Conference championship games are always must see TV, and this 2018 set of classics could be more compelling than ever since the inception of the playoff. The No. 1 Crimson Tide takes center stage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to square off with the No.4 Georgia Bulldogs in a must victory for the Dawgs if they want to get into the playoff and an equally important game for the Tide as they hope to win the SEC and cement their spot as the Number 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. If Georgia were to defeat the Tide that would set up an interesting scenario if OU and Ohio State both win their respective championship games. If Georgia wins, I like Clemson to be number 1, provided they are victorious over Pitt in the ACC title game, Georgia number 2, the Crimson Tide number 3 and Oklahoma No.4. If the Crimson Tide emerges victorious, I like them 1, Clemson 2, I guess Notre Dame 3, though I’m not buying them as a top 4 team, and OU at No.4 if they defeat Texas. Notre Dame just got by USC, which has talent and was playing hard for their embattled Coach Clay Helton last Saturday, but it wasn’t impressive. Notre Dame is undefeated and while that’s hard to do, I don’t see them as a top 4 team. My top 4, and this is my personal opinion, is 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Georgia and 4. Oklahoma regardless of the outcome of tomorrow’s games. Notre Dame will probably get in there, but for the best matchups, those are the top 4 teams.

But you gotta play the games. Here’s a look at the riveting action that starts tonight in the Pac-12 and the MAC.

Last Week: 18-8

Overall: 223-67, 77%

SEC Championship Game

No.1 Alabama (12-0, 8-0) vs. No.4 Georgia (11-1, 7-1)

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 71,000

3 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Bama by 13 1/2

How do you stop Tua Tagovailoa and the Bama scoring machine? Next to impossible. Georgia is tasked with that tremendous challenge and it’s beyond difficult. Georgia’s going to have to score some points to keep up and that’s a formidable challenge in itself against Quinnen Williams, Mack Wilson, Deionte Thompson and the vaunted Tide D. Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift are top of the line running backs, but the Georgia O line has to open up holes for them to be effective and set up the play action passes for Jake Fromm, Riley Ridley and the Georgia receiving corps, which is prolific. So are Holyfield and Swift for that matter. But the Crimson Tide offense with Tua and his immensely talented receiving corps in Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III, the electric Jaylen Waddle and super tight end Irv Smith, are a major load to stop. Then you throw in the awesome Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris and Najee Harris and you’re usually in for a long afternoon defensively. Georgia has their hands full and it’s too much to handle. The great Crimson Tide advances into the playoff at 13-0 and secures it’s number 1 ranking in the playoff. The Tide could very well be headed to the Cotton Bowl, Jerry’s World in Arlington, TX, on Saturday, December 29th, to face the No.4 team. The Orange Bowl is a possibility, but I’m hearing more buzz from the Cotton Bowl.

Crimson Tide 49, Dawgs 28

Big 12 Championship

No.14 Texas (9-3, 7-2) vs No.5 Oklahoma (11-1, 8-1)

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX “I, will, get by.” 100,000

11 AM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Holly

OU by 7 1/2

OU has its struggles on defense, but not on offense. I like the sensational Kyler Murray and the OU offense to put up a lot of points but not as many as usual as Texas plays decent defense. I see OU moving into the playoff with the victory over the Longhorns.

Oklahoma 45, Texas 35

ACC Championship

No.2 Clemson (12-0, 8-0) vs. Pittsburgh (7-5, 6-2)

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C., 75,412

7 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

Clemson by 27 1/2

Blowout. Clemson moves into the playoff at No.2.

Clemson 52, Pittsburgh 17

Big Ten Championship

No.6 Ohio State (11-1, 8-1) vs. Northwestern (8-4, 8-1)

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indy, 70,000

7 PM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Buckeyes by 14 1/2

Urb and the Buckeyes take care of business against a scrappy Northwestern team, that is a group of high overachievers and very impressive, but don’t have enough horses here. But Urb regrets the Purdue loss in which his team got blown out by the Boilys, 49-20. That’ll cost them a spot in the playoff. But the Rose Bowl’s a pretty good consolation.

Ohio State 49, Northwestern 34

Tonight

Pac-12 Championship

No.17 Utah (9-3, 6-3) vs. No. 11 Washington (9-3, 7-2)

Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California, 68,500

7 PM CT

FOX

Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Bruce Feldman

Wash by 5 1/2

The Huskies were extremely impressive in defeating the then No.8 Washington State Cougars on a snowy night in Pullman, 28-15. I see Chris Peterson and his team hitting their stride now. Always like Utah, they’re a hard-nosed, solid football team, but like the way the Huskies are playing now a little bit better.

Washington 30, Utah 24

Saturday

American Conference Championship

Memphis (8-4, 5-3) vs. No.8 Central Florida (11-0, 8-0)

Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, FL. 45,301

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Bob Wischusen, Brock, Allison Williams

UCF by 3

With UCF star quarterback McKenzie Milton out for the season now after a knee injury he sustained last Friday against South Florida, I like the Tigers, which were super impressive last Friday in a victory over Houston, to upset the Golden Knights and move into a high caliber bowl. Tough luck for UCF losing Milton.

Memphis 42, UCF 34

Saturday

Mountain West Championship

No.25 Fresno State (10-2, 7-1) vs. No. 22 Boise State (10-2, 7-1)

Albertsons Stadium, Boise, 36,387

6:45 PM CT

ESPN

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay

BSU by 2

Fresno State is a pretty good team, but after last Saturday’s victory over Utah State, the Broncos moved to 121-8 on the Blue Turf since 1999. I like that magic to continue tomorrow night.

Boise State 31, Fresno State 28

Saturday

Conference USA Championship

UAB (9-3, 7-1) vs. Middle Tennessee (8-4, 7-1)

Floyd Stadium, Murfreesboro, TN, 30,788

12:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, John Schriffen

MTSU by 1

UAB had it going for a good while until they lost in their 11th game to A&M, 41-20, then got hammered by MTSU, 27-3 last Saturday on the road at Floyd Stadium. They’ve had a good season overall, but they’re limping home. I like Blue Raiders quarterback Brent Stockstill and his team to just get by the Blazers this week in a hard fought contest.

MTSU 27, UAB 24

Tonight

MAC Championship

Northern Illinois? Are you kiddin me? (7-5, 6-2) vs. Buffalo (10-2, 7-1)

Ford Field, Motown, 65,000

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, Paul Carcaterra

Buffalo by 3

The Buffalo Bulls, not to be confused with the Buffalo BIlls, get over the top here. Buffalo’s got a pretty solid team though Northern Illinois is scrappy. There will be some serious MACtion in this game.

Buffalo 48, Northern Illinois 44

Saturday

Stanford (7-4, 5-3, Pac-12) @ California (7-4, 4-4)

Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA. 63,000

2 PM CT

Pac-12 Network

Stanford by 3 1/2

Cal can play some pretty serious defense. They had 2 pick 6’s last Saturday against Colorado in a 33-21 victory, and they’ve already upset Washington in Berkeley, 12-10. Like the Golden Bears to pull off the upset in the 121st playing of “The Big Game.”

Cal 31, Stanford 24

Rivalry week is something spectacular in college football. You never know what will happen when inner-state or contiguous state rivals collide. The Iron Bowl is the obsession in Alabama this week as it always is. Typically a classic throughout history, but can the Auburn Tigers pull off the improbable or will the Crimson Tide keep on truckin into the college football playoff with a resounding victory with another major hurdle a week from Saturday in the SEC Championship game versus the Georgia Bulldogs (Dec. 1, 3 PM CT, CBS). Can Tua have his way with a rock solid Auburn Tiger defense. Can the Tigers put up enough points against the Crimson Tide lock down defense to keep the game competitive. We’ll find out at 2:30 PM Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium on CBS. Should be another stellar contest as it usually is despite the 2 teams’ differing resumes.

Number 5 Georgia faces the challenge of stopping the Ramblin Wreck’s triple option. The Ramblin Wreck has to try to somewhat control Georgia’s prolific offense. Plenty of other highly competitive SEC and SEC and their rival games this weekend. Michigan goes to Ohio State in a massively important national game at 11 AM CT Saturday on FOX. Michigan is No.4 and an upset loss to the Buckeyes would nullify their chances of making the playoff. Boomer Sooner heads to Morgantown in another majorly important game in the national landscape as West Virginia aims to spoil OU’s chances of winning the Big 12 again and possibly making the playoff.

The action is superb starting tomorrow night with Mississippi State @ Ole Miss. Let’s dig into it and try to figure these rivalries out.

