Week 14 Top 25

Rank	BCS	AP	Jeremy	Nick
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25	Alabama (11-0) Florida State (11-0) Ohio State (11-0) Auburn (10-1) Missouri (10-1) Clemson (10-1) Oklahoma State (10-1) Stanford (9-2) Baylor (9-1) South Carolina (9-2) Michigan State (10-1) Arizona State (9-2) Oregon (9-2) Northern Illinois (11-0) Wisconsin (9-2) Fresno State (10-0) LSU (8-3) Oklahoma (9-2) UCF (9-1) Louisville (10-1) Texas A&M (8-3) UCLA (8-3) USC (9-3) Duke (9-2) Notre Dame (8-3)	Alabama Florida State Ohio State Auburn Missouri Clemson Oklahoma State Stanford Baylor South Carolina Michigan State Oregon Arizona State Wisconsin LSU Fresno State UCF Northern Illinois Texas A&M Oklahoma Louisville UCLA USC Duke Notre Dame	Florida State (1) Alabama (2) Ohio State (4) Missouri (6) Auburn (7) Oklahoma State (10) Clemson (8) Michigan State (9) Baylor (3) South Carolina (11) Stanford (12) Arizona State (15) Wisconsin (16) Oregon (5) LSU (21) Texas A&M (13) UCF (17) UCLA (14) NIU (18) Fresno State (20) Louisville (19)  USC (25) Oklahoma (22) Duke (24) East Carolina (NR)	Florida State (2) Alabama (1) Ohio State (4) Missouri (8) Auburn (6) Oklahoma State (9) Clemson (7) Baylor (3) South Carolina (10) Michigan State (12) Stanford (14) Wisconsin (16) Fresno State (15) Northern Illinois (19) Oregon (5) UCF (17) Louisville (18) Arizona State (NR) Texas A&M (11) Oklahoma (20) Duke (21) LSU (23) USC (24) Notre Dame (NR) Cincinnati (NR)

Jeremy’s Top 25

1-Florida State (1)

2- Alabama (2)

3- Ohio State (4)

4- Missouri (6)

5- Auburn (7)

As the regular season comes to a close, madness tends to ensue in the rankings.  In my rankings Florida State and Alabama are firmly entrenched at No’s 1 and 2, respectively.  Unless they lose, I don’t see that changing.  Ohio State assumes the No. 3 spot with Baylor’s loss.  Missouri and Auburn move up into the top 5 at No. 4 and No. 5.

6- Oklahoma State (10)

7- Clemson (8)

8- Michigan State (9)

9- Baylor (3)

10- South Carolina (11)

Oklahoma State is coming off a very impressive win over Baylor and check in at No. 6 and given the way they’re playing, might be the best one loss in the country.  Clemson continues to hover around at No. 7 but could move up with a win over South Carolina this week.  Michigan State jumps a spot to No. 8 from No. 9 last week.  They might be able to shake up the BCS picture more than anyone with a win over Ohio State in the B1G Championship.  I’ve got South Carolina at No. 10 but they’ve got a major test against Clemson on Saturday.

11- Stanford (12)

12- Arizona State (15)

13- Wisconsin (16)

14- Oregon (5)

15- LSU (21)

LSU gets the biggest jump of the week after a very convincing win over Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies.  The young Tiger defense had been up and down all season but turned in their best performance of the season on Saturday.  At No. 11, Stanford dropped one slot but more because of who’s moving around them.  ASU got a big win over South rival UCLA and moves up to No. 12.  Wisconsin checks in at No. 13 and Oregon drops all the way from No. 5 to No. 14 after a turning belly up on the road at Arizona.

16- Texas A&M (13)

17- UCF (17)

18- UCLA (14)

19- NIU (18)

20- Fresno State (20)

After a bad loss on the road at LSU, Texas A&M drops to No. 16.  The Aggies have another tough game this weekend against Missouri.  UCF, NIU and Fresno all stand pat for the most part.  UCLA, like A&M, drops out of the top 15 after their loss at home to Arizona State.

21- Louisville (19) 

22- USC (25)

23- Oklahoma (22)

24- Duke (24)

25- East Carolina (NR)

Louisville drops a few spots but mostly to make room for teams I feel are playing better football.  USC moves up to No. 22 this week and has a big rivalry game with UCLA coming up.  Whatever the future holds for the Trojans, you have to tip your hat to a great finish.  Oklahoma got a win but drop, like Louisville to make room for teams ahead of them.  Duke remains at No. 24 but they continue to roll and with a win over UNC, the Blue Devils will be making a trip to Charlotte to play FSU in the ACC Championship.  ECU checks into my ranking for the first time this season.  The Pirates have some solid wins over BCS opponents this year.

Out-

Minnesota

Conference Breakdown

SEC (6)- Alabama, Missouri, Auburn, South Carolina, LSU, Texas A&M

Pac-12 (5)- Stanford, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC

ACC (3)- Florida State, Clemson, Duke

B1G (3)- Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin

Big 12 (3)- Oklahoma State, Baylor, Oklahoma

AAC (2)- UCF, Louisville

MAC (1)- NIU

MW (1)- Fresno State

C-USA (1)- East Carolina 

Week 13 Recap

#1 Alabama 49, Chattanooga 0

In a very, clean Alabamaesque win, the Tide cruised past Chattanooga in their tune up for Auburn. 
Jeremy’s pick- Alabama, 41-3

 

#2 Florida State 80, Idaho 14
Say what you want about the opponents, to the Seminoles it really doesn’t matter if it’s the #3 team in the nation or the #124^th team in the nation, the ‘Noles are on fire.
Jeremy’s pick- Florida State, 56-3

 

#3 Ohio State 42, Indiana 14
Ohio State takes another step closer to going undefeated two years in a row… and still not getting any respect.
Jeremy’s pick- Ohio State, 56-34

 

#4 Baylor 17, #10 Oklahoma State 49
The timing could not have been worse for the Bears.  Oklahoma State has been firing on all cylinders the past few weeks and the Bears took a banged up squad into Stillwater and got pummeled. 
Jeremy’s pick- Oklahoma State, 41-38

 

#5 Oregon 16, Arizona 42
What is the point if you’re not going to the BCS Championship game?  I guess the Ducks are really not interested anymore and given the way they played against Arizona it was pretty obvious.
Jeremy’s pick- Oregon, 47-43

 

#6 Auburn, IDLE
Next game, vs. Alabama

 

#7 Clemson 52, Citadel 6

Clemson blows past the Citadel hoping to capture an at large BCS bid.  A good tune up for South Carolina.
Jeremy’s pick- Clemson, 56-17

 

#8 Missouri 24, #24 Mississippi 10
Missouri just keeps answering the bell.  Week after week the Tigers prove doubters wrong and take one step closer to a shot at Alabama and an unthinkable SEC title.  This was a solid win against a surging Rebel team.
Jeremy’s pick- Missouri, 37-31

 

#9 Stanford 63, Cal 13
No one builds up your confidence more than the Bears.  “Thank you, Cal!” Singed, the Pac 12.
Jeremy’s pick- Stanford, 41-3

 

#11 South Carolina 70, Coastal Carolina 10
Coastal Carolina had more important things to worry about than trying to prove something to SC.  The Chanticleers sat most of their starters knowing that the FCS playoffs are around the corner.  The take away?  It’s time to stop scheduling these matchups, period.  It’s a waste of a week for both teams.
Jeremy’s pick- South Carolina, 45-13

 

#12 Texas A&M 10, #22 LSU 34
John Chavis and the LSU defense have the recipe for stopping Manziel.  The Tigers handed Johnny Football the worst loss of his career and his worst game as a college football player. 
Jeremy’s pick- A&M, 52-45

 

#13 Michigan State 30, Northwestern 6
Another rough game for the Wildcats who are counting down the seconds until this season ends. 
Jeremy’s pick- Michigan State, 37-13

 

#14 UCLA 33, #17 Arizona State 38
This was probably the best game of the weekend.  ASU built up a comfortable 35-13 lead going into halftime, but the Bruins didn’t go away, outscoring the Sun Devils 20-3 in the second half.  The comeback fell just short as ASU locked up the Pac-12 South.
Jeremy’s pick- UCLA, 42-38

 

#15 Fresno State 69, New Mexico 28
Anyone watch this game?  Does anyone really care?
Jeremy’s pick- Fresno, 38-28

 

#16 Northern Illinois 35, Toledo 17
See Fresno vs. New Mexico.

