Last week: 18-7
Overall: 201-63 (76%)
SEC Championship Game
No.2 Alabama (11-1) vs. No. 18 Florida (10-2)
Georgia Dome, Atlanta (71,228)
3 PM CT/4 PM ET
CBS
Verne, Gary, Allie
Bama by 17 1/2
The big news is that Kirby Smart will take over at Georgia, though he's still got work left to do in Tuscaloosa.
A possible replacement for Kirby would be first year secondary coach Mel Tucker. Mel has done an excellent job with the secondary, which has played lights out for the most part this season, and was the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears the prior two seasons before coming to Tuscaloosa this year. His defenses were not great at Chicago, but it was more about personnel than Mel's coaching. I watched him frequently on the sideline for the Bears and he was intense and controlled, unlike Will Muschamp, who is intense and out of control. Mel would be a very good choice by S and would be an outstanding recruiter for Alabama.
Kirby has left his mark as one of the best assistant coaches the Crimson Tide has ever had and there have been some great ones from Brother Bill Oliver to the great defensive coordinator under Bear Bryant, Ken Donahue. The Bear said one time when he was driving by the Crimson Tide football offices with a media member and Donahue had his light on in his office at 11 PM one night, "He's making me a millionaire."
Kirby may be the greatest of all time and this is the best defense he and S have put together in Tuscaloosa and that's a high bar. The 2011 defense was stellar, and the first national title defense in 2009 was as well. But I like the front wall of this group with Jonathan Allen. Jarran Reed and A'Shawn Robinson and the awesome linebackers Reggie Ragland and Reuben Foster.
Derrick Henry has rushed for 1,797 yards on 295 carries, 6.1 yards per pop, and taken it to the house 22 times. He averages 150 yards per game. Those numbers are super stellar. What a year the Tide junior stud has had. With another 100+ yard game and a seven or two, Henry will solidify his hold on the Heisman. He's got it right now. Derrick should take home the hardware next Saturday, December 12th, from the Big Apple.
The Crimson Tide wants a national championship. This is the next step. If the Tide takes care of Florida, they could very well be facing Oklahoma in a semifinal game unless the Big Ten champ jumps the Sooners or Clemson loses, which are possibilities. If the Tide and OU matchup in the semifinals, that would be a heckuva game.
Bama 31, Florida 7
ACC Championship Game
No.1 Clemson (12-0) vs. No. 10 North
Carolina
(11-1)
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC (73, 298)
7 PM CT/8 PM ET
ABC
Chris, Herbie, Heather
Clemson by 5 1/2
Like Dabo and the Tigers to get the job done and move on into the playoff as the No.1 seed.
Clemson 38, UNC 31
Big Ten Championship Game
No.5 Michigan State (11-1) vs. No.4 Iowa (12-0)
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN (67,000)
7 PM CT/8PM ET
FOX
Gus, Joel Klatt, Molly McGrath
Mich State by 3 1/2
Should be a good game between two solid teams that have excellent coaches and very fundamentally sound teams. Like Sparty, Coach Mark Dantonio and quarterback Connor Cook, to take the Big Ten Championship and make it in as the No.4 seed in the playoff most likely though there would be a chance for Michigan State to move up if there are losses ahead of them. Michigan State will have earned its playoff spot with victories over Michigan and Ohio State on the road. Their only loss came on a phantom touchdown at Nebraska at the end of the game, where the Nebraska receiver went out of bounds, and caught the TD pass with 3o seconds left, but the ref ruled that the receiver was pushed out which I didn't see. If the receiver goes out of bounds and comes back in play and catches the ball, it's an incomplete pass and a penalty. The Big Ten refs gave Nebraska that one, but Michigan State has taken care of business and I like them to do it against the Hawkeyes.
Michigan State 31, Iowa 27
Pac 12 Championship Game
No. 7 Stanford (10-2) vs. No. 20 USC (8-4)
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Cali (68,500)
6:45 PM CT/7:45 PM ET
ESPN
Brad, Todd, Holly
Stanford by 4 1/2
If Clemson or Alabama were to lose, and it's much more likely that it would be Clemson than Bama, that would open the door for the Cardinal. Not predicting that's going to happen, but if that does and the Cardinal take care of business, they could be in the playoff, though there would be a major debate among committee members on whether Stanford or Ohio State should make it in. If Stanford won their conference championship game with the schedule they've played, out of conference games vs. No. 14 Northwestern, a 16-6 loss in their first game of the season at Northwestern, and No.8 Notre Dame, a 38-36 thriller last Saturday on the Farm, and the nine game Pac-12 schedule, versus Ohio State's much softer schedule, the Cardinal should get in. I like Stanford to get'er done and hope for a Clemson loss.
Stanford 38, USC 31
Other games of interest
American Athletic Conference Championship game
Houston 34, Temple 31
11 AM CT/Noon ET
ABC
Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman, McShay
C-USA Championship Game
Western Kentucky 38, Southern Miss 35
11 AM CT/Noon ET
ESPN2
Bob Wischusen, Brock, Shannon
Mountain West Conference Championship Game
San Diego State 42, Air Force 31
6:30 PM CT/7:30 PM ET
ESPN2
Mark, Rod, Quint
Friday
MAC Championship Game
Bowling Green 49, Northern Illinois 35
7 PM CT/8PM ET
ESPN 2
Dave Flemming, Mack, Allison