Last week: 23-5

Overall: 205-59, 78%

The 83rd Iron Bowl

Auburn (7-4, 3-4) @ No.1 Alabama (11-0, 7-0)

Bryant-Denny Stadium, 101, 821

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Alabama by 24

The Crimson Tide holds a 45-36-1 advantage over the Tigers. This looks like a mismatch this year, but Auburn’s defense gives them a chance. Tua looked fine last Saturday and was moving around well as was Jalen Hurts, which was surprising. Deonte Brown, Alabama’s outstanding left guard, is close to being back, and he may very well be back on Sunday. Marlon Davidson, Nick Coe, Big Cat Bryant and Derrick Brown need to really step up for the Tigers, andJarrett Stidham and the offense need to put points on the board to keep this game from getting out of hand, and make it an interesting contest. I like Tua and the Tide offense to do enough against a stellar Auburn defense and Quinnen Williams, Mack Wilson and the Tide defense to lock down on the Auburn offense as the Tide moves on in their quest for a 6th national championship under Nick Saban.

Alabama 28, Auburn 7

Clean, Old Fashioned Hate

Georgia Tech (7-4) @ Georgia (10-1)

Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA.

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Dawgs by 17

Georgia Tech has won 4 in a row and is hitting its stride with quarterback Ta’Quon Marshall, who is a major threat with his legs, handing off to the fullback, or pitching to his RBs. Paul Johnson always has an explosive triple option game so the Georgia defense has its hands full. But so does the Tech defense. With Elijah Holyfield, D’Andre Swift, Jake Fromm, Tyler Simmons, Jeremiah Holloman, Mecole Hardman, Riley Ridley, Isaac Nauta and the electric Justin Fields among others, this Georgia team is remarkable on offense as well. I don’t see the Tech defense stopping the Dawgs. They’ll score and it’ll be competitive for a while, but the Dawgs keep their national championship hopes alive in Athens.

Georgia 56, Georgia Tech 35

No.7 LSU (9-2, 5-2) @ Texas A&M (7-4, 4-3)

Kyle Field, College Station

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Kris Budden

A&M by 2 1/2

Super matchup in the SEC west. Not sure why A&M has become the favorite in this game. I’ve seen a lot more out of the Bengal Tigers this season than I have the Aggies. The LSU Tigers defense and an efficient offense pull off the slight upset in College Station.

LSU 27, Texas A&M 24

Thursday

The Egg Bowl

No. 18 Mississippi State (7-4, 3-4) @ Ole Miss (5-6, 1-6)

6:30 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Flemming, Gregory, Laura Rutledge

State by 10 1/2

The Rebels defense couldn’t stop Taylor Swift from running the ball and couldn’t stop Mickey J from passing the ball. Nick Fitzgerald and the State offense perform well and the State defense, which is solid if not spectacular, neutralizes a pretty explosive Ole Miss offense.

Mississippi State 38, Ole Miss 27

The Palmetto Bowl

South Carolina (6-4) @ No.2 Clemson (11-0)

Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.

6 PM CT

ESPN

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay

Clemson by 26 1/2

I see this as a blowout even though Clemson has not been totally prolific on offense as Trevor Lawrence has been good, but not great yet. I don’t see SC can score a lot of points on the Clemson defense. Clemson moves on in its playoff journey.

Clemson 48, South Carolina 20

Tennessee (5-6, 2-5) @ Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-5)

Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashvegas

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Dave Neal, D.J, Shockley, Dawn Davenport

Vandy by 3 1/2

This game has a lot on the line with both teams having identical records and both teams competing for a bowl game. I like the way the Commodores have played lately. Give me the Dores.

Vanderbilt 38, Tennessee 31

Friday

Arkansas (2-9, 0-7) @ Missouri (7-4, 3-4)

Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, Columbia, MO.

1:30 PM CT

CBS

Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Rick Neuheisel. John Schriffen

Mizzou by 23 1/2

It’s been a disastrous first season for Chad Morris in Fayetteville. On the other side, Missouri is hot again at the end of the season. Drew Lock and the Tigers’ offense rolls against the Hogs.

Missouri 52, Arkansas 28

Saturday

No. 11 Florida (8-3) @ Florida State (5-6)

Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee

11 AM CT

ABC

Dave Pasch, Gregory, Luges

Gators by 6 1/2

Dan Mullen has produced a pretty successful first season in Gainesville. I know the goals are higher there, but he’s getting his process in place. He may be ready to compete with Georgia in the east next season. Willie Taggert has struggled at FSU, but he’s recruiting well. He’s got a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to stay at FSU for any length of time. Like Feliepe Franks and the Gators here.

Florida 31, FSU 20

The Governor’s Cup

No. 15 Kentucky (8-3) @ Louisville (2-9)

Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY.

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Kevin Brown, Andre Ware

UK by 17

It’s been an awful year for the Cardinals which led to the dismissal of the hapless Bobby Petrino. On the other side, Kentucky has put together a terrific season. I like Benny Snell and the Wildcats to cook at Cardinal Stadium.

Kentucky 38, Louisville 17

The Game

No. 4 Michigan (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) @ No. 10 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1)

Ohio Stadium, Columbus

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny Taft

Michigan by 4

Ohio State’s defense is totally dysfunctional and while the Michigan offense isn’t totally stellar, the Michigan defense and enough offense will get the job done. Wolverines senior running back Karan Higdon guaranteed a victory for his team, and, like his Coach, Jim Harbaugh, did in 1986 when he guaranteed victory over Ohio State on the road as the Michigan quarterback, Higdon and his teammates will back it up Saturday. Higdon was a 3 star player in high school who was invited on a recruiting trip to Michigan, but couldn’t make his flight because he had to work on a Friday Night. He caught a flight at 2 AM Saturday and flew into a snowstorm to get to Ann Arbor. He’s rushed for 1,106 yards and 10 TDs this season. When Harbaugh guaranteed victory in 1986, his father was going through a tough time at Western Michigan and about to be fired. His father, Jack, said that Jim did it to get the attention off his situation. That’s great stuff. Karan backs it up on Saturday as well.

Michigan 31, Ohio State 24

Friday

No. 6 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) @ No. 12 West Virginia (8-2, 6-2)

Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West VA.

7 PM CT

ESPN

Sean McDonough, Todd, Holly

OU by 2

Huge matchup for Ou’s playoff hopes. Like Kyler Murray and the Sooners to outscore Will Grier and the Mountaineers. OU’s defensive deficiencies could still keep them out of the playoff though, even if chaos ensues.

Oklahoma 48, West Virginia 45

‘

Saturday

No. 3 Notre Dame (11-0) @ USC (5-6)

Memorial Coliseum, LA

7 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

ND by 11

The Trojans are the last team standing in the way of the Irish’s playoff aspirations. I like quarterback Ian Book and the Irish to make a final statement to the committee and solidify their spot.

Notre Dame 37, USC 24

Friday

The Apple Cup

No. 16 Washington (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) @ No. 8 Washington State (10-1, 7-1)

Martin Stadium, Pullman

7:30 PM CT

FOX

Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Bruce Feldman

Washington State by 2 1/2

I see Mike Leach and his quarterback, Gardner Minshew, to strongly present their case even further to the committee as they play for the Pac-12 championship next week. But they’ll have to overcome a tough opponent in the Huskies. I see them getting over the top at home.

Washington State 31, Washington 28

Friday

No.9 UCF (10-0, 7-0 American) @USF (7-4, 3-4)

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

3:15 PM CT

ESPN

Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, Paul Carcaterra

UCF by 14

I’m a believer in UCF whether or not they get in the playoff. McKenzie Milton is a sensational quarterback and they played some excellent defense against Cincinnati last Saturday Night in prime time holding the Bearcats, a good offensive team, to 13 points in a 38-13 victory. This team is building a stronger and stronger case to be included in the playoff. They’re for real in my book regardless of the committee’s final decison.

UCF 45, USF 28

No. 21 Utah State (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West) @ No. 23 Boise State (9-2, 6-1)

Albertson’s Stadium, Boise, Idaho

9:15 PM CT

ESPN

Roy Philpott, Tom Ramsey, Ed Aschoff

Boise State by 2 1/2

Since 1999, Boise State is 120-8 in Albertson’s Stadium. That’s pretty astounding. I like them to knock off the Aggies and play Fresno State in the Mountain West Championship next Saturday. They’ll earn a very good bowl berth with success this Saturday and next Saturday, though both games will be close and I haven’t decided on the Fresno State pick yet.

Boise State 35, Utah State 30

Friday

The Commonwealth Cup

Virginia (7-4, 4-3 ACC) @ Virginia Tech (4-6, 3-4)

Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA.

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Adam Amin, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

UVA by 5

If the Hokies can emerge victorious they will play another game versus Marshall to become bowl eligible. If they can defeat Marshall too on December 1st they’re in a bowl. I like the Hokies to give themselves that opportunity by pulling off the upset in a highly entertaining game.

VA Tech 34, Virginia 31

No. 19 Northwestern 42, Illinois 17

2:30 PM CT

Big Ten Network

Northwestern by 17

The Wildcats cap off their stellar regular season with a rivalry victory at home over the Illini. The Wildcats move to 8-4 overall and 8-1 in the Big Ten as they await the Michigan-Ohio State winner which I’m predicting to be Michigan. Michigan only defeated Northwestern 20-17 earlier this season, so that’s interesting. Love the heart of this team.

