A Feast of Football
After the plates are cleared away from yet another scrumptious Thanksgiving, it's time to look ahead to what is arguably one of the greatest weekends in college football. It began Thursday night with Texas A&M's 24-17 defeat of Texas -- which means that for the first time since 1997 the Longhorns won't be making a bowl appearance -- and it continues all day Friday and through Saturday evening. Wall-to-wall football is on the menu for your viewing and listening pleasure. Many of these games are of the rivalry variety, which builds a level of interest and intensity that is unparalleled by any other portion of the college football schedule. Even the bowl season does not provide as much anticipation, excitement, hatred, heartbreak, joy, relief and pure passion as this final weekend of November -- when most teams across the nation wind down their regular seasons with these final opportunities to prove their mettle on the gridiron. It's going to be awesome.
So for a change, we'll take a look outside of the Big 12 to help you follow the action on tap over this long holiday weekend.
Key Games Worth a Look (all times Central; TV listings if nationally televised)
Friday
West Virginia at Pittsburgh -- 11 a.m. CT on ABC -- Headed into the "Backyard Brawl," the Panthers are in the driver's seat for the Big East title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl against the Big 12 champion. A Mountaineers' win gives them a shot at the title heading into next week's finale (see Connecticut below), but no guarantees.
Auburn at Alabama -- 1:30 p.m. CT on CBS -- This is No. 2 Auburn's final regular season game: an Iron Bowl matchup with archrival Alabama. Auburn is already slated for a rematch with South Carolina in next weekend's SEC Championship, and can't afford to slip up here. A loss by the Tigers creates opportunity for either Boise State or TCU.
UCLA at Arizona State -- 2:30 p.m. CT on FSN -- The Pac-10 is hurting for bowl-eligible teams -- only three are eligible at present (USC would qualify, but it is barred by sanctions). Each of these teams enter the game 4-6. The winner gets only the opportunity to play for a bowl appearance in next week's season finale. The loser watches its bowl hopes disappear.
Arizona at Oregon -- 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN -- No. 1 Oregon faces its last ranked opponent of the season before next week's "Civil War" showdown with Oregon State. Can Arizona hang with the Ducks? Cal gave Oregon its toughest game so far in a 15-13 slugfest. Arizona prevailed similarly over the Bears 10-9 back in September. Should be interesting to watch.
Boise State at Nevada -- 9:15 p.m. CT on ESPN -- The Broncos face their final real test of the regular season against a ranked Wolfpack. Nevada has the offensive weapons to threaten Boise State, but can its defense hang in there? A loss earlier in the day by Auburn could alter the national championship picture and impact the urgency of this late game. Boise concludes its season next week against Utah State.
Saturday
Cincinnati at Connecticut -- 11 a.m. CT; check local listings -- This game is relevant only if West Virgina prevails over Pitt on Friday. If that were to happen, the Huskies would be playing for the lead in the Big East standings by virtue of victories over both the Panthers and Mountaineers. If Pitt wins, the Huskies must win here and hope the Panthers stumble against Cincy next week. UConn still must face South Florida next Saturday, while West Virginia meets Rutgers.
Michigan State at Penn State -- 11 a.m. CT on ESPN 2 -- The surprising Spartans
close out their season in Happy Valley. A three-way tie atop the Big Ten standings means a Rose Bowl berth is likely on the line Saturday. The Spartans need a win and an Ohio State loss to secure a spot.
Michigan at Ohio State -- 11 a.m. CT on ABC -- The BCS takes only two teams per conference, so one of the Big Ten's co-leaders will be left out if the three-way tie endures the weekend. In the event of a three-way tie or a Michigan State-Ohio State tie, the highest ranked team in the final BCS standings will head to the Rose Bowl. Losses by both Michigan State and Wisconsin would open the door for the Buckeyes.
Northwestern at Wisconsin -- 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC/ESPN -- The Badgers are ranked seventh, the Buckeyes are eighth, and the Spartans are 10th in the most recent BCS poll. Wisconsin could use a solid win over the Wildcats to avoid being jumped in the rankings. But the Badgers also need Ohio State to win: If Wisconsin and Michigan State prevail but Ohio State loses, Michigan State goes to Pasadena because it beat Wisconsin.
