Week 12 College Football Gridiron Matchups
Week 12 is here. There are now four undefeated teams in college football and all are ranked in the top four of the BCS. Oregon, Auburn, TCU, and Boise State–in that order.
Oregon determines its own destiny this week, facing a declining Arizona team at home before finishing the regular season next week in the Civil War game at Oregon State. Stranger things have happened, but I would be pretty surprised if Chip Kelly’s Oregon team goes down in a losing effort after getting this far. The Ducks should be a lock to play in Arizona come January.
Auburn is a perfect 11-0. The Tigers are two games away from running the table in a loaded SEC West, but play at Alabama next weekend and finish at home against South Carolina. Tigers quarterback Cam Newton has been under scrutiny under for allegations regarding his recruitment to Auburn and his status for the remainder of the season remains in limbo. If Auburn wins out, it too, will be punching a ticket to the Fiesta Bowl.
Boise State and Texas Christian are in similar predicaments. If neither Auburn nor Oregon lose, and Boise and TCU win out, the Broncos and the Horned Frogs will be playing in a BCS game not of the national championship variety. All they can do is take care of their own business and hope that either Auburn or Oregon (or both) get upset.
It is put up or shut up time and things should get very interesting in the last few weeks of the season. We’ll see who ends up on top. With that, let’s get to profiling my marquee matchups of the week.
No. 6 Stanford @ California
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The Big Game is a football tradition unlike any other.
The rivalry itself first began in 1892 on San Francisco’s Haight Street grounds when Stanford beat Cal, 14-10. Entering the 2010 version of one of college football’s most historic rivalries, Stanford has 55 Big Game victories to California’s 46.
The Cardinal (9-1, 6-1 Pac 10) is on the verge of its first Rose Bowl berth since 2000. So far Stanford has made it through a topsy-turvy Pac-10 conference relatively unscathed, losing only to No. 1 Oregon in Eugene. Coach Jim Harbaugh is determined to break through and bring his team to it’s first BCS bowl game since coach Ty Willingham last did it ten years ago.
Stanford’s offense is centered around Heisman hopeful and future first round draft pick Andrew Luck. Luck has done everything asked of him this season, throwing for 2,500 yards and a Pac-10 leading 22 TDs. Luck is complimented by tailback Stephan Taylor, who has rushed for 850 yards and averaged nearly five yards a carry while filling in nicely for the departed Toby Gerhart.
California (5-5, 3-4 Pac 10) is coming off a devastating 15-13 loss at home against Oregon. Coach Jeff Tedford has faced recent criticism for his team’s mediocre season and lackluster effort, especially on the road. A win in Memorial Stadium against rival Stanford could appease the faithful in Berkeley at least until the 2011 season.
To do so, the Bears will need another big game from their defense, headlined by linebacker Mike Mohamed, They’ll also need to depend on the stability of running back Shane Vereen to generate some much-needed offensive firepower.
My Cal Bears have been inconsistent all season, and will need a mistake-free game to beat a solid Stanford team. Luck was able to edge one out against ASU last week, but nothing will come easy with the Axe on the line in the 113th Big Game. 3:30PM ET FSN Bay Area
No. 16 Virginia Tech @ No. 24 Miami
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Frank Beamer’s Hokies are on a roll. After losing their first two games to No. 3 Boise State and FBS subdivision team James Madison, Virginia Tech (8-2, 6-0 ACC) has ripped off eight straight and are well on their way to an ACC title.
Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor has shaken off his early season jitters and found a rhythm in what has now become one of the most efficient offenses in the conference. In his last four games, Taylor has completed 60 of 97 passes (.619) for 958 yards and nine touchdowns, with just one interception.
He has received significant help from the Virginia Tech defense, ranked 19th in the country in points against at 19.1 per game. That great defense is led by sure-handed cornerback Jayron Hosley. Hosley has created his version of Revis Island, leading the NCAA in interceptions with seven on the season–his two picks against North Carolina last week were huge momentum shifters.
This game is huge for Miami (7-2, 5-2 ACC). The Hurricanes have been in and out of the top 25 since the start of the season and have yet to put together three straight wins. With two conference games remaining, Miami still has a chance at an ACC title, but they have to beat Virginia Tech in order to do so.
Junior quarterback Jacory Harris had high hopes for his second season as the starter, but a concussion has kept him sidelined since Oct 30th. Replacing him is freshman quarterback Stephen Morris, a homegrown Miami product who has led his team to two straight wins over Maryland and at Georgia Tech.
