The Sampler Platter is always nourishing, but this week, it’s particularly tasty.
This is it. It’s the main event. It’s the biggest college football weekend ever. It’s a cataclysm on the gridiron. It’s mega. There will never be a bigger series of sporting events in American history.
Okay, there might have been an exaggeration or two in the preceding sentences, but week 10 definitely looks like a scorcher. Let’s unwrap this sandwich and chow down.
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GAME OF THE WEEK: LSU at ALABAMA
Implications. Stakes. Fournette. Tide.
Nick Saban’s former national championship program. Nick Saban’s current national championship program.
Will we see a Les Miles fake field goal? Will Derrick Henry steal the spotlight from Mr. Fournette?
Let’s go!
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UPSET SPECIAL: CINCINNATI at HOUSTON
The fun ends this weekend for the Cougars. Despite having three losses, the Bearcats are a solid club. They gave Memphis its best game of the season, and that includes Ole Miss, before losing 53-46 in a wild thriller at the Liberty Bowl. Cincy quietly has one of the best offenses in the country, sixth in passing and 29th in rushing. Look for the Bearcats to exploit a Houston team that has yet to play an opponent which, at this point in the season, has a winning record.
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UNIMPORTANT GAME OF IMPORTANCE: ARKANSAS at MISSISSIPPI
Ole Miss could very easily occupy this space every week if it keeps winning. The Rebels are the hair in the soup of this year’s playoff scenario, because they control their own destiny in the SEC West. Beat the Hogs, LSU, and State, and Ole Miss would play for the SEC title and throw a whole box of wrenches into the bracket. It starts this weekend with the CBS (doