The Weekend That Will Be: Week 12

Noon

No. 10 Florida State at Maryland (ESPNU)- The Seminoles can wrap up their side of the ACC this week (Most ACC fans can't tell you which team is in the Atlantic or Coastal division) with a win over the quarterback-depleted Turtles. Maryland has four quarterbacks out for the season and are down to starting a linebacker. If you have not heard that, stick your head out of your shell every once in a while. You see what I did there? Been waiting for two weeks to do that. No one outside of Tallahassee and Clemson care about this game. Noles win.

No. 22 Rutgers at Cincinnati (Big East Network)- When we look back over this season, as soon as it is officially over (Only 15 more days!), we will know at least Rutgers is a decent squad. They should win this game, but cannot get caught looking forward to their final game of the season. The de facto Big East Championship, a home game with Charlie Strong.

Arkansas at Mississippi State (12:21 p.m., SEC Network)-Why watch really? You know what happens. Even against State it happens in a year like this. Tyler and Cobi move the ball a little bit. Make you think just maybe the Hogs can get a win. Then the defense implodes and the offense soon follows.

Mid-day

No. 18 USC at No. 17 UCLA (3:05 p.m., FOX)- The Battle for LA takes on a new chapter. While the Trojans have held the top spot for years, it appears as if the Bruins, led by Jim Mora are trying to make their own case for why they are the school recruits should choose. In what has been a disappointing year from losing three games to getting caught deflating balls for USC. They get back on their horse (think about it) and beat the Bruins.

No. 23 Texas Tech at No. 24 Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m., FSN)- One coach lost his opportunity last week at the Arkansas job (Tommy Tuberville). The other's, Mike Gundy, hopes are still alive. Because he, along with T. Boone Pickens money. has built this program back to relevancy and has a freshman quarterback it may be hard for him to leave. However, this week he and his No. 1 passing offense must worry about the Red Raiders quarterback Seth Doege so they can just outscore them. The Cowboys do so at home in their shrine to Pickens.

Wake Forest at No. 3 Notre Dame (3:30 p.m., NBC)- The Irish do not play well against teams they should beat handily at home. They get their chance to buck that trend against the Demon Deacons this week. Of the five games they have played at home Notre Dame has won two in overtime and the other three by a combined 13 points. They win another close one this week and still are unable to impress the voters enough to move up in the polls.

Night

No. 12 Oklahoma at West Virginia (7 p.m., FOX)- How quickly have the Mountaineers fallen? At one point this season they were a sure-fire pick for the national championship with a runaway Heisman quarterback. After a few weeks in the Big 12 West Virginia is realizing this is not the Big East anymore, 2-4 conference record and fighting for bowl eligibility. Oklahoma has won five of their last six and quarterback Landry Jones has 682 yards and six touchdowns in his last two games. Oklahoma wins and forces the Mountaineers to win next week against Kansas to become bowl eligible.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt (7 p.m., ESPN2)- Again we ask the question is Dooley done? After a four overtime loss to Missouri, it would appear so. Now he must do the one thing Tennessee does "Beats the $%!+ out of Vandy." On the opposite sideline, James Franklin has the Commodores in back-to-back bowl games for the first time in school history. I want to go with Tennessee because its Vanderbilt, but it is Dooley's Tennessee. Dooley will drop like the noun in Vanderbilt's battle cry does in water, "Anchor down!"

No. 1 Kansas State at Baylor (8 p.m., ESPN)- Be wary of celebrating your rise to no. 1 too quickly. This sounds all too familiar. Who, you ask. "Mizzou, That's Who." Remember Missouri's rise to AP no.1 in 2007 before Oklahoma put them in their place in the Big 12 Championship Game? Heisman-esque quarterback, high-powered offense, Big 12, first cover on Sports Illustrated. Arkansas fans will remember that only a game later the same Missouri team handled the Hogs in the Cotton Bowl, a 38-7 blowout. Of course the highlights of that year were D-Mac telling us "We got that Wood" (in the greatest postgame interview... EVER) and Houston Nutt being fired days later. All that to say, Wildcats win.

No. 13 Stanford at No. 2 Oregon (8 p.m., ABC)- Chris Fowler spitting knowledge out on Twitter last night said that Stanford is not covered the spread in their last 10 meetings (0-8-2). Andrew Luck, with all that he did, was never able to beat the Ducks. However, every time you watch Oregon, a defensive player goes down with a season-ending injury, which is bound to catch up with them at some point. Not this week though.

Late Night

California at No. 16 Oregon State (10:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network)- Oregon struggled in the first half before blowing out the Bears. If you do not have the Pac-12 Network, it is not worth investing in for this game. The only reason it makes the list is that the other two games are Arizona-Utah and Brigham Young-San Jose State.

Other picks

Upset special-Samford at Kentucky (7:30 p.m., CSS)- Can you call Kentucky losing an upset? Not this season. All the more reason for the Bulldogs to get the win this week. It would help my alma mater move to 8-3 on the season and give them a shot at the playoffs -- what a novel idea.Let's be serious. It cannot hurt the Wildcats' program any more than Joker has already.

Best game without ranked teams- Ohio State at Wisconsin (3:30 p.m., ABC)- I hope the Buckeye fans enjoyed their trip to the Gator Bowl last season. If they had taken a self-imposed bowl ban last year instead of putting it off until this year, there is a good chance we are talking about them in the national championship game. Thanks Lou Fickle. Sincerely, All SEC fans. The Buckeyes win on the road to keep their perfect season intact.

Atmosphere where I would most like to be- Eugene. This atmosphere should be rocking at one of the loudest stadiums in the nation. I am a huge fan of what Chip Kelly has done and is doing. He is good for college football and I hope he does not take the money and bolt for the pros. They made wacky uniforms the thing to do (I would commit with those helmets in the picture above.), and have three Heisman-caliber players on offense.

Season record: 78-22