The Greatest Thursday Ever

Thursday is usually that day you struggle through, knowing that Friday is next, and after that comes Saturday, which means 12+ straight hours of nonstop college football.  But this week, you will not have to wait until Friday, because sports fans, as this might just become THE GREATEST THURSDAY EVER.
You want a game with major college teams?
Done.
You want two of them?
Done.
You want the games to be hard-fought, and feature teams with something on the line?
Done.
You want them to both feature ranked teams?
Done.
You want all four of those teams to be ranked in the top 10?
Done.
You want these game to feature undefeated teams?
Done!
You want these games TO HAVE MAJOR BCS IMPLICATIONS!
DONE!!!

The only thing that would make this night any better would be a monkey rodeo*... Can we get someone on that please? Thanks.

But seriously, Thursday night is about to be everything you asked for, and then some!

At 7:00 pm (EST) #10 Oklahoma (7-1) goes on the road to take on undefeated #7 Baylor (7-0) on FoxSports1. This will be Baylor's first major test of the season, as they begin a stretch where they play 5 straight tough teams to close out the season (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, TCU, and Texas are the other 4).  Baylor has yet to play a ranked team this year, and I am excited to see what they can do on a prime time stage.  Baylor is leading the nation with just under 64 points per game, and 417 passing yards per game. Quarterback Bryce Petty is the man that allows them to do this, but he is accompanied by a great group of wide receivers, and a running back with legit NFL potential in Lache Seastrunk.  You may remember him as the guy who scored a touchdown after pulling a hammy mid-run from last year, but he has turned into a great all around back. Baylor's offense is amazing, but will it hold up against the Sooner's defense? This game will be a great indicator of whether or not Baylor has the ability to make a BCS run this year.

An hour and a half later on ESPN comes what might be an even better matchup, when #3 Oregon (8-0)
travels down to Palo Alto and takes on #5 Stanford (7-1).  This game has the potential to propel Oregon past Florida State in the polls if they win.  This is a classic showdown of two opposite systems colliding, as Oregon's high tempo offense meets Stanford's tough defense and grind-it-out offense.  Heisman candidate Marcus Mariota is leading the way for the Ducks, as he has put up some great numbers thus far this year.  Overall, the winner of this game will be in the drivers seat to win the Pac 12 North, but more importantly for Oregon, this could be their shot at a national title game. Remember last year: Oregon was left out of the national championship game, and Alabama was chosen over them because of a 3 point OT loss to Stanford. This looks to be a game for the ages.

If this doesn't entertain you on a Thursday night, I don't know what will! You might just want to call in sick on Friday so you can have some time to recover! I have never seen a non-Saturday be this important in college football.  I can't wait! Just a reminder: Oklahoma @ Baylor is on FoxSports1 at 7:00 pm (EST) and Oregon @ Stanford is on ESPN at 9:00 (EST).  'Til next time.

*Seriously, "Monkey Rodeo" might just be the greatest thing ever.  Check it out HERE!

College Football Week 4 Viewing Guide

Welcome to Week 4, where College Gameday is in Fargo, North Dakota, and the prime-time ABC game features an 0-2 American Athletic Conference team.  This is probably the worst viewing week of the year, but it is still a weekend of football, and that is good.

Saturday September 21, 2013
There is nothing quite like Saturdays in the fall...

11:45 AM: College Gameday (ESPN):
Even if Gameday is covering a North Dakota State game, it's still worth it to tune in.  NDSU is actually a good team: they beat Kansas State earlier in the year, and are a perennial power int he FCS (Div. 1AA).

12:00 PM: North Carolina @ Georgia Tech (ESPN):
Just keep the TV on ESPN after Gameday is over, because this is a great game.  With a win here, Georgia Tech would move to 2-0 in the ACC.  They seem like an early favorite to win the Coastal Division.  Watch for: How UNC's defense can stand up against Tech's option attack.

3:30 PM: Tennessee @ #19 Florida (CBS):
Both of these teams need a win in the worst way, coming off of embarrassing non-conference losses. Tennessee got destroyed by Oregon, and Florida put up an embarrassing performance against Miami. Watch for: Freshman cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III shut down Tennessee's passing attack.

3:30 PM: Michigan State @ #22 Notre Dame (NBC):
This is my co-marquee game of the week.  Michigan State is 3-0, not having played any tough teams, and Notre Dame is 2-1, and needs a big win badly to solidify their ranking.  If you only watch one game, this is the one. What to watch for: Michigan State has arguably the best defense in the country, and they get their first test this week against Tommy Rees and Notre Dame's dynamic group of receivers

7:00 PM: #23 Arizona State @ #5 Stanford (FOX):
This is my other marquee game of the week, and it is a good one.  Arizona State is coming off a controversial but good win over Wisconsin, and now they travel to Stanford.  The Cardinal hasn't had a stiff test so far this season, and this is a game that impacts the Pac12 in a major way. Watch for: Stanford to gladly sit back and pound the ball between the tackles all game.

