Bowl hopefuls on guard for upsets this weekend.
Lose at this point in the season and most teams will have to lower their expectations come bowl season.
PSU Scandal
This past week the biggest news was about Penn State and that program’s fall from grace. The child molestation scandal involving a former coach, Jerry Sandusky, isn’t going away but the Nittany Lions aren’t either. They’ll be traveling to Ohio State on Saturday in a bid to remain on top of the Leaders division and to secure a place in the first-ever Big Ten championship game. Winning at Ohio State will be difficult enough for Penn State which trails in this series with 12 wins to the Buckeyes 13 victories.
Virginia Tech, ranked #8 in the nation, continues to win following its 23-3 loss at home against Clemson on Oct. 1. The UNC Tarheels come to town, a team that may be bowl eligible, but needs a signature win to avoid getting sent to a low-tier bowl. The Hokies are ripe for the taking, but very much aware that destiny hangs in the balance. And, David Teel reminds his readers that two years ago the Tarheels shocked #14 V.T. at home.
Cowboy Nation
If #2 Oklahoma State wins out, they’ll be facing off against LSU for the BCS championship in January. Of course, they still have to beat Iowa State on Saturday and beat Oklahoma on Dec. 3 before that can be assured of playing for the title. Lose one game or play terribly against Iowa State this weekend, but still win, and they could slip in the polls.
South Carolina is ranked #12 and still has a good shot at a BCS bowl game with FCS Citadel at home this week, one week before it hosts in-state rival and #7 ranked Clemson. The Gamecocks finished 6-2 in the SEC and are a half game behind Georgia whom they beat early this season. Clemson, by the way, travels to Raleigh to take on NC State, a 5-5 team that must win to get to a bowl. Guess who’ll be priming for an upset this Saturday?
High Tide
Alabama won’t be looking ahead on Saturday as the #3 Crimson Tide hosts Georgia Southern, one of the best FCS teams in the nation. Alabama is just waiting for someone to slip up in a bid to have second shot at LSU. Auburn looms next week, last year’s national champion with nothing to lose, but a spoiler opportunity available.
The top scoring team in the nation is the #11 Houston Cougars, a team that will be hosting upset-minded SMU on Saturday. Keep winning and the Cougars will face off against #20 Southern Miss in December for the Conference USA championship. Houston will likely be a bowl buster too, securing an at-large bid even if they don’t move up in the polls over the coming weeks. Who would have thought that a Conference USA team would be ranked so high this season? Jason Starret warns that Tulsa next week could be the fly in the Cougar’s ointment.
LSU Rocks
Playing 2-8 Ole Miss on the road shouldn’t present a problem for the top-ranked LSU Tigers who will have just six days to prepare for #6 Arkansas, a team that would like to win out and secure a January bowl. Unless the Tigers become overconfident notes Glenn Guilbeau.
Boise State, now ranked #10 following its 1-point loss to TCU at home last weekend, will play at 6-3 San Diego State. An Aztec upset would bolster SDSU’s own bowl positioning, something the Broncos must keep in mind as they head to sunny southern California this weekend.
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