Post by Uncle on Nov 22, 2022 21:16:26 GMT -6
We've reached the pinnacle of the 2022 College Season...Week 13: the last week of the regular season..."Rivalry Week"....
There may not be a slate full of Top 25 matchups, but we'll get great rivalvies...
...like the battle for "Paul Bunyan's Axe" (Minnesota/Wisconsin)...
...or the "Egg Bowl" Thanksgiving Day Game (Ole Miss/Miss St)...
...and of course, "The Game" betwen Michigan and Ohio State:
And one of the best parts is that all of the games are spread across the entire Thanksgiving Day weekend: from Thanksgiving evening "Egg Bowl" game (which you won't be watching anyway because the Vikings are on Thanksgiving night) to some great matchups on "Black Friday" and then of course all the action on Saturday.
Thanksgiving Day, 11/24
Mississippi St @ #20 Ole Miss - 7PM ET (ESPN) - The "Egg Bowl"
The only reason you should be watching this is if the Vikings are getting blown out like they did Week 11 vs the Cowboys and you're so frustrated that you can't stand to watch anymore. If the Vikings blow out the Pats, you should still be watching and pay no attention to this game which has zero implications for much of anything outside of Mississippi football bragging rights and the egg-shaped trophy, which is why these games can be entertaining to watch. This game lost some of its luster when the Rebels were blasted by Arkansas last week, but there is a little "buzz" around the Ole Miss program: there are rumors floating out on the 'Net that Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin is (surprise, surprise) job surfing again and possibly taking his lengthy head coaching track record to "The Plains" (ie, Auburn, for those uninitiated with nicknames in-and-around major college football universities). If the rumors are true, will the Rebels send Kiffin off with a "W", or can Miss St. HC Mike Leech and 2023 QB prospect Will Rogers give him a proper farewell...how Kiffin keeps landing head coaching jobs at high profile college programs is beyond me...
"Black Friday", 11/25
#19 Tulane @ #24 Cincinnati - 12PM ET (ABC)
Massive game with not only AAC Championship implications, but a possible spot in the Cotton Bowl. The winner will host the AAC Championship next weekend - likely vs UCF - and the loser is out and probably looking at a bowl game sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers or Duke's Mayo. The Bearcats have rules the AAC the past 3-4 seasons, but Tulane has had a great year and their non-Conference road win at Kansas St earlier this year is looking better and better as the Wildcats could very well play in the BIG XII Championship. The Green Wave are led by 2023 QB prospect Michael Pratt, who garnered some offseason "buzz" when he was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. He's had a great season and a win at favored Cincinnati would certainly get more 2023 "buzz" coming his way.
NOTE: the US/England World Cup match takes place at 1PM ET so you're forgiven if you want to take a break of watching "American" football to watch Team USA play international "futbol"...
Nebraska @ Iowa - 4PM ET (BIG10 Network)
Just a few weeks ago this game didn't mean diddly squat to anyone outside Lincoln or Iowa City, but with Illinois fading and the Hawkeyes winning (an inexplicable win at Minnesota last weekend when they gave up 300+ rushing yds to the Gophers), they are suddenly in the driver's seat in the BIG10 West to meet the winner of "The Game" next weekend for the 2nd straight season. The Cornnusker fans are still waiting to see who their next HC will be and they haven't beat Iowa sine 2014 so their interim HC will throw everything at Kirk Ferentz in this one to win it. There are some 2023 Draft prospects to watch in this one, primarily Iowa LB Jack Campbell, Iowa TE Sam LaPorta and a few of their DB's. If Iowa loses, they'll have to hope Indiana beats Purdue or the Boilermakers will earn the right to get blasted by either the Wolverines or the Buckeyes.
Florida @ #16 Florida St - 7:30PM ET (ABC)
"The Choke at Doak"...Bowden vs Spurrier..."Swindle in the Swamp"..."Bad Blood"...this rivalry has a rich history and with both programs now seemingly coming back to national prominence, this should be a very entertaining primetime game. Rivalry aside, there's another reason to watch this one: 2023 QB prospect vs 2023 QB prospect. Florida's Anthony Richardson grabbed headlines early with a great opening game vs Utah, then lost some steam and has come on in the last month, and FSU's Jordan Travis has really come on strong in the last month and has vaulted himself into Day 2/early Day 3 consideration. I get the feeling that we could be seeing some really entertaining QB play and the winning team in this one gets the wind at their backs heading into 2023.
