Saturday Predictions: Week 13

Historically, the Red Raiders have been dominated by the
Longhorns; currently, they have lost the last six-straight. Tech
could turn the tide if they find a way to pass against the Texas
defense.

The culmination of our regular season is at hand, for we have arrived at "Rivalry Week". College football's saved the best for last, as nearly the entire Top 25 is at risk of upset this weekend. Schools will gain annual bragging rights and teams will earn conference and divisional championships. There will be many hard-fought, emotional games played over the next few days, and not all will be discussed in this preview. As always, keep an eye out for developing thrillers across the country.

The action starts tonight, this Thanksgiving, when the South Florida Bulls take on their rivals, the UCF Knights. The Bulls have won six of their last seven while the Knights have lost each of their 11 games this season. Understandably, USF is favored by several touchdowns, even on the road. UCF should be too young and their roster too shallow to compete with USF this year. At the same time, Texas Tech will battle Texas in Austin. Texas has been inconsistent but mostly mediocre this season, while Tech has also been inconsistent but mostly good. An inspired effort could lift the Longhorns to victory, but Tech should be at an advantage.

You can spend your day after feasting watching football from noon until midnight. Pitt hosts Miami at midday, hoping to win their ninth game of the season. The Hurricanes have struggled this season, but can still give the Panthers a fight if they're not properly prepared.

Marshall heads west to face the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in a matchup of two of Conference USA's best teams. The Thundering Herd will attempt to contain WKU's prolific offense.

Houston hosts a huge game against Navy to decide the winner of the American West. Houston will be looking for some answers after dropping their first game of the year last week against UConn. Likewise, Navy has lost just a single game (to Notre Dame) and has an excellent team this season. All of Navy's wins have come by 10 points or more (the only time Navy won by as little as 10 was against UConn). Houston may find it difficult to stop Navy's option-attack offense.

The final Friday noon game to look out for features Western Michigan and Toledo. Toledo can clinch the MAC West with a home win against the Broncos. Despite their five losses, WMU is one of the MAC's tougher teams, and should provide a challenge for the Rockets.

At 2:30, Missouri visits Fayetteville, Arkansas for the first time in history. Mizzou is fighting for bowl eligibility, but should have a hard time reaching it. Despite possessing an excellent defense, the Tigers might not have enough on offense to challenge the Razorbacks.

Washington is just one of many teams that must win this
weekend to ensure their bowl eligibility.
AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez

Washington and Washington State are in a similar situation. The Huskies are trying to become bowl eligible, but must overcome their below-average offense against a more balanced rival. Home-field-advantage might inspire the Husky defense to play well against Wazzu's dangerous passing attack.

Looking to enter the Big Ten Championship Game undefeated, the Iowa Hawkeyes have one final hurdle in the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Hawkeyes are not unbeaten without reason – their steady defense and conservative-but-effective offense have been a recipe for success. The Huskers are another team looking to reach bowl eligibility with a win in their season finale. Heartbreak has oft-struck the Cornhuskers this season, although their season should also be remembered for a shocking upset against Michigan State. Nebraska may need their best defensive performance of the year to complete another incredible coup.

Friday's final game of particular interest will pit Baylor against TCU. TCU has already been eliminated from contention for part of the Big 12 title, but can ruin rival Baylor's hopes for a conference title (or potential playoff bid) with a victory in their home finale. Injuries to key players have plagued both teams. The Bears have fewer such injuries, but have been hit hard at the quarterback position. The Frogs can upset the Bears if their quarterback excels once again.

Saturday arrives and with it the big game between Michigan and Ohio State. The Buckeyes will head to Michigan Stadium fresh of their loss to Michigan State. The Spartan defense dominated Ohio State, and the Wolverines will be keen to reproduce their in-state rival's performance. As a matter of fact, the strength of both teams is their defenses, so expect a physical and low-scoring contest. Only the winner can have any hope of winning the Big Ten East.

Two pairs of SEC and ACC teams will face another for their yearly rivalries. In Atlanta, Georgia will look to extend the misery of Georgia Tech's 2015 season. The Yellow Jackets have only won three games this year, but could find some relief upsetting their arch-nemeses from Athens. Both teams depend heavily on the run, although Georgia has the better defense. In Lexington, Kentucky and Louisville will battle for the title of "best in the Bluegrass". Before their win last week, Kentucky had lost five games in-a-row. Louisville, on the other hand, has won six of their last eight. In addition, Louisville has not lost to Kentucky since 2010. However, this game tends to bring the best out of the Wildcats, so watch for another close game here.

Soldier Field will host this year's game between Northwestern and Illinois. The Wildcats are ranked while the Illini, like so many teams, are a win away from reaching bowl eligibility. The Illini have lost five of their last six, but can make this season some type of success with one win over their in-state rivals. Although the Wildcat offense is mediocre, their defense should cause problems for Illinois.

Michigan State must defeat Penn State to earn a spot against
Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Michigan State can clinch the Big Ten East with a victory over Penn State. The Spartan defense should hold the Nittany Lions in check, although PSU is certainly capable of keeping the game close and sneaking out a win in East Lansing. If MSU loses, the winner of the Michigan-Ohio State game will advance the the conference title game.

In the western division of the conference, Minnesota will look to snap an 11-game losing streak against their border-rivals, the Wisconsin Badgers. A win would also grant the Golden Gophers bowl eligibility. Wisconsin has a good defense, but will nonetheless be vulnerable on the road against a spunky Gophers team. An improbable victory may end a decade of heartbreak for the Land of 1,000 Lakes.

North Carolina has won 10 consecutive games and hopes to possibly earn a playoff bid. Their rivals from Raleigh will look to spoil their hopes. NC State has not played as well as the Tar Heels this season, but can earn a memorable win for their program by defeating UNC. The Tar Heels have one of the ACC's best offenses, so the Wolfpack defense will need their best performance to earn a win.

