GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
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- 39,111
At long last, it's time for the Beavs to shine, they got some good news in the courts this week, and they have two home games against the Pac 12's two top dogs to close out the regular season. More on that later.
The ratings watchers will be out on Friday night, Coach Prime takes his Buffs out to Pullman to play Washington State in a Friday night Pac 12 after dark on FS1. Both teams are 4-6, which means both teams need to win both of their last two games to be bowl eligible. Wazzu has seen their season completely fall apart, and have not won since their conference opener vs. Oregon State (which doesn't seem to be impeding their ranking much). This is the third time this season they will be playing a school from the state of Colorado, having previously beaten Colorado State and FCS Northern Colorado. 10:30 eastern start, Wazzu still favored by 4.
Big Noon is headed to College Park as 6-4 Maryland hosts #3 Michigan, who last week of course overcame the first week of Jim Harbaugh's gameday suspension and kept pace with fellow blueblood Ohio State in dispatching Penn State last week, with 32 consecutive run plays and covered the spread in a 9-point win and remain undefeated. As I've been told before, good teams win, but great teams cover. Michigan has a 19-point spread to cover this week.
FS1 has a slate of solid B+ programs featured this week. #12 Penn State has a new offensive coordinator as they welcome 6-4 Rutgers who gave up an unfathomable 22 points to Iowa last week in a shutout loss. This game is also at noon, so most of the Big Ten's eyes will be up the dial on the blueblood up north, but the books are looking for an offensive explosion from PSU a they were 20.5-point favorites.
ABC has an ACC draw as #10 Louisville looks like they need to further impress the committee after being jumped by a 2-loss SEC team in the CFP rankings, they are headed to play the The U, who after a close loss to rival Florida State, are favored currently by just a half point. The ACC has probably has to be a bit nervous about where their teams are lining up.
On ESPN, #14 Oklahoma saw a huge break last week as Oklahoma State and Kansas both lost. It's currently a 4-way tie for second place in the Big 12 at 5-2, but Oklahoma is the highest ranked team, and they have a trip to conference debutante BYU to pad their resume hoping to earn a trip back to Dallas to play Texas again in the Big 12 Championship.
Game Day, by way, is at James Madison University. JMU is 10-0 and may have been in line to get the G5 NY6 bid, but the NCAA does not allow schools transitioning from FCS to play in the post-season for the first two years they are in FBS, which sounds like one of the dickish rules I've seen, because how does that make any sense? However, they are trying to get that overturned, and it would not only allow them to play in a bowl, but also the Sun Belt Championship Game. JMU is thus not being ranked by the college football playoff committee, however, they are #18 in the AP poll (which is still behind Tulane, who are #24 in the CFP)
Pac 12 Network lucked out, they have one of the four ranked matchups that people will presumably see. #17 Arizona has been hot. They've won 4 in a row, to say nothing of close losses they have to USC and Washington. Last week they came back to win on a last second field goal to get a win in Colorado. They host #17 Utah at 2:30 eastern, someone let us know what happens.
#1 Georgia, as 2-time defending champions, have retaken their rightful place atop the rankings and also have a spot in the SEC Championship Game on lock. The rest of the SEC have their cupcake week, but the Dawgs matchup in Knoxville against #18 Tennessee is still left for CBS, Tennessee no longer has a path to a NY6 game with 3 losses, and perhaps 4 after this week, but let's not forget that this is a rivalry, and last year Georgia beat Tennessee to take their #1 ranking. Georgia has been in form after boatracing Ole Miss last week, and have 10-point spread to cover.
FS1's 3:30 afternoon slot has #16 Iowa, taking a nice jump in the rankings (they have the most 'others receiving votes in the AP) after their 22-0 shutout win last week, they are favored by 3 at home to 5-5 Illinois and the over/under is all the way up to 30.5.
NBC's afternoon game features #19 Notre Dame hosting Wake Forest in the final home date of the season for the Irish, they're now 7-3 after losing at Clemson last week. ND is -24.5
Clemson, by the way, now 6-4 have a home date against #20 North Carolina at 3:30 on ESPN, and are favored once again as well by 6.5 points.
Fox's afternoon spot is going to Bo Nix and #6 Oregon, the network must be hoping to show them off, because I can't imagine how a game against Arizona State could be compelling, this should've been After Dark. Oregon -27.5
FS1 in prime time has the Sunflower Showdown or whatever, the two Kansas schools play each other in Lawrence. For some reason, the Big 12 doesn't load up with final week in-state rivalry games, they get spread out over November. #21 Kansas State is favored over #25 Kansas by 7.5, the Jayhawks lost another quarterback last week in losing to Texas Tech last week.
