Football Friday Fives: College Edition for November 19 From The Sports Mac

Top 5 Games To Watch This Weekend

1.         #9 Nebraska (9-1) at #18 Texas A&M (7-3), 8:00 PM, ABC: The Cornhuskers have an eye on the Big 12 championship game but beware of the red hot Aggies.

2.         #8 Ohio State (9-1) at #21 Iowa (7-3), 3:30 PM, ABC: A must-win for the Buckeyes if they have any hope of a Big 10 title and Rose Bowl berth.

3.         #13 Arkansas (8-2) at #22 Mississippi State (7-3), 7:00 PM, ESPN: An intriguing game between SEC West foes with New Year’s Day bowl bids in the balance.

4.         #14 Virginia Tech (8-2) at #24 Miami (Fla.), (7-3), 3:30 PM, ESPN: The Hokies look to get to the ACC Championship game with a win over the Hurricanes.

5.         Illinois (5-5) at Northwestern (7-3), 3:30 PM, ESPNU: This year’s Land Of Lincoln game takes place at Wrigley Field in the first football game there in 72 years.

5 Games Under The Radar This Weekend

1.         #6 Wisconsin (9-1) at Michigan (7-3), 12:00 PM, ESPN: The Badgers dropped 83 on the Hoosiers last week, Michigan’s defense isn’t much better.

2.         Pittsburgh (5-4) at South Florida (6-3), 12:00 PM, ESPN2: In what is a tight Big East race, the Panthers face a tricky test facing the Bulls in Tampa Bay.

3.         North Carolina State (7-3) at North Carolina (6-4), 12:00 PM, ESPN3.com: The Wolf Pack can still make the ACC Championship game but need to beat their rivals in Chapel Hill.

4.         #16 Oklahoma (8-2) at Baylor (7-4), 8:00 PM, ESPN2: The Sooners can still win the Big 12 South, but this game in Waco is a must-win.

5.         Florida State (7-3) at Maryland (7-3), 8:00 PM, ABC: This game is for first in the ACC Atlantic and the inside track to the ACC Championship game.

5 Games To Just Get The Final Score

1.         New Mexico State (2-8) at #19 Nevada (9-1), 4:00 PM: The Wolf Pack have a big one next week and this should be a chance to get some starters some rest.

2.         New Mexico (1-9) at Brigham Young (5-5), 6:00 PM: The Cougars are just a win away from getting to a bowl game and should get their easily against the Lobos.

3.         Middle Tennessee State (3-6) at Western Kentucky (2-8), 4:00 PM: Two teams with different views of this game: A disappointing year for the Blue Raiders and a year of progress for the Hilltoppers.

4.         Memphis (1-9) at Alabama-Birmingham (3-7), 4:00 PM: This should the last chance for the Tigers to get a win this year against the struggling Blazers.

5.         Eastern Michigan (1-9) at Buffalo (2-8), 2:00 PM, ESPN3.com: The two teams are just a combined 2-10 in conference play this season.

5 Players/Units To Watch This Weekend

1.         Pittsburgh RBs Ray Graham and Dion Lewis at South Florida: This tandem has 1,300 yards between them this year and they need to be productive if the Panthers want to take a big step toward winning the Big East.

2.         Iowa defensive line vs. Ohio State: These four guys need to be a constant presence in the Buckeye backfield or they’ll have trouble slowing them down.

3.         Stephen Morris, Miami QB vs. Virginia Tech: The freshman will make the start for the Hurricanes and needs to manage the game to give them a chance to win.

4.         Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M QB vs. Nebraska: He’s been the catalyst behind the Aggies resurgence and needs to continue to play well facing the Blackshirts.

5.         Florida State QBs at Maryland: Whether it’s Christian Ponder or E.J. Manuel or possibly both, this will be a big key for the Seminoles on the road at College Park.

5 Teams That Have To Have A Big Week

1.         Clemson on the road at Wake Forest: The Tigers are a win away from a bowl and they need to win here with South Carolina looming next week.

2.         Illinois on the road at Northwestern at Wrigley Field: What looked like a sure bet for a bowl bid a few weeks ago looks very shaky and neither of their remaining games are easy.

3.         Notre Dame vs. Army at Yankee Stadium: The hopes for a bowl game were boosted with the win over Utah and they need their sixth win this week with the USC trip coming next week.

4.         Houston on the road at Southern Mississippi: The Cougars can still make the C-USA title game, but need to win their final conference game in a tough environment.

5.         Utah on the road at San Diego State: Their season is crashing down around them and they desperately need this win to right the ship.