Saturday in Review: Week 11

Texas Christian's 41-20 rout of Kansas State may have
been this weekend's most impressive team performance.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

What a great weekend of college football. Wish more games were closer, though the classic from Baton Rouge mostly made up for that. It seems we're getting a lot more clarity about who will end this season with the trophy in Dallas. Still, there are about eight or so teams that are all viable playoff contenders, so there's a lot of action still to work itself out.

The surprises began with Baylor's humiliation of Oklahoma in Norman. After winning their first game ever against the Sooners in 2011, the Bears have now won three of the past four. Later that night, the Horned Frogs of TCU decimated Kansas State in a similar, surprising fashion. The Frogs completely stifled K-State's run game while rushing for 334 yards of their own. As a result of these two games, TCU and Baylor have emerged as the clear favorites to win the Big 12 and represent their conference in the playoffs. TCU will be favored in all their remaining games (at Kansas, at Texas, and vs. Iowa State), though the game against the Longhorns, who occasionally play well, may be difficult to win. Baylor, meanwhile, must face Oklahoma State at home, Texas Tech in Arlington, and Kansas State at home. Kansas State must play better than they did last Saturday if they expect to knock off the Bears in Waco. Remember that earlier this season, Baylor defeated TCU in a shootout in Waco, 61-58, though the Bears fell to West Virginia the next week. If both teams win out, the committee will need to choose one team over the other unless both are somehow selected for the playoffs.

Georgia rolled Kentucky, keeping hopes of an SEC Championship appearance alive. The Dawgs probably still need to beat Auburn and hope Missouri and Florida lose. Ole Miss shut out Presbyterian by a score very close to what I predicted.

Texas A&M's stunning victory in Auburn was one of the
most unexpected upsets this season. The loss almost
eliminates Auburn from the conference title race.
Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Before the game was played, most expected Texas A&M to exit Jordan-Hare Stadium decisively defeated. After all, the Aggies had just stumbled past Louisiana-Monroe at home with new quarterback Kyle Allen while the Tigers had looked impressive throughout the season. But to everyone's surprise, A&M came away with what may be the upset of the season. Perhaps Auburn was overconfident. Perhaps it was time their luck ran out. What it came down to was two catastrophic fumbles in the games dwindling minutes. The Tigers had come back from a 35-17 halftime deficit and were lining up for the go-ahead touchdown with only 2:37 to go. Somehow, Nick Marshall and Cameron Artis-Payne botched the exchange, leading to a fumble that A&M recovered on the 2-yard-line. But Auburn got the ball and were driving with less than a minute to go. While Marshall was checking the play, center Reese Dismukes snapped the ball while his quarterback wasn't looking. The Aggies recovered it on their own 29 and ran the clock out for the win. The loss probably eliminates Auburn from championship contention (though they will still play a major role as potential spoilers).

Arizona State humbled Notre Dame in the desert, downing the Irish 55-31. Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson was largely responsible for the 24-point loss. Golson threw four picks and also fumbled a ball once to the other team. The Irish trailed by 24 points at the half, but actually came back to cut the Sun Devil's lead to just three with only 6:37 left. However, hope for the Irish was short lived, as ASU responded with three touchdowns in next six minutes. This loss adds to the recent deterioration of Florida State's strength-of-schedule. This may endanger the Seminoles only if FSU does not sweep their remaining opponents.

Ohio State is now in command of the Big Ten after a
dominant show against Michigan State.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

In East Lansing, Ohio State notched their biggest win of the season against the Spartans and took control of the Big Ten East. The game was close through the first half, but Michigan State couldn't play through four quarters and the Buckeyes pulled away in the second half. The Buckeyes are in the driver's seat to win their conference but must overcome an ugly early-season loss to Virginia Tech if they hope to be selected into the playoffs.

Army out-gunned Connecticut in Yankee Stadium while Texas defeated their first ranked opponent (West Virginia) since 2010. Both teams were held scoreless at halftime, but Michigan pulled out the 10-9 win against Northwestern. The Wolverines halted a go-ahead two-point conversion attempt by the Wildcats with only seconds left. After a heart-stopping 28-25 win against Texas State, the Georgia Southern Eagles are 8-2 and well on their way to one of the most impressive seasons by a first-year FBS team ever. Their only losses were by one point and four points to NC State and Georgia Tech, respectively.

