Saturday, (Nov. 29, 2008):
(1)Alabama vs. Auburn – 3:30 on CBS
Breakdown:
In the 72nd playing of the Iron Bowl, the stakes will be very high for the Alabama Crimson Tide. They look to complete their regular season without a loss against the dreaded Auburn Tigers.
This feat will not be an easy one considering the recent history of the series. Auburn has won the past six games, but all of these victories have been by 10 points or less.
The last time the Tigers played a No. 1 team they beat Florida 23 to 20 in 2001.
Auburn’s hard-nosed defense should keep this game close, but the inept Tiger offense won’t be able to find the end zone enough. This will be a close game, especially since both teams had the week off to prepare for each other.
Despite recent trends, Alabama’s great defense will force a couple turnovers and give QB John Parker Wilson and the Tide offense good field position and easy access to the end zone.
ADVANTAGE: Alabama
Final Score: Alabama 42 – Auburn 10
Star Watch:
Alabama
RB’s #38, 22, & 5: Glenn Coffee, Mark Ingram, & Roy Upchurch – the trio has combined for 2,043 yards and 21 TDs. They should be able to continue to carry the Alabama offense between the three of them against the gritty Auburn defense
DB #49 Rashad Johnson – He will get another big turnover against a suspect Auburn offense, he leads the SEC in passes defended with 10, and has 5 INTs, with 125 return yards and 2 TDs
LB #25 Rolando McClain – the big mike backer will look to roam the field and shut down the Tiger’s rushing attack, he has 77 tackles, 10 for a loss, 3 sacks, and 1 INT
Auburn
DE’s #94 & 52 Sen’Derrick Marks & Antonio Coleman – Auburn has a pair of great defensive ends that will try to contain QB J.P. Wilson and the Bama backfield. They have combined for: 15 QB hits, 72 tackles, 8 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for a loss.
QB #18 Kodi Burns – Burns is able to make some great plays with his feet, but must make better decisions when passing the ball and limit turnovers to help the Tigers pull off the upset. He has 503 yards & 5 TDs on the ground and 937 yards, 2 TDs, and 7 INTs through the air.
RB’s #44, 1, & 27: Ben Tate, Brad Lester, & Mario Fannin – These playmakers must execute in order to throw off the Tide Defense. Each back provides something different and must do their job. They have combined for 1155 yards & 6 TDs rushing, and 286 yards & 3 TDs receiving.
Thursday, (Nov. 27, 2008):
(2)Texas vs. Texas A&M – 6 p.m. on ESPN
Breakdown:
This game has major BCS implications for Texas if they wish to keep their National Title hopes alive.
There are two contrasting goals for the teams involved.
Texas looks to keep its Big 12 and National Championship aspirations alive with a victory. Conversely, A&M looks to ruin a great season for their arch rivals and salvage a tough rebuilding year for first year coach Mike Sherman.
If the Longhorns win, their focus shifts to staying ahead of Oklahoma in the BCS standings and locking up the Big 12 South.
A&M has won the previous two meetings in the Lone Star Showdown, but look for the Longhorn’s superior talent to help them pull away in this one. The Longhorns will be well prepared for this one, after letting the Aggies sneak up on them the last two seasons.
Aggie quarterback Stephen McGee has led the past two upset wins for A&M, however, he will be watching from the sideline with a sprained shoulder. This places the Aggies chances squarely on the shoulders of sophomore QB Jerrod Johnson. The Longhorns will roll in this one behind their running game and stout defense.
ADVANTAGE: Texas
Final Score: Texas 70 – Texas A&M 28
Players to Watch:
Texas
QB #12 Colt McCoy – played poorly in past two matchups between these teams, 34 for 60, 389 yards, 1 TD and 4 INTs
WR #8 Jordan Shipley – at least one receiving touchdown in all but one game, major kickoff return and receiving threat
DE#98 Brian Orakpo – a beast coming off the edge, one of the best pass rushers in the nation, ranks second in the Big 12 with 8.5 sacks
Texas A&M
QB#1 Jerrod Johnson – very athletic QB with a big arm, leads 22nd rated pass offense, his decision making will make and break the game, 20 TD/10 INTs
QB/WR#17 Ryan Tannehill – great athlete and team’s playmaker, 3rd string QB as well as team’s leading receiver with 813 yards, 81.3 yards/game, 5 TDs
P#16 Justin Brantly – one of the best punters in the country, good field position from his punts could help keep the Aggies in the game, leads conference punting
(3) Oklahoma @ (12) Oklahoma State – 8 p.m. on ABC
Breakdown:
Oklahoma comes into another tough Bedlam game in Stillwater with Big 12 and National Championship invites on the line.
Bob Stoop’s squad looks to make a statement against the Pokes to impress the BCS voters. If the Sooners win this game and Texas and Texas Tech win their games, Oklahoma’s championship hopes will ride on the BCS ratings.
