Big games all over the slate this week headlined with the spectacle in Jordan-Hare Saturday at 2:30 CT on CBS with the No.5 Alabama Crimson Tide @ the No.15 Auburn Tigers. Alabama is clinging to what the national media calls their slim hopes of making the playoff. You never know. If the Crimson Tide can get’er done in Auburn and chaos ensues in Week 14, they might have a shot. But it’ll be a tall order to win at Auburn.

There are certainly multiple possibilities for the playoff. The committee has always said they take the 4 best teams in the country not necessarily the team with the best resume, but the 4 best teams by their football judgment. So with another classic in the Big House at 11 AM CT with Ohio State @ Michigan and another one in the Big Ten with Wisconsin at Minnesota, there will be major playoff implications on the line throughout the day. The No.7 Oklahoma Sooners are not out of it either. They have a tough assignment in Stillwater this Saturday against OK State in Bedlam. 7 PM CT on FOX. No.3 Clemson looks to be cruising into the playoff, which is kind of outrageous with the weakness of their schedule. I guess they can’t help that the ACC is so weak, but they have a cakewalk into the playoff from all indications, and that really shouldn’t be acceptable. They are a quality team, but they haven’t been tested. Doesn’t look like they’ll get much resistance in Columbia against the Gamecocks Saturday at 11 AM on ESPN.

It all starts with the Egg Bowl tomorrow night on ESPN. Here’s a look at this week’s matchups.

Last Week: 22-4

Overall: 224-76, 75%

All Times Central. Games Saturday unless otherwise noted.

No. 5 Alabama (10-1) @ No.15 Auburn (8-3)

84th Iron Bowl

2:30 PM

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Bama by 3 1/2

The Crimson Tide leads the series 46-36-1. Auburn last won 2 years ago in Jordan-Hare, 26-14. Alabama won last year in Bryant-Denny, 52-21.

In this edition of the best rivalry in college football, Bo Nix is actually the veteran in big games as he’s been to LSU, been to Florida, played Oregon in Arlington, Texas, and hosted Georgia. Mac Jones has mop up duty in the second half at Mississippi State, and versus Arkansas and Western Carolina on his resume. That’s an advantage for Auburn. The Auburn defense is, along with Georgia, the best in the country. Auburn has the advantage there also. And it’s at Auburn which is tremendously important in this rivalry if the teams are close in talent.

With that said, I’ll take the Tigers.

Auburn 24, Alabama 21

Texas A&M (7-4) @No.2 LSU (11-0)

6 PM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Holly

LSU by 17

The magic keeps cookin in Baton Rouge as Joe and O continue their march toward the playoff. Ohio State snuck in front of LSU in the rankings because the committee feels like Ohio State is a more complete team. That could change in the next 2 weeks with Georgia coming up in the SEC Championship game, though Ohio State will have resume builders @ Michigan and in the Big Ten Championship game against the Wisconsin-Minnesota winner this Saturday. LSU’s defense has been problematic for them. I like the Aggies to put up some points on this questionable defense, but for Joe and the offense to get the job done again for the Bengal Tigers.

LSU 45, Texas A&M 31

No.1 Ohio State (11-0) @ No.13 Michigan (9-2)

11 AM

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Ohio State by 9

It’s at the Big House so that makes it interesting. I still think Ohio State has the talent advantage and they’ll prevail and move on to the Big Ten Championship as the No.1 seed in the playoff rankings.

Ohio State 28, Michigan 17

No.3 Clemson (11-0) @ South Carolina (4-7)

11 AM

ESPN

Dave, Gregory, Lugues

Clemson by 27

Should not be a hard game for the Tigers. Another tough year for Will Muschamp. He’s had a lot of tough years as a head coach.

Clemson 42, South Carolina 14

No.4 Georgia (10-1) @ Georgia Tech (3-8)

11 AM

ABC

Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Allison Williams

GA by 28 1/2

Georgia’s been winning with stellar defense, but average to below average offense. It’s going to catch up with them at some point. But they could get it going this Saturday. Like them to.

Georgia 44, Georgia Tech 14

Thursday

Ole Miss 30, Mississippi State 28

6:30 PM

ESPN

Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck, Pat McAfee, Molly McGrath

MS. State by 2 1/2

Like John Rhys Plumlee and the Rebels to pull off a slight upset on Thanksgiving Night.

No. 11 Florida 45, Florida State 24

6:30 PM

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Gators by 17 1/2

Like the Gators to finish off another excellent regular season under Dan Mullen and be in good position for a New Year’s Six Bowl.