No. 17 Utah 38, BYU 24

9 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Guy Haberman, Evan Moore

Utah by 12

Like the Utes to roll into the Pac-12 title game next Friday at Levi’s Stadium to face Washington State with a lot of momentum. They lost starting quarterback Tyler Huntley to injury for the season against Arizona State a couple of Saturdays ago, but freshman Jason Shelley has figured it out, and the Utes are cruising now. They move to 9-3 and 6-3 in the Pac 12 South with a matchup next Friday Night with Washington State on the docket.

Friday

Civil War

Oregon 49, Oregon State 28

3 PM CT

FS1

Chris Myers, Evan Moore

Oregon by 17 1/2

The Ducks move to 8-4 overall and finish 5-4 in the Pac-12 North with an emphatic victory as they’ll await a bowl invitation. Friday’s going to be a classic day as well.

Saturday

Miami 28, Pittsburgh 24

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Roddy Jones

Miami by 4 1/2

Like an extremely close game here, but for the Canes to move to 7-5 on the season and 4-4 in the ACC Coastal Division. Pitt drops to 7-5, and 6-2 in the Coastal but will represent the division against Clemson next Saturday Night in the ACC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte (7 PM CT ABC).

UAB 38, Middle Tennessee 34

2 PM CT

ESPN3

UAB by 3

Like the Blazers to keep building their foundation with a highly successful regular season record of 10-2 and 8-0 in C-USA as they’ll play for a C-USA Championship next Saturday versus, most likely, Florida International.

App State 35, Troy 31

1:30 PM CT

ESPN+

App State by 10 1/2

Like the Trojans to give App State everything they want but to come up just short. Still, they’ve put together an awesome season yet fall to 9-3, 7-1 in the Sun Belt East as App State takes the Sun Belt East title and plays in the Championship game versus Louisiana, Ark State or LA Monroe pending the outcome of Saturday’s games.

The Duel in the Desert

Arizona 45, Arizona State 42

2:30 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Chris Vosters, Petros Papadakis

Zona State by 2

Like Kevin Sumlin and the Wildcats to pull off the slight upset at home and earn a spot in a bowl game at 6-6. ASU falls to 6-6 but also gets a bowl bid.

UCLA 38, Stanford 35

2 PM CT

Pac-12 Network

Stanford by 7

Like the Bruins coming off their upset of SC last week, 34-27, to finish the season by upsetting the Cardinal. The Cardinal under David Shaw always let you down, but I see the Bruins on an upswing for next season with 2 straight big time victories over USC and Stanford to move to 4-8. While the overall record is underwhelming the finish is relevant to next season. Running back Josh Kelley ran for 289 yards and 2 TDs last Saturday. He’ll put on another classic performance against Stanford.

Friday

Houston 35, Memphis 34

11 AM CT

ABC

Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman

Memphis by 7

The Cougars pull off the upset on the road and face UCF in a gigantic American Conference Championship game at 9-3 and 6-2.

Duke 34, Wake Forest 31

11:30 AM CT

ACC Network

Duke by 11 1/2

A scrappy Wake team, with a bowl game on the line, gives Duke all it wants. Duke moves to 7-4 and 4-4 in the ACC Coastal and anxiously awaits the postseason.

Behind a superb effort by the entire team in all phases of the game, the Vanderbilt Commodores moved to 5-6 overall on the season and 2-5 in the SEC with a thrilling and wild 36-29 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels before an enthusiastic, supportive crowd of 24, 866 at Vanderbilt Stadium.

It was a game of massive twists and turns. Ole Miss moved out to a 13-0 lead, but a 46 yard field goal by kicker Ryley Guay and a tremendous clutch blocked punt by freshman stud safety Maxwell Worship which led to a safety as the ball went out of the end zone with Ole Miss punting from their own 29 cut the score to 13-5. A TD before halftime cut it to 13-12.

Then, in the second half, Kyle Shurmur, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Kalija Lipscomb and Jared Pinkney went to work. And the defense, behind the play of the awesome Joejuan Williams, the great LaDarius Wiley, and stud linebackers Jordan Griffin and Dimitri Moore kept the high powered Rebels offense out of the end zone enough to claim the victory.

The Rebels Luke Logan kicked a 32 yard field goal with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 29 and send it into overtime. We got the ball first as Ole Miss won the coin toss and elected to go on defense as is typical for teams that win the coin flip. After a rush of a yard on the first play in OT, Ke’Shawn, who rushed for 127 yards and a 7, ran it up the middle for 19 yards to the Ole Miss 5 yard line. From there, Kyle connected with Kalija for a TD that, along with the extra point, put us ahead, 36-29. The only problem, and this was a problem, was Kalija was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, an excessive celebration penalty, for throwing the ball in the air after scoring. It could have gone either way, didn’t seem totally out of line, but we had to respect the call, and the Ole Miss offense and quarterback Jordan Ta’amu had the ball at our 12 for their possession.

It even got more interesting. Ole Miss ran it to the 8. On the next play, Ta’amu, who threw for 457 yards and 2 TDs, but was picked off twice, threw it up for the awesome A.J, Brown. Brown leapt in the air and pulled down the ball for an apparent TD. But as he hit the ground, the ball came loose as cornerback Randall Haynie pulled it away from him. The referees called it a TD, but upon review, they ruled that it was an incomplete pass ruling that Brown did not possess the ball through the catch. It could very well have been an interception, and quite honestly, I thought Randall had it with his shoulders in bounds before his feet touched the out of bounds line. I definitely agreed with the officials’ call. I think it’s paramount that an FBS receiver and an NFL receiver should be required to complete catches. I’ve never understood why there is any controversy to that rule. They’re big time players, they should be able to complete catches. If they don’t, they shouldn’t get the benefit of the call. It was called incomplete, which was accurate, though I thought Randall had intercepted it.

On fourth down. Ta’amu threw it for Ole Miss’s other stud receiver DeMarkus Lodge, who had an amazing reception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Joejuan came up clutchly, knocking down the pass and preserving the victory.

There were some highly impressive individual performances on both sides. Joejuan and LaDarius both pulled off key interceptions. Our great linebackers, Dimitri Moore and Jordan Griffin, who is second in the SEC in tackles with 106 to Arkansas linebacker De”Jon Harris, who has 110, each led us in tackles with 8. Sophomore defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo had 2 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Dayo can be a dominant player for us against Tennessee, and, hopefully, in the postseason and in the upcoming years. Would like to see older brother Dare, a senior, have a big game against Tennessee.

On offense, Kyle completed 22 of 34 passes for 191 yards, 3 TDs and 1 int. Ke’Shawn ran for a buck 27 and a 7. Super tight end Jared Pinkney caught 6 passes for 85 yards, and Kalija caught 7 passes for 69 yards and a pair of TDs. Freshman C.J. Bolar caught Kyle’s other TD throw of 6 yards.

Kyle set the all time TD passing mark at Vanderbilt with 60 surpassing Jay Cut with his 5 yard strike to Kalija in overtime.

We gave up 457 passing yards to Ta’amu and 2 TDs and 107 yards rushing to running back Isaiah Wollard, and 587 yards of total offense, but we were pretty tough in the red zone and came up with some key plays there. Ole Miss is a high octane offense, so they’re going to pile up the yards. We came through when we needed to on defense. Some things to work on defensively for sure, but the effort was superb.

Ke’Shawn is third in the conference in rushing with 976 yards. A&M’s Trayveon Williams leads with 1,326 and KY’s Benny Snell is second with 1,205. Kalija is 4th in the SEC in receiving yards at 800, A.J. Brown of Ole Miss leads at 1,259. Kalija is second in receiving TDs with 9 just behind Jerry Jeudy of Alabama who has 10. Ke’Shawn is tied for 1st in TDs with Benny Snell at 12. Ke’Shawn has 10 on the ground and 2 TD receptions. Joejuan, who has been sensational this season, is second in the conference in interceptions with 4. Grant Delpit of LSU leads with 5, so a big game from Joejuan next week with 2 ints and none by Delpit and Joejuan will be the SEC 2018 leader in ints. Jared Pinkney is having a superb year as well as he’s caught 41 passes for 658 yards, over 16 yards per catch and 6 TDs.

So phenomenal overall victory for the team, and we head into Saturday’s matchup with the team from the East hoping to win one more, move to 6-6, and qualify for a bowl game, which would be a tremendous reward for the seniors, the underclassmen, who can get many more days of practice time in, and for recruiting. Going to a bowl game is a huge boost to recruiting. We’ve got a tough matchup Saturday, though. We need to be totally homed in on UT at 3 PM CT on the SEC Network.

