GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
- 187,078
- 39,109
Happy American Thanksgiving weekend to you and yours, it's quite possibly my favorite weekend of the year. So much food, so much football. 3 days of college fooball on tap, and so many rivalries being served up.
Thanksgiving night, we have the Egg Bowl being played in Starkville. #12 Ole Miss visits Mississippi State and their whats-his-name interim coach on ESPN. Ole Miss still hoping they have a shot at a NY6 bowl being an at-large and 2-loss team, but clearly need a lot of things to happen for that, they are 10.5-point favorites. An alternative to the 49ers/Seahawks game if you wish.
Black Friday will see 8 ranked teams play in 7 games on 4 networks. At noon, #13 Oklahoma still hoping things break their way to get another shot at Texas in Dallas next week, they have are at home vs. TCU, who a year after being in the national championship game for about 10 minutes, need another win to be bowl-eligible. OU -10 on Fox.
#17 Iowa has their ticket punched to Indianapolis as winners of the Big Ten West, and at noon on CBS they will make the trip to Lincoln. Remember when Nebraska got their doors blown off by Colorado? At 5-6, they now have the better record and with a win, can also go bowling. In fact, they are favored in the game by 2.5. The over/under is...wait for it: 26.5!!! Two touchdown and two field goals (or three safeties, which in an Iowa game is possible) gets you an over.
CBS also has a mid-afternoon game on Friday, in case you've had enough of the Jets and Dolphins in the first quarter. #9 Missouri handled the test from Florida last week and could be in position to be an at-large NY6 bid with a win at 4-7 Arkansas, where they are 9-point favorites.
#23 Tulane is the highest ranked Group-of-Five team, but this is a de facto playoff game for them in the American Conference because their opponent is UTSA and both teams are 7-0 in the conference. (SMU is also 7-0, a win vs. Navy on Saturday gets them in). Tulane is -3.5 at 3:30 on ABC.
#7 Texas can't seem to get any easy wins as all these Big 12 teams are taking their best shots at them before they split. They have not yet clinched a spot in the Big 12 CG, but a win over 6-5 Texas Tech will do that. They are favored by 14, but keep in mind that they played Oregon and Kansas State hard this season, and won in Kansas. Texas is at home in prime time on ABC.
#11 Penn State looks to wrap up a booster-satisfying 2-loss regular season by beating Michigan State on NBC in prime time. They are 21-point favorites, and they're bringing this game indoors after the snow globe game they endured 2 years ago. I guess no one wanted to do that again. They're likely looking at playing a G5 team in the Peach Bowl with a win, and you can't really ask for much more than that if you're a Penn Stater.
The biggest game on Black Friday is the only ranked matchup of the day, and it's possibly the end of a huge rivalry as well. It's the end of the Civil War, as currently scheduled. #16 Oregon State came so close to knocking off Washington last week in the pouring rain, but they will head down the road to Eugene to play #6 Oregon, who have not yet clinched their spot in the Pac 12 Championship. The Ducks are favored by 13.5, but the Beavs have to be motivated to ruin the season of their sworn in-state enemies. Fox has this game, and it's an 8:30 eastern start.
And now we're on to Saturday, and that means we're on to not just the biggest game, but The Game. They call it that because it's the one Fox shells out the biggest bucks for since they know they're going to get the biggest ratings of the year in the most important game of the regular season, being played in the most optimal time slot of the weekend on the most appropriate network to air the game. Both Big Noon Kickoff and College Game Day are in Ann Arbor, (although there's been a push to boycott the Game Day set because ESPN has said not-nice things about Jim Harbaugh). #2 Ohio State and #3 Michigan will play for a spot in not just the Big Ten Championship, but also the College Football Playoff most likely and finish the regular season undefeated, and there is definitely some bad blood rivaling the Hatfields and McCoys with all the sign stealing shenanigans and ratting on each other, and just all sorts of ridiculous shit going on. The Team Up North hasn't been quite as sharp without Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, but they were also the two best teams they've played to date. A big day for Marvin Harrison, Jr. could vault him to the top of the Heisman discussion, and Kyle McCord will likely finally win over the doubters among Ohio State's ranks if he can stop Ohio State's first two-game skid in the series since the turn of the millennium. It's the 14th time the two rivals will meet with both teams ranked in the top 5. Michigan doesn't seem likely to score in the 40's as they have the past two years, Michigan is a field goal favorite.