Tennessee 42, Vanderbilt 14

3 PM

SEC Network

Dave Neal, D.J,. Shockley, Dawn Davenport

Vols by 21

Jeremy Pruitt and his Vols have really turned it around with a 6-5 overall mark and 4-3 in the SEC East. They’ll finish 3rd in the East behind Georgia and Florida. I like the way this thing is headed in Knoxville and do not have a clue why Vanderbilt is keeping Derek Mason.

Kentucky 33, Louisville 31

11 AM

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Alyssa Lang

Kentucky by 2 1/2

Like the Wildcats to finish off their season 7-5 but barely survive a Louisville team that will be emerging next season under Scott Satterfield, who came over to the Cardinals after a highly successful stint at App State.

Friday

Missouri 38, Arkansas 30

1:30 PM

CBS

Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Rick Neuheisel, John Schriffen

Missouri by 12 1/2

Like the Razorbacks to give the Tigers everything they want in Little Rock.

No. 8 Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 24

2:30 PM

ABC\

Chris, Kirk, Maria

Wisconsin by 3

Like the Golden Gophers to pull off the slight upset in Minneapolis and head to the Big Ten Championship game with a shot at making the playoff.

No.7 Oklahoma 41, No. 21 Oklahoma State 35

7 PM

FOX

Joe Davis, Brock Huard, Bruce Feldman

OU by 13

I like Oklahoma to barely escape Bedlam in Stillwater, and keep their playoff hopes alive. They’re going to have to prevail over the Cowboys and Baylor, so that’s a challenge and they’ll need some help.

No.6 Utah 41, Colorado 10

6:30 PM

ABC

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay, Molly

Utah by 28 1/2

The Utes keep their playoff hopes alive and kicking. If they can win Saturday, which they should do, and win the Pac-12 Championship game over Oregon they’ll have a strong case to the the 4th seed in the playoff.

Friday

No.18 Memphis 31, No.19 Cincinnati 27

2:30 PM

ABC

Jason Benetti, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

Memphis by 11

Like the Tigers to win, but then they’ll have to turn around and defeat the Bearcats again next week in the American Championship, though it would be at Memphis. Major New Year’s Six implications on the line.

No. 16 Notre Dame 42, Stanford 20

3 PM

FOX

Tim, Spencer, Coley Harvey

Irish by 16 1/2

Like the Fighting Irish to prove their case to get in a New Year’s Six Bowl with a 10-2 record. David Shaw is another coach who I wonder why he remains in Palo Alto after this season.

No. 14 Oregon 45, Oregon State 24

3 PM

Pac-12 Network

Ted Robinson, Yogi Roth, Jill Savage

Oregon by 19 1/2

The Ducks blew their chance at the playoff with the upset loss to Arizona State. Oregon State will stick with them for a half. The Ducks can still make the Rose Bowl with a victory over Utah in the Pac-12 title game.

No.9 Baylor 41, Kansas 21

2:30 PM

ESPN

Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman

Baylor by 14

Baylor has put together a stellar season in Matt Rhule’s 3rd year. They will move to 11-1 and face Oklahoma with an outside chance at the playoff and an inside position at a New Year’s Six Bowl with a victory over OU.

Friday

No. 24 Virginia Tech 28, Virginia 24

11 AM

ABC

Dave Flemming, Jim Mora, Paul Carcaterra

Va Tech by 2 1/2

It’s @ Charlottesville, but I like the Hokies to win their 16th in a row over UVA and move on to the ACC Championship game against Clemson. That’s pretty astounding to win 16 in a row over an instate rival. Bud Foster’s defense has really picked it up in his last season. He’s retiring. Hate to see him go. He’s had a tremendous career as defensive coordinator in Blacksburg. Justin Fuente’s Hokies will move to 9-3 overall and get ready for Clemson. That’s quite a season.

Friday

No. 20 Boise State 45, Colorado State 24

2:30 PM

CBS Sports Network

Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, AJ Ross

Boise State by 14

The Broncos are in good position for a New Year’s Six Bowl if Memphis defeats Cincy on Friday and Cincy returns the favor the following week. Boise just needs to get by Colorado State this Saturday and Hawaii in the Mountain West Championship game next Saturday.

Friday

Washington 41, Washington State 30

3 PM

FOX

Timmy B, Spence, Coley

Washington by 7

Like the Huskies to finish a disappointing regular season at 7-5 with an Apple Cup victory.

Friday

No. 25 Appalachian State 42, Troy 24

5 PM

ESPN+

Matt Stewart, Wayne Gandy

App State by 13

Like the Mountaineers to complete an 11-1 season and move on to a strong bowl game, and if there is a lot of chaos, get in the Cotton Bowl.

