Notre Dame vs. USC and the 10 Best Games Without BCS Implications
As we enter the last few weeks of the regular season a lot of focus will be placed on the game with meaning to the BCS, but some people seem to forget that there are other great games that are being played all around the country the next few weeks.
Not every game has to have BCS implications to make it exciting or interesting to watch. In fact, the majority of great games are played without the consequences of BCS implications.
Here are 10 best games to watch that do not have BCS implications in the next few weeks!
Notre Dame Vs USC
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Although both teams are not having the greatest years, with USC having a record of 7-4 and no possibility of a bowl game because of the Reggie Bush sanctions, and Notre Dame coming into the game with a record of 6-5 under the first year of the Brian Kelly era.
The USC Trojans come into the game looking to beat the Irish for the eight straight season, while Brian Kelly looks to be the first Notre Dame coach to beat USC since Bob Davie.
USC is led by quarterback Matt Barkley, but the quarterback who has thrown for 2,593 yards and 25 touchdowns will not be starting due to an ankle injury. They will have to rely on senior Mitch Mustain to lead the offense as they face the fighting Irish.
Notre Dame is also led by a mediocre defense who has only allowed 20.3 points a game this season. The Irish are led by Tommy Rees who has thrown for 756 yards and eight touchdowns after quarterback Dayne Crist went down for the season.
Although this match-up may not seem to exciting on paper, this should be a great match-up to watch.
Army Vs Navy
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Who does not like to watch this game. This really brings you back as you watch an older style of football being played. If you like passing don't watch this one as both teams will be mainly focused on keeping this one on the ground.
The Army Black Knights come into this game with a record of 6-5. They are led by a running attack consisting of Trent Steelman, who has rushed for 620 yards and 11 touchdowns, and by running back Jared Hassin who has rushed for 881 yards and nine touchdowns.
Meanwhile the Navy Midshipmen come in with a record of 8-3. They have the fifth ranked rushing attack in the nation and are led by quarterback Ricky Dobbs who has rushed for 806 yards and 13 touchdowns. They like army run the triple option and will be running the ball most of the season.
As mentioned before both teams will be running the triple option all day so if you are one for hard-nosed football this is the game for you.
Michigan State Vs Penn State
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Although Michigan State could still technically make a BCS game, it is definitely a long shot. This should be a good old fashioned Big Ten slobber knocker that this writer enjoys greatly.
Michigan State comes in ranked tenth and have a record of 10-1 on the season. They are led by quarterback Kirk Cousins who has passed for 2,553 yards and 18 touchdowns. Along with Cousins, the Spartans have running back Edwin Baker who has rushed for 1,069 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.
With these two game changing players and a coaching staff who is fearless who knows what to expect from the Spartans in this one.
Meanwhile Penn State comes in with a disappointing record of 7-4. They have had some tough games this season including losses to Alabama and Ohio State.
The Nittany Lions are led by quarterback Matthew McGloin who has thrown for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. In the five games he has played he has led the team to a record of 4-1 and has really solidified himself as the starter for the next two years at Penn State.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Florida Vs Florida State
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It does not matter how good either team is, this game is always very unpredictable and one of the greatest rivalry's in college football. For the first time in years this game will be missing the presence of hall of fame coach Bobby Bowden.
Florida comes into this match-up with a record of 7-4. They are led by quarterback Trey Burton who has ran for 11 touchdowns this season in a secondary position role. Although Florida is weak this season this should still be a great match-up.
Florida State, meanwhile, comes in with a record of 8-3 and a national ranking of 22. They are led by quarterback Christian Ponder who has passed for 1,817 yards and 17 touchdowns on his way to leading Florida State to first in the ACC.
Georgia Vs Georgia Tech
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This battle for all the peaches is always an interesting one to watch each season.
