Hate Week is the theme across college football. It's the final week of the season for all conferences with a conference championship game, leaving the Big XII as an anachronism of a conference with two conference games remaining. The American Athletic Conference has two games left as well. Beyond that, everyone of note is ending their season with a rivalry game.
This week's viewing guide wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving in anticipation of your animus for That Team Up North reaching its boiling point for Saturday's noon kickoff. It will also give you a primer on what to watch. Since it's Thanksgiving week, the week's games are staggered across Friday and Saturday. We also have two big rivalry games today.
Thursday
Texas Christian at Texas (FOX Sports 1, 7:30 p.m.). With Texas A&M in the SEC, the Texas-Texas A&M Thanksgiving rivalry is effectively on hiatus. In its place, TCU-Texas is a decent substitute.
Ohio State fans should be rooting hard for the Longhorns to eliminate TCU from the playoff. Texas is just 6-5 this season, but it has won three-straight since getting blanked by Kansas State in the Little Apple. It's not inconceivable that Texas scores an upset, though it is a tall order.
LSU at Texas A&M (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.). If LSU will no longer close its regular season with Arkansas, ending it with Texas A&M may be another decent substitute in light of the SEC's realignment. Both teams are 7-4 and 3-4 in the SEC. There is not a lot of fanfare to this game beyond both teams having the weirdest fan bases in the conference.
Friday
Northern Illinois at Western Michigan (ESPNU, 11 a.m.). MACtion first thing in the morning is a nice little post-Thanksgiving tradition.
Western Michigan is 6-1 in the MAC. Toledo, which beat Western Michigan, is also 6-1. Northern Illinois is also 6-1. A Northern Illinois win sends the Huskies to its fifth-straight MAC Championship Game. Western Michigan needs to win on Saturday and hope 2-9 Eastern Michigan pulls off an upset of Toledo later in the afternoon. That game kicks off at 1 p.m. on ESPN3.
Nebraska at Iowa (ABC, 12 p.m.). Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to be a Nebraska fan coming of age in the mid-1990s. The program went from being a juggernaut with accessible games against nearby Kansas and Kansas State, and a season-defining rivalry with Oklahoma, to being a mid-level afterthought in the Big Ten with games against distant programs like Rutgers and Illinois.
That said, the addition of Nebraska to the Big Ten in 2011 came with an instant rivalry with Iowa, which I think has become the conference's second best series. Both programs share a bit in common and have enough contrasts to make a season-ending rivalry between the two a great fit.
That said, the trophy for this game is kind of dumb. The winner's state should just receive a gigantic ethanol subsidy instead.
Western Kentucky at Marshall (FOX Sports 1, 12 p.m.). A home game with Western Kentucky is all that separates Marshall from a perfect regular season.
Arkansas at Missouri (CBS, 2:30 p.m.). Missouri, which already won a share of the SEC East for itself (and Indiana), needs a win against resurgent Arkansas to secure a berth in the SEC Championship Game.
Ohio State fans should root for Arkansas. A Missouri loss sends Georgia to the SEC Championship Game as the SEC East's representative. Assuming Alabama wins the SEC West, hope that it's as difficult as possible for the Tide against Georgia in the Georgia Dome next week.
Stanford at UCLA (ABC, 3:30 p.m.) and Arizona State at Arizona (FOX, 3:30 p.m.). The Pac-12 scheduled both games for a simultaneous kickoff because these two games will decide the Pac-12 South. Oregon won the Pac-12 North a few weeks ago.
The scenarios are simple. UCLA wins the Pac-12 South and gets a rematch with Oregon with a win. It has tie-breakers over both Arizona and Arizona State.
If Stanford upsets UCLA, the winner of the Territorial Cup wins the Pac-12 South.
Virginia at Virginia Tech (ESPN, 8 p.m.). Virginia Tech lost the dumbest and worst game of the entire college football season last week against Wake Forest. It is 5-6 and last place in its division. I'm beyond wanting Virginia Tech wanting to make Ohio State look good. Let her burn, Virginia.
East Carolina at Tulsa (ESPNU, 8:30 p.m.). The American Athletic Conference teams still have two games to go. East Carolina needs a win to stay afloat in the conference championship race. You can skip this game, though.
Saturday
That Team Up North at Ohio State (ABC, 12 p.m.). Send them back to God, coach.
Georgia Tech at Georgia (SEC Network, 12 p.m.). A Georgia Tech upset win would be great for Ohio State fans. If Missouri loses on Friday, Georgia plays in the SEC Championship Game. If Georgia drops this game at home to Georgia Tech, there is no way it gets into the playoff if it upsets the SEC West representative (Alabama, likely) next week.
Alas, I noted on Monday that if you're praying for help from Paul Johnson, you may want to find another deity to hear your prayers. Hope for the best.