While Alabama can clinch the SEC West with a win in the Iron Bowl, the winner of the USC-UCLA game will earn a berth to the Pac-12 title game. These cross-town rivals have gone up and down this season, varying from big wins to embarrassing losses. UCLA's slightly superior defense and running game may prove the difference between these two evenly-matched squads.

Temple clinches the American East and the right to play the winner of the Navy-Houston game if they manage to get by UConn at the Linc. Both teams possess good defenses, although Temple has a superior, if not exactly stellar, offense. The key to Temple's success is scoring off good opportunities and field position. They'll likely find a way to get it done against UConn, but don't be too surprised to see another good showing from the Huskies.

Two bitter rivals do battle for the Egg Bowl trophy when Ole Miss faces Mississippi State in Starkville. Both teams have fared well this year against difficult schedules, but this game is as (or more) important than any that have preceded it. Both schools posses what are probably the two best quarterbacks in the SEC, but they will both face competent defenses. However, if both gunslingers find "their zone", this could turn to a barn burner. Ole Miss could find an edge if they can get the ball to their speedy playmakers.

The Gators must exploit their opportunities to upend the
Seminoles in Gainesville. Rob Foldy/Getty Images

The Swamp will host Florida and Florida State for the 60th edition of their Sunshine State rivalry game. The Gators have one of the nation's better résumés, having swept their division and gone undefeated at home. However, they have hardly impressed in recent weeks with narrow wins over Vanderbilt and Florida Atlantic (who have six wins combined). Moving the ball and scoring in the redzone has been a particular trouble for the Gators, who also have inconsistent placekickers. Yet, the Gator defense, regarded as one of the best in the country, has kept every game close and has been key in Florida's 10 victories. The Seminoles also have a great defense, and are strong at every position at that side of the ball. However, FSU is also known to struggle at times with their offense, particularly when playing away from Tallahassee. Florida will have to limit Florida State's phenomenal running back and win the battle of field position to gain an edge over the Seminoles.

LSU is set to combat Texas A&M in the former's famed Tiger Stadium. LSU has unexpectedly lost three consecutive games, and rumors of their coaches' job security swirl around their program. The Aggies are not one of the SEC's best teams, but could take advantage of LSU's apparent fall from grace. On the other hand, LSU might rally in their moment of crisis and win an emotional game for their head coach. To do this, LSU must find some sort of success on offense; the failure to do so has been their downfall in their last three losses.

But the intriguing matchups don't end there. Notre Dame and Stanford both have long-shot hopes of being granted a playoff berth, but must get past the other to get there. The Cardinal will host the Irish after winning their last game against rival Cal. Stanford usually finds ways to win games with their steady ground game and solid defense. Notre Dame has respectable units on both sides of the ball, which is remarkable considering the number of injuries they've overcome. This should be another close game between these two high-quality programs.

Bedlam breaks loose when Oklahoma and Oklahoma State draw their guns. This year, these two in-state rivals are fighting for at least a share of the Big 12 title (and the title outright if TCU beats Baylor). This may also coincide with the first playoff berth for a Big 12 team. Both teams are best on the offensive side of the ball, with particularly good passing attacks by both squads. Unlike the Cowboys, the Sooners complement their aerial attack with a potent ground game. The Sooners also have a better defense, so they will have a marked advantage in this ballgame. Even home-field-advantage may not be enough for the Cowboys this year.

State of Florida:

• South Florida (7-4) over UCF (0-11), 42-14
• Pittsburgh (8-3) over Miami (7-4), 27-24
• Florida Atlantic (2-9) over Old Dominion (5-6), 20-13
• 12 Florida (10-1) over 13 Florida State (9-2), 21-17
• FIU (5-7), END OF SEASON

Southeastern Conference:

• Arkansas (6-5) over Missouri (5-6), 28-14
• Georgia (8-3) over Georgia Tech (3-8), 24-14
• Kentucky (5-6) over Louisville (6-5), 34-30
• 1 Clemson (11-0) over South Carolina (3-8), 52-20
• 2 Alabama (10-1) over Auburn (6-5), 35-14
• Tennessee (7-4) over Vanderbilt (4-7), 17-10
• 18 Mississippi (8-3) over 21 Mississippi State (8-3), 38-35
• LSU (7-3) over Texas A&M (8-3), 31-17

Top 25:

• 3 Oklahoma (10-1) over 11 Oklahoma State (10-1), 31-24
• Nebraska (5-6) over 4 Iowa (11-0), 24-21
• 5 Michigan State (10-1) over Penn State (7-4), 27-13
• 9 Stanford (9-2) over 6 Notre Dame (10-1), 35-27
• 19 TCU (9-2) over 7 Baylor (9-1), 45-42
• 10 Michigan (9-2) over 8 Ohio State (10-1), 28-21
• 14 North Carolina (10-1) over North Carolina State (7-4), 31-21
• 15 Navy (9-1) over Houston (10-1), 35-31
• 16 Northwestern (9-2) over Illinois (5-6), 20-17 
• 17 Oregon (8-3) over Oregon State (2-9), 49-21
• Washington (5-6) over 20 Washington State (8-3), 23-21
• 22 UCLA (8-3) over USC (7-4), 31-27
• 23 Utah (8-3) over Colorado (4-8), 24-10
• 24 Toledo (9-1) over Western Michigan (6-5), 37-30
• 25 Temple (9-2) over Connecticut (6-5), 31-17

Know Your Opponent: Florida State

The Gators first met the Seminoles on November 22, 1958.
The Seminoles were the first to score that day, shocking the
Florida Field crowd with a quick 85-yard drive into the
endzone. The Gators equalized late in the initial quarter after
Dave Hudson blocked a punt and returned it for the score. A
short time afterwards, Hudson made an interception that set
up an 89-yard Gator touchdown drive. On FSU's next
possession, they fumbled the ball away on their own 20-yard-
line. On fourth-and-goal from the eight, Gator quarterback
Jimmy Dunn scrambled for the score. The Gators held on from
there to secure the 21-7 victory. The Seminole