Friday

TCU 41, West Virginia 27

3:15 PM

ESPN

Mark Neely, Mike Golic Jr., Jerry Punch

TCU by 13 1/2

Like the Frogs to finish off the season qualifying for a bowl at 6-6.

Navy 38, Houston 27

6 PM

ESPN

Mike Morgan, Andre, Taylor Davis

Midshipmen by 8 1/2

Like the Academy to move to 9-2 on the season and tune up for Army in 2 weeks. They’ve lost 3 in a row to the Cadets, so they take care of business Saturday and get ready for the chance to redeem themselves, win the Commander in Chief’s Trophy and play in an excellent bowl game.

Arizona State 35, Arizona 31

9 PM

ESPN

Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Olivia Dekker

Zona State by 13 1/2

The Sun Devils are coming off a huge upset victory over Oregon in Tempe last Saturday. They finish off the season at 7-5 and get in a solid bowl in Herm Edwards’ second season.

Friday

Texas 38, Texas Tech 35

11 AM

FOX

Joe, Brock, Bruce

Texas by 10

The Longhorns barely survive the Red Raiders. It’s been a disappointing season for the Horns in Tom Herman’s 3rd year. With the victory, Texas will finish the regular season at 7-5. As Bill Belichick often says, “That’s not what we’re looking for.”

North Carolina State 35, North Carolina 34

6 PM

ACC Network

Dave O’Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, Katie George

North Carolina by 9

I’ll take the Wolfpack in an upset.

After a costly Saturday for the Crimson Tide losing the great Tua Tagolovailoa, they are at No.5 in the Playoff rankings with still a possibility of making the playoff though it’s an uphill climb with Clemson looking pretty good, LSU pretty solid and Ohio State looking good, though that could change in the next 3 Saturdays. Georgia at No.4 is pretty good, but I don’t see them as great. They could be. It’ll be interesting to see them against A&M this Saturday at home. If they’re impressive, I’ll be more of a believer in them, but if they struggle on offense again, I see them as susceptible to losing, particularly to LSU if the Bengal Tigers win out, which looks highly probable. Tua’s hip injury is severe, but people are hopeful that he can make a full recovery from his dislocated and fractured hip and still be a top 10-15 NFL Draft choice. He sure has paid his dues. His recovery time looks to be 3 to 6 months, so he will miss the NFL Combine, but he’s proven himself as a stellar college quarterback and as Mr. Fun says, “A warrior.” Tough blow for Tua and the Crimson Tide, but you can’t feel sorry for yourself, nobody else is going to. Mac Jones will get a tune up this Saturday for the Iron Bowl the following Saturday, Nov. 30th at 2:30 PM CT on CBS. Can Alabama get to the playoff with Jones? Not out of the realm of possibility. A blowout victory over Western Carolina and a victory at Auburn against a very good defense would give the Crimson Tide a compelling case for the Committee to ponder and decide. But they’ll need to look very good the next 2 weeks and hope that they won’t be jumped and can jump Georgia if Georgia loses to LSU in the SEC Championship game provided LSU takes care of business against Arkansas and A&M to close out the season. Clemson, with their low stress schedule, is looking pretty much like a sure thing, though they might have to play Virginia or Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game and that could be kind of interesting though not likely. Ohio State has Penn State this Saturday at home in a big matchup though Ohio State is a heavy favorite. But then they go to Michigan a week from Saturday at 11 AM CT on FOX, and that should be extremely interesting as the Wolverines are getting better and better every week. And then you have the Pac-12 with Oregon and Utah possibly headed for a collision course in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Both play in Arizona this Saturday then Oregon plays a pretty decent Oregon State team at home to close out the season. Utah plays at Arizona this Saturday then hosts Colorado to finish off the regular season. Oregon goes to a pretty decent Arizona State team this Saturday. So if both teams win out, the winner could impress the Committee enough to leapfrog Alabama. And the Crimson Tide will have their hands full at Auburn. That stellar Tigers defense will give the Crimson Tide everything they want and if Gus doesn’t mess it up, Auburn can score some points on a very banged up, youthful defense though the young guys have been through a lot of battles now and are tested. It’s just injuries that are the problem on defense for the Crimson Tide and a lack of veteran leadership due to injuries. I don’t think Oklahoma is out of it. That 25 point comeback against Baylor was beyond impressive. Jalen Hurts is having a phenomenal season and led OU in a championship manner and their defense held Baylor to 3 points in the second half and got a couple of turnovers. OU still has games with TCU at home Saturday and at Oklahoma State on November 30th (Saturday) so they can impress some more. They’ll need help, but that offense is phenomenal and the defense showed ability last Saturday Night in Waco in a 34-31 victory.

