Bold and Off-the-Wall Predictions for College Football's Week 14 Games

There is just one final weekend in college football and what a season it has been thus far. Thanksgiving weekend provided us some more fireworks, and the first weekend of December may do the same.

The holidays are quickly approaching us, the Heisman is two weeks away and we are less than a week away from the announcing of the 35 wonderful bowl games.

This is the most wonderful time of the year!

No. 23 West Virginia at South Florida

Geno Smith and the Mountaineers are still fighting for a berth in the BCS, and they are hopeful they can win a tiebreaker involving three teams.

They lost to Louisville so they would lose out if the tiebreaker was just involving the two teams (Cincy should beat UConn), but if it is involving three teams then the BCS would step in. The highest rated team would get the nod, and most believe that the Mountaineers would be ranked the highest since they are currently the only team ranked in the conference.

Drama’s Pick: West Virginia 31, South Florida 24

Northern Illinois vs. Ohio: MAC Championship at Detroit

Chandler Harnish is the closest thing to Collin Klein as he carries this offense on his back. The defense if NIU has had some issues, but they are an opportunistic bunch that gives up a boatload of yards but never seems to break.

Ohio, of course, is balanced on both sides of the ball as it ranks in the top 31 in both total offense and defense. However, both the Bobcats and Huskies have won two games in a row by single digits. I expect another close game at Ford Field (Detroit), but the Huskies ground game has been too consistent to go against.

Drama’s Pick: Northern Illinois 33, Ohio 27

UCLA at No. 9 Oregon: Pac-12 Championship at Eugene

The Ducks will be close to a three-touchdown favorite in their conference championship against the Bruins mainly because they are playing at home. LaMichael James, DeAnthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner are the most dynamic trio in all of college football, and they will not be stopped in this one.

Drama’s Pick: Oregon 42, UCLA 7

UConn at Cincinnati

The Bearcats have not been the same offensive team without their star quarterback Zach Collaros, though they should sneak by in this one. It is imperative they win or else Louisville would clinch the Big East title since they already knocked off West Virginia. 

Drama’s Pick: Cincinnati 24, UConn 13

Syracuse at Pitt

Zach Brown (former Wisconsin RB/transfer) has filled in nicely for Ray Graham, but they need this game to just appear in a bowl game.

They are coming off a tough Backyard Brawl defeat, but all is not lost since a bowl appearance should be in the near future. Syracuse needs this game as well if they want to reach a bowl game since they have taken three beat downs in a row in the Big East.

Drama’s Pick: Pitt 27, Syracuse 16

Wyoming at Colorado State

The Cowboys, of course, just took on Boise State and got whipped around, but they are still a solid football team under Dave Christensen. This program is on the way up in the Mountain West and the Rams still have just one win in conference (six consecutive losses).

Drama’s Pick: Wyoming 24, Colorado State 14

UNLV at No. 18 TCU

This is the last chance for the Horned Frogs to impress the voters. They need to crack the top 16 to make a BCS bowl per rules, but they would most likely need to win this game by half a hundred.

That alone may not be enough since there are a few teams that are ahead of Gary Patterson’s squad (Stanford, Michigan and Houston). It may not be likely, but there is a (slim) chance.

Drama’ Pick: TCU 45, UNLV 10

Troy at Arkansas State

Arkansas State is led by quarterback Ryan Applin, but this team has shown off a bunch of playmakers. Applin does have 24 touchdowns on the season, which includes his nine rushing touchdowns. The Trojans are having quite the down year at 3-7, (2-4).

Drama’s Pick: Arkansas State 36, Troy 16

Fresno State at San Diego State

Pat Hill and his Bulldogs won’t be playing in a bowl game this season and some of that blame has to be put on the defense. They are dead last in turnovers forced (seven), and the offense has also had its problems (55th in scoring).

Drama’s Pick: San Diego State 34, Fresno State 24

Utah State at New Mexico State

Robert Turbin is a bruising north-south runner for Utah State, and I do not suspect the 104th-rated run defense to slow him down. Utah State would likely be head to either the Poinsettia Bowl or Famous Idaho Bowl if they can win this one over a 4-7, (2-3) New Mexico State team.

Drama’s Pick: Utah State 31, New Mexico State 20

Middle Tennessee at North Texas

The bottom of the Sun Belt is not pretty, but this is the season finale for both teams, and I like for the Mean Green to find a way to win at home. North Texas has lost by double digits in all of its conference losses, but Middle Tennessee has lost in four straight blowouts.

Drama’s Pick: North Texas 29, Middle Tennessee 24

Louisiana-Monroe at Florida Atlantic

FAU has just one win this season. The poor Owls will try to get a second victory, but the Warhawks have proven they can at least beat a few Sun Belt teams.

Drama’s Pick: Louisiana-Monroe 33, Florida Atlantic 24 

Iowa State at No. 11 Kansas State

It helps that the Cyclones are limping into this game after the throttling they took thanks to Oklahoma. Collin Klein goes into this game looking to get win No. 10 this season. That would be a remarkable achievement, and he is just a junior. Bill Snyder has proven what he can still do with a program that does not reap huge benefits in recruiting, but they are such a sound football team that does the easy things so well.

