Week 14 Preview

by Big Al

All the marbles are up for grabs. All the marbles every team has gathered through the entire year can now be won or lost all in one weekend.

Except Gerogia and Alabama. They only have a meaningless conference championship up for grabs this weekend.

Alabama vs. Georgia

Alabama. Next.

Oregon vs. Utah

I need to somehow stay awake on Friday night, because I really want to watch this game.

Part of my likes the fact that this is being played at a neutral site. Another part of me misses watching USC have to go to Oregon to play in 15-degree weather for a conference championship. Yeah, that second half of me just won.

Not that it matters this year, it's cold in both locations, and they are playing in Las Vegas. I'm guessing Utah's fans will be less affected by Sin City, but the fans aren't playing. Though I'm sure the casinos are hanging out all the Oregon stuff, since their fans will be sticking around through the weekend.

Anyway, Utah kicked the holy heck out of Oregon just a few weeks ago, but that was at home. In college football, you don't want to have to play a second game against another team. It generally turns out bad for the winner of the first game. I think Utah is better, and proved it on the field earlier this year. But that doesn't matter when second games come around. Oregon wins.

Baylor vs. Oklahoma State

These two teams played earlier in the year and, well, things didn't go so well for Baylor. Oklahoma State is doing something novel in this day and age, known as "playing defense". Many other teams have tried to do the same, but they were called for targeting.

Anyway, Oklahoma State is coming in hot after a comeback win over Oklahoma. Normally, I'd go against a team who beat the same team earlier in the year. But defense counts for a lot with me. I'll go with Oklahoma State to get into the playoffs with a win here.

Utah State vs. San Diego State

San Diego State put together a very good year this year, with only one loss to Fresno State. Utah State had a couple of hiccups, but managed a good year with a chance for a conference championship.

San Diego State is the obvious pick here. Why mess with it? San Diego State it is.

Appalachian State at Louisiana

Louisiana has the better record. But Appalachian State is favored on the road. An important lesson I learned some year ago: don't %$#@ with Appalachian State. App State wins.

Houston at Cincinnati

Cincinnati has one more game to get through before a chance at the College Football Playoffs. If they go undefeated, they have the best chance any G5 team has had to make the playoffs since the advent of the CFP.

Ha, ha, I'm just kidding. Cincinnati doesn't have a chance in hell of making the College Football Playoffs.

Cincinnati wins, then gets jumped by Oklahoma State and probably Ohio State (who isn't even playing this week) just to rub in the fact that no G5 team will ever be included in the playoffs.

Alabama vs. Georgia

Wait, what? You wanted more analysis than that?

Well, let's see. Alabama has their best receiver back after a one game suspension for targeting. They are going to do what they always do: throw the long ball to Jameson Williams just enough to keep [insert name of team here] at bay, while playing good defense that keeps the other team from scoring just enough times to leave them short on points.

Not that it actually matters. Alabama and Georgia are both in the playoffs regardless of who wins, so who gives a %$#@ about this game?

Michigan vs. Iowa

Look, Michigan is the obvious pick here. And I'm picking Michigan to win this game. All the same, the ridiculous circumstances required to put Iowa into this game tell me that they are not a team to be trifled with. There is such a thing as fate, and you'd better not %$#@ with it. Like I said, I'm picking Michigan, but I wouldn't bet against Iowa either.

Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest

As I've said before, I'm an Ohio State fan. And I really just don't want to watch the B1G title game without them in it. Especially one week after Ohio State screwed the pooch against their archrival. So I'm going to be tuning into this game before I pass out on the couch. Anyway, Wake has been fading late in the season. So I'll go with Pitt to get a conference championship back to the Iron City.

Western Kentucky at UTSA

UTSA had their bad game for the year. Now they can move on. UTSA wins.

Kent State vs. Northern Illinois

MACtion!

Look, I know it's not Alabama vs. Georgia, but these two teams worked their butts off this year to get to this point, and we all owe it to them to watch this game and love the sport at all its levels.

I'm an Ohio State guy. Which means I'm an Ohio guy. And only one of these teams is from Ohio. Kent State all the way!

USC at California

%$#@ Almighty, do we really have to do this?

One %$#@ 4-7 team is playing another %$#@ 4-7 team for %$#@-only-knows-what-reason so they can put a %$#@ capstone on a %$#@ year for teams. And it's starting at 11:00pm EST so that that this %$#@ game is the only %$#@ on.

You know what? %$#@ this game. Nobody cares who wins, especially the sorry %$@#s who are playing in it.