So look for the Sooners to really come out hot early and not look back. Oklahoma State’s offense should keep them in the game, with their multiple offensive weapons. Kendall Hunter will try to lead the ground attack, while Dez Bryant will lead their aerial assault. Eventually Oklahoma’s defense should step up and put the clamps on the Cowboy’s offense and put this one away for the Sooners.
ADVANTAGE: Oklahoma
Final Score: Oklahoma 45 – Oklahoma State 35
Star Watch:
Oklahoma
QB#14) Sam Bradford – he will look to run this high powered offense of the Sooners and lead them to a victory, leads the nation with 42 TDs and 2nd in the country in pass effiecincy, looks to help his cause for the Heisman as well
LB#28) Travis Lewis – this redshirt freshman has been huge this year for the Sooners and always seems to be around the ball, look for him to cause a turnover, 117 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 4 INTs
RB#7) Demarco Murray – seems to have his surgically repaired knee back under him, and will find a way to score, probably OU’s most explosive player, 929 yards rushing, 379 receiving, and 548 kickoff yards, for a total of 17 TDs
Oklahoma State
WR#1) Dez Bryant – maybe the best receiver in all of college football, look for him to go up and make a couple big play for the Pokes, 68 receptions, 1222 yards (3rd highest), and 16 TDs
RB#24) Kendall Hunter – the guy that stirs OSU’s drink, he keeps the Cowboys in it and provides a highly rated rushing attack, 1495 yards (5th best), with 14 TDs, and a 6.8 yards per carry
QB#11) Zac Robinson – will try and lead the Pokes offense against a very hot Sooner defense, look for him to make plays with his arm and legs, 2481 yards, 21 TDs/7 INTs, 3rd most efficient qb in all of college football
(4)Florida @ (20)FSU – 3:30 p.m. on ABC
Breakdown:
Another Sunshine Showdown, another game that features both teams ranked in the top twenty five and in the hunt for championships.
Florida has locked up the SEC East division and looks to keep their National Championship hopes alive with a win. Florida State can win the Atlantic Division of the ACC with a victory and a Boston College loss.
Florida has won the past four games of this rivalry, by an average of 18.5 points.
Florida’s plethora of offensive weapons will overtake the Seminole’s defense. After all, the Gators have the third highest scoring offense in college football.
Christian Ponder will lead the hit-and-miss Seminole offense. The Noles are coming off their best performance of their season, but they must limit turnovers against the Gator’s ninth ranked total defense.
In the end, the Gators defense will force a few turnovers and their speed on offense will run circles around Florida State.
ADVANTAGE: Florida
Final Score: Florida 52 – Florida State 13
Star Watch:
Florida
QB#15) Tim Tebow – look for Tebow to spread the ball around to his offensive playmakers, he is one of the most efficient rating qb’s in the nation with a rating of 175.2, he has thrown an amazing 22 TDs to 2 INTs, for 2114 yards
WR/RB#1) Percy Harvin – he is one of the most exciting and explosive players in the country, he should find the end zone through the air or on the ground, averages 14.3 yards every time he touches the ball, has 1020 all purpose yards and 15 TDs
LB#51) Brandon Spikes – defensive leader and playmaker, leads team with 74 tackles, and has 3 INTs and has returned 2 for TDs
Florida State
LB#51) Derek Nicholson – looks to shut down the Gator’s playmakers and hold off their explosive offense, leads team with 70 tackles, 13 for a loss, fumble return for a TD
RB#6) Antone Smith – tied with 60 points for team’s leading scorer, will try to put the Seminole’s offense on his back, he has a real nose for the end zone has 14 TDs and 696 yards rushing
QB#7) Christian Ponder – he will try and manage the Seminole offense to keep them in the game, must make better decisions to get team in the end zone, 12 TDs/11 INTs, can make plays with feet, 390 yards rushing and 4 TDs
(5) University of Southern California vs. Notre Dame – 8 p.m. on ESPN
Breakdown:
Charlie Weis summed this match up best when he said, “We’re at different ends of the spectrum at this point.” Notre Dame will be heavily over matched in this contest. The Trojans just have too many athletes on both sides of the ball for the Irish to handle. SC’s explosive running back stable should have a hay day against Notre Dame’s defense. Jimmy Clausen has been far too inconsistent to do any damage against a USC defense that has several players headed to the NFL next year. The Trojans should pull away in the first half and never look back.