Saturday, 11/25 - Early Afternoon Games
#3 Michigan @ #2 Ohio St - Noon ET (FOX) - "The Game", "BIG 10 Game of the Year 2.0"
Yes, it's #2 vs #3, but I think this game may have lost a bit of its luster when Michigan's star RB's, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, became injured over the last few games and the Wolverines barely survived a home scare vs Illinois in Week 12. Michigan's OL is arguably the best OL in the BIG10, but their QB JJ McCarthy has not had the breakout year like some had predicted and if the RB's can't go, alot will fall on his shoulders. Ohio St has a balanced offense and their defense is actually halfway decent this year, too. I do think the Buckeyes will be looking for revenge after last year's loss at the Big House that vaulted Michigan into the CFP and since this game is at Columbus, I give Ohio St the edge. The equalizer could be the weather: if it's raining and cold, that could neutralize the Ohio St attack and give Michigan some equal footing. Similar to last season, the stakes couldn't be higher with the winner probably getting into the CFP (apologies to the BIG10 West winner) and the loser going to the Rose Bowl, which isn't a bad consolation prize.
South Carolina @ #8 Clemson - Noon ET (ABC)
After last week's big win over #5 Tennessee, this game got way more interesting. Clemson isn't getting any love from the CFP Committee as a 2-loss LSU and 2-loss 'Bama are ahead of them. They might jump ahead of LSU loses again and Clemson wins their Week 13 matchup and the ACC Championship vs North Carolina as 'Bama doesn't play in a Championshp game, but they just haven't looked like CFP material this season. If Spencer Rattler can repeat his Week 12 performance on the road at Death Valley, this will be a game, but if he plays like he has most of the season/career, I don't see the Gamecocks hanging with the Tigers. Clemson's D is a step-up for Rattler as Tennessee looked hapless last week so Rattler will definitely have to earn it.
Saturday, 11/25 - Late Afternoon Games
#25 Louisville @ Kentucky - 3:30PM ET (SEC Network) - "Governor's Cup"
Being a Louisville fan, I'm amazed that the Cardinals are actually ranked in the Top 25 after the start they had to their season; they were definitely considering sacking HC Scott Satterfield and now they're on the verage of win #8, a win over their in-state rivals and a decent bowl game. The turnaround has been lead by their defense who have done a complete 180 after being hapless most of the last year and the first part of 2022 and they should get to feast again on a Kentucky offense that hasn't done much all season. 2023 1st Rd prospect Will Levis just hasn't shown much on the field this season and has raised plenty more questions than answers, but he completely owned Louisville last season and he's surely motivated to get a "W" over rival Louisville in quite possibly his last college game (I doubt he suits up for Kentucky's mediocre bowl game).
#9 Oregon @ #21 Oregon St - 3:30PM ET (ABC) - "Civil War Game"
This game actually isn't officially called "The Civil War" anymore, but to everyone in-and-around the state of Oregon, it is. Oregon has done a tremendous job coming back from their Week 1 blasting by #1 Georgia and they've won some big games vs UCLA and last week vs Utah, but the Beavers are a program on the rise and they'd love nothing better than to wreck the Duck's PAC 12 title and Rose Bowl hopes. If the Ducks lose and Washington wins the "Apple Cup" game, the Huskies will go the PAC 12 Championship in Vegas to face USC in a game that could surpass the point total of the USC/UCLA Week 12 game. Oregon QB and 2023 Draft prospect Bo Nix has played really well this season (outside of Week 1), but this will be his biggest test yet - on the road in Corvallis vs a ranked and hungry Beavers squad. If Nix can somehow get the Ducks through this game and he plays well, that's just another feather in his cap and he'll solidify his Day 2 Draft status with a longshot chance at Round 1 if he upset USC and play lights-out in Pasadena on New Year's Day...but before Duck fans start dreaming of Roses, they need to deal with Beavers.