 

#18 UCF 41, Rutgers 17
UCF bounced back from a rough outing last week and pounded a Rutgers squad that has now lost four of their last five games.  With the win, UCF all but locks up the AAC and their BCS Bowl bid.

 

#19 Wisconsin 20, #25 Minnesota 7
Wisconsin is one of the most underrated teams in college football.  The Badgers held the Gophers to 185 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers. 
Jeremy’s pick- Wisconsin, 37-21

 

#20 Oklahoma 41, Kansas State 31
Just when you think Bob Stoops and the Sooners are down and out they go into a streaking Kansas State and pull out an impressive win.  The W moves Stoops past Barry Switzer as OU all-time in wins.
Jeremy’s pick- Kansas State, 24-21

 

#21 Louisville 24, Memphis 17
More of the same from Louisville- after the UCF loss no one cares. 
Jeremy’s pick- Louisville, 37-24

 

#23 USC 47, Colorado 29
USC keeps rolling as they travel to an improved Colorado and get a win.
Jeremy’s pick- USC, 37-17

 

Winners, Losers and Closing Thoughts

Winners

ASU
After a questionable “win” over Wisconsin and losses to Stanford and Notre Dame, I think the nation has been expecting ASU to pull its typical ASU and lose when the chips are on the line.  A trip to UCLA seemed like the prime opportunity for the Sun Devils to mail one in but they played well, took down a very good UCLA team and earned a Pac-12 South title and a shot at a rematch with Stanford.

Stanford

A week ago the Cardinal were on the outside looking in a the Rose Bowl but after whipping up on rival, Cal and Oregon deciding that Rose Bowls are just not worth it, Stanford is back in the Pac-12 title game and based on what they did to ASU in the regular season, should be a favorite to play in the 100^th Rose Bowl Game.

Running backs Ka’Deem Carey and Andre Williams

The two backs had huge weeks to go along with huge seasons.  Both players have carried the load and their teams this season and with the losses of Oregon and Texas A&M and their Heisman candidate quarterbacks, Carey and Williams might finally get a little Heisman pub.  After the Stanford loss, I think Mariota was essentially eliminated but after getting crushed by Carey and the Wildcats last week you can probably cross Mariota off the list completely.

Manziel might be a little tougher to shake as he’s really only had one bad game in two years.  But, the third loss of the season for the Aggies, coupled with his worst game as a college quarterback and Manziel has definitely lost some ground.

It’s doubtful that either running back will get even an invite to New York but another big week for Carey or Williams could force voters to put them on their ballots.

Losers

Oregon
Perhaps now we can stop listening to the incessant belly-aching by Ducks fans about the lack of respect they get on the national level.  Championship teams show up week in and week out, regardless of circumstances.  Before the weekend, the Ducks still had a lot to play for, a Pac-12 North title, a Rose Bowl birth and with a little college football madness, perhaps an outside shot at a BCS Championship.  But apparently, Rose Bowls have become a little too common place the too-big-for-their-britches Ducks and if it’s not for a national title, who cares.  Well, good luck with that whole respect thing.

Louisville

It was pretty clear before the season started that the Cardinals would have to go undefeated and do it in style get any respect from college football fans and media and after the loss to UCF a few weeks ago, Louisville has completely fallen off the radar.  I get the team slipping, but how about quarterback Teddy Bridgewater?  This might be the best quarterback in college football and will surely be one of the top picks in the 2014 draft and they guy isn’t a finalist for a single post season award.  Wow.