The Gators end their home schedule by playing their nearest rival, the Seminoles of Florida State University. The West Florida Seminary, the oldest predecessor of the modern Florida State University, opened for classes in 1857 in Tallahassee. The West Florida Seminary was reorganized into Florida State College in 1901. The Buckman Act of 1905 consolidated all public schools of higher education in the state of Florida, requiring three gender and racially segregated institutions – one for black men and women (the State Normal School for Colored Students, which later became Florida A&M University) located in Tallahassee, one for white men (the University of Florida) in Gainesville, and one for white women, also in Tallahassee. The latter institution became the Florida State College for Women. After the Second World War, the newly instituted G.I. Bill greatly increased the demand for higher education in the state of Florida. In 1947, FSCW became coeducational again and changed its name to "Florida State University". Florida State now enrolls nearly 42,000 students (including almost 33,000 undergrads). FSU’s school colors are garnet (a dark shade of red) and gold.

Despite being younger than many other successful and tradition-rich football programs (Florida State has only played football since 1947), the Seminoles have enjoyed tremendous success in their history. An independent for most of their history, the Seminoles were briefly members of the Dixie Conference (1948–50), before returning to non-affiliation. Florida State finally joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 1992. Florida State has won 15 ACC titles, more than any other school (charter member Clemson, which has competed in the ACC since 1953, has just 14). Needless to say, Florida State has dominated their conference in the last two decades. The Seminoles play in Doak Campbell Stadium for home games; "Doak" has a capacity in excess of 82,000 spectators, with 84,409 being the official record-high attendance.

Florida State has won three consensus national championships (1993, 1999, and 2013) and has produced three Heisman Trophy winners (Charlie Ward in 1993, Chris Weinke in 2000, and Jameis Winston in 2013). Some would argue that defensive back and punt returner Deion Sanders (1986–88) was the greatest athlete to wear the Garnet and Gold. The flamboyant corner excelled on the gridiron, the baseball diamond, and the track. Sanders is the only person to have appeared in both the World Series and the Super Bowl. The 1999 Seminoles completed a perfect, 12-0 season and soundly defeated the Michael Vick-led Virginia Tech Hokies in the Sugar Bowl to secure the second-ever BCS championship. The 2013 Seminoles also won every game on their schedule, winning 14 games and the final championship before the playoff-era.

Any historical account of Florida State football in incomplete without mention of their greatest coach, Bobby Bowden. Under Bowden's leadership, FSU was transformed from a regional player to a national power in college football. When Bowden arrived in Tallahassee in 1976, the program had fallen on rough times, having only won four games in the previous three years. After posting a 5-6 record in his first year, Bowden never had another losing season. In just his second season, Bowden's Seminoles won a school-record 10 games (including FSU's first-ever blowout of rival Florida) and finished 14th in the AP poll. Between 1987 and 2000, the Seminoles were at or near the pinacle of college football every year, never losing more than twice in a season or finishing lower than fifth in the AP poll. Bowden led the Seminoles' first two national title teams and guided his program to 12 ACC titles (as many as Duke's Bill Murray and Clemson's Frank Howard, who are both tied for second, combined). During the first 18 years of the rivalry against Florida, the Seminoles had won only twice; Bowden turned around FSU's misfortunes against UF, winning 17 of 36 games against the Gators. No other coach was more successful against Florida's Steve Spurrier. Bowden finished with an 8-5-1 record against the Gators' "Head Ball Coach". After 34 seasons at FSU, Bowden retired in 2009, ending his career with 304* victories, 97 defeats, and four draws with the Seminoles.

Led by star quarterback Gary Huff, the 1972 Seminoles were
highly-ranked and heavily-favored coming into their matchup
against the struggling Gators. As it turned out, just about
everything went wrong for the Seminoles in front of a
capacity-crowd at Doak Campbell Stadium. FSU gave away
13 turnovers through fumbles and interceptions, dooming
themselves to a 42-13 defeat. The blowout victory marked the
Gators' 12th in 15 games against Florida State. The Seminole

Florida State's two most important rivals are undoubtedly those against Florida and Miami. The Hurricanes and the Seminoles first met in 1951, making this FSU's oldest rivalry. The schools have played every year since 1969 and have met on a total of 60 occasions. The series has been fiercely competitive through most of history, with an unusually high number of contests being decided by seven points or less (25, to be exact). Famously, between 1991 and 2002, Florida State lost four games on missed field goals during the last minute of the game. Miami leads the series with 31 wins to FSU's 29, although the Seminoles have won the last six.

Although not as old as Florida’s border rivalry with Georgia, the in-state Florida State rivalry is just as intense. In this rivalry, there are no conference implications, but often repercussions on the national championship instead. The Gators and Seminoles have played 59 times and every year since their first meeting in 1958. The Gators have only played Georgia, Auburn, Kentucky, and LSU more frequently, while the Seminoles have only played Miami more frequently. Florida leads the series with 34 victories; Florida State has won 23 games in the rivalry and twice have the teams tied. Florida State has been defeated by Florida more frequently than any other opponent. After losing in the regular season to the Seminoles, the 1996 Florida Gators defeated FSU in a rematch in the Sugar Bowl, securing their first national title. Later that year, in a game remembered by some as "The Greatest Game Ever Played at the Swamp", the Gators defeated the top-ranked, undefeated Seminoles 32-29 at home after a late-game touchdown drive ruined Florida State’s hopes for the 1997 title.