Saturday, 11/25 - Evening Games
#15 Notre Dame @ #6 USC - 7:30PM (ABC)
I give the Fighting Irish a bunch of credit for the turnaround in their season - the lost to Marshall and a bad Stanford team at Notre Dame Stadium and it was looking like a poor start for first-year HC Marcus Freeman, but their defense has really come on strong and they've ripped-off 5 straight, including a blowout win over a Top 10 Clemson team. They'll need all of that defensive momentum and then some vs a high-powered USC offense lead by 2024 QB1 prospect Caleb Williams and 2023 WR1 prospect Jordan Addison. The Fighting Irish were able to outscore another high-powered North Carolina on the road earlier this year so it's not like they can't score points, but this Lincoln Riley offense will be difficult to cover. I can see Notre Dame hanging around for a good chunk of this game and then USC stepping on the offensive gas in the 2nd half to pull away.
#13 Washington @ Washington St - 10:30PM (ESPN) - "Apple Cup"
To round out "Rivalry Week", we get another 2023 QB prospect vs 2023 QB prospect as Washington's Michael Penix, Jr takes on Washington State's Cameron Ward. Penix, Jr has really had a strong season and remained injury-free, something that has been key for him as he's argubly the "Sam Bradford" of the 2023 glass with all the injuries he's had in this career. His performance on the road at Eugene a few weeks ago was tremendous and he'll need to do it again if the Huskies will have any hope of playing in Vegas and possibly Pasadena. They'll know their fate before kickoff (if Oregon loses the "Civil War" game, that opens the door for Washington to steal the spot in the PAC 12 title game and a spot in the Rose Bowl game), but Washington St - like Oregon St - is a program on the rise and they have a young and developing QB in Cameron Ward who may or may not declare for 2023. It's always tough to win "rivalry" games on the road, and it's even tougher when the home team is solid, which the Cougars are.
Have a safe and happy time this Holiday weekend with your four favorite "F's":
Family...Friends...Food...and FOOTBALL!
There may not be a slate full of Top 25 matchups, but we'll get great rivalvies...
...like the battle for "Paul Bunyan's Axe" (Minnesota/Wisconsin)...
...or the "Egg Bowl" Thanksgiving Day Game (Ole Miss/Miss St)...
...and of course, "The Game" betwen Michigan and Ohio State:
And one of the best parts is that all of the games are spread across the entire Thanksgiving Day weekend: from Thanksgiving evening "Egg Bowl" game (which you won't be watching anyway because the Vikings are on Thanksgiving night) to some great matchups on "Black Friday" and then of course all the action on Saturday.
Thanksgiving Day, 11/24
Mississippi St @ #20 Ole Miss - 7PM ET (ESPN) - The "Egg Bowl"
The only reason you should be watching this is if the Vikings are getting blown out like they did Week 11 vs the Cowboys and you're so frustrated that you can't stand to watch anymore. If the Vikings blow out the Pats, you should still be watching and pay no attention to this game which has zero implications for much of anything outside of Mississippi football bragging rights and the egg-shaped trophy, which is why these games can be entertaining to watch. This game lost some of its luster when the Rebels were blasted by Arkansas last week, but there is a little "buzz" around the Ole Miss program: there are rumors floating out on the 'Net that Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin is (surprise, surprise) job surfing again and possibly taking his lengthy head coaching track record to "The Plains" (ie, Auburn, for those uninitiated with nicknames in-and-around major college football universities). If the rumors are true, will the Rebels send Kiffin off with a "W", or can Miss St. HC Mike Leech and 2023 QB prospect Will Rogers give him a proper farewell...how Kiffin keeps landing head coaching jobs at high profile college programs is beyond me...
