This Weekend in College Football: Week 12

Bowl predictions are up at the usual place.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Ohio State @ Michigan (ABC): This will be on the big screen at my apartment as a cadre of Big Ten alums invade. That said, with Hart having a high ankle sprain and Henne hurt, I like the Buckeyes here.
  
• Northwestern @ Illinois (ESPN): Will Zook, well, Zook it up after pulling off the huge upset and having an outside show at a BCS bid? Probably not, Illini roll.
  
• Syracuse @ Connecticut (ESPN2): Goodness Syracuse is a terrible. The Orange are ranked 114th nationally in total offense and 110th in defense. Does not bode well for them.
  
• Tulsa @ Army (ESPN Classic): Tulsa's a pretty decent team and controls their destiny in C-USA west. Army is not a very good football team, especially on defense. Tulsa rolls.
  
• Maryland @ Florida State (Raycom/Gameplan): Part of one of the two ACC Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports Games of the Week. Maryland is coming off their upset of Boston College while FSU just got rolled by VPI. Xavier Lee may be back for the Seminoles, but I really fail to see how that actually helps them. FSU also needs the win here to get to the 7-win mark going into Gainesville next week, which would increase their chances of staying in this part of the country for a bowl game. Maryland sits at 4 wins but this game and next week's against NC State are both winnable. The line is FSU by 7.5, but to be honest I think that's a little generous, and in fact I'm going to pick the upset here.
  
• North Carolina @ Georgia Tech (Raycom/Gameplan): We need to play better than we did last week at Duke, that's for damn sure. Even though we won I'm still not excited about this offense and Choice's knee worries me greatly.
  

12:30:

• Missouri @ Kansas State (FSN): Mizzou knows it has an oppurtunity to inject itself into the title game by winning out. Kansas State knows it lost to Iowa State two weeks ago and then got waxed by Nebraska last week. Tigers win.
  
• Kentucky @ Georgia (LF/Gameplan): Alas, poor Kentucky! Ravaged by injuries, Kentucky sits at 7-3 with two games left against the SEC East's top two teams. I hate to admit it, but Georgia is playing good football right now. The top two priorities for any team playing UGA right now has to be to pressure Matt Stafford and stop Moreno. Georgia wins here. And with typing that, I think I'm going to kill myself after this post. Ugh.
  

2:30: Duke @ Notre Dame (NBC): Ahahahahahahahahahaha. Okay, I'm in a good mood again. Seriously! Oh man. I will laugh so hard if Duke wins. And you know what? Why not? This is the year to beat ND folks. Line up and get your automatic W in South Bend! Woooo!

3:30:

• Louisiana State @ Mississippi (CBS): I'm not really sure why the powers that be at CBS picked this over at a game that at least stands a chance of not being a blow out. I know it's been close, but Ole Miss is terrible and LSU is really good. LSU rolls.
  
• Pennsylvania State @ Michigan State (ESPN/ABC): It's your irrelevant Big Ten game of the day! Man, at least the Big Ten season is over after this week. PSU should win.
  
• Miami @ Virginia Tech (Gameplan/ABC/ESPN): Oh, Miami. On November 19, 2005, you were ranked 3 in the country when Georgia Tech beat you. Since then, you're a decidedly un-"U"-like 13-12, including a blowout loss last week to Virginia in your last game ever in da "OB". Yeah, folks, Miami sucks. Virginia Tech will hopefully not overlook them going into their division deciding showdown against Virginia next week.
  
• Iowa State @ Kansas (Gameplan/ABC): Iowa State has won two straight Big 12 games. Let that sink in a minute. Can they make it three straight? Probably not, setting up the biggest Big 12 North showdown in a long, long time next week. That said, I do like ISU to cover 26.
  
• California @ Washington (ABC/Gameplan): This season has fallen apart for Cal, but they'll stop the bleeding against Washington this week and against Stanford in The Big Game in two weeks.
  

7:00: Oklahoma State @ Baylor (FSN): Why is Baylor on national television for the second week in a row? Who knows, and who cares? OSU rolls.

7:45:

• West Virginia @ Cincinnati (ESPN): At first glance, you might think WVU is gonna roll here. Not so fast! This has huge Big East implications, though Cincy doesn't quite control their own destiny (as they need UConn to lose again). That said, I still have to like the Mountaineers.
  
• Boston College @ Clemson (ESPN2): Unthinkable a month ago, BC finds itself competing for the ACC Atlantic crown in Death Valley. At night. Not exactly a promising scenario for the Eagles. Clemson put up 44 on a pretty decent Wake team last week, continuing its roll on offense. Meanwhile, BC has lost two straight as their season falls apart around them. These are teams going in two different directions, folks, and I like the Tigers to continue putting up the points.
  

8:00: Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (ABC): Last game of the night. Texas Tech does not do the defense thing very well, as they tend to get blown out in their losses. If Oklahoma scores a couple touchdowns early, then this shouldn't be a problem. TTU needs to keep the game in shootout mode. They probably won't.