Last Saturday was a day of ups and downs with WWW posting 5-3 numbers. We won big on Tennessee not covering the spread and Houston knocking off Memphis. Georgia pulled out the stops to beat Auburn so we went sideways on that one as well as missing the LSU game as the Tigers lost their second game in a row. This Saturday is loaded with some really big games that have conference title and national playoff ramifications. It will be a great day for college football.
SIDELINES
• What's with all the cupcakes in mid-November?? Alabama vs Charleston Southern? Georgia vs Georgia Southern? Florida vs Florida Atlantic? South Carolina vs The Citadel? There's an old adage, "They remember what you do in November", when it comes to bowl game selections and post season honors. And with most other schools playing high stake games this weekend, these cupcake games make no sense and the paying fan deserves better, especially as we wrap up the season.
• Hot Seat Update...with LSU in a tailspin, Les Miles has been mentioned to be on the hot seat. That's ridiculous. And the Charlie Strong rumors at Texas have picked up steam with the Longhorns supposedly preparing to make Nick Saban an offer he can't refuse, which of course triggers speculation about his replacement at Alabama. Note to Texas: your job is not as great as you think so you better pony up some really serious cash if you want to lure Saban away from the best job in college football. And throw in some oil wells, too.
A WORD FROM MISTER BIG TEN
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| Clash of favorites |
Mister Big Ten did his undergrad at Illinois, graduate degree at Wisconsin, and then worked at Northwestern for the last several years, not to mention living in the Windy City, smack dab in the middle of Big Ten country. He knows his Big Ten football. He's also our Vegas connection and handles our business with his associates in the Desert.
So, we've asked Mister Big Ten to share his thoughts on this Saturday's Northwestern-Wisconsin game; a matchup that truly conflicts Mister Big Ten since he follows both teams passionately.
Cue the beer and brats. Here's Mister Big Ten.
Take Wisconsin at home for Senior Day
While both Wisconsin and Northwestern have dipped in and out of the top 25 standing this season, the recent resurgence into the AP Polls for both teams brings into question which team will find the missing key for this Saturday’s matchup in Madtown.
Both teams are coming off tight wins last week and both are sitting at 8-2. The biggest shocker was Northwestern having to climb back to win against a Purdue team that has hung out at the bottom of the division all season. Northwestern pulled out the W but this week look for the Badgers to give their senior’s a sendoff to remember.
Key match ups to watch include a defensive line for Wisconsin that has kept their season alive as the offense has struggled to protect their slinger. Stave, a Wisconsin native, has had a rough year with 8 interceptions and the Wisconsin running game has slipped this year to an overall 89th ranking nationally after being ranked 3rd last year.
This season Northwestern’s offense has proven that they can bounce back in the 4th quarter. The Wildcat’s offense has shown some consistency for the most part but their quarterback, true freshman Clayton Thorson, still has some maturing to do as he will face an experienced Wisconsin defense.
If Wisconsin can start first team running back Corey Clement, the Badger quarterback will have some breathing room and Clement will take the rock and control the clock.
This rivalry has the last 8 consecutive games going to the home team and I give the nod to Wisconsin to return the favor from last year’s loss at Northwestern. Take the Badgers, along with the beer and brats.
Here's Your Weekend Winners for Week #12...The Great Eight™...
Tennessee @ Missouri...the Vols head to the cold climes of Columbia hoping to keep their win streak going. But after a sluggish performance last week against a vastly undermanned North Texas team, we're not totally sold on the Big Orange leaving with a win. Missouri has won all three meetings with the Vols, and Tennessee has not won four consecutive games since 2010. The Tigers are 5th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 14.7 points per game. Sorry Vol fans. In an UPSET SPECIAL, take Pinkel's Tigers over Tennessee.
#20 Northwestern @ #21 Wisconsin...the Badgers are still in the hunt for a division championship so a win over the Wildcats is absolutely critical. The good news is that Wisconsin plays tough at home, having allowed only three touchdowns in six home games, and allowing only five points per game at Camp Randall this season. That's pretty stout. In a close one, take the Badgers over the Cats.
#17 LSU @ #25 Mississippi...if the quarterback play in last week's loss to Arkansas is any indication of LSU's ability to win key games, then the Tigers are in a world of hurt. Add to this opponents' ability to limit Leonard Fournette's rush yardage. Meanwhile Rebel qb Chad Kelly is on the verge of setting several school records (bypassing Eli Manning). If the Ole Miss defense can regroup and play tough, then Mister Freeze's team can celebrate in the Grove. Take the Rebs over the Bayou Bengals.
#11 TCU @ #7 Oklahoma...the Frogs will be missing senior receiver Josh Doctson and qb Trevone Boykin is iffy with a bad ankle sprain. Meanwhile, Sooner qb Baker Mayfield leads a pretty potent offense along with rb Samaje Perrin and wr Sterling Shephard. Both teams are 9-1 and both teams need to win to keep pace with Oklahoma State. We don't think the Frogs have enough hop to get over the Sooner Schooners. Take Oklahoma in this one.
#10 Baylor @ #4 Oklahoma State...the undefeated Cowpokes are looking for respect from the CFP committee and hope to inch closer to the sacred four by beating the Bears in a "pickem" game. A win tomorrow would be Okie State's 13th in a row, matching the record set in 1944-1946. Baylor has not won a road game in this series since 1939. That's a long long time. And it doesn't change tomorrow as the Cowpokes continue their undefeated run and make life miserable for the CFP committee. Pokes over the Bears.
#9 Michigan State @ #2 Ohio State...there is some doubt about Spartan qb Connor Cook's ability to play effectively since getting banged up last week against Maryland. And the 9-1 Spartans will need all hands on deck to hang with the undefeated Buckeyes. Key player to watch is Ohio State's junior running back Ezekial Elliott who has racked up 15 consecutive 100 yard games and is close to passing Eddie George's records at tOSU. This game should be a dandy and a close one...so close that we don't think Ohio State will cover its 13.5 point spread. In an UPSET SPECIAL, take the Spartans and the points.
#22 Southern Cal @ #23 Oregon...both teams control their destinies and have legitimate shots at winning their respective Pac-12 divisions. Southern Cal has rebounded nicely since the head coaching change and they feature one of the country's top qbs, Cody Kessler, a Unitas finalist. The Ducks are coming off a huge win over Stanford and look for their run game to keep clicking as the best in the Pac-12. This will be a dandy. In another UPSET SPECIAL, take the Trojans over the Ducks.
UCLA @ #18 Utah...Josh Rosen, Bruin freshman qb, has been solid all season with almost 3,000 passing yards. Add in the running of tailback Paul Perkins and you have a pretty potent offense that the Utes have to contain in order to win. The Utes' big gun, Devontae Booker, is out with knee surgery and we're not sure if Utah has an answer at running back. So...bet on the Bruins to beat the favored Utes in another UPSET SPECIAL.
Good luck this Weekend.
MAKE MO' MONEY WITH MARK™
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