So there it is. A lot to be decided in the upcoming 3 weeks. Makes for a sensational time in college football. Can’t wait for this Saturday and the 2 coming up afterwards as the Playoff along with New Year’s Six Bowls and the regular bowls will be decided on the field. Here are predictions for this week.

Last Week: 14-2

Overall: 202-72, 74%

All games Saturday. All times Central

No.5 Alabama 52, Western Carolina 0

11 AM

ESPN

Bama by 61

What a point spread. Mac Jones needs to play well and an injury riddled defense does too and needs to stay healthy as the Tide tunes up for a massive trip to the Plains on November 30th.

No.15 Auburn 42, Samford 10

11 AM

SEC Network

Auburn by 48 1/2

The Tigers are also getting a tune up. They need to play well Saturday also and have some momentum heading into the Iron Bowl. The offense HAS to improve.

No.4 Georgia 30, Texas A&M 14

2:30 PM

CBS

GA by 13 1/2

Like the Dawgs to impress the committee this Saturday. Their defense is as stout as Auburn’s.

No.1 LSU 57, Arkansas 28

6 PM

ESPN

LSU by 44

Like Joe and the offense to do well, but that defense is not what they’re looking for right now.

No.2 Ohio State 44, No.8 Penn State 24

11 AM

FOX

Ohio State by 18

This is somewhat of a test for the Buckeyes though I like them to take care of business at home.

Tennessee 23, Missouri 21

6:30 PM

SEC Network

Missouri by 4

Like the Vols to keep their upward trajectory going with an upset at Faurot Field in Columbia.

Kentucky 48, UT Martin 7

2:30 PM

SEC Network

No Line

Mississippi State 52, Abilene Christian 7

6:30 PM

SEC Alternate Network

No Line

State gets ready for Egg Bowl versus the Rebels at home on Thanksgiving Night at 6:30 on ESPN.

Vanderbilt 34, East Tennessee State 7

2:30 PM

SEC Alternate

No Line

Vanderbilt AD Malcolm Turner gave Derek Mason a ringing endorsement that he is their coach going forward. Not sure why. 6 years of below average results can qualify a coach to have a bright future at a school. I don’t know how you fire the basketball coach for one bad year when he lost his 5th pick in the first round of the NBA draft to a knee injury last November that sunk the Commodores season for 2019, then keep a coach who’s probably going 4-8 this season and never shows signs of improvement. Turner fired Bryce Drew in his first move as AD when he came in this past February and then Mason puts together another disastrous season and he gets another shot. It’s laughable quite honestly, but really not that funny. It’s a disaster and he’s running a joke athletic department if he thinks Derek Mason is a good coach. He’s not. He’s terrible and the numbers don’t lie. 26-46 overall in 6 and 3/4 seasons and 10-37 in the SEC. That gets every coach fired except by Malcolm Turner who is clueless.

No.6 Oregon 38, Arizona 17

6:30 PM

ABC

Oregon by 14 1/2

Certainly bullish on this team. The loss to Auburn is nothing to feel bad about. Auburn had a better offense the first game of the season than they do now. Gus has had time to mess it up. Auburn has played phenomenal defense all year, but Gus is being Gus and the offense, which has the players to excel, is dysfunctional under a dysfunctional coach. I like this Oregon team though. They’re for real and can play with anybody ahead of them in the playoff rankings.

No. 7 Utah 34, Arizona 17

9 PM

Fox Sports 1

Utes by 22 1/2

I see Utah as a high caliber team as well. They might have a little trouble in the desert but not a lot. The Pac- 12 Championship game should be spectacular and crucial in the playoff picture.

No.9 Oklahoma 45, TCU 31

7 PM

FOX

OU by 19

Defense is still a struggle for the Sooners but offense clearly isn’t. TCU plays decent defense so that’ll keep them in there for a while and true freshman quarterback Max Duggan is a player and tough as Joe Burrow. TCU could have a good future with Duggan under center. Like the Sooners to keep their outside hopes alive.

Texas 34, No. 14 Baylor 31

2:30 PM

Fox Sports 1

Baylor by 5 1/2

I like the Horns to pull it off in Waco.

No. 13 Michigan 45, Indiana 24

2:30 PM

ESPN

Wolverines by 9

Like Michigan to keep ascending in preparation for a visit from the Buckeyes a week from Saturday.

No. 16 Notre Dame 41, Boston College 20

1:30 PM

NBC

Notre Dame by 19

Like what I’m seeing from the Fighting Irish’s lately.

