11W Weekend Update: Sponsored by Scarlet Fever

By Corey Carpenter on October 23, 2008 at 11:00 am
0 Comments
His team may face long odds, but spoiling is nice.

We have always felt there shouldn't be any type of college football poll until at least week four. No one really knows what is going to happen before the season starts and any pre-season poll is pretty worthless. Remember West Virginia, Clemson and Auburn were ranked in the top 10 just two months ago.

The real fun started when the BCS standings come out Sunday and there are quite a few clashes this weekend that will play factor into who climbs, who drops and who ultimately goes where.

For the remainder of the season, we will take a look at big national or conference games affecting the BCS race.

National Games

#8 Texas Tech at #21 Kansas, 12:00PM - ESPN
Before you sport your scarlet Saturday, be sure to put on your best Jayhawk Blue. Texas Tech's toughest opponent this year has been Nebraska, which took the Red Raiders to overtime in Lubbock.

Mike Leach's team is averaging 418 yards passing and 46 points per contest, while Kansas is putting up 335 yards through the air and 34 points a game. If Kansas doesn't pull off the upset, TT faces Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma over the next three weeks.

#5 Oklahoma State at #1 Texas, 3:30PM - ABC
Both these teams took down Missouri in the last two weeks, OSU by 5 and Texas by 25. The Cowboys can score, averaging over 46 points a game, while only giving up 21, but this is their biggest test to date and former Buckeye coach Tim Beckman will have his hands full trying to stop the Longhorn attack.

Texas is the real deal, but after facing Oklahoma and Missouri in back to back weeks, you have to wonder if that let down performance is about to surface. Chris Ogbonnaya has emerged the last two games as the compliment running back Colt McCoy needed and they have scored 101 points over that span.

#9 Georgia at #12 LSU, 3:30PM - CBS
SEC dude, SEC. Both teams come in 5-1 overall, 3-1 in conference and are looking to keep pace in their respective divisions. This is going to be another classic SEC tilt, with the loser getting knocked out of the BCS race.

Georgia's offense has topped 27 points once in the last five games, getting 30 in the loss to Alabama, while LSU has averaged just over 25 points in their last 4. This game could be a low scoring affair, with turnovers and field position playing key roles.

#2 Alabama at Tennessee, 7:45PM - ESPN
This is the game that could save Phil Flumer's job and lifetime supply of sausage gravy. This is the last game against a ranked opponent for the Volunteers and a loss would send them to 3-5. Alabama has to guard against looking ahead to Arkansas St. next week.

Big Ten Games

#25 Northwestern at Indiana, 12:00PM - BTN
The Wildcats look to avoid the upset before next week's battle with Minnesota and Indiana will be trying to end their 5 game losing streak. A Northwestern win will have them a half game out of second.

#24 Minnesota at Purdue, 12:00PM - ESPN Classic
Purdue is just 2-5 in Tiller's last season and quite frankly, Minnesota has shocked the conference. The Gophers can ensure a winning record with the victory and can keep pace with Northwestern for second. Purdue is in complete turmoil and will be trying to end their 5 game skid.

Michigan State at Michigan, 3:30PM - ABC
This game likely won't factor into the BCS race, but we'll all be rooting for "Little Brother" to lay an epic beatdown on the Wolverines.

0 Comments