There's nothing better than college football in November and December. It's cold. True football playing weather. It's also the time where the very moldable rankings seem to start cementing a bit more. There is still quite a bit that could happen between now and when the bowl games are announced but for the most part some teams just simply start creating huge seperation. Some teams even seem to be unstoppable. Similar to how Alabama played last year and hence why they were able to win a National Championship. The season isn't over just yet but this year's Alabama seems to be quite possibly the Oregon Ducks. Their offense just keeps going, and going, and going like the Energizer Bunny no matter who is in there.
Last week featured a bundle of intriguing matchups. This week there aren't as many but the few that will be featured after the jump most certainly will draw some national attention.
#3 TCU vs. #5 Utah
Both teams will enter this battle with undefeated records. One team will walk away from this game with a big goose egg trailing their win total once again this week. TCU's defense has been allowing less than 9 total points a game as a unit while Utah is ranked third in the nation in total points scored per game with 45.3. However, the Utes defense is not as talented as the Horned Frogs. The ground game for TCU will need to be slowed while they are ranked 9th in the nation if the Utes want a fighting chance at any kind of upset. I just believe that TCU will be too much for the Utes this week. Slight edge goes to the Frogs in this one.
#6 Alabama vs. #10 LSU
Alabama was ranked #1 in the nation for a majority of the first part of the season... and rightfully so. Even thought they were upset, Nick Saban still has that team believing that they have a shot at a national title. And frankly, they quite possibly may. The two-headed monster of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson may be too much for the Tiger defense to handle. There are several pro prospects playing in this game. LSU will feature one of, if not the best, cornerback in the nation in Patrick Peterson. Even thought the Crimson Tide has the edge in this one, it wouldn't shock me to see an upset. If the Tigers bring their A-game and Alabama has the same luck that they did in their loss to South Carolina it very well could happen. The LSU running game is not far behind Alabama's.
#15 Arizona vs. #13 Stanford
The Cardinal are coming a very one-sided whopping of the Washington Huskies. It was all skill and not just "Luck" in a dominating 41-0 victory. This week Andrew Luck and company will have a tougher defense. Coach Mike Stoops is a defensive mided coach and will do everything in his power to shut down the high-octaned Cardinal offense. Look for this to not be as much of a walk in the park for Stanford. The Wildcats match up quite well and have a legitimate shot at coming out of this week with another win. Arizona could see Nick Foles back this week. If that happens, it could be another intriguing matchup at the quarterback position. Nic Grisby and Keola Antolin for the Wildcats should be Arizona's highlight on offense. Juron Criner should see quite a few targets through the air as well. Stoops has really put a nice program down in Tucson, AZ but I think Stanford and Luck will just be too much for them to overcome this week. Edge Stanford.
TODAY'S SCHEDULE:
