No. 4 Alabama at No. 14 LSU
Here’s this week’s version of SEC West cannibalization, where the Crimson Tide travel to Death Valley, where weird stuff happens. The last time a Top 10 opponent dared to enter LSU head coach Les Miles’ home, they left with a loss. That was a third-ranked Ole Miss team who lost 10-7 Oct. 25 in a huge upset that signaled the Tigers’ re-emergence as a top team in the SEC.
LSU had lost some of its swagger in losses to Mississippi St. and Auburn earlier in the year. However, a demolition of a decent Kentucky team and the following victory over Ole Miss has them back on track.
Their offense still does not put much fright into opposing defenses, especially their 101st ranked passing attack, but their rushing attack, led by highly touted freshman Leonard Fournette, has found its groove, averaging over 225 yards per game.
Alabama definitely has the capability to travel to LSU and halt all of the momentum the Tigers have accrued. The last time the Crimson Tide traveled to Baton Rouge, A.J. McCarron led Bama to a thrilling last-minute victory.
After their lone hiccup of the season at Ole Miss, Alabama has regained their championship form, having sent Texas A&M back to the stone ages in a 59-0 rout Oct. 18.
A victory in Death Valley for the Tide would certainly put them among the Top Four in the new College Football Playoff rankings, while a victory for LSU would give the Tigers an outside shot at the SEC West title and a spot in the Playoff if they can win out. This is not an impossible scenario considering Alabama will be the last ranked team they face for the rest of the season.
No. 9 Kansas State at No. 6 TCU
A couple monster Big 12 matchups are coming up this weekend. TCU returns home after an emotional and gritty last-second victory in Morgantown over West Virginia. Their reward is facing the current Big 12 conference leader Kansas State.
Defensive guru Gary Patterson has renovated his approach this season by winning with an explosive offense rather than his usual defense-first formula. Their quarterback, Trevone Boykin, has emerged as a Heisman candidate with his explosive dual-threat play. He is joined in the backfield by running back B.J. Catalon, who has also shown flashes of brilliance, especially last week against West Virginia.
Their high-powered offense meets a stout Kansas State defense that has shown they are not afraid to travel into hostile environments, highlighted by their previous one-point victory at Oklahoma, one of the toughest places to play in the whole nation. Bill Snyder has constructed the 12th-best scoring defense in the nation, and so far is the only team to have held Auburn to less than 30 points.
No. 10 Baylor at No. 16 Oklahoma
Elsewhere in the Big 12, the Sooners will be looking to avenge their embarrassing loss from last season against Baylor in Norman, Oklahoma. Last year, a highly anticipated clash between the Sooners and the Bears turned into a complete dud as Baylor routed Oklahoma 41-12 in Waco, Texas. This year, with the matchup returning to Norman, the Sooners will have the bitter taste of that loss still in their mouths as they look to crush Baylor’s Big 12 title hopes.
It will not be easy however, as Baylor returns a lot of players from that squad, including fantastic quarterback Bryce Petty, who has continued to light the nation on fire with his passing and running.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, starts quarterback Trevor Knight, who has been wildly inconsistent. If the Sooners have any chance to win this game and climb back into the Big 12 title race, Knight needs to have one of the best games of his season.
This Saturday will reveal a lot about the future of the Big 12 race as both games have a huge impact on it. A TCU victory gives them the best chance at the title as they only have to face Big 12 bottom feeders the rest of the way. Kansas State still would have to travel to West Virginia and Baylor, so a victory here is essential to take the pressure off of them the rest of the way. Baylor also controls its own destiny—if they win out, they will win the Big 12.
No. 13 Ohio State at No. 7 Michigan State
This is essentially the de facto Big Ten East division championship game. The winner of this game will have an outside shot of being the lone Big Ten representative in the College Football Playoff if certain scenarios break the conference’s way.
Neither of these teams face any other teams worth mentioning from here on out, and both will be favored in the Big Ten championship game against their opponent from the West. Both teams have essentially been on cruise control since entering conference play, with each team only having one game each that has caused them any concern during their respective Big Ten slates.
In last year’s Big Ten championship game, Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook spoiled the Buckeye’s shot at a BCS title game experience by ending their 24-game winning streak. This season, Ohio State will look to eliminate the Spartans from playoff and Big Ten title contention, while giving themselves a boost in the eyes of the nation.
After a slow start, Buckeye quarterback J.T. Barrett has found his rhythm by putting up prolific numbers since conference play started. Michigan State will be favored as they get to play on their home field, but the revenge-minded Buckeyes should be ready to play in what should be the best Big Ten matchup of the season.