 

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to leave a comment and tell us what you think and as always, follow us on twitter @307CollegeFB

Week 13 Top 25 Matchups

#1 Alabama vs. Chattanooga, 2pm ET, ESPN3
Get the starters a couple of good series, keep them healthy and get ‘em out.  Auburn is up next.
Jeremy’s pick- Alabama, 41-3

 

#2 Florida State vs. Idaho, 3:30pm ET, ESPNU
Gearing up for Florida.  The starters might not make it to the second quarter.
Jeremy’s pick- Florida State, 56-3

 

#3 Ohio State vs. Indiana, 3:30pm ET, ABC
Indiana can score some points but the way the Buckeye front seven has played lately, don’t expect much.  Plus, Ohio State needs to win big the next few weeks to any hopes of jumping FSU to get to Pasadena.
Jeremy’s pick- Ohio State, 56-34

 

#4 Baylor @ #10 Oklahoma State, 8pm ET, ABC
Baylor passed their first test a few weeks ago when they drilled OU.  Oklahoma State has been playing their best football of the season and if anyone has a shot at knocking off Baylor, it’s the Cowboys.  Playing in Stillwater, it’s hard not to go Ok State, especially with injuries mounting up for the Bear.
Jeremy’s pick- Oklahoma State, 41-38

 

#5 Oregon @ Arizona, 3:30pm ET, ABC
Arizona, at home, could give Oregon a game.  Oregon is playing for a Rose Bowl but recent comments from Josh Huff and D’Anthony Thomas paint the picture of a disillusioned Ducks squad.  Will they have the motivation to storm the desert?
Jeremy’s pick- Oregon, 47-43

 

#6 Auburn, IDLE
Next game, vs. Alabama

 

#7 Clemson vs. The Citadel, 12pm ET, ESPN3
Clemson is hoping for a BCS Bowl berth and won’t waste any time with The Citadel.  Tune up for South Carolina.
Jeremy’s pick- Clemson, 56-17

 

#8 Missouri @ #24 Mississippi, 7:45pm ET, ESPN
Missouri has been the story of the SEC this season and you could argue that, outside of a quarter and a half, they’ve outplayed everyone in the conference.  Their final three weeks will be telling, however, and it starts with a trip to Ole Miss.  Bo Wallace and the young Rebels are getting healthy and playing good football but Missouri looks like a team on a mission.  This one will be close but I think I’ll give the nod to Mizzou.
Jeremy’s pick- Missouri, 37-31

 

#9 Stanford vs. Cal, 4pm ET, FOXS1
Strange things happen in rivalry games.   Not this year though.  Stanford is coming off a bad loss to USC and what better way to get over it than destroy your long time rival.  Stanford big.
Jeremy’s pick- Stanford, 41-3

 

#11 South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina, 1pm ET, ESPN3
Coastal Carolina’s not a bad football team but I think SC has SEC Championship fever.  They need a Mizzou loss but the Gamecocks will take care of their own business and it starts with Coastal.  SC big.
Jeremy’s pick- South Carolina, 45-13

 

#12 Texas A&M @ #22 LSU, 3:30pm ET, CBS
There are no SEC Championship implications but still plenty of storylines.  Manziel is unstoppable and unflappable and won’t blink going into Death Valley.  LSU is young on defense and will need to be disciplined to keep JFF in check.  We might see 100 points in this game and despite being the road team, how can I not go with Manziel and the Aggies?
Jeremy’s pick- A&M, 52-45

 

#13 Michigan State @ Northwestern, 12pm ET, ESPN
Northwestern’s nightmare won’t go away this week.  Sparty in play for B1G Title and a Rose Bowl bid. 
Jeremy’s pick- Michigan State, 37-13

 

#14 UCLA vs. #17 Arizona State, 7pm ET, FOX
This is for all the marbles and a Pac-12 South title.  Both teams have played championship caliber football at times this season and both have looked weak and overmatched at times.  UCLA linebacker/running back, Miles Jack has given the Bruins offense a nasty, smash mouth attitude and this freshman could be the key to victory.  UCLA seems athletic and physical enough on the defensive side to keep Taylor Kelly and the ASU offense in check.  In the desert I think I’d take the Sun Devils but I’ll go with the home team in what should be high-scoring, edge of your seat contest.
Jeremy’s pick- UCLA, 42-38

 