ESPN and ABC are obligated to try and counterprogram against that. On ABC, #10 Louisville looks to get set for the ACC CG against SEC in-state rival Kentucky, a rivalry that used to start the season, is now at the end. Despite only having 1 loss, it seems unlikely that they find themselves in the playoff. If only they could've beaten lousy Pitt! Louisville is only -7.5
#14 LSU plays Texas A&M, still picking up the pieces from the firing of Jimbo Fisher, remains to be seen if LSU's heart is in this because they have 3 losses and that's not what they hired Brian Kelly for. LSU is favored by 11.5. It's possible that this is the last year these two teams play at the end of the season, because Texas (and Oklahoma) both need new rivals to play at the end of the season, and Texas A&M used to be that for the Longhorns.
It usually doesn't matter what the records are when the Iron Bowl is played in Auburn, as it is this year. It can't be, because Auburn is 6-5, while #8 Alabama cannot and likely is not going to look ahead to next week's SEC CG against Georgia. Auburn almost surely was looking ahead, or at least they better have been because they lost at home to New Mexico State last week. Auburn will be bowling, but Alabama has finally been rolling, remaining undefeated in SEC play. As usual, the game is on CBS at 3:30 eastern. Alabama is -14.
I mentioned Tulane as the top G5 team, and having teams breathing down their necks, #25 Liberty is now ranked, right behind them, and undefeated. They will play those New Mexico State Aggies next week for the C-USA title (the Aggies are tied with and are playing Jacksonville State at 7-1 in the conference, but JSU isn't eligible because transition reasons). That game is definitely happening, but a trip to 3-8 UTEP remains important if they are to hope Tulane slips up, CBSSN airs the game, also at 3:30
The mid-afternoon slot has a couple of important Pac 12 games and rivalries. Unlike the Civil War the Apple Cup is on the schedule next year for September 14. For this year, #4 Washington got the bump in the rankings this week after an arduous win over Oregon State, and they've got their spot locked in for the Pac 12 CG next Friday night, but the Cougs aren't letting them skip off into the Big Ten without a fight. At least I don't think. Washington State stopped their skid last week against Colorado, and still need another win to go to a bowl. The Huskies obviously have bigger fish to fry, and this schedule is still brutal with an in-state rival and a short week next week. They are 16.5-point favorites and playing on Fox.
If Oregon drops the Civil War, it could be #15 Arizona that gets the spot, they have not been eliminated as they did not play Oregon and are one game behind them. They are 10.5-point favorites against in-state rival, Arizona State, who at 3-8 have only this game to play for.
Also, after all the hype and bravado, Coach Prime will suffer the indignity of having Colorado finish their season on Pac 12 Network. The conference schedule really did take its toll on the Buffs, and in the end, they're going to have a record many people ended up expecting, short of a bowl, and looking like 4-8 unless they can get the upset win on the road against unranked Utah in the "Rumble in the Rockies." Utah is favored by 22. This is a long way down though for Colorado after at one point in the season, the Peach Bowl were trying to finagle plans to host them for a NY6 bowl.
#22 Oklahoma State is still in the mix to finish second in the Big 12 and go to Dallas, there is still a 3-way tie with OU and K-State, they have a home game at 3:30 vs. BYU as 17-point favorites
There's not as much pizzazz in prime time. But it is where we'll see the #1 Georga Bulldogs get themselves tuned up by tuning up 6-5 Georgia Tech on ABC. Georgia is favored by 24, maybe the fact they have to go to Atlanta will keep the Yellow Jackets within 30.
#5 Florida State, as we all know, lost QB Jordan Travis last week. Tate Rodemaker now takes over for the Seminoles. They head to Gainesville, where the world truly is upside down. Graham Mertz was having a great season, or so that's what they tell me by the numbers, but he is also finished for the season, and Florida still needs one more win to be bowl-eligible. To which, I don't know how both things are true, how does Florida stink if Mertz has been so good. So, this game has two backup quarterbacks, and the injury to Mertz may have actually flipped the line. FSU is only favored by 6.5, but we'll still put them on upset alert.
#19 Kansas State will know what's going on by the time they take the field vs. Iowa State, they are third team that's 6-2 in the Big 12, and Iowa State is one game behind those three. So, things can still get wacky. K-State -10 on Fox.
If none of this is enough for you, first off we still have both Carolina rivalries taking place at night, but if you are totally psychotic, Chip Kelly's last regular season game, probably, is on After Dark, UCLA is hosting Cal before they go their separate ways next year. They beat USC last week to end their regular season and Caleb Williams' likely last game (USC does not play this week, as they played both Week 0 and Week 1). UCLA is -9.
