It's crunch time in college football. With the release of the second playoff rankings and a reshuffling of the projected playoff participants, time may be running out for some programs. Ole Miss' goose is cooked. Kansas State and Texas Christian, which play each other this week, are on the outside for the time being as well. Michigan State and Ohio State, which will play ABC's primetime game of the week and be the setting for ESPN's College Gameday, need some help as well. We'll discuss the games this week with more emphasis on how they pertain to the playoff situation to unfold this month.
While Ohio State prepares for its biggest game of the year in East Lansing, the honorary TV Guide cover for this week's feature will be Chad Everett of Medical Center fame. Everett spent his freshman year of college at Michigan State before transferring to Wayne State and later making a name for himself in Hollywood.
While this week's guide begins with tonight's Clemson-Wake Forest game, I'll offer my condolences to the eight MAC teams that played on Tuesday and Wednesday but were able to be given full treatment here. Bowling Green beat Akron and Toledo beat Kent State on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Ohio beat Buffalo and Northern Illinois beat Ball State.
Thursday
Clemson at Wake Forest (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.). Remember when West Virginia hung 70 points on Clemson in that infamous 2012 Orange Bowl? Now Clemson has the no. 2 total defense in the country. That says as much about who Clemson is playing as it does about Clemson's defense. Georgia hung 328 rushing yards and 38 points of offense on Clemson earlier this season.
Friday
Memphis at Temple (ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.). Memphis is 5-3 on the season and one of the surprise stories of college football this year, given its typical status as a doormat. Temple just upset East Carolina last week, handing the Pirates a crushing loss for its hopes for a signature January bowl game.
Utah State at Wyoming (ESPN2, 8 p.m.). Wyoming just broke a four-game losing streak last Saturday of a route of Fresno State in Fresno. Next is Utah State, which has just one conference loss and is hoping to secure a trip to the Mountain West Conference Championship Game.
Saturday
Presbyterian at Ole Miss (SEC Network, 12 p.m.). We are entering the cupcake portion of the SEC schedule.
Baylor at Oklahoma (FOX Sports 1, 12 p.m.). I am disappointed this is not a night game in Norman. Baylor's road woes are well-documented and they are compounded by playing at night. Ohio State fans should root hard for a Baylor loss. The playoff committee does not favor Baylor at the moment, but the Buckeyes need many teams ahead of it to stumble.
Georgia at Kentucky (ESPN, 12 p.m.). Georgia returns to action a week after getting routed by Florida by playing the team that took Florida to three overtimes in Gainesville.
Wisconsin at Purdue (ESPNU, 12 p.m.). After a three-week absence since losing to Northwestern, Wisconsin is back in the AP Top 25. Perhaps a team that does have the country's best total defense (by 15 yards a game over Clemson) should be a top-25 team.
Penn State at Indiana (BTN, 12 p.m.). Penn State's sanctions were reduced, effectively dropped, three days before the Rutgers game. It rallied to beat Rutgers. It won a cupcake game against Massachusetts. It has lost four straight games since.
Iowa at Minnesota (ESPN2, 12 p.m.). Minnesota returns to action two weeks after losing at Illinois. This battle is for the Floyd of Rosedale. Minnesota fans hope this goes well, and quick. Ohio State comes to town next week.
Auburn's defensive line carried the day in last year's contest. Its rushing attack might do it this year.
Texas A&M at Auburn (CBS, 3:30 p.m.). Ohio State fans would like an Auburn loss here. After all, Texas A&M is no playoff threat at the moment.
More importantly, what's left as a plausible scenario for the SEC eating itself this month? Auburn plays at Georgia next week and at Alabama to end the season. Alabama plays at LSU tonight, but hosts Mississippi State and Auburn. Mississippi State travels to Alabama and Ole Miss this month.
Assuming Auburn beats Texas A&M, hope that Auburn loses to Georgia but beats Alabama. Though it'd be swell if Alabama lost tonight at LSU, hope it beats Mississippi State but loses to Auburn. Hope Mississippi State drops both big SEC road games this month.
Notre Dame at Arizona State (ABC, 3:30 p.m.). I've had this game circled on the schedule for a while. A game between two one-loss teams, this amounts to an elimination game for the playoff.
I've expressed elsewhere my bullishness on Arizona State. I'm not sure the Sun Devils are that great, just that it's in as good a position as Ohio State (if not better) to move into the playoff. Its one loss, a cratering by UCLA in Tempe, has a convenient explanation by reference to Taylor Kelly's injury. Should Arizona State win out, it would mean victories over Notre Dame, Arizona, and, likely, Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. That's a playoff resume in my opinion.
Similar statements can be afforded to Notre Dame. The Irish's one loss on the season was a heartbreaker at Florida State. While I've lauded Notre Dame's schedule before (e.g. last year), this year's schedule is being done no favors by the likes of Michigan, Purdue, Northwestern, and Syracuse. Even USC is unranked. However, winning out would make Notre Dame a more credible playoff selection.
West Virginia at Texas (FOX Sports 1, 3:30 p.m.). A West Virginia win would hand Texas its sixth loss on the season. Texas still has to play Texas Christian as well.
Michgan snuck out of Evanston with a win last year. A loss this year would put Michigan's season on the brink.
Michigan at Northwestern (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.). The same can be said for Michigan. A Northwestern win would be Michigan's sixth loss. Michigan still has to host Maryland and play at Ohio State.
Tennessee-Martin at Mississippi State (SEC Network, 4 p.m.). Yeah, okay, Mississippi State.
Virginia at Florida State (ESPN, 6:30 p.m.). Florida State may be rounding into form, but Virginia is not necessarily terrible. It's not good, but it's not terrible.
Virginia won the last encounter between both programs in 2011.
UCLA at Washington (FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m.). UCLA is the no. 18 team in the country, but it should not be. Gutting out a 17-7 win against Arizona notwithstanding, the wheels have fallen off that wagon. UCLA was supposed to be a legitimate playoff contender with a Heisman candidate at quarterback.
Louisville at Boston College (ESPN2, 7:15 p.m.). I'm struggling to think of a reason you should care to watch this game for 45 minutes before Ohio State and Michigan State play.
Kansas State at Texas Christian (FOX, 7:30 p.m.). There will be a lot of important football being played Saturday night while Ohio State and Michigan State battle.
While casting this game as "huge" for Ohio State's playoff hopes would be appropriate, it matters little who actually wins. If we want to be cynical, a Texas Christian loss undermines the values of Auburn's win at Kansas State earlier this season. A loss for either one is elimination from the playoff all the same.
That said, give a careful eye to Texas Christian. I'm sold on the Horned Frogs. Trevone Boykin might even be a Heisman finalist as well.
Florida at Vanderbilt (SEC Network, 7:30 p.m.). Good luck getting people to watch this game at this time, SEC Network.
Drink up, Les. Ohio State and college football fans need you at your best Saturday night.
Alabama at LSU (CBS, 8 p.m.). This is what patrons of SEC football will be watching at this time. It should go without saying, but, "Geaux Tigers".
While Ohio State fans should be eager to root for LSU in this contest, is there a fear among Ohio State fans of getting leapfrogged by LSU despite LSU having one more loss than Ohio State? This creates an interesting situation that, in the short-term, I would not mind having if it meant both LSU and Ohio State would have won on Saturday.
Ohio State at Michigan State (ABC, 8 p.m.). This is your personal game of the week. Make sure to stay tuned to Eleven Warriors for comprehensive coverage of this game.
Oregon at Utah (ESPN, 10 p.m.). I'll be brief; Oregon clinches the Pac-12 North with a win. That would be the first conference championship game berth in any conference this season.