No. 21 Oklahoma State 38, West Virginia 30

11 AM

ESPN2

OK State by 7

Believe in this team a lot. Like them to survive Morgantown and be ready for Bedlam and the Sooners on November 30th at home.

No. 25 SMU 35, Navy 34

2:30 PM

CBS Sports Network

Navy by 3 1/2

Like the Ponies to pull off the slight upset in Annapolis. The Mustangs still have an outside shot at a New Year’s Six Bowl, but they’ll need to win out and get some help. Pretty amazing story this team.

No. 20 Boise State 34, Utah State 31

9:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Boise State by 8

Boise is 2 spots back in the playoff rankings behind Memphis (18) and 1 back of Cincinnati (19). They’ll need to win out and have Memphis and Cincy beat each other in the final regular season game at Memphis and in the AAC Championship game. This Group of 5 scenario with the New Year’s Six Bowl is quite fascinating. The Group of Five representative are the teams in the American, Conference USA, the Mountain West, the Sun Belt and the MAC. They are the teams just below the Power 5 of the SEC, the Big Ten, the Pac-12, the Big 12 and the ACC. Just for clarification. The highest ranked group of 5 team at the end of the season goes to the New Year’s Six Bowl which will be the Cotton Bowl this year on Saturday, December 28th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Boise State has a tough game this Saturday. I like them to barely survive.

No. 23 USC 34, UCLA 31

2:30 PM

ABC

SC by 13 1/2

Mr. Fun and I were talking at lunch and are surprised that a 4 loss USC team is in the top 25. They’ve been playing well lately and defeated Utah at home earlier in the season, so I guess that makes some sense. I like the Bruins to give the Trojans everything they want though in the Coliseum.

Cal 24, Stanford 20

3 PM

Pac-12 Network

Stanford by 3

Like the Golden Bears to pull off the upset in Palo Alto. Quarterback Chase Garbers is back with the team and playing and the defense is still stout.

No. 18 Memphis 48, South Florida 31

3 PM

ESPNU

Memphis by 14 1/2

Memphis tune up for the visit from the Cincy Bearcats.

No. 19 Cincinnati 38, Temple 27

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Cincy by 10

No. 10 Minnesota 38, Northwestern 24

11 AM

ABC

Minnesota by 13 1/2

The Golden Gophers bounce back after a tough defeat at Kinnick Stadium last week to Iowa.

No. 12 Wisconsin 42, Purdue 17

3 PM

FOX

Wisconsin by 24 1/2

The Badgers keep their Big Ten West hopes alive. At Minnesota next Saturday, 11-30, @ 2:30 PM on ABC for West title provided they take care of business Saturday.

Virginia Tech 34, Pittsburgh 28

2:30 PM

ESPN2

Va Tech by 4

Washington 38, Colorado 23

9 PM

ESPN

Washington by 14 1/2

After a riveting last Saturday, there are crucial games this Saturday in the SEC, Big 12, and Big Ten that have playoff ramifications. Joe Burrow, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and the LSU offense proved to be a little more than the Crimson Tide defense could handle in a 46-41 Bengal Tiger victory. Now LSU is No.1 in the playoff rankings with Ohio State at 2, Clemson at 3 and Georgia at 4. Alabama checks in at No.5 and Oregon is No.6. Utah is No.7 and the great Minnesota team that knocked off Penn State last Saturday 31-26 is right there at No.8. Penn State is 9 and Oklahoma is 10. OU is @ Baylor Saturday Night in a massive matchup against the No.13 Baylor Bears who are now 9-0. Should be electric in Waco. Major game on the Plains Saturday as the No.3 Dawgs play No.12 Auburn. The No.8 Golden Gophers are on the road at what will be a very hostile Kinnick Stadium facing the No.20 Iowa Hawkeyes. So a lot to be decided in those 3 contests. The Crimson Tide goes to Starkville for an 11 AM kickoff on ESPN.

So with all the excitement and chaos that can ensue in the upcoming weeks, here’s a look at this week’s spectacular slate.

Last week: 14-6

Overall: 188-70, 73%

All times Central

No.4 Georgia (8-1, 5-1) @ No. 12 Auburn (7-2, 4-2)

2:30 PM

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Georgia by 2 1/2

Always a difficult assignment for Georgia and Bama at Jordan-Hare and that’s what both teams face this season. Two years ago, Auburn defeated both the Dawgs and the Tide at home. Auburn’s defense is phenomenal, but so is Georgia’s and I like the experience of Jake Fromm over the talented but not as experienced Bo Nix, though Bo’s been to Florida and LSU and is at home, but I still like Fromm with a slight advantage. And I like the Georgia defense to carry the Dawgs over the top and keep them in the top 4.