LSU at Arkansas (in Little Rock) -- 2:30 CT on CBS -- Always an interesting game, and a classic meeting this season between Arkansas' high-powered offense and LSU's vaunted defense.
TCU at New Mexico -- 3 p.m. CT on CSTV -- This matchup is really only significant if losses occur earlier among the other top teams. The Lobos are a pitiful 1-10, and TCU has every reason to pour it on to try to make something happen in the computer rankings. Things could get ugly in Albuquerque.
Some other games of note:
Virginia at Virginia Tech -- 11 a.m. CT Saturday
South Florida at Miami -- 11 a.m. CT Saturday
Indiana at Purdue -- 11 a.m. CT Saturday
Kentucky at Tennessee -- 11:21 a.m. CT Saturday
BYU at Utah -- 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Florida at Florida State -- 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday
North Carolina at Duke -- 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday
South Carolina at Clemson -- 6 p.m. CT Saturday
Mississippi State at Mississippi -- 6 p.m. CT Saturday
Oregon State at Stanford -- 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Georgia Tech at Georgia -- 6:45 p.m. CT Saturday
Notre Dame at USC -- 7 p.m. CT Saturday
Week 13
Colorado at Nebraska -- 2:30 p.m. CT Friday on ABC -- Nebraska needs a win to secure the Big 12 North title. But the Buffaloes are a motivated opponent having won two straight since the firing of Dan Hawkins. Colorado needs one win to become bowl eligible. While the Buffaloes would be the ninth Big 12 team to qualify for the postseason -- one team beyond the conference's contractual agreements -- they could benefit from the Pac-10's shortfall, and possibly find themselves playing in one of the Pac-10's vacant bowl spots. Colorado RB Rodney Stewart has carried 70 times for 318 yards in the last two games, but he has yet to face a defense like the Huskers. Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez is still a question mark with a bum ankle. Without him, the Big Red becomes a much more one-dimensional outfit. But Colorado has lost 12 consecutive Big 12 road games.
Kansas vs. Missouri (in Kansas City) -- 11:30 a.m. CT Saturday on FSN -- A Nebraska loss on Friday puts all the pressure on the Tigers on Saturday. Mizzou would be playing for its third North title in four seasons. The Jayhawks have had a disappointing season, no question. But records and reality mean little in a rivalry like this one -- the oldest west of the Mississippi River, and the second-oldest on either side of it. Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert has the ability to shred opposing defenses, but Kansas has also shown some fight of late, even in defeat.
Kansas State at North Texas -- 3 p.m. CT Saturday on the radio -- The Wildcats could use a win to enhance their postseason resume -- not to mention snapping a two-game slide. They've also lost four out of their last five. The Mean Green have gone 2-2 since their fourth-year head coach was fired last month. North Texas' fate lies with RB Lance Dunbar and QB Riley Dodge, son of fired coach Todd Dodge, who have helped make the Mean Green's rushing offense the 24th-ranked unit in the country. The 'Cats had better not underestimate this road opponent, or a 6-6 season is in the offing.
Houston at Texas Tech -- 7 p.m. CT Saturday on FSN Southwest -- The Red Raiders probably began looking forward to this game when Cougars QB Case Keenum was lost for the season back in mid-September with a knee injury suffered in a loss to UCLA. Houston also lost Keenum's backup in the same game. However, The Cougars are still just one win away from their sixth-straight bowl appearance. Unfortunately, they'll face a Texas Tech team that vividly remembers last season's 29-28 upset to Houston. Tech ran its record to 6-5 last weekend, and would very much like to finish out the 2010 regular-season campaign on a high note.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State -- 7 p.m. CT Saturday on ABC -- This is for all the marble in the Big 12 South. The winner heads to Cowboys Stadium next weekend for a shot at a BCS payday in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma State has already achieved the school's first-ever 10-win season. A win over its Bedlam archrival would be the cherry on top of a remarkable season -- especially when so little was expected of the Cowboys coming into the year. Oklahoma has won seven straight in the series, but their defense has been suspect at times. And last week's win at Baylor was the Sooners lone win on the road in the Big 12 so far this season. Look for a back-and-forth of offensive firepower here, as each team possesses considerable talent at the skill positions: Landry Jones, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles for OU; and Brandon Weeden, Kendall Hunter and Justin Blackmon for OSU.
What a way to end the 2010 regular season! Enjoy -- and Happy Thanksgiving!
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