Week 14 Conference Title Preview

Since the B1G is down to one game this week I will do my best to predict the conference championship games that will be taking place tonight and tomorrow.  By Saturday night we will know where most teams are headed for the bowl season. 

Northern Illinois (11-1) vs Kent State (11-1) Friday 7:00pm

The MAC championship game could be one that a lot of eyes are on tonight.  Kent State is currently ranked number 17 in the BCS, which means they are very close to entering the top 16 as a conference champion to get an automatic berth in a BCS bowl.  It would be the MAC’s first, but it would also mean it takes away a spot from an at large team like Oklahoma or Clemson.  Northern Illinois puts up a lot of points, the Huskies QB will could get to 3,000 yards tonight while their running back could get to 1700 yards.  Kent State grinds out games on the ground with their 2 headed attack of Archer and Durham (both over 1175 yards on the season).  It should be a fun matchup in Detroit.  I think Northern Illinois is the better team right now and will end the MAC’s chances of a BCS berth.  The Huskies win a close football game 28-24.

UCLA (9-3) @ Stanford (10-2) Friday 8:00pm

It is a more respectable matchup than the B1G championship game for a Rose Bowl berth, but it is on the same premises.  The best team in the conference is not playing in the game (in the B1G the best two teams aren’t there).  I personally do not feel like either of these teams are great, but the winner will likely hold the Rose Bowl trophy on January 1^st.  Stanford just got done pummeling UCLA on the Bruins home field, and I have no reason to believ tonight will be any different.  The Cardinal defense is very good against the run, and will limit Franklin’s effectiveness in this one.  It also looks like redshirt freshman QB Hogan is comfortable under center.  Stanford wins big again 38-17.

Alabama (11-1) vs Georgia (11-1) Saturday 3:30pm

Not only is this matchup to win the revered SEC, it is also a semi-final game to get a chance to play Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game.  Lucky us, we will get to see an SEC National Champion for the 7^th year in a row. In the preseason I really liked what Georgia brought to the table.  They are littered with first round draft picks, and likely top ten choices.  For most of the first half of the year, however, all of this talent didn’t seem to play well together and they won a lot of close games.  Then they got drop kicked by South Carolina, and since then the Bulldogs have bounced back to be a legitimate number 3 team in the country.  The problem here is that they have to play the number 2 team, which I feel is the nation’s best team.  It seems like the Crimson Tide have gotten a lot of breaks to go their way and have found themselves controlling their own destiny again, and I don’t think they will blow this opportunity.  This should be the best SEC Championship game we have seen in quite a while.  In the end the Tide defense forces more turnovers and AJ McCarron makes more smart decisions to give Alabama a chance at 3 national championships in 4 years (and to keep the crystal ball in Alabama for 4 straight). Alabama 27 Georgia 20

Florida State (10-2) vs Georgia Tech (6-6) Saturday 8:00pm

Is this a joke?  Well the Seminoles are coming off a curb stomping by their in state rivals, and they should be able to rebound nicely against the terrible Yellow Jackets.  Tech will push the FSU defense to stop the run, but Florida State’s offense is just way too powerful to trip this weekend.  Florida State win 45-20.

Nebraska (10-2) vs Wisconsin (7-5) Saturday 8:17pm

Don’t let the difference in records fool you, both teams are garbage.  The Cornhuskers have gotten lucky over and over this season, and is shaping into the B1G’s ‘Team of Destiny.’ Meanwhile Wisconsin had a hard fall from B1G reverence this year when they struggled to score points early in the season.  The Badgers should have won this matchup the first time in Lincoln, and we might not be talking about this matchup at all.  Anyways, Nebraska’s defense is bad, but Wisconsin’s offense is worse.  Montee Ball has gotten on track lately, and that should continue tomorrow night.  The problem is that you will have to pass to beat the Cornhuskers, or at least have the threat of passing.  Wisconsin does not do either.  Ball will rack up his yards 130+, but Wisconsin cannot get to 200 passing yards.  Nebraska’s offense is actually pretty good, especially with Rex Burkhead back in the lineup, and the Badger defense is one of the best in the conference.  Taylor Martinez will make some big plays with his arm in this game.  I think Wisconsin will likely build a lead at halftime, but then Delaney does not want a 5 loss team to embarrass him in the Rose Bowl, so Nebraska will come back and win on a questionable call.  Huskers 27-24.