECU last weekend, and while USM probably won’t do the same, I have to like the dudes from Hattiesburg this weekend.

7:45

  • Kansas State @ Nebraska (ESPN): I apologize to the entirety of my Mom’s side of the family (including two cousins of mine who are alums, including one who was on K-State’s football team) and the state of my birth but I have to hope Nebraska wins this to even make the Big 12 Title Game remotely interesting. Also, if K-State loses they won’t be bowl eligible at 6-6 thanks to the Bill Synder scheduling philosophy.
  • Kentucky @ Georgia (ESPN2): I promise I won’t make any jokes about UGA VII dying. At any rate, Kentucky is on a roll, but this “roll” consists of victories over Auburn, UL-Monroe, EKU, and Vandy (and includes a loss to Miss State). Georgia’s trajectory is similar, which is pretty consistent with the rest of the mediocre center of the SEC. Also, Georgia managed to pull it out last week, which ruined the chance of us making them 5-7. So I’ll take UGA here.

8:00:

  • Kansas @ Texas (ABC/Gameplan): Texas rolls.
  • Oregon @ Arizona (Gameplan/ABC): Well, this is the de facto Pac-10 title game here. Oregon already kind of hurt their changes in that loss to Stanford but unless Masoli pulls a Dennis Dixon (sigh) they should be able to take care of business.

10:30: Nevada @ New Mexico State (ESPNU): Nevada. Now, sleep!