Intangibles define Notre Dame Talent and game plans are good, but the Irish are made of more

Notre Dame's defense has been rated among the best all year but it was the determination and grit it showed Saturday against Southern California that made it look like a champion. 

In a game governed by discipline and strategy and hours of preparation, is there room for such a trivial, incalculable thing as heart?
Can one team possibly “want it more” than another when football is the centerpiece of all of these players’ and coaches’ lives? Or are these just lazy tropes leaned upon by sportswriters and broadcasters who’ve grown too lethargic to analyze what’s actually happening?
Usually, I’d say yes. Usually, I’d say that good plays and good games can’t be the result of a player or team having more heart or wanting it – whatever “it” is – more.
There are exceptions. There are times when preparation and planning and strategy yield to something outside the confines of muscle memory and repetition and memorization. There are plays, moments, where we can measure a team’s “heart”, where the cold calculus of advanced statistics and probabilities are overwhelmed by what we see.
These moments are fleeting. These moments are rare.
But they are also unmistakable.
On Saturday night, those moments came when 11 men in gold helmets dug their heels into the turf in their own end zone on 10 separate occasions in the fourth quarter. And, all 10 times, the Irish defenders kept the Trojans from crossing the white line and from potentially snatching away a national championship in the 11th hour of the 12th game of an undefeated season.

Those moments, those 10 plays, were more a test of a team’s will, of its heart, than of its skill or preparation. It was time to push harder than the man across from you. It was time to hit the ballcarrier hard enough to turn his own momentum against him. It was time to sharpen focus to the point that talented receivers felt like they were running in shackles.
The first three of those plays came in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. Trailing by nine, USC advanced the ball to the Notre Dame 4. A Silas Redd run was stuffed for a gain of only two. Another run was repelled for a loss of two as the Southern California line was swallowed by a swarm of gold and white. Then a pass to Marqise Lee missed its target. Only a few feet from seven points, the Trojans had to settle for three because the Irish defense that had carried a team through 11 games wasn’t willing to break under the pressure inherent in the 12th.
Later in the quarter, and far more memorably, the Irish stopped the Trojans cold seven consecutive times. USC tailback Curtis McNeal got three yards, pushing the ball to the Notre Dame four. Then Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell hounded and hacked Lee on consecutive fade routes, gladly taking pass interference calls rather than risk six points while simultaneously daring the Trojans to try and beat that defense up the middle. The Trojans tried to impose their will at the line of scrimmage, where strength and effort matter most, and failed. Two quarterback sneaks were easily repelled. A McNeal rush was snuffed out in the backfield by a pair of Irish defenders converging from either side and a feeble fourth-down Max Wittek pass trickled through the hands of intended target Soma Vainuku.
That stand, those seven plays, were a microcosm of the entire Irish season – a little luck on a dropped pass, some smarts and guile on the intentional pass interference calls and a lot of toughness in the trenches on all of those goal line stuffs.
On 10 plays on Saturday night, 11 men in gold helmets lined up, gazed at the 11 men across from them and thought, “I’m better than you.” On each play, each man proved just that. The odds that the Trojans, with all of their weapons, all of their multi-star, multi-100-pound linemen couldn’t muster the few yards they needed to bring a perfect season into question, tells me that Notre Dame has something more than superior talent or superior coaching or superior preparation. They have something intangible. They have something that seems corny and made-up and that normally makes me cringe when I hear it. But I saw it on those 10 plays. You saw it too.
They have heart. They, for lack of a better phrase, want it more.
And that’s the immeasurable difference between measurable results. That’s the difference between 12-0 and 11-1 or 10-2. That’s the difference between sitting at home in the second week of January and playing for a national championship.

Florida-Florida State lived up to the hype – it was terrific to see these teams play in a game of consequence in HD. The last time both of these teams squared off with so much at stake, we were all adjusting the bunny ears on top of our televisions. (For my younger readers, bunny ears were two metal poles that extended from the top of the television and grabbed whatever shoddy television signals and garbled police scanner chatter they could find.) The Gators stormed out 13-0 on the back of a pair of EJ Manuel picks, and it seemed their defense was simply too good for a talented offense from another conference to handle. (SEC fans were collectively saying “Told ya so” in a slow drawl midway through the second quarter.)

FLORIDA at FLORIDA STATE
Rushing	244	112
Passing	150	188
Turnovers	1	5
Box Score

But the third quarter belonged to the Noles. The Florida State defense flipped a turnover into seven points and Manuel found his composure and took to the ground – he entered the game with only 181 rushing yards on the season, but had 54 and a pair of scores against the Gators. By the time players were holding their fists aloft to signal the onset of the fourth quarter, the tomahawk chop was in full-throat and a 13-point deficit had become a seven-point advantage. Doak Campbell stadium roared to life and the crowd – and momentum – seemed like they’d bury the Gators and their not-so-unrealistic national title hopes. But Will Muschamp’s staff made the right adjustments and the Gators answered back with another run of their own – 24 consecutive points took the life out of the crowd. Turnovers were the Seminoles’ ultimate undoing in the 37-26 loss – they had five to the Gators’ one. By the end of the game, with the Notre Dame result pending for several hours, Gainesville united behind Lane Kiffin, who held the Gators’ national title fate in his hands.
Corvallis was unsuccessful in its attempt to secede from the state of Oregon. Its rebellion, which had been gaining steam all season and seemed to pose a legitimate threat to the state capitol at Nike headquarters, was snuffed out with relative ease by the well dressed army from Eugene. Despite an early scare in the first half of this Civil War – Oregon State was down only three midway through the third quarter – the Ducks restored order and rolled off 28 unanswered to take any drama out of what, a month ago, looked like it might be one of the best games of the year. But given Oregon’s defeat at the hands of Stanford and a recent pair of Oregon State losses, Oregon’s 48-24 blowout win was ultimately of little consequence. Beavers’ quarterback Sean Mannion may have put an end to next year’s quarterback controversy before it could even start – he tossed four more picks on Saturday, effectively handing the starting job back to Cody Vaz.
Congrats, Ohio State…I guess? You’re 12-0, now please use the exits in the back – we’ll see you next year. Most teams finish undefeated seasons amid a glorious shower of confetti and Brent Musburger-isms, not after winning a noon game in the season’s penultimate week with fans outside America’s most important swing state offering a resounding “meh.” But that’s precisely what happened on Saturday when the Buckeyes capped their perfect 2012 run with a 26-21 win against Michigan. First, kudos to the Wolverines for leading this one until eight minutes remained in the fourth quarter despite Denard Robinson’s continued physical inability to throw a pass. But his 122 rushing yards, including yet another shoelace-eviscerating 67-yard scamper, certainly didn’t hurt. In the end, though, Ohio State was just too talented, and Urban Meyer had them too focused for this overmatched Michigan team to hold on in the Horseshoe. Brilliant season by Meyer by bringing this team back from seven losses to 12 wins, but, in my mind, it’ll always have a little asterisk next to it. The Buckeyes played in quite a few close games – I don’t think they would’ve triumphed in each one if they’d been playing for a shot at the crystal football, leaving them playing without that pressure can make muscles loosen up and the game slow down. Still, nice job, Urban, I hope you have room in your already well-stocked trophy case (rich mahogany, of course) for about five consecutive Big Ten championships.  
Bedlam is defined as “a scene of uproar and confusion.” Does 51-48 qualify? I’d say yes. Good job, whoever named the game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State; I have no qualms with your rivalry naming decision, carry on. You want confusion? How about Oklahoma State’s third-string QB Clint Chelf leading the Cowboys to a 17-3 lead on the road against the Cowboys’ big brother? You want uproar? How about Oklahoma never holding a lead until Brennan Clay’s 18-yard run in overtime sealed the Sooners win? In the interim – between the 17-3 deficit and the walk off win – the Sooners trailed on four separate occasions and rallied back to tie the contest all four times. Landry Jones didn’t disappoint in his last game in front of the Norman faithful, who have oscillated from frustration to reverence of the formerly mustached signal-caller with seemingly every throw through his four years as the Sooners’ starter. Jones capped his Bedlam-laced home career by throwing for 500 yards on the nose and tossing three scores on 71 (71!) attempts. Plus he led Oklahoma on a 16-play, six-minute drive to send the game to overtime.

