Buckeyes Preview 11/11/17: Michigan State Spartans @ Ohio State

By Jason Disantis, @JasonInCLE


The Buckeyes have been on an emotional roller coaster the past two weeks. After completing one of the greatest comebacks in Ohio State history by beating then No.2 Penn State, the Buckeyes went on the road to Iowa and got throttled 55-24. With that loss the Buckeyes chances at a National Championship are all but finished as absolute chaos would have to happen in college football for the Buckeyes to climb their way into the top 4.

Despite their National Championship hopes being shattered the Buckeyes still control their own destiny in the Big Ten. If Ohio State wins-out they’ll make it to the Big Ten Championship game and would be a lock for one of the New Year’s Six bowl’s if they win the conference. But that path goes through No.12 Michigan State.

The Spartans come into this game on the opposite end of the spectrum after having upset Penn State last week. They are tied for first place in the Big Ten East with Ohio State and have their eyes set on the same goal.

“Where we’re at right now is pretty much where we wanted to be, in control of our own situation, or destiny, I guess,” Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio said. “We at least can control some things. That’s where you want to be in November.”

The Buckeyes biggest task will be getting past last week’s crushing loss.

“(Getting) back to the fundamentals and what we do: Executing,” said Buckeye quarterback JT Barrett who threw four interceptions last week against Iowa after throwing one previously on the year. “Move on from last week because we’d like to get it back, but we can’t. With that, we just have to grow from it, learn from it and get better.”

Defensive end Jayln Holmes also knows the importance of playing in the moment and moving on from last week, especially because he’s a senior.

“You just (have to) finish out strong,” Holmes said. “I’m a senior, it seems like yesterday I just got here. So, I (have) two more games in the ‘Shoe. I just (have to) play angry and actually take advantage of this opportunity, because I won’t have any more games left. My goal is to finish strong.”

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has been preaching to his team all week about the implications of this top 15 matchup.

“You look at the standings, and Ohio State and Michigan State are 1, 2 in the Big Ten East,” Meyer said. “And everybody knows this game for the last, what’s our sixth year of playing them or something, usually it’s just a prize fight. So the tougher team usually wins.”

Coach Meyer spoke a lot about toughness a week ago before the Iowa game. He spoke of how the Hawkeyes were always ready to play and left everything out there on the field.

Maybe the Bucks were emotionally spent after Penn State. Maybe they didn’t take Iowa seriously or give them the respect they deserved. Either way let’s hope their minds are right coming into Saturday, or else what happened last week could happen again.





What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans
When: Saturday November 11, 2017 at 12:00 PM ET
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus Ohio
Watch: FOX
Spread: OSU -17
Over/Under: 53.5
Money Line: OSU -850, MICHST +575

Spread Offense 11/10/17: College Football Week 11 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


WEEK 11 TOP TEN

10. Washington (last week: NR)
9. Wisconsin (last week: 10)
8. Auburn (last week: NR)
7. TCU (last week: NR)
6. Miami (last week 7)
5. Oklahoma (last week: 6)
4. Notre Dame (last week: 5)
3. Clemson (last week: 4)
2. Georgia (last week: 2)
1. Alabama (last week:1)

Week 10 scrambled some more things around as 3 top 10 teams on my ballot lost. The most shocking being the Ohio State Buckeyes losing to Iowa, 55-24. Losing on the road in conference play happens, but for a team that was in the playoff hunt to lose by 31 to a 5-3 team is unacceptable. OSU still controls their own destiny to the Big Ten championship, but kiss all playoff hopes goodbye after that performance.

Another team that is now out of the playoff race is fellow Big Ten team, Penn State. After blowing a 35-20 4th quarter lead against Ohio State in week 9, the Nittany Lions went to Michigan State looking for a bounce back game. After a 4 hour thunderstorm delay, the game resumed and instead of getting a bounce back game, they got bounced out of playoff contention on a last second field goal to lose 27-24.

Bedlam was just that, as the Oklahoma Sooners knocked off their rival Oklahoma State Cowboys, 62-52. QB Baker Mayfield put up 598 passing yards and 5 touchdowns in this game, and Oklahoma is still alive in the playoff hunt while Oklahoma State is out.

Miami needed a "prove it" game as their undefeated record wasn't being taken seriously due to the competition they've beaten. They got that last Saturday against Virginia Tech and they passed it with flying colors, knocking off the Hokies 28-10. Both the offense and defense answered the call as they moved the ball on one of the toughest defenses in the country while shutting down one of the better offenses in the country. They are legit contenders and there should be no more questions on how good this team is.

Alabama and Clemson both notched victories over ranked teams, and I've been saying that I wouldn't move Wisconsin from the 10 spot but they do move up to #9 now as a 1 loss Washington, that might have actually played a worse schedule than Wisconsin, sits at 10.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. Khalil Tate, QB, Arizona
4. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
3. Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

We have a new #1 on the Heisman watch. Baker Mayfield torched the Oklahoma State Cowboys, throwing for 598 yards with 5 touchdowns and should now be the favorite to win the Heisman. What also helped Mayfield take over the #1 spot is that RB Saquon Barkley has had 2 underwhelming performances in games in which the Nittany Lions lost. The Heisman is all about being the best player in the biggest moments and Baker Mayfield has been huge for the Sooners when it matters the most while Barkley has not come through when Penn State needs him the most.

The "J.T. Barrett is a Heisman finalist" hype lasted a whole week, replacing him on the list is Arizona QB Khalil Tate. Tate doesn't throw the ball much but is a huge threat in the running game, with over 146 yard rushing in 5 straight games including a 230 and 327 yard game.

Tate might be a little late to make a charge, but any of the top 4 could end up winning the Heisman trophy.


#12 Michigan State at #13 Ohio State - 12:00 PM

Two weeks ago, Michigan State lost a triple OT game against Northwestern that could have started a downward trend for the Spartans with Penn State and Ohio State next on the schedule. There's no doubting this teams mental toughness now though, as they rose up last Saturday and beat Penn State 27-24 to put themselves in position to win the Big Ten East. QB Brian Lewerke has thrown for 400 yards in each of the last 2 games, and could easily make it 3 against Ohio State's secondary. After a big win against Penn State that brought OSU back into the playoff race, the Buckeyes are back to the drawing board after a 55-24 loss to Iowa. The OSU secondary needs to improve if they want to win this game and the defense overall needs to step up. On offense, the Buckeyes will need to keep running the ball while opening up the downfield passing game, both things that they failed to do while trying to come back against Iowa. Ohio State has faced Michigan State 5 times under head coach Urban Meyer, with a total score of 121-120 in favor of OSU so expect a closely fought game that will come down to the 4th quarter.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 28-27


#1 Georgia at #10 Auburn - 3:30 PM

Fans are starting to dream of a SEC championship that features 2 undefeated teams, and the team that is capable of crushing those dreams are the Auburn Tigers. Auburn faces Georgia this week and hosts Alabama in week 13, so while we are this close from getting a battle of 12-0 teams playing for the SEC, Auburn has 2 chances to eliminate the possibility. The Tigers are led by QB Jarrett Stidham and RB Kerryon Johnson, who will be the key players in this game if they are to win this one. Auburn has scored over 40 points in 6 of their 7 wins but only 6 points and 23 points in their 2 losses, so the Tigers will need to move the ball and put up points against a tough Georgia team here. Georgia has possibly the best defensive line in the country with a good secondary to complement them, and their offense is fully capable of scoring on any team in the country, led by RB’s Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. QB Jake Fromm is the wildcard, a true freshman going into an environment like this may be too big of a moment for him. As long as he relies on his RB's though while making the necessary throws, all should be good for the young QB.

