College Football Weekend: Week 11 Preview and Predictions

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Hail, hail, Mountain West Conference.

College Football’s biggest little league continues to steal headlines from the big dogs of the BCS.

First, there was Utah’s 2005 Fiesta Bowl triumph over Pitt. Then came the Ute’s 2009 shocker against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Now, the Mountain West Conference presents TCU. And the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs aren’t just looking to pull a Utah and get into the best BCS bowl possible.

No, this team wants to play for a championship. A national championship, that is.

And the best part is: they’ve got a serious chance.

TCU finds itself ranked fourth in the BCS standings, which is the highest any non-BCS conference team has ever reached in those rankings.

And with only weeks left on the 2009 regular season, the Horned Frogs are no longer forced to hope and pray for extensive help from the teams above them.

The number one and number two-ranked teams, Florida and Alabama, will play each other in the SEC championship game, meaning at least one of them will finish the regular season with a loss.

Texas, ranked number two by the BCS, still has trap games against Kansas and at Texas A&M on the schedule, followed by a likely match-up with Nebraska in the Big 12 title game. Nebraska beat Oklahoma last weekend.

And it seems highly unlikely that any team behind the Frogs could, pardon the reference, hop over TCU in the standings. Neither Cincinnati nor Boise State has the strength of schedule to make that big of an impact on voters (or computers).

So, the fate of TCU may just lie in the hands of... TCU. Win out-and win impressively -and a trip to the BCS title game is a legitimate possibility.

It is fitting, of course, that the last major test for the Frogs would come against their Mountain West predecessor to BCS glory, the Utah Utes, in this weekend’s showcase game.

The Mountain West Conference continues to prove itself to be the best of the non-BCS conferences, even if most college football fans have failed to recognize it.

This bowl season, TCU may make it may be impossible to miss.

On to Week 11…

Five games you can’t miss this weekend:

5. No. 25 West Virginia at No. 5 Cincinnati (Fri. 8:00 EST, ESPN2)

What an intriguing situation the Bearcats find themselves.

For most of the season, they had an outside Heisman candidate at quarterback in Tony Pike. Then, a Pike injury opens the door for Zach Collaros, who just happened to put up just as, if not more, impressive numbers than Pike.

Both QBs are expected to see action tonight against the Mountaineers, which makes for some interesting drama. How will the team – or the two players – react to the two-quarterback rotation?

Prediction: Cincinnati 31, West Virginia 21

4. Idaho at No. 6 Boise State (Sat. 3:30 EST, ESPNU)

As long as we’re giving some love to non-BCS match-ups this weekend, you’ve got to take a look at this game from the WAC. Everyone knows about Boise State’s season, of course, but Idaho may just be the most impressive story from the WAC this season.

The Vandals have undergone a remarkable turnaround this season, going 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the league. But Idaho may have to play without starting quarterback Nate Enderle, who is out with a rotator cuff injury.

Prediction: Boise State 42, Idaho 23

3. No. 1 Florida at South Carolina (Sat. 3:30 EST, CBS)

This game likely qualifies as the Gators’ toughest test left on their regular season schedule. The OId Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, would love to stun Urban Meyer and Co. in Columbia. And the Gators have been less than perfect lately, suddenly displaying weaknesses no one thought they would this season.

Whether South Carolina can pull the upset will likely be determined by the play of the Gamecock’s offense, which has averaged just over 12 points in their last four contests. South Carolina will have to score more points than that… Florida may be showing areas of weakness, but not that many.

Prediction: Florida 23, South Carolina 14

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