Georgia 17, Auburn 13

No.5 Alabama (8-1, 5-1) @ Mississippi State (4-5, 2-4)

11 AM

ESPN

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay, Molly McGrath

Bama by 19

The Crimson Tide is still in the hunt but needs to win out and get some help. I like Alabama to get it back together this Saturday but it may be with Mac Jones. Tua is far from 100% right now. But I think the Crimson Tide is upset and will aim to prove the critics wrong that they are not a top 4 team. At Auburn November 30th looms large.

Alabama 42, Mississippi State 17

No. 10 Oklahoma (8-1) @ No. 13 Baylor (9-0, 6-0)

6:30 PM

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

OU by 10

OU HAS to get this done against a Baylor team which doesn’t look great on the tape but just keeps winning. The Bears play some pretty solid defense. But I like Jalen Hurts and the Oklahoma offense, which is close to impossible to stop though they do have a pretty anemic defense, to emerge out of this and remain in the playoff hunt.

Oklahoma 48, Baylor 37

No.8 Minnesota (9-0) @ No. 20 Iowa (6-3)

3 PM

FOX

Iowa by 3

I like P.J. Fleck and the Boats to come out on top in a slight upset. Believe in’em after last Saturday’s impressive victory over Penn State. This is a tough place to win, but Minnesota looks like the better team, so I’ll go with that.

Minnesota 21, Iowa 17

No.1 LSU (9-0) @ Ole Miss (4-6)

6 PM

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Holly

LSU buy 21

While the LSU offense is prolific, their defense is questionable. I like LSU to put some points up on the Rebels, but Ole Miss, which is improving, and stellar freshman quarterback John Rhys Plumlee to put some points on the board too and make it somewhat interesting.

LSU 45, Ole Miss 31

No.3 Clemson 52, Wake Forest 14

2:30 PM

ABC

Clemson by 34 1/2

Clemson doesn’t play a challenging schedule, but they have been on fire lately and their defense is better than last year’s. Really good defense for the Tigers and the offense is as loaded as it was last year.

No. 11 Florida 30, Missouri 17

11 AM

CBS

Florida by 7

Like the Gators to keep taking care of business and be in line for a New Year’s Six Bowl. This is a high caliber team on both sides of the ball. Kelly Bryant is probable to play, so Missouri can muster a little offense against the Gators, but not enough.

Texas A&M 34, South Carolina 21

6:30 PM

SEC Network

A&M by 11

A&M and quarterback Kellen Mond keep improving every week. Will be interesting Nov. 30th @LSU with LSU having major revenge on their minds from last year’s 74-72 seven overtime loss @ College Station in a game where LSU thought they were completely robbed by the refs and I wouldn’t argue with them at all. South Carolina just lost to now No.25 App State at home last Saturday and they’re kind of limping home.

Vanderbilt 24, Kentucky 21

2:30 PM

SEC Network

Kentucky by 10 1/2

Needed another upset and here it is. Vanderbilt gets one of their quarterbacks back from a concussion. Riley Neal has started most of the year but missed last Saturday’s 56-0 debacle at Florida. The Vanderbilt defense didn’t allow a point in the first quarter, but the offense was so bad with the 3rd string quarterback that the defense just ran out of energy. I like the Commodores with Neal at quarterback to pull off a big upset.

No.2 Ohio State 56, Rutgers 3

2:30 PM

Big Ten Network

Ohio State by 52

Ohio State is good, but you can’t tell how good from this soft schedule they’ve played. At Michigan November 30th will be tremendous.

No. 16 Notre Dame 31, Navy 30

1:30 PM CT

NBC

Irish by 7 1/2

The Irish survive a scare from the Midshipmen. Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry is a superb player and will give Notre Dame headaches all afternoon and help his team come close to pulling off the upset at South Bend.

No.6 Oregon 48, Arizona 20

9:30 PM

ESPN

Oregon by 27

Like the fighting Cristobals to keep their realistic playoff hopes alive. A Pac-12 Championship matchup with No. 7 Utah could be a massively important game if those 2 teams can take care of business the rest of the regular season and teams ahead of them lose. Both teams have a real shot at the Playoff.

No.7 Utah 42, UCLA 20

7 PM

FOX

Utes by 21

Utah and Oregon tuning up for a possible phenomenal championship game.