*316 victories on-the-field (12 wins from the 2006 and 2007 seasons were later vacated)

Saturday in Review: Week 12

Poor play by the offense and special teams nearly doomed
Florida against Florida Atlantic. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Well, you can't say anyone expected last Saturday to go quite the way it did. Three unbeatens were defeated, leaving just two in the country. The first upset came on Friday, when South Florida crushed Cincinnati in Tampa. The Bulls must defeat UCF on Thanksgiving and see Temple fall to UConn next Saturday to clinch their American East division. Later that night, two-touchdown underdog Air Force upended Boise State 37-30 on the road. Falcon quarterback Karson Roberts passed for 279 yards in the victory, the most of any Air Force player since 1989. Famous for their home-field-advantage, Boise State dropped their second-straight for the first time since 1997. Air Force clinched a Mountain West title game appearance against San Diego State (who clinched their division on Saturday) with the win and New Mexico's loss to Colorado State the following day.

Despite being favored by 31 points going into the game, Florida needed overtime to escape the FAU Owls. The Gator offense struggled all day, accumulating only 253 yards, and the place-kicking team didn't help. Austin Hardin missed both field goals from within the 20-yard-line and had a PAT blocked in overtime. The Owl offense was just as inneffective against the Gator defense, and the game entered halftime with no score.

Florida was first on the scoreboard after the Gators returned a fumble 48 yards from midfield. The Gators punched in the touchdown after two plays. Later in the third quarter, Antonio Callaway caught a 53-yard bomb from Treon Harris to bump up the lead 14-0. However, FAU responded with a long touchdown drive, cutting the Gator lead in half. Florida missed two more opportunities to score with an interception and a missed field goal. After an Owl punt pinned the Gators deep, disaster struck, with Harris fumbling the ball into the endzone and the Owls recovering. Neither team could move the ball in the remaining eight minutes, and the game entered overtime. The Gators got the first turn on offense and almost made the most of it; Jake McGee caught the ball on the third play, juked two defenders and walked into the endzone. A blocked PAT meant all FAU had to do was get the ball in the endzone and kick the winning point. So the Owls got the ball and FAU quarterback Quez Johnson led his team down to a first-and-goal from the nine. The Gator defense held on from there, forcing a sack and three incompletions to seal the 20-14 victory. The tenth win was the most by any Florida football team under a first-year head coach.

To many's surprise, Ole Miss had little trouble with LSU. The Tigers could move the ball, but could not overcome their three turnovers and 13 penalties. Three straight losses (all by 14 points or more) have reduced LSU from playoff contender to likely unranked.

The Citadel ended a 28-game losing streak against FBS
teams with their win over South Carolina. AP Photo/Richard Shiro

The misery extends in Columbia, South Carolina, where the Gamecocks lost 23-22 to The Citadel. The one-point loss was South Carolina's first to an FCS team since 1990 (a 38-35 defeat to, again, The Citadel). The Gamecock's inability to run the ball and defend the Bulldogs' triple-option rushing attack proved to be their downfall.

In one of the most exciting games of the season, Mississippi State topped Arkansas in a barn burner. Both quarterbacks were nigh unstoppable, with Mississippi State's Dak Prescott throwing for 508 yards (five aerial touchdowns, plus two on the ground) and Arkansas's Brandon Allen tossing for 406 yards (seven touchdowns, plus a two-point conversion reception). A late Arkansas field goal was blocked, ending their chances to win.

Like their rivals across the state border, Georgia could not put away their in-state opponent until overtime. The Bulldogs beat Georgia Southern 23-17, overcoming two deficits in the second half. The Eagles could not convert a first down in extra time, and Georgia ended the game with a touchdown run on their first play in overtime.

Tennessee beat Missouri in a defensive struggle while Texas A&M blanked the Commodores in Nashville.

Stanford improved to 9-2 with their win over California and UCLA upset Utah in a low-scoring game. Oregon made short work of USC, so the winner of the upcoming UCLA-USC game will clinch the Pac-12 South and play Stanford in the conference championship game.

Michigan State snapped Division I's longest winning streak with a 17-14 triumph over Ohio State. The Spartan defense stifled the Buckeyes, holding OSU to only 132 total offensive yards. Ohio State's two touchdowns came after fumbles granted them favorable field position. Michigan State drilled a field goal as time expired to come out on top.

Michigan's defense was also dominant in their 28-16 win over Penn State. Even less offense was featured in Madison, where Northwestern and Wisconsin combined for just 20 points and 412 offensive yards in the Wildcats' 13-7 win.

Baylor outscored Oklahoma State, knocking off the Big 12's final unbeaten team. The Bear offense was unrelenting, putting up 700 total yards on the Cowboys. OK State was held to just 8 rushing yards and could not capitalize on most of Baylor's giveaways.

Despite being outgained 536-390 in total offense and giving
away four turnovers, the Horned Frogs were nearly victorious
in Norman. Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma held off TCU's comeback, deflecting a late two-point conversion to preserve their lead. The Sooners had a 30-13 lead going into the final quarter, but the Horned Frogs refused to give up, even without their star quarterback (who was injured last week). The Sooners struggled after losing their starting quarterback to a head injury. With less than a minute left, TCU scored a touchdown and brought Oklahoma's lead down to just one point. Rather than play for overtime, the Frogs went for two and failed, keeping Oklahoma's championship hopes intact.

Houston was the other unbeaten team to go down on Saturday. The Cougars dropped a shocker against UConn in East Hartford, granting the Huskies bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010. Four turnovers doomed the Cougars against the Husky defense.

Temple earned a ninth win on the season for the first time since 1979. The Owls had no problems with the ranked Memphis Tigers, defeating them 31-12 at the Linc.

Turnovers plagued the Irish at Fenway Park, but Notre Dame ended up with a 19-16 win over Boston College. The Irish escaped after recovering a late onside kick.

Florida State cruised past Chattanooga, but North Carolina needed overtime to beat Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels clinched their division, and will play Clemson in the ACC title game.

