This is a GREAT weekend of college football.  NFL has nothing like this.  Anyways still havent decided if I'm headed to Nashville for the Vandy Florida game.  So many good games, I dont know that I want to be watching the 3:30 game from our small tailgate TV and then missing all the great late games watching Vandy Florida which ultimately will be a dud.  Decisions decisions....

 

Florida at Vandy - I have no idea why the Gators havent been running that kind of offense with Driskel.  Harris threw 6 passes?  They would ask Driskel to do that in the first drive.  I loved the compilation during the game showing Driskel throwing to wide open WRs in the endzone who would ultimately drop the ball.  And then flip to Harris throwing a pass to the same WR in quadruple coverage somehow coming down with the ball.  This is a perfect example of sometimes things just go better with a different QB even if there is no quantifiable explanation as to why.  

 

Georgia at Kentucky - What a stinker for the Dawgs.  Seems like every year they have one of those.  Where was Pruitt's great defense?  Gators ran for over 400 yards?  What an embarassment.  Even with the terrible loss Georgia still has a shot for the SEC championship game... even if an outside one.  They need to beat Kentucky and need to beat Auburn.. which will obviously be tough.  And will need Mizzou to lose one of their remaining conference games which I think is more than plausible.

 

others games...

 

Alabama at LSU - 8PM.  tough place to play at night.  LSU is starting to figure out what they do well and how to cover up their weakness.  Run run and more run.  Bama has also started playing better of late blowing out mid level SEC teams.  Never know what to expect here.  Personally I think Bama is the overall best team in the conference but with games against LSU, Miss St and Auburn still on the schedule could be tough to come out unscathed.

 

Ohio St at Michigan St - 8PM.  This game will decide the Big10 East and may just may be a playoff game to get into the playoff.  If the winner of this runs the table, especially Michigan St, strong chance of making the 4 team playoff.  I like Mich St in this game.  It's at home.  And Ohio St has been gaining notoriety for beating average at best teams.

 

Kansas St at TCU - 7:30PM.  Could be another playoff game to get into the playoff.  Both have impressive resumes and impressive losses.  Kansas St at home to Auburn and TCU in a stunning loss to Baylor.  TCU is getting a lot more love than Kansas St because their offense is putting up a ton of points.  Yet Kansas St is winning more with defense and a solid/balanced offense.  TCU being at home should help.  And the question is if TCU puts up points, can Kansas St keep up?  But can TCU score a lot on that defense.  

 

too many great games all at the same time...

 

Notre Dame at Arizona St - 3:30PM.  Sun Devils are quietly 7-1 and looking to pull away with the Pac12 South.  Their only loss was an ugly one though to UCLA at home by a lot.  If they want any hope of making the 4 team playoff they need to win convincingly here.  But even then if they do, we all may come away thinking that Notre Dame is overrated as opposed to ASU being a really good team.  Obviously Notre Dame needs to win out to be in the discussion.  For as much attention their schedule got early in the year, it's been a bit of a dud.

 

Oregon at Utah - 3:30PM. Utes lost a heartbreaker to the Sun Devils last weekend in OT.  Had plenty of chances to win.  This is clearly Oregon last tough test before the Pac12 championship game.  I like their chances here and I like their chances to finish the year with one loss.  If so I think they are a lock for the playoff.

 

Baylor at OU - Noon.  Baylor believe it or not is still sitting pretty in the Big12.  I could be mistaken but I believe no matter what happens in the TCU/Kansas St game, Baylor still controls their own destiny.  But theyll first have to get by OU who has completely fallen off the radar.  But their two losses are pretty good ones.  A tight game at TCU.  And a very tight tough loss to Kansas St.  Can they slow down Baylor though?

 

Texas A&M at Auburn - man what happened to the Aggies.  Looked so great early in the year.  But once they got into SEC West play they have completely fallen apart.  And now their starting QB is out again.  Have to think Auburn rolls but they're coming off a really tough stretch of LSU, Miss St and Ole Miss 3 of the last 4 weeks.  Auburn can give up some points.  So if A&M is hot early Auburn could get tight.  You have to think if they dont win convincingly the way Bama did over A&M, Auburn fans wont be pleased.