Dylan Thompson
South Carolina | QB | So.

C-A-I	YDS	TD
23-41-1	310	3

No Connor Shaw? No Marcus Lattimore? No problem. All South Carolina needed was a visor and a caustic wit. Without their two best offensive players, it seemed the Gamecocks would be doomed against their in-state rival, which had won seven consecutive games by double-digits. Instead, Shaw’s backup, sophomore Dylan Thompson, eclipsed 300 yards through the air and tossed three scores. The Gamecocks were able to piece together a decent rushing attack, but the 10-point win in one of the day’s better matchups belonged to Thompson and the underrated Gamecock defense. Clemson had scored more than 40 points eight times this season, yet the South Carolina defense held the nation’s No. 8 offense to only 17 points, 14 of which came in the first quarter, and pitched a shutout in the fourth. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. That’s typically what happens when an elite offense from another conference runs headlong into 11 men who play defense in the SEC every weekend.
The battle for the golden cactus – pardon me, I meant the Territorial Cup – lived up to the billing on Friday night in Tucson (I have yet to spell that city’s name correctly on my first attempt). The Territorial Cup overflowethed (that’s the past tense, right?) with points in the Sun Devils’ come-from-behind 41-34 win. Though, you didn’t know that because the game was on until about 1 a.m. Eastern on Saturday and you were deep in the midst of a coma triggered by excessive gravy intake and making semi-uncomfortable small talk with the 37 family members you’re contractually obligated to see once a year. Well, too bad, gravy monger, because you missed a good one. Fortunately, I’m contractually obligated to avoid small talk and watch football, so I got to watch the Sun Devils put up 24 unanswered in the fourth to turn a 10-point deficit into their biggest win of the season. Both teams finished the season 7-5, but the loss will leave a bitter taste in the Wildcats’ mouths after a 3-0 start this year. On the bright side, Ka’Deem Carey, only a sophomore, added 172 more yards to his rushing tally and seems to have sealed the regular-season rushing title.

For the love of whatever deity you may or may not believe in, don’t poke the Bears. In Week 12, Baylor had its way with the top team in the nation. This past week, after falling behind 21-7 early, the newly mighty Bears chased the Red Raiders down and proceeded to maul their 24th-ranked defense. Thirty-one second-half Baylor points pushed the contest to overtime. And after an OT touchdown, Baylor cracked the 50-point plateau for the fifth time this season. The win marked Baylor’s third in four tries and garnered the Bears a well-deserved bowl berth. Conversely, the Red Raiders, who ranked among the nation’s top teams in both offense and defense through the first half of the season, have unraveled, dropping four of their final five games, all against conference opponents.

Remember two years ago when the Iron Bowl was the most compelling game of the season – Auburn erased a 24-0 deficit on the road – and essentially decided who was going to win the national championship? A lot can change in two years. By a lot, I mean Cam Newton took his Heisman to the NFL and Auburn’s coordinators subsequently fled. In their wake stands a 3-9 team and a 91-14 Alabama advantage in the previous two Iron Bowls. Saturday’s was the uglier of the two, as Alabama blanked its in-state rivals 49-0. AJ McCarron tossed four more touchdowns, no picks and may have earned himself a trip up to New York next month, even if he’s got no shot at coming home with the trophy. After the loss to Texas A&M, which may have been LSU-fatigue-induced, Alabama looks to be back in form heading into next week’s national semifinal/SEC Championship for all of the sweet tea.
Johnny “Football”, I know college is new to you, you’ve got homework and are likely wrapping up a few of your orientation courses, but you might want to squeeze in some time to write a speech. No, you won’t be graded on this assignment, but a few million people will be watching – the Heisman Trophy ceremony, after all, is not just a freshman speech class. Think I’m jumping the gun? Think a freshman winning the award for the first time is preposterous? Not with what Manziel has done this season. The Aggie quarterback passed Tim Tebow and Cam Newton – both Heisman winners – and now holds the SEC single-season total yardage record. He set the SEC single-game yardage record twice this year. On Saturday, he added 372 passing yards, 67 rushing yards and five touchdowns to his gaudy totals in A&M’s 59-29 win against fellow SEC newcomer Missouri. He’s the first SEC player ever to eclipse 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 on the ground. He’s the quarterback of a 10-win SEC team that gave LSU a scare and knocked off Alabama. I don’t care if he’s a freshman; he’s the best player in the country. Get that speech ready, Johnny.
Somebody please get me Will Smith. Right now! No, I don’t want his autograph and I’m not in the mood to hear any tired catchphrases or bad rap songs. I need him to use the flashy thing from Men in Black that erases your memory on me ASAP. (I’m sure they were contractually obligated to give him a real one, right?) I’d ask him to set it for about three months, so that I could forget the entire 2012 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets season. The school my father attended, and that I would have if an engineering degree was the path to a sports column, fell 42-10 to Georgia on Saturday. The Jackets finish the regular season with six losses, including several blowouts and a loss to Middle Tennessee State, and fired their defensive coordinator midseason, but, somehow, they’ll still have a chance to play for the ACC title next week. “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?” Maybe I’ll hold off on the call to Mr. Smith for another week.