And if this is STILL not enough, don't worry, Bowl season is right around the corner.
Thanksgiving night, we have the Egg Bowl being played in Starkville. #12 Ole Miss visits Mississippi State and their whats-his-name interim coach on ESPN. Ole Miss still hoping they have a shot at a NY6 bowl being an at-large and 2-loss team, but clearly need a lot of things to happen for that, they are 10.5-point favorites. An alternative to the 49ers/Seahawks game if you wish.
Black Friday will see 8 ranked teams play in 7 games on 4 networks. At noon, #13 Oklahoma still hoping things break their way to get another shot at Texas in Dallas next week, they have are at home vs. TCU, who a year after being in the national championship game for about 10 minutes, need another win to be bowl-eligible. OU -10 on Fox.
#17 Iowa has their ticket punched to Indianapolis as winners of the Big Ten West, and at noon on CBS they will make the trip to Lincoln. Remember when Nebraska got their doors blown off by Colorado? At 5-6, they now have the better record and with a win, can also go bowling. In fact, they are favored in the game by 2.5. The over/under is...wait for it: 26.5!!! Two touchdown and two field goals (or three safeties, which in an Iowa game is possible) gets you an over.
CBS also has a mid-afternoon game on Friday, in case you've had enough of the Jets and Dolphins in the first quarter. #9 Missouri handled the test from Florida last week and could be in position to be an at-large NY6 bid with a win at 4-7 Arkansas, where they are 9-point favorites.
#23 Tulane is the highest ranked Group-of-Five team, but this is a de facto playoff game for them in the American Conference because their opponent is UTSA and both teams are 7-0 in the conference. (SMU is also 7-0, a win vs. Navy on Saturday gets them in). Tulane is -3.5 at 3:30 on ABC.
#7 Texas can't seem to get any easy wins as all these Big 12 teams are taking their best shots at them before they split. They have not yet clinched a spot in the Big 12 CG, but a win over 6-5 Texas Tech will do that. They are favored by 14, but keep in mind that they played Oregon and Kansas State hard this season, and won in Kansas. Texas is at home in prime time on ABC.
#11 Penn State looks to wrap up a booster-satisfying 2-loss regular season by beating Michigan State on NBC in prime time. They are 21-point favorites, and they're bringing this game indoors after the snow globe game they endured 2 years ago. I guess no one wanted to do that again. They're likely looking at playing a G5 team in the Peach Bowl with a win, and you can't really ask for much more than that if you're a Penn Stater.
The biggest game on Black Friday is the only ranked matchup of the day, and it's possibly the end of a huge rivalry as well. It's the end of the Civil War, as currently scheduled. #16 Oregon State came so close to knocking off Washington last week in the pouring rain, but they will head down the road to Eugene to play #6 Oregon, who have not yet clinched their spot in the Pac 12 Championship. The Ducks are favored by 13.5, but the Beavs have to be motivated to ruin the season of their sworn in-state enemies. Fox has this game, and it's an 8:30 eastern start.
And now we're on to Saturday, and that means we're on to not just the biggest game, but The Game. They call it that because it's the one Fox shells out the biggest bucks for since they know they're going to get the biggest ratings of the year in the most important game of the regular season, being played in the most optimal time slot of the weekend on the most appropriate network to air the game. Both Big Noon Kickoff and College Game Day are in Ann Arbor, (although there's been a push to boycott the Game Day set because ESPN has said not-nice things about Jim Harbaugh). #2 Ohio State and #3 Michigan will play for a spot in not just the Big Ten Championship, but also the College Football Playoff most likely and finish the regular season undefeated, and there is definitely some bad blood rivaling the Hatfields and McCoys with all the sign stealing shenanigans and ratting on each other, and just all sorts of ridiculous shit going on. The Team Up North hasn't been quite as sharp without Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, but they were also the two best teams they've played to date. A big day for Marvin Harrison, Jr. could vault him to the top of the Heisman discussion, and Kyle McCord will likely finally win over the doubters among Ohio State's ranks if he can stop Ohio State's first two-game skid in the series since the turn of the millennium. It's the 14th time the two rivals will meet with both teams ranked in the top 5. Michigan doesn't seem likely to score in the 40's as they have the past two years, Michigan is a field goal favorite.