We have 18 commitments for the 2019 class. One of our headliners is safety Anfernee Orji, a 4 star and high 4 star freshman linebacker Alston Orji’s little brother. We’ve got some excellent 3 stars in 5.7 defensive tackle Daevion Davis (6’2”, 314), 3 tight ends, a couple of offensive linemen and some exciting players on the perimeter. We have a quarterback in this class, 5.5, 3 star Jamil Muhammad, who is 6’2”, 214 pounds and is from James Clemons High School in Madison, AL. Jamil had an excellent year behind center and James Clemons came very close to knocking off Alabama powerhouse Hewitt-Trussville in the first round of the Alabama Class 7A playoffs, falling 43-41 in the last minute. Jamil completed 7 of 9 passes for 96 yards including a 37 yard TD pass, and ran 20 times for 191 yards. He’s quite a dual threat. We have 2 excellent running back commits in Delbert Mimms and JR Tran-Reno. Like our playmakers we’re getting on the outside. Very explosive, take it to the house guys, with superior speed and super hands.

Just looks like a very solid class, and we had a big recruiting weekend with Ole Miss in town and should add more in the upcoming weeks. The early signing period is Wednesday, December 19th to Friday, December 21st. Hopefully, we can get all of these guys signed and add some more.

Just received this news, Dayo Odeyingbo was named SEC defensive lineman of the week. Great job by Dayo. Also, and I shouldn’t have forgotten this, our offensive line played very well. Justin Skule, Bruno Reagan and company opened up some excellent holes for Ke’Shawn, Jamauri Wakefield, who also had a very good game, and our runners and gave Kyle good time in the pocket. Well done up front by a group that has become outstanding as the season has progressed. Coach Cameron Norcross deserves a lot of credit as do the players.

Finally, and as importantly, awesome job by Coach Mason and the coaches for keeping our players locked in through some tough losses this year. Just need one more and it’s a tremendously important one.

Basketball

Our basketball team moved to 3-0 on the season with a 79-54 victory over Alcorn State last Friday Night. Superstar 6’8”, 240 freshman power forward Simi Shittu finished with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from the line. Senior Joe Toye, who is playing very good basketball for us now, added 14 with 4 boards. Simi had 6 boards. Matt Ryan was 4-of-7 from trifecta and finished with 12 points. Darius Garland only had 3 points, but pulled down 7 boards. Our other freshman superstar, Aaron Nesmith, finished with 7 points, but also pulled down 7 boards. And newcomer, and recent Syracuse transfer Matthew Moyer, a 6’8”, 215 forward, finished with 5 points and 8 boards.

Our team is playing well right now. Still think we are working on peaking, but we’ve only played 3 games. We’re still getting used to playing together with some young guys and some transfer players looking to jell. Like our talented roster though and see us having a great shot of playing well into March.

We host Liberty tonight, which is 3-0, and coming off a 77-70 victory over Kent State. Game time is 7 PM CT on SEC Network+. We signed 2 players for 2019, 4 star forward Dylan Disu from Texas. Dylan is 6’8”, 185. We also signed sharpshooting guard, 4 star Austin Crowley from Wichita, Kansas. Two excellent pickups by Bryce and the staff. Big man James Wiseman, the No.2 player in the country at 7’0”, 265 pounds, will be announcing tomorrow. We’re in it, but Memphis and Kentucky are the leaders. If we don’t get Wiseman, we’ll look some other directions. Plenty of outstanding players out there.

Like what this team can become. Just need to get more consistent on both ends of the floor. Simi and Darius are terrific players, and the players around them are very good, so we’ve got a shot to do some serious damage in the regular season AND the postseason. After Liberty tonight at home, we play Kent State Friday at Memorial at 4 PM CT on SEC Network+, then Savannah State comes to Memorial on Tuesday, November 27th for a 7 PM tip on SEC Network+. Then we’ll have a huge matchup on December 1st, a Saturday, versus a very good N.C. State team in the Hoophall Miami Invitational at 4 PM CT on ESPN2.

So some super stuff ahead for football and basketball.

Our women’s soccer team lost to Baylor 3-1 in the second round of the NCAA’s, but had an awesome season finishing 16-4-1 and winning the SEC regular season. It was a special year and we’re getting closer and closer to having a spectacular season/seasons under superb head coach Darren Ambrose.

The big question looming in Tuscaloosa is the condition of Tua’s knee. That’s an all consuming topic right now. First of all, Tua is a warrior, he wants to play. I saw him running through drills this week and he looked good; he was moving well. But Saturday he’ll have to take some hits, so that’s a little tenuous for Alabama fans. S wants him to play to stay sharp for Auburn, Georgia and beyond if things go Alabama’s way. I understand that completely. Jalen Hurts is not ready right now. He might not be ready for a few more games. The sprained ankle has been a little chronic, so the Tide needs Tua to play. Mac Jones is not ready yet. The offense was stagnant last Saturday with him under center. Tua will play as long as necessary on Saturday. That could be a half or it could be 3 quarters. I would think the Tide would have it in hand by the 4th quarter, so Tua would be able to rest after 3 quarters, maybe even a half. The defense is playing superbly well right now, and the weapons around Tua are still electric. The line needs to do its job though. They had some trouble with a very good Mississippi State front last Saturday, and with Auburn and Georgia, possibly Clemson, Notre Dame or Michigan looming among others, the line has to be stout. Losing Deonte Brown at guard is a little problematic. Lester Cotton is a talent, but has struggled this season. Still a lot of talent and physicality up front and this will be a good game to solidify that front for the Iron Bowl and the postseason.

Auburn plays host to Liberty, and after last week’s tough time in Athens, the Tigers need to shore up their offense to get ready for the Crimson Tide. The lack of a running game has been a problem for the Tigers. Boobie Whitlow is a good back, but he’s been banged up lately. Shaun Shivers shows signs of being a good player with tremendous speed. The Tigers need to figure that out on Saturday with a trip looming to Tuscaloosa.

Some key games in the SEC and on the national scale. The UAB Blazers with a 9-1 overall record and a Conference USA West Title, head to College Station to play the Texas A&M Aggies. The Blazers are a good story this year, but the competition ramps up this Saturday.

Here’s a look at this week’s intriguing slate.

Last week: 18-6

Overall: 182-54, 77%

The Citadel (4-5) @ No.1 Alabama (10-0)

Bryant-Denny Stadium

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Dave Neal, D.J. Shockley, Dawn Davenport

Bama by 51

I see Tua playing maybe 3 quarters depending on how the game is going. S is like Bill Belichick. If you are not on crutches or carried off on a cart, you can play. I’m not sure that’s always the best strategy, but it’s worked well for him and his teams through the years. The Citadel did come back from a 21-0 deficit last Saturday to defeat Samford, but I like the Tide defense to keep on cookin with Mack Wilson, Quinnen Williams etc.. .really dominating and the offense to play better this Saturday.

Alabama 52, Citadel 0

Liberty (4-5) @Auburn (6-4)

Jordan-Hare Stadium

3 PM CT

SEC Alternate Channel, 612 on DirecTV and 820 on Charter

Richard Cross, Hutson Mason, Taylor Davis

Auburn by 28

The Tigers need to play well here to get momentum heading into Tuscaloosa next Saturday. I see an Auburn team playing inspired football this Saturday and tuning up for next week in Bryant-Denny with a 2:30 kickoff on CBS.

Auburn 38, Liberty 7

UAB (9-1) @ Texas A&M (6-4)

Kyle Field, College Station

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, Paul Carcaterra

A&M by 17

UAB has been a good story this season, Bill Clark has done an excellent job. But you would think by reading articles about him that he’s a better coach than Kirby, Dabo, even S. Winning over UTEP, North Texas, LA Tech, Rice, and a 4-5 Southern Miss team at home last Saturday in overtime isn’t the same as trying to win at A&M. This is the SEC, not Cusa.

A&M 34, UAB 7

Missouri (6-4, 2-4) @ Tennessee (5-5, 2-4)

Neyland Stadium, Knoxville

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Mizzou by 5 1/2

Tennessee is coming off a huge victory at home over Kentucky last Saturday, 24-7, while Missouri survived a scrappy effort by Vanderbilt winning 33-28. I like Jeremy Pruitt and his Vols to pull off the upset on Rocky Top.

UT 31, Missouri 30

UMass (4-7) @ Georgia (9-1)

Sanford Stadium

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Laura Rutledge

Dawgs by 41

Like the way the Dawgs are trending. D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield, the champ’s son, look like the best running back duo in the country.

Dawgs 49, UMass 7

Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) @ No.21 Mississippi State (6-4, 2-4)

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville

11 AM CT

ESPN

Adam Amin, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

State by 21 1/2

State gave a great effort, particularly on defense, last Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Nick Fitzgerald and the offense have a big day versus a reeling Razorbacks team.

Mississippi State 42, Arkansas 14

Ole Miss (5-5, 1-5) @ Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5)

Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashvegas

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom Hart, JRodg, Cole

Vandy by 2 1/2

The Commodores are close to being 8-2 right now instead of 4-6, but haven’t been able to get over the hump in close games with Notre Dame, Kentucky, Florida and Missouri. I like’em to get the job done this Saturday and set up a tremendous matchup with Tennessee next Saturday in Nashville with both teams playing for a bowl game if they take care of business this weekend.