#15 Fresno State vs. New Mexico, 4pm ET, ESPNN
New Mexico might give Fresno a game for a half or so but the Bulldogs will take care of business.
Jeremy’s pick- Fresno, 38-28

 

#16 Northern Illinois 35, Toledo 17

 

#18 UCF 41, Rutgers 17

 

#19 Wisconsin @ #25 Minnesota, 3:30pm ET, ESPN
Another great top 25 matchup.  Minnesota has captured the eyes of the nation with the health battle of Coach Jerry Kill and resiliency of the Gopher players.  Minnesota is 8-2 and playing really good football.  That said, they’re catching one of the hottest teams in the nation in Wisconsin and their smash-you-in-the-face ground game.  Minnesota will play well and keep it close for awhile, but I think the Badgers are just too good for the Gophers.
Jeremy’s pick- Wisconsin, 37-21

 

#20 Oklahoma @ Kansas State, 12pm ET, FOXS1
Trevor Knight will get a crack at playing quarterback this week as Bob Stoops seems to be throwing in a hail-mary.  The Sooner offense has been atrocious, pretty much all season and they’ll need Knight to make some plays.  K-State has won four in a row and I think they keep rolling against an OU team that has offensive threat.
Jeremy’s pick- Kansas State, 24-21

 

#21 Louisville vs. Memphis, 12pm ET, ESPN3
Louisville has been pretty unimpressive the past few weeks but I don’t see a slip up against Memphis. 
Jeremy’s pick- Louisville, 37-24

 

#23 USC @ Colorado, 9:30pm ET, Pac12
CU has flown under the radar this season because, well, they’re CU but the Buffs have played pretty well this year considering where they’ve been the past few year.  That said, this Trojan team is on a tear and will have no problems going into Boulder and taking apart the Buffalos. 
Jeremy’s pick- USC, 37-17

 

Thanks for reading!  As always follow us on twitter @307Collegefb

In depth previews

No. 7 Auburn vs. No. 25 Georgia, 3:30 ET, CBS

Instant Analysis: A couple weeks ago after Georgia had lost nearly its entire roster to injury this game did not look near as compelling, but now the Dawgs have RB Todd Gurley back this one could get interesting. Auburn has been surprisingly solid this season and is looking to crash the BCS party. This game could go a long way to helping the Tigers get there and give them a ton of confidence before an Iron Bowl that could have national title significance once again. That being said the Tigers need to find a way to get past a constantly improving Bulldog roster.

Keys to victory:

Auburn: Auburn is going to need to lean on its third-ranked rushing attack in this game. The Tigers are averaging 320 yards on the ground this season and if they can even get close to that it will go along way in this game. Tiger quarterback Nick Marshall and running back Tre Mason are both having great seasons, with Marshall rushing for more than 750 yards and Mason just surpassing 1,000 yards. These two are going to need to have a great game against Georgia’s defense. If the Tigers can rush for their season average and get a couple big plays through the air they could continue the great season. Auburn’s defense is going to need to force the Georgia offense into quick three-and-outs. It needs to keep Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley off the field as much as possible. The Tigers also need to keep Gurley from his explosive plays and keep him behind the line.

Georgia: The Dawg rushing defense is ranked No. 20 in the country allowing 126 yards per game and they are going to need to lean on it big time in this game. If the Georgia defense can keep Auburn’s rushing attack slowed and off the field as much as possible it will hold the Tigers well below their season average of 320 yards. Offensively, Georgia needs Gurley to have a huge game showing that he is back from that high ankle sprain and ready to carry it again. Murray has been nothing short of stellar this season leading the Dawgs through an injury-plagued year. He is going to need to hit what big play threats he has left down the field for some quick scores to put Auburn behind and force them to throw the ball early.

Prediction: The Georgia rush defense is going to step up in this game and show why it is ranked No. 20 in the country in one of the best rushing leagues, the SEC, in the nation. Murray and Gurley will each have big games with Gurley rushing for more than 100 yards and two scores with a couple big plays mixed in. The Dawgs will get another statement win to show that their three losses are because of an injury-depleted roster. This will be a high-scoring game, but I think the weapons for Georgia will make the big plays when it counts.

