#5 Clemson at South Carolina
Played annually since 1909 and known as the Battle for the Palmetto State, the Clemson-South Carolina football game is one of the oldest and most bitter rivalries in college football history. Sparks fly and tensions rise whenever these two teams step on the football field. Look for it to be no different this year. Clemson is ranked 18th in the nation and features an Heisman Trophy candidate in RB C.J. Spiller. They don't really have a lot to lose this weekend against a South Carolina team that has been very disappointing this season. Steve Spurrier has tried very hard to bring the South Carolina program to national prominence and respectability. However, working in the SEC Conference certainly has its drawbacks for the Ole Ball Coach. Recruits usually prefer The Swamp of Gator Nation or the Bayou of Tiger Town, choosing either to go to Florida, LSU, or Alabama rather than seeking out that Gamecock head gear. But that's beside the point. South Carolina circles this game on their schedule every year. They want to beat Clemson more than Steve Spurrier wants to beat Florida. That is why I think this game will be closer than the experts think. South Carolina will not stop C.J. Spiller from getting to the end zone. But I think their defense will be able to shut down the Clemson aerial attack to a point where they give their offense a chance to match Clemson's scoring output. Look for sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia to make some key plays against the Clemson secondary to keep South Carolina in the game for the better part of the day. However, when it comes to crunch time, Clemson will find a way to win by forcing South Carolina to make mistakes and cough up the football. Clemson wins 34-23.
#4 Utah at BYU
This is the only game this weekend featuring two ranked opponents, both of whom got spanked by #4 TCU. Aptly referred to as The Holy War, the Utah-BYU rivalry has gotten extremely competitive over the last few years due to the resurgence of the two programs. Both teams have been integral to the rise of the Mountain West conference in terms of BCS respectability. Last year, Utah upset Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and BYU upended Oklahoma to kick off this season. So you cannot say that this game is not devoid of its share of talent. I expect a high-scoring game on Saturday night with Utah matching BYU stride for stride on the offensive side of the ball. But because everyone knows I love home-field advantage, I expect BYU senior quarterback Max Hall to get that late touchdown which puts BYU ahead for good. I also expect a big game out of Utah QB Jordan Wynn because I think the BYU defense will do a great job of shutting down Eddie Wide and the Utah running game. Utah will be forced to pass the ball a lot more than they want to but I think their receivers will be able to find seams down the middle of the field that will lead to big plays offensively. This will keep Utah in the game until the very end. But I also expect a wonderful game out of Max Hall and perhaps a good day from RB Harvey Unga, who has had a tendency this season to break out in big games. BYU will keep Utah in the game, but in the end veteran leadership and the unbridled will to win will be the difference in the game. BYU wins 37-34.
#3. Alabama at Auburn
THE IRON BOWL!!!!! One of the most bitter and intense rivalries in all of college football. There is so much on the line for Alabama in this game. And Auburn would love nothing better than to ruin Nick Saban's perfect season. Saban made a statement last year by crushing Auburn 36-0 at home and snapping Alabama's 6-game losing streak to the Tigers. Things are different this time around. Saban has not yet defeated Auburn on the road, which is what he will have to do if he wants that showdown with Florida in the SEC Championship Game to have greater meaning. And Auburn is under new management. Gene Chizik has done a great job in his rookie season as Head Coach. And what a statement he would make if he were able to upset an Alabama team that is better-coached and better-equipped on both sides of the ball. Alabama has to take Auburn seriously. They cannot overlook them as they prepare for the Gators next weekend. If they do, then the Tide will not be rolling to Pasadena and a shot at the national title. Will they slip up? I highly doubt it. Saban is one of the best coaches in all of college football. He will have his team physically and mentally prepared for an Auburn team that will treat this like a national championship game. RB Mark Ingram will be ready to inflict his will on an Auburn defense ranked next-to-last in the SEC in rush defense. QB Greg McElroy will manage the game effectively, putting the ball in the hands of Ingram and making a big play to WR Julio Jones once in a while. And the Alabama defense will be ruthless and stingy, forcing Auburn QB Chris Todd to lose his composure in the pocket and throw crucial interceptions down the stretch. The wild card for Auburn will be if RB Ben Tate will be able to find his running lanes and make enough cutbacks to outrun the Alabama speed demons. But with Terrence Cody and Josh Chapman stuffing the middle, it will be tough on the Auburn offensive line to consistently maintain their blocks and allow for Tate to break free in the open field. I expect an impressive performance defensively from Alabama and that will be the difference in this year's Iron Bowl. Alabama 23, Auburn 9