Georgia comes into this game with a record of 6-5. They are led by quarterback Aaron Murray who has passed for 2,580 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. He is one of the top passers in the country and looks to continue this against their in-state rival.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech comes in with a record of 6-5. They have the number one rushing game in the country averaging over 300 yards on the ground per game. The ground attack is led by running back Anthony Allen who has ran for 1,059 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
This should be a great match-up between teams that have two completely different offensive strategies. It could be very interesting to watch.
Purdue Vs Indiana
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Okay, call me a homer on this one, but being a Boilermaker, I love the Old Oaken Bucket game and this one could be one of the best games in the historic rivalry between the Purdue Boilermakers and The Indiana Hoosiers.
Indiana comes into this game on a serious slump. They are the only team in the Big Ten yet to win a game and are looking to get rid of that goose-egg against their arch rival the Boilermakers.
They come into the game with a record of 4-7 on the season. They have been carried all year by senior quarterback Ben Chappell who has passed for 2,965 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season. If the Hoosiers are going to win this game they must have a big game from Chappell.
The Boilermakers come into this match-up with and identical record of 4-7. The only difference being that two of their wins have come against Big Ten opponents.
Purdue will come into this one playing with a huge chip on their shoulder after blowing a victory at Michigan State last weekend. They are led by senior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan who has 13 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. If the Boilermakers are going to win this match-up they will need Kerrigan to create havoc for quarterback Ben Chappell.
Brigham Young Vs Utah
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This game may seem a bit of a stretch but it could turn out to be a great match-up.
Brigham Young comes into this match-up with a record of 6-5. They are led by JJ Di Luigi. So far this season he has ran for 805 yards and seven touchdowns. The Cougars really could use their defense to step up in this one as they face a high flying Utah offense.
With a record of 9-2 the Utes come into this match-up ranked 20 with their BCS chances dashed. They were a solid top ten season most of the year until they ran into TCU and Notre Dame. They are led by quarterback Jordan Wynn who has thrown for 2,135 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season
South Carolina Vs Clemson
8 of 10
This game is always a classic rivalry that usually has bigger implications than this. This game however means virtually nothing except pride.
South Carolina comes in ranked 18 in the nation and has a record of 8-3. They have already clinched the SEC East and are looking to knock of Auburn next weekend.
They are led by quarterback Stephen Garcia who has thrown for 2,419 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season. If the Gamecocks can come out and beat Clemson it would be great momentum going into the SEC Championship game.
Clemson comes in with a record of 6-5 and come into this match-up led by quarterback Kyle Parker. Parker has thrown for 1,962 yards this season along with 11 touchdowns. Although the Tigers are outmatched here anything can happen in a rivalry game.
Mississippi State Vs Ole Miss
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These games are always fun to watch. No matter what the record is, the men who play in these games lay it all down and give it there all, it's definitely a can't miss on Saturday,
Mississippi State comes in with a ranking of 25 in the nation and a record of 7-4. They come in with one of the top rushing attacks in the nation which is led by Vick Ballard. Ballard has ran for an astounding 849 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. Look for the Bulldogs to keep this one on the ground.
Meanwhile Ole Miss comes in with a record of 4-7. Although their bowl chances are dashed they hope to come out and finish strong of their seniors. Like State, they are a running team with one of the top rushing attacks in the country. They are led on the ground by Brandon Bolden who has ran for 931 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season.
This game should be full of running and if you like that you should definitely tune into this SEC match-up.
Houston Vs Texas Tech
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So in this sideshow there have been some of the top rushing attacks in the game of football featured. This game is the exact opposite. It will feature two of the top ten passing offenses in college football facing off.
Houston comes into this match-up with a record of 5-6. As mentioned before they have one of the top passing attacks in the nation featuring David Piland who has thrown for 2200 yards and 22 touchdowns. IF they expect to win this one they will need to continue their high powered passing attack.
Meanwhile Texas Tech comes in with a record of 6-5. They are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the nation Taylor Potts. Potts has passed for a total of 2,984 yards and 27 touchdowns. He is the heart and soul of this team and will need to have a big game for them to be successful in this match-up.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