Fun Facts: Georgia has won the last two meetings of this game by a combined score of 83-7. This will be the deciding game in this series as it is tied 54-54-8. This will be the fourth top 10 opponent Georgia has played this season.

No. 16 Michigan State @ Nebraska, 3:30 ET, ABC/ESPN2

Instant Analysis: The Spartans are having a great season so far and are on track to make the B1G Championship game with just one major hurdle left, a trip to Lincoln. The Huskers have done nothing short of survive this season in Lincoln and should be happy that still this is one of the toughest places in the country to play.

Keys to victory:

Nebraska: Use that home field advantage as much as possible to get Michigan State’s sometimes-shaky offense off balance. The Huskers are going to need to pressure Connor Cook and for him into mistakes, which has been hard this season as he as only throw three picks. They are also going to need to slow running back Jeremy Langford who has scored 10 touchdowns this season. The Blackshirt (using the term loosely) is going to need to be very opportunistic and capitalize on the smallest Michigan State mistake. The Huskers on offense are going to stuggle to move the ball so what they need to do is a steady dose of Ameer Abdullah who has been a beast this season with more than 1,200 yards and seven scores. The Huskers need their patchwork offensive line to come together.

Michigan State: Do what you have done all season play monster defense and dominate at the point of attack. Nebraska has struggled to run the ball in the last few weeks and its passing game is nonexistent (except on the final play of the game apparently). Michigan State needs to stop Ameer Abdullah or at least not let him beat them on the ground. If it can force either Taylor Martinez or Tommy Armstrong Jr., into throwing all game the Huskers will not get passed the 50. Offensively, just give the Husker defense, which is playing better as of late, a steady diet of Langford who has 10 scores already. Run Langford to open up the big play with Connor Cook tossing the ball down the field.

Prediction: I don’t see this game very close at all as long as Michigan State scores more than 21 points the Huskers don’t have a chance. The Spartans are the No. 1 ranked defense for a reason and beyond Abdullah the Huskers don’t have the fire power to win this one. I think Sparty wins this going away and holding Neb to under 250 yards of total offense.

Fun Facts: Michigan State has never beat Nebraska as the Huskers lead the all-time series 7-0. Since 1970 Nebraska has a nation-leading 429 victories. Michigan State is 5-0 in the B1G for the first time under head coach Mark Dantonio and the third time in school history. This is the 15^th time in school history Michigan State has started the season winning eight of its first nine games.

Week 12 Top 25 Picks and Breakdown

#1 Alabama @ Mississippi State, 7:45pm ET, ESPN

Don’t expect a hangover for the Crimson Tide.  Alabama has owned the Bulldogs winning the last five meetings by an average of 24 points a game.

Jeremy’s pick- Alabama, 45-14

Nick’s pick-Bama, 38-14

#2 Florida State vs. Syracuse, 3:30pm ET, ABC

Does the Jamies Winston saga effect how the ‘Noles play in this one? No way Florida State and Winston will run over the Orange. Winston will probably only play the first half of this one with FSU up 35 at the break. Noles will roll in this game.

Nick’s pick-FSU, 52-17

Jeremy’s pick- Florida State, 42-14

#3 Ohio State @ Illinois, 12pm ET, ESPN

A road test for the Buckeyes… if you want to call it that.  Illinois has played Ohio State tough at home with their last six meeting being decided by an average of eight points a game.  Still, the Buckeyes will win big.

Jeremy’s pick- Ohio State, 41-17

Nick’s pick-Ohio State, 56=10

#4 Stanford @ USC, 8pm ET, ABC

Sneaky good game here. USC has improved or is just playing inspired after Lane Kiffin was fired and is looking for a major upset of a Stanford team that is coming off the dismantling of Oregon last Thursday. USC has some playmakers, but I don’t think it will be able to move the ball well enough on the tough Stanford defense. Expect this to be close but Stanford pulls it out.

Jeremy’s pick- Stanford, 23-17

Nick’s pick-Stanford, 28-17

#5 Baylor vs. Texas Tech, 7pm ET, FOX

The bottom has dropped out for Texas Tech and I’m not sure Baylor is the team to regain your mojo.  The Bears have their sights set on a Big 12 title and if they continue to take care of business, potentially, a shot at a BCS Championship.

