Alabama @ A&M in a colossal SEC West tilt, Auburn @ Kentucky tomorrow night (Thursday) is a huge test for the Tigers and a much needed W for AU. Some key SEC matchups, and a massive national game along with some other important national games as the committee gets nearer to starting to pick the playoff rankings. The rankings commence Nov. 3rd, a Tuesday. Plenty of great action outside of the playoff banter as well.
Here are my four playoff teams right now:
1. Alabama
Got it done against a pretty scrappy Arkansas team last Saturday night at Bryant-Denny. Huge litmus test for the Tide this Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field versus the Aggies.
2. Michigan
I looked at the recruiting classes from 2011 to 2015 and Harbaugh has a stacked team with four stars and a couple of five stars on it. And is he ever coaching them up. Would love to see a Saban-Harbaugh matchup in the playoff.
3. Baylor
Just piling up the points. My question is the same one with Baylor every year: Can they play enough defense to win it all? They'll get tested in the Big 12 down the road especially at TCU to finish off the season.
4. Clemson
I like the way Dabo has this team playing. Playing excellent defense and quarterback DeShawn Watson, running back Wayne Gallman and the offense is clicking effectively. Pretty solid on defense and offense.
Ohio State is not in there because, well, they've got to play Penn State this weekend, which is no gimme, and then Michigan State will come to Columbus on Nov. 21st. Then the Buckeyes go to the Big House to play Harbaugh and the Wolverines on Nov. 28th. There's going to be a stumble in there. I like Michigan to knock them off if Michigan stays healthy. I'm not sure about Michigan State yet, but that could be an Urb L too. Penn State this weekend will be interesting. The Buckeyes aren't playing that well, really, so they're highly vulnerable.
TCU is definitely still in the discussion as is A&M. You can't count out FSU either. Clemson plays Florida State on Nov.7th at Death Valley, and that looks to be an elimination game. They will both very likely be undefeated when they meet up, though Clemson has to go to Miami and NC State prior to that, while FSU has a tougher road playing Louisville at home this weekend, then going to Georgia Tech next weekend, then Syracuse at home before Clemson.
Alabama and A&M may very well be playing an elimination game this weekend. If Alabama loses, it's not totally over for them, but it'll be really difficult to make it in with two losses let alone make it to the SEC Championship game. Ole Miss is still in it with one loss, and LSU is rolling with Fournette, though they haven't played much of a schedule so far. They have Florida coming into Death Valley this Saturday and if Florida had starting quarterback Will Grier, they'd have a good shot. But he's gone for the year with a performance enhancer violation, and they'll start their second string guy, Treon Harris. Harris could be OK, but it's going to be tough for the Gators in Baton Rouge on Saturday Night.
So there's plenty to be decided starting this weekend. Here's the rundown.
Last week: 13-3; Overall 85-22 (78%)
No. 10 Alabama (5-1) @ No.9 Texas A&M (5-0)
Kyle Field, College Station, Texas (102,512)
2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET
CBS
Verne, Gary, Allie
Line: Crimson Tide by 4 1/2
Alabama has shown a propensity to step it up in the big games throughout its history, going back to Bear Bryant and all the way up to today. They have really stepped it up especially under the Bear and S. A&M has a strong passing game with quarterback Kyle Allen and a group of stellar receivers led by super freshman Christian Kirk. The Tide secondary, which is vastly improved but still somewhat of a question mark, will once again be under the gun. It's next to impossible to run it on the Tide front seven, so A&M will have to win it through the air. I think they'll score points through the air. But their defense is still not where it needs to be to beat an elite team like Alabama. Like the Tide to get it done, but in pretty much a shootout.
Alabama 35, A&M 31
Thursday
Auburn (3-2) @ Kentucky (4-1)
Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Ky. (67,006)
6 PM CT/7 PM ET
ESPN
Dave Flemming, Mack, Allison Williams
AU by 2
Looks like Gus is not going to announce his starting quarterback against Kentucky until game time, but I'm going with Jeremy Johnson. Whether it's Jeremy or Sean White, they need to be good game managers. Auburn will be able to run the ball on Kentucky with Peyton Barber, Roc Thomas and Kerryon Johnson leading the way to an AU victory.
**** Sean White gets the start****
Auburn 31, Kentucky 27
No.8 Florida (6-0) @ No. 6 LSU (5-0)
Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge (102,321)
6 PM CT/7PM ET
ESPN
Brad, Todd, Holly
LSU by 9 1/2
Leonard Fournette may have a little more trouble with a pretty stout Gator defense. It's too bad McElwain doesn't have his starting quarterback. That would really give the Gators a chance. But Treon Harris, the backup, is an excellent athlete, and Kelvin Taylor is a very good running back. McElwain will have to be creative in his play calls to give Harris the best chance to succeed. Probably more roll outs, quarterback zone read options, maybe even some trick plays with end arounds and flea flickers and wide receiver passes. McElwain will have a good plan. This is going to be a better game than some people think. Florida will be very competitive, but LSU is tough in Death Valley on a Saturday night.
