College Football Nation: 10 things to watch
Instead, No. 1 Florida is playing Florida International and No. 2 Alabama is hosting FCS foe Chattanooga.
But there are at least a few games on this weekend's schedule that will have some impact on how the postseason turns out.
Here are 10 things to watch this weekend:
1. What will Texas quarterback Colt McCoy’s last home game be like?
The Longhorns will say good-bye to McCoy, their record-setting quarterback, when he plays his final home game against Kansas at Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night (ABC, 8 p.m. ET).
McCoy is one victory shy of breaking former Georgia star David Greene’s NCAA record of 43 career victories. The Longhorns can clinch the Big 12 South with a victory over Kansas, which has lost five games in a row and is conducting an internal investigation into coach Mark Mangino’s treatment of players.
“It goes back to the very first day I talked with coach [Mack] Brown,” McCoy said. “I asked him what it was going to take for me to be his quarterback. He told me, ‘You’ve just got to win. You’ve got to find a way to win.’”
McCoy has certainly done that during his college career, and he has a chance to lead No. 3 Texas to the Jan. 7 BCS national championship game. If the Longhorns beat the Jayhawks, rival Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night and the Big 12 North champion in the Dec. 5 Big 12 championship game, they’ll play for a national championship.
2. Can California slow down Stanford’s Toby Gerhart?
Oregon and Southern California couldn’t do it the last two weeks, and few teams have slowed down the Cardinal’s bruising running back.
According to ESPN research, Gerhart leads the Pac-10 with 39 runs of 10 yards or more and has been one of the country’s best short-yardage runners. On third- and fourth-down plays of two yards or less, Gerhart has converted 83.3 percent of the time.
With a victory over the No. 25 Bears, No. 17 Stanford would stay in the Pac-10 title race and enhance its bowl possibilities. Cal is coming off a 24-16 upset of Arizona, in which backup running back Shane Vereen ran for 159 yards. Star tailback Jahvid Best will miss his second straight game with a concussion.
3. Can Oregon move a step closer to the Rose Bowl?
Oregon and Stanford all but ended USC’s hopes of playing in a fifth straight Rose Bowl.
The Ducks can earn a trip to Pasadena for the first time since 1995 by beating Arizona on the road Saturday night (ABC, 8 p.m. ET) and rival Oregon State at home on Dec. 3.
Tailback LeGarrette Blount has been reinstated to the team, but he’ll have a hard time getting LaMichael James off the field. James has already run for 1,139 yards, an Oregon freshman record, and has posted five straight 100-yard games.
4. Will Ohio State extend Michigan’s misery?
The No. 9 Buckeyes locked up a spot in their first Rose Bowl in 13 seasons by beating Iowa 27-24 in overtime last week.
Ohio State doesn’t have much at stake in the regular-season finale at Michigan (ABC, noon ET), but it would like nothing more than to make a bad Michigan season even worse.
The Wolverines have lost four games in a row and six of seven in coach Rich Rodriguez’s second season, including a 45-24 loss at Wisconsin last week.
With an ongoing NCAA investigation into his program’s practice habits, Rodriguez could really use an upset win over Ohio State to quiet his critics. OSU has beaten Michigan five times in a row, the longest streak in this series since Michigan beat the Buckeyes six times in a row from 1922-1927.
5. Will Clemson finally get it done?
The No. 23 Tigers can clinch their first appearance in the ACC championship game by beating reeling Virginia at home on Saturday (ABC, 3:30 ET).
With one more victory, Clemson will clinch the ACC’s Atlantic Division and earn a rematch with Georgia Tech in the Dec. 5 ACC championship game in Tampa, Fla. The No. 7 Yellow Jackets needed a last-minute field goal to beat the Tigers 30-27 in Atlanta on Sept. 10.
Clemson has been among the country’s hottest teams recently, winning five games in a row. The Tigers have averaged 42 points and 425.8 yards of offense during that stretch.
1. Can Alabama get its passing game going?
The No. 3 Crimson Tide have to throw the football more effectively to beat No. 9 LSU on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Quarterback Greg McElroy has struggled mightily in his past four games, completing 53 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He failed to throw for 150 yards in each of the Tide's four games in October.
