Week 13 saw big wins from Pitt, Oregon, Oklahoma, BYU, and Wisconsin. Week 14 is rivalry week, featuring a plethora of matchups with conference title berths on the line, along with playoff rankings implications. Once again, we have plenty to debate about which programs will make the 12-team cut. Last year media members swore up and down the rankings committee would put three 9-3 SEC teams in the playoff field. A week later, on the following Sunday, post league championship games, Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina weren’t included. So, let’s see how this thing plays out for Miami, Notre Dame, and BYU.
Marquee Matchups
#1 Ohio State vs. #15 Michigan:
Can the Buckeyes stop the streak of 4 straight years their bitter rival wins “the game”. Even with a horrible offense last year, Michigan found a way to defeat Ohio State. Will head coach Ryan Day be as stubborn as he was last year, force-feeding the run game instead of targeting his big-play wide receivers? Although the Wolverines offense is improved, it still has a lot to prove against one the best defenses in the country. Obviously, the Wolverines will need to establish the run to open up the passing attack. Michigan’s defense is very good, but it’s not great. Nothing on the level was over the last few seasons. Pass defense stands out as Ohio State’s main weakness to exploit.
The Pick: Ohio State –9.5
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Buckeyes end the streak
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Sayin to play well
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Michigan must throw
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#3 Texas A&M vs. #16 Texas:
The Aggies have the only perfect record in the SEC, yet with a loss on Friday, Texas A&M risks losing out on a trip to the title game. Don’t get this college football podcaster wrong; the Aggies are a national contender. That said their schedule has been very weak in conference play. They did beat a quality Notre Dame team 41-40. Texas got beat soundly by Georgia, loss to Florida, and went down to the wire with Ohio State in week 1. Longhorns QB Arch Manning has shown some positive signs but at the same time the Texas defense has slipped. Speaking of defense, the Aggies defense is a question mark. Did Texas A&M show resilience in their crazy comeback win over South Carolina or was it a sign of things to come down the stretch?
The Pick: Texas A&M –2.5
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Aggies must win
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Manning must play well
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Under The Radar
#12 Miami vs. #22 Pittsburgh:
The Notre Dame Irish has surrounded the talk about both programs the last few weeks. Pitt’s head coach acted as if he didn’t care the week of the Notre Dame game. On the field, it didn’t look all that good versus Notre Dame. The Panthers did turn right around, and beat Georgia Tech. Miami beat Notre Dame, yet some folks believe if both teams are 10-2, the Irish will get the playoff nod due to their current rankings positioning. On the field, Pitt has better scoring and passing stats on offense. Miami holds the advantage on defense, giving up 14.5 points compared to the Panthers 23.7 points per outing. The weather will be cold, so let’s see how the Miami players handle it. This one will be decided in the 4th quarter, maybe even under a minute to play. Leaning towards Miami winning but the spread is wide.
The Pick: Pittsburgh +7
#14 Vanderbilt vs. #19 Tennessee:
The Vols host the Commadores in a meaningful matchup that could have playoff implications. Vandy should be ranked above Utah and a win on Saturday with a bunch of help gives them a sliver of chance. Tennessee has been impressive on offense for the most part. On defense, the Vols give up a bunch of points and a sizable amount of rushing yards. That bodes well for Vandy who can run it down the Vols throat and air it out. Tennessee has dominated this series, but something tells me to ride with Vandy QB Diego Pavia as a road dog one last time.
The Pick: Vanderbilt +3
Saturday Upset Special
Houston upsets Baylor as a +2.5 road dog.
Cincinnati upsets TCU as a +3.5 road dog.
Hardcore Barnburners
#10 Alabama vs. Auburn:
The Iron Bowl is here, and this year will be played in Jordan-Hare stadium. A place where strange things happen no matter what the point spreads or records. The Tigers season record is a little misleading, filled with multiple close calls that affected the outcomes. Alabama was rolling tide winning 8 games in a row, putting the loss to FSU in their rearview mirror. That was until the Oklahoma Sooners strolled into Tuscaloosa, upsetting Bama. Turnovers played a huge part in what is now back-to-back wins for the Sooners over the Crimson Tide. The best thing Alabama does on offense is throwing the ball. Which lines up perfect against a Tigers defense surrendering 240 passing yards per contest. On can make an argument Auburn is bound to win considering their bad luck and the intensity of this rivalry.
The Pick: Alabama –5.5
Minnesota vs Wisconsin:
This Big Ten rivalry matchup is the longest running in the FBS. This will be the 135-meeting dating back to 1890, and the series is dead even 63-63-8. This border battle is about pride regardless of the records of any given season. The winner gets to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Badgers are trending upwards in recent weeks, and the Gophers are heading the opposite way.
The Pick: Wisconsin –1.5
Against The Spread
Virginia +8.5 versus #18 Virginia
Northwestern +7.5 versus Illinois
Mississippi State +7 versus #7 Ole Miss
The College Ball Show Link:
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Quick Hits Recap & My Top 4 Plus 6 More
-My Top 4: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, & Georgia.
-Plus 6 More: Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Alabama, & Notre Dame.
-Oklahoma made it 5 wins over ranked foes this season by defeating Missouri 17-6.
-The Missouri Tigers have now lost at Oklahoma 19 times in the row dating back to 1966.
-BYU beat 26-14 on the backs of RB LJ Martin’s 222 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Cougars have won 10 games in back-to-back seasons.
-Utah scored 16 straight points in the final 7 minutes in a wild 51-47 win over K-State.
-Kansas State RB Joe Jackson rushed for a school record of 293 yards and 3 TDs in the loss.
-Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia went 33 of 39 passing for 484 yards, scoring 6 touchdowns in a dominant 45-17 win over Kentucky.
-Miami QB Carson Beck threw for 320 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 34-17 victory over Virginia Tech.
-USC losing to Oregon 42-7 was the Trojans 7th straight loss when facing a Top 10 opponent.
-Tennessee defeated Florida earning their first win at the swamp dating back to 2003.
-Notre Dame put up the most points in school history dating back to 1932 with a 70-7 trouncing of Syracuse.
Written by Chris Carlson Host of The College Ball Show available under The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Umbrella on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, I-Heart Radio, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts & More! Follow on Twitter
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