ESPN and ABC are obligated to try and counterprogram against that. On ABC, #10 Louisville looks to get set for the ACC CG against SEC in-state rival Kentucky, a rivalry that used to start the season, is now at the end. Despite only having 1 loss, it seems unlikely that they find themselves in the playoff. If only they could've beaten lousy Pitt! Louisville is only -7.5
#14 LSU plays Texas A&M, still picking up the pieces from the firing of Jimbo Fisher, remains to be seen if LSU's heart is in this because they have 3 losses and that's not what they hired Brian Kelly for. LSU is favored by 11.5. It's possible that this is the last year these two teams play at the end of the season, because Texas (and Oklahoma) both need new rivals to play at the end of the season, and Texas A&M used to be that for the Longhorns.
It usually doesn't matter what the records are when the Iron Bowl is played in Auburn, as it is this year. It can't be, because Auburn is 6-5, while #8 Alabama cannot and likely is not going to look ahead to next week's SEC CG against Georgia. Auburn almost surely was looking ahead, or at least they better have been because they lost at home to New Mexico State last week. Auburn will be bowling, but Alabama has finally been rolling, remaining undefeated in SEC play. As usual, the game is on CBS at 3:30 eastern. Alabama is -14.
I mentioned Tulane as the top G5 team, and having teams breathing down their necks, #25 Liberty is now ranked, right behind them, and undefeated. They will play those New Mexico State Aggies next week for the C-USA title (the Aggies are tied with and are playing Jacksonville State at 7-1 in the conference, but JSU isn't eligible because transition reasons). That game is definitely happening, but a trip to 3-8 UTEP remains important if they are to hope Tulane slips up, CBSSN airs the game, also at 3:30
The mid-afternoon slot has a couple of important Pac 12 games and rivalries. Unlike the Civil War the Apple Cup is on the schedule next year for September 14. For this year, #4 Washington got the bump in the rankings this week after an arduous win over Oregon State, and they've got their spot locked in for the Pac 12 CG next Friday night, but the Cougs aren't letting them skip off into the Big Ten without a fight. At least I don't think. Washington State stopped their skid last week against Colorado, and still need another win to go to a bowl. The Huskies obviously have bigger fish to fry, and this schedule is still brutal with an in-state rival and a short week next week. They are 16.5-point favorites and playing on Fox.
If Oregon drops the Civil War, it could be #15 Arizona that gets the spot, they have not been eliminated as they did not play Oregon and are one game behind them. They are 10.5-point favorites against in-state rival, Arizona State, who at 3-8 have only this game to play for.
Also, after all the hype and bravado, Coach Prime will suffer the indignity of having Colorado finish their season on Pac 12 Network. The conference schedule really did take its toll on the Buffs, and in the end, they're going to have a record many people ended up expecting, short of a bowl, and looking like 4-8 unless they can get the upset win on the road against unranked Utah in the "Rumble in the Rockies." Utah is favored by 22. This is a long way down though for Colorado after at one point in the season, the Peach Bowl were trying to finagle plans to host them for a NY6 bowl.
#22 Oklahoma State is still in the mix to finish second in the Big 12 and go to Dallas, there is still a 3-way tie with OU and K-State, they have a home game at 3:30 vs. BYU as 17-point favorites
There's not as much pizzazz in prime time. But it is where we'll see the #1 Georga Bulldogs get themselves tuned up by tuning up 6-5 Georgia Tech on ABC. Georgia is favored by 24, maybe the fact they have to go to Atlanta will keep the Yellow Jackets within 30.
#5 Florida State, as we all know, lost QB Jordan Travis last week. Tate Rodemaker now takes over for the Seminoles. They head to Gainesville, where the world truly is upside down. Graham Mertz was having a great season, or so that's what they tell me by the numbers, but he is also finished for the season, and Florida still needs one more win to be bowl-eligible. To which, I don't know how both things are true, how does Florida stink if Mertz has been so good. So, this game has two backup quarterbacks, and the injury to Mertz may have actually flipped the line. FSU is only favored by 6.5, but we'll still put them on upset alert.
#19 Kansas State will know what's going on by the time they take the field vs. Iowa State, they are third team that's 6-2 in the Big 12, and Iowa State is one game behind those three. So, things can still get wacky. K-State -10 on Fox.
If none of this is enough for you, first off we still have both Carolina rivalries taking place at night, but if you are totally psychotic, Chip Kelly's last regular season game, probably, is on After Dark, UCLA is hosting Cal before they go their separate ways next year. They beat USC last week to end their regular season and Caleb Williams' likely last game (USC does not play this week, as they played both Week 0 and Week 1). UCLA is -9.
And if this is STILL not enough, don't worry, Bowl season is right around the corner.
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Of course, Miami vs. BC on Black Friday will always cause major PTSD for me! 
