The college football season and heading into the home stretch and there are some pivotal matchup left on the schedule that could potentially shake up the college football playoff rankings. This weekend is loaded great matchups within the top 25 and they will have college football fans across the country glued to their televisions.
#5 Alabama vs. #16 LSU
When these two programs get together there is always fireworks. These are two elite SEC programs and while LSU was slow out of the gates this year, they have got back on track after an upset victory over Ole Miss. I’ve touched on the magic that the Tigers seem to have when they play in Death Valley, and I once again find myself hesitant to pick against the Tigers at home even though Alabama is the better team currently. Alabama worries me because the last time they went into a hostile environment like this they were handed a loss by Ole Miss and I think Death Valley is an even tougher place to play for a road team. Combine that with me thinking that Alabama has yet to put an impressive win on their resume this year and you will get me picking against the Tide this weekend and picking the Tigers to pull off another upset in Death Valley.
Prediction: LSU
#4 Oregon vs. #17 Utah
This PAC-12 matchup features a team trying to punch their ticket into the conference title game and potentially the college football playoff while the other is just trying to get back on track after losing a heart breaker on the road last weekend. Oregon has battled back from an early season defeat to controlling their own destiny in the college football playoff. Utah has shown this year that they can be a tough out and this game will take place in Utah. My concern for Utah is being able to score enough points to keep up with Oregon who has found their stride on offense after getting slightly more healthy on the offensive line. While Utah’s running attack should do well against Oregon’s defense, they will need some quick strikes at some point in this game and I’m not sure their offense is built for that.
Prediction: Oregon
#6 TCU vs. #7 Kansas State
This has the potential to be the Big 12 matchup of the year. TCU is coming into this game fresh off a thriller in Morganstown while Bill Snyder’s Wildcats beat down Oklahoma State this past weekend in Manhattan. TCU has been my darkhorse to make the playoffs and they are still in a great position to do so at this point in the season. I am never one to underestimate a Bill Snyder coached team, but going into Fort Worth and coming out a winner will be a tough task this weekend. One thing to monitor will be TCU being without starting running back BJ Catalon (10 rushing TDs), look for Aaron Green to carry the load for the Horn Frogs.
Prediction: TCU
#8 Michigan State vs. #14 Ohio State
You probably won’t find a better Big 10 matchup this year as the Buckeyes head into East Lansing to take on the Spartans. This is essentially the Big 10 championship game (no disrespect to Nebraska) as these are the two best teams in the conference in my mind. This is a chance for Michigan State to put a quality win on the resume as missing an opportunity early on against Oregon and for Ohio State they have a chance to put them in a great position to make it to the Big 10 championship game. After seeing how the Buckeyes fared against the Spartans in previous matchups, I feel confident picking the Spartans to win this game and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Prediction: Michigan State
#9 Arizona State vs. #10 Notre Dame
This game is a pick’em on paper and I see it playing out that way on the field on Saturday. Both teams are coming in off hard fought victories and are looking to make final pushes at making the playoff and a win for either would be a huge resume booster. I’m conflicted on which way to go because Notre Dame had their hands full with Navy on the road this past weekend despite putting almost 50 points and ASU squeaked out an overtime victory against Utah at home. Both offenses are capable of putting up points in bunches while both defenses have struggled at times this year. It’s a true coin flip and in this situation I am siding with the home team.
Prediction: Arizona State
#12 Baylor vs. #15 Oklahoma
In the second Big 12 showdown of the day Baylor heads north of the Red River to take on the Sooners in Norman. While this game should be a good one, this pick is rather easy for me. While Baylor leads the nation in offensive scoring and has accumulated their fair share of yardage, they have struggled against tougher opponents on their schedule. They won by the skin of the teeth against TCU, dropped one on the road against West Virginia and even struggled early against Texas on the road. Norman is a tough place to get a win in and Trevor Knight was at his best this past weekend. I like the Sooners to get the win on Saturday in Norman.
Prediction: Oklahoma