Big 12 Championship Game: Texas vs. Nebraska
This is a game that really shouldn't even be close. Everyone is expecting Texas to steamroll through Nebraska. And quite frankly, so do I. Colt McCoy has been unstoppable recently and has put up the kind of numbers that we haven't seen from him consistently all season long. Nebraska will have to play a perfect game in order to steal this one from the Longhorns. And I just don't think they are ready for this kind of big game atmosphere. Bo Pelini has his team moving in the right direction, but I have a feeling that this is the year of Texas and Colt McCoy. In order for Nebraska to win this game, they will need to get pressure on McCoy consistently. They will need to shut down every facet of that Texas offense, which quite frankly appears invincible right now. And they will need QB Zac Lee and RB Roy Helu Jr. to make plays and put points on the scoreboard. Even if Nebraska plays their best football against Texas, the Longhorns are very talented enough to keep themselves in the game for a prolonged period of time. TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State will be cheering for Nebraska on Saturday night, hoping that they can pull off the monumental upset. But don't expect the unexpected. Texas wins easily 45-20.
ACC Championship Game: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson
Both teams are coming off terrible defeats at the hands of Georgia and South Carolina. Both teams have terrific running attacks, with Clemson carrying a Heisman contender in its backfield. The key to this game will not only be which team can make the most defensive stops to contain the running game, but will also be the effort stemming from their other offensive weapons as well. Georgia Tech is a much more balanced team offensively, with WR Demaryius Thomas hauling in over 1,000 receiving yards this season and 7 touchdowns to boot. Look for QB Josh Nesbitt to have his way with the Clemson secondary in a game that should figure to be an offensive shootout. Look for both teams to establish the run early, with Georgia Tech keying on C.J. Spiller for the entire contest thereby forcing Clemson to turn to their aerial attack a lot earlier than anticipated. Georgia Tech wins 34-24 and advances to a BCS bowl game.
Big East Championship Game: Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is coming off a hard-fought defeat at the hands of West Virginia. However, they have the decided advantage of having this Big East Championship Game played on their home field. And since I am a firm believer in home field particularly in championship games, I like to think that Pittsburgh has a good chance of upsetting Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon. Yet they will need all their engines rolling against a very tough Cincinnati offense led by renowned QB Tony Pike. Pike threw for 399 yards and 6 touchdowns last week against Illinois, a perfect warm-up for what should be a very competitive game on Saturday. Pike has been consistent all year for the Bearcats and has undoubtedly been the MVP of their team. If Cincinnati is going to beat Pitt this weekend, Pike will most definitely put up incredible numbers and light up the scoreboard much in the same way he has done so all year. Look for WR Mardy Gilyard to have another spectacular game as Cincinnati will move the ball productively against a talented Pittsburgh defense. If Pittsburgh is going to win this game, they will need to run the ball and run it hard, putting this game on the shoulders of their veteran offensive line. Dion Lewis will certainly need to have another 100-yard performance if the Panthers are going to have any success at all. But QB Bill Stull must make big plays down the field to his receivers, establishing the playaction and deceiving the Cincinnati defense with the running game. They must make Cincinnati cover all phases of the Pittsburgh offense without specifically relegating their game plan to stopping the run. That way, Pittsburgh will be able to be more flexible with their play calling and Cincinnati will be caught off guard many times. It's a tall order for Pittsburgh, who would indeed feel more confident going into this game had they beaten West Virginia last week. Cincinnati is riding high on the momentum of an undefeated season and a BCS berth. Can Pittsburgh steal the Big East crown? If they control the pace of the game and keep the ball out of Pike's hands, the answer is most definitely yes. Will they? I don't think so. Cincinnati wins 27-19.
The Civil War: Oregon vs. Oregon State
Pittsburgh is coming off a hard-fought defeat at the hands of West Virginia. However, they have the decided advantage of having this Big East Championship Game played on their home field. And since I am a firm believer in home field particularly in championship games, I like to think that Pittsburgh has a good chance of upsetting Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon. Yet they will need all their engines rolling against a very tough Cincinnati offense led by renowned QB Tony Pike. Pike threw for 399 yards and 6 touchdowns last week against Illinois, a perfect warm-up for what should be a very competitive game on Saturday. Pike has been consistent all year for the Bearcats and has undoubtedly been the MVP of their team. If Cincinnati is going to beat Pitt this weekend, Pike will most definitely put up incredible numbers and light up the scoreboard much in the same way he has done so all year. Look for WR Mardy Gilyard to have another spectacular game as Cincinnati will move the ball productively against a talented Pittsburgh defense. If Pittsburgh is going to win this game, they will need to run the ball and run it hard, putting this game on the shoulders of their veteran offensive line. Dion Lewis will certainly need to have another 100-yard performance if the Panthers are going to have any success at all. But QB Bill Stull must make big plays down the field to his receivers, establishing the playaction and deceiving the Cincinnati defense with the running game. They must make Cincinnati cover all phases of the Pittsburgh offense without specifically relegating their game plan to stopping the run. That way, Pittsburgh will be able to be more flexible with their play calling and Cincinnati will be caught off guard many times. It's a tall order for Pittsburgh, who would indeed feel more confident going into this game had they beaten West Virginia last week. Cincinnati is riding high on the momentum of an undefeated season and a BCS berth. Can Pittsburgh steal the Big East crown? If they control the pace of the game and keep the ball out of Pike's hands, the answer is most definitely yes. Will they? I don't think so. Cincinnati wins 27-19.
