Thursday, November 10, 2011

College Football Week 11 Preview & Predictions

5. #19 Nebraska @ #12 Penn State - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN

Nebraska is traveling to without a doubt the most hostile environment in college football right now, a very unhappy Happy Valley. Two weeks ago, Nebraska looked dominate against Michigan State in 24-3 win. Then, last week in typical Big Ten fashion they choked and lost to a backup quarterback led Northwestern team. Penn State is adrift with scandal, the firing of their president and one of the most legendary coaches in the history of sports, and rioting students. Meanwhile, the football team is the only Big Ten team who remains undefeated in conference play. The question is can interim coach Tom Bradley rally the troops and get his team to focus on what they've been doing best, winning football games. Prediction: Penn State 27 Nebraska 10

4. #17 Michigan State @ Iowa - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN2

The Big Ten has some very intriguing games this weekend. Last week, Iowa was coming off a humiliating loss to Minnesota 22-21. In order for them to have a chance at a Big Ten championship, the Hawkeyes would most likely have to run the table the rest of the way. Last week, they accomplished step one in a hard-nosed win over Michigan 24-16. Michigan State survived the upset bug who paid them a visit last week in the form of the Golden Gophers. Iowa sits a game behind the Spartans in the Legends Divisions standings. If Iowa can pull the upset at home again this week, they will have completed a miraculous comeback that will amazingly propel them into first place in the division. Prediction: Iowa 21 Michigan State 20

3. #20 Auburn @ #15 Georgia - 3:30 PM EST, CBS

Many people said Georgia was no longer a contender after they started the season 0-2. Now, the Bulldogs have rolled off 7 victories in a row and control their fate atop the SEC East. They can clinch the division with a win over Auburn and a Florida win over South Carolina (12 PM EST, CBS). The Dawgs will also be welcoming back standout freshman runningback Isaiah Crowell back from a one-game suspension. Auburn is rested and healed coming off a bye. Before that, the Tigers bounced back from a pounding at the hands of LSU to win 41-23 over Ole Miss. Prediction: Auburn 23 Georgia 20

2. TCU @ #5 Boise State - 3:30 PM EST, Versus

These two Mountain West heavyweight fighters have had some great bouts over the past few years. TCU's only losses this season are a 2 point loss the opening week to Baylor and a overtime loss to SMU. This year's version of the Horned Frogs does not have nearly as talented of a defense as past years. They are also missing Andy Dalton, who is now a leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year as the starting quarterback for the surprising Cincinnati Bengals. TCU has won 4 straight games and 21 consecutive against MWC opponents. However, the Horned Frogs will have a tough time pulling the upset on the blue turf at Bronco Stadium. Boise State hasn't lost a conference home game since 1998 (That is 13 years ago!). The Broncos are led by star quarterback Kellen Moore. Interestingly enough though, Moore hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in either of his last two games against TCU. Prediction: Boise State 41 TCU 24

1. #7 Oregon @ #4 Stanford - 8:00 PM EST, ABC

While last week's game of the week featured a defensive battle, these week's game of the week will almost certainly showcase an offensive explosion. In last year's matchup, Oregon came out victorious 52-31, largely due to LaMichael James, who ran for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Stanford has won 17 consecutive games since (the nation's best winning streak) and will counter with this year's Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck, who NFL scouts say might be the best prospect since Payton Manning came out of Tennessee. The offensive matchup should be a stellar one. Stanford's 48.2 ppg vs. Oregon's 46.0 ppg. Oregon's 510.67 ypg vs. Stanford's 505.78 ypg. The Cardinal are 9-0 (7-0 Pac-12), while the Ducks' (8-1, 6-0 Pac-12) only loss was a week one loss to #1 LSU. Will Andrew Luck's senior year run of luck continue, or will he be out of luck against the Ducks? Prediction: Stanford 48 Oregon 45

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