ESPN's SEC night feature has #9 Missouri, fresh off a bump in the rankings, they are the highest ranked 2-loss school now even though they do not have a path to the SEC Championship. They host 5-5 Florida, who are likely looking ahead to the Seminoles next week. Mizzou favored by 11.5, and in the mix still for a NY6 at-large.
The biggest game this week, as mentioned, has Kirk making the cross-country trip during the day to join Chris Fowler in Corvallis, on ABC, in prime time (7:45). #11 Oregon State are 8-2 and are home favorites to undefeated #5 Washington, who seem to have the game of the year every week. Oregon State (and Wazzu won their case in court this week in Washington Superior Court against the 10 departing Pac-12 schools, upholding a temporary emergency restraining order which prevents the conference from holding board meetings, and rules that Oregon State and Washington State are the sole members of the board. The game here is that they're trying to not allow the 10 other schools to liquidate the conference and take their assets. This will stand at least until an appeal to the state Supreme Court is heard. So, all that said, the Beavs will be riled up, they are the second-ranked 2-loss team and third-ranked Pac-12 team to their next two opponents, which also means they can swoop in and take the Conference Championship by winning out, which would mean beating Washington twice and Oregon next week. There's a lot of glory on the line here, and the Huskies have had a brutal schedule that they've endured, and I'd bet the Beavs are highly motivated to be the ultimate spoiler and stick it to the conference.
Fox's prime time 8pm matchup once again features #7 Texas, who are #7 for the 4th week in a row. They have been in one-score games 3 out of 4 weeks, but this is an important game because they are at 6-4 Iowa State, who are one of the 4 teams tied for second place in the Big 12, and an Iowa State win would put them all one game behind Texas. Iowa State does play Kansas State next week. Texas is favored by 7.5, Vegas expecting another close one.
Everyone can switch to hockey for After Dark, the Kraken/Canucks game is more compelling than New Mexico @ Fresno State (FS1) or San Diego State @ San Jose State (CBSSN). ESPN has Formula 1, for some reason the Las Vegas Grand Prix starts at 10pm local, and 1am eastern
The ratings watchers will be out on Friday night, Coach Prime takes his Buffs out to Pullman to play Washington State in a Friday night Pac 12 after dark on FS1. Both teams are 4-6, which means both teams need to win both of their last two games to be bowl eligible. Wazzu has seen their season completely fall apart, and have not won since their conference opener vs. Oregon State (which doesn't seem to be impeding their ranking much). This is the third time this season they will be playing a school from the state of Colorado, having previously beaten Colorado State and FCS Northern Colorado. 10:30 eastern start, Wazzu still favored by 4.
Big Noon is headed to College Park as 6-4 Maryland hosts #3 Michigan, who last week of course overcame the first week of Jim Harbaugh's gameday suspension and kept pace with fellow blueblood Ohio State in dispatching Penn State last week, with 32 consecutive run plays and covered the spread in a 9-point win and remain undefeated. As I've been told before, good teams win, but great teams cover. Michigan has a 19-point spread to cover this week.
FS1 has a slate of solid B+ programs featured this week. #12 Penn State has a new offensive coordinator as they welcome 6-4 Rutgers who gave up an unfathomable 22 points to Iowa last week in a shutout loss. This game is also at noon, so most of the Big Ten's eyes will be up the dial on the blueblood up north, but the books are looking for an offensive explosion from PSU a they were 20.5-point favorites.
ABC has an ACC draw as #10 Louisville looks like they need to further impress the committee after being jumped by a 2-loss SEC team in the CFP rankings, they are headed to play the The U, who after a close loss to rival Florida State, are favored currently by just a half point. The ACC has probably has to be a bit nervous about where their teams are lining up.
On ESPN, #14 Oklahoma saw a huge break last week as Oklahoma State and Kansas both lost. It's currently a 4-way tie for second place in the Big 12 at 5-2, but Oklahoma is the highest ranked team, and they have a trip to conference debutante BYU to pad their resume hoping to earn a trip back to Dallas to play Texas again in the Big 12 Championship.