Coach Randy Shannon has gotten the best out of his young quarterback and will need to avoid any major blunders in this game to beat a solid Va Tech team at home. The edge has to go to the home team as each team’s talent measures up pretty evenly on paper. Regardless, don’t miss this colossal ACC match up. 3:30PM ET ESPN
No. 9 Ohio State @ No. 20 Iowa
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Entering week 12, it’s business as usual for Jim Tressel and his Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, 5-1 Big 10).
Besides one blemish in a loss at Wisconsin, the Buckeyes have taken care of every team in their path–and it has not been close. Tressel enters this game against Iowa in a familiar place–with a Big Ten championship on the line and a potential trip to the Rose Bowl (would be a record 6th consecutive BCS bowl game) at stake.
Terrelle Pryor, the enigmatic Buckeye quarterback, had high expectations entering the season. He has played well, not great, throwing for 2,100 yards and 22 TDs.
Fortunately, gaudy stats do not win football games, and Pryor has done everything required to get his team in a place to win the Big Ten title. Also helping to carry the load is junior running back Dan Herron, who has performed well in his first season as a starter and has helped open up the passing game for receivers Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey.
It will be senior day in Kinnick Stadium for Iowa’s last home game of the season. Senior quarterback Ricky Stanzi is going to do whatever he can to finish this season on a high note as it will be his last playing in front of the home Hawkeye crowd.
Iowa (7-3, 4-2 Big Ten) is one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the country and in their three losses they have been one play away from altering the outcome. Coming off a tough loss against an underrated Northwestern team, Iowa has its own share of business to take care of in trying to upset Ohio State—the Buckeyes have dominated this matchup as of late, winning 11 of the last 12.
Look for Stanzi to push the envelope in his last game at home and really test this stout Ohio State defense. On the other side, Pryor will need to continue his consistent offensive management and keep Iowa off balance with his arm and his feet. The line in Vegas is Ohio State by three, but there may be an upset brewing in Iowa City. 3:30PM ET ABC
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No. 13 Arkansas @ No. 21 Mississippi State
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Football is a lot easier when you have a guy like Ryan Mallett under center.
The 6’6″ 238 pound quarterback stayed at Arkansas for his senior year, saying “he owed that to the school.” He is proving to NFL scouts that he can do it all on the next level.
Mallett is coming off of a five-touchdown game against UTEP and has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 24 TDs on the season. Coach Bobby Petrino’s team stands in fourth place in a loaded SEC West in which five out of the six teams are ranked in the top 25. Much of this team’s success is attributed to its pass-happy offense, ranked third in passing yards in the FBS.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State (7-3, 3-3 SEC) has put together a respectable season with the only losses coming at the hands of ranked opponents. A win at home against a talented Arkansas team will lay to rest some of the doubters who say this team can’t win in big time SEC games.
In order to be successful, this team will again have to rely on its defense. Prior to last week’s game against Alabama, the Mississippi State defense had suffocated opposing offenses, averaging only 18.3 points against per game.
The Bulldogs will have their home crowd behind them and will definitely need some big plays and a few timely stops to slow down Mallett and his high-octane offense. This game should be a dandy from start to finish. 7:00PM ET ESPN
Army vs Notre Dame
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Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has had mixed reviews in his first season as CEO of the Irish football program. The Irish (5-5) are a win away from becoming bowl eligible and are fresh off a dominating 28-3 upset victory over Utah. Playing in the newly built Yankee Stadium will add to the legacy of the historic rivalry between these two teams.
Notre Dame freshmen quarterback Tommy Rees be playing on the biggest stage in his short career as he fills in for the injured Dayne Crist. Rees is coming off a flawless performance against Utah in which he threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions.
The Irish defense will have try to keep its momentum after a near shutout against Utah. The Irish will need to figure out a way to defend the triple-option cut-blocking scheme that has become so effective and prevalent at the military schools.
This is a trademark grind-it-out and run-you-over Army football team. They are 8th in the country in rushing yards per game at 272.8 and quarterback Trent Steelman and fullback Jared Hassin have a combined 1,400 rushing yards and 20 TDs. Army (6-4) operates with a no-mercy mentality and will look to challenge the Irish linebackers and secondary to defend the run.
The bright lights of Yankee Stadium will provide a fitting backdrop for a match up between these two historic programs. This game will be decided in the trenches as each team will have to man up and make big plays down the stretch. 7:00PM ET NBC
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