LSU 27, Florida 24
Missouri (4-2) @ Georgia (4-2)
Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga. (92,746)
6:30 PM CT/ 7:30 PM ET
SEC Network
Brent, Jess, Maria
Dawgs by 16
Losing Nick Chubb to a knee injury was a major blow, but Sony Michel is very good as well and Keith Marshall can is reliable at backup rb. I thought quarterback Greyson Lambert played a really good game against Tennessee last week and the game should have gone into overtime if Georgia wide receiver Reggie Davis had caught a bomb from Lambert in the fourth quarter at the three yard line. He was going to be walking into the end zone for seven. But Davis dropped it and the Dawgs lost at tough one at Knoxville, 38-31. But they're still in it in the East, and Missouri is playing freshman quarterback Drew Lock, who is going to be good, but it'll be tough for him in Athens.
Georgia 35, Missouri 24
Vanderbilt (2-3) @ South Carolina (2-4)
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC (80,250)
3 PM CT/4 PM ET
SEC Network
Dave Neal, Matt Stinchcomb, Kayce Smith
SC by 3
The big news is about Ball Coach this week in Gamecock country. While he deserves the right to retire when he wants to, doing it in the middle of the season is a bit cowardly. It puts his team in a bad position. But I've heard interim head coach Shawn Elliott talk this week and I'm impressed. When he started yesterday, SC got a four-star offensive lineman commit. That's a good start. SC still has some weapons on offense led by the awesome Pharaoh Cooper. They're struggling at quarterback with Perry Orth and Lorenzo Nunez splitting reps but there is a chance that Connor Mitch will be back. Vanderbilt is trying to find an offense. Derek Mason has done a good job with the defense, making it SEC caliber. But they don't have a consistent offense. Quarterback Johnny McCrary still throws too many interceptions and there's just no consistency to this offense. Vandy's defense will keep them in the game, but I like SC to win in a competitive but somewhat ugly game.
***Spurrier will be at ESPN Gameday on Saturday. Low classed to leave your team during the middle of the season, during what was a tremendous tragedy with the floods in South Carolina, and then going on Gameday when your former team has a huge game and their busting their backsides to salvage their season. I've lost all respect I had for Spurrier. Coward.
South Carolina 17, Vanderbilt 13
Other SEC games
No. 13 Ole Miss 42, Memphis 31
11 AM CT/ Noon ET
ABC
Tom Hart, Andre Ware, Laura Rutledge
Mississippi State 38, La Tech 34
11 AM CT/ Noon ET
SEC Network
Mike Couzens, Cole Cubelic, Kevin Weld
National blockbuster
No. 7 Michigan State (6-0) @ No. 12 Michigan (5-1)
The Big House, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan (109,901)
2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET
ESPN
Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman, Todd McShay
Michigan by 8
It's a huge game in the Big Ten and nationally. Playoff implications are riding on this one, though there is a lot of football left to be played. Michigan State has won six of the last seven, and while Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan players are keeping it low key to the media about that, you know they really want this. Like Harbaugh and his team to get the job done and advance in the playoff race. Junior De'Veon Smith is a heckuva running back for the Wolverines. I expect him to eclipse a buck on Saturday. It'll be a very competitive game as the Spartans are a good, hard-nosed football team under stellar coach Mark Dantonio. But Michigan looks really good right now.
Michigan 35, Michigan State 28
Other national games
No. 1 Ohio State 34, Penn State 31
7 PM CT/8 PM ET
ABC
Chris, Herbie, Heather Cox
No.2 Baylor 56, West Virginia 28
11 AM CT/Noon ET
FOX
Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Molly McGrath
No.3 TCU 51, Iowa State 30
6 PM CT/7 PM ET
ESPN 2
Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Paul Carcaterra
No. 14 Notre Dame 34, USC 30
6:30 PM CT/7:30 PM ET
NBC
Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie, Kathryn Tappen
Thursday
No. 15 Stanford 35, UCLA 27
9:30 PM CT/10:30 PM ET
ESPN
Tess, Jess, Dave, Kaylee
Saturday
Upset Central
Kansas State 38, Oklahoma 35
2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET
ABC
Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley, Dawn Davenport
Arizona State 31, No.4 Utah 30
9 PM CT/ 10 PM ET
ESPN
Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich
No.5 Clemson 31, Boston College 14
6 PM CT/ 7 PM ET
ESPNU
Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Tiffany Greene
No.11 Florida State 31, Louisville 30
11 AM CT/Noon ET
ESPN
Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Shannon Spake