The Civil War: Oregon vs. Oregon State
A combined total of 103 points were scored the last time these two teams met on the football field. Oregon completely dominated the Beavers offensively, with QB Jeremiah Masoli throwing for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, the most noticeable offensive statistic was how Oregon RB's Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount ran for 331 yards and completely shredded the Oregon State defensive line. The Beavers may not be facing Johnson and Blount again. But they will still have to try and solve Masoli while also attempting to contain RB LaMichael James, who has over 1300 yards rushing this season. Oregon State has been playing very well defensively as of late, allowing only one 100-yard rushing performance in the past four weeks. And they were also one of the only teams this season to hold Stanford RB Toby Gerhart under 100 yards as well. Oregon State can stop the run. But can they keep Oregon off the scoreboard? The two are going to go hand in hand tonight as Oregon will try to scramble Masoli out of the pocket and outrun the Oregon State linebackers. They will also feed the ball to James consistently, with much of their game plan built towards the running attack mainly because of how successful it was last year. The key for Oregon State will be to limit James's productivity in the backfield and hope that they can catch Masoli when he scrambles out of the pocket. They will also need strong performances from the Rodgers brothers on the offensive side of the ball. Both athletes are key ingredients to the Oregon State running and passing attack, which means that if Oregon can shut down both of them, then the Oregon State offensive game plan is compromised. Jacquizz Rodgers has had a stellar season in the backfield with over 1300 yards rushing and 400 yards receiving. His brother James has caught 8 touchdowns this season from QB Sean Canfield. Both will be vital to Oregon State's success if they are going to advance to the Rose Bowl Game against Ohio State. This is going to be a shootout. Which team will score the most points and win the Civil War of the Roses? Let me answer with this...Quack, Quack, Quack!!!! The Ducks will quack all the way to the Rose Bowl. Oregon wins 44-40 in a classic.
SEC Championship Game: Florida vs. Alabama
The Game of the Year. It's as simple as that. If you're a true college football fan, this is the game of the year. Some would even call it the true National Championship Game. And when you look at the players and coaches gracing the field in Atlanta on Saturday, one cannot deny the championship atmosphere that will circumvent itself around the stadium. It's Meyer vs. Saban, Round II. It's Tebow's last dance. It's Mark Ingram's time to shine in his bid for a Heisman Trophy. So many subplots for a game that is important for only one good reason: the winner of this game goes on to Pasadena to play for the National Championship. The loser....relegated to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Two years ago, the logo for Super Bowl XLII between the Patriots and Giants read Who Wants it More? That is the question going into this game...Who Wants it More? Tim Tebow's guarantee has carried on over to this year as well. The Gators have not lost since Tebow proclaimed we would never see a team play as hard as Florida during his time at QB. Tebow has put up another Heisman year this season and certainly knows the ramifications of this game going in. He will need to be brilliant against a tough and rigid Alabama defense that is ranked #1 in the nation. Can the Alabama defense contain Tebow in all phases of the game? In last year's SEC Championship Game, Alabama did a great job at limiting Tebow's running game to just 57 yards rushing. However, they could not stop him through the air as he passed for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns WITHOUT Percy Harvin. Florida won that game 31-23 and went on to beat Oklahoma for the National Championship. Alabama...relegated to the Sugar Bowl against Utah where they lost 31-17. Alabama was clearly not the same after that SEC Championship loss. Will it be deja vu all over again for Saban and the Tide? If Bama is going to win this game, they will need to stop Tebow in all phases of the game. They will need to focus their entire defensive game plan on containing him and making sure he does not break free for long runs or make big plays down the field. But this is Tim Tebow, who is arguably the greatest college football player ever to put on a uniform. He will make plays against this Alabama defense. But will the Tide roll and be up to the challenge? Mark Ingram needs to have a better game than he did last week against Auburn, where he was held to just 30 yards rushing on 16 carries. Alabama had to come back to win that game against Auburn. Will they be as lucky against Florida if the Gators shut down Ingram? Don't count on it. The Gators boast the #2 ranked defense in the nation and will certainly have greater success at the line of scrimmage against Alabama's offensive line. The key will be if Ingram can boost long runs to the outside and move the ball down the field against this Florida defense. If he doesn't, will QB Greg McElroy be able to throw the ball against a deep Florida secondary? These are the questions surrounding the Alabama football team going into this game. Can they shut down Tebow? And can they establish the run with Ingram against a talented Florida defense? If they are unable to do those things, they will not play for the national championship. It will be Tebow vs. McCoy, with the Tide facing either TCU or Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl. With that being said, I think Tebow's swan song will be written in Pasadena and not New Orleans. Florida wins 34-27.
That's it for now...enjoy the weekend of college football.
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