Game Day, by way, is at James Madison University. JMU is 10-0 and may have been in line to get the G5 NY6 bid, but the NCAA does not allow schools transitioning from FCS to play in the post-season for the first two years they are in FBS, which sounds like one of the dickish rules I've seen, because how does that make any sense? However, they are trying to get that overturned, and it would not only allow them to play in a bowl, but also the Sun Belt Championship Game. JMU is thus not being ranked by the college football playoff committee, however, they are #18 in the AP poll (which is still behind Tulane, who are #24 in the CFP)
Pac 12 Network lucked out, they have one of the four ranked matchups that people will presumably see. #17 Arizona has been hot. They've won 4 in a row, to say nothing of close losses they have to USC and Washington. Last week they came back to win on a last second field goal to get a win in Colorado. They host #17 Utah at 2:30 eastern, someone let us know what happens.
#1 Georgia, as 2-time defending champions, have retaken their rightful place atop the rankings and also have a spot in the SEC Championship Game on lock. The rest of the SEC have their cupcake week, but the Dawgs matchup in Knoxville against #18 Tennessee is still left for CBS, Tennessee no longer has a path to a NY6 game with 3 losses, and perhaps 4 after this week, but let's not forget that this is a rivalry, and last year Georgia beat Tennessee to take their #1 ranking. Georgia has been in form after boatracing Ole Miss last week, and have 10-point spread to cover.
FS1's 3:30 afternoon slot has #16 Iowa, taking a nice jump in the rankings (they have the most 'others receiving votes in the AP) after their 22-0 shutout win last week, they are favored by 3 at home to 5-5 Illinois and the over/under is all the way up to 30.5.
NBC's afternoon game features #19 Notre Dame hosting Wake Forest in the final home date of the season for the Irish, they're now 7-3 after losing at Clemson last week. ND is -24.5
Clemson, by the way, now 6-4 have a home date against #20 North Carolina at 3:30 on ESPN, and are favored once again as well by 6.5 points.
Fox's afternoon spot is going to Bo Nix and #6 Oregon, the network must be hoping to show them off, because I can't imagine how a game against Arizona State could be compelling, this should've been After Dark. Oregon -27.5
FS1 in prime time has the Sunflower Showdown or whatever, the two Kansas schools play each other in Lawrence. For some reason, the Big 12 doesn't load up with final week in-state rivalry games, they get spread out over November. #21 Kansas State is favored over #25 Kansas by 7.5, the Jayhawks lost another quarterback last week in losing to Texas Tech last week.
ESPN's SEC night feature has #9 Missouri, fresh off a bump in the rankings, they are the highest ranked 2-loss school now even though they do not have a path to the SEC Championship. They host 5-5 Florida, who are likely looking ahead to the Seminoles next week. Mizzou favored by 11.5, and in the mix still for a NY6 at-large.
The biggest game this week, as mentioned, has Kirk making the cross-country trip during the day to join Chris Fowler in Corvallis, on ABC, in prime time (7:45). #11 Oregon State are 8-2 and are home favorites to undefeated #5 Washington, who seem to have the game of the year every week. Oregon State (and Wazzu won their case in court this week in Washington Superior Court against the 10 departing Pac-12 schools, upholding a temporary emergency restraining order which prevents the conference from holding board meetings, and rules that Oregon State and Washington State are the sole members of the board. The game here is that they're trying to not allow the 10 other schools to liquidate the conference and take their assets. This will stand at least until an appeal to the state Supreme Court is heard. So, all that said, the Beavs will be riled up, they are the second-ranked 2-loss team and third-ranked Pac-12 team to their next two opponents, which also means they can swoop in and take the Conference Championship by winning out, which would mean beating Washington twice and Oregon next week. There's a lot of glory on the line here, and the Huskies have had a brutal schedule that they've endured, and I'd bet the Beavs are highly motivated to be the ultimate spoiler and stick it to the conference.
Fox's prime time 8pm matchup once again features #7 Texas, who are #7 for the 4th week in a row. They have been in one-score games 3 out of 4 weeks, but this is an important game because they are at 6-4 Iowa State, who are one of the 4 teams tied for second place in the Big 12, and an Iowa State win would put them all one game behind Texas. Iowa State does play Kansas State next week. Texas is favored by 7.5, Vegas expecting another close one.
Everyone can switch to hockey for After Dark, the Kraken/Canucks game is more compelling than New Mexico @ Fresno State (FS1) or San Diego State @ San Jose State (CBSSN). ESPN has Formula 1, for some reason the Las Vegas Grand Prix starts at 10pm local, and 1am eastern
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