State of Florida:

• East Carolina (5-6) over UCF (0-11), 38-17 44-7
• South Florida (7-4) over Cincinnati (6-5), 28-24 65-27
• 8 Florida (10-1) over Florida Atlantic (2-9), 35-6 20-14 (OT)
• Georgia Tech (3-8) over Miami (7-4), 30-24 38-21
• Western Kentucky (9-2) over FIU (5-7), 45-24 63-7
• 14 Florida State (9-2) over Chattanooga (8-3), 45-14 52-13

Southeastern Conference:

• South Carolina (3-8) over The Citadel (8-3), 31-21 23-22
• 22 Mississippi (8-3) over 15 LSU (7-3), 24-21 38-17
• 2 Alabama (10-1) over Charleston Southern (9-2), 49-17 56-6
• Auburn (6-5) over Idaho (3-8), 42-10 56-34
• Arkansas (6-5) over Mississippi State (8-3), 35-28 51-50
• Georgia (8-3) over Georgia Southern (7-3), 38-21 23-17 (OT)
• Tennessee (7-4) over Missouri (5-6), 21-16 19-8
• Vanderbilt (4-7) over Texas A&M (8-3), 20-17 25-0
• Kentucky (5-6) over Charlotte (2-9), 35-14 58-10

Top 25:

• 1 Clemson (11-0) over Wake Forest (3-8), 38-10 33-13
• 3 Ohio State (10-1) over 9 Michigan State (10-1), 38-31 17-14
• 4 Notre Dame (10-1) over Boston College (3-8), 24-7 19-16
• 5 Iowa (11-0) over Purdue (2-9), 42-21 40-20
• 10 Baylor (9-1) over 6 Oklahoma State (10-1), 35-31 45-35
• 7 Oklahoma (10-1) over 18 TCU (9-2), 49-21 30-29
• 11 Stanford (9-2) over California (6-5), 31-28 35-22
• 12 Michigan (9-2) over Penn State (7-4), 27-24 28-16
• 13 Utah (8-3) over UCLA (8-3), 30-27 17-9
• 16 Navy (9-1) over Tulsa (5-6), 41-28 44-21
• 17 North Carolina (10-1) over Virginia Tech (5-6), 31-17 30-27 (OT)
• 19 Houston (10-1) over Connecticut (6-5), 38-20 20-17
• 25 Wisconsin (8-3) over 20 Northwestern (9-2), 28-21 13-7
• 21 Memphis (8-3) over Temple (9-2), 30-24 31-12
• 23 Oregon (8-3) over 24 USC (7-4), 37-31 48-28

Week 12 Record: 21-9 (70%)

Season Record: 258-69 (79%)

Saturday Predictions: Week 12

Air Force can pick up their second-straight win over Boise
State with a win tonight. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

The season is nearing its end, but there's much still much to be determined. Tonight, South Florida and Cincinnati will determine who earns their seventh win of the season first. The Bulls have won five of their last six and have been playing well since early October. However, Cincinnati has a potent offense (particularly through the air) and has often got the better of USF in the past. The Bulls may need their home-field-advantage to pull a victory. While that game's going on, Air Force and Boise State will kick off on the blue turf. Boise State could be eliminated from the Mountain West title race with a loss, although neither team can yet clinch their division with a win.

Noon begins with a big game in the American Conference. Memphis and Temple both began the year 7-0, but each has lost two of their last three games. Temple can potentially clinch the AAC East if South Florida lost the night before. The winner will likely be rewarded with a spot in the Top 25 at the expense of the loser.

In Blacksburg, Virginia, the North Carolina Tar Heels can clinch their conference division with a win over Virginia Tech. UNC will be trying to avoid a letdown against a seemingly inferior conference opponent, though many expect the Hokies will be highly motivated in head coach Frank Beamer's last home game.

Two Sunshine State teams will do battle when Florida Atlantic faces Florida in the Swamp. The Owls have ended up on the short end of most games this year, winning just two of their first 10. Most upsetting have been narrow losses to Tulsa, Rice, UTEP, and Middle Tennessee. Despite being a few plays away from a 6-4 record, the Owls will be at a major disadvantage against the Gators. The Owl offense should find it difficult to move the ball much against the Gators. On the other side of the ball, anticipate Florida to hit a few big plays against the FAU defense. Although FAU has several talented players, overall, Florida should be too much in this game.

South Carolina will also be taking on an in-state team when they play The Citadel. One of the better teams in the FCS, the Bulldogs may surprise the Gamecocks if they keep the game close for a few quarters.

Heartbreak has been a recurring them in Minnesota's season.
The Gophers can still reach a bowl, but will have to beat
Illinois and Wisconsin to become eligible.
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

In Minneapolis, two Big Ten teams will be desperate to reach bowl eligibility. Illinois, who have played their entire season with an interim head coach, can complete one of the year's biggest surprises with a sixth win. Minnesota, whose head coach retired mid-season due to health concerns, must beat the Illini and Wisconsin in their season finale to get to six wins. These two evenly-matched teams could go down to the wire.

Elsewhere in that conference, Penn State hosts the Michigan Wolverines. Both teams are longshots to reach the conference title game, but could gain momentum going into their last games with a win in Beaver Stadium. The Wolverines may have the better team, but the Nittany Lions are inclined to play inspired games from time to time. Penn State could have enough big plays to pull the upset.

A half past noon, Miami and Georgia Tech will get underway at Sun Life Stadium. The Hurricanes bounced back well after their last embarrassing loss. They'll have the ability to beat the Yellow Jackets, though it's likely to be a close game. Georgia Tech will want a strong end to a disappointing season.

The three o'clock slate begins with Florida State and Chattanooga. The Mocs may be one of the best teams in the FCS, but they shouldn't stand much of a chance against the Seminoles. The FSU defense and running game should be sufficient to down Chattanooga.

Ole Miss still has outside hopes for an SEC title appearance, but they'll need to beat LSU this Saturday (and have Alabama somehow lose to Auburn next week). The Tigers have lost much of their mystique in the last two weeks, after getting beat up by Alabama and beat down by Arkansas. The Tigers have struggled to pass efficiently in recent weeks, but the Rebels have their own issues running the ball. But Ole Miss has two significant intangible advantages over LSU: they're playing at home and playing off a bye week. These two factors could give the Rebels a winning edge.

