Week 14 remains one of the most important weeks in the college football season as in-state rivalries and crucial division games are played. This week several teams will look to clinch their division and wrap up their last game of the season.
No. 3 Oregon at Oregon State
On paper, this matchup seems rather lopsided as Oregon State is unranked and is second to last in the PAC-12 North division. However, this may be the game that ruins Oregon’s chances of being invited to the College Football Playoff and perhaps ruin Marcus Mariota’s Heisman odds.
While a win is imperative for the Ducks to get invited to the College Football Playoff, there is a chance that Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon can solidify himself as the top Heisman candidate if Mariota produces a weak showing, which makes this game one of the more notable games this week.
Oregon comes into this matchup ranked No. 3 in the country while boasting one of the most prolific offenses in the entire country. Led by quarterback Mariota, who has accumulated 41 total touchdowns this season, the Ducks will look to shred a mediocre Oregon State defense.
Though Oregon State has no true strength on either side of the ball, they have been a relatively scrappy team this season. Two weeks ago, the Beavers upset No. 6 Arizona State 35-27 at home when Arizona State was expected to run all over this struggling team.
Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion led the Beavers to the win as he tossed two touchdowns and threw for over 250 yards, but has struggled overall this season only throwing for 12 touchdowns as well as seven interceptions.
With a home matchup and a chance of ruining Oregon’s flawless season, look for the Beavers to play to the fullest extent and shake up the College Football Playoff rankings once again.
No. 15 Auburn at No. 2 Alabama
Ah, yes. The acclaimed Iron Bowl. Who can forget Chris Davis’ 109 yard field goal return touchdown as time expired last year?
No. 15 Auburn will travel to Tuscaloosa this week in hopes to repeat the success they found last season against the Crimson Tide.
Nick Saban will find any way to halt a repeat, however, as the Crimson Tide must win this game in order to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Alabama will look to exploit Auburn’s defense with their balanced offense as their rushing and passing attack have been exceptional this season.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper has emerged as a Heisman candidate as he has caught 90 balls for 1,349 yards and 11 touchdowns. At the same time, the rushing attack has also been a strength as running back T.J. Yeldon has accumulated nearly 800 yards with 6 touchdowns.
While Alabama’s offense has been a major strength for the team, the Crimson Tide’s defense has proven to be another vital asset as they are second in the country in points allowed, with 14.5 points per game, and have the No. 5 total defense in the country.
Simply put, Alabama is solid on both sides of the ball, which explains why they are a top 5 team.
Although Auburn comes in ranked at No. 15, and with a heavy offensive attack with quarterback Nick Marshall and running back Cameron Artis-Payne, the Crimson Tide should defeat the Tigers and avenge last year’s loss.
No. 18 Ole Miss at No. 4 Mississippi State
Who would of thought that the two Division 1 teams in Mississippi would be in the top half of the SEC and both be ranked in the top 25?
This Saturday the Rebels come into Starkville in hopes to win the Golden Egg Trophy, and to destroy the Bulldogs’ chances of reaching the College Football Playoff.
So far this season, the Bulldogs have heavily relied on Heisman candidate Dak Prescott. The dual threat quarterback has passed for 2,174 yards with 23 touchdowns, while adding 891 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Aside from a close loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Mississippi State has showcased a strong team as they have beaten three top 10 teams and have shown a high-caliber offense as they are ranked No. 9 in total offensive yards, as well as a stout defense, ranked No. 11 in points allowed.
Ole Miss started the season strong beating off Alabama and Texas A&M, but had a rough two game stretch as they fell to two Top 25 SEC opponents and an abysmal showing against unremarkable Arkansas this past Saturday.
Senior quarterback Bo Wallace has led the Rebels all season as he has passed for 2,789 yards and thrown for 22 touchdowns, but the Rebels’ defense has been terrific, ranking in the top 5 statistically in many defensive categories.
This matchup should be a low-scoring affair as both defenses are rated very highly and offensive superstars Prescott and Wallace should be kept in check.
However, due to the Rebels horrid showing last Saturday against Arkansas, look for Prescott and the Bulldogs to pull away with the Golden Egg Trophy and solidify their spot in the College Football Playoff.
No. 13 Arizona State at No. 12 Arizona
Both of these desert teams obliterated their opponents this past Saturday and will look to keep up their high scoring as the Sun Devils and Wildcats both look to improve to 10-2.
This matchup becomes an intense one as the teams play for the Territorial Cup, which is the oldest rivalry trophy in college football.
While both teams’ chances have slowly diminished in reaching the College Football Playoff, the winner will go to the Pac-12 championship, pending a UCLA loss.
Quarterback Anu Solomon has lead the Wildcats in their passing attack as he has thrown for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns and in October he led Arizona to beat No. 2 Oregon in Eugene.
Arizona State also boasts a relatively talented quarterback as Taylor Kelly has tossed 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions while missing three games this season.
This game should be a barn burner as both teams have a mediocre defense and have very similar overall team strengths and weaknesses.
