Conference races continue to be on the line this week and some teams will be eliminated. There are keys games in the MAC and Conference USA that will start to reveal potential champions.
Rough week last week with a 6-4 finish, which brings my season total to 79-33.
Let's see what we have this week:
Temple 29, Kent State 24: Two weeks ago this game could have meant the MAC East title, but with two losses, Kent State needs Temple to lose out to have any chance at that. The Golden Flashes have had two weeks to prepare, but Temple has won eight straight and seems to be charmed.
Northern Illinois 28, Ohio 24: This is a huge game in the MAC because both of these teams need to win out to win their respective divisions. These teams are evenly matched, but Northern Illinois’ running game has carried it most of the season and will continue to do so this week.
BYU 28, Air Force 17: We’ll see if BYU’s lackluster effort against New Mexico last week was more about the opponent than BYU. This game will be Air Force’s last chance to try and pop into the top tier of the conference standings. Beating BYU would prove that it’s among the conference’s elite teams and the Falcons will need to rely on their defense to get it done.
East Carolina 30, UAB 27: UAB is one win away from bowl eligibility, but East Carolina is trying to maintain its lead in the East Division in Conference USA. The ECU defense is one of the best in the conference and UAB quarterback Joe Webb will face a stiff challenge to carry his team to victory.
Marshall 31, SMU 28: On the road with a possibility to win the conference title is a recipe for disaster for SMU. I’m not saying that SMU isn’t good enough to win this game, we know that’s not true, but there’s a lot on the line and this is uncharted territory for the Mustangs. Also, Marshall needs this game for bowl eligibility and maybe to save its coach’s job. They Herd will be driven to win.
Colorado State 31, New Mexico 10: Colorado State has had two weeks to work out whatever problems it’s had during conference play and that time will put the Rams back on track against a struggling New Mexico team. The Lobos did play well last week, but that was a heartbreaking loss and they’re running out of chances to get their first win since Oct. 18, 2008.
Louisiana-Monroe 24, Louisiana-Lafayette 23: The battle for Louisiana has high stakes as the Ragin’ Cajuns are playing for bowl eligibility and the Warhawks are playing for that seventh win that could make them an at-large team. The Warhawks will be looking for a measure of payback after last year’s 44-35 loss.
Southern Miss 34, Tulsa 28: Southern Miss is still in the hunt for the Conference USA East title, but it has to win out to earn that spot. Tulsa has lost five straight and most have been because of timely turnovers or fourth-quarter comebacks. The Golden Hurricane is still fighting for bowl eligibility, but this is going to be a tough one on the road.
Bowling Green 30, Akron 24: Bowling Green needs just one more win to become bowl eligible, which is something that seemed like an uphill battle a few weeks ago. While six wins doesn’t guarantee the Falcons a bowl, it does put them in a position for a seventh win to end the regular season. Akron isn’t playing for much and was waxed by Temple last week. The Zips will have a tough time keeping up with receiver Freddie Barnes.
Boise State 44, Utah State 24: There’s always the possibility of looking ahead to Nevada, which could come back and bite the Broncos against an underrated Utah State team. However, that probably won’t happen. Utah State could make it interesting with playmakers such as Robert Turbin and Diondre Borel, but overall, the Aggies are overmatched.
Rough week last week with a 6-4 finish, which brings my season total to 79-33.
Let's see what we have this week:
Temple 29, Kent State 24: Two weeks ago this game could have meant the MAC East title, but with two losses, Kent State needs Temple to lose out to have any chance at that. The Golden Flashes have had two weeks to prepare, but Temple has won eight straight and seems to be charmed.
Northern Illinois 28, Ohio 24: This is a huge game in the MAC because both of these teams need to win out to win their respective divisions. These teams are evenly matched, but Northern Illinois’ running game has carried it most of the season and will continue to do so this week.
BYU 28, Air Force 17: We’ll see if BYU’s lackluster effort against New Mexico last week was more about the opponent than BYU. This game will be Air Force’s last chance to try and pop into the top tier of the conference standings. Beating BYU would prove that it’s among the conference’s elite teams and the Falcons will need to rely on their defense to get it done.
East Carolina 30, UAB 27: UAB is one win away from bowl eligibility, but East Carolina is trying to maintain its lead in the East Division in Conference USA. The ECU defense is one of the best in the conference and UAB quarterback Joe Webb will face a stiff challenge to carry his team to victory.
Marshall 31, SMU 28: On the road with a possibility to win the conference title is a recipe for disaster for SMU. I’m not saying that SMU isn’t good enough to win this game, we know that’s not true, but there’s a lot on the line and this is uncharted territory for the Mustangs. Also, Marshall needs this game for bowl eligibility and maybe to save its coach’s job. They Herd will be driven to win.
Colorado State 31, New Mexico 10: Colorado State has had two weeks to work out whatever problems it’s had during conference play and that time will put the Rams back on track against a struggling New Mexico team. The Lobos did play well last week, but that was a heartbreaking loss and they’re running out of chances to get their first win since Oct. 18, 2008.
Louisiana-Monroe 24, Louisiana-Lafayette 23: The battle for Louisiana has high stakes as the Ragin’ Cajuns are playing for bowl eligibility and the Warhawks are playing for that seventh win that could make them an at-large team. The Warhawks will be looking for a measure of payback after last year’s 44-35 loss.
Southern Miss 34, Tulsa 28: Southern Miss is still in the hunt for the Conference USA East title, but it has to win out to earn that spot. Tulsa has lost five straight and most have been because of timely turnovers or fourth-quarter comebacks. The Golden Hurricane is still fighting for bowl eligibility, but this is going to be a tough one on the road.
Bowling Green 30, Akron 24: Bowling Green needs just one more win to become bowl eligible, which is something that seemed like an uphill battle a few weeks ago. While six wins doesn’t guarantee the Falcons a bowl, it does put them in a position for a seventh win to end the regular season. Akron isn’t playing for much and was waxed by Temple last week. The Zips will have a tough time keeping up with receiver Freddie Barnes.
Boise State 44, Utah State 24: There’s always the possibility of looking ahead to Nevada, which could come back and bite the Broncos against an underrated Utah State team. However, that probably won’t happen. Utah State could make it interesting with playmakers such as Robert Turbin and Diondre Borel, but overall, the Aggies are overmatched.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
College Football Nation
Have a question about college football? Ask our bloggers:
You must be signed in to post a comment