This Weekend in College Football: Week 13

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Clemson @ South Carolina (ESPN): Much was made over the past month of Clemson's propensity of blowing late-season divisional leads, but they avoided any disappointment and clinched a trip to Tampa. South Carolina, meanwhile, has continued their own streak of November swoons, having not won since Oct. 24 against Vandy. Clemson, meanwhile, has won six straight and has found their offense while South Carolina hasn't shown anything resembling one all season. Tigers win.
  
• North Carolina @ North Carolina State (ESPN2): This NC State team is just awful. Nothing embodies this more than the fortunes of QB Russell Wilson, who went into the season with a nearly year-long streak of interception-free games. After this and his other qualities were beginning to be noticed nationally, he's been, well, less good—since Oct. 3, he's thrown 11 picks. UNC has really rallied to get to 8-3 over the past couple of months, and I think they'll go to 9-3.
  
• Mississippi @ Mississippi State (SEC/Gameplan): Ole Miss behind Dexter McCluster has put themselves firmly in control of 2nd place in the SEC West, and I don't see this changing barring a huge upset by Miss State.
  
• Wake Forest @ Duke (Raycom/Gameplan): This is a tough game to pick. Neither of these teams have athletes that are necessarily superior to the other. Both are relatively close, losing consecutive games to mostly superior competition. I still like Duke's offense overall, but Wake should be smarter defensively and Riley Skinner is probably the superior QB. I'll take the Deacs.
  
• South Carolina State @ Appalachian State (ESPNU): Yes that's right folks, we're going to talk about the Division I-AA playoffs. Appy State has one of the most prolific offenses in all of I-AA, averaging 6.75 yards per play, against SC State's highly ranked defense. No pick on this since I don't really know enough, but I think these I-AA can be worth watching.
  

12:30: Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma (FSN): It's bedlam! Though for the first time since I can remember, OSU will be favored. It feels a little bizarre, but it's hard to dispute, especially after Oklahoma's flop against Texas Tech.

1:30: Southern Mississippi @ East Carolina (CBSCS): This is for all the C-USA East marbles right here, and the winner will most likely face Houston next week in the C-USA title game. I think at this point ECU's the slightly better team, though USM can probably put up the points to keep it interesting.

3:30:

• Florida State @ Florida (CBS): Florida.
  
• Arizona @ Arizona State (Gameplan/ABC): Last I checked, Arizona state's straight-from-10th-grade freshman QBs are still terrible. So I'll go with Arizona here.
  
• Missouri vs. Kansas (@Kansas City, MO; Gameplan/ABC): There is just no way Kansas wins this game, with the blowout last week and all the chaos surrounding the program. No way.
  
• University of Miami @ South Florida (ABC/ESPN/Gameplan): I think USF may be able hang in there, but overall Miami should take care of business.
  
• Virginia Tech @ Virginia (ESPN/ABC): Well, I'm 0-1 in my "so fired" pool, with Dan Hawkins inexplicably coming back next year. So what able Al Groh? UVA has to get rid of him notwithstanding the result of this game (where UVA is going to lose), right? Right?
  
• Boston College @ Maryland (ESPNU): Will the Fridge get fired? My 8-ball says "reply hazy, try again" so I'm not sure. I don't need a magic 8-ball to tell me that Boston College should win this game, though.
  

5:00: Utah @ Brigham Young (CBSCS): It's the MWC Runner-Up game! I like Utah here, personally.

6:00: Texas Tech vs. Baylor (@Arlington, TX; FSN): Well, Baylor gave it a good effort this year, but they still have at least another year or two of Robert Griffin. Texas Tech should take care of business over in Jerry Jone's Intergalactic Space Palace.

7:00:

• Arkansas @ Louisiana State (ESPN): It's the battle for the boot! I still think LSU is the better team, just not necessarily the better coach. They should win, but it may be interesting.
  
• Tennessee @ Kentucky (ESPNU): Hey, this Kentucky team is (very quietly) not terrible! Kiffin gets to bowl eligibility in his first year, but probably not much more.
  

8:00:

• Notre Dame @ Stanford (ESPN2/ABC): Completing the possible "so fired" trifecta is a one Charlie Weis. I feel pretty confident that he's going to get canned, but perhaps the Domers should consider this is the best they can do? At any rate, Stanford should be able to blow them off the ball and control this game.
  
• Georgia @ Georgia Tech (ABC/ESPN2): To Hell With Georgia.
  

10:00: California-Los Angeles @ Southern California (FSN): UCLA got on a nice little 3-game win streak to get to bowl eligibility against the three worst teams in the conference. Despite USC's recent efforts, they're still better than the Wazzou's and U-Dub's of the world.

10:30: Navy @ Hawaii (ESPNU): Hawaii's trying to make a late season push to be invited to their own bowl game, but I don't like their odds. Especially since they should probably lose to Navy here.