UCLA and Stanford entered Saturday’s contest with identical 9-2 records, identical five-game winning streaks and nearly-identical, impressive wins against USC. So it seemed we were going to get a treat that might be a preview of the Pac-12 title game. Well, it was a preview of the Pac-12 title game – Stanford’s win ensured Oregon would be locked out of the festivities and that the Cardinal would host the Bruins this weekend. But it was no treat. After the teams played to a 7-7 stalemate in the first quarter, Stanford won 35-17 after going on a 28-3 run through much of the second and third quarters. Now, what’s the takeaway here? Is Stanford, which had to travel down to Pasadena for this one, really that much better than UCLA? Perhaps. Or did the Bruins keep their cards close to the vest (or baby-blue windbreaker, in this case)? Maybe so. UCLA came in knowing its spot in the title game was secure and that a win would mean a trip to Eugene. Did the trek to Palo Alto seem like the better option? We won’t know until next week. If Stanford handles its business again, there’s no doubt it’s the better team. But if the game goes down to the wire or the Bruins pull the upset, I’ll have the hunch that UCLA didn’t quite mind losing on Saturday.
Horned Frogs can’t fly. After freshman midseason replacement QB Trevone Boykin went only 2-4 through his first six starts, TCU decided it was time to focus on the ground attack. Against Texas, TCU ran the ball 48 times and three backs eclipsed 50 yards, paced by Boykin’s 77 yards on 10 carries. But the TCU defense, not the offense, was responsible for the 20-13 win on Thursday night that you certainly didn’t see because of the aforementioned gravy, small talk and the fact that as you read this you just thought, “There was a game on Thursday night?” The Horned Frogs’ defense forced four turnovers on the night, including three by Longhorns’ starting QB David Ash, who was once again pulled in favor of Case McCoy. McCoy didn’t fare much better in the second half, tossing a pick of his own and averaging only 6.5 yards on his 17 attempts.
Might it be safe to say that Rutgers was looking ahead to this week’s matchup with Louisville that will decide who takes home the Big East crown? That’s the only explanation for yielding 21 unanswered to a four-win Pitt team to start the game. The Scarlet Knights didn’t even get on the scoreboard until 1:43 remained in the third quarter and mustered only six points through the entire game against a Pitt defense that has been giving up about 23-points-per-contest. Despite the disappointment, it was only Rutgers’ first Big East loss and it’s still in the mix for the Big East title and a trip to a BCS bowl. 
Well, Louisville, at least basketball season has started. You guys are supposed to be pretty good this year, I hear (Note: I’m not a licensed college basketball analyst.) Remember when the Cardinals were undefeated and the Big East title seemed all but assured? Well, Saturday’s loss to UConn was their second consecutive. After struggling all game, Louisville scored in the final moments of regulation to send it to overtime. After getting knocked out with what looked like a nasty knee injury in the first OT, QB Teddy Bridgewater tossed a touchdown on his first attempt of the second extra period. But the hero quickly became the goat. In the third OT he forced a pass to the corner of the end zone that was easily picked off by UConn’s Blidi Wreh-Wilson. After the pick, all the Huskies had to do was hit a chip-shot field goal to seal their biggest win of the season and send everyone in Northern Kentucky straight to Rick Pitino’s waiting, white linen-laden arms.
Speaking of Huskies, Washington had a chance to put the finishing touches on its quietly strong season in the Pac-12. The Huskies had already notched wins against Stanford and Oregon State and were riding a four-game winning streak into Friday’s matchup (another one I know you missed; shame on you) with Washington State for the “Well, it’s raining again, I guess we should sit in the dark and listen to Nirvana” Cup. Yes, I know it’s the Apple Cup, but I’ve long wanted to be in charge of these obscure, regional trophy names and this is my chance. Given Washington State’s 2-9 start and the recent turmoil surrounding the program, it seemed the Huskies would finish their season in style. Instead, Washington State outscored their in-state rival 21-0 in the fourth quarter and overtime and earned, by far, its biggest win of the season along with a cup full of juicy apples and grey iPods filed with Nirvana tracks. Given the recent issues, this one was a pleasant way for Mike Leach and the Cougars to end the season.

1. In my first Breaking the Huddle, way back when I was just seeing some peach fuzz poke through the skin on my upper lip, I noted that I’d developed an affinity for Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell’s bruising style and durability. After all, in a season-opening win against Boise State, he took his 50 touches for 265 yards. He’s had a tremendous season since then, never seeming to wear down despite carrying the ball more than any back in the nation. But he never quite matched that level of output … until Saturday. His 35-carry, 266-yard day propelled the Spartans to a 26-10 win against Minnesota and, more fittingly, completed his set of 250-yard bookends to his tremendous season. Bell wasn’t the best back in the country this season statistically, but he may have been the most dependable given his heavy workload and heavy frame (244 pounds). Only a junior, it’ll be interesting to see if the big back decides to endure more punishment at the collegiate level next year.
2. Did everyone circle Duke-Miami (Fla.) on their calendars? No? Me neither and it pains me to say I missed what may have been the day’s most exciting game. How do I measure exciting? The game featured four touchdowns of 65 yards or more. Yes, four. And, no, Miami didn’t score all of them; Duke mustered a 99-yard catch and run. Three of the long scores – a 65-yard Duke Johnson scamper, a 72-yard Mike James catch and run and the aforementioned 99-yarder by Sean Renfree – came consecutively during only eight minutes of game time. I’m not going to dig up the history books to see how often something like that has happened, but safe to say that such a sequence is as rare as a good song by Taylor Swift. It was a down year in the ACC, but there were a slew of entertaining contests – Miami’s 52-45 win against Duke on Saturday was one of the best.
3. West Virginia’s year was a tad unconventional. Remember when they’d stormed out to a 5-0 start, climbed all the way up to No. 5 in the nation and Geno Smith’s name was already being engraved wherever the college football annals are? No, that wasn’t three years ago; it was October. Then the Big 12 hit the Mountaineers with the subtlety of a guillotine, the Mountaineers suffered five consecutive losses and in-game Heisman graphics no longer featured Mr. Smith’s picture. But, finally, after nearly two months of torment, West Virginia is back in the win column with a 31-24 victory against Iowa State. With Kansas on the schedule this week and a bowl game looming, the Mountaineers could scrape together eight wins and finish in the middle of the Big 12 pack despite their long losing streak. Three consecutive wins to close the season could have the same soothing effects of the Will Smith flashy thing – a short memory will be an asset before the Mountaineers second season in their new conference.