Jeremy’s pick- Baylor, 47-34

Nick’s pick-Baylor, 48-28

#6 Oregon vs. Utah, 4pm ET, Fox Sports 1

The Ducks need a game to recover after that tough loss to Stanford last week and a game against Utah should do the trick. The Utes have played better as of late, but they cannot win a game on the road especially with Oregon looking to prove that it is still among the nations elite. The Ducks will run all over the Utes and win this going away.

Nick’s pick-Oregon, 48-17

Jeremy’s pick- Oregon, 51-24

#7 Auburn vs. #25 Georgia, 3:30pm ET, CBS

See full breakdown in the In depth Preview.

Jeremy’s pick- Georgia, 45-41

Nick’s pick-Georgia, 45-40

#8 Clemson 55, Georgia Tech 31

Clemson has rebounded well after its bad loss to Florida State at home and keeps on winning. The Tigers are still in line for a BCS berth and are showing that they still mean business. For the record we both picked Clemson.

#9 Missouri, IDLE

Next game, Nov. 23 @ Ole Miss

# 10 South Carolina vs. Florida, 7pm ET, ESPN2

The Gamecocks are still hanging around in the SEC East waiting for Mizzou to slip up again, but as for this week they need to get past a Florida team that is in desperate need of a W. Problem for the Gators its in SC. Gamecocks win this one a little closer than expected, but send the Gators to their sixth loss of the season.

Nick’s pick-South Carolina, 34-20

Jeremy’s pick- South Carolina, 30-17

#11 Texas A&M, IDLE

Next game, Nov. 23 @ LSU

#12 Oklahoma State @ #24 Texas, 3:30pm ET, FOX

Huge game in the Big 12 here, the Longhorns need the win to keep pace with Baylor and the Cowboys need a W to get back in the race. If Texas can run the ball like it has at times this season it could end up running away from the Cowboys. 
Nick's pick-Texas, 37-31
Jeremy's pick-Texas, 37-34

#13 UCLA vs. Washington, Friday, 9pm ET, ESPN2

I’m really intrigued by this game.  Washington was left for dead after three straight losses to Stanford, Oregon and ASU.  After confidence building wins over Cal and Colorado are the Huskies ready to tackle the remaining teams on their schedule?  UCLA had a similar fate against Oregon and Stanford but the Bruins are still fighting for a South title and a shot at Rose Bowl. 

Jeremy’s pick- UCLA, 37-31

Nick's pick-UCLA, 35-34

#14 Fresno State, IDLE

Next game, Nov. 23, vs. New Mexico

#15 Northern Illinois 48, Ball State 27

This game was a lot closer than the score would suggest tied at 27 going into the fourth but, Jordan Lynch and the Huskies ran away from Ball State down the stretch. This was NIU’s last big contest of the season so don’t expect it to just Fresno State unless the Bulldogs slipup along the way.

#16 Michigan State @ Nebraska, 3:30pm ET, ABC

See full breakdown in the in depth preview.

Jeremy’s pick- Michigan State, 24-13

Nick's pick-Michigan State, 38-14

#17 UCF @ Temple, 12pm ET, ESPN3

This is the first ever matchup between these two programs.  Temple is 1-8 while UCF is pushing for a BCS Bowl berth.  The Knights will rock the Owls.

Jeremy’s pick- UCF, 34-13

Nick’s pick-UCF, 48-10

#18 Oklahoma vs. Iowa State, 12pm ET, Fox Sports 1

The Sooners should have no problem shaking off last week’s loss to Baylor with an easy win over Iowa State in Norman.

Nick’s pick-Oklahoma, 42-20

Jeremy’s pick- Oklahoma, 34-17

#19 Arizona State vs. Oregon State, 9:30pm ET, Pac 12 Network

After a six game winning streak, Oregon State is coming off losses to Stanford and USC.  ASU survived a trip to Utah but just barely.  This looks like a trap game for the Sun Devils who travel to UCLA next weekend.  ASU is a game ahead of UCLA but they better not overlook a Beaver team looking to get back on track and ruin a season or two.

