Seems like it was just yesterday were teeing it up to kickoff the college football season and now on the eve of Thanksgiving we are wrapping up the regular season with rivalry wee. Where has the time gone? It’s bittersweet because we always get some great matchups during rivalry week, but at the same time it means the season is coming to a close. All you can do as a true football fan is enjoy it while it lasts and miss it while it’s gone. Lets take a look at some of the rivalry week matchups, which is headlined by the yearly Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa.
#1 Alabama vs. #15 Auburn
This is one of those rivalries in which the teams, the fan bases and the coaches legitimately don’t like each other. Having lived in Alabama during my college years, I’ve seen the hate first hand and it never takes a day off. The Iron Bowl is a game I compare to the Ravens and Steelers matchups in the NFL. It’s a hard hitting, hard fought, slobber knocking fist fight for 60 minutes and when it is all said and done, one team leaves with bragging rights for 365 days. While things haven’t gone the way Auburn has liked them to lately, records go out the window when these two get together. I fully expect Gus Malzahn to throw the kitchen sink at Nick Saban’s bunch, because this will be as close as they get to playing in the playoff this year. A few weeks ago I felt a lot better about thinking Auburn could pull off the win, now I’m sure the Tide will roll and get the W after seeing how things have unfolded lately. Don’t be surprised if this game is closer than most people predict it to be.
Prediction: Alabama
#4 Mississippi State vs. #19 Ole Miss
This is another game on the schedule that has lost a bit of its luster over the past few weeks, but I still expect it to be a dandy. Up until the past few weeks both State and Ole Miss were in contention to make the four team playoff, but after a few hiccups along the way both teams have suffered blemishes on their resume. Mississippi State is fighting to hang on to the 4th spot and a win in Oxford could go a long way to making that happen. While Ole Miss’ defense has played well for the most part this year, their trigger man at quarterback has been inconsistent and you just don’t know what you are going to get out of him week in and out. I trust Dak Prescott and State’s offense more despite facing a tough a defense in this matchup.
Prediction: Mississippi State
#11 Arizona vs. #13 Arizona State
This rivalry game looks fairly even on paper and features two offenses that have the capability of putting points up in a hurry. For the first time since 1986 both Arizona and Arizona State will enter the battle for the Territorial Cup ranked and both still in the hunt for the Pac 12 South title. While both will still need some help to claim the berth, winning the game this Saturday is crucial to staying in the hunt. Arizona State had built up some momentum before falling on their face up in Corvallis against Oregon State and Arizona absolutely destroyed a good Utah team up in Salt Lake City. I am rolling with the Wildcats in this one.
Prediction: Arizona
#9 Georgia vs. #16 Georgia Tech
Clean, Old Fashioned Hate. That’s the name of this rivalry and that perfectly describes how these two teams feel about each other. On one hand you got Georgia who is fighting for a spot in the SEC title game and college football playoff and on the other you got Georgia Tech who has already locked up their spot in the ACC title game and is trying to bolster their resume for a better bowl game. Both teams feature great run games, but they vary in styles. Both offenses will look to control the ball and keep the other offense off the field, so the defenses getting stops on third down will be absolutely critical in this matchup. It’s tough picking against Tech because I know on any given week they can give any good team a hard time based on their style of play, but I am picking the Bulldogs and Nick Chubb to win this one in between the hedges.
Prediction: Georgia
#14 Wisconsin vs. #18 Minnesota
If you love watching good running backs then this is a game you will want to pay close attention to. Both David Cobb and Melvin Gordon are NFL backs and I expect both to get plenty of work when their teams square off in the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Not only will the annual rivalry trophy be on the line, a spot in the Big 10 title game is up for grabs as well. Don’t expect the ball to be put in the air too many times in this one; running the ball is what these two teams specialize at. In this case I am going to roll with the stronger run game of the two and pick the Badgers and Melvin Gordon to come out on top. I expect Gordon to add to Heisman resume as he continues to chase after Barry Sanders’ single season rushing record.
Prediction: Wisconsin
Thanksgiving Special: #5 TCU vs. Texas
This used to be the day reserved for the Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M, but with the Aggies moving to the SEC we will see the Horned Frogs and Longhorns square off in a Turkey Day Showdown in Austin. While this may not look like an appeasing game at first glance, this may end up being one to watch closely. TCU struggled on the road against a Kansas team that has been the doormat of the Big 12 this year and Texas has been hit lately winning the last three games, including an upset win over West Virginia. Texas’ defense has played very well this year and has shown it can slow down some of the most potent offenses in the Big 12, so it will be interesting to see how they do against TCU’s offense. One thing is for sure, if Texas shows they can slow down TCU and able to manufacture some points on offense, this could end up being a dandy. Gus Johnson will be on the call, so the Law of Gus may work its magic.
Prediction: TCU