Turnovers led to Virginia taking an early 13-7 lead over Florida State. However, the Seminole defense and Rashad Greene were too much for the Cavaliers to overcome, as Florida State won 34-20. The Seminoles may have been conserving their energy for their upcoming clash with the Hurricanes this Saturday. The other two unbeatens, Mississippi State and Marshall, overwhelmed UT Martin and Southern Miss, respectively.

Florida took on Vanderbilt in Nashville, hoping to avenge last season's loss to the Dores. Florida's defense made the 34-10 win relatively easy, as the Commodores struggled to consistently move the ball against the Gators. The Gators implemented a balanced-but-conservative gameplan, running and passing for equal yardage and taking advantage of Vandy's mistakes. The one point of concern for Florida was their redzone touchdown-efficiency. Florida still needs to defeat South Carolina at home this Saturday and hope Missouri and Georgia both lose particular games if they hope to make it to Atlanta this December.

Following a monumental blunder by Utah's Kaelin Clay, the
Ducks blew out their Pac-12 foes. Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Out west, Oregon conquered Utah by the Great Salt Lake. The Ducks were aided by an unbelievable, mortifying error by Utes receiver Kaelin Clay. Preparing to celebrate his 79-yard would-be touchdown reception, the oblivious receiver dropped the ball by the goal line. While his teammates crowded around him, the Ducks picked up the live ball and took it all the way back, 100 yards for a touchdown. What should have been a 14-0 Utes lead turned into 7-7 tie. Oregon went on to win 51-27. UCLA and Arizona also picked up wins; both remain with two losses.

It rarely disappoints, but this last battle between Alabama and LSU was as exciting and epic as ever. It played out much like the defensive clash of 2011. That "Game of the Century" ended with a 9-6 overtime win by LSU in Tuscaloosa. Both teams proved evenly matched throughout the contest. After each team scored a field goal in the final minute, regulation ended with a 13-13 tie in Baton Rouge. Alabama punched it in during their first overtime possession, but LSU failed to respond. Thus the final 20-13 score (just a point away from my prediction). The outcome of this Saturday's game between Alabama and undefeated Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa will decide the leader in the SEC West and the favorite to win the conference.

This weekend we learned a lot about a lot of teams and what the playoffs might look like. We learned the SEC representative in the playoffs will probably be Alabama or Mississippi State. It seems the Big 12 will probably send TCU or Baylor to the playoffs while the Pac-12 will deliver either Arizona State or Oregon (if anyone). Florida State will certainly get in if they win out. But if the Noles stumble along the way, who knows who the fourth team will be? Could Ohio State still make it in despite their embarrassing early-season loss? Would a two-loss SEC team get in over a one-loss team from another conference? Can any conference send two teams to the playoffs and who will be left out? We'll wait for the drama to play out during the final stretch of the regular season. Enjoy every minute of it.

State of Florida:

• FIU (3-7) over Old Dominion (4-6), 24-21 38-35
• #2 Florida State (9-0) over Virginia (4-6), 34-17 34-20
• Florida Atlantic (3-7) over North Texas (3-6), 31-27 31-10
• Florida (5-3) over Vanderbilt (3-7), 24-14 34-10
• Miami (6-3), BYE
• South Florida (3-6), BYE
• UCF (5-3), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• #17 Georgia (7-2) over Kentucky (5-5), 45-35 63-31
• #12 Mississippi (8-2) over Presbyterian (5-5), 49-0 48-0
• #3 Auburn (7-2) over Texas A&M (7-3), 45-3 41-38
• #1 Mississippi State (9-0) over UT Martin (5-6), 49-10 45-16
• #4 Alabama (8-1) over #14 LSU (7-3), 20-14 20-13 (OT)
• Arkansas (4-5), BYE
• Missouri (7-2), BYE
• South Carolina (4-5), BYE
• Tennessee (4-5), BYE

Top 25:

• #5 Oregon (9-1) over #20 Utah (6-3), 31-28 51-27
• #9 Kansas State (7-2) over #6 TCU (8-1), 31-24 41-20
• #7 Michigan State (7-2) over #13 Ohio State (8-1), 34-24 49-37
• #11 Arizona State (8-1) over #8 Notre Dame (7-2), 27-24 55-31
• #16 Oklahoma (6-3) over #10 Baylor (8-1), 38-31 48-14
• #18 UCLA (8-2) over Washington (6-4), 24-17 44-30
• #19 Clemson (7-2) over Wake Forest (2-7), 34-9 34-20
• #21 Arizona (7-2) over Colorado (2-8), 38-21 38-20
• #22 Duke (8-1) over Syracuse (3-7), 31-24 27-10
• #23 Marshall (9-0) over Southern Miss (3-7), 35-13 63-17
• #24 West Virginia (6-4) over Texas (5-5), 34-31 33-16
• #25 Wisconsin (7-2) over Purdue (3-7), 38-24 34-16
• #15 Nebraska (8-1), BYE

