College Football Week 12 Fan's Guide

Last week was pretty uneventful in college football, but after getting a chance to catch our breath, the prime time matchups are back in full force in Week 12. Bids to the BCS are finally up for grabs as the Big Ten completes its schedule with Michigan State traveling to Happy Valley to face the conference favorite Penn State. Joe Paterno has a Rose Bowl in his sights, but is praying that Oregon State loses so they won't have to play in a rematch. The Ohio State/Michigan game may not have anywhere near the appeal as it usually does, but "The Game" could still decide who goes to the Rose Bowl if the Spartans can pull an upset.

The Mountain West has been a pleasant surprise all year long -- you could even say it's been better than the Pac-10 or Big East -- and the league's marquee game is front and center this weekend. Utah is the highest ranked non-BCS team in America, and can all but secure a bid to a BCS bowl with a win over BYU, the team that was expected to get that spot in the preseason. The two teams have been the conference's top teams from start to finish and should put on a quality show for their conference on Saturday.

The grand finale of the weekend, and I mean really grand, takes place in the Big 12 South (what else is new?) when Texas Tech finally hits the road to face an elite team when they go to Norman to face Oklahoma. You have to expect the winner of this game is the odds-on favorite to represent the Big 12 in the BCS Championship Game. Expect a barn-burner under the lights.


Thursday Night Pick:
Georgia Tech over #23 Miami, Thursday 7:30 pm ET


#15 Michigan State (9-2) @ #8 Penn State (10-1), Saturday 3:30 pm ET
All things considered, you would have to admit both teams are extremely proud of the way their 2008 season has played out. The Spartans are in good position to secure a double-digit win season and their running back Javon Ringer has become a superstar. Ringer is second in the nation with 1548 yards and leads everybody with 20 touchdowns. He will be looking to avenge a disappointing performance from last year against Penn State. The Nittany Lions are looking to secure Joe Paterno his first berth in the Rose Bowl since 1995. The program is sourly disappointed from the blown opportunity against Iowa, but still has plenty to play for. They should the job done playing at home in front of 100,000 fans at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State, 26-16

#14 BYU (10-1) @ #7 Utah (11-0), Saturday 6:00 pm ET
From the moment the season began, these two teams were hailed as the best the MWC had to offer, and neither has done anything to strike doubt in that notion. The Utes already have one BCS win but that was under the Urban Meyer administration. Little known Kyle Whittingham has brought the glory back to this program, and could be looking at an undefeated. First, Utah must get revenge for a tough 17-10 loss they had to the Cougars. BYU will try to play spoiler again this year and be the reason Utah doesn't make the BCS. Despite having a loss, the opportunity of having that distinction is a pretty good alternative.
Utah, 21-20

#20 Pittsburgh (7-2) @ #19 Cincinnati (8-2), Saturday 7:00 pm ET
Nobody in the Big East has really distinguished themselves yet this season, but if you had to choose the best teams in the conference it would be hard to argue against these two. The Bearcats have clearly emerged as the favorite to take the conference and could really enhance their chances by getting through this speed pump. The Bearcats had an essential no-show in their blowout loss to Connecticut, but have responded valiantly since then. As long as they can stop the Panthers LeSean McCoy, Cincinnati should get one step closer to a Fiesta Bowl berth.
Cincinnati, 27-24

#21 Oregon State (7-3) @ Arizona (6-4), Saturday 7:00 pm ET
People are finally giving the Beavers some love and starting to picture them in the Rose Bowl. Before that can happen, Oregon State must travel on the road one last time as they face the Wildcats. Arizona has been a great offensive team all year long, but their defense hasn't matched them. Last week, they gave up 55 points in a loss to Oregon, which ended any hope the Wildcats had of getting an improbable Rose Bowl berth. Now, they gotta play spoiler and help out USC by beating the Beavers at home. Oregon State is only 2-3 on the road, but two of those losses were to Penn State and Utah. Kevin Riley's team has picked their level up immeasurably since a listless 0-2 start and should get the job done going away in Tucson.
Oregon State, 24-13

#2 Texas Tech (10-0) @ #5 Oklahoma (9-1), Saturday 8:00 pm ET
This game is probably as close to a national semifinal game as your gonna get with the current format of college football. It's a game like this late in the year that makes the entire regular season seem like a playoff in itself. As the final unbeaten standing in the Big 12, Texas Tech's Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree understand their championship dreams rest on their shoulders and not some computer that's trying to distinguish them from another team. Facing the high octane Sooners under the lights in Norman will be a tough task, but one Mike Leach and the Red Raiders will embrace. No matter what, this team expects its offense to score fast and score in bunches.

Oklahoma's defense has had some rough moments during the season. When linebacker Ryan Reynolds went down in the Red River Shootout, the Sooners defense fell apart and lost to Texas in the fourth quarter. Since then, Oklahoma has allowed at least 28 points in every game. It hasn't really mattered because Sam Bradford and the offense has just been so spectacular. You would have to say that the Bradford/Harrell matchup pits the two best quarterbacks in the entire nation against one another with a national championship as well as a Heisman Trophy on the line. The two will be throwing the ball over the field on Saturday night and the numbers may be staggering. The Red Raiders have had a great run to get to this point, and a deserving of an at-large bid, but winning in Norman may just be too much ask.
Oklahoma, 41-38

Upset Special:
Ole Miss over #18 LSU

Season: 40-19