No. 15 Michigan 31, Michigan State 14

11 AM

FOX

Wolverines by 13 1/2

Michigan has gotten it together after a near miss at Penn State and a blowout victory over Notre Dame at home. The Wolverines could make it very compelling come November 30th when the Buckeyes invade the Big House.

Iowa State 34, Texas 31

2:30 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Iowa State by 7

Iowa State came back last Saturday Night from a 42-28 deficit with 5 minutes left @ Oklahoma and were a missed 2 point conversion away from winning as they lost 42-41. I do like the Longhorns to make it very interesting but I’ll take the Cyclones to get the job done in Ames.

No. 18 Memphis 42, Houston 35

2:30 PM

ESPN2

Memphis by 10

Like the Tigers to survive on the road and to keep their New Year’s Six hopes very much alive. The American Conference is loaded with Cincy at No.17, Memphis at 18, and Navy at 23. SMU has fallen out of the CFB playoff rankings but they’re 20 in the AP Poll and still alive for the Group of 5’s conferences team to represent them in the Cotton Bowl Saturday, December 28th. The Goodyear Cotton Bowl is the bowl that is taking the top ranked Group of 5 team to play a Power 5 team. Boise State is right there too at No.21. So pretty fascinating race for the Cotton Bowl . Cincinnati goes to Memphis Friday, November 29th and may play them again the next week in the American Conference Championship game, but Memphis will have to win out and outlast Navy and SMU in the American Conference West Standings. Memphis is 4-1, and the Midshipmen and the Ponies are 5-1 but both have lost to Memphis @ Memphis. So extremely interesting scenario playing out in the American. Cincy is in the East and is 6-0 and 8-1 overall and clear of Central Florida by 2 games. UCF is 4-2 in the Conference and is 7-3 overall and Cincy has already defeated them. UCF has fallen off some in Josh Heupel’s 2nd year.

The blockbuster in Tuscaloosa Saturday featuring No.2 LSU vs No.3 Alabama will determine both teams’ prospects for the playoff. Pundits are saying if LSU can keep it close and barely lose, they’re still in it, but if the Crimson Tide loses, they’re out of it. I agree with the LSU part, but with the chaotic nature of college football in November in recent seasons, anything is possible and Alabama would NOT be out of it. The game will be a spectacle. CBS will televise with a 2:30 PM CT kickoff from Bryant-Denny. More below. Some interesting SEC matchups and a marquee matchup in Minneapolis of all places as the No. 17 Minnesota Golden Gophers, undefeated at 8-0 and with a shot at making it to the playoff if they can take care of business in the Big Ten, square off with the No.4 Penn State Nittany Lions which obviously are right in the thick of things. Compelling matchup there as well.

Here’s a look at those 2 games and the rest of this week’s slate.

Last week: 20-4

Overall: 174-64, 73%

No.2 LSU (8-0) @ No.3 Alabama (8-0)

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Bama by 6 1/2

Some are expecting a shootout, but with Tua at 50% most likely, and Mac Jones possibly playing and Alabama’s defense improving every week, along with LSU’s D, I’m expecting a defensive slugfest with explosive plays and turnovers determining the outcome. I like the Crimson Tide to do enough on offense with a Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs big play and for Trevon Diggs to pick off a pass late in the game to keep the Crimson Tide’s always elite postseason aspirations alive but for LSU to put up a heckuva fight, come up barely short and to still be in the thick of the playoff race.

Alabama 21, LSU 20

No. 6 Georgia 42, Missouri 14

6 PM CT

ESPN

Georgia by 16 1/2

Georgia got a ton of momentum from last Saturday’s 24-17 Cocktail victory over the Gators. Like the Dawgs to keep it cookin against the Tigers which are struggling now. Georgia for sure controls their own destiny in the playoff hunt.

No. 10 Florida 34, Vanderbilt 7

11 AM CT

ESPN

Gators by 26

The Commodores upset Missouri 3 weeks ago, 21-14, and, with their starter out with a concussion last Saturday against South Carolina, and the guy who had been starting and came in for the starter in the Missouri victory before a bye week, throwing a 28 yard TD pass on the Commodores opening drive, VU looked like they might pull off another upset. The defense was playing spectacularly well. Unfortunately, when the QB, Riley Neal, threw the TD pass, he was hit hard and suffered a concussion. Both co-starters are out in concussion protocol and the Dores are relying on their third stringer who struggled mightily against the Gamecocks in a 24-7 loss. It’ll be tough at the Swamp for the Dores.

Tennessee 24, Kentucky 20

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Kentucky by 1

The Vols have won 3 of their last 4 which features a 20-10 W over Mississippi State, a 41-21 W over South Carolina and a 30-7 victory last Saturday over UAB. Their only loss was 35-13 @ Alabama in a game they were competitive in. Like the Vols to go up to Lexington and pull off the slight upset.