We can hope for an excellent Pac-12 matchup when USC travels to Eugene. Oregon's won their last four games and have put themselves back in position to potentially win the Pac-12 North. To accomplish this, Ducks will need to defeat a USC team that equals them in talent. However, even if the Ducks win, Stanford can clinch the division with a win over Cal later on.

Even with just two weeks left, the Pac-12 South is wide open.
Nonetheless, contenders cannot afford to lose at this point.
Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

But there'll be even more going on out west because UCLA's playing Utah in Salt Lake City. Utah can eliminate the Bruins from the Pac-12 title race with a win. This may be one of the most difficult games to predict, as both teams have been inconsistent—usually playing well but also losing to inferior teams and losing in blowouts. This game could turn out to be another West Coast classic.

Two ranked Big Ten teams will kick off at Camp Randall Stadium in the afternoon. Northwestern and Wisconsin are both one loss away from being unranked, but have a chance to earn respect here. Wisconsin even has an outside shot at the Big Ten West title (though they need to win out and have Iowa lose out). Defense is the strength of both teams, so look for a low-scoring melee with Wisconsin probably winning.

The battle between Big Ten powers will take place at the same time, in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan State is a reasonably large underdog due to the fact that the Spartans have won more than they have dominated. Ohio State, on the other hand, has crushed their conference opposition for the last six weeks. The Spartans may need a little luck, and some timely takeaways, to overthrow the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe.

Although most of the biggest action of the weekend takes place Saturday afternoon, there'll be plenty of entertaining night games to watch. Reeling off a loss to Alabama, Mississippi State plays an Arkansas team that has won four straight. The Bulldogs will need to execute better in scoring situations to keep up with the red-hot Razorbacks.

Gary Pinkel will coach his last home game with Mizzou when the Tigers take on the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee is one of the best four-loss teams in the country and Missouri will likely need their best performance of the year to down the Vols. Missouri will likely need to force three or four turnovers, and take advantage of them, to send Pinkel out a winner in Columbia.

The Sooners must win both of their remaining games to clinch
part of the Big 12 title. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt only has four wins, but might pick up a fifth against Texas A&M in Nashville. The Aggies have been less than impressive in the weeks following their loss to Alabama. The Commodores have never been good offensively, but their defense could keep this game close. If the ball bounces their way, the Commodores could earn their first victory against A&M in program history.

Many have awaited the Top 10 clash between Baylor and Oklahoma State of the Big 12. This game will feature two of the most prolific passing attacks in college football, although their defenses are also better than the average Big 12 unit. Baylor is coming off their first, heartbreaking loss of the year and hasn't won in Stillwater since 1939. They'll also be without their starting quarterback. Yet, they can find a way to win if they can run a more balanced and efficient offense than their competitors (who may depend too much on the pass at times).

Just 81 miles to the south, in Norman, will be another battle between ranked Big 12 teams. Oklahoma is hosting a TCU team that may be crippled by injuries. The Horned Frogs may be missing too many key players to upend the Sooners at this point.

The Big Game between Stanford and Cal will start late at night on the East Coast. Cal suffered through four straight losses before ending their losing streak last week against Oregon State. Stanford's eight-game winning streak was snapped on the same day by Oregon. Cal might not be capable of duplicating the same success Oregon had on offense or defense. A win here clinches the Pac-12 North for Stanford.

State of Florida:

• East Carolina (5-6) over UCF (0-11), 38-17 44-7
• South Florida (6-4) over Cincinnati (6-4), 28-24
• 8 Florida (9-1) over Florida Atlantic (2-8), 35-6
• Georgia Tech (3-7) over Miami (6-4), 30-24
• Western Kentucky (8-2) over FIU (5-6), 45-24
• 14 Florida State (8-2) over Chattanooga (8-2), 45-14

Southeastern Conference:

• South Carolina (3-7) over The Citadel (7-3), 31-21
• 22 Mississippi (7-3) over 15 LSU (7-2), 24-21
• 2 Alabama (9-1) over Charleston Southern (9-1), 49-17
• Auburn (5-5) over Idaho (3-7), 42-10
• Arkansas (6-4) over Mississippi State (7-3), 35-28
• Georgia (7-3) over Georgia Southern (7-2), 38-21
• Tennessee (6-4) over Missouri (5-5), 21-16
• Vanderbilt (4-6) over Texas A&M (7-3), 20-17
• Kentucky (4-6) over Charlotte (2-8), 35-14

Top 25:

• 1 Clemson (10-0) over Wake Forest (3-7), 38-10
• 3 Ohio State (10-0) over 9 Michigan State (9-1), 38-31
• 4 Notre Dame (9-1) over Boston College (3-7), 24-7
• 5 Iowa (10-0) over Purdue (2-8), 42-21
• 10 Baylor (8-1) over 6 Oklahoma State (10-0), 35-31
• 7 Oklahoma (9-1) over 18 TCU (9-1), 49-21
• 11 Stanford (8-2) over California (6-4), 31-28
• 12 Michigan (8-2) over Penn State (7-3), 27-24
• 13 Utah (8-2) over UCLA (7-3), 30-27
• 16 Navy (8-1) over Tulsa (5-5), 41-28
• 17 North Carolina (9-1) over Virginia Tech (5-5), 31-17
• 19 Houston (10-0) over Connecticut (5-5), 38-20
• 25 Wisconsin (8-2) over 20 Northwestern (8-2), 28-21
• 21 Memphis (8-2) over Temple (8-2), 30-24
• 23 Oregon (7-3) over 24 USC (7-3), 37-31

Know Your Opponent: Florida Atlantic

The Gators have outscored the Owls 100-23 in their previous
two meetings. Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The Gators will be back in Gainesville for another meeting with the Owls of Florida Atlantic University. In order to meet the education demands of a booming South Florida population, in 1961, the Florida state legislature authorized the establishment of a new university in Boca Raton. The campus was to be built on top of the old Boca Raton Army Airfield, a Second World War-era airbase that had been abandoned since 1948. Florida Atlantic University awarded its first degree to President Lyndon Johnson, who attended its dedication in 1964. The school exclusively served community college graduates and graduate students until 1984, when FAU became a comprehensive four-year institution. Nearly 31,000 students, and almost 25,000 undergrads, are now enrolled at FAU. The school colors are blue and red.

