WEEK 13
November 22nd, 2013
By Mike Nowoswiat and Brett Ciancia
By Mike Nowoswiat and Brett Ciancia
TEXAS A&M at LSU
Sat Nov 23rd, 3:30. CBS. AT Tiger Stadium
The Tigers had a lot of success against Manziel before he became the star that he is today. Last year, Manziel threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns on a 51.8% completion percentage. Now, Manziel has accomplished much more, including his induction into the Heisman fraternity. If he wants to be inducted into Archie Manning’s one-man, two-time Heisman-winning fraternity, this game could be the single most important game in his college career. With Mariota crumbling and Jameis Winston under severe scrutiny for his alleged rape case, Manziel could take control of the lead if he hasn’t already. Johnny Drama will have to venture into perhaps the toughest venue in the country in Death Valley and face a defense that is very good, but not as good as the unit he faced in 2012. This game has shootout written all over it. The one complaint you could make about Manziel this year is that he has thrown interceptions. The Tigers will need to force turnovers because I do not think Zach Mettenberger is capable of winning a shootout against Manziel despite the fact that the LSU offensive talent is much better than the Texas A&M defensive talent. Another thing to look for in this game is which wide receiver will explode. My bold prediction: Mike Evans, Jarvis Landry, or Odell Beckham Jr. will eclipse 250 receiving yards. That is the type of game I see this being...Texas A&M 48 LSU 42
WISCONSIN at MINNESOTA
Sat Nov. 23rd, 3:30. ESPN. AT TCF Bank Stadium
Minnesota is living out a dream season right now, despite the unfortunate circumstance with their head coach Jerry Kill's health issues. Usually by late November, the State of Minnesota forgets about football and directs all attention to basketball and hockey. But this fall, the Gopher FOOTBALL team has 8 wins and is technically still alive in the division race. With two special home victories over Nebraska and Penn State already, the Gophers welcome long-time rival Wisconsin. Gary Andersen's Badgers make a good case as one of the premier 2-loss teams in America: a TD loss to undefeated Ohio State and a mismanaged last second loss out in the desert. Led by a dangerous duo of Melvin Gordon and James White, the Badger ground game is one of the strongest around. This game defines the BigTen: a bitter cold environment, 2 hated rivals with a trophy on the line, two ground-pound offenses and stingy defenses. Minnesota hopes to win, Wisconsin knows how to win... Wisconsin 27 Minnesota 14
NEBRASKA at PENN STATE
Sat Nov. 23rd, 3:30. BTN. AT Beaver Stadium
At the beginning of this year, this may have looked like a more attractive matchup. Still, these are two of the best traditional football powers and people will always pay attention to this new rivalry. We will have a pair of freshman quarterbacks taking the stage in Christian Hackenberg and Tommy Armstrong. Armstrong has struggled to replace Taylor Martinez's production, but should not be compared to his predecessor. The Huskers have struggled to have any sort of consistency on both offense and defense. Nebraska has the potential to win this game easily, but coming in to Beaver Stadium does not provide the platform that one would expect a nice, consistent performance. Penn State seniors will play their final game at home, and there is always an even greater emotional factor when you consider these current Penn State teams. If Allen Robinson can get the ball enough, I could see the Nittany Lions taking this game. Still, this Cornhusker defense is one of the best units that Hackenberg has seen, which should confuse the freshman. In a closer-than-anticipated game...Nebraska 27 Penn State 24
ARIZONA STATE at UCLA
Sat Nov. 23rd, 7:00. FOX. AT Rose Bowl
Baylor-Oklahoma State has the BCS implications, LSU-Texas A&M has the SEC appeal and star power, but this matchup atop the Pac-12 South may just be the best game of the weekend. Arizona State boasts one of the top offenses in college football, while the UCLA defense is led by stars in the Linebacking core. The Sun Devil offense is led by QB Taylor Kelly, who is both efficient and mobile enough to keep plays alive. He loves throwing the long stop patterns along the sideline to Jaelen Strong, getting his backs involved in the pass game, and his check-down TE Chris Coyle. RB Marion Grice is 99 yards away from breaking the 1000 barrier - this will be difficult against the duo of LB's, Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks. UCLA has no slouch at quarterback either- Brett Hundley has been very solid in his second year as the starter. I have been a huge buyer of Arizona State since July; they were my pick to win the Pac-12 South and they have impressed this season. Look for DT Will Sutton to make impact plays and limit Hundley's mobility. Arizona State 38 UCLA 34
MISSOURI at MISSISSIPPI
Sat Nov. 23rd, 7:45. ESPN. AT Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
James Franklin is listed as the starter for the Tigers, who are flying under the radar and have a very strong argument to be the nation's best one-loss team considering that they play in the toughest conference and suffered a narrow loss to South Carolina without Franklin. Maty Mauk played very well considering the circumstances and kept the Tigers afloat while Franklin was healing from his shoulder injury. Franklin was having a great season before going down, throwing for 262 yards and about 2.33 touchdowns per game. Dorial Green-Beckham has really come on late in the season to give Missouri one of the nation's best wide receiver tandems with L'Damian Washington on the other side. The Rebels, however, have one of the nation's best pass defenses this season and could have success on defense. Green-Beckham and Washington provide a look that most teams do not: two big, fast receivers that college defenses do not usually see. Texas A&M's Mike Evans is probably the nation's best "big" receiver, and was held to only four catches for 46 yards and no touchdowns when the Aggies came to Oxford. Mississippi QB Bo Wallace is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the nation as of late, passing for over 300 yards in each of the last four conference matchups. This game has the potential to be a shootout. Missouri's defense is the better overall unit, but Mississippi might have the more favorable defensive matchup. This game is more of a tossup than many people would think. I'll take the team that is undefeated with their starting QB...Missouri 34 Ole Miss 30
BAYLOR at OKLAHOMA STATE
Sat Nov. 23rd, 8:00. ABC. AT Boone Pickens Stadium
It is hard not to be impressed with this Baylor squad - they score more than a point-a-minute, and have a top 20 defense on the other side of the ball. They have a Top 10 passing offense AND rushing offense. Many Bear fans are growing restless with their 4th place spot in the BCS rankings, but it is tough to jump over teams that have been equally perfect (Florida State), defending champs (Alabama), and winners of 22 straight (Ohio State). If, and I mean IF, Baylor were to lose this season, this is the trap. Art Briles' squad will be in a tough environment Saturday, as Boone Pickens Stadium comes alive at night. The 'Pokes are one of the few teams that can match (or approach) the Bears' dominance on both sides of the ball, boasting a 40-19 average score. If this were in Waco I would lean towards a heavy Baylor win, But were not in Waco anymore. This game will define Bryce Petty's Heisman candidacy. In the national spotlight with an Undefeated season on the line (and the Big12 BCS bid), Petty can become a serious candidate if he continues his elite production. I think he will, and Baylor keeps the dream season alive... Baylor 45 Oklahoma State 38