Vanderbilt 35, Ole Miss 31

Rice (1-10) @ No.7 LSU (8-2)

Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge

6:30 PM CT

ESPNU

Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison

LSU by 42

Leading 24-17 with just over a minute and a half left in the game, LSU running back Nick Brossette was heading to the end zone and the gamblers who bet on LSU were ecstatic as the spread was 13 1/2. Shockingly, Brossette slid at the 2 yard line, and those gamblers went from ecstatic to irate. Brossette kind of laughed it off. He did what he saw Todd Gurley do a week before on TV when Gurley slid at the 2 to give the Los Angeles Rams a 29-27 victory over the Packers and ruin the bet for the Rams’ gamblers. Gurley’s move and Brossette’s both seemed questionable, but both seemed to be in the dark about the point spread. It’s a little suspicious still. Brossette’s touchdown would have iced the game for sure, so his imitation of Gurley was pretty dumb as far as sealing the game for his team. But the Bengal Tigers take care of business this Saturday and get ready for a trip to College Station next week.

LSU 42, Rice 7

Middle Tennessee (7-3) @ No. 17 Kentucky (7-3)

Kroger Field, Lexington

11 AM CT

SEC Alternate Network

Dave LaMont, Ray Bentley, Tera Taimadge

UK by 16

Kentucky is doing what they always do, fade under Mark Stoops. After what looked to be an epic season, they got crushed by Georgia 2 Saturdays ago and then were defeated pretty soundly by Tennessee last Saturday. I wonder if they’ll be up for this game. Middle Tennessee is a little dangerous for them. I think they should be fine though.

Kentucky 42, Middle Tennessee 14

Idaho (4-6) @ No. 13 Florida (7-3)

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

11 AM CT

ESPNU

Kevin Brown, Andre Ware

Gators by 39 1/2

Feliepe Franks put on a spectacular effort last Saturday in bringing the Gators back from a 31-14 deficit as the Gators defeated South Carolina, 35-31. Florida has a much easier time of it this Saturday.

Florida 45, Idaho 3

Chattanooga (6-4) @ South Carolina (5-4)

Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.

6:30 PM CT

SEC Alternate Network

Mike Morgan, Barrett Jones, Alyssa Lang

Gamecocks by 30 1/2

South Carolina comes off a difficult defeat last Saturday in Gainesville and gets by the Mocs.

Gamecocks 38, Chattanooga 14

Duke (7-3, 3-3) @ No.2 Clemson (10-0, 7-0)

Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.

6 PM CT

ESPN

Steve Levy, Brian Griese, McShay

Clemson by 28

Clemson looks stout, but I like the Blue Devils to give them a decent game for a while with Clemson pulling away in the second half.

Clemson 42, Duke 24

No. 12 Syracuse (8-2) @ No.3 Notre Dame (10-0)

Yankee Stadium, New York, NY

1:30 PM CT

NBC

Tirico, Flutie, Kathryn Tappen

Notre Dame by 10 1/2

I like the Fighting Irish, with quarterback Ian Book back under center after being out last Saturday, to keep taking care of business and stay right where they are in the playoff picture.

Notre Dame 42, Syracuse 28

Indiana (5-5, 2-6) @ No.4 Michigan (9-1, 7-0)

Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor

3 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Gus, Joel, Jenny Taft

Michigan by 28

I think Georgia is a better team than Michigan. Like Notre Dame, Oklahoma and West Virginia over Michigan as well. The defense is pretty good, but the offense is erratic with Shea Patterson under center. The Wolverines are a good team but they’re not elite.

Michigan 42, Indiana 10

No.9 West Virginia (8-1, 6-1 Big 12) @ Oklahoma State (5-5, 2-5)

Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Sean McDonough, Todd, Holly

West VA. by 4 1/2

This is a tough game for the Mountaineers, but I’m going to put my trust in them as they try to set up a regular season conference title game with Oklahoma next Saturday in Morgantown.

West VA 45, OK State 40

No. 16 Iowa State (6-3, 5-2 Big 12) @ No. 15 Texas (7-3, 5-2)

Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin

7 PM CT

Longhorn Network

Lowell Galindo, Ahmad Brooks, Kris Budden

Texas by 2 1/2

The Cyclones will be without star running back David Montgomery for the first half as Montgomery got into a scuffle with a Baylor player last Saturday that was incited by the Baylor player and was suspended by the Big 12 for half of this game. Still believe in the Cyclones. If they can win out and West Virginia loses to either OK State (which I hope not) or OU next Saturday, the Cyclones will be in the Big 12 Championship game to face the Sooners, provided OU wins over Kansas this Saturday, which is pretty much a given. Still don’t totally trust Texas and I DO trust the Cyclones.

Iowa State 35, Texas 30

No.6 Oklahoma 63, Kansas 28

6:30 PM CT

FOX

OU by 35 1/2

Kyler Murray and the Sooners truck on to Morgantown moving to 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the Big 12.. Many concerns about their defense though.

No. 10 Ohio State 35, Maryland 24

11 AM CT

ABC

Dave Pasch, Gregory, Lugues

Ohio State by 14 1/2

Still a lot of questions about this football team on both sides of the ball though they move to 10-1 and 7-1 in the Big Ten with the victory and control their own destiny in the Big Ten with Michigan coming down to Columbus next Saturday. I don’t see them as a playoff team, but if chaos transpires, Urb could sneak his way in. They aren’t worthy, but there could be some major meltdowns that get them in.

No. 8 Washington State 38, Arizona 31

9:30 PM CT

ESPN

Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Allison Williams

Cougs by 10 1/2

I really like what Mike Leach is doing in Pullman. The guy’s a terrific coach. But Kevin Sumlin and his Arizona Wildcats are playing well right now. I see a pretty fierce matchup here with the Cougs barely moving to 10-1, and 7-1 with a shot at winning the Pac 12 regular season at home next Friday versus Apple Cup rival Washington.

No. 11 UCF 38, Cincinnati 35

7 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

UCF by 7

I like what UCF does on the offensive side of the football, but not so much on defense. Cincy gives them a tussle in Orlando on prime time this Saturday Night.

No. 22 Northwestern 31, Minnesota 28

11 AM CT

Big Ten Network

MInn by 1

It’s at Minneapolis so the Wildcats are the underdog. But I trust these guys. They’ve already won the Big Ten West securing it with a victory last Saturday at Iowa. Pat Fitzgerald and his impressive team keep it going.

Pittsburgh 34, Wake Forest 30

11 AM CT

ACC Network

Pitt by 7

I like the Panthers to just get by a very scrappy, impressive Wake team that went on the road a week ago and knocked off previously ranked NC State. But I’m pretty bullish on this Pitt team. They have clinched the Coastal Division of the ACC with a 5-1 mark. They are 6-4 overall and playing very good football right now.

Georgia Tech 34, Virginia 31

2:30 PM CT

ACC Network

Tech by 6

The Ramblin Wreck’s triple option just gets over the hump over a pretty solid UVA team. Paul Johnson’s squad moves to 7-4, 5-3 in the ACC. UVA gives them everything they want though.

No.19 Utah 35, Colorado 27

12:30 PM CT

Pac-12 Network

Utes by 7

The Utes lost their starting quarterback for the season 2 weeks ago in a loss to Arizona State, but came back with their backup QB last week and posted a 32-25 victory over Oregon. I like them to win at Boulder, and at 8-3, and 6-3 in the Pac 12 South, have a shot to play in the Pac 12 Championship game still.

Cal 28, Stanford 24

6:30 PM CT

Pac 12 Network

Stanford by 2

Like this Golden Bears’ defense a lot. Just don’t trust David Shaw and Stanford.

***** Stanford @Cal has been postponed until Saturday, December 1st @ 2 PM and will be broadcast by the Pac-12 Network., The air quality is very poor in Berkeley and the Bay Area due to the tragic Camp Fire that is burning just north of Sacramento. That is championship Saturday. Will reassess the game that week. Should be a nice matchup. Thanks. ****

Arizona State 38, Oregon 35

9:30 PM CT

Pac 12

Oregon by 3 1/2

I do trust Herm Edwards and this exciting Sun Devils team. They pull off the upset at Autzen Stadium and keep their Pac 12 South hopes alive at 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the South. They hold the edge over Utah by virtue of defeating them at home 2 weeks ago.

No. 23 Utah State 45, Colorado State 31

1 PM CT

Mountain West Network

USU by 28

I’m pretty bullish on this Aggies team. I like the Rams to give them a little trouble on the road though.

UCLA 42, USC 38

2:30 PM CT

FOX

Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Bruce Feldman

USC by 3 1/2

Like Chip Kelly and the Bruins to pull off the slight upset at the Rose Bowl.