PREDICTION: Georgia 31-23


#2 Alabama at #16 Mississippi State - 7:00 PM

Alabama has this game and the Iron bowl against Auburn as the hurdles left before reaching the SEC Championship game. They come in with a run first offense, which features RB's Damien Harris and Bo Scarborough along with QB Jalen Hurts, and an efficient yet conservative passing game. Their main ingredient of success though is their defense, which shouldn't surprise anyone. The Crimson Tide only average 9.8 points allowed per game and if they can continue that success against Mississippi State then they will clear this hurdle. MSU will turn to QB Nick Fitzgerald and ask him to do it all on offense and find a crack in that Alabama defense. Fitzgerald is not only the QB but also leads the team in rushing, him finding success in both will be paramount for this team to have a chance. Their defense will need to force some turnovers and put their offense in good field position, but this one will be about the Bulldogs offense and if they can overcome Alabama's defense.

PREDICTION: Alabama 28-6


#6 TCU at #5 Oklahoma - 8:00 PM

This game has "explosive" written all over it. Oklahoma is led by QB Baker Mayfield, who has been putting up huge numbers en route to a possible Heisman trophy. The Sooners have one of the best offenses in the country and it's nearly impossible to win a shootout against them. Fortunately for TCU QB Kenny Hill and the Horned Frogs offense, they may not have to. TCU's clear advantage in this game is their defense, only giving up 13.5 points per game. This is what it will all come down to, if TCU can contain Oklahoma's offense and give their own offense a chance to score enough points to win the game or if Oklahoma can continue their offensive dominance and put too many points up for TCU to contend with. Both teams coming in 8-1 and 5-1 in conference with the winner all but wrapping up a trip to the Big 12 championship game, the stakes are very high here.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 41-26


#3 Notre Dame at #7 Miami - 8:00 PM

The classic "Catholics vs Convicts" match up reignited here on Saturday night. Notre Dame comes to Miami being just 2 points away from being undefeated, while host Miami is still undefeated and looking to keep it that way. The big thing to keep an eye on here is Notre Dame RB Josh Adams, who left last week's game under vague circumstances. If he is rested up and at his best then it will be a tough night for the Hurricanes, who have struggled stopping the run this season, but if he suffers from fatigue again and has to be removed from the game then QB Brandon Wimbush will have to pick up the slack for the Fighting Irish offense. Miami looked good against Virginia Tech last week, but again their offense will be in the hands of shaky QB Malik Rosier, who will need to keep drives alive and make big plays when available just like they did last week. This should be another great game to watch as both teams have playoff aspirations.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 27-24


Other games to watch: #9 Washington at Stanford, #15 Oklahoma State at #21 Iowa State, #20 Iowa at #8 Wisconsin

Possession Arrow 11/7/17: College Basketball Returns!!!!!

By Pat Tregoning, @PatNShaker


It’s November which can only mean one thing…the most wonderful season of the sports year has returned! College basketball season gets underway this week with most schools opening their regular seasons, signifying the beginning of the journey to this year’s Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. In this edition of Possession Arrow, we will give you everything you need to know for this exciting season that awaits us; from previewing the favorites to win the tournament to bold predictions to WAY too early Final Four predictions, and we try to predict the NCAA Tournament field. We have you covered here.


The Favorites



Duke Blue Devils (Last Season: 28-9, 11-7; NCAA Round of 32)

Another year is upon us and once again Duke enters this college hoops season as one of the favorites to cut down the nets come tournament time. Despite losing Luke Kennard, Harry Giles, Frank Jackson and Jayson Tatum to the NBA Draft; Coach K reloaded with another top 5 recruiting class that will feature some size. The team is led by Senior Greyson Allen, but outside of that? He will need to rely on this incoming recruiting class of future NBA picks Wendell Carter, Gary Trent Jr. (Yes THAT Gary Trent, MAC fans), Trevon Duval and Marvin Bagley III. The biggest challenge this team will face this year is leadership. Can Greyson Allen become the leader the team needs? Another thing to watch for this team will be whether or not this Freshmen class can step in and meet the expectations the fans of Durham have. The Blue Devils have an early test in Michigan State (Neutral Court). If Allen can lead this team with a strong senior year and these freshmen can contribute right away? Expect to see the Blue Devils in San Antonio this April.



Kansas Jayhawks (Last Season: 31-5,16-2; NCAA Elite Eight)

One of the few constants in College Basketball is the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks have won the Big 12 each of the last 13 seasons and have not missed the NCAA tournament since 1989. Do not expect that to change this year under Bill Self. While Josh Jackson, Frank Mason III and Landon Lucas are gone, look to Devontae Graham, Malik Newman and Sviatoslav Mykhailliuk to lead this team. With the edition of five star recruit Billy Preston arriving on campus, all eyes will be to Allen Fieldhouse and the Kansas Jayhawks to make a possible National Championship run.



Michigan State Spartans (Last Season: 20-15, 10-8; NCAA 2nd round)

After a year with a lot of hype, only to be met by underwhelming results; Coach Izzo went out and strengthened his basketball team, to the tune of a top 15 recruiting class and a number two preseason ranking. A big plus for the Spartans this season comes in the form of Miles Bridges returning for a sophomore season. If he wants to improve his draft stock, it is vital for him to have a strong year. Tom Izzo also strengthened his team even more by adding five star recruit Jaren Jackson Jr, who should make an immediate impact this season. If this team can get out to a good start early on (early season games include Duke (neutral court) and Notre Dame at home)? They will be making some noise in March.



Kentucky Wildcats (Last Season: 32-6, 16-2; NCAA Elite Eight)

For yet another year, Kentucky and Coach Calipari are welcoming in yet another top 5 recruiting class. Even after losing five players to last season’s draft (led by first rounders De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo, Malik Monk) expect a reload of talent from the Wildcats this season under John Calipari. A loaded freshmen class storms into Lexington this season led by SG Hamidou Diallo, PG Quade Green, SF Kevin Knox, C Nick Richards, PF P.J Washington and SF Jarred Vanderbilt. The Wildcats are an EXTREMELY young team with high expectations for another deep run in the NCAA Tournament with the hope of putting another title banner in Rupp Arena. With early games against UCLA (neutral court) and at Louisville, all eyes will be on this loaded recruiting class to produce.