Week 11 Record: 14-7 (67%)

Season Record: 145-58 (71%)

Know Your Opponent: Vanderbilt

Playing in a hostile environment for the first time in over a month, the Gators face the Commodores of Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee established in 1873 and named after American industrialist and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt (also known by the nickname “Commodore”). Vanderbilt is the smallest and only private university in the Southeastern Conference, and enrolls just under 13,000 students (almost 7,000 of which are undergrads). The school colors are black and gold.

Jeff Driskel set a school record for single-game rushing yards
by a quarterback (177) when Florida last met Vandy in
Nashville. The Gators won 31-17 in front of the first sell-out
crowd at Vanderbilt Stadium in four years.
Frederick Breedon - Getty Images

Vanderbilt has an old tradition of playing football, but has only enjoyed modest and sparing success. Vanderbilt played its first season in 1890 and was a charter member of the SEC in 1933, but has yet to win a conference title (the only charter member other than Sewanee not to have won a title and the only still a member of the conference). The Commodores play home games in Vanderbilt Stadium, the SEC’s smallest football facility. Vanderbilt Stadium has a capacity of about 40,000.

Unlike most its conference brethren, Vanderbilt has never won an SEC or national title. Vandy has played in only seven bowl games in over 12 decades of playing the sport and only won four. Also, the Commodores have never won more than nine games in one season; in the past 100 years, Vanderbilt has three nine-win seasons (1915, 2012, and 2013).

Florida and Vanderbilt have been playing football against each other since 1945, although the series has only been played annually since 1992. The Gators and Commodores have played a total of 47 times; Florida has defeated Vanderbilt on 35 occasions, while Vandy has triumphed over Florida just 10 times (two games have ended as ties). Florida won 22 straight games in the series from 1989 to 2012 and 19 straight games in Gainesville from 1951 and 2011. In 2013, Vanderbilt snapped these long-standing losing streaks by defeating the Gators 34-17 in Gainesville. Both Florida’s 1996 and 2006 national championship squads were nearly upset by inspired Vanderbilt teams. Quarterback Jay Cutler led the Commodores into overtime with the Gators in 2005, but couldn’t seal the upset.

Saturday Predictions: Week 11

The B1G Ten game we've been waiting for all season has
finally arrived. Ohio State and Michigan State battle for
leadership of the East division in East Lansing. Leon Halip

After an exciting weekend of Southeastern Conference football, we'll be getting probably the last relatively calm week of SEC football before the end of the season. But don't despair; it'll be anything but boring. The rest of the country is really stepping up with their number of marque games, as 10 of the 19 non-SEC Top-25 teams will be playing another member of the Top 25. Some teams will make or break their season this Saturday...

Only four teams from the state of Florida are active this week, and only Florida State will be playing at home. Florida Atlantic and FIU can each potentially pick up a win on the road against similarly weak teams. Florida State will try to avoid a let down against Virginia in Tallahassee. The Cavaliers have a decent defense, although the Seminoles should win as long as they avoid turnovers. Jameis Winston suffered a slight ankle injury in last Thursday's game; the Noles may want to take this as an opportunity to develop a running game that has been fairly lacking thus far this season.

The Gators head north to Nashville, seeking to avenge last season's loss to the Commodores. Both teams are coming off their most impressive wins of the season (Florida won by 18 against Georgia, Vanderbilt by 14 against Old Dominion). Vandy is not a strikingly good team, although they seem to have improved since the season began. The 'Dores finally seem to have found an answer at quarterback in Johnny McCrary. Vandy also has a solid running back in freshman and Gainesville-native Ralph Webb. Vanderbilt has a scrappy quality and has made many games closer than they probably should have been. The Gators will likely employ a rush-heavy offense, though expect more passing attempts than last week against Georgia.