Tonight

SMU 52, Memphis 48

8 PM CT

ESPN2

Anish Shroff, John Congemi, Roddy Jones

Memphis by 7 1/2

Like the Ponies in the upset at home. Defeated a good Houston team 2 weeks ago at Gerald J Ford Stadium in Big D, 45-31. They’re trending well. Move to 6-5 and qualify for a bowl game. Memphis is an electric offense also. See a lot of points here.

With the College Football Playoff Standings released for the second week, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan are in, in that order, as of today. Those rankings, of course, are fluid. There are key games in the next 4 weeks that could alter the rankings of those teams. Georgia, Oklahoma and West Virginia look like teams that could climb in there if they win out. Washington State has a shot, and UCF isn’t totally out of it, though they would need a lot of help as they are sitting at No.12. Alabama plays Mississippi State at home this weekend, the Citadel next weekend at home, the Iron Bowl on Saturday, 11-24, at 2:30 PM on CBS in Tuscaloosa, and the SEC Championship Game versus Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, December 1, @3 PM CT on CBS. Alabama certainly controls its own destiny. A loss to any of these teams would probably not keep them out, but S and his team want to win out, so they are not even considering the possibility of a loss. Who does? Clemson controls its own destiny as well, but has a somewhat tricky game at Boston College this Saturday. Notre Dame faces Florida State this Saturday in South Bend then has a challenging game itself versus Syracuse a week from Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Michigan will have to go to Columbus on Saturday, November 24th to face Ohio State, so there’s not clear sailing for the Wolverines either. Ohio State is another team with an outside shot to make it, but they need to pick up their play. Georgia hosts the Auburn Tigers this weekend, and faces Georgia Tech to close out the season on November 24th. OU plays Bedlam this Saturday against Oklahoma State in Norman, then goes to West Virginia on November 24th in a colossally important game that could determine the Big 12 regular season champion, even though those 2 teams could possibly collide the next Saturday in the Big 12 Championship Game. Washington State plays at Colorado this Saturday and will host Washington to finish out the season (Friday November 23rd, 7:30 PM CT), , so they could help their resume with an unblemished finish. UCF hosts Navy and Cincinnati the next 2 weeks then travels to South Florida to finish off the season on Friday, November 23rd, in what could be a major hurdle to clear.

So there’s plenty to be decided in the upcoming weeks beginning this Saturday. The compelling action continues in the next 4 weeks to determine which 4 teams make the playoff. Who’ll be in December 2nd for the final rankings? It’s been a tremedous season and we’re into November so now it’s better than ever.

Here’s a look at this week’s contests.

Last week: 20-4

Overall: 164-48, 77%

No. 16 Mississippi State (6-3, 2-3) @ No.1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0)

Bryant-Denny Stadium (101, 821)

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Bama by 24

Nick Fitzgerald has played very well the past 2 weeks in State victories over Texas A&M and LA Tech, but this is the Alabama defense that just shut out LSU 29-0 and has really hit its stride. The defense will be dominant again and Tua and his offense will do what they always do, churn out the yards and light up the scoreboard.

Alabama 45, Mississippi State 7

No. 24 Auburn (6-3, 3-3) @ No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1)

Sanford Stadium, Athens (92,746)

6 PM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Holly

Georgia by 14

Auburn pulled off an electric comeback victory over A&M last Saturday, winning 28-24 behind 2 late touchdown passes by Jarrett Stidham. The Auburn defense will keep the Tigers in the game for a good while, but Jake Fromm is playing at a high level and the combination of Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift will be too much for the Tigers to handle.

Georgia 31, Auburn 16

No. 11 Kentucky (7-2, 5-2) @ Tennessee (4-5, 1-4)

Neyland Stadium, Knoxville (102,455)

2:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, John Congemi, Kris Budden

Kentucky by 5 1/2

I like Benny Snell and the Wildcats to keep their highly successful season going. Tennessee has been improving, but I don’t see them getting over the top here.

Kentucky 34, Tennessee 24

South Carolina (5-3, 4-3) @ No. 15 Florida (6-3, 4-3)

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville (91,916)

11 AM CT

ESPN

Dave Pasch, Gregory McElroy, Tom “Lugues” Luginbill

Florida by 6

This should be a competitive game. Florida got shellacked by Missouri at home last Saturday, 38-17, and South Carolina won a thriller at Ole Miss, 48-44. I like South Carolina to keep it close, but the Gators to close it out late.

Florida 31, South Carolina 24

No.7 LSU (7-2, 4-2) @ Arkansas (2-7, 0-5)

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville (76,000)

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

LSU by 13 1/2

The Bengal Tigers could be down after their demoralizing loss to the Crimson Tide last Saturday, but they’ll have enough to overcome a struggling Razorback squad.

LSU 31, Arkansas 17

Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-4) @ Missouri (5-4, 1-4)

Memorial Stadium/ Faurot Field, Columbia, MO. (71,004)

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Dave Neal, D.J. Shockley, Dawn Davenport

Missouri by 17

Missouri is coming off an impressive victory at the Swamp last Saturday and Vandy is coming off a bye week after defeating Arkansas 2 weeks ago in Fayetteville, 45-31. Vandy is getting better, but so is Mizzou, and I don’t think the Commodores can stop Drew Lock and the Tigers offense enough.

Missouri 45, Vanderbilt 24

Ole Miss (5-4, 1-4) @ Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3)

Kyle Field, College Station, TX (102,733)

11 AM CT

CBS

Carter Blackburn Aaron Taylor, Rick Neuheisel

A&M by 13

I like Kellen Mond and the A&M offense to snap back against a reeling Ole Miss defense.

Texas A&M 45, Ole Miss 21

No.2 Clemson (9-0, 6-0 ACC) @ No,17 Boston College (7-2, 4-1)

Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA.

7 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

Clemson by 20

While this appears to be a more challenging game for Dabo and company, I like Clemson to roll here.

Clemson 35, BC 14

No. 10 Ohio State (8-1, 6-1 Big Ten) @ No. 18 Michigan State (6-3, 4-2)

Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

OSU by 3 1/2

Michigan State is known as a giant killer in the Big Ten. I like them to do it again and ruin Ohio State’s chances for the playoff. Urb has another heart attack after the game.

Michigan State 28, Ohio State 24

Oklahoma State (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) @ No. 6 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1)

Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK.

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay

OU by 20 1/2

I see Bedlam as a blowout this year.

Oklahoma 59, OK State 35

No.4 Michigan (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten) @ Rutgers (1-8, 0-6)

HighPoint Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

2:30 PM CT

Big Ten Network

Michigan by 40

Why is Rutgers even in the Big Ten?

Michigan 45, Rutgers 3

Florida State (4-5) @ Notre Dame (9-0)

Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend

6:30 PM CT

NBC

Tirico, Flutie, Kathryn Tappen

ND by 16 1/2

Notre Dame had their struggles against a scrappy Northwestern team last Saturday winning 31-21 on the road. Florida State may give the Irish some trouble. I’m not totally buying the Irish as a playoff team. They can get by FSU, but it’ll be tougher than expected, then they’ll be severely tested by Syracuse next Saturday in the Bronx.

Notre Dame 35, Florida State 28

TCU (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) @ No. 9 West Virginia (7-1, 5-1)

Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West VA.

11 AM

Fox Sports 1

Justin Kutcher, DeMarco Murray, Petros Papadakis

West VA by 11 1/2

The Mountaineers were the most impressive team to me last Saturday at Texas as they scored on a 33 yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left to cut the Texas lead to 41-40, and Coach Dana Holgerson went for 2 to win it. After a couple of timeouts, Holgerson called on quarterback Will Grier, who is an exceptional passer but slow as molasses, to run the quarterback draw. Grier executed it the play to perfection and the Mountaineers escaped Austin with a 42-41 victory and a real shot at still making the playoff if they can take care of business the rest of the season. My daughter is slightly bummed about her TCU football team but having too much fun in college to worry about it. Maybe next year for the Frogs. A lot of injuries this season. 7 starters lost for the season on defense.

West Virginia 42, TCU 30

Navy (2-7, 1-4 American) @ No. 12 UCF (8-0, 5-0)

Spectrum Stadium, Orlando

11 AM CT

ESPN2

Arish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Roddy Jones

UCF by 25 1/2

UCF continues its attempt to be relevant in the playoff conversation. Navy is having a very tough year.

UCF 56, Navy 28

No.8 Washington State (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) @ Colorado (5-4, 2-4)

Folsom Field, Boulder

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Allison Williams

Wazzou by 6

I like Colorado to give Wazzou everything they want and pull off the upset.

Colorado 34, Washington State 31

Baylor (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) @ No.22 Iowa State (5-3, 4-2)

Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa

2:30 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Brian Custer, Ben Leber

ISU by 14 1/2

This Cyclones team is the sleeper for me in the Big 12. They can still pull off a Big 12 championship. Matt Campbell is one of the best young coaches in America. David Montgomery is an awesome running back and the passing game is clicking as well. Baylor is playing better this year under Matt Rhule, but I like the Cyclones to continue their winning ways and be in the hunt for the Big 12 championship if they can get some help.