#2 Pittsburgh at West Virginia
THE BACKYARD BRAWL!!!!!! The name itself gives you reason to watch this game. Lately there seems to be so much on the line whenever these two teams get together. That is certainly no different this year. Pittsburgh is 9-1 and ranked 9th overall in the nation. They have gone through their conference schedule with ease and survived a late rally from Notre Dame two weeks ago. But in these final weeks of the season, we will begin to find out what Pittsburgh is really made of. Tonight's game is part one of a two-part season finale for the Panthers as they travel to Morgantown to battle West Virginia. Head Coach Dave Wannstedt has to tread softly with this game, making sure that his team remains focused on the task at hand. Their Big East showdown with Cincinnati looms large in the foreground and I wouldn't be surprised if Pittsburgh falls under pressure against a talented West Virginia football team. RB Noel Devine has not had a 100-yard rushing game since the Mountaineers defeated UConn three weeks ago. And in last year's Backyard Brawl, he was held to just 12 carries for 17 yards. If West Virginia is going to win this game, Devine will need to break out a couple of very long runs and give the Mountaineers many opportunities in the red zone. And they will need to put points on the board against a Pittsburgh defense that can put pressure on the quarterback and can stifle the running game when it wants to. West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown is not the kind of playmaker that Pat White was when he ran the offense. I expect Pittsburgh to do a good job at containing him. But will they be able to stop Devine? As for the Pittsburgh offense, look for Wannstedt to feed the ball to freshman RB Dion Lewis, who has had a stellar season running behind an extremely talented offensive line. If they can inflict their will against West Virginia's talented but underachieving defense, then Lewis will have another huge game and Pittsburgh will cruise on to its showdown with Cincinnati for the Big East title. It will be a very close game and a fascinating one to watch. But look for Pittsburgh to sneak away with the victory in Morgantown. Pittsburgh 27, West Virginia 20
#1 Nevada at Boise State
That's right. NEVADA AND BOISE STATE!!!! This is the most important game of the weekend and it occurs late tonight at around 10:30 PM on ESPN2. Why is this the most important game of the weekend? Because in watching ESPN all week, which is what I do every week and I love doing it, this is the game that the college football experts and announcers can't stop talking about. Why? After starting out 0-3 with tough losses to Notre Dame and Missouri, what has Nevada done? No, they have not faded away into obscurity. They have won 8 games in a row and have won them convincingly. They have been an offensive juggernaut, scoring at least 50 points in four of their last five games. And the last two times they have played Boise State...they almost beat them. In particular, the last time they came to the blue turf of Bronco nation (which is where they will play this game tonight), the final score was 69-67. No, that is not a misprint. 69-67!!!!!!!!! That's a college basketball score not a college football score. And to make this game even more enticing, Boise State is undefeated. And they haven't exactly been blowing opponents away throughout the season. The final scores may reflect differently, but Boise State has had a tendency to keep teams in the game as much as possible. They cannot do that against Nevada tonight. Nevada is riding a tidal wave of momentum into this game. They know they can hang with Boise State on the blue turf. And they are looking to play the role of BCS buster tonight in a big way. If Boise State should lose, their undefeated season is over...their BCS title berth gone. So much is on the line for them tonight and they are very happy that the game is at home because even though Nevada can hang with them on the blue turf, Boise State never loses on the blue turf. In order for Nevada to win this game tonight, they will need strong offensive showings from QB Colin Kaepernick and RB Vai Tua. Both have performed remarkably all season long and they will need to be nothing less than sensational tonight to hang with Boise State. The Nevada defense is not going to shut down Boise QB Kellen Moore. Moore is going to find his receivers and he is going to reach the end zone many times tonight. The key for the Nevada defense will be if they can stop him in the final minutes when the game is on the line and Nevada needs one more score to notch that upset victory. This will be a high-scoring game and it will be the game of the weekend, certainly one to watch with a bag of chips and a remote in your hand. Who will be the one to score last? I have a funny feeling that it could be Nevada...but I can't go against Boise State at home on the blue turf. Boise State 45, Nevada 42
Check back later for my NFL Week 12 preview. Alabama and Auburn are playing right now so if you see this, be sure to watch that game on CBS. Bye bye for now.
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