The Florida Atlantic football program is one of the youngest in the FBS. The Audubon Society declared the FAU campus a sanctuary for the burrowing owl in 1971; 10 years later, FAU's first athletics teams called themselves the "Owls". It wasn't until 2001 that Florida Atlantic fielded its first football team. For the first four years of FAU football, the Owls were independents in Division 1-AA (now called the FCS). The Owls joined the Sun Belt Conference for their first full season of 1-A (FBS) football in 2005. In 2007, FAU won their first (and to date, only) conference championship. The Owls moved on to the more prestigious Conference USA (C-USA) before the 2013 season. For their first eight years, FAU played home games at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale (across the county line). Since 2011, the Owls have played on-campus at FAU Stadium. The aptly-named field has an official capacity of 29,419, although the record crowd exceeded 30,000.

Considering their youth as a program, it shouldn't be a surprise that FAU has a rather meager list of accomplishments on the gridiron. Much of FAU's success can be atributed to their first head coach, Howard Schnellenberger. Schnellenberger earned his spot in college football history guiding the Miami Hurricanes to their first national championship in 1983. Schnellenberger led the Owls for their first 11 season (2001–11), guiding them to their only conference championship and two bowl appearances (both victories). In all, Schnellenberger compiled a 58–74 record with the Owls. The 2003 Owls made it as far as the 1-AA semifinals and finished with a #4 ranking in the final poll; their 11 wins are the most by any team in school history. However, the 2007 Owls may have been even better. That year, the Owls won the Sun Belt, going 6-1 in conference play and losing just once (in overtime) to Louisiana-Monroe. None of their four out-of-conference losses were particularly close, but they were all to respectable teams (Oklahoma State, Kentucky, South Florida, and Florida); they finished the year with a triumph over Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl. There may be some argument over who was the greatest Owl player. Quarterback Rusty Smith (2006–09) holds almost every FAU passing record while halfback Alfred Morris (2008–10) possesses most of the important school rushing records. Morris, who is noted for his humility and work-ethic, has gone on to a successful career in the professional league.

Florida Atlantic has never defeated an SEC team.
loxahatchee / Photobucket

The FAU Owls and the FIU Panthers are natural rivals. Their series was nicknamed the "Shula Bowl" after Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula; Shula hired Howard Schnellenberger as his offensive coordinator in the 1970s while he coached former FIU head coach Don Strock during the same decade. Florida International University was founded in Miami less than a decade after FAU opened its doors and began playing football just one year after the Owls did, 58 miles to the south. The Owls and the Panthers have followed each other at every level of progress, beginning as 1-AA independents, joining the Sun Belt in 2005, and becoming C-USA schools in 2013. Like the Owls, the Panthers have one Sun Belt title and two bowl appearances (although only one victory). Nonetheless, the Panthers trail the Owls in overall success. FAU has beaten FIU on 10 occasions in the 14-year history of the rivalry (the two schools have played every year since FIU started football in 2002). This success can be attributed to the leadership of Howard Schnellenberger. In the rivalry's early history, FAU had a decided coaching advantage, even when they didn't have an edge in talent. Schnellenberger finished his career with an 8-2 record against the Panthers.

Florida and Florida Atlantic have played twice before. Their first meeting, in 2007, was won by Florida 59-20. The Owls had a good day on offense, but just couldn't stop the Gators' offensive explosion; Florida quarterback Tim Tebow became the first player to both pass and rush for 20 touchdown in a season (solidifying his Heisman campaign), while wide receiver Andre Caldwell broke Carlos Alvarez's school record for career receptions during the game. The second contest between the Gators and the Owls was also Will Muschamp's first as a head coach. The aging Schnellenberger coached from the press box while the Gators dominated the Owls on defense. Ultimately, the Gators faced little "adversity" on their way to a 41-3 rout.

Saturday in Review: Week 11

South Florida is now bowl-eligible for the first time since
2010. Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Another week, another exhilarating, chaotic weekend of college football. Many highly ranked teams either met defeat or escaped with a narrow victory. On Friday, USC avoided the upset with a three-point win over Colorado.

Takeaways kept them in the game, but Syracuse couldn't score in the final quarter to defeat Clemson. Florida State toppled NC State, shutting out the Wolfpack in the second half. North Carolina is one win away from clinching their division after stomping Miami in Chapel Hill.

Houston completed an incredible 20-point fourth-quarter-comeback over Memphis to remain undefeated on the season. The Memphis kicker pushed a potential game-winner wide right as time ran out. Explosive plays lifted South Florida over Temple. Bulls halfback Marlon Mack ran for 230 yards and two touchdowns in USF's first victory over a ranked opponent since 2011.

Oklahoma eliminated Baylor from the list of unbeatens. The Sooners dominated the Bears in nearly all statistical categories. Oklahoma State scraped by Iowa State in Ames, leaving them the last undefeated Big 12 team. In a similar game, TCU barely survived their game against Kansas. The Horned Frogs lost star quarterback Trevone Boykin to injury early in the game.

The Iowa Hawkeyes held off Minnesota to keep their perfect record. Michigan needed double-overtime to escape Bloomington and the Indiana Hoosiers. Hoosier running back Jordan Howard ran for 238 yards in the losing effort. Northwestern kept their unlikely conference championship hopes alive beating Purdue with a late touchdown.