"Black Friday", 11/25
#19 Tulane @ #24 Cincinnati - 12PM ET (ABC)
Massive game with not only AAC Championship implications, but a possible spot in the Cotton Bowl. The winner will host the AAC Championship next weekend - likely vs UCF - and the loser is out and probably looking at a bowl game sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers or Duke's Mayo. The Bearcats have rules the AAC the past 3-4 seasons, but Tulane has had a great year and their non-Conference road win at Kansas St earlier this year is looking better and better as the Wildcats could very well play in the BIG XII Championship. The Green Wave are led by 2023 QB prospect Michael Pratt, who garnered some offseason "buzz" when he was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. He's had a great season and a win at favored Cincinnati would certainly get more 2023 "buzz" coming his way.
NOTE: the US/England World Cup match takes place at 1PM ET so you're forgiven if you want to take a break of watching "American" football to watch Team USA play international "futbol"...
Nebraska @ Iowa - 4PM ET (BIG10 Network)
Just a few weeks ago this game didn't mean diddly squat to anyone outside Lincoln or Iowa City, but with Illinois fading and the Hawkeyes winning (an inexplicable win at Minnesota last weekend when they gave up 300+ rushing yds to the Gophers), they are suddenly in the driver's seat in the BIG10 West to meet the winner of "The Game" next weekend for the 2nd straight season. The Cornnusker fans are still waiting to see who their next HC will be and they haven't beat Iowa sine 2014 so their interim HC will throw everything at Kirk Ferentz in this one to win it. There are some 2023 Draft prospects to watch in this one, primarily Iowa LB Jack Campbell, Iowa TE Sam LaPorta and a few of their DB's. If Iowa loses, they'll have to hope Indiana beats Purdue or the Boilermakers will earn the right to get blasted by either the Wolverines or the Buckeyes.
Florida @ #16 Florida St - 7:30PM ET (ABC)
"The Choke at Doak"...Bowden vs Spurrier..."Swindle in the Swamp"..."Bad Blood"...this rivalry has a rich history and with both programs now seemingly coming back to national prominence, this should be a very entertaining primetime game. Rivalry aside, there's another reason to watch this one: 2023 QB prospect vs 2023 QB prospect. Florida's Anthony Richardson grabbed headlines early with a great opening game vs Utah, then lost some steam and has come on in the last month, and FSU's Jordan Travis has really come on strong in the last month and has vaulted himself into Day 2/early Day 3 consideration. I get the feeling that we could be seeing some really entertaining QB play and the winning team in this one gets the wind at their backs heading into 2023.
Saturday, 11/25 - Early Afternoon Games
#3 Michigan @ #2 Ohio St - Noon ET (FOX) - "The Game", "BIG 10 Game of the Year 2.0"
Yes, it's #2 vs #3, but I think this game may have lost a bit of its luster when Michigan's star RB's, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, became injured over the last few games and the Wolverines barely survived a home scare vs Illinois in Week 12. Michigan's OL is arguably the best OL in the BIG10, but their QB JJ McCarthy has not had the breakout year like some had predicted and if the RB's can't go, alot will fall on his shoulders. Ohio St has a balanced offense and their defense is actually halfway decent this year, too. I do think the Buckeyes will be looking for revenge after last year's loss at the Big House that vaulted Michigan into the CFP and since this game is at Columbus, I give Ohio St the edge. The equalizer could be the weather: if it's raining and cold, that could neutralize the Ohio St attack and give Michigan some equal footing. Similar to last season, the stakes couldn't be higher with the winner probably getting into the CFP (apologies to the BIG10 West winner) and the loser going to the Rose Bowl, which isn't a bad consolation prize.
South Carolina @ #8 Clemson - Noon ET (ABC)
After last week's big win over #5 Tennessee, this game got way more interesting. Clemson isn't getting any love from the CFP Committee as a 2-loss LSU and 2-loss 'Bama are ahead of them. They might jump ahead of LSU loses again and Clemson wins their Week 13 matchup and the ACC Championship vs North Carolina as 'Bama doesn't play in a Championshp game, but they just haven't looked like CFP material this season. If Spencer Rattler can repeat his Week 12 performance on the road at Death Valley, this will be a game, but if he plays like he has most of the season/career, I don't see the Gamecocks hanging with the Tigers. Clemson's D is a step-up for Rattler as Tennessee looked hapless last week so Rattler will definitely have to earn it.