Iowa State 45, Baylor 30

Southern Miss (4-4, 3-2 C-USA) @ UAB (8-1, 6-0)

Legion Field

6:30 PM CT

beIN Sports

UAB by 12

Wish UAB would come on a network you could watch. I tried to get that channel and it jerked me around and didn’t work, so I just watch highlights from their games now. UAB could be for real, not totally positive yet. They have defeated a pretty good North Texas squad, 29-20, which defeated Arkansas on the road earlier this season, 44-17. So that’s kind of impressive. They haven’t played anybody else who’s legit though but they should take care of business against Southern Miss. Next Saturday in College Station will tell us who the real UAB football team is.

UAB 42, Southern Miss 17

Northwestern (5-4, 5-1 Big Ten) @ No. 21 Iowa (6-3, 3-3)

Kinnick Stadium

2:30 PM CT

FOX

Joe Davis, Brady Quinn

Iowa by 10 1/2

It’s impressive how competitive Northwestern is. I just see Iowa having more athletes in this game.

Iowa 35, Northwestern 24

Tonight

Wake Forest (4-5, 1-4 ACC) @ No. 14 NC State (6-2, 3-2)

Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC

6:30 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Flemming, Tim Hasselback, Matt Hasselback, Laura Rutledge

NC State by 19 1/2

The Wolfpack is a very good team with an explosive offense led by quarterback Ryan Finley and running back Reggie Gallaspy II. I like this squad to do well the rest of the season and excel in their bowl game.

NC State 48, Wake 28

Friday

Louisville (2-7, 0-6 ACC) @ Syracuse (7-2, 4-2)

Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Olivia Dekker

Cuse by 20 1/2

Syracuse is for real. I see them with a legitimate shot of knocking off Notre Dame next Saturday. Petrino may just want to get on his motorcycle and ride off into the sunset. Maybe without a co-ed this time.

Syracuse 49, Louisville 21

No. 23 Fresno State (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West) @ Boise State (7-2, 4-1)

Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

9:15 PM CT

ESPN2

Mike Couzens, Kirk “Riders on the Storm” Morrison, Alyssa Lang

Fresno State by 2 1/2

This is a classic and one worth staying up for if you can. I really like this Fresno team a lot. Boise State is solid and always tough at home on the blue turf. There is some history in this game as Fresno defeated Boise in the regular season finale last year to tie for the Mountain West regular season championship, but still had to travel to Boise for the Mountain West Conference Championship game. It was some wacky Mountain West rule that was in place, and was very controversial. Boise won that game, but Fresno gets its revenge this year.

Fresno State 34, Boise State 31

Virginia Tech (4-4, 3-2 ACC) @ Pittsburgh (5-4, 4-1)

Heinz Field, Pittsburgh

2:30 PM CT

ESPNU

Kevin Brown, Andre Ware

Pitt by 3

I’m buying this Pitt team. After going into Scott Stadium and knocking off a hot UVA team last Friday Night, 23-13, and looking very good doing it, this team looks legit.

Pitt 34, VA Tech 30

Wisconsin (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) @ No. 20 Penn State (6-3, 3-3)

Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA.

11 AM CT

ABC

Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath

Penn State by 9

What looked like a colossal national showdown early in the season has turned into an irrelevant game as far as the Big Ten and national landscape are concerned.

Penn State 38, Wisconsin 28

UCLA (2-7, 2-4 Pac-12) @ Arizona State (5-4, 3-3)

‘Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe AZ.

1 PM CT

‘Pac-12 Network

ASU by 13 1/2

Arizona State has been impressive under first year coach Herm Edwards this season. They knocked off then No.15 Utah last Saturday, 38-20, though Utah did lose their starting quarterback early in the game, but he had already thrown 2 interceptions. I really like this team. N’Keal Harry is the best wide receiver in the country west of Tuscaloosa. He’s superb.

Arizona State 45, UCLA 31

Number 1 Alabama and Number 3 LSU will battle it out on the Bayou Saturday Night in “Tiguh” Stadium. It will be beyond raucous as the Bengal Tiger and Crimson Tide faithful will be amped to the max for this critical showdown. The question is, can a pretty good LSU defense contain Tua and the Crimson Tide arsenal. That’s close to impossible to do, and Joe Burrow and the LSU offense are going to have to find a way to score more than 3 touchdowns to have any hope of upsetting the 15 point favorite.

Spectacular weekend in college football. The Auburn Tigers are in a key contest with the Aggies of Texas A&M. Which Auburn team will show up and which Texas A&M team will show up will decide who comes out on top in this game.

Georgia travels to Lexington to face the Wildcats in a game that will decide the Eastern division title and playoff hopes are on the line for both teams. Kentucky has been resilient this season with their only loss coming in overtime @ A&M. Can the Dawgs keep their momentum gained from last Saturday’s impressive showing, a 36-17 victory over Florida.

Missouri at Florida is interesting as well. Penn State travels to Ann Arbor as the Michigan Wolverines aim to keep their playoff hopes alive and the Nittany Lions try to spoil it for Meechigan in the Big House and possibly get back in the Big Ten East race. West Virginia is at Texas in a key contest for the Mountaineers as they will compete to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Riveting weekend with a lot of classics. Here’s a breakdown of the action.

Last Time: 16-3

Overall: 144-44, 77%

No.1 Alabama (8-0, 5-0) @ No.3 LSU (7-1, 4-1)

Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, 102,321

7 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Bama by 15

Tua Tagovalioa is 107 of 152, 70%, for 2,066 yards, 25 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. That’s mind blowing. Jerry Jeudy has caught 10 TD passes, Henry Ruggs III has 7, Irv Smith Jr. has 5, and Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith each have 3. You can say that Tua spreads the wealth. Jonah Williams and Ross Pierschbacher lead a dominating line. The Crimson Tide has scored 6 non-offensive touchdowns with cornerback Shyheim Carter returning 2 ints for TDs, and Xavier McKinney and Saivion Smith each taking 1 back to the house. Josh Jacobs has a kickoff return for 6, and Jaylen Waddle has returned a punt for a TD. The defense has been pretty stout overall with the great safety Deinonte Thompson leading the team in tackles with 46 while adding a pair of ints. Linebacker Dylan Moses is next with 42 tackles and 7 1/2 tackles for loss along with 2 1/2 sacks. Defensive end Isaiah Buggs leads the defense with 8 sacks. Just a formula for a winning machine.

O has a solid LSU team this season. Joe Burrow is a super competitor but he has only completed 54% of his passes for 1,544 yards, 6 TDs and 3 ints. The defense is good but will be without starting linebacker Devin White who will sit out the first half of the game after being called for targeting in the second half of the Mississippi State game 2 weeks ago. It was a terrible call and White should be playing.

This is the 83rd meeting between the 2 schools and the Crimson Tide holds a 52-25-5 margin and has won the last 7 since 2012.

LSU is having a super season, but this is too tall an order. I don’t see Burrow and the LSU offense doing enough against this Alabama defense as they try to keep up with Tua and his arsenal.

S and his Crimson Tide make it 8 in a row over LSU and the SEC Championship and playoff are just on the horizon.

Alabama 35, LSU 14

No. 20 Texas A&M (6-3, 3-2) @ Auburn (5-3, 2-3)

Jordan-Hare Stadium, 87,451

11 AM CT

ESPN

Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Allison Williams

Auburn by 4

The Tigers played a solid game 2 weeks ago at Ole Miss winning 31-16. I was talking to my wife last night about the game and we discussed A&M quarterback Kellen Mond. My wife called him “spotty.” I thought that was a very accurate assessment of Mond. He can be spectacular at times, while at other times being very pedestrian. Auburn needs to protect Jarrett Stidham and Boobie Whitlow and Shaun Shivers need to run well. Stidham needs accuracy also. I like Stidham and company to do enough and Marlon Davidson, though he’s questionable, and the Auburn defense to hold down the A&M offense. I see an Anders Carlson field goal winning it late.

Auburn 20, A&M 17

No.6 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) @ No.9 Kentucky (7-1, 5-1)

Kroger Field, Lexington

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Rick Neuheisel

Georgia by 9

Jake Fromm had a breakout game against Florida last Saturday at the Cocktail function completing 17 of 24 for 240 yards and 3 TDs with 0 ints. Kirby Smart was hearing a lot of chatter about starting 5 star freshman Justin Fields, I have to admit I was 1 of those people chattering, but he stuck with Fromm and it worked out very well for Smart and his team against Florida. Kentucky defeated Missouri last Saturday at Mizzou, 15-14, on a last minute drive with quarterback Terry Wilson leading his team down the field and connecting with tight end C.J. Conrad for the winning score with no time left on the clock. It was highly dramatic. Kentucky has a shot here. They play good defense and running back Benny Snell always gives them a chance on offense. But the Dawgs are the best team in the East and they’ll prove it Saturday in the Bluegrass state. D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield look like they’re as good or better than Chubb and Michel.

