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College Football never ceases to amaze. Do you remember when BYU upset Nebraska? Or, when Northwestern upset Stanford? How about when Temple upset Penn State? No? I don't blame you. Those all occurred on opening weekend!
Since then we have been subjected to Michigan's unbelievable Kick Six loss to Sparty. Florida State's blocked FG against Georgia State, which was returned for a TD and lost the Seminoles the game. And, last week, Miami's improbable, hard to believe eight lateral kick return to beat Duke. Ok, the ACC actually admitted the referees got it wrong, and suspended two referees from that game because HIS KNEE WAS DOWN!! How many times is Miami going to get away with this kind of stuff?
OK, I digress. The point is, we never know what to expect each weekend. And, if history has taught us anything, it's that this week's biggest upsets or biggest moments will most likely not come out of one of the featured games. But, as the season winds down, positioning for conference championship games and by extension National Championship Playoffs are taking shape, and even ugly games will be the most compelling.
Here is this week's games to watch and discuss.
Duke at North Carolina - 9am, ESPN2
~ UNC is undefeated in conference play and 7-1 overall. If not for the SPTR worthy end of game scenario last week against Miami, Duke would also be undefeated in conference play and 7-1 overall. Two traditionally basketball powerhouses are making noise on the CFB scene, position themselves to play in the ACC Championship game. Next time some dimwit tells you UCLA will never compete for National Championships, and should be content with 9 and 10 win seasons, Slap them upside the head with "Duke at North Carolina football for the ACC Coastal division."
#16 FSU at #1 Clemson - 12:30pm, ABC
~ #1 Clemson. Let that soak in for a second. Next time some dimwit tells you UCLA will never compete for National Championships, and should be content with 9 and 10 win seasons, Slap them upside the head with "#1 Clemson." The perennial laughing stock made one good coaching hire, and it has made all the difference. Guerror, are you listening?
#8 TCU at #14 Oklahoma State - 12:30pm, FOX
~ Both teams are undefeated in conference play, and both teams are undefeated overall. TCU is the monster that has been building slowly over the last couple of years. If you had told me before the season this was going to be one of the marquee games this year, I would have laughed in your face. And yet, here we are. Winner takes a big lead in the Big 12 race and solidifies it's place in the playoff picture conversation.
#23 UCLA at Oregon State - 1:30pm, PAC12
~ Because duh. Questions abound here. Will the offense continue to put up an alarming number of 3 and outs? Will the team continue to save the Mazzone's jobs with 82 yard TD runs and 96 yard pick sixes, masking the ineptness of the offense again? Will the injury ravaged and piece meal defense continue to grow against weaker competition? Will they once again stay on the field too long and surrender too many points?
#2 LSU at #4 Alabama - 5pm, CBS
~ The undisputed game of the week, two top 5 teams square off to not only bump each other out of the SEC championship picture, but quite possibly the postseason playoff picture as well. This should be a good one.
California at Oregon - 7:30pm, ESPN2
~ Three weeks ago, Cal was undefeated and one of the hottest teams in the Pac 12. They've lost 3 since then, and people have given up all hope for them. Three weeks ago, Oregon was 3-2 and people had given up all hope for them. They won two since then, their offense is clicking and they are tied for 2nd in the Pac 12 North. Not really one of the weeks compelling games. But I always like to add at least one extra Pac 12 game in here.
Feel free to take a look around the SBN mothership and see what everyone else is talking about this week end.
ESPN3
Buffalo
Kent State
CBSS
ESPNU
Arkansas State
FS1
(6) Baylor
Kansas State
ESPN
(20) Mississippi State
Missouri
ESPN2
Nevada
UTEP
BYU
FSN
ESPNN
Penn State
(21) Northwestern
BTN
Illinois
Purdue
ASN
Texas Tech
West Virginia
Duke
North Carolina
Vanderbilt
(10) Florida
SECN
Kentucky
Georgia
ABC
(5) Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Louisville
NC State
Boston College
PAC12
(11) Stanford
Colorado
Virginia
Miami (FL)
(16) Florida State
(1) Clemson
CBS
Arkansas
(18) Mississippi
Arizona State
Washington State
(9) Iowa
Indiana
Wisconsin
Maryland
Rutgers
(17) Michigan
FOX
(8) TCU
(14) Oklahoma State
FCS
Cincinnati
Connecticut
South Carolina
Tennessee
(23) UCLA
Oregon State
Iowa State
(15) Oklahoma
(7) Michigan State
Nebraska
(12) Utah
Washington
Auburn
(19) Texas A&M
(2) LSU
(4) Alabama
LHN
Kansas
Texas
Minnesota
(3) Ohio State
Cal
Oregon
Arizona
USC