7:45 PM: Auburn @ #6 LSU (ESPN):
This is the first test for LSU as they face an Auburn team that is 3-0 on the season, but has yet to play a ranked team. Though there is a large ranking discrepancy, I think this will be a much closer game than the experts think.  Watch for: LSU's "new" offense, which is much more pass-oriented than in years previous.

That is it folks! Some other games to keep your eye on are: #15 Michigan @ Connecticut, Missouri @ Indiana, and Kansas State @ Texas.  Hopefully next week will have a better slate of games! 'Til next time.

2012-13 College Football Bowl Preview (Part III)

This is the final edition of my 2012-13 College Football Preview.  I thoroughly enjoyed writing these, and there has been a a lot of positive response about them.  This is definitely something that I will do again next year! (as always, all times are Eastern)

The Chick-fil-A Bowl: Monday December 31st, 7:30 pm.
#8 LSU (10-2) vs #14 Clemson (10-2) - This is the first matchup of the bowl season that features two teams that are ranked in the top 25.  These two teams make for a great matchup, with LSU's running game and defense going up against one the top offenses in the nation, led by Tajh Boyd and Clemson's group of dynamic receivers. LSU has thrived in games against top 25 opponents, going 3-2.  Clemson, on the other hand, has lost to the only ranked teams that they faced: South Carolina and Florida State.  LSU also played South Carolina, and beat them 23-21.  I guarantee there will be a trick play at some point, as these teams are led by two of the most gutsy (and some times crazy) coaches: Les Miles for LSU, and Dabo Swinney for Clemson. Straight Up Pick: LSU.

The Gator Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 12:00 pm.
Mississippi State (8-4) vs #20 Northwestern (9-3) - The first of several great SEC vs Big Ten matchups; this one might be the best.  Both teams come in with something to prove.  Northwestern has not won a bowl game in 64 years (!) and they need this game to get the monkey off of their back.  Mississippi State needs this game to prove that they belong in the top of the SEC, even though they can't beat a ranked SEC team (0-3 this year).  Both teams have been exposed by the better teams on their schedule so we will see who is able to capitalize. Straight Up Pick: Northwestern.

The Heart of Dallas Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 12:00 pm.
Purdue (6-6) vs Oklahoma State (7-5) - Defensively, these teams are almost the same: not good (ranked 72nd and 73rd in total defense).  It's when you look at the offenses where you see a difference. Oklahoma is 4th in points scored, 7th in passing, and 22nd in rushing.  Purdue is 54th or worse in all of those categories.  To their defense, Purdue won their last 3 games to become bowl eligible, including a great comeback win against Iowa.  But they are 0-1 against ranked teams, while Oklahoma State is 2-3.  Straight Up Pick: Oklahoma State.


The Outback Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 1:00 pm.
#10 South Carolina (10-2) vs #18 Michigan (8-4) - In this marquee Big Ten-SEC game, South Carolina and Michigan square off in what should be one of the more entertaining games.  Michigan's elite dual threat quarterback Denard Robinson has been relegated to receiver running back because of an arm injury.  But he might be even more dangerous, because Michigan went 3-1 after backup Devin Gardner stepped in to take his place.  South Carolina has taken care of everyone on the schedule save their two losses against LSU and Florida, but they do boast a 35-7 win over Georgia.  However, they are missing a key piece to their offense in running back Marcus Lattimore, who is out with a broken leg.  Straight Up Pick: Michigan.

The Capital One Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 1:00 pm.
#7 Georgia (11-2) vs #16 Nebraska (10-3) - Both losers of their conference championship game, Georgia and Nebraska clash in a battle of quarterbacks   Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and Georgia's Aaron Murray, will attempt to lead their teams to victory against a couple of tough ball-pursuit defenses.  Georgia will be without DT John Jenkins, who is a key part of their rush defense.  They will need every bit of that rush defense against Nebraska's attack, which ranks 8th in the nation.  Straight Up Pick: Georgia.