Georgia 31, Kentucky 21

Missouri (4-4, 0-4) @ No. 11 Florida (6-2, 4-2)

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom Hart, JRodg, Cole

FL by 6

Missouri lost a heartbreaker at home to Kentucky last Saturday and is struggling in the conference. After a difficult loss to Georgia last Saturday, the Gators snap back.

Florida 27, Missouri 20

South Carolina (4-3, 3-3) @ Ole Miss (5-3, 1-3)

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Kris Budden

Even

Can’t get any closer than this. I’ll give the Gamecocks the edge with Jake Bentley and Deebo Samuels being the difference.

South Carolina 35, Ole Miss 31

Louisiana Tech (6-2) @ Mississippi State (5-3)

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Dave Neal. D.J. Shockley, Dawn Davenport

State by 24

Nick Fitzgerald had an excellent night last Saturday against A&M in a 28-13 Bullies victory. I like Fitzgerald to keep his momentum going, but I like a pretty decent team from C-USA to keep it close for a while.

State 45, LA Tech 24

Tennessee 42, Charlotte 14

3 PM CT

SEC Alternate Network

Jarrett Guarantano and the Vols played well last week in a heartbreaking loss at South Carolina, 27-24. I like the Vols to keep on improving in this latter part of the season.

No. 14 Penn State (6-2, 3-2) @ Michigan (7-1, 5-0)

Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor

2:45 PM CT

ESPN

Chris, Kirk, Maria

Michigan by 10 1/2

I like outside backer Chase Winovich and the Michigan defense to win this game for the Wolverines. Penn State has just barely gotten by Indiana and Iowa in the last 2 weeks and lost to Michigan State at home 3 weeks ago, 21-17. Michigan’s defense will stymie James Franklin’s offense and Shea Patterson and the Michigan offense will score enough for the Wolverines to matriculate in their playoff aspirations in the Big House.

Michigan 28, Penn State 17

Louisville (2-6, 0-5) @ No. 2 Clemson (8-0, 6-0)

Memorial Stadium

11 AM CT

ABC

Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath

Clemson by 39 1/2

Trevor Lawrence has done a pretty good job under center for the Tigers since taking over from Kelly Bryant. He’s still got some developing today, but he might be getting there. He’s completed 115 of 177 passes, 65%, with 16 TDs and 2 ints. He’s a major talent, but he’s still growing as a top of the line college quarterback. Clemson will handle this team though. What is Petrino still doing up there?

Clemson 59, Louisville 14

No. 4 Notre Dame (8-0) @ Northwestern (5-3)

Ryan Field, Evanston, IL

6:15 PM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Holly

Notre Dame by 9 1/2

The 4th ranked team in the initial playoff rankings, the Fighting Irish are looking strong. Not only has quarterback Ian Book (130-of-170, 76%, 1,481 yards, 13 TDs, 4 ints) looked pretty spectacular, but the running game with Dexter Williams (512 yards, 7 TDs) and Jafar Armstrong (297 yards, 6 TDs) has been terrific. The defense, led by linebacker Te’Von Coney (70 tackles, 6 1/2 for loss), has been phenomenal. I’m a believer in this team. Some pundits are predicting Northwestern to give Notre Dame everything they want, but I’m not one of them. Notre Dame keeps their playoff hopes cookin.

Notre Dame 45, Northwestern 24

No. 13 West Virginia (6-1, 4-1) @ Texas (6-2, 4-1)

Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin

2:30 PM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny Taft

Texas by 2

Texas got their playoff hopes dashed last Saturday in a 38-35 loss at OK State. I like Dana Holgerson and his Mountaineers to pull off the slight upset on the road and keep their Big 12 and national aspirations intact.

West VA. 38, Texas 35

No.7 Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1) @ Texas Tech (5-3, 3-2)

Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock

7 PM CT

ABC

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay

OU by 13 1/2

I’m a total buyer in OU quarterback Kyle Murray. He’s the best thing outside Tua in college football and he’s really close to Tua. Murray has completed 134-of-183 passes, 73%, for 2,329 yards, 28 TDs and 3 ints. He’s also rushed for 474 yards and 6 TDs averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He’s a serious weapon for this dynamic Sooners offense. Murray signed a deal this past summer with the Oakland A’s as the 9th player picked overall in the 2018 MLB draft and received a $4.66 million signing bonus. So he’s paid just $200,000 less than OU coach Lincoln Riley. He hit .296 last season with 10 homers, 47 RBIs and 10 stolen bases playing left field. He plans on being in the A’s spring training camp in 2019. But the guy is also a phenomenal football player. The OU offensive line has 5 NFL draft picks. There are playmakers all over this roster in the backfield and on the perimeter. OU’s defense is always their question mark, but this offense is better than last year’s with Baker Mayfield. The Red Raiders are explosive on offense and playing better on defense this season. I don’t think they can stop Murray and the Sooners offense, but they’ll put some points on the board and give themselves a shot.

Oklahoma 52, Texas Tech 42

UAB 38, UTSA 14

6:30 PM CT

Legion Field

beIN Sports, good luck getting that channel, I’ve tried, it’s difficult

The Blazers are 7-1, and 5-0 in CUSA, but have played a pretty weak schedule though they did defeat a North Texas team 2 weeks ago, 29-21, that had beaten Arkansas 44-17 earlier this season. Spencer Brown is an excellent running back and the defense is for real. We’ll see what kind of team UAB really has when they go to College Station in 2 weeks (Nov. 17th) to face Texas A&M.

No. 15 Utah 34, Arizona State 24

3 PM CT

Pac-12 Network

I’m bullish on the Utes (6-2, 4-2). Liking the Utes to win the South and play Washington State in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

No.8 Washington State 48, Cal 34

9:45 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Pasch, Gregory, Lugues

Believe in Leach and this Air Raid attack in Pullman. Quarterback Gardner Minshew, a graduate transfer from Northwest Mississippi Community College and East Carolina and a Brandon, MS. native, has completed 294-of-414 passes for 3,183 yards, 26 TDs and 6 ints. Leach calls him the best quarterback in college football. I wouldn’t go that far, but after Tua and Kyler Murray, I’d put Minshew next.

Tonight

No. 12 UCF 38, Temple 34

6:30 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Flemming, Chiz/Dusty Dvoracek, Laura Rutledge

UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton has been battling an ankle injury and is questionable going into tonight. Temple’s a pretty solid team and I see them giving the Golden Knights everything they want even if Milton plays.

Friday

No. 25 Virginia 31, Pitt 27

6:30 PM CT

ESPN2

Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, Paul Carcaterra

UVA is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the ACC and has a shot at winning the Coastal Division and playing in the ACC Championship game. Bronco Mendenhall, the former BYU coach, is doing a tremendous job in his 3rd year in C’ville. Like the Whoos to capture the victory but for Pitt give them some trouble.

No. 24 Iowa State 45, Kansas 28

11 AM

Fox Sports Net

Mark Followill, Brian Baldinger, Lesley McCaslin

After starting the season 1-3, the Cyclones have won 3 in a row including an upset of West Virginia at home, 30-14, followed by a 40-31 victory over Texas Tech at home last Saturday. Kansas is better. They defeated TCU last Saturday, 27-26, which is a huge step for them as they try to become relevant in the Big 12. I’m a big believer in Matt Campbell and this Cyclone team though.

Virginia Tech 34, No. 22 Boston College 31

2:45 PM CT

ACC Network

Like Justin Fuente and his Hokies to pull off the slight upset in Blacksburg.

Purdue 31, No. 16 Iowa 30

2:30 PM CT

ESPN2

Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Olivia Dekker

The Boilermakers crushed Urb and Ohio State 2 weeks ago, 49-20, and were supremely impressive in doing so. Iowa is a solid team that could have beaten Penn State last Saturday save for a late interception by quarterback Kyle Stanley that cost the Hawkeyes the victory as they lost 30-24 to the Nittany Lions at Happy Valley. 2 very solid Big Ten teams here. This is close but I’ll take the Boilers at West Lafayette, IN.

Army 34, Air Force 27

11 AM

CBS Sports Network

Really like what Jeff Monken has done at Army. They are 6-2 and took OU to overtime in Norman earlier this season. That’s totally impressive. The Cadets keep up their super season.

No. 23 Fresno State 47, UNLV 28

9:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Also really like what Jeff Tedford is doing at Fresno State. They are an aggressive, high quality team. They were last year. They are 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the Mountain West. They have a chance to be the Group of 5 representative in a New Year’s Six Bowl. Kind of an outside shot, but still, this team is impressive.

Duke 35, Miami 31

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Beth Mowins, Anthony Bacht, Rocky Boiman

I like the 9 1/2 point underdog Blue Devils to pull off the upset at Hard Rock Stadium.

Utah State 48, Hawai’i 24

10:59 PM CT

Hawai’i PPV, no TV

Only in Hawai’i do you have the weird start time and TV situation. Utah State is 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the Mountain West. They’re very good.