South Carolina at Clemson (ESPN, 12 p.m.). Clemson has lost five-straight in this rivalry. Clemson is nominally the favorite, though both teams have been between decent and terrible all season. Neither team can effectively score the ball, or run it. Given who South Carolina fields on offense, and what Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris coaches, this is astonishing.
Basically, this game is your Cripple Fight of the Week.
Kentucky at Louisville (ESPN2, 12 p.m.). Now that Louisville is in the ACC, this rivalry has been moved to the end of the schedule. For all the huffing and puffing of Big Blue Nation about its recruiting and upward trajectory, Kentucky flatlined in a hurry. The Wildcats have lost five-straight by a combined margin of 219-91. A loss on Saturday eliminates Kentucky from the postseason.
At least there's basketball, though.
Cincinnati at Temple (ESPN News, 12 p.m.). After Cincinnati lost three-straight games (starting with the trip to Ohio Stadium), it has rattled off five wins. With two games to go, Cincinnati could still win the American Athletic Conference.
Illinois at Northwestern (ESPNU, 12 p.m.). Both teams are 5-6 and are playing for Lincoln's hat. The winner goes to 6-6 and gets a bowl game. The winner also gets a hat. The loser stays home for the holidays and, worse yet, doesn't get a hat!
Purdue at Indiana (BTN, 12 p.m.). Both teams are 3-8. The only interesting note concerns whether Kevin Wilson could be fired in his fourth year if his Hoosiers lose this game.
Florida at Florida State (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.). This is Will Muschamp's swan song. He's done at Florida after this game. If Florida wins, as America wants, DJ Durkin will coach the Gators in whatever bowl game Florida attends. If Florida loses, it would finish under .500.
What is it about Florida State that has made America root for Notre Dame, Bobby Petrino, Miami, and Florida...
Mississippi at Ole Miss (CBS, 3:30 p.m.). I was much more confident about Ole Miss for this game a month ago. Laquon Treadwell is injured and Dr. Bo is walking with a limp. If Mississippi State wins (and if Alabama beats Auburn), that's the best case scenario for the SEC. It could secure two SEC teams into the college football playoff.
Baylor vs. Texas Tech (ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.). This game will be played at Jerryworld in Arlington. You can skip this game because it will be a bloodbath.
Michigan State at Penn State (ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.). The Land Grant Trophy is back. Both teams were end-of-the-season rivals when Penn State joined the conference in 1993. They had not played since 2011, but share the same division now.
A loss drops Penn State to 6-6. Penn State is 4-5 since the NCAA lifted the sanctions against it.
Minnesota at Wisconsin (BTN, 3:30 p.m.). This is the biggest game of the day in the Big Ten. The winner plays Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. Naturally, it's on BTN to make sure not as many people get to watch it.
Notre Dame at USC (FOX, 3:30 p.m.). This game lost a lot of luster of late, especially from the Notre Dame side. After the "greatest loss" against Florida State, Notre Dame has lost three of its last four. Even that rebounding win against Navy was a nail-biter.
Rutgers at Maryland (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.). Both B1G newbies end the year against each other. I'm not sure if there's a trophy for this game yet. If not, I recommend a dollar-on-a-string trophy.
Kansas at Kansas State (FOX Sports 1, 4 p.m.). Kansas State gets a trip to Baylor next week to end its season.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt (SEC Network, 4 p.m.). Tennessee is 5-6 and Vanderbilt is 3-8. If Musburger is on the call for this game, I'm going to laugh. My guess is he'll get the Iron Bowl later in the evening.
Wake Forest at Duke (ESPNU, 7 p.m.). You don't need to watch this.
Pittsburgh at Miami (ESPN2, 7 p.m.). You don't need to watch this either. That said, Pittsburgh will have swept the former Big East teams in the ACC if it beats Miami on Saturday night.
Auburn at Alabama (ESPN, 7:45 p.m.). Good luck, Auburn. We're all counting on you.
Oregon at Oregon State (ABC, 8 p.m.). Ohio State fans would like Oregon to drop another game before the playoff selection committee makes its final determination. It will probably not happen in the Civil War, though.
Utah State at Boise State (ESPN2, 10:15 p.m.). If Boise State wins, it will have secured the Mountain West's "Mountain" division. It ahas the tie-breaker over Colorado State, the other 6-1 team in the division. Utah State needs to win and hope Colorado State will have lost on Friday at Air Force.
Washington at Washington State (FOX Sports 1, 10:30 p.m.). It's been about a dozen years since the Apple Cup meant anything.
Nevada at UNLV (ESPNU, 10:30 p.m.). UNLV is 2-10 and Nevada is 6-5. This would be worth watching if you were at the bar late at night.