Kentucky is looking for its tenth win over Georgia since the
two teams began playing annually in 1956. Georgia cannot
afford to lose if they hope to challenge for the SEC East.
Kentucky, meanwhile, is facing the threat of a losing season
after winning five of their first six. Andy Lyons

A week after their demolition in Jacksonville, the Bulldogs will be looking for another win in Lexington. Georgia only allowed 27 passing yards in last week's blowout loss, but gave up 418 rushing yards. Expect nothing of the like this week, as Kentucky's offense is not tooled to replicate Florida's success. Kentucky's air-raid offense has proven inconsistent and has failed against better secondaries; the Cats will need to gain yards through the air in order to beat the Dawgs. The Wildcats have struggled against better rushing attacks and are faced with a tremendous challenge in limiting Nick Chubb.

Ole Miss, Auburn, and Mississippi State are all expected to win easily, leaving only one other intriguing match-up in the SEC. Once again Alabama will be traveling to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers. LSU is hoping to re-enter the SEC West race, though they'll need a bit of luck along with a win against Bama this Saturday. Alabama has a more balanced team, theoretically, although LSU is more battle-tested and is playing at home. A win by Alabama would end the Tigers' SEC title hopes while a win by LSU would put Bama's on life-support.

Elsewhere in the nation, Oregon takes on Utah in Salt Lake City. The Utes have the ability to win if they manage to move the ball on the ground and limit the effectiveness of Marcus Mariota (not an impossible task). Utah has a proclivity for winning close games. Arizona State, whom some may have written off after a blowout home loss to UCLA earlier this season, has the chance to jump right back into the playoff discussion with a win over Notre Dame this Saturday.

It's the Battle of the Purple when TCU takes on Kansas State
at home this Saturday. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

A titanic Big 12 match-up looms from Fort Worth. There, Kansas State will attempt to remain undefeated in conference play, though don't anticipate TCU to make it easy. The Horned Frogs will be a considerable favorite to win the Big 12 if they manage to get by the Wildcats on Saturday. That game will be played after the outcome of the Oklahoma-Baylor game is already known. A Baylor victory in Norman will eliminate the Sooners' hopes for at least a share of the conference championship, while an Oklahoma victory probably puts Baylor's own title hopes out of reach.

Two of the four ranked Big Ten teams meet in East Lansing this Saturday night. In all likelihood, this game will decide the winner of the conference's East division. The Spartans have a distinct intangible edge, having had an extra week to prepare and home-field advantage. The Buckeyes must overcome these two factors and the Spartan defense to escape with a win.

State of Florida:

• FIU (3-6) over Old Dominion (3-6), 24-21
• #2 Florida State (8-0) over Virginia (4-5), 34-17
• Florida Atlantic (3-6) over North Texas (2-6), 31-27
• Florida (4-3) over Vanderbilt (3-6), 24-14
• Miami (6-3), BYE
• South Florida (3-6), BYE
• UCF (5-3), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• #17 Georgia (6-2) over Kentucky (5-4), 45-35
• #12 Mississippi (7-2) over Presbyterian (5-4), 49-0
• #3 Auburn (7-1) over Texas A&M (6-3), 45-3
• #1 Mississippi State (8-0) over UT Martin (5-5), 49-10
• #4 Alabama (7-1) over #14 LSU (7-2), 20-14
• Arkansas (4-5), BYE
• Missouri (7-2), BYE
• South Carolina (4-5), BYE
• Tennessee (4-5), BYE

Top 25:

• #5 Oregon (8-1) over #20 Utah (6-2), 31-28
• #9 Kansas State (7-1) over #6 TCU (7-1), 31-24
• #7 Michigan State (7-1) over #13 Ohio State (7-1), 34-24
• #11 Arizona State (7-1) over #8 Notre Dame (7-1), 27-24
• #16 Oklahoma (6-2) over #10 Baylor (7-1), 38-31
• #18 UCLA (7-2) over Washington (6-3), 24-17
• #19 Clemson (6-2) over Wake Forest (2-6), 34-9
• #21 Arizona (6-2) over Colorado (2-7), 38-21
• #22 Duke (7-1) over Syracuse (3-6), 31-24
• #23 Marshall (8-0) over Southern Miss (3-6), 35-13
• #24 West Virginia (6-3) over Texas (4-5), 34-31
• #25 Wisconsin (6-2) over Purdue (3-6), 38-24
• #15 Nebraska (8-1), BYE

Saturday in Review: Week 10

This past week I set a personal low for prediction accuracy. But I really couldn't care less, for the Florida Gators pulled off one of the most surprising, improbable upsets in my memory. And against the Georgia Bulldogs, no less. So after a joyous weekend of college football (for me and my fellow Gator fans), it's time to review the major events of the past week and their implications.