Don’t Sleep On These Teams (for a deep tournament run)

· North Carolina Tar Heels
· Wichita State Shockers
· Notre Dame Fighting Irish
· Florida Gators
· Arizona Wildcats
· Villanova Wildcats
· West Virginia Mountaineers
· USC Trojans
· UCLA Bruins
· Gonzaga Bulldogs



My Preseason Award Picks

Player of the Year: Miles Bridges, F, Michigan State
Coach of the Year: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke

My WAY too early Final Four picks
Final Four: Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky, Wichita State
Champion: Michigan State Spartans





Predicting The Tournament Field


ACC (7): North Carolina, Duke, Notre Dame, Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Florida State
America East (1): Vermont
American (3): Cincinnati, SMU, Wichita State
Atlantic 10 (2): St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island
Atlantic Sun (1): Florida Gulf Coast
Big 12 (8): Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, Iowa State, Baylor, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Big East (6): Providence, Xavier, Butler, Seton Hall, Villanova, Creighton
Big Sky (1): Idaho
Big South (1): UNC Asheville
Big Ten (8): Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio State, Maryland
Big West (1): Long Beach State

Colonial (1): Charleston
Conference USA (1): Middle Tennessee State
Horizon League (1): Oakland
Ivy League (1): Princeton
MAAC (1): Fairfield
Mid American (1): Kent State
MEAC (1): Norfolk State
Missouri Valley (1): Loyola-Chicago
Mountain West (1): Nevada
Northeast (1): St. Francis (PA)
Ohio Valley (1): Belmont
Pac 12 (4): USC, UCLA, Oregon, Arizona
Patriot League (1): Belmont
SEC (5): Kentucky, Florida, Missouri, Alabama, Vanderbilt
Southern (1): Furman
Southland (1): Lamar
SWAC (1): Texas Southern
Summit League (1): South Dakota
Sun Belt (1): UT Arlington
West Coast (2): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s
WCC (1): New Mexico State

Spread Offense 11/2/17: College Football Week 10 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


WEEK 10 TOP TEN

10. Wisconsin (last week: 10)
9. Oklahoma State (last week: NR)
8. Penn State (last week: 2)
7. Miami (last week: 6)
6. Oklahoma (last week: 9)
5. Notre Dame (last week: 8)
4. Clemson (last week: 7)
3. Ohio State (last week: 5)
2. Georgia (last week: 2)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)

Two of the top 5 teams went down last Saturday, and as the first college football playoff ranking of the season are released this week, my top 4 is who I currently would have in.

While the SEC isn’t what it used to be, the conference does account for the top 2 teams in the country now as Georgia jumps up to 2nd after a dominating win over Florida coupled with a Penn State loss. Penn State was well on their way to making a statement against Ohio State, but a big 4th quarter comeback by the Buckeyes lead to a thrilling 39-38 OSU win, catapulting the Buckeyes up to #3 while dropping Penn State to #9. And Iowa State’s victory over TCU moved the needle for 2 teams in the top 10, 1 obviously being TCU who fell out of the top 10 after the loss. The other being Oklahoma, who lost earlier in the season to Iowa State, who at the time we all thought the Cyclones were average at best. Well that Iowa State team is now 6-2 and tied for the Big 12 conference lead, so maybe that loss to them wasn’t such a terrible loss overall, although the way they lost was somewhat unacceptable(up 24-13 at halftime and at home.) Knowing what we know now about ISU, Oklahoma gets a slight bump in the rankings since they really don’t have a "bad loss" after all.

I typically hate the "pat me on the back" kind of fan, so naturally I’m going to do that here. Leading up to their game against USC, I ranked Notre Dame at #9 (AP/coaches poll had them #13) and said that it’s time to start believing in this team. Well after a beat down of USC followed by another beat down of #14 North Carolina, looks like the rest of the country is joining me in buying in to this Notre Dame team. They’re good and should definitely be a team to watch going forward this season.

Wisconsin yet again remains at #10, their 24-10 win over a 2-6 Illinois team just wasn’t enough to convince me to move them up at all.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
4. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
3. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
2. Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Saquon Barkley all but had the Heisman trophy wrapped up after the 1st quarter against Ohio State. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and followed it soon after with a 36 yard touchdown run. After that though, he was stuffed all game and finished with just 44 yards on 21 carries in which 9 of those 21 carries went for negative yards and he also only had 4 receptions for 23 yards. His 2.1 YPC looks bad especially since OSU came back and won the game, take away his lone touchdown run and that’s 20 carries for 8 yards even so he became a non-factor in a game that his team needed him the most.

Josh Adams on the other hand, closed the gap big time with his 202 yard performance against North Carolina State. The Notre Dame RB carried the ball 27 times with a 7.4 YPC and helped the Fighting Irish overwhelm the #14 ranked Wolfpack. He’s right there in discussion now for the Heisman and may very well take over as the favorite with Wake Forest, Miami, and Stanford left on their schedule.

Bryce Love’s best case for the Heisman might have came last Thursday, in a game that he didn’t play in. Without him, the Cardinal struggled against Oregon State and needed a costly turnover by the Beavers to pull out the win, 15-14. In his absence, Stanford looks like a middle of the road team, not the #21 ranked team that could win the Pac-12 North division.

And J.T. Barrett makes his way on the list after an incredible performance against Penn State. Barrett has been playing excellent ever since the Oklahoma loss, but it was against lesser competition so he really needed to show it against a top team before he could be considered a Heisman candidate. 33-39 for 328 yards and 4 TD’s against Penn State, he completed his final 16 passes, went 13-13 with 3 TD’s in the 4th quarter alone, which included the game winning TD pass with under 2 minutes left in the game.
With Barkley’s stumbling and Adams and Barrett on the rise, this Heisman trophy is wide open for the taking now.




#7 Penn State at #24 Michigan State - 12:00 PM

A meeting between two teams coming off very emotional losses last Saturday. Penn State traveled to Columbus in attempts to put their stamp down on Big Ten dominance, got up 35-20 in the 4th and then a big comeback by the Buckeyes happened which ended in a 39-38 Penn State loss. Michigan State was at Northwestern hoping to remain unbeaten in conference play, the game went into triple OT where MSU needed a touchdown to match Northwestern but an interception sealed the deal for the Wildcats and MSU suffered it's first conference loss. This game will be about how each team bounces back from that loss, could see both teams firing on all cylinders in a rage or could see them have the "hangover" effect, or one of each which will make for a lopsided game. Penn State just needs to stick with what they have been doing, which is getting the ball to Saquon Barkley while mixing in some read option QB runs and an occasional deep pass. Michigan State needs to find some offense, they only scored 14 points on 5 turnovers against Michigan, 10 points against Indiana and 17 points in regulation against Northwestern. Their defense is stellar but even the best defense will give up 14+ points to Penn State so they'll need to be able to answer those scores if they want a shot at this.