Welcome to championship Saturday. Follow these games this weekend and you’ll be better for it:

  
No. 3 Georgia
vs. No. 2 Alabama
4 p.m. ET

Welcome to your seventh-annual national semifinal, once again held in the beautiful Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. Some would scoff at my characterization of that facility, but I’m admittedly biased. Once again, whoever walks out of the Dome with the SEC title in tow will have earned the right to play for the national championship. The Dogs reached Keanu-Reeves-in-The-Matrix levels of dodging bullets this year by not having to square off against LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M or Mississippi State in the regular season. They haven’t squandered their good fortune, dropping only one game all year. But all UGA fans knew that, come December, facing one SEC West juggernaut would be unavoidable. On Saturday, we’ll find out of Georgia’s high ranking and impressive season are more a result of the lucky schedule or if the Dogs are worthy of competing for a national championship.  

  
No. 17 UCLA
vs. No. 8 Stanford 8 p.m. ET (Friday)

 I certainly hope that Jim Mora was playing as vanilla as possible on Saturday and the second installment of the battle of teams from the West with atypical mascots will be more compelling than the first. The SEC title game is really the only one that matters from a national standpoint, but the Pac-12 championship tilt is the highlight of the undercard. A USC-Oregon title matchup seemed preordained, but the conference has beaten up on itself all season. These two squads survived runs through what may be the nation’s second-best conference.

  
No. 23 Texas
at No. 7 Kansas State
8 p.m. ET

 Yes, Kansas State is still around. It may have been easy to forget about the Wildcats after Baylor tore their hearts out in Waco, Texas, and they spent rivalry week licking that gaping wound. Still, this is one of the best teams in the nation. On Saturday, the Wildcats have a chance to lock down their first conference title since 2003. It’s not the championship they wanted in Manhattan after a 10-0 start, but is a worthy consolation prize for the team that was the biggest surprise in the nation outside of South Bend. 

  
No. 14 Nebraska
vs. Wisconsin
8 p.m. ET

 The inaugural Big Ten title game was a thriller. Wisconsin pulled it out 42-39 after watching its big first-quarter lead slip away against the Spartans. This year, the Badgers, only 4-4 in the Big Ten, have a chance to defend their conference crown in Indianapolis thanks to Ohio State’s postseason ban. Nebraska only has two losses on the season – just one came in conference – and knocked off Wisconsin 30-27 in September. The Huskers should win their first title in their new conference, but if Gus is in the building yet again I wouldn’t rule out five overtimes and Lucas Oil Stadium taking off and flying into space at halftime.

For more information go to NCAA.com.

Eagles cut Jason Babin

The Philadelphia Eagles, in a midst of a seven-game losing streak and with their defense struggling, surprisingly released defensive end Jason Babin on Tuesday.

Babin told ESPN's "NFL Live" on Tuesday that his release caught him by surprise.
"Anytime your cell phone rings and it says Andy Reid, you know it's not good," he said.
He said Peyton Manning's release by the Colts last year proved that no player was untouchable, however.
"In the game of football, you can never be too sure of anything," he said.
Babin's release came after the team had earlier placed starting receiver DeSean Jackson on injured reserve with fractured ribs.
"We appreciate everything that Jason has given this team over the last couple of years. We wish him all the best as he continues his career," coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "By releasing him today, this gives us an opportunity to give more playing time to some of the younger guys in the defensive line rotation."

Babin, 32, had a career-best 18 sacks for the Eagles last season after re-signing with the team as a free agent two offseasons ago with a five-year, $28 million contract.
He had 5.5 sacks this season.
The Eagles fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo on Oct. 16, but Philadelphia has actually performed worse under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Philadelphia has allowed more than 30 points in four of the five games since Castillo's firing and 28 in the other -- all losses.
Babin said the Eagles' defensive struggles were a matter of execution and that Reid still had the respect of the Eagles' players.
"We were practiced hard, coached well and we just didh't execute as a whole," he said.
Babin sounded confident that he will soon find a new NFL home.
"I like to win, I like to compete and I like to sack the quarterback. I imagine there's a team out there looking for that," he said.
For more information go to ESPN.com .

Notre Dame waiting on winner of Alabama-Georgia in title game

Two years before the playoffs start in college football, the Southeastern Conference is staging a semifinal to determine who plays Notre Dame in the BCS title game.
Alabama (.9236) was second and Georgia (.8911) third in the BCS standings released Sunday. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs play Saturday in Atlanta for the SEC championship.
The winner will advance to the national championship game in Miami on Jan. 7 against the Fighting Irish (.9979), who locked up their spot Saturday with a 22-13 victory against Southern California.
“If you think about what the game means, this that and the other, it doesn’t really help you win the game,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “The only thing that helps you win the game is preparation and getting your mind ready to go to battle. That’s what you’ve got to do.”

BCS STANDINGS
Notre Dame is in the title game after being No. 1 in this week’s BCS standings. Check out the full rankings.

Florida (.8882) is fourth in the standings, but with no games left, looks stuck behind their SEC rivals. The good news for the Gators is they are likely to get an at-large BCS bid to the Sugar Bowl, while the SEC runner-up is out of the big games all together.
“For either one of these teams, it’s not really a great scenario,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
One way or another, the SEC will get a shot at its seventh consecutive BCS championship.
The Bowl Championship Series is in its second-to-last season. It will be replaced by a four-team playoff in 2014.
While the race for the BCS title game is now fairly straight forward heading into championship weekend in college football, there’s some intrigue to watch for involving potential BCS busters.
Kent State is 17th in the standings and Northern Illinois is 21st. They’ll meet in the Mid-American Conference championship game on Friday night in Detroit.
Because it is almost a certainty that the Big East champion — Louisville and Rutgers will determine who that is on Thursday night in New Jersey — will be ranked behind the MAC champion in the final BCS standings, if either Kent State or NIU can get into the top 16, they would receive an automatic BCS bid. The MAC has never sent a team to the BCS.
Neither Louisville nor Rutgers is in the BCS top 25 this week.
Boise State from the Mountain West is 20th in the standings and also still in the mix for that BCS buster bid if it can jump ahead of the MAC teams and into the first 16. The Broncos play Nevada on Saturday to earn a share of the MW title.
The team that could be hurt most if a BCS buster emerges is Oklahoma. The Sooners are sitting 11th in the standings with a game left against TCU. With another victory, they would seem to be in good shape to get into the BCS even if Kansas State clinches the Big 12 by beating Texas.
But that at-large spot could get gobbled up by a BCS buster.
Other BCS automatic bids will be determined this weekend in the Pac-12, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference.
UCLA plays at Stanford in the Pac-12 title game with the winner going to the Rose Bowl.
Wisconsin and Nebraska will play for the Big Ten’s Rose Bowl berth.
Florida State and Georgia Tech play for the ACC title and a spot in the Orange Bowl.
Oregon is fifth in the latest standings, and like Florida, done with its regular season and in good shape to receive an at-large BCS bid. At NCAA.com.