 

Iowa at Minnesota - obviously not the cachet other games have but both are 3-1 and locked in that battle for the Big10 West.  You look at Iowa's record and think they must be good but htey barely beat Northern Iowa.  Barely beat Ball St.  Lost to Iowa St.  Had a bad loss to Maryland a couple weeks ago.  But hten got on a roll blowing out Northwestern.  Minnesota however had htat good early season loss at TCU and had been on a roll until they blew the game against Illinois who stinks.  Hvae to think their bubble is about to burst with games against Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Ohio St remaining.

 

Hawaii at Colorado St - ok I dont really care about this game.  But having lived and worked near Ft Collins back in the day I always had a soft spot for CSU.  And now they are 8-1!  Only loss being at Boise.  They'll need some help to get into MW championship game but they could very reasonably finish 11-1.  Makes you wonder how like McElwain will stick around.  He was the Alabama OC for 4 or 5 years before taking this gig.  Would he ever go back to the SEC as a head coach?  He is a western guy at heart.  Grew up in Montana and played at Eastern Washington.  I wonder if he would rather be a Pac12 guy.  Regardless if he keeps winning at CSU, someone will come calling for this guy.

 

Getting to the time of year to start looking at conference races...

 

SEC East - Mizzou is now in the drivers seat.  I think they lose at least one more game whether it be to Arkansas or A&M.  Mizzou is just way too inconsistent.  Some games look great, others look terrible.  A Mizzou loss would put UGA in the drivers seat but htey still have a tough game against Auburn.  UGA loses that then Mizzou could lose a game and still win it all.  Florida is still technically alive but they'd need a ton of help.

 

SEC West - who knows.  I dont like Miss St as a number 1 to be honest with you.  But who knows, they do have the ability to just win games.  ANd they do it with defense.  I think I'd rather have a team with a good defense and solid offense that finds ways to win then good offense with only a solid defense.  I actually like Auburn's chances the best but the flukey loss at Miss St could haunt them.  However I also think Bama is the best of the 4.  But I also think Miss St and Auburn running the table is the SEC best chance of getting two teams in.  Key games left... Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl, LSU-Bama, Bama-Miss St... poor Bama has three of those.

 

Big10 East - Ohio St/ Michigan St winner this weekend will decide it.  Michigan St with best chance for playoff bid

Big10 West - Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota all with just one confernece loss.  And amazingly none of these four teams have played each other yet!  Should be a fun month to decide the West.  

 

Big12 - TCU/Kansas St this weekend is obviously huge.  TCU needs the win.  A loss would have them with 2 and losing the head to head tiebreaker to both Baylor and Kansas St... and would knock them out of the 4 team playoff race.  Kansas St needs the win because they still have games at Baylor and at OU.  Could easily slip up in either.  And frankly I still think they have legitmate 4 team playoff hopes if they run the table.  Baylor as i said above is sitting pretty still and I believe control their own destiny.  Which begs the question to me... lets say TCU runs the table but so does Baylor.  Baylor wins the Big12.  But TCU would have the better loss.  And the better non-conference... er at least they played a power 5 team.  Would one go above the other as far as the 4 team playoff?  Or would the debate cancel them both out?  

 

Pac12 North - If Oregon beats Utah this weekend pencil them into the championship game.  heck the only way they dont make the conference title game is if they lose all three of their remaining games and Stanford wins out.  they're a lock.

Pac12 South - it's Arizona St's to lose.  Only team with one conference loss.  USC, UCLA, Arizona, and Utah all with only 2 losses.  Lots of tiebreaker scenarios.  However Sun Devils remaining conference games are Oregon St, Washington St, and the finale against Arizona.  They shoudl easily win the first two.  So it'll all come down to whether they beat Arizona or not.  And if they lose it'll all depend on the tiebreaker with whoever else has 2 losses.  Keep in mind Sun Devils lost to UCLA who is somehow someway still alive yet terribly overrated.

 

ACC FSU - not sure which division FSU is in but may as well call it theirs since they own it.

ACC crap - not sure if the nonFSU division is the coastal or atlantic but no matter... all these teams stink and FSU will crush whichever one it plays.  Or at least they should.  FSU hasnt been quite as good this year but find ways to win.  I believe Duke is once again the favorite with only one conference loss.  And GaTech and Miami are right behind with 2.  Miami still has FSU on the schedule (I think the Canes can give them a game...) but I also think they lose which would give Duke a lot of breathing room.  

 

Should be a great final month of the season.

---