Jeremy’s pick- ASU, 41-37

Nick’s pick-Arizona State, 52-50

#20 Louisville vs. Houston, 7pm ET, ESPNU

This game could be a lot closer than it looked at the beginning of the season. Both of these teams have solid offenses so there could be some fireworks in this one. I think Teddy Bridgewater and co., should be able to pull this one out and home and keep their outside chance at an American Conference title open. Watch out for this one to be closer than expected though.

Nick’s pick-Louisville, 38-35

Jeremy’s pick- Louisville, 38-35

#21 LSU, IDLE

Next game, Nov. 23 vs. Texas A&M

#22 Wisconsin vs. Indiana, 12pm ET, ESPN2

I have said already this week that Wisconsin is the most underrated team in the country. Head coach Gary Anderson should be in the running for coach of the year with this squad. The Badgers can run the ball and play defense. Indiana can score points, but against lesser opponents. Wisconsin should have no trouble stopping the Hoosiers in this one.

Nick’s pick-Wisconsin, 41-21

Jeremy’s pick- Wisconsin, 37-24

#23 Miami @ Duke, 3:30pm ET, ESPNU

Miami is still reeling after two straight defeats and it doesn’t get any easier for them with a much-improved Duke team this weekend. The Blue Devils are looking for their first-ever ACC Title game appearance and need this win to get there. The ‘Canes are still without running back Duke Johnson and cannot win without him. Duke pulls a shocker at home in this one.

Jeremy’s pick- Duke, 31-27

Nick’s pick-Duke, 34-31

Best of the Rest

Wyoming @ Boise State, 10:15pm ET, ESPN2

The Cowboy defense has looked painful the last three weeks. Can it finally slow down a team enough to give Brett Smith a chance to win them the game? Boise State is not as good as it has been in the past, but should have no problem moving the ball on Boise State. If the Pokes can move the ball in this game it could make for an interesting one. Wyoming needs Smith to play better than he has the past few weeks and he is too much of a competitor not to. Here is another toss up game in my opinion so my fandom is picking this one. The Pokes have never beat the Broncos and on the disgusting Blue Turf it will be difficult, but I think they have chance.

Nick’s pick-Wyoming, 48-45

Jeremy’s pick- Boise State, 40-34

Michigan @ Northwestern, 3:30pm ET, BTN

Both team’s seasons have unraveled over the past few weeks, with Northwestern having lost five in a row, while Michigan has dropped three of four.  It’s surprising that these teams are battling to stay out of the cellar of the Legends Division.

Jeremy’s pick- Michigan, 37-34

Nick’s pick-Michigan, 31-30

TCU @ Kansas State, 3:30pm ET

TCU badly needs a win to save its season and Kansas State is looking to solidify a rebound season. Should be an entertaining game in the little apple.

Nick’s pick-Kansas State, 31-28

Jeremy’s pick- Kansas State, 24-23

Cal @ Colorado, 5:30pm ET, Pac12

Someone will get their first Pac 12 win of the season on Saturday.  So, they’ve got that going for them.  Both defenses are giving up 40+ points a game and each is scoring in the mid 20’s.  I guess the Buffs get the edge at home?

Jeremy’s pick- Colorado, 41-34

Nick’s pick-Colorado, 38-24

Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky, 12:21pm ET, Game Plan/ESPN3

Vandy has improved the past few games and is looking to get bowl eligible with a win over a struggling Kentucky team.

Nick’s pick-Vandy, 34-24

Jeremy’s pick- Vandy, 37-17

Virginia Tech vs. Maryland, 12:30pm ET, Game Plan/ESPN3

Virginia Tech needs this win to stay alive in the ACC Coastal and for Maryland what could have been after that 5-0 start.

Nick’s pick-Virginia Tech, 28-17

Jeremy’s pick- VaTech, 24-7

CSU @ New Mexico, 7pm ET

I know no one would care about this outside the Mountain West, but Colorado State is looking to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2008 and in Jim McElwain’s second season.

Nick’s pick-CSU, 28-21

Jeremy’s pick- New Mexico, 31-27