Irish eyes, still smiling, turn toward Atlanta

College football fans will have to wait two more seasons before they'll see a four-team playoff to decide the sport's national champion, but at least they'll get to watch a pseudo-national semifinal in Atlanta on Saturday.
After No. 1 Notre Dame beat USC 22-13 in Los Angeles on Saturday night, the Fighting Irish have punched their ticket to the Jan. 7 Discover BCS National Championship Game in Miami.
Whom will the Irish face?
That will be decided Saturday at the Georgia Dome, where No. 2 Alabama faces No. 3 Georgia in a winner-take-all SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide are trying to become the first consensus back-to-back national champion since Nebraska in 1994-95. The Bulldogs are trying to win their first national title since 1980.
The Fighting Irish will be among the interested parties closely following the action in Atlanta. They won't be the only ones paying close attention.
Just ask Harvey Updyke, the infamous Alabama fan who allegedly poisoned the beloved trees at Auburn's Toomer's Corner after the Tigers won the 2010 national title. He made an unsolicited telephone call to this humble correspondent from a psychiatric facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Sunday night.
Updyke said he has been a patient at Taylor-Hardin Secure Medical Facility, where doctors are evaluating whether he's fit to stand trial on criminal charges for poisoning the trees. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to charges that include criminal mischief and desecrating a venerable object. Updyke's trial was supposed to start in October, but the case has been delayed indefinitely.
So for now, Updyke will worry about Alabama's chances of winning it all again.
"I think Alabama can run it on Georgia," Updyke said. "The key to that game is who doesn't make mistakes, just like a lot of them. I feel confident that Alabama can run it on them."
Updyke said he was able to watch the Crimson Tide rout Auburn 49-0 in Saturday's Iron Bowl on TV from his hospital room.
"I thought it was great," Updyke said. "I got to watch it. When I was in the Auburn jail, they wouldn't let me watch [Alabama]. I missed the LSU game and the others."
There's not a chance he'll miss Saturday's game in Atlanta.
Here's the rest of the conference championship games you'll see this weekend:

ACC

Who: No. 13 Florida State (10-2, 7-1 ACC) vs. Georgia Tech (6-6, 5-3 ACC)
When: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/WatchESPN.com
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. What's at stake: The winner will win the ACC championship and earn the league's automatic bid to the Jan. 1 Discover Orange Bowl in Miami. If the Seminoles lose, they might fall to the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. If the Yellow Jackets lose, they'll probably fall to the Dec. 31 Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. If Georgia Tech loses, it would finish 6-7 and would need a waiver from the NCAA to play in a bowl game.
What to know: Both teams enter the game coming off deflating losses to their in-state rivals. Florida State fell to No. 4 Florida 37-26 at home Saturday; Georgia Tech was blown out 42-10 at No. 3 Georgia. FSU had won five games in a row before falling to the Gators; Georgia Tech had won three in a row before losing to the Bulldogs.
Georgia Tech earned a spot in the ACC championship game by winning the Coastal Division after Miami banned its team from playing in the postseason because of an ongoing NCAA investigation. Oddly enough, the ACC foes haven't met since the Yellow Jackets won 49-44 during former FSU coach Bobby Bowden's final season in 2009. Georgia Tech's triple-option spread offense ranks No. 3 nationally in rushing with 323.3 yards per game; FSU ranks No. 4 nationally in run defense, allowing only 85 yards per game.
Player to watch: Florida State had one of the country's most ferocious defensive lines, before losing ends Brandon Jenkins and Cornellius "Tank" Carradine to injuries. They still have end Bjoern Werner, who combined with Carradine for 17 tackles, four sacks, five tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in the loss to the Gators. Werner, who is affectionately known as the "Germanator" by teammates and fans, is tied with South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney for most sacks among FBS players with 13.
Prediction: Florida State 38, Georgia Tech 17

Big Ten

Who: No. 12 Nebraska (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten) vs. Wisconsin (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten)
When: Saturday, 8:17 p.m. ET on Fox
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis What's at stake: The winner wins a Big Ten championship and the league's automatic bid to the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio in Pasadena, Calif. If Nebraska loses, it might fall to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando on New Year's Day. The Badgers, who are playing for a third consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl, might fall to the Jan. 1 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., if they lose.
What to know: The teams battled in one of the Big Ten's best games on Sept. 29, when the Cornhuskers rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Badgers 30-27 at home. After falling behind 27-10 early in the third quarter, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez rallied his team to four consecutive scoring drives. Nebraska won after Badgers tailback Montee Ball was stuffed on fourth-and-1 and fumbled at the Wisconsin 49 with one minute to play.
Martinez completed 17 of 29 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns, while running 13 times for 107 yards with one score in the first meeting. The Cornhuskers won their last six games to win the Legends Division; the Badgers dropped three of their last four games. Wisconsin finished third in the Leaders Division, but is playing in the Big Ten championship game because Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible to play in the postseason because of NCAA sanctions.
Player to watch: Ball got off to a slow start this season after missing much of training camp because of a concussion, but he was red hot in the final two months of the regular season, running for 100 yards or more in six of his final seven games. He ran for 247 yards with three touchdowns in a 38-14 win at Purdue on Oct. 13, and then set an NCAA record with his 79th career touchdown in a 24-21 overtime loss at Penn State on Saturday. Ball ranks eighth nationally among FBS players with 127.3 rushing yards per game.
Prediction: Nebraska 24, Wisconsin 17