There might be good news on the way. Tide coach Nick Saban said this week that sophomore receiver Julio Jones is as healthy as he's been all season, and tight end Colin Peek has returned to practice after spraining his knee in warm-ups before Alabama's 12-10 win over Tennessee on Oct. 24.
Jones, the team's leading receiver with 20 catches, had been bothered by a bruised knee.
2. Can Iowa do it again?
The No. 4 Hawkeyes will be looking to avenge a 22-17 loss to Northwestern last season when they host the Wildcats on Saturday (ESPN, noon ET). Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi drove the Hawkeyes to the Wildcats' 8-yard line late in the 2008 game but then threw four straight incompletions in the loss.
The Hawkeyes, who have won 13 games in a row, keeping finding ways to win this season. They trailed Indiana 24-14 entering the fourth quarter in Week 9 but scored 28 straight points for a 42-24 victory.
Stanzi threw a career-high five interceptions against the Hoosiers but led another remarkable fourth-quarter comeback. Iowa has trailed in eight of its nine games this season, including four times in the fourth quarter.
3. Will Tony Pike return for No. 5 Cincinnati?
Bearcats coach Brian Kelly faces a difficult decision as Cincinnati tries to improve to 9-0 for the first time since 1951 when it hosts Connecticut on Saturday night (ABC, 8 p.m. ET).
Senior quarterback Pike returned to practice this week after undergoing surgery to replace screws and a plate in his forearm. Zach Collaros has played remarkably well in Pike's absence, throwing seven touchdowns without an interception in two starts.
Does Kelly stick with the hot quarterback or go back to the veteran and team leader? There's only a potential Big East championship and BCS bowl game riding on his decision.
4. Will No. 8 Oregon have a letdown?
The Ducks are coming off one of their most impressive victories in recent history, having thumped Southern Cal 47-20 on Saturday in Eugene.
Oregon has a one-and-a-half-game lead over Arizona in the Pac-10 standings but can't afford to look past Stanford. The Ducks have beaten the Cardinal seven times in a row, including three straight in Palo Alto.
Stanford has won its past four home games and nine of the past 10 in Palo Alto.
Cardinal tailback Toby Gerhart leads the Pac-10 in rushing, and quarterback Andrew Luck is the league's top-rated passer.
5. What will Terrelle Pryor's homecoming be like?
Pryor isn't expecting a warm welcome when No. 16 Ohio State plays at No. 11 Penn State on Saturday (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET). Pryor, from Jeanette, Pa., was the country's top-rated quarterback in high school in 2007, when he chose the Buckeyes over the Nittany Lions and Michigan.
The Nittany Lions got some revenge last season, when Pryor's third-down fumble helped them hold on for a 13-6 victory in Columbus.
Pryor has endured an inconsistent sophomore season, and Penn State senior Daryll Clark has looked like the better quarterback the past two seasons.
Both teams are 4-1 in Big Ten play, and neither can afford a loss if it's going to stay in the hunt with unbeaten Iowa.
6. Will No. 1 Florida be distracted?
The defending BCS national champions should have little trouble with Vanderbilt at home Saturday night (ESPN2, 7:15 p.m. ET), but how focused will the Gators be after a week full of distractions?
Senior linebacker Brandon Spikes, the leader of the Florida defense, was suspended for the first half of the Vandy game by coach Urban Meyer after Spikes attempted to gouge Georgia tailback Wayshaun Ealey's eyes during last week's 41-14 rout of the Bulldogs. Then Spikes decided to suspend himself for the entire Vanderbilt game.
On Friday, Meyer was fined $30,000 by the SEC for criticizing officials after he accused them of missing Georgia's late hit on star quarterback Tim Tebow.
Florida played better against Georgia, but it needs to continue to improve on offense before the Dec. 5 SEC championship game.
7. Will Georgia Tech's defense play better?
The No. 10 Yellow Jackets are firing on all cylinders on offense and are two victories away from clinching the ACC's Coastal Division going into Saturday's home game against Wake Forest (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET).
But Georgia Tech's defense has left a lot to be desired, allowing averages of 391 yards and 27.6 points during a five-game stretch in October.