PREDICTION: Penn State 27-14


#21 Stanford at #25 Washington State - 3:30 PM

This game has a lot of variables going into it. The main variable is Stanford RB Bryce Love and if he's playing this week. Love sat out last week with an ankle injury and the Cardinal offense looked bad without him. The Heisman candidate is their main key to success on offense, so him being able to not only play but be effective will be huge for Stanford in getting a win here. The other variable is Washington State QB Luke Falk, who was benched last week due to his poor performance as the Cougars lost 58-37 to Arizona. Falk was once a Heisman candidate as well, but has been off ever since their loss to Cal and head coach Mike Leach saw enough last week to finally bench him. This can either motivate him to get back to playing like he was earlier in the season or could rattle his confidence and make him play just as bad, if not worse. This game really is a wait and see type game, a lot of factors will be going into this one to see which team will be able to get the win.

PREDICTION: Stanford 37-20


#4 Clemson at #20 North Carolina State - 3:30 PM

Clemson had a nice bounce back game against Georgia Tech, the Tigers defeated the Yellow Jackets in their first game back since suffering their first loss of the season. Their defensive line looked as good as ever, stifling the GT triple option running attack and controlling the tempo all game. They'll need that again this week as they go up against a NC State offense that's capable of putting a lot of points up on the board. The Wolfpack have a balanced offense, led by QB Ryan Finley and RB Nyheim Hines, they'll look to chip away at the Clemson defense with sustaining drives and tiring the defense out. Also, look for NC State DE Bradley Chubb to be all over QB Kelly Bryant, getting pressure and disrupting the Clemson QB will be a priority for one of the best defensive ends in the country. This is going to be a close game, they mimic each other in a lot of ways but Clemson may just have a little more talent here. The homefield advantage could even things out though, NC State will be building momentum off of that and looking to get a big win here in front of the home crowd.

PREDICTION: Clemson 27-21


#5 Oklahoma at #11 Oklahoma State - 4:00 PM

Get ready, because it is time for the Bedlam game. This matchup here is as even as it gets, both teams averaging close to the same amount of points, total yards, rushing yards and passing yards while on defense they are similar in points allowed and passing yards allowed (Oklahoma State has a slightly bigger edge in rushing defense.) The Sooners put together a complete game last week after struggling the previous 4 weeks and beat Texas Tech 49-27. If that teams shows up then it could be bad news for Oklahoma State, but the Sooners also struggled to beat Baylor, Texas and Kansas State while losing to Iowa State so it's a toss up on how the Sooners will play. Oklahoma State has also been up and down this season, they are capable of putting up a lot of points but also have some games where their offense just isn't clicking. 2 weeks ago against Texas for example, after beating Texas Tech 41-34 they were barely able to score on the Longhorns and squeaked out a 13-10 victory. So both teams are a bit of a wildcard here, we could have a shootout on our hands or see a defensive game while the offenses struggle. Both teams have the Big 12 championship and a playoff spot well within reach, the loser of this game though will all but be eliminated from playoff contention and will need help reaching the Big 12 championship game.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 38-33


#13 Virginia Tech at #10 Miami - 8:00 PM

The battle for the top spot in the ACC Coastal division is right here. Miami has struggled to score points in their last 4 games, escaping with a win in every one of those 4 games. Their struggle started right around the time that RB Mark Walton went down with a season ending injury and the offense shifted to QB Malik Rosier. While Rosier throws for a lot of yards, his inaccuracy tends to kill drives, as he is over 50% completion percentage in just 2 of his last 4 games and is just 56% on the season. He'll need to be a lot more fluid and sustain drives if Miami wants to win this one, that may be a tough task though as the Hurricanes face a Virginia Tech team that only allows 11.5 points per game. If Virginia Tech can continue their dominance on defense and get their normal offensive output then that should be enough to take this win back home. The offense, led by QB Josh Jackson, loves spreading it out and playing fast so expect them to put up 24+ points in this game, leaving the onus on Miami to score with them. The Hokies have bounced back after losing to Clemson, they've won their last 3 and look to build off that here to take over the division lead.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 31-17


#19 LSU at #2 Alabama - 8:00 PM

Here's a game that always tends to be a big time defensive slugfest. Alabama may be playing with a chip on their shoulder now that the college football playoff rankings were revealed and they came in at #2 instead of their assumed spot at #1. The main thing for the Crimson Tide in this is to control the line of scrimmage and not turn the ball over, if they accomplish both of those things they should cruise to a victory. LSU needs to find some offense here, RB Derrius Guice will be keyed on so the Tigers will need QB Danny Etling to get the passing game going in order to open things up on offense. LSU's front 4, which includes projected top 10 pick Arden Key, will need to win the battle in the trenches and not let RB's Damien Harris and Bo Scarborough run all over them. If they can stop the run and put it in the arm of QB Jalen Hurts then they have a chance at forcing some turnovers and controlling time of possession.

PREDICTION: Alabama 27-6

Spread Offense 10/5/17: College Football Week 6 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Per usual, let's start off with my current top 10 ballot and a little week 5 recap.

WEEK 6 TOP TEN

10.Washington State (last week: NR)
9. Ohio State (last week: 10)
8. TCU (last week: 9)
7. Michigan (last week: 8)
6. Washington (last week: 7)
5. Oklahoma (last week: 4)
4. Georgia (last week: 5)
3. Penn State (last week: 3)
2. Alabama (last week: 2)
1. Clemson (last week: 1)

The big "upset" over the week was Washington State defeating USC. The Trojans have been flirting with disaster all year basically and their issues with turning the ball over finally caught up to them. Of course, this was the week that I thought they would put it all together and really show how talented they are, but they continued their sloppy play and they did so against a team that was talented enough to take advantage of their mishaps. Hats off to Washington State for capitalizing on the moment and making a big statement, they jump into my top 10 now after that win.

Aside from that, the only real movement other than USC exiting the top 10 and those behind them moving up a spot was a flip flop of Oklahoma and Georgia. Georgia put it on Tennessee 41-0 and if you watch them, you can tell how good their skill position players are along with how tough that defense is and right now I can't leave them out of the top 4. Nothing against Oklahoma and we still have a lot of games left to be played, but Georgia has been impressive with knocking teams around so far and if season ended today then I can't leave them out of the playoffs.

Clemson once again shows that they are the #1 team in the country, a solid beat down of Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium further proves that this team is as good, if not better, than they were last season.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
4. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Saquon Barkley takes over the #1 spot as he once again took over the game for Penn State. The Iowa game last week seemed to be a turning point, where PSU is getting away from anything other than making sure Barkley touches the ball as often as possible and he started the game on Saturday against Indiana with a 98 yard punt return. His 56 yards rushing is a bit deceiving, he also had 51 yards receiving on 4 catches and the already mentioned 98 yard punt return, Penn State is finding ways to get him as many touches as possible and he is the reason why Penn State is currently undefeated and a playoff team.

Sam Darnold is officially out of the top 5 after yet another rough outing. USC had all the capability in the world to defeat Washington State but Darnold's poor QB play, topped off with a fumble to end the game, lost them the game. Replacing him is Stanford RB Bryce Love, who has been tearing it up this season and just had himself a 301 yard 3 TD game against Arizona State last Saturday. On the season, he's already over 1,000 yards rushing and the worst game he's had has been a 160 rushing yard performance.