Conference USA

Who: UCF (9-3, 7-1 Conference USA) vs. Tulsa (9-3, 7-1 Conference USA)
When: Saturday, noon ET on ESPN2/WatchESPN.com
Where: H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, Okla. What's at the stake: The winner earns the league's automatic bid to the Dec. 31 AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis. If the Knights lose, they could fall to the Dec. 21 Beef 'O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla. If the Golden Hurricane lose, they could fall to the Dec. 29 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas.
What to know: The teams met just over two weeks ago, with the Golden Hurricane winning 23-21 at home Nov. 17. Tulsa quarterback Cody Green threw three touchdown passes to Keyarris Garrett, helping Tulsa take a 23-14 lead into the fourth quarter. The Knights pulled to within 23-21 on Latavius Murray's 2-yard run with 9:01 left, but the Golden Hurricane took possession and ran nearly seven minutes off the clock.
Green completed 21 of 34 passes for 252 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. It will be the third time UCF and Tulsa have played in the C-USA championship game; the Golden Hurricane won 44-27 in the inaugural game in 2005, and the Knights won 44-25 in 2007.
Player to watch: UCF receiver Quincy McDuffie, a senior from Orlando, is one of the most explosive players in Conference USA. He has run 16 times for 163 yards with three touchdowns; caught 27 passes for 342 yards with two scores; and averages 34.3 yards on 16 kickoff returns, third-best among FBS players. McDuffie tied an NCAA record by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns (97 and 98 yards) in a 54-17 win over Marshall on Oct. 27.
Prediction: UCF 20, Tulsa 19

Mid-American Conference

Who: No. 21 Northern Illinois (11-1, 8-0 MAC) vs. No. 17 Kent State (11-1, 8-0 MAC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/WatchESPN.com
Where: Ford Field, Detroit What's at stake: The winner takes the MAC championship and probably earns a trip back to Detroit for the Dec. 26 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, which gets the first pick among MAC teams this season. There's a chance that No. 17 Kent State might qualify for a BCS at-large spot if it beats the Huskies and Stanford defeats UCLA in the Pac-12 title game. If the MAC champ finishes in the top 16 of the final BCS standings and is ranked ahead of the champion of an AQ league (the Big East), it would be an automatic selection under BCS rules. The loser probably ends up going to the Jan. 6 GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
What to know: The Huskies, who will appear in their third straight MAC championship game, have won 11 consecutive games since losing to Iowa 18-17 in their opener. Last season, Northern Illinois won its first football league championship in 28 years with a 23-20 win over Ohio. The Huskies rank No. 1 in the MAC in rushing (245 yards per game), total offense (482.6 yards) and scoring offense (40.5 points). Kent State won the MAC East for the first time and is off to its best start in 90 years. The Golden Flashes' only loss was a 47-14 defeat at Kentucky on Sept. 8; they've won 10 games in a row, including a 35-23 upset of then-No. 15 Rutgers on the road on Oct. 27.
Player to watch: Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, a junior from Chicago, is the best Heisman Trophy candidate from outside an FBS conference, and his numbers easily rival those of Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel and Kansas State's Collin Klein.
Lynch ranks No. 5 nationally in rushing (134.2 yards), No. 3 in total offense (363.4 yards) and No. 12 in pass efficiency (157.3 rating). Lynch broke an NCAA record for quarterbacks with more than 100 rushing yards in each of the past 10 games, and he has thrown 16 touchdowns with only one interception in his past eight games.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 34, Kent State 31

Pac-12

Who: No. 16 UCLA (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12) vs. No. 8 Stanford (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12)
When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET on Fox
Where: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, Calif. What's at stake: The winner takes home the Pac-12 championship and earns a trip to the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio. The Cardinal last played in the Rose Bowl in 2000; the Bruins haven't played in the Grandaddy of 'Em All since 1999. The loser of Friday night's game probably ends up in the Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.
What to know: The Bruins and Cardinal will play for the second time in six days, after Stanford won 35-17 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday to win the Pac-12 North and set up a rematch. Cardinal running back Stepfan Taylor ran for 142 yards with two touchdowns, and quarterback Kevin Hogan passed for 160 yards with another score.
The Cardinal outgained the Bruins 381-334 in total yardage and forced two turnovers. UCLA's offensive line really struggled to contain Stanford's pass rush, as quarterback Brett Hundley was sacked seven times. Stanford has won four consecutive games over UCLA.
Player to watch: Taylor has helped lead the Cardinal to six consecutive victories, running for 100 yards or more in each of the past three contests. He has run for 1,364 yards with 11 touchdowns this season, while catching 32 passes for 215 yards with two more scores. Taylor has run for 4,134 yards in his career and needs 36 yards to break Darrin Nelson's school record of 4,169 set from 1977 to 1981.
Prediction: Stanford 28, UCLA 24

SEC

Who: No. 2 Alabama (11-1, 7-1 SEC) vs. No. 3 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on CBS
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta What's at stake: The winner takes home the SEC championship and earns a date against No. 1 Notre Dame in the Jan. 7 Discover BCS National Championship Game in Miami. Alabama is playing for a chance to win back-to-back national championships; UGA is attempting to win its first national title since 1980. If Alabama loses, it might end up in the Cotton Bowl or Capital One Bowl in Orlando. Georgia could fall to the Capital One Bowl or Outback Bowl with a defeat.
What to know: The teams have nearly mirrored each other at times this season, relying on their stingy defenses and balanced offenses to win all but one game. Alabama lost to Texas A&M 29-24 at home on Nov. 10; Georgia was walloped 35-7 by South Carolina on the road on Oct. 6. UGA freshman tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall have combined to run for 1,858 yards with 22 touchdowns, and quarterback Aaron Murray leads FBS players in pass efficiency, completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 3,201 yards with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is No. 2 in pass efficiency, completing 67.2 percent of his attempts for 2,507 yards with 25 touchdowns and two picks. Tide tailbacks Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon combined to run for 1,848 yards with 24 touchdowns.
Player to watch: Georgia might have the best duo of linebackers in the country in juniors Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree. Jones, a USC transfer, is projected as the No. 1 prospect for next spring's NFL draft by ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.
Ogletree, who has played in only eight games because of a four-game suspension to start the season, is considered a potential top-15 pick. Ogletree leads the Dawgs with 87 tackles and has 7½ tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. Jones has 71 tackles, 19½ tackles for loss, 10½ sacks, one interception, six forced fumbles and 30 quarterback hurries.
Prediction: Georgia 24, Alabama 21