Jameis Winston passed for 401 yards against what was
statistically one of the best pass defenses in the nation. The
Cardinals had previous surrendered a season-high of 251
against Murray State. Andy Lyons

Let's start with the Thursday night game, Florida State's defeat of Louisville. This game played out much like the FSU-NCSU game earlier this season, only with some game-shifts occurring a quarter later. In both games, the red-and-black-wearing home team jumped out to an early, 20+ point lead over the Noles. But by the end of the quarter (the second in the NC State game, the third in the Louisville game), Jameis Winston and the Seminole defense had rallied their team and reduced the deficit to 24-21. Florida State started outplaying the home team in the second half, but it was still neck-and-neck during the fourth quarter. Eventually, the Noles scored a late touchdown with less than 2:15 to go, putting FSU up by two scores and obscuring the game's closeness with the final score.

The Seminole defense gave up more than 485 yards in both games, but performed well in the last quarter. In both games, the Noles piled up over 530 yards of offense (a particularly impressive feat against Louisville). Haphazard interceptions thrown by Winston helped keep both contests close. Louisville receiver DeVante Parker, who has missed all but the last two games due to injury, put up a magnificent performance in a loss, compiling 214 receiving yards on eight receptions. Florida State, meanwhile, effectively employed its entire receiving corps, keeping the Cardinal defense off-balance through the second half.

Again and again, Jameis Winston and Florida State have shown the ability to come out of nail-biters victorious.

Chaos reigned throughout SEC Land (German: Eßeeseeland), beginning with Texas A&M's near-loss to Louisiana-Monroe. The Aggies have actually looked consistently flaccid ever since their overtime-escape against Arkansas way back in late September. Missouri put away Kentucky in Columbia to secure leadership in the SEC East. The Tigers are now 4-1 in-conference and are assured a trip to Atlanta if they can win out. The Commodores earned their most convincing win of the season against Old Dominion, gaining valuable confidence before their match-up against Florida. Mississippi State just eeked out a win against Arkansas, needing a late interception to seal it against the Hogs at home. The Razorbacks were impressive in limiting the Bulldog rushing game, though, as has been demonstrated far to often this season, could not find a way to win against an SEC opponent. The Hogs have now lost all five of their conference games this season, although three of those losses were by seven points or less. South Carolina continued their downward spiral, squandering a late two-touchdown lead in an overtime loss to Tennessee. The Gamecocks have now lost four-straight against FBS competition, though none was by more than seven points. In fact, three of those four losses came after South Carolina blew a two-touchdown fourth-quarter lead. This means South Carolina is but a handful of plays away from an 8-1 record, even though they stand at a lowly 4-5. They have an extra week to prepare for Florida in the Swamp.

Matt Jones rushed for 192 yards (a career high) as the Gators
sunk the Dawgs near the banks of the St. Johns. Sam Greenwood

Now to the game formerly known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. In what must be counted among the most shocking results of the year, the Gators crushed the Bulldogs before a crowd of over 83,000 in Jacksonville. The victory was achieved almost entirely through a pulverizing rushing attack and stout defense. First-time starter Treon Harris only attempted, and only needed to attempt, six passes in the win over Georgia. Behind a spectacular effort by the Florida offensive line and other blockers, Gator running backs Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor combined for 389 yards on the ground (the most ever by a pair of Gators in a single game). Jones accounted for 192 of those yards while Taylor had 197. Each did it on 25 carries and each had two touchdowns on the day. Jones also recorded a 12-yard reception for 204 total offensive yards. When the game ended, Florida had accumulated 418 rushing yards, the most by any Florida team since Emmitt Smith wore the orange and blue. Georgia has surrendered that many rushing yards or more on only one other occasion.