WEEK 6 PREVIEW



#17 Louisville at #24 NC State - Thursday 8:00 PM

NC State started the season with some hype as the "sleeper" pick in the ACC, and that hype train was quickly derailed in week 1 after a 35-28 loss to South Carolina. Since then though, the Wolfpack have regrouped nicely and have won their last 4 games. With some hype around them coming back, it is now their chance to validate themselves as they welcome a tested and proven Louisville team. They'll need QB Ryan Finley to continue his mistake free play, having yet to throw an interception on the season, and will need to find a way to slow down Louisville's QB, Lamar Jackson. Jackson is the defending Heisman trophy winner and absolutely scorched the Wolfpack last season, putting up 4 first half touchdowns en route to a 54-13 win. NC State must find an answer for him, they'll need to slow him down big time and also be able to put up points on offense in order to pull the upset off.

PREDICTION: Louisville 48-24


#13 Miami at Florida State - 3:30 PM

This may not seem like a big game, but rivalry games are so tricky to predict that this may end up being a lot better than some people may think. Florida State has won the last 7 games against rival Miami, but that streak is very much in doubt. The Seminoles have been struggling ever since QB Deandre Francois went down with a season ending injury, losing to NC State then escaping with a win against Wake Forest. Miami comes in with a 3-0 record, as it seems Head Coach Mark Richt has this team thinking of a possible ACC Championship this season. Miami hopes to have starting RB Mark Walton healthy and available for this game, and this could really help out FSU if he is either unable to play or plays but is hampered by his ankle injury. The Hurricanes definitely have playmakers elsewhere though with the passing game of QB Malik Rosier and they are also getting back WR Ahmond Richard for this game as well. Florida State will need star safety Derwin James to be everywhere out there and on offense, the Seminoles have to get the running game going. Last year's contest came down to a blocked extra point, expect anything when these rivals meet up.

PREDICTION: Miami 23-20


#23 West Virginia at #8 TCU - 3:30 PM

The lone Saturday game of the week that features 2 ranked teams here, TCU looks to remain perfect as they host the West Virginia Mountaineers. TCU is coming off a huge win at Oklahoma State two weeks ago and after a bye week last weekend, looks to continue their momentum here. This game will be about the offenses, West Virginia has the 2nd ranked offense in the entire country and QB Will Grier and RB Justin Crawford look to balance it out and do what Oklahoma State was unable to, put up the necessary points against the Big 12's 2nd best defense. TCU will also rely on their QB-RB combo, with QB Kenny Hill and RB Darius Anderson leading the way for the Horned Frogs offense. If they play like they did against Oklahoma State then this will be extremely tough for West Virginia to pull off the upset. This game should have plenty of offense and do not be surprised if we see another road upset in the Big 12 here.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 44-37


Michigan State at #7 Michigan - 7:30 PM

Much like the Miami-Florida State game, this is also a rivalry which on paper seems to be a lopsided game. Michigan State is 3-1 this season, totaling their wins from a horrific 2016 season. QB Brian Lewerke seems to have a lot of upside and they'll need him to come up big against a tough Michigan defense in order to bring the Paul Bunyon Trophy back to East Lansing. The biggest issue for MSU this season has been their running game, Lewerke is also the leading rusher on the team even though he only has 248 yards total in 4 games and RB LJ Scott is averaging under 4 yards a carry. It won't get any easier to establish a run game for MSU, as they'll face a Michigan defense that's only allowing 69.3 yards a game(and that includes a rush heavy triple option Air Force team.) Michigan will be without QB Wilton Speight as John O'Korn will get the start, and he'll basically be asked to just manage the game and make some plays when available while the run game and defense will be tasked to win the game. For the first time ever, this rivalry will be played under the lights, and is the primetime game of the week.

PREDICTION: Michigan 27-13

TV Weekend 11.18 - 11.19

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Caught On Camera With Nick Cannon (FRI, NBC, 8pm)
Last Man Standing (FRI, ABC, 8pm)
MacGyver (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
Hell's Kitchen (FRI, FOX, 8pm)
The Vampire Diaries (FRI, The CW, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 8pm)
Dr. Ken (FRI, ABC, 8:30pm)

Dateline NBC (FRI, NBC, 9pm)
Shark Tank (FRI, ABC, 9pm)
Hawaii Five-0 (FRI, CBS, 9pm)
The Exorcist (FRI, FOX, 9pm)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (FRI, The CW, 9pm)
Z Nation (FRI, Syfy, 9pm)

Blue Bloods (FRI, CBS, 10pm)
Van Helsing (FRI, Syfy, 10pm)
ELeague (FRI, TBS, 10pm)

--

Saturday Night Live Classic (SAT, NBC, 10pm)
Saturday Night Live: Kristin Wiig, The XX (SAT, NBC, 11:30pm)

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Memphis @ Cincinnati (FRI, CBS SportsNet, 8pm)
UNLV @ Boise State (FRI, ESPN 2, 9pm)

Ohio State @ Michigan State (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
Wisconsin @ Purdue (SAT, ABC, 12pm)
Kansas State @ Baylor (SAT, ESPN 2, 12pm)
Maryland @ Nebraska (SAT, ESPNews, 12pm)
Texas San Antonio @ Texas A&M (SAT, ESPNU, 12pm)
Oklahoma State @ TCU (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 12pm)
Iowa @ Illinois (SAT, Big Ten, 12pm)
Florida @ LSU (SAT, SEC, 1pm)

Florida State @ Syracuse (SAT, ABC, 3:30pm)
Indiana @ Michigan (SAT, ESPN, 3:30pm)
Texas @ Kansas (SAT, ESPN 2, 3:30pm)
Virginia Tech @ Notre Dame (SAT, NBC, 3:30pm)
Missouri @ Tennessee (SAT, CBS, 3:30pm)
Texas Tech @ Iowa State (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 3:30pm)
Northwestern @ Minnesota (SAT, Big Ten, 3:30pm)
Buffalo @ Western Michigan (SAT, ESPNU, 3:30pm)

Clemson @ Wake Forest (SAT, ESPN, 7pm)
Chattanooga @ Alabama (SAT, ESPN 2, 7pm)
Arkansas @ Mississippi State (SAT, ESPNU, 7pm)
South Florida @ SMU (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 7pm)
Alabama A&M @ Auburn (SAT, SEC, 7:30pm)
Arizona State @ Washington (SAT, FOX, 7:30pm)

Oklahoma @ West Virginia (SAT, ABC, 8pm)
Penn State @ Rutgers (SAT, Big Ten, 8pm)
Tulsa @ UCF (SAT, ESPNews, 8pm)
New Mexico @ Colorado State (SAT, ESPN 2, 10:15pm)
USC @ UCLA (SAT, ESPN, 10:30pm)

NFL
Top 10: Mic'd Up Guys (FRI, NFL Network, 8pm)
A Football Life: Steve Smith Sr. (FRI, NFL Network, 9pm)

