Sizing up the Top 25: College football – Week 14

A strange weekend in college football as several teams are playing conference championship games (SEC, B1G, ACC), while others toil in rivalries. Here’s a quick look at some of the bigger match-ups.
Georgia: (10-2, 7-1 SEC)
LSU: (12-0, 8-0 SEC)
LSU -10
Prediction: Usually the SEC championship plays a large role in the BCS national title game but this one, uh, not so much. With Alabama’s season finished, some believe, and rightfully so, that an LSU loss will still mean a rematch of the “Game of the Century” earlier this year. So fortunately, for Georgia, they might not be getting LSU’s A-game per se. That being said, the Tigers are a far superior team to this year’s Bulldogs and under normal circumstances would easily win this game by 14-17. With nothing on the line, expect a closer contest, 24-17.
#5 Virginia Tech vs. #20 Clemson
Virginia Tech: (11-1, 7-1 ACC)
Clemson: (9-3, 6-2 ACC)
Virginia Tech -4.5
Prediction: Perhaps the pansiest of all championship games as two, very fraudulent teams decide the ACC in Charlotte. Virginia Tech has played one of the easiest schedules in the country en route to this game and Clemson, well, they’ve broken my heart losing 3 out of the last 4 and backing into the game. I expect Tech to win this game, 31-21.
#15 Wisconsin vs. #13 Michigan State
Wisconsin: (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten)
MSU: (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten)
Wisconsin -7.5
Prediction: Speaking of frauds, I’ve had a good chuckle this week as analysts and ESPN talking heads fawn over Wisconsin. Want an ugly Bret Bielema stat? 16-13 away from home in his tenure. People seem to think Wisconsin is some juggernaut, but in actuality, they’re just a very good home team that plays a rather easy non-conference schedule. They’ve fooled voters the last few years into thinking they’re the creme of the crop. In the MSU game earlier this year, the Spartans dominated a majority of the game, at one point outscoring the Badgers 31-3. And that was without their best defensive player, William Gholston, who was sidelined for a suspension. So, close game, but I’ll go with the Spartans by a field goal, 34-31.
#10 Oklahoma @ #3 Oklahoma State
Oklahoma: (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)
Oklahoma State: (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)
Oklahoma State -3
Prediction: If not for a horrendous loss to Iowa State, this game would be for all the marbles. Instead, what we’re left with is a rather important but not crucial intrastate rivalry game. Oklahoma, which had been #1 for a time this year, had two very close losses to Texas Tech and Baylor. Teams, they normally dispose of when they’re going good. Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon might very well be the best player in college football, dare I say, he’s almost Calvin Johnson-like in his size and speed. Unfortunately, offense won’t be enough in this affair as the Sooners take it, 38-28.





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