College Football Week 14: The Ultimate Television Viewing Guide: Dec 2-4
And here we are, people. My fellow couch potatoes, adult beverage drinkers, compulsive gamblers and husbands/boyfriends who like to get out of relationship duties because of college football--we have come to an end. Yes, this is the last week of the regular season.
Sigh.
This is the last week of Thursday-Saturday of college football on television.
Whimper.
But, as Wayne Campbell said in the movie Wayne's World: "I promised myself I wouldn't cry....talk amongst yourselves.....here's a topic, civil war is it more civil or war...discuss."
Okay, deep breaths, turn on Pittsburgh Panthers football, get angry and let's compose ourselves. All will be fine as the regular season may be over, but this does not mean that college football is over. We get a couple of weeks off to re-coup, re-load, and get ready for the Bowl games.
So sit on down, and get ready for our last television guide for the 2010 regular season. It's been a wild ride for 14 weeks, let's go out with a bang!
Thursday, Dec. 2 8:00 P.M. EDT: Arizona State at No. 23 Arizona, ESPN
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We kick off our final Thursday with two rivals in Arizona. Yes, the football will be great on the field, as two in-state rivals that play each other are always great.
But this is a big time rivalry between two of the hottest co-eds. Arizona State is always known as one of the best party schools. The co-ed's that go too Arizona are not too shabby as well.
Okay back to football, Arizona has been on quite the free-fall losing their last three games. Their last three have been against Stanford, USC and Oregon.
Friday, Dec. 3 7:00 P.M. EDT: No. 25 Northern Illinois Vs. Miami (OH), ESPN 2
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Is this a Miami (OH) cheerleader that you may see on Friday night?
Maybe, probably, doubtful, but who cares right?
This will determine the MAC Champion as the East Division champion Miami (OH) takes on West Division champion Northern Illinois.
For all of the turn-around teams this year, Miami (OH) has had the best one of them all. Last year they finished the season as a dismal 1-11. This year they had a seven win turn-around to 8-4.
Saturday, Dec. 4 Noon EDT: Rutgers at No. 24 West Virginia, ABC
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So West Virginia last week headed into the Backyard Brawl against long-time rival Pittsburgh. They beat the tar out of the Panthers and were rewarded with a Top 25 ranking. However, a win against Rutgers does not give them the Big East Conference Title.
Yes, you are saying that whoever is the Big East leader is in the Top 20 right?
Wrong.
Find out later who is the Big East leader; and which school will be cashing in that BCS check that a one loss Boise State team kicked wide right away.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Saturday, Dec. 4 Noon EDT: Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, ESPN
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This time last year it was the 9-2 Pittsburgh Panthers and the 11-0 Cincinnati Bearcats.
This year it is the 6-5 Pittsburgh Panthers and the 4-7 Cincinnati Bearcats.
What a difference a year makes.
And all of you fans of one loss schools get ready to pull your hair out of your heads. Pittsburgh has lost two of their last three, however they still have a chance to win the Big East.
With a West Virginia loss against Rutgers, and a loss from the Big East leader (remember the Big East leader will be discussed later) the Panthers would be back on top of the conference at 7-5 and BCS Bowl bound.
Have you punched your computer screen LSU, Boise ST, Ohio State, Arkansas, and other one or two loss fan bases?
Saturday, Dec. 4 3:30 P.M. EDT: No. 2 Oregon at Oregon State, ABC
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After these two games at 3:30 and 4 P.M. EDT, the BCS National Championship Game will be determined.
First off it is the Civil War between Oregon and Oregon State. Oregon has ran the score up and killed their mascot's arms during the season from all the push-ups. But when it comes to this in-state rivalry, anything can happen.
Let's go back to the 2007 season where a Pittsburgh Panthers team with nothing to play for except to ruin their rival's season in West Virginia. A win for WVU, who had a great offense that year, would have put them in the National Title game. The end result was that below .500 Pitt team upsetting WVU and ending their National Title dreams.
Saturday, Dec. 4 4:00 P.M. EDT: No. 1 Auburn Vs. No. 19 South Carolina, CBS
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This is the second game of our main event on Saturday afternoon. The last time these two teams met, Auburn won 34-27. In that game South Carolina jumped out to a big lead and seemed to have the game won as they led going into the fourth quarter.
But two turnovers by South Carolina's starting quarterback led to Coach Spurrier benching him for a freshman. Two more turnovers by the freshman quarterback helped Auburn eventually win the game.
Can Spurrier lead this South Carolina team to their first SEC Title? If anyone can coach up a group of men for one game it is Spurrier.
Oh and some guy named Cam Newton quarterbacks Auburn. It seems as if that guy has really flown under the radar this year.
Saturday, Dec. 4 7:45 P.M. EDT: No. 21 Florida State Vs. No. 15 VA Tech, ESPN
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The ACC Championship Game features a Florida State team that seemed to run away with the division lead, then choke it away, only to win it with a NC State team losing in their final game.
On the other side there is a Virginia Tech team that lost its opening season game against Boise State, then seemed to have their season crushed with a loss at home to James Madison. But VA Tech has ran off 10 straight wins, eight of those coming in their ACC schedule.
Saturday, Dec. 4 8:00 P.M. EDT: No. 9 Oklahoma Vs. No. 13 Nebraska, ABC
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In the final Big 12 Conference Championship Game, the Oklahoma Sooners are the team that has the responsibility of making sure that Nebraska does not take the Big 12 title with them to the Big Ten next year.
This is the last game for the Cornhuskers in the Big 12. How fulfilling, after a season full of questionable referee calls in their conference games would it to take the title with them?
Oklahoma has been a team that plays great one week, then is questionable the next. They won a thriller of a game against Oklahoma State last week to be in this spot. It was their second time in the last three years that they got into this spot after a three way tie to finish the season.
Can Oklahoma keep the Big 12 title in the Big 12? Or will it be Tom Osborne taking the Big 12 trophy to the Big Ten, then throwing it into the trash can.
Saturday, Dec. 4 8:00 P.M. EDT: Connecticut at South Florida, ESPN 2
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For those of you who have wondered who the Big East leader was? Well, here is the pay off. Ready, it's the Connecticut Huskies!
What?
Yes, un-ranked, it is their tenth year in a BCS conference, and they are a team that was beat down week one against Michigan.
With a win against South Florida, yes, a South Florida team that beat Miami (FL) last week, yes that game that got Miami (FL) coach Randy Shannon fired; they will clinch the Big East Conference.
However, a loss and it is WVU playing in the BCS game. Furthermore, a loss by WVU and UConn and Pitt is in. One more step, a loss by WVU, UCONN and Pitt and no one gets in and the game is forfeited.
Okay that last one is made up. But raise a glass Big East fans, you will have an un-ranked team representing you in the Sugar, Orange or Fiesta Bowl.
That's it folks it's over! Thank you so very much for reading this year. You can always follow me on Twitter by clicking the link: www.twitter.com/tjmcaloon. See yinz soon as we head into Bowl Season!
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