The scoring actually opened when Georgia halfback Nick Chubb ran it in from 39 yards out. Chubb put up a valiant performance in a losing effort, with 156 rushing yards, 59 receiving yards, and two touchdowns by the end of the day. A few drives, a Treon Harris fumble, and an inexplicable Georgia field goal-attempt into the gusting winds later, and the Gators had it on Georgia's 21-yard-line midway through the second quarter. It was fourth down, but there was nine-to-go, so the Gators lined up for the field goal. Holder Michael McNeely took the snap, but sprinted around the right side of the line and into the end-zone, tying the game at seven-apiece. The fake-field-goal-turned-touchdown sparked a rushing onslaught by the Gator running backs and offensive line, who simply could not be stopped by the Georgia defense. Meanwhile, the Bulldog offense could get absolutely nothing going against the Florida defense. By the time 13:49 remained in the fourth quarter, the Gators were up 31-7 against the 11-point pregame favorites. By that time over 95% of the remaining spectators were cheering from the stadium's east side (Florida's half). Georgia went on the score two more touchdowns (one with only three seconds left), but it wasn't nearly enough to save their championship hopes as the Gators came away with the 38-20 win. The 2014 contest will forever be remembered as one of the most surprising upsets in the long history of this rivalry.

Kansas State's lone loss of the year was to Auburn at home.
Could a one-loss Wildcat squad make it into the playoffs over 
the Tigers if those cats end with two SEC losses?
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Outside the southeast, Oregon cruised past Stanford while Notre Dame struggled to top Navy. It took a fourth-quarter-comeback and a last-second field goal for TCU to get past West Virginia in Morgantown and keep their playoff dreams alive. Baylor also won (over Kansas), but it appears as though Kansas State may actually be the best team in the Big 12. The Wildcats obliterated Oklahoma State in Manhattan. UCF slipped up in the cold against UConn, but remain among the five one-loss teams in their conference. Likewise, American Conference-favorite East Carolina self-destructed in Philadelphia against Temple. UCLA beat Arizona while Arizona State downed Utah, both through an impressive show of defense. This leaves the Pac-12 South as Arizona State's to lose, though several key games still remain for the Sun Devils (most notably, the season-ending Friday-night-game against Arizona in Tucson). Duke managed to survive overtime against Pitt and James Conner, keeping the fate of the ACC Coastal in their hands.

Finally, we come to Saturday's signature game, Auburn and Ole Miss. This one was surprisingly high scoring, but it came down to one of the most heartbreaking ways a team could possibly lose. With less than two minutes to play, Laquon Treadwell, who was one of three Rebels to record over 100 receiving yards in the game, fumbled the go-ahead touchdown into the end-zone. What's worse, the star receiver suffered a gruesome injury on that very play. This second-consecutive heartbreaking loss probably (though not certainly) ends Ole Miss's playoff and SEC-championship hopes. Luck resides with Auburn, who now must root for Ole Miss and Alabama to defeat Mississippi State for their own championship dreams.

Here's the final thing I'll draw your attention to: Appalachian State's unusual 44-0 victory over Georgia State. These are not very good or particularly notable teams (obviously though, one is much worse than the other). What is notable was the weather these two teams played through on the 1st of November in Boone, North Carolina. Snow buried Kidd Brewer Stadium as Appy State annihilated GSU. Clearly, the Mountaineers are more accustomed and better-suited to playing in cold, snowy weather than the Panthers (who play home games in the comfort of a dome). Appalachian State outgained Georgia State 567 to 62 (rushing, 469 to 8). The pass heavy-style of the Panthers certainly did them no favors in the slippery snow. This epitomizes the disparity of fortunes often seen between rushing/balanced teams (who typically win) and pass-heavy teams (who typically lose).

State of Florida:

• Louisville (6-3) over #2 Florida State (8-0), 34-27 42-31
• Florida (4-3) over #9 Georgia (6-2), 24-20 38-20
• FIU (3-6) over Rice (5-3), 34-28 31-17
• UCF (5-3) over Connecticut (2-6), 34-10 37-29
• Miami (6-3) over North Carolina (4-5), 38-24 47-20
• Houston (5-3) over South Florida (3-6), 24-17 27-3
• Florida Atlantic (3-6) over UAB (5-4), 31-30 31-28

Southeastern Conference:

• Texas A&M (6-3) over Louisiana-Monroe (3-5), 48-17 21-16
• Kentucky (5-4) over Missouri (7-2), 31-24 20-10
• #7 Mississippi (7-2) over #4 Auburn (7-1), 31-21 35-31
• Old Dominion (3-6) over Vanderbilt (3-6), 42-38 42-28
• #1 Mississippi State (8-0) over Arkansas (4-5), 48-31 17-10
• South Carolina (4-5) over Tennessee (4-5), 42-34 45-42 (OT)
• #3 Alabama (7-1), BYE
• #16 LSU (7-2), BYE

Top 25:

