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Things are getting serious and each game listed this week features nationally ranked teams jockeying for position with conference or national championship implications on the line. This is what Saturdays are all about.
Most of the cakewalk games have already been played and now teams are beginning to jockey for position for coveted post-season invitations. The games are about to become more interesting and the stakes are becoming higher. Squads with post-season aspirations are going to have to begin making their moves soon. That means we, the fans, should be in store for some good Saturday afternoon action over the next few weeks.
West Virginia (23) @ Oklahoma (15) 12:00 Noon Eastern Fox Sports 1
The Big 12 offers up the day's opening salvo of top action, as a pair of 3-0 conference foes meet in Norman. Both of these schools favor a wide open air assault as a significant part of their game plan, but the difference maker could be that the Mountaineers also believe in playing defense. They don't get much heat up front, but their secondary does play the ball very well. The Sooners were projected to be a top tier school in the conference, but the upstarts from back east have an opportunity in this game to say "Hold on, not so fast! We are in this thing too!" The fact that Oklahoma has some trouble keeping opponents out of the endzone makes me think that the underdogs are going to win this one. The spread is seven, and that sounds right to me, but it will be the visitors who celebrate on the Sooners home turf.
Alabama (13) @ Georgia (8) 3:30 PM Eastern CBS
You knew the SEC would figure into this weekend. There are too many ranked teams in the conference to keep them out of the picture. Florida calls its home turf the swamp, but that could also be applied to Sanford Stadium this weekend. The field should be fully saturated by the time this one kicks off and the rain is not expected to stop. This is going to be one of those old fashioned "man up and play" encounters that will come down to who can handle the elements better. Both schools like to play straight-ahead tough guy football, so this one is going to be tough. The oddsmakers are calling the Bulldogs the favorites, and I agree.
Ole Miss (3) @ Florida (25) 7:00 PM Eastern ESPN2
Since I mentioned the Swamp, we are going to take a look at the Gators as they host the front running favorites in the SEC West, the Ole Miss Rebels. It looks like Florida has an outbreak of the flu on campus, and starting QB Will Grier is one of the victims. It is not clear if he will be able to go, but back up Treon Harris was the starter until being suspended last week.Either passer will have his hands full against a very talented Rebel defense. That D is one of the best in college football. That is the biggest reason that Ole Miss is a touchdown favorite on the road. Look for them to cover the spread and more on Saturday night.
Mississippi State (21) @ Texas A&M (14) 7:30 PM Eastern SEC Network/ESPN3
Kyle Field, the true home of the 12th man, is a tough venue on any given fall Saturday but this weekend look for it to be even more hostile than usual. The Aggies will be looking to avenge the loss they suffered at the hands of the Bulldogs last season. Mississippi State on the other hand will be trying to stave off a second conference defeat that would put them out of the running for the division crown in 2015. Both squads will be highly motivated for this one. The game should be a high-scoring affair with the home standing Aggies pulling out a close one.
My colleague, Tom Ryle, is a former student at Texas A&M . That might not be a help to the team on Saturday, but this just might get him a little fired up for the game.
Notre Dame (6) @ Clemson (12) 8:00 PM Eastern ABC
The Fighting Irish will invade Death Valley on Saturday night. The winner of this game will set themselves up in good position to make a run toward the playoffs at the end of the season. With the ACC being the #5 conference among the "Power Five" , the Tigers cannot afford to let an opportunity against a highly ranked opponent slip by. The only other highly touted foe they will face is Florida State. The Noles barely squeaked into the tournament last year with an unbeaten record. There is little chance that an ACC school with a blemished record will do so this season. With Notre Dame committed to five games against the same ACC schools but not a football member of the conference, the Irish have put themselves in similar straits. Clemson is a slight favorite at home but this one is a toss up.
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