ADVANTAGE: USC
Final Score: USC 63 – Notre Dame 3
Star Watch:
Southern Cal
LB#55) Rey Mualuga – a first round lock next year and the leader of a fast physical front seven for the Trojans, should be able to get to Clausen all day, has 66 tackles, 2 INTs and one for a TD
RBs#25 & 13) C.J. Gable & Stafon Johnson – combined for 1173 yards and 7 TDs a piece, one of these two should break the game open for the Trojans against a suspect D
DB#2) Taylor Mays – this oversized safety should be wreacking havoc on ND’s passing attack and come up to help on the run, 46 tackles, and 7 pass breakups
Notre Dame
WRs#23 & 3) Golden Tate & Michael Floyd – the pair has been ND’s passing attack this year and has combined for 1590 yards, 96 catches, & 14 TDs
QB#7) Jimmy Clausen – he will have to manage a near perfect game to keep the Irish in this one, must limit INTs thrown 20 TDs/15 INTs
S#28) Kyle McCarthy – must be able to come inside the box and help out with the Trojan’s running back stable, leads team with 96 tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss
(7) Texas Tech vs. Baylor – 3:30 p.m. on VERSUS
Breakdown:
Mike Leach’s Red Raiders look to bounce back after getting demolished on national television by the Oklahoma Sooners. They hope to keep their Big 12 and National Championship dreams alive with a win over the Baylor Bears. This should be an interesting game for Baylor head coach Art Briles, considering he is a former player and coach at Tech. Briles will try to lead his very unconventional offense, which features a giant huddle on the side of the field with all possible offensive players and no playbook. Baylor has dropped the past eight games since 1990 and will try to ruin Tech’s most successful season. Baylor’s only chance in this game is freshman quarterback sensation Robert Griffin. If he can take over this ball game with his dynamic playmaking, Baylor might have a shot, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Tech should pick themselves back up and put together an impressive performance.
ADVANTAGE: Texas Tech
Final Score: Texas Tech 49 – Baylor 17
Star Watch:
Texas Tech
QB #6 Graham Harrell – will try to rebound from a sub par performance in the OU game, leads the nation’s top rated passing attack, has 4438 yards passing with 39 TDs with 6 INTs, and a 164.96 passer rating
WR #5 Micheal Crabtree – Biletnikof winner from last year, also looks to come back big after his worst college performance, 1072 yards, 18 TDs receiving
DB #7 Darcel McBath – looks to shut down the Bear’s passing attack and tighten up their rushing attack, has 63 tackles, 6 INTs returned one for a TD
Baylor
QB #10 Robert Griffin – freshman sensation, who provides huge spark to offense and has done a great job limiting turnovers, and leads the team in scoring 744 TDs and 11 TDs rushing/ 2,000 yards passing 14 TDs/2 INTs
LB #41 Joe Pawelek – the All-American candidate will try to shut down Tech’s short passing game and will be busy roaming the field, 121 tackles (3rd in the country), including 6 for a loss, 6 INTs
RB #32 Jay Finley – will look to take on Tech’s D running the ball after they gave up 299 yards last week. Has 760 rush yards, 135 receiving yards, & 9 total TDs
Friday, (Nov. 28, 2008):
(9)Boise State vs. Fresno State – 6 p.m. on ESPN2
Breakdown:
This could have been a very exciting game had it not been for Utah’s victory over Brigham Young last week. Now that Utah has finished their season perfect, Boise State will not be able to overtake Utah in the BCS standings, and thus will not get an at-large bid to a BCS bowl.
After already locking up its sixth conference championship in seven years, the Broncos look to keep their perfect season alive against Fresno State.
Early on, Fresno State was looking for a BCS bid, but that quickly faded away after a 13-10 loss to Wisconsin in their second game.
Boise will use their high-powered offense and a steady dose of passes to open it up for their strong running game. The Bulldogs will be unsuccessful in their attempts to move the ball against Boise’s hard-nosed defense, ranked sixteenth in the nation.
Boise State will take advantage of their numerous offensive weapons and infamous trick plays, and finish the season undefeated.
ADVANTAGE: Boise State
Final Score: Boise State 45 – Fresno State 17
Star Watch:
Boise State
QB#11 Kellen Moore – leads Boise’s 12th ranked offense, looking to bounce back from a 4 INT game against Nevada, first in WAC in pass efficiency.
RBs#41&27 Ian Johnson & Jeremy Avery – two headed rushing attack will provide a change from their passing attack, combined 1161 yards and 13 TDs
CB#13 Kyle Wilson – will try to stop Fresno QB Tom Brandstater, look for a big play from him, leads the WAC’s #1 scoring D, 10 pass breakups, 5 INTs, also has 334 punt return yards and 2 TDs
Fresno State
LB#54 Ben Jacobs – defensive leader for Fresno’s D, will attempt to hold back Boise’s high scoring attack, has 97 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, fumble return for a TD, 1 sack, and a blocked kick
CB/KR#28 A.J. Jefferson – he will try to make it easier on the Bulldog’s by providing valuable field position with his kick returns, one of the nation’s best returners, has 27 returns for 834 and 1TD, leads team in all-purpose yards
QB#7 Tom Brandstater – the senior will try to lead his offense to an upset win in his final regular season game, must make good decisions to keep team in it, 2267 pass yards, 17 TDs/9 INTs
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