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| Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron looks to guide his team through its toughest test yet in rival LSU. (Kevin C. Cox) |
Last week, Georgia came up with a huge win when they needed one. Their defense stepped up and led them to a 17-9 upset of previously unbeaten Florida. The win put them in the driver's seat to win the SEC East and advance to the SEC championship in Atlanta. All they need to do is win out and they are in. However, the problem is that same defense has been subject to letdown and cannot afford to against Ole Miss. The Rebels explosive offense is led by sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace. The unit has averaged 32.4 points per game and scored a combined 71 points the last two weeks in wins over Auburn and Arkansas. Wallace will have a difficult task against the Bulldogs defense. Junior linebacker Jarvis Jones was an absolute game changer against Florida with 13 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Prediction: Georgia 27 Mississippi 24
4. #20 Nebraska (6-2) @ Michigan State (5-4) - 3:30 PM EST, ABC/ESPN2
Nebraska got the huge win at home against Michigan last week. The win put them in control of the Big Ten Legends Division. Now, they have to win out to advance to the Big Ten championship. They will have to travel first to East Lansing to take on a rejuvenated Michigan State team. The Spartans are mired in a disappointing season, but came up with a big upset of Wisconsin on the road. They will now look to pull off another upset. This matchup features two opposing forces. The Cornhuskers lead the Big Ten in scoring, total offense and rushing yards. Conversely, the Spartans led the conference in points allowed, yards allowed and rushing defense. They will have to try and slow down Nebraska's dual-threat quarterback Taylor Martinez and sophomore tailback Ameer Abdullah.
Prediction: Michigan State 17 Nebraska 16
3. #24 Oklahoma State (5-2) @ #2 Kansas State (8-0) - 8:00 PM EST, ABC
Kansas State has taken care of business all season long. They have knocked off ranked opponents on the road in Oklahoma and West Virginia. Last week, they destroyed Texas Tech at home. They will look for their third straight win over a ranked opponent on Saturday against Oklahoma State. The Wildcats are led by Heisman favorite Collin Klein at quarterback. They can put up points on the scoreboard all day long, scoring a combined 110 points the last two weeks. The Cowboys will look to keep the Wildcats offense off the field as much as possible behind the strong running game of junior tailback Joseph Randle. He has rushed for a combined 277 yards and three touchdowns the last two weeks.
Prediction: Kansas State 34 Oklahoma State 24
2. #4 Oregon (8-0) @ #17 USC (6-2) - 7:00 PM EST, FOX
Oregon continues to blow out its opponents with its dominating offense. They have scored at least 42 points in all of their eight wins so far this season. The Ducks have yet to move up in the BCS standings because of their weak strength of schedule. They will get their chance to proved against three ranked opponents in their last four games. The first is a big matchup against rival USC in Los Angeles. The Trojans got caught looking ahead to the big matchup and were upset 39-36 by Arizona.
USC will need a huge game out of senior quarterback Matt Barkley and his favorite target, sophomore wide receiver Marquise Lee. Lee has emerged as one of the best receivers in college football. Last week, he had 16 catches for 345 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks offense is full of explosive playmakers as well. Last week against Colorado, sophomore quarterback Bryan Bennett rushed for three touchdowns, freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 136 yards and two scores and the rushing duo of Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas rushed for a combined 211 yards and three touchdowns. Thomas also had an amazing 73-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Prediction: Oregon 48 USC 38
1. #1 Alabama (8-0) @ #5 LSU (7-1) - 8:00 PM EST, CBS
Undefeated and top ranked Alabama has won every one of its games this season by at least 19 points. They will definitely get their toughest test of the season as the travel to Death Valley to take on LSU. The Tigers bounced back from a loss to Florida with wins over ranked opponents South Carolina and Texas A&M. They also got an extra week to prepare for the big rivalry game. LSU will definitely be looking to avenge their 21-0 loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship game last season.
Both teams boast two of the best defenses in the nation. Alabama's offense is led by one the best game managers in college football. Junior quarterback A.J. McCarron has thrown 18 touchdowns this season without a single interceptions. In fact, dating back to last season, he has thrown 262 consecutive passes without a pick. The running back duo of junior Eddie Lacy and freshman T.J. Yeldon bring balance to the offense. LSU relies upon a deep stable of running backs, including Spencer Ware, Michael Ford, Jeremy Hill, Kenny Hilliard and fullback J.C. Copeland. At quarterback, junior Zach Mettenberger has had his ups-and-downs. He needs to limit his mistakes against the Crimson Tide.
Prediction: Alabama 23 LSU 13
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