Bowl math

With 35 bowl games this season, there are 70 available slots for teams to play in the postseason. With one week to go in the regular season, exactly 70 teams are bowl-eligible and three others that are still alive to play in the postseason. Here's a league-by-league breakdown:
ACC
Bowl-eligible teams: 5
Still alive: 1
Eliminated: 6
Bowl slots: 8
With a 17-14 victory over rival Virginia on Saturday, Virginia Tech finished 6-6 and extended its string of consecutive bowl games to 19, third longest in the country. With North Carolina being ineligible for the postseason because of NCAA sanction, and Miami self-imposing a ban, half of the ACC will miss bowl games. Georgia Tech will finish 6-7 if it loses to Florida State in Saturday's ACC championship game, but can still play in a bowl game if the NCAA approves its waiver.
Big 12
Bowl-eligible teams: 9
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 1
Bowl slots: 8
After Baylor and West Virginia became bowl eligible on Saturday, the Big 12 figures to have all but one of its teams in bowl games this postseason. There probably will be just enough spots in its bowl allotment if Kansas State and Oklahoma are both invited to BCS bowl games.
Big East
Bowl-eligible teams: 4
Still alive: 2
Eliminated: 2
Bowl slots: 6
UConn and Pittsburgh pulled off big upsets Saturday to keep their postseason hopes alive. The Panthers improved to 5-6 by upsetting No. 18 Rutgers 27-6 at home and now must win at USF on Saturday to go bowling. The Huskies upset No. 20 Louisville 23-20 in three overtimes and must beat Cincinnati at home Saturday to finish 6-6.
Big Ten
Bowl-eligible teams: 7
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 5
Bowl slots: 8
Purdue and Michigan State became bowl eligible with victories on Saturday. The Boilermakers defeated rival Indiana 56-35 at home, but coach Danny Hope was still fired Sunday. Hope had a 22-27 record in four seasons at Purdue.
Conference USA
Bowl-eligible teams: 5
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 7
Bowl slots: 5 It was a big day for Conference USA's bowl hopes as two more teams became bowl eligible. SMU upset Tulsa 35-27 to get to 6-6, and Rice also finished .500 with a 33-24 victory at UTEP. Marshall just missed the postseason, finishing 5-7 after a 65-59 loss at East Carolina in double overtime.
Independents
Bowl-eligible teams: 3
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 1
Bowl slots: 3
No. 1 Notre Dame is going to the BCS National Championship Game after defeating USC, and Navy and BYU are penciled in for the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Dec. 29 and San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20, respectively.
Mid-American Conference
Bowl-eligible teams: 7
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 5
Bowl slots: 8
It might be a banner postseason for the MAC, which had a seventh team become bowl-eligible Saturday. Central Michigan improved to 6-6 with a 42-21 victory at UMass, but there might not be an open bid for the Chippewas when the dust settles.
Mountain West
Bowl-eligible teams: 5
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 5
Bowl slots: 5
The only question remaining in the Mountain West is where the top three teams end up, after Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State finished in a three-way tie for first place in the standings, with the Broncos still facing a visit to Nevada on Saturday. Boise State is the odds-on favorite to land in Las Vegas, with San Diego State probably going to the hometown Poinsettia Bowl and Fresno State going to Hawaii (not a bad consolation prize).
Pac-12
Bowl-eligible teams: 8
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 4
Bowl slots: 7
The Pac-12 won't be part of the BCS championship game, but three-fourths of its teams will be playing in bowl games. The Pac-12 has one too many bowl teams for its allotment, but the Pac-12 champion (Stanford or UCLA) and Oregon should be invited to BCS bowl games, which will leave enough spots for the other six teams.
SEC
Bowl-eligible teams: 9
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 5
Bowl slots: 8
Ole Miss was the last SEC team to become bowl eligible with a convincing 41-24 victory over rival Mississippi State in Saturday's Egg Bowl. Missouri was eliminated from the postseason after losing to Texas A&M 59-29.
Sun Belt
Bowl-eligible teams: 5
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 5
Bowl slots: 2
The Sun Belt might see as many as four of its teams go bowling, but there's a chance Western Kentucky might be left out for the second year in a row. The Hilltoppers dropped three of their past four games, but beat North Texas 25-24 to go 7-5 for the second straight season.
Western Athletic
Bowl-eligible teams: 3
Still alive: 0
Eliminated: 4
Bowl slots: 1
Utah State won the WAC and has accepted an invitation to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Louisiana Tech and San Jose State are left looking for a postseason home. Texas-San Antonio finished 8-4, but is ineligible for the postseason because it's making the transition to FBS.
At NCAA.com.

Irish one win away from Miami With a victory at USC Saturday, Notre Dame heads to title game

Like the film, Memento – see it if you haven’t, you’ll need a pen and paper and, perhaps, some Tylenol – we’d need to watch Saturday unfold backwards in order for it to all make sense. But we can’t. So, like the movie, the day’s plot will happen in reverse, making it all the more compelling and confusing. We won’t know what the stakes are for all of those rivalry games we watch before the sun goes down until we know what happens on Saturday night in Southern California. So, until Notre Dame and USC take the field at 8 p.m. ET, every twist and turn of the plot could be important…or completely irrelevant.
Should Notre Dame beat USC on Saturday night to preserve its undefeated record, all the games played throughout the day – the ones highlighted below in this very column – will be rendered moot. A Notre Dame win means that the Irish will be one of the two combatants in the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Miami and that the efforts of all the other teams fighting for that spot Saturday afternoon – namely Florida, Florida State and Oregon (Kansas State is off this week) – will be for naught.
What about the other spot? Assuming Georgia and Alabama handle their respective business on Saturday against swooning rivals Georgia Tech and Auburn, the winner of their SEC title clash is assured to take the trip down to Miami.
So the afternoon’s complicated plot – centered around rivalry games in Corvallis and Tallahassee – won’t make sense until about 11 p.m. on the East Coast, once our story told backward reaches the end (or is it the beginning?)
And the protagonist of the day’s story – or antagonist if you plan on wearing green on Saturday – will be an enigma, a freshman quarterback with nine collegiate passes to his name. Last week, as he left the Rose Bowl, Matt Barkley’s arm was in a sling thanks to a separated shoulder and his Heisman candidacy was a on a stretcher thanks to 15 interceptions and four losses. So now his freshman understudy Max Wittek will see what sort of damage he can do with some of the nation’s most dangerous weapons – Marqise Lee, more than a weapon, is the red button on the President’s desk personified – against the nation’s top scoring defense.
Certainly the inexperienced freshman can’t match what Barkley – who has thrown 116 career touchdowns – could have done against the Irish, right? Really, we have no idea. Perhaps the Irish will underestimate him. Perhaps the Irish will be overwhelmed by the pressure that comes with being favored to add that elusive 12th win. Perhaps Wittek can step in and outperform Barkley, who, despite his prolific career, has thrown the second-most interceptions in the nation this year. We have no way of knowing how these variables will influence the game.
By Saturday night, Wittek will have gone from obscure backup to most important man in college football, the man that fans in Gainesville, Fla. and Eugene, Ore. and Manhattan, Kan. will cheer like one of their own. A day’s – a season’s – worth of drama will be in his hands. If he succeeds, the twisting plot we watched unfold on Saturday will matter. If he doesn’t, the day’s only scene that we’ll care about is the last one – the one that ends with unblemished gold helmets held aloft.