NBA
Pistons @ Cavaliers (FRI, FOX Sports Ohio, 7:30pm)
Warriors @ Celtics (FRI, ESPN, 8pm)
Clippers @ Kings (FRI, ESPN, 10:30pm)

Timberwolves @ Grizzlies (SAT, NBA TV, 8pm)
Bulls @ Clippers (SAT, NBA TV, 10:30pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Michigan vs. SMU (FRI, ESPN 2, 7pm)
Northern Iowa vs. Oklahoma (FRI, ESPNU, 7pm)
Central Florida vs. Charleston (FRI, ESPNU, 9:30pm)

NHL
Rangers @ Blue Jackets (FRI, FOX Sports Cincinnati, 7pm)

Maple Leafs @ Canadiens (SAT, NHL, 7pm)

NASCAR & RACING
Camping World Truck Series: Ford EcoBoost 200 (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)

MMA & BOXING
UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2 - Prelims (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
UFC Fight Night: Ryan Bader vs. Rogerio Nogueira 2 (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 9pm)
Bellator MMA Live (SAT, Spike, 9pm)

SOCCER
English Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur FC vs. West Ham United FC (SAT, NBC, 12:30pm)
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Bayern Munich (SAT, FOX, 12:30pm)

Buckeyes Preview 11.18.16: Ohio State @ Michigan State

By Jason Disantis, @JasonInCLE


The Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) are running on all cylinders recently while many of the teams above them in the college football rankings have fallen.  Over the past two weeks the now #2 ranked Buckeyes have outscored their opponents a whopping 124-6.  J.T. Barrett and his offense couldn't have picked a better time to start clicking as the regular season is now down to this weekends game against Michigan State and then a showdown with #3 Michigan.

One reason for the Buckeyes revitalized offense is they are doing a better job of getting playmaking H-back Curtis Samuel the ball.  After touching the ball 10 times in a loss to Penn State, Samuel has 14, 13, and 9 touches in the last three games.  Nine may not seem that impressive but remember that Samuel played a little over a half in that 62-3 blowout against Maryland.  Samuel is the only FBS player with over 600 yards rushing (637) and receiving (750).

Another reason behind the Buckeyes offensive output is quarterback J.T. Barrett.  Barrett has four total touchdowns in the past two weeks and has posted a passer rating no less than 167 in both of those games.  The Buckeye quarterback also completed his second longest pass of the season, a 75-yard touchdown reception to who else but Curtis Samuel.

"He just knows how to make a play," cornerback Marshon Lattimore said on Samuel.  "He knows how to go out there and do what he has to do to put us in a position to win."

While Ohio State is seemingly two games away from a playoff birth, the Michigan State Spartans (3-7, 1-6 Big Ten) have had a disappointing season to say the least.  After starting the season ranked 12th in the nation and having eyes on a back-to-back Big Ten championship and a playoff birth, the Spartans won't have enough wins to be bowl eligible for the first time since 2006.

Even though Ohio State has Michigan lurking around the corner they have some payback to deal out against Sparty.  It was Michigan State who last year ruined the Buckeyes perfect season and cost them a shot at a Big Ten championship, and Ohio State guard Billy Price hasn't forgotten.

"There's a little bit of human element that comes into the game, especially with them ruining senior night for us last year and ruining the season we were supposed to have last year," Price said.  "It's in the back of your head, absolutely."

As Ohio State looks for revenge, Spartans coach Mike Dantonio would love for his team to ruin another season for the Buckeyes this Saturday.

"We've come to play every single football game, so it's unfortunate where we're at," Dantonio said.  "But you can't look past it.  You can't look backward here; you have to look to the future.  Ohio State is a big game for us, for this program, and always has been."



What:  Ohio State Buckeyes vs Michigan State Spartans
When:  Saturday November 19, 2016 at 12:00 PM ET
Where:  Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
Watch:  ESPN
Line:  OSU -22, O/U 53

TV Tonight 11.15

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

NBA
Raptors @ Cavaliers (FOX Sports Ohio/NBA TV, 7pm)
Bulls @ Trail Blazers (NBA TV, 10pm)

NHL
Lightning @ Red Wings (NBC Sports, 7:30pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Maryland @ Georgetown (FOX Sports 1, 6:30pm)
Kentucky vs. Michigan State (ESPN, 7pm)
Wisconsin @ Creighton (FOX Sports 1, 8:30pm)
Duke vs. Kansas (ESPN, 9:30pm)

NFL
Inside The NFL (Showtime, 9pm)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
College Football Playoff: Top 25 (ESPN, 9pm)
A Season With Florida State Football (Showtime, 10pm)

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The Flash (The CW, 8pm)
WWE SmackDown Live (USA, 8pm)
The Voice (NBC, 8pm)
The Middle (ABC, 8pm)
NCIS (CBS, 8pm)
Brooklyn Nine Nine (FOX, 8pm)
American Housewife (ABC, 8:30pm)
New Girl (FOX, 8:30pm)

This Is Us (NBC, 9pm)
Fresh Off The Boat (ABC, 9pm)
Bull (CBS, 9pm)
Scream Queens (FOX, 9pm)
No Tomorrow (The CW, 9pm)
Teen Wolf, PREMIERE (MTV, 9pm)
Channel Zero: Candle Cove SEASON FINALE (Syfy, 9pm)
Good Behavior, PREMIERE (TNT, 9pm & 10pm)
Real Husbands Of Hollywood (BET, 9pm)
The Gary Owen Show (BET, 9:30pm)
The Real O'Neals (ABC, 9:30pm)

Chicago Fire (NBC, 10pm)
David Blaine: Beyond Magic (ABC, 10pm)
NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 10pm)
Sweet/Vicious, PREMIERE (MTV, 10pm)
Aftermath (Syfy, 10pm)
Ink Master (Spike, 10pm)
Chopped (Food Network, 10pm)
Shooter, PREMIERE (USA, 10pm)
Drunk History (Comedy Central, 10:30pm)

TV Weekend 10.28 - 10.29

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Caught On Camera With Nick Cannon (FRI, NBC, 8pm)
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (FRI, ABC, 8pm)
MacGyver (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
The Vampire Diaries (FRI, The CW, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 8pm)

Dateline NBC (FRI, NBC, 9pm)
Shark Tank (FRI, ABC, 9pm)
Hawaii Five-0 (FRI, CBS, 9pm)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (FRI, The CW, 9pm)
Z Nation (FRI, Syfy, 9pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 9pm)

Blue Bloods (FRI, CBS, 10pm)
Burgers, Brew & Que (FRI, Food Network, 10pm)
Van Helsing (FRI, Syfy, 10pm)
Quarry (FRI, Cinemax, 10pm)

--

Saturday Night Live Classic (SAT, NBC, 10pm)
Saturday Night Live (SAT, NBC, 11:30pm)

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2016 WORLD SERIES
Game 3: Indians @ Cubs (FRI, FOX, 8pm)
Game 4: Indians @ Cubs (SAT, FOX, 8pm)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Navy @ South Florida (FRI, ESPN 2, 7pm)
Yale @ Columbia (FRI, NBC Sports, 7pm)
Air Force @ Fresno State (FRI, ESPN 2, 10:30pm)