The Demon Deacons played well against the triple-option in a 13-10 loss to Navy on Oct. 24. Quarterback Riley Skinner, who suffered a concussion in last week's 28-27 loss to Miami, has been cleared to play and is expected to start against Georgia Tech.
8. Which top-25 team should be on upset alert?
It might be No. 15 Houston, which needed Case Keenum's 28-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left to beat Southern Mississippi 50-43 last week.
Tulsa is riding a three-game losing streak, but there's no question it will be motivated to play after losing to Houston 70-30 last season.
Keenum threw for a career-high 559 yards with five touchdowns against the Golden Eagles. Tulsa isn't sure it will have starting quarterback G.J. Kinne, who suffered a concussion in last week's 27-13 loss to SMU.
9. How effective will Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd be?
No. 22 Notre Dame has a lot riding on its last four games, starting with Saturday's home contest against Navy. If the Fighting Irish win out and finish 10-2, there's a very good chance they'll receive an invitation to play in the Orange Bowl.
So receiver Michael Floyd's return from a five-game absence couldn't be coming at a better time. Floyd hasn't played since breaking his collarbone against Michigan State on Sept. 19. In less than three full games, Floyd had 358 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Golden Tate played very well in Floyd's absence, with 37 catches and six touchdowns in the last five games. Floyd's return figures to make the Notre Dame offense even more explosive, if he knocks off the rust quickly.
After playing Navy, Notre Dame plays at No. 13 Pittsburgh, home against Connecticut and at Stanford to close the regular season.
10. Will Nebraska avenge last year's blowout loss to Oklahoma?
It's hard to believe one of college football's most storied rivalries has so little riding on the outcome this season. No. 24 Oklahoma has been riddled by injuries, and Nebraska has struggled in coach Bo Pelini's second season.
But the winner might stay in the race for a major bowl game, possibly the Cotton Bowl or Holiday Bowl, depending on what happens the rest of the regular season.
Last season, Oklahoma blasted the Cornhuskers 62-28. It was the Sooners' highest ever scoring total against Nebraska. The Sooners led 28-0 after the first 5 1/2 minutes in beating the Cornhuskers for the fourth straight time.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
1. LeSean McCoy vs. the Cincinnati defense: The Bearcats have been strong against the run of late, holding West Virginia to under 100 yards as a team and limiting Louisville to 3.2 yards per carry. But Donald Brown gashed them for 150 yards last month, and Pitt had two 100-yard rushers in a win over Cincinnati last year. Pittsburgh proved against Louisville that it could win without a huge day from McCoy, but one of his vintage performances sure would help the cause.
2. Cincinnati's passing game vs. the Pitt secondary: The Panthers' defensive backfield has upgraded its play since the disastrous showing against Rutgers, but it's still vulnerable to big plays. Cincinnati has the most productive pass-catching duo in the conference with Dominick Goodman and Mardy Gilyard. You'd better believe Tony Pike is going to test Pitt deep early and often.
3. Jonathan Baldwin vs. Mike Mickens: The league's most electric young receiver will certainly find himself matched up at times with one of the best senior cornerbacks in the nation. Pitt's ability to throw deep off play-action will force Mickens and his teammates to react quickly. At 6-foot-5, Baldwin can erase mistakes by quarterback Bill Stull and can jump over the 6-foot Mickens. "Our corners are going to be challenged," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. "DeAngelo Smith and Mike Mickens have to play their best football."
4. Pat White on the loose in Louisville: Last year against the Cardinals, White ran for 147 yards and passed for 181. Two years ago against them, he had 125 yards rushing and 222 yards passing. The West Virginia quarterback is usually at his best in this game, and given Louisville's inexperienced linebackers and dearth of speed on the defensive line, he could be in for another monster performance.
5. Louisville's spirits: The Cardinals have lost three straight, are surrounded by negativity and can't even get fans buzzing about a game against West Virginia. But it is Senior Day, and some terrific players like Eric Wood, George Bussey, Earl Heyman and Hunter Cantwell won't want to leave without a fight. Can they get something going early against the usually slow-starting Mountaineers and build some confidence?