• #5 Oregon (8-1) over Stanford (5-4), 27-13 45-16
• #6 Notre Dame (7-1) over Navy (4-5), 41-21 49-39
• #20 West Virginia (6-3) over #10 TCU (7-1), 44-41 31-30
• #11 Kansas State (7-1) over Oklahoma State (5-4), 31-13 48-14
• #12 Baylor (7-1) over Kansas (2-6), 52-21 60-14
• #13 Ohio State (7-1) over Illinois (4-5), 45-21 55-14
• #14 Arizona (6-2) over #25 UCLA (7-2), 38-31 17-7
• #15 Arizona State (7-1) over #18 Utah (6-2), 20-17 19-16 (OT)
• #17 Nebraska (8-1) over Purdue (3-6), 38-20 35-14
• #19 Oklahoma (6-2) over Iowa State (2-6), 45-27 59-14
• #21 East Carolina (6-2) over Temple (5-3), 31-27 20-10
• #24 Duke (7-1) over Pittsburgh (4-5), 27-20 51-48 (OT)
• #8 Michigan State (7-1), BYE
• #22 Clemson (6-2), BYE
• #23 Marshall (8-0), BYE

Week 10 Record: 14-11 (56%)

Season Record: 131-51 (72%)

Know Your Opponent: Georgia

This Saturday the Gators play their oldest rival, the Bulldogs of the University of Georgia. As is tradition in the rivalry, the Gators and Bulldogs will play at a neutral location in Jacksonville, Florida. The University of Georgia officially lists its establishment date as 1785, although the first class was not held until 1801. The university now enrolls over 34,000 students (including over 26,000 undergrads). Georgia’s school colors are red and black.

Georgia's three-game winning streak over Florida is the
longest among Florida's annual rivals. The last Gator victory,
which came in 2010, was clinched with a game-winning field
goal by punter Chas Henry. Reminisce that game through my 
previous post on Gator overtime games.
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The Georgia Bulldogs possess one of the oldest and most successful traditions in the history of college football. Georgia began playing football in 1892 and became a charter member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933. Georgia has won 12 SEC championships (behind only Alabama and Tennessee), winning its first in 1942 and its most recent in 2005. The Bulldogs play home games “between the hedges” in Sanford Stadium, which can seat around 93,000 fans.

Georgia claims to have won five national championships, although only one (1980) was awarded by the AP. Georgia has produced two Heisman winners (Frank Sinkwich in 1942 and Herschel Walker in 1982). Its 1980 national title squad finished its season with a perfect 12-0 record and a victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Earlier in the season, playing Florida, the Bulldogs were on their own seven-yard-line and trailing the Gators 21-20 with time running out. Suddenly, Georgia’s quarterback finds receiver Lindsay Scott wide open near the 25-yard-line. Scott improbably manages to sprint past Florida’s defenders, complete the 93-yard play, and win the game for Georgia, 26-21.

The Gators and Bulldogs first met on the gridiron in 1915 and have played almost every year since (annually since 1944). Florida and Georgia have played a total of 91 games against another; Georgia is Florida’s most frequently played opponent while Florida is Georgia’s third most frequently played opponent (after Auburn and Georgia Tech). Georgia leads the rivalry with 49 wins (Florida has 40 victories and two games ended as ties). Florida has defeated Georgia more frequently than any other Gator opponent other than Kentucky and has been defeated by Georgia more frequently than any other opponent. Of Bulldog opponents, only Auburn has defeated Georgia more frequently than Florida. The rivalry was dominated by Georgia throughout its first 75 years. By 1989, Georgia was leading this series with a commanding 43 wins and only 22 losses. However, in the succeeding two decades, Georgia would only win three games to Florida’s 17. Steve Spurrier lost just one game to Georgia during his 12-year tenure as Florida head coach (the next two coaches, Zook and Meyer, would also lose just one game each to the Dawgs). Will Muschamp has matched the combined loss total of his three predecessors, having lost three times in three attempts.

The Florida-Georgia rivalry is among the few in major college football to be traditionally played at a neutral site. On every occasion except twice since 1933, the Gators and Bulldogs have met in Jacksonville, Florida (the exceptions being 1994 and 1995, when the new stadium was being built in Jacksonville). The rivalry had previously been known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” until both schools agreed to suppress the use of the moniker.

Rather than utilize an original fight song, the University of Georgia prefers one of the most repetitive songs in college sports, “Glory, Glory”. The song is a simplified version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".