Drama’s Pick: Kansas State 28, Iowa State 17

Brigham Young at Hawaii

Hawaii may be mailing in its season as the last few weeks have shown. However, in the midst of the point-shaving allegations Hawaii should make this a relatively close game at least.

Drama’s Pick: BYU 35, Hawaii 31

Army vs. Navy: Landover, MD (Dec. 10)

This deserves to be the final game of the regular season, and this is always a game to take a close look at.

The pre and postgame ceremonies can make you shed a tear sometimes, but they say appearing at one of these games in person is one of the greatest feelings in all of sports.

Drama’s Pick: Navy 24, Army 17

No. 22 Texas at No. 17 Baylor

Robert Griffin III deserves an invite to NYC despite losing a few games in the Big 12. He is arguably the most talented, exciting, deserving and valuable player in the game. The Bears would not be bowl bound without him, though his backup sure lit up Texas Tech in the second half when he went out with a concussion.

The show RGIII put on against Oklahoma was thrilling to watch, and a victory over the Longhorns would only cement his place among the top-three Heisman invitees. If he throws for 400 yards and five TDs then there might be hope that the voters waited to put in their final tallies.

Drama’s Pick: Baylor 31, Texas 27

No. 24 Southern Miss at No. 6 Houston: Conference USA Championship at Houston

It is not safe to go against Case Keenum and these scorching Cougars right now because they have been simply unstoppable. Their juggernaut of an offense is relentless, and they will get to host a solid Southern Miss team, though they are coming off a brutal loss to UAB two weeks ago.

Southern Miss has scored 11 non-offensive touchdowns compared to Houston's six, so if there is any chance for an upset (two TD dogs) then the Golden Eagles better find a way to dominate on defense and special teams. (Danny Hrapmann is a tremendous kicker.)

Keenum has just three interceptions on the season, yet I am calling for the boldest and off-the-wall prediction of the weekend with Southern Miss dethroning the Cougars.

Drama’s Pick: Southern Miss 38, Houston 35

New Mexico at No. 7 Boise State

The Broncos could sneak in the BCS if Houston were to lose and if the selection or Sugar Bowl representative does not take Kansas State over them. All of that may sound like dream city, but we have seen a ton of upsets. Why wouldn’t there be more chaos?

Also, Boise State enters the game as one of the biggest favorites for the entire season as the “experts” have them winning by seven touchdowns.

Drama’s Pick: Boise State 59, New Mexico 7

No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 3 Oklahoma State

Bedlam is always something special to witness, but the winner will once again win the conference and ultimately punch a ticket to the BCS Fiesta Bowl.

The winner, of course, wins the Big 12 conference crown, but the Sooners are not accustomed to playing the underdog role having won the last seven Bedlam meetings. (Minus last year OU has been favored every game in seven straight wins.)

Look for Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon to light up the Sooners similarly to how Baylor did in what will be one of the most entertaining games of the season.

Drama’s Pick: Oklahoma State 38, Oklahoma 31

No. 20 Clemson vs. No. 5 Virginia Tech: ACC Championship Game at Charlotte, NC

Sammy Watkins needs to have a huge game if there is any chance for Clemson to pull off the upset. Tajh Boyd has not received much help from his offensive line.

Plus, the Hokies' Logan Thomas and David Wilson cannot be stopped right now. Frank Beamer is a flat-out winner and is looking for his eighth conference title (fourth out of the past five in the ACC).

Drama’s Pick: Virginia Tech 34, Clemson 21

No. 13 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Wisconsin: Big Ten Championship at Indianapolis

The Wisconsin Badgers will be looking for their redemption and revenge after suffering a depressing loss to Michigan State earlier in the season.

They lost on a Hail Mary as time expired, and it knocked them way out of the top 10. They have still not been close to sniffing the top 10 despite taking care of business in the Big Ten.

Reason being is that the Badgers have been allergic to the road, having lost to Ohio State on another long touchdown pass in the closing moments. They have since blown out four straight opponents and will likely handle a Spartans team that is looking to also earn a trip to Pasadena.

Drama's Pick: Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 20

No. 1 LSU vs. No. 14 Georgia: SEC Championship at Atlanta, GA

Win or lose LSU is in the title game, but this will still be a great game to watch regardless of who wins.

LSU’s defense will limit the big plays from Georgia, but Aaron Murray is scorching, having thrown for the second most TDs in the country in the month of November (Murray, 14; Barkley, 15).

He still must take shots down the field against one of the most electrifying defenses in the nation. LSU is relentless with aggressive defensive backs that will be taking plenty of shots to harass Murray and his receivers. 

The biggest factor will be on how much of an impact Isaiah Crowell and Richard Samuel IV make. If UGA cannot run the ball, this game could get ugly. But the Bulldogs have one of the best lines in the country, and the two backs are studs when close to being 100 percent. (Both are expected to play; Crowell is more likely).

LSU has arguably the best offensive and defensive line out there, but Jordan Jefferson has helped the offense improve every week. Three different backs can tote the rock for LSU, and assuming they win the battle of field position, they will find a way to win another fine game in Atlanta.

Drama’s Pick: LSU 24, Georgia 17