6. Matt Grothe: The South Florida quarterback clearly isn't healthy right now. He hurt his left ankle against Rutgers and wore a boot for a few days afterward. He's a tough guy who will probably still play Sunday against UConn, but if his mobility is limited, that takes away one of his greatest strengths. And Grothe has thrown eight interceptions in his past three games even when healthy.
7. Donald Brown: The nation's leading rusher will go against a struggling Bulls defense. While South Florida's real weakness is in its defensive backfield, teams have been able to run up the middle against them, which is something Brown can do with the best of backs.
8. Air raid on Army: Rutgers has been flying high through the air during its four-game winning streak, and Army is going to have a tough time slowing down the Mike Teel-to-Kenny Britt connection. Certainly Army doesn't practice much against a passing offense; the Black Knights average just 50 yards passing per game and had a game this year where they didn't even attempt a throw.
9. Chip Bowden's well-being: Bowden is Army's quarterback, which places him in the crosshairs this weekend. Five of the last six quarterbacks have not been able to finish the game against the hard-hitting Rutgers defense, which made Grothe its latest victim last Saturday. Bowden is the team's second-leading rusher, so he'll be exposed to several hits.
10. Syracuse's motivation: How will the Orange react to the firing of Greg Robinson when they go to Notre Dame this weekend? Will they play with fire in an effort to show support for their well-liked coach? Or will they fold under the first sign of adversity?
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Not sure if I can come up with 10 legitimate things to look for in this weekend's crummy Big East schedule. Let's see how far we can make it:
1. The haves vs. the have-nots: It's not a scintillating weekend in the Big East by any means, but the gap between the contenders and the pretenders could grow even wider. Cincinnati begins league play against 1-4 Rutgers, which will be all but written off with another loss. West Virginia looks to go 2-0 in league play against Syracuse, which has won only two Big East games under Greg Robinson.
2. Mike Teel and Kenny Britt vs. the Cincinnati secondary: The Bearcats have won the past two meetings and picked off Teel seven times in those two games, led by cornerback Mike Mickens. The Scarlet Knights' best weapon is Britt, who had 12 catches for 151 yards last week against West Virginia and is fourth nationally in receptions. "We need to know where he is with our linebackers and safeties," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. "We have to know where he is at all times."
3. Chazz Anderson vs. the Rutgers defense: Anderson managed the game well in his first career appearance last week at Marshall. But the Cincinnati redshirt freshman quarterback will see a rise in competition as the Bearcats enter league play. The Scarlet Knights have the best pass defense in the Big East. However, they have grabbed only two interceptions, both of them coming against Morgan State.
4. Pat White: How healthy is the West Virginia quarterback after leaving the last two games early, first with a bruised thumb and then after getting hit in the helmet? The Mountaineers say he's fine and will play against Syracuse. The Orange defense might make him feel a lot better. He had 247 rushing yards on just 15 carries the last time Syracuse came to Morgantown and 237 total yards last year in the Carrier Dome.
5. Syracuse's running game: For the Orange to have chance at all in Morgantown, they will need to control the clock and run the ball successfully. The rushing attack showed promise last time out against Pittsburgh until a second-half collapse. They've had a week off to get ready for this enormous challenge.
6. The Memphis blitz vs. the Louisville offense: Memphis has recorded 10 quarterback sacks in its past two games and will probably come after Hunter Cantwell to see just how well the Louisville quarterback's ankle has healed. That's a risk, though, because the Cardinals can burn the Tigers with quick-strike plays to speedsters like Victor Anderson and Doug Beaumont.
7. The Louisville defense vs. a well-rounded offense: The Cardinals' defense has been much-improved and is one of the best statistically in the Big East and the nation. But it's also true that they have played mostly one-dimensional teams like Kentucky (couldn't pass), Kansas State (wouldn't run) and Connecticut (didn't throw well until Zach Frazer got going). What can Louisville do against a multi-dimensional attack like Memphis, which is averaging 190 yards rushing and 272 yards passing and a quarterback who can move in Arkelon Hall?
8. The remote control: OK, so there's really not a whole lot to hold your attention in the Big East this weekend, and the league's slate will be done by about 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Feel free to click around. We won't judge.
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