Florida and Florida State enter their annual showdown both ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2000 when the No. 3 Seminoles bested the No. 4 Gators 30-7. Don’t expect that sort of lopsided outcome this week – both squads stand in the top four nationally in total defense. That’s a far cry from the peak of the rivalry when it took at least 30 points and a few cans of rocket fuel to seal the win. Though this one’s being played in ACC country, it may end up looking more like an SEC West tilt if those monstrous defensive lines keep having their way. The winner wraps up the season with one loss and a computer-pleasing late-season win over a top-10 opponent. Florida, No. 4 right now in the BCS, has the best chance of sneaking into the national title game with a win.
Remember when Oregon was cruising to championship game and we thought the rest of the Pac-12 was just a distant reflection in those chrome helmets? Now, thanks to a kick that missed its target by, literally, a couple of inches, the Ducks need quite a lot to go their way if they’re going to fly to Miami. It’s amazing that years of tremendous recruiting, an entire season of practices and games spent honing, arguably, the nation’s most precise offense and incessant praise from pundits and voters can be wiped away when a kick clangs backwards off of a goalpost rather than caroming through. But that’s what happened to Oregon last week against Stanford. So now the Ducks need to beat Oregon State, have Notre Dame lose, have UCLA knock off Stanford and have Florida State best Florida. And that’s just on Saturday. Then, the Ducks would have to beat UCLA in the Pac-12 title game. And then, maybe, just maybe, they’d earn their shot at the crystal football. But step one in that long string of events is no simple task. The Beavers are undefeated at home this year and, like Stanford, lean on a sturdy defense for survival. This Oregon team can’t lose two straight, can it? Likely not, but stranger things have happened in rivalry games – Oregon State is certainly no also-ran and would love nothing more than to snuff out big brother’s lofty hopes.
Can we just call this Stanford-UCLA I? And, unlike boxing, we won’t have to wait six months and endure staged animosity and gaudy pinky rings at the weigh in before the rematch. Should the Cardinal win this one, Stanford will host the Pac-12 title game next week against, you guessed it, UCLA. The Bruins are coming off the biggest win of Jim Mora’s brief tenure by knocking off cross-town rival and perceived big brother USC in convincing fashion. The Bruins are at home for this one, but with the win over the Trojans in the rearview mirror and a berth in the Pac 12 title game locked up, might motivation, or lack thereof, be a factor here? And, if you had the choice, which UCLA does, who would you rather play with a championship on the line: Oregon or Stanford? Should the Bruins go all out and pick up the win, they’ll draw Oregon, but if they take it easy on Saturday, maybe deciding to keep a few tricks in the bag, then we’ll get to see Stanford-UCLA II next week.
Saturday marks the first-annual, “wait, they’re both in the SEC?” bowl when Missouri travels to College Station to take on the Manziels…sorry, I meant the Aggies. (When I was looking for Texas A&M on an online database earlier, I hit control+F and accidentally started typing “Manziel”. I’m serious.) The new Heisman frontrunner – a freshman, in case you forgot – is not the whole team, but sometimes it certainly feels like it. He has, after all, gone over 250 passing yards and 90 rushing yards in the same game seven times this season. Yes, I repeat, he’s a freshman. Rather than getting beat up, A&M seemed to enjoy its inaugural run through the nation’s toughest conference, dropping only two games along the way and, of course, there was that little upset they pulled in Tuscaloosa. How has Missouri enjoyed its first season down South? Just take everything I said about A&M and flip it. The Tigers were able to knock off Tennessee, but beyond that overtime win, the SEC has been about as kind to the new kid in town as expected. Things won’t get much easier against their fellow conference newbie.
Can Urban Meyer go undefeated in his first year at Ohio State? Does it even matter if he can? We know it can’t earn the Buckeyes a title shot thanks to a postseason ban, but what does this year teach us about next year? Should the rest of the nation fear Ohio State? Should we expect more of the same? A 12-0 season is certainly nothing to scoff at, especially considering Meyer did it with a team coming off of a 6-7 season and with only one of his own recruiting classes, but his players never had to play amid the same pressures that fractured K-State, Oregon and Alabama’s perfect seasons in the last two weeks. Would the Buckeyes have been able to sneak away with close victories against Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin if they knew any mistake would mean a loss and any loss might snuff out a run at the national title? Would playcalling have been the same? How much easier does that lack of big-picture pressure make games for players and coaches? Really, we won’t know until next year. And we’ll never know if this year’s 12-0 would’ve happened if the crystal football loomed over every game, every decision. But, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself; the Buckeyes are 11-0 now. This week, they have to finish the job at home against rival Michigan. But given the nerve issue in Denard Robinson’s arm and starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint’s broken leg, Michigan’s offensive firepower, and chances of derailing the perfect Buckeyes season, are significantly hampered.


Thanks to the holiday, there are a slew of games on Friday. Fantastic – it’s a good excuse for getting out of being dragged to the mall at 4 a.m. only to be trampled by the sweater-wearing masses, right? Well, if you do stay home, you’ll be lulled to sleep by a healthy dose of tryptophan and “meh”-inducing games. I can dig for a nice storyline in most contests, but the only one thing that will tantalize me through most of the day on Friday will be the leftovers. But, if you don’t mind staying up late, Arizona State traveling to Arizona will be a nice nightcap. With quality new head coaches at the helm, the teams have already combined for 13 wins (only 10 last year) and a bunch of points (both are averaging more than 36 per game). This is the first edition of what could develop into a nice little rivalry between a pair of programs grappling for renown.
I’m not supposed to play favorites, but I think the bosses will let this one slide. Everyone should be cheering for Southern Miss this weekend. Why? The Golden Eagles are the lone winless FBS team. Saturday’s trip to Memphis marks their last chance at putting a mark in the column on the left. And this isn’t coming after years of mediocrity – last season, the Golden Eagles went 12-2, including a Hawaii Bowl win against Nevada.
Rutgers and Maryland to the Big Ten? I won’t criticize any schools’ reasons for moving – they’ve all got to do what they feel are in the best interest of their institutions – but our conference maps are getting messier every season. I’m not old-fashioned, I just like a little geographic order and the rivalries that sprout due to proximity. This constant game of conference musical chairs seems to only be getting started – the Big Ten should probably change its name to “The Big Even Number that Will Probably Be Bigger Next Year” while the Big East may have to just settle for “East” as the conference regroups. No storied rivalries were destroyed with these moves, but I’m sure we’ll lose some important ones soon. A few superconferences might make things more orderly in the long run, but improvement will certainly come with a price. At NCAA.com.