College Football 2017 Week 13 running thread

[Steak Snabler]

The most interesting games and lines for Week 13. All point spreads from Vegas Insider and all times Eastern.

Thursday

Ole Miss (+16) at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday

Miami (-14) at Pittsburgh, noon, ABC

Navy (+4.5) at Houston, noon, ESPN

Missouri (-11) at Arkansas, 2:30 p.m., CBS

South Florida (+11) at Central Florida, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Iowa (-3) at Nebraska, 4 p.m., Fox Sports 1

Virginia Tech (-7) at Virginia, 8 p.m., ESPN

Texas Tech (+10.5) at Texas, 8 p.m., Fox

California (+7) at UCLA, 10:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1

Saturday

Georgia (-11) at Georgia Tech, noon, ABC

Florida State (-5) at Florida, noon, ESPN

Ohio State (-11) at Michigan, noon, Fox

Louisville (-10) at Kentucky, noon, SEC Network

Wisconsin (-17) at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Alabama (-4) at Auburn, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Iowa State (+3) at Kansas State, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

Arizona (pick ’em) at Arizona State, 3:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network

Boise State (-7) at Fresno State, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network

Vanderbilt (+1) at Tennessee, 4 p.m., SEC Network

Clemson (-14) at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Texas A&M (+10.5) at LSU, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network

Washington State (+9.5) at Washington, 8 p.m., Fox

Notre Dame (-2.5) at Stanford, 8 p.m., ABC

 

[Chef2]

Been waiting for this week for......well 13 weeks.
ye olde chef's predictions.
Alabama and Clemson both lose.

Tech (+10.5)
Washington State (+9.5)
Kansas State (-3)
Ohio State (-11)
Kentucky (+10)
Auburn (+4)
South Carolina (+14)

 

[LongTimeListener]

Notre Dame at Stanford can't get on the board? Tough crowd.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Steak, is that Ole Miss-State line right? Ole Miss giving 16 on the road?

 

[Steak Snabler]

Notre Dame at Stanford can't get on the board? Tough crowd.

Oops. Skipped right over it. It's been added.

Steak, is that Ole Miss-State line right? Ole Miss giving 16 on the road?

Fixed. Thanks.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I think Clemson and Ohio State are giving too much on the road against decent traditional rivals. Giving away so much I'll bet against them? Not a question I'm likely to answer today.

 

[TyWebb]

Oops. Skipped right over it. It's been added.



Fixed. Thanks.

It is tough to keep that high level of performance going for 13 straight weeks. I don't think the committee will look too harshly on you.

 

[I Should Coco]

Iowa-Nebraska bumped from its usual ABC slot on Friday morning ... probably because the teams have 10 wins between them.

But for those who watch, keep an eye on Hawkeye linebacker Josey Jewell, No. 43.

A good feature story on him and his family's turkey farm in northeast Iowa: How turkeys -- yes, turkeys -- helped shape the legend of Iowa's Josey Jewell

"Turkeys aren't the smartest animals," Jewell notes.

 

[HanSenSE]

Boise State traveling to Fresno State this week, and will likely host the Bulldogs next week in the MW title game.

 

[TyWebb]

I've been reading about how Georgia Tech is scrambling to schedule a 12th game because their game against UCF was canceled due to Hurricane Irma. The scramble is seemingly because they are 5-5 and, barring an upset win over Georgia, will not be bowl eligible.

My question is this: Is it really worth it to a program to force an unnecessary non-conference game into the schedule in order to make a bottom-tier bowl? How much of a boon it is to a program, if at all, to reach one of these mid-December bowls?

 

[Neutral Corner]

Probably the biggest benefit to a lower tier bowl would be the extra days of practice the team gets.

 

[Matt1735]

I'm surprised Florida didn't try to do the same. Even with no new coach yet.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Pretty funny that Ga. Tech is citing Irma as the excuse considering the cancellation was an almost guaranteed loss against Central Florida.

 

[TyWebb]

Pretty funny that Ga. Tech is citing Irma as the excuse considering the cancellation was an almost guaranteed loss against Central Florida.

It does make you wonder if UCF had played and beaten Georgia Tech, would their resume be good enough to at least get them in the playoff discussion? Or at least a team that would get a strong look with some chaos in the next two weeks? I still think they are left out, but a convincing win over a Power 5 team would definitely look good on the resume.

 

[trifectarich]

Probably the biggest benefit to a lower tier bowl would be the extra days of practice the team gets.

5-5 teams usually need better players, not more practice.

 

[DanOregon]

I've been reading about how Georgia Tech is scrambling to schedule a 12th game because their game against UCF was canceled due to Hurricane Irma. The scramble is seemingly because they are 5-5 and, barring an upset win over Georgia, will not be bowl eligible.

My question is this: Is it really worth it to a program to force an unnecessary non-conference game into the schedule in order to make a bottom-tier bowl? How much of a boon it is to a program, if at all, to reach one of these mid-December bowls?

Teams have "bought" bowl games before with ticket guarantees. But Tech has already won a game against an FCS team, and I don't know how many FBS teams have lost a game (most scrubbed their FCS gams to reschedule a conference or FBS non-con) that have another game to give.
As for the bowl payout - it doesn't matter - their expenses are covered by the conference and all conference members divide the net proceeds - though some schools do pony up for extra trinkets.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Florida vs. Ga. Tech! Problem solved! Good game, too.

 

[tapintoamerica]

It does make you wonder if UCF had played and beaten Georgia Tech, would their resume be good enough to at least get them in the playoff discussion? Or at least a team that would get a strong look with some chaos in the next two weeks? I still think they are left out, but a convincing win over a Power 5 team would definitely look good on the resume.

In light of the committee's ranking -- 15th ?! -- nothing would have made UCF credible to them. I'm not saying they deserve to be in the top eight, but they are undefeated against a schedule currently ranked 53rd. Oklahoma is 79th and Wisconsin 68th.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

In light of the committee's ranking -- 15th ?! -- nothing would have made UCF credible to them. I'm not saying they deserve to be in the top eight, but they are undefeated against a schedule currently ranked 53rd. Oklahoma is 79th and Wisconsin 68th.

The committee will never ever ever again rank a non power conference team high enough to be an issue for itself, even if it beats Ohio State or Alabama in September. It's got enough troubles dealing with the five conferences four teams issue.

 

[UPChip]

College football's favorite crazy uncle calls in from Pullman with advice for the engaged...