College football Week 14 thread

I had to double-check, but research indicates that there is in fact more than one game this week.

Here’s what’s on the agenda (all times Eastern) …

Tuesday

Western Michigan (+35) at Northern Illinois, 7 p.m., ESPN2 --- Huskies still in hunt for second straight BCS bid.

Thursday

Texas Tech (+4) at Texas, 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 --- Texas should go ahead and tank so they can fire Mack Brown in good conscience.

Ole Miss at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN --- No line yet, presumably due to health of MSU’s QBs. Blitz’s Bulldogs need a win to be bowl-eligible.

Friday

Iowa (+3) at Nebraska, noon, ABC --- Second place in the Legends Division (and presumably an Outback Bowl berth) on in the line in Lincoln

East Carolina (+3) at Marshall, Noon, CBS Sports Network --- Winner is C-USA East champion.

Bowling Green (-1.5) at Buffalo, 1:30 p.m., ESPNU --- Winner is MAC East champion.

Arkansas (+24.5) at LSU, 2:30 p.m., CBS --- Can Razorbacks go a perfect 0-8 in the SEC?

Fresno State (-9) at San Jose State, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network --- See Western Michigan at Northern Illinois.

Washington State (+14.5) at Washington, 3:30 p.m., Fox --- Mmmm, apples.

Oregon State at Oregon, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1 --- No line, no one cares.

South Florida (+26.5) at UCF, 7 p.m., ESPN --- Golden Knights clinch a share of AAC title with a win, for whatever that’s worth.

Saturday

Florida State at Florida, noon, ESPN --- No line yet, perhaps Jameis Winston-related.

Minnesota (+14.5) at Michigan State, noon, Big Ten Network --- Sparty warms up for OSU.

Ohio State (-13.5) at Michigan, noon, ABC --- Buckeyes try to hold serve, then hope Bama or FSU slips up.

Duke (+5) at North Carolina, noon, ESPN2 --- Dukies clinch the Coastal with a win. Tar Heels are favored???

Southern Miss (+14.5) at UAB, 1 p.m. --- Golden Eagles going for 0-and-24. No TV, because that would just be cruel. Whatever crowd there is will be gone by halftime, or watching Bama-Auburn in the parking lot.

Alabama (-10.5) at Auburn, 3:30 p.m., CBS --- First time both have been in the Top 5 for this game since 1971.

Georgia (-3) at Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ABC --- More interesting, or at least more competitive, with Murray out.

Notre Dame (+14) at Stanford, 7 p.m., Fox --- Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Clemson (+5) at South Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN2 --- Gamecocks could either get a month off or be preparing to face Bama/Auburn winner next week.

Texas A&M (+4.5) at Missouri, 7:45 p.m., ESPN --- Tigers need a win to go to Atlanta.

UCLA (+3.5) at USC, 8 p.m., ABC --- This could have been a lot more interesting with one more Bruins TD last week.

Arizona (+12) at Arizona State, 9:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network --- Sun Devils try to avoid a letdown, then get ready for Stanford.

 

This might have been part of Florida's problem vs. Georgia Southern:

 

Is ASU all hat and no boots, or criminally underrated? I have to believe the latter. The USA Today Poll has them 18th, behind such luminaries as Louisville, Oklahoma and three-loss LSU. Can you imagine a 9-2 SEC team -- with wins over three currently ranked teams, and two others ranked earlier in the season -- sitting at No. 18? Bullshit.

FYI Arizona State's been to two Rose Bowls, but three times (1982, 1995, 1997) losses against the Wildcats kept them out. We'll see what kind of spoiler UofA can play, given the right to host the Pac-12 Championship Game is on the line.

 

They are criminals, but I don't know if they're underrated. They got killed by Stanford (it was 29-0 at halftime) and they lost to Notre Dame, which is no great shakes. They also lost to Wisconsin except their refs pulled some sleight of hand.

Not much on the resume in their favor. UCLA was a good win. USC doesn't count since that was with Kiffin.

 

The Sun Devils lost to an average Notre Dame team at a neutral site and needed a botched official's call to beat Wisconsin in Tempe. I'd say they are properly rated.

EDIT: LTL beat me to it.

 

In honor of the Egg Bowl returning to Thanksgiving night, it's worth noting that this is the 30th anniversary of the famous "Hand of God" field goal that preserved an Ole Miss win in the 1983 edition.
This is a news highlight clip of the game. The field goal is at the beginning and not shown again, but it's better quality video than the clip of the field goal itself.

Still one of the most amazing football-related things I've ever seen. Or one of the most amazing physics-related things I've ever seen. An object in motion simply should not act that way.

 

That is the most entertaining kick ever. Wow! I had never seen that.

 

Valid points re: ASU. It's just striking to see those three teams, none of whom lived up to preseason expectations, ranked ahead of them.

 

Yep, also known as the "Immaculate Deflection." A 40-mph crosswind by some estimates ...

 

This is rivalry week. As an old-school guy, there are several historically significant games that I wish were still being played. Among them: Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, Texas vs. Texas A&M, Kansas vs. Missouri and Penn State vs. Pittsburgh.

If Florida and Florida State can find a way to play every year (as do Georgia-Georgia Tech and Clemson-South Carolina), those guys should, too. And there should be a constitutional amendment mandating Army and Navy play every year.

 

They are better than they have been in a past, which is not saying much, but I think this coach is much better for them to move forward with than what they have had in the past 15-20 years.

They are ranked correctly. That UCLA game was on the road and they also crushed Washington.

 

I'll be on a plane during the second half of the Mizzou game. So if Mizzou should go about doing Mizzou things, I'll be in a state of blissful ignorance until my flight lands.