Saturday, 11/25 - Late Afternoon Games
#25 Louisville @ Kentucky - 3:30PM ET (SEC Network) - "Governor's Cup"
Being a Louisville fan, I'm amazed that the Cardinals are actually ranked in the Top 25 after the start they had to their season; they were definitely considering sacking HC Scott Satterfield and now they're on the verage of win #8, a win over their in-state rivals and a decent bowl game. The turnaround has been lead by their defense who have done a complete 180 after being hapless most of the last year and the first part of 2022 and they should get to feast again on a Kentucky offense that hasn't done much all season. 2023 1st Rd prospect Will Levis just hasn't shown much on the field this season and has raised plenty more questions than answers, but he completely owned Louisville last season and he's surely motivated to get a "W" over rival Louisville in quite possibly his last college game (I doubt he suits up for Kentucky's mediocre bowl game).
#9 Oregon @ #21 Oregon St - 3:30PM ET (ABC) - "Civil War Game"
This game actually isn't officially called "The Civil War" anymore, but to everyone in-and-around the state of Oregon, it is. Oregon has done a tremendous job coming back from their Week 1 blasting by #1 Georgia and they've won some big games vs UCLA and last week vs Utah, but the Beavers are a program on the rise and they'd love nothing better than to wreck the Duck's PAC 12 title and Rose Bowl hopes. If the Ducks lose and Washington wins the "Apple Cup" game, the Huskies will go the PAC 12 Championship in Vegas to face USC in a game that could surpass the point total of the USC/UCLA Week 12 game. Oregon QB and 2023 Draft prospect Bo Nix has played really well this season (outside of Week 1), but this will be his biggest test yet - on the road in Corvallis vs a ranked and hungry Beavers squad. If Nix can somehow get the Ducks through this game and he plays well, that's just another feather in his cap and he'll solidify his Day 2 Draft status with a longshot chance at Round 1 if he upset USC and play lights-out in Pasadena on New Year's Day...but before Duck fans start dreaming of Roses, they need to deal with Beavers.
Saturday, 11/25 - Evening Games
#15 Notre Dame @ #6 USC - 7:30PM (ABC)
I give the Fighting Irish a bunch of credit for the turnaround in their season - the lost to Marshall and a bad Stanford team at Notre Dame Stadium and it was looking like a poor start for first-year HC Marcus Freeman, but their defense has really come on strong and they've ripped-off 5 straight, including a blowout win over a Top 10 Clemson team. They'll need all of that defensive momentum and then some vs a high-powered USC offense lead by 2024 QB1 prospect Caleb Williams and 2023 WR1 prospect Jordan Addison. The Fighting Irish were able to outscore another high-powered North Carolina on the road earlier this year so it's not like they can't score points, but this Lincoln Riley offense will be difficult to cover. I can see Notre Dame hanging around for a good chunk of this game and then USC stepping on the offensive gas in the 2nd half to pull away.
#13 Washington @ Washington St - 10:30PM (ESPN) - "Apple Cup"
To round out "Rivalry Week", we get another 2023 QB prospect vs 2023 QB prospect as Washington's Michael Penix, Jr takes on Washington State's Cameron Ward. Penix, Jr has really had a strong season and remained injury-free, something that has been key for him as he's argubly the "Sam Bradford" of the 2023 glass with all the injuries he's had in this career. His performance on the road at Eugene a few weeks ago was tremendous and he'll need to do it again if the Huskies will have any hope of playing in Vegas and possibly Pasadena. They'll know their fate before kickoff (if Oregon loses the "Civil War" game, that opens the door for Washington to steal the spot in the PAC 12 title game and a spot in the Rose Bowl game), but Washington St - like Oregon St - is a program on the rise and they have a young and developing QB in Cameron Ward who may or may not declare for 2023. It's always tough to win "rivalry" games on the road, and it's even tougher when the home team is solid, which the Cougars are.
Have a safe and happy time this Holiday weekend with your four favorite "F's":
Family...Friends...Food...and FOOTBALL!
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