The Rose Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 5:00 pm.
#6 Stanford (10-2) vs Wisconsin (8-5) - There is nothing better than the "Granddaddy of Them All" - The Rose Bowl.  Thanks to the NCAA bowl bans against Ohio State and Penn State, Wisconsin received the Big Ten Championship Game big and took advantage of it. Wisconsin comes in an interesting situation, demolishing Nebraska in the Big Ten Championship Game 70-31, having their coach leave, and then using their athletic directer, Barry Alvarez, as an interim coach.  But this isn't just any athletic directer: Alvarez led Wisconsin to 3 Rose Bowl victories in the 1990's.  Does the magic remain, or will Stanford's top notch defense and stellar running game put Wisconsin in a sleep that they will not be able to rise from? Stanford was 5-1 against ranked teams this year, including their last 4 games against teams that were all ranked in the top 25.  Straight Up Pick: Stanford.

The Discover Orange Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 8:30 pm.
#15 Northern Illinois (12-1) vs #12 Florida State (11-2) - If you love an underdog, you have to love Northern Illinois.  They busted the BCS by beating Kent State 44-37 in a dramatic double overtime MAC Championship Game.  Their only loss of the year came by one point against Iowa, and they are led by incredible quarterback Jordan Lynch.  Lynch has compiled almost 3000 yards passing and over 1700 yards rushing.  Northern Illinois is up against a tough task, however.  Florida State boasts the number 6 ranked defense, a win against Clemson, and an ACC championship.  With senior signal caller EJ Manuel at the helm, the Seminoles are in a good place for a victory.  Straight Up Pick: Florida State.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl: Wednesday January 2nd, 8:30 pm.

#21 Louisville (10-2) vs #3 Florida (11-1) - Louisville had a great year this year, winning the Big East and landing a BCS Bowl bid.  But the good news stops there.  They have yet to play a ranked team, and their season included losses to Syracuse and Connecticut. They do have a great playmaker in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but that might not be enough against Florida's 3rd ranked defense.  Sometimes stats lie, but this was a defense that held LSU to 6 points, South Carolina to 11, Missouri to 7, and Georgia to 17.  More impressively they held Heisman Winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M to just 17 points.  On offense they always seem to have just enough to win, with their only loss coming to Georgia when they simply could not move the ball.  Straight Up Pick: Florida.

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Thursday January 3rd, 8:30 pm.
#4 Oregon (11-1) vs #5 Kansas State (11-1) - With a few weeks left, many people thought that this would be the matchup in the National Championship.  But Stanford took down Oregon in OT and the next week Baylor pulled a gigantic upset of Kansas State, throttling them 52-24.  Both teams have great conflicting styles.  Kansas State is content to bore you to death with a power running game and solid defense, while Oregon tries to run as many plays as they can.  Oregon has the number 2 scoring offense, and number 3 rushing attacks in the nation.  They don't play much defense, so it's safe to say that is will be a relativity high scoring game.  Straight Up Pick: Oregon.

The AT&T Cotton Bowl: Friday January 4th, 8:00 pm.
#9 Texas A&M (10-2) vs #11 Oklahoma (10-2) - Now THIS is a game.  Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M take on Landry Jones and Oklahoma.  Both teams bring average defenses and top level offenses to the table. These former Big 12 foes will be sure to duke it out to rabid crowds in Dallas.  A&M had one of the best upsets of the year, beating (then #1) Alabama, but lost to LSU and Florida.  Oklahoma lost to Notre Dame and Kansas State, but beat the other two ranked teams on their schedule.  Straight Up Pick: Oklahoma.

The BBVA Compass Bowl: Saturday January 5th, 1:00 pm.
Ole Miss (6-6) vs Pittsburgh (6-6) - Pittsburgh might be the most inconsistent team ever.  They took Notre Dame to the wire in 3 overtimes and beat Rutgers, but lost to the likes of Youngstown State and Connecticut. They do boast an above average defense, and leadership at the quarterback position in senior Tino Sunseri.  Ole Miss on the other hand has been one of the nation's rebuilding projects over the last few years, and has started to climb back into the thick of things with a 3-5 record in the SEC this year.  They are pretty balanced in all phases of the game, but can really sling it around on offense if they need to.  Straight Up Pick: Ole Miss.

The Godadyy.com Bowl: Sunday January 6th, 9:00 pm.

#25 Kent State (11-2) vs Arkansas State (9-3) - Kent State was in position to land a BCS berth before Northern Illinois mounted a comeback and won the MAC Championship Game in triple overtime.  Now, the Golden Flashes are taking on Arkansas State.  Both teams have average defenses and great running games.  Both teams are under the leadership of senior quarterbacks, Spencer Keith for Kent State, and Ryan Aplin for Arkansas State.  This looks like it will be one of the best under-the-radar bowl games. Straight Up Pick: Kent State.

You may have noticed that I left one very important game out: The BCS National Championship.  That is because I am doing a special game breakdown post just for that game.  It's that important.  But sadly, this is the last post of the Bowl Preview series. 'Til next time.