College Football Week 12
Thanksgiving is finally upon us, which signals "Rivalry Week" in college football. This is the last (or nearly the last) time your team can go out and prove itself on the field before the long and drawn out bowl season. Each team will be jockeying for position to land in the best post season spot possible. Teams want to embarrass their rivals. As the old saying goes, "when it comes to rivalries, you can throw out the stat books." Look for these games as you feast on your leftover turkey:
Thursday
Texas-Texas A&M
Friday
Alabama-Auburn
Nebraska-Colorado
Oregon-Arizona
Boise State-Nevada
West Virginia-Pitt
Saturday
Oklahoma-Oklahoma State
Michigan-Ohio State
LSU-Arkansas
South Carolina-Clemson
Duke-UNC
Virginia Tech-Virginia
Michigan State-Penn State
Florida State-Florida
Mississippi State-Ole Miss
Georgia Tech-Georgia
Now let's look back at week 12...
Better Than Expected
Colorado: 3 weeks ago, the Colorado Buffaloes had a huge lead against Kansas and were set to record their 4th win of the year. The Buffs proceeded to give up 35 points in the 4th quarter and lost the game by a TD. Within the next two days, 6th year head coach Dan Hawkins was fired. Since that time, Colorado has won both of its games, including a 44-36 shootout against Kanas State on Saturday, and are one win shy of bowl eligibility.
Arkansas: This team looks like an NFL offense when they are clicking. Ryan Mallett, Knile Davis and company seem to put the ball wherever they want on the field. They have only lost two games this year (Alabama and Auburn) and could end up in the BCS if they can beat LSU this weekend. Mississippi State gave the Hogs its best shot, but Arky prevailed in 2 overtimes.
A message to the team that plays Arkansas in the post season: Good Luck!!
So, What Happened There?
Nebraska: The Cornhuskers looked great this season until this past weekend's matchup against Texas A&M. The Nebraska defense only gave up 9 points, but the offense could only manage to put up 6. The worst part of the game (according to the Nebraska President) was the behavior of head coach Bo Pelini. Bo had a meltdown on the sideline and was seen yelling at players, coaches, and the referees. They need to get it together before the post season.
Northwestern vs Illinois: The Wildcats and Illini played the first football game in Chicago's Wrigley Field since the 1970s. It turned that the football field barely fit within the baseball field's walls and both teams had to run offensive possessions toward the same endzone for safety reasons. Did they even check to see if the field would fit before they planned this out? FYI, Illinois won the game.
BCS Bowl Predictions
BCS National Championship: Auburn vs Oregon
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Boise State
Sugar Bowl: LSU vs TCU
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Ohio State
Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska vs Pitt
And now.....
The Week 12 Top Ten
1. Auburn Tigers
2. Oregon Ducks
3. TCU Horned Frogs
4. LSU Tigers
5. Boise State Broncos
6. Wisconsin Badgers
7. Ohio State Buckeyes
8. Stanford Cardinal
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys
10. Arkansas Razorbacks