The New Mexico Lobos were not expected to be good this year. In fact, the media picked them to finish last in their division of the Mountain West (one of the weaker conferences). They hadn't had a winning season since 2007. Boise State started this season ranked. Boise State had lost three home games in the last 15 years. New Mexico had never beaten Boise State before. Last Saturday, the Lobos were 31-point underdogs. All of that changed when the Lobos became bowl-eligible with their shocking 31-24 win over the Broncos. The Broncos almost tied the game with time running out, but their wacky hook-and-ladder play fell four yards short of the goal line.

Stanford may be eliminated from playoff contention after the Cardinal's 38-36 loss to Oregon. The Cardinal possessed the ball for over 42 minutes of game-time, but it didn't matter, as the Ducks scored repeatedly on big plays. Three giveaways did no favors for the home team, either. Stanford had a chance to tie the game late, but couldn't complete the two-point conversion. Utah became the second Top 10 team from the Pac-12 to be upset by an unranked team with the Utes' 37-30 overtime loss to Arizona. The Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak to reach bowl-eligibility. Arizona has now upset a Top 10 team one time in each of the last four seasons.

But that wasn't the last unranked Pac-12 team to upset a their conference brethren. Washington State knocked off UCLA with a spectacular late touchdown pass. After this Saturday, all teams from the Pac-12 now have at least two losses, and all others besides Stanford and Utah now have at least three.

Although the game was close late in the fourth quarter,
Florida actually outgained South Carolina 404-201 in total
offensive yards and nearly doubled the Gamecocks in time-of-
possession. RAINIER EHRHARDT — AP Photo

First half mishaps led to a lopsided score in Mississippi State's 31-6 loss to Alabama. The Bulldog offense actually outgained the Tide's in total yards, first downs, and time-of-possession. Yet, they couldn't execute in key situations while their special teams and defense surrendered big plays. Another surprisingly lopsided SEC bout was Arkansas's domination of LSU. The Razorbacks' stable of running back ran wild over the LSU defense while LSU's once-feared ground attack was limited to 59 total yards.

Florida dominated South Carolina for about 50 minutes, but needed a couple big plays near the end to put away the Gamecocks. The Gators went up 14-0 midway through the second after Jordan Cronkrite stole the ball away from a Carolina defender, turned, and ran into the endzone to complete the 41-yard pass play. The Gators bungled an opportunity to go up three scores at the half, throwing an interception going into the goal line. However, the Gators held a 17-0 lead going into the final quarter, having almost entirely shut down the Gamecock offense to that point. But Carolina struck back, first scoring off a double-pass and later on a seam over a broken coverage. Late in the fourth quarter, Kelvin Taylor and the Gators responded. The Gator running back broke loose for a 53-yard run on third-and-long, setting Florida up for a first-and-goal from the one (Taylor and the offensive line punched it in on the subsequent play). The Gators intercepted the ball six plays later, sealing the victory.

Turnovers helped Georgia finish a comeback on the road against Auburn. It was not a great day for either offense, as they both combined for only 518 yards (and just 159 passing yards). Surprisingly, more offensive production was found in Nashville, where Vanderbilt defeated Kentucky, 21-17. Turnovers also aided the Commodores set up short scoring drives. Vandy scored off a four-yard drive, a pick-six, and a 51-yard drive. Despite dominating the game statistically, Missouri had to hold off BYU to win an emotional game in Kansas City.

State of Florida:

• 11 Florida (9-1) over South Carolina (3-7), 17-10 24-14
• Middle Tennessee (5-5) over Florida Atlantic (2-8), 31-20 24-17
• 16 Florida State (8-2) over North Carolina State (6-4), 31-24 34-17
• 23 North Carolina (9-1) over Miami (6-4), 45-24 59-21
• Marshall (9-2) over FIU (5-6), 42-27 52-0
• South Florida (6-4) over 22 Temple (8-2), 21-17 44-23
• UCF (0-10), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• Auburn (5-5) over Georgia (7-3), 31-27 20-13
• Tennessee (6-4) over North Texas (1-9), 56-7 24-0
• 2 Alabama (9-1) over 17 Mississippi State (7-3), 24-20 31-6
• Vanderbilt (4-6) over Kentucky (4-6), 10-6 21-17
• Texas A&M (7-3) over Western Carolina (6-4), 56-21 41-17
• 9 LSU (7-2) over Arkansas (6-4), 31-24 31-14
• Missouri (5-5) over BYU (7-3), 14-13 20-16
• Mississippi (7-3), BYE

Top 25:

• 1 Clemson (10-0) over Syracuse (3-7), 49-21 37-27
• 3 Ohio State (10-0) over Illinois (5-5), 38-20 28-3
• 4 Notre Dame (9-1) over Wake Forest (3-7), 42-17 28-7
• 5 Iowa (10-0) over Minnesota (4-6), 31-21 40-35
• 12 Oklahoma (9-1) over 6 Baylor (8-1), 49-45 44-34
• 7 Stanford (8-2) over Oregon (7-3), 38-35 38-36
• 8 Oklahoma State (10-0) over Iowa State (3-7), 42-21 35-31
• 10 Utah (8-2) over Arizona (6-5), 28-21 37-30 (OT)
• 13 Michigan State (9-1) over Maryland (2-8), 31-20 24-7
• 14 Michigan (8-2) over Indiana (4-6), 38-17 48-41 (OT)
• 15 TCU (9-1) over Kansas (0-10), 70-14 23-17
• 18 Northwestern (8-2) over Purdue (2-8), 30-17 21-14
• 19 UCLA (7-3) over Washington State (7-3), 34-31 31-27
• 20 Navy (8-1) over SMU (1-9), 45-21 55-14
• 21 Memphis (8-2) over 24 Houston (10-0), 35-31 35-34
• 25 Wisconsin (8-2), BYE

Week 11 Record: 22-6 (79%)

Season Record: 237-60 (80%)