No. 4 Penn State 28, No. 17 Minnesota 27

11 AM CT

ABC

Penn State by 6 1/2

I’m expecting an extremely hard fought contest, and for James Franklin and his team to survive a war with the Golden Gophers where P.J. Fleck is doing a terrific job. It should be an electric game. Penn State keeps themselves squarely in the playoff race, but barely.

South Carolina 31, Appalachian State 24

6 PM CT

ESPN2

SC by 5 1/2

Like Ryan Hilinski and the Gamecocks to get to 5-5 on the season and work towards a solid bowl game with the victory. They’ve played a demanding schedule and keep improving.

Ole Miss 34, New Mexico State 14

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Miss by 29

Arkansas 34, Western Kentucky 31

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Ark by 1 1/2

No.1 Ohio State 52, Maryland 10

11 AM CT

FOX

OSU by 43 1/2

The Buckeyes are No.1 in the playoff rankings, which I don’t buy yet. I need to see more to believe that. Not seeing a very good representation of their ranking this Saturday. Their only quality victories are over Wisconsin, Cincy and Indiana, but I wouldn’t call those extremely high caliber victories. I just need to see more from everybody. This is not a lockdown No.1 team by any means.

No.5 Clemson 48, NC State 10

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Clemson by 32 1/2

Still a believer in Clemson despite the weak schedule. They really can’t help it. They did play what was thought to be a good Texas A&M team and at the time they were and they’re getting better again. They also play at South Carolina to close out the season, so they’re playing SEC teams. They can’t help the fact that the ACC is pretty weak this season as compared to other years. They’re taking care of business, they’ve got tremendous talent, they’re playing excellent defense and their coaching is phenomenal.

No. 12 Baylor 38, TCU 36

11 AM CT

Fox Sports 1

Baylor by 2 1/2

The Bears survive in Fort Worth and keep their legitimate shot at a playoff spot alive. They’ll host No.9 Oklahoma next Saturday in a massively important contest. This is a really good football team.

No.13 Wisconsin 34, No. 18 Iowa 24

3 PM CT

FOX

Wisconsin by 9 1/2

This is a high caliber game. I like the Badgers to take care of business at Camp Randall and keep their New Year’s Six hopes alive.

No.9 Oklahoma 45, Iowa State 30

7 PM CT

FOX

OU by 14 1/2

Like the Sooners to bounce back at home against the Cyclones. They are not out of this playoff race by any means. They can still win the Big 12, and, with help, get in there. A lot of big games coming up for the Sooners where they can really boost their resume. With an unblemished record going forward and some chaos at the top, the Sooners can be make the playoff.

Texas 35, No. 16 Kansas State 27

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Horns by 7

Like the Horns to defeat a very solid K State team, which is coming off an upset of Oklahoma at home in the Little Apple. Like Texas in Austin.

No. 19 Wake Forest 34, Va Tech 31

2:30 PM CT

ACC Network

Wake by 2

Like the Demon Deacons to move to 8-1 on the season in a highly competitive road matchup in Blacksburg.

No. 15 Notre Dame 37, Duke 35

6:30 PM CT

ACC Network

Notre Dame by 8

Like Notre Dame to barely survive a tremendous effort from David Cutcliffe and his Blue Devils.

No.22 Boise State 41, Wyoming 27

9:15 PM CT

ESPN

Boise by 13 1/2

Like the Broncos to keep their New Year’s Six hopes alive. Cincinnati is the leader in the group of 5 teams at No.20, Memphis is No.21, then Boise State.

No. 20 Cincinnati 48, UConn 10

2:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Cincy by 35

Solid team, the American is a compelling conference. Cincy, Memphis, SMU and Navy is 24. Wow, that’s impressive. Quite a conference race going on.

Arizona State 38, USC 35

2:30 PM CT

ABC

ASU by 1 1/2

Herm Edwards is doing a very nice job for the Sun Devils. Like him and his team to escape the Trojans at home and be looking towards a solid bowl game.

No. 25 SMU 52, East Carolina 30

11 AM CT

ESPNU

Mustangs by 21 1/2

The Ponies played a heckuva game at the Liberty Bowl last Saturday Night losing to Memphis 54-48. Not much defense played in that one, but at the same time, both offenses were prolific. SMU is 8-1 and they’re at home. Like the Ponies to keep their New Year’s Six bowl hopes alive as well. That is quite a story brewing as well, the New Year’s Six representative from the Group of Five teams. Highly competitive and compelling.