Louisville @ Virginia (SAT, ABC/ESPN 2, 12pm)
Penn State @ Purdue (SAT, ABC/ESPN 2, 12pm)
Michigan @ Michigan State (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
West Virginia @ Oklahoma State (SAT, FOX, 12pm)
Kent State @ Central Michigan (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 12pm)
UCF @ Houston (SAT, ESPNU, 12pm)

Northwestern @ Ohio State (SAT, ESPN, 3:30pm)
Florida @ Georgia (SAT, CBS, 3:30pm)
Baylor @ Texas (SAT, ABC, 3:30pm)
Miami @ Notre Dame (SAT, NBC, 3:30pm)
Texas Tech @ TCU (SAT, ESPN 2, 3:30pm)
Washington @ Utah (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 3:30pm)
Maryland @ Indiana (SAT, ESPNU, 3:30pm)
Cincinnati @ Temple (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 3:30pm)

Nebraska @ Wisconsin (SAT, ESPN, 7pm)
Kansas @ Oklahoma (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
Auburn @ Mississippi (SAT, SEC, 7:15pm)
Tennessee @ South Carolina (SAT, ESPN 2, 7:15
New Mexico State @ Texas A&M (SAT, ESPNU, 7:30pm)
Clemson @ Florida State (SAT, ABC, 8pm)

Washington State @ Oregon State (SAT, ESPN 2, 10:45pm)
Stanford @ Arizona (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 11pm)

NFL
Top 10: Playoff Finishes (FRI, NFL Network, 8pm)
A Football Life: Pat Tillman (FRI, NFL Network, 9pm)

NBA
Cavaliers @ Raptors (FRI, ESPN/FOX Sports Ohio, 7pm)
Warriors @ Pelicans (FRI, ESPN, 9:30pm)

Magic @ Cavaliers (SAT, FOX Sports Ohio, 7:30pm)
Pelicans @ Spurs (SAT, NBA TV, 8pm)
Timberwolves @ Kings (SAT, NBA TV, 10:30pm)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Ducks (FRI, FOX Sports Ohio, 10:30pm)

Penguins @ Flyers (SAT, NHL, 7pm)

Spread Offense, Week 9: The Cure for Complacency

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

The past few weeks in college football have felt like treading water. Only a few games of note each week, no real shake ups in the top 10, just sort of staying afloat in one spot. When a pattern like this keeps up then it's easy to get complacent and start to not enjoy or really get interested in the games each week.

College football fans should have no worries about that going forward though, as week 9 snaps everyone out of that funk. Big games and some rivalries are slated for this weekend which fill each time slot, guaranteeing that a big game will be going on at all times. Week 9 takes us down that last turn as we go into the home stretch of the regular season, this week is definitely something that will keep fans glued to their TV's.

SATURDAY OCT. 29TH

People are starting to take notice of #10 West Virginia, with good reason. The Mountaineers are undefeated, putting up 15 points per game more than they are giving up and have now entered the playoff discussion. Dana Halgorsen has his squad playing well, and this weekend will be another test for them as the Oklahoma State Cowboys welcome WVU to Boone Pickens Stadium for a noon kickoff. While Oklahoma State is looking to get back into the Big 12 hunt along with regaining their top 25 status, they are currently 5-2 but one of those losses was on a controversial last play against Central Michigan. OKSU will need QB Mason Rudolph to play a very good game, the Cowboys' offense is a pass heavy spread so he will have to perform in order to get this upset win. West Virginia, however, has one of the better defenses and will look to put pressure on Rudolph all game. In  last week's game against Kansas, Rudolph was sacked 5 times and WVU will look to blueprint that game plan in order to get to him multiple times. The Mountaineers have done a great job of shutting down teams that are known for their high powered offense, giving up only 17 points to Texas Tech and 10 points to TCU, so being able to hold Oklahoma State to well under their season average of 41 points a game could end up being the deciding factor.

Also at noon, we have an in-state rivalry up in Michigan. In week 3 of this season, Michigan State beat Notre Dame handily and it was then that everyone circled October 29th as an undefeated showdown with the Michigan Wolverines. Then a streak of 5 straight losses happened and instead of welcoming their rival to East Lansing at 7-0, they do so with a 2-5 record. Michigan held up their end of the deal, the #2 team in the country is undefeated and will look to end a 5 game losing streak to their rival and knowing their Head Coach, they aren't going to take it easy on the Spartans even if they put the game away early. Michigan State will have to hope for the "throw the records out in rivalry games" cliché, win the turnover battle and somehow move the ball on offense. Michigan needs to go out there and put an end to this one early, MSU has nothing to lose so the Wolverines have to bury them quickly and keep them down.

At 3:30, we have the "World's largest outdoor cocktail party", and yes I will always refer to this game as such regardless of the push to change it's name. #14 Florida and Georgia meet in Jacksonville for this annual rivalry game, with the Gators looking to remain atop the SEC East standings. For Georgia, this could notch their first big win under 1st year head coach Kirby Smart, and they really need this one after losing 3 of their last 4 games. The Gators have a healthy Luke Del Rio at QB now, which gives the offense the potential to put up a lot of points. Stagnant while he was out with injury, the offense broke out big time last week by putting up 40 points against Missouri. For Georgia, they are in a transition year now with freshman QB Jacob Eason, hoping to get him the necessary experience to prepare him for the next 2 seasons when they feel they can make a run at the SEC title. Florida's offense should make them the favorite to win this one, but a win for Georgia would be a big statement going forward.

And the game most will be watching at 3:30 is a Pac-12 showdown, as #4 Washington plays at #17 Utah. The Huskies seem to be a year ahead of schedule, with QB Jake Browning having as Heisman contending season. Washington is currently a playoff team and a win would solidify their ranking even more since some believe that a 1 loss Louisville is currently more deserving of that 4th playoff spot. The Utes are a hiccup against Cal away from also being undefeated and this game is personal for QB Troy Williams. Williams was at Washington to start his collegiate career but transferred after the 2014 season. He is looking to prove what he can do out there, but it will not be easy against one of the best defenses in the country.

Utah, however, has been a chameleon when it comes to winning games, winning close games(31-27 against USC), defensive games(19-14 against Oregon State) and offensive shootouts(52-45 against UCLA.) If there's a team that can figure out a way to beat Washington regardless of the type of game it is, Utah is that team. They are equipped to play close games going into the 4th quarter while Washington hasn't been challenged this year, winning every game by at least 24 points. That, along with the Utah home crowd, could be a big factor if it is a close game in the 2nd half.

At 7pm, the Big Ten West takes the stage with the #7 Nebraska Cornhuskers facing the #11 Wisconsin Badgers. The undefeated Cornhuskers can all but ensure a trip to Indianapolis with a win here to play in the Big Ten title game, while the Badgers need this win to keep their Big Ten title hopes alive. Nebraska should have star WR Jordan Westerkamp back for this game, which will be a huge plus for them as they go up against one of the stingiest defenses in the country. The Badgers have given up the fewest TD's in the country, having played against 4 teams that were ranked in the top 10 at the time of their games makes it even more impressive. Wisconsin defense does so well because they control the trenches, so Nebraska will need some very good offensive line play and will turn to dual threat QB Tommy Armstrong to play mistake free ball. Nebraska looks to remain unbeaten while Wisconsin's backs are against the wall, a ton is at stake in this game.

Then the 8pm primetime slot is an ACC battle amongst teams that have recently dominated the ACC Atlantic division. The #3 Clemson Tigers go on the road to Tallahassee to face the #12 Florida State Seminoles. Florida State has battled back well after a blowout loss against Louisville and a heartbreaking loss to North Carolina earlier in the season. They look to get back into the top 10 and remain alive for a ACC title game berth here as a loss all but eliminates them from contention. Giving up the big play has haunted the Seminoles all season and they now face a Clemson offense that is capable of putting up big numbers. Last we saw of Clemson though, they escaped with an OT win at home against North Carolina State. They have been Jekyll and Hyde all season on offense, they looked every bit as good in their win over Louisville as they did bad in their win against NCSU. Heisman candidate Deshaun Watson can get the offense rolling again here though and a win against Florida State really puts them in the driver's seat for the ACC Atlantic title.

 Louisville will also be watching this game intently as a Florida State win not only puts the Seminoles back in the division hunt, but the Cardinals get that much needed Clemson loss since the Tigers own the head to head tiebreaker. Doak Campbell stadium will be alive and rocking Saturday night when these two ACC heavyweights do battle, the ACC Atlantic picture will become very clear with a Clemson win and very murky with a Florida State win.

Spread Offense, Week 4: For You Fall Wedding Enthusiasts...

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

At TripleThreatCLE.com, I understand that the majority of the audience here are Ohio State Buckeyes fans. Some of which, many months ago, looked at OSU's 2016 schedule and said to themselves "Oh look, a bye week on September 24th, what a perfect time to have our wedding!"

This article here is the counterpoint to that thought process though. Without going into detail of the short-sightedness of thought that everyone at your wedding is also OSU fans, the point is that just because your favorite team is on a break, doesn't mean the college football world stops turning. There are a bunch of great games this weekend and many of your guests will be huddled together by a TV or a smartphone at your reception, oblivious to the wedding reception festivities while racking up the bar tab as they silently wonder why someone would pick a wedding time during the SEC on CBS game of the week.

Here are the highlighted games of week 4, as conference games start becoming regular and the stakes become higher.

SATURDAY SEPT 24TH

Two Noon games to start the college football day off on the right foot.

#24 Ole Miss has become the new "Clemsoning", 2 losses this season due to completely melting down. First, a 28-6 lead in the 2nd quarter in week 1 against Florida State which resulted in a 45-34 loss, then this past weekend again Alabama which saw them blow a 24-3 2nd quarter lead on their way to a 48-43 loss. They face a Georgia team this weekend that has been doing the opposite of them, the #12 Bulldogs are 3-0(somehow) with 2 wins coming on 4th quarter comebacks(UNC, Mizzou) and the other win being a 2 point win against Nicholls State. They haven't been impressive, but they've won while Ole Miss has looked unbeatable at times, yet has lost twice. Here's Chad Kelly and Ole Miss' last shot at any season salvaging, if they can lock up Nick Chubb and get themselves a big home win then their reputation may start to change. But right now, it's tough to put much stock into the 2016 version of"Clemsoning".

Also at noon is a inter-division B1G game as #8 Michigan State hosts #11 Wisconsin. The Spartans came out and laid a beatdown on Notre Dame for 3 quarters last weekend, they went conservative which led to Notre Dame making the score look closer than the game was. They will have to turn right around and play the same kind of game if they want to remain unbeaten though, as Wisconsin's defense seems up to the task. The big issue with the Badgers though is they may be without star RB Corey Clement again this week, huge advantage to Michigan State if he cannot play. The Badgers rely heavily on Clement, as witnessed in their week 1 win against LSU, while they looked rather unflattering against Georgia State without him. If MSU can continue to play offense like they did against the Fighting Irish then Wisconsin will have to get creative in order to score points and pull this game out.

We then head to the 3:30 games, where once upon a time this was a nationally meaningful rivalry game. Back in the 90's, Phillip Fulmer's Tennessee Volunteers and Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators had 2 of the top programs and they would meet every year in a big time grudge match. Players like Peyton Manning, Danny Wuerffel, Tee Martin, and Jesse Palmer were all involved in these games as was Jamal Lewis, Fred Taylor, Peerless Price and Ike Hilliard. The past decade though hasn't shown much of a rivalry. Tennessee had fallen off once Fulmer was let go and after a few national championships under Urban Meyer, Florida has also been struggling for national recognition. Add in that Florida has won 11 straight games and this once proud rivalry has turned into just another game. This year could be the rekindling that this rivalry needs though, both teams being 3-0 and ranked in the top 20. The #19 Florida Gators will turn to new starting QB Austin Apply now that Luke Del Rio is out as they look to continue their winning streak in Knoxville against the #14 Tennessee Volunteers. With Del Rio out, Tennessee's defense will do whatever they can to pressure the new starting QB and suffocate the Gators' offense.

They'll also need their own QB, Josh Dobbs, to play a real good game against a stout Florida defense. They'll also need to get it going early, in all 3 games so far they have come out sluggish and that could hurt them big time in this game. While this has been a 1-sided rivalry with Florida winning 11 straight, 4 of those wins have come by 1 point so expect a close game that comes down to the final play here.

The 8pm prime time game gives us a look at the Stanford Cardinal again, as last week they had no issues with putting away the USC Trojans.The #7 team in the country will be on the road this time and going up against USC's cross town rivals, the UCLA Bruins. The focus as usual will be on RB Christian McCaffrey who looks to continue his Heisman campaign on a national stage. UCLA will need their standout QB Josh Rosen to have an electric game for them, which he is more than capable of. Last year's game between these two teams produced a 56-35 final score, with players like McCaffrey and Rosen on the field do not be surprised to see another high scoring game.

And at 9pm, we have another SEC game to highlight. The #17 Arkansas Razorbacks and the#10 Texas A&M Aggies will be heading to AT&T field in Dallas (Arlington) in a battle of 2 ranked teams that people are still trying to figure out if they are a contender or not. Arkansas notched a huge win in week 2 over TCU in overtime, while A&M had a big win in week 1 over UCLA, but both teams are still on the fence when it comes to national respect. Both teams can prove themselves here with a win, Texas A&M has a QB in Trevor Knight that just seems to play better as the situation gets tighter. Arkansas is more balanced, as all Bret Bielema teams seem to be, but also has a QB in Austin Allen that puts his team on his shoulders whenever they need a big drive and score. Both teams are averaging over 34 points a game and will be on a neutral field indoors, this game is a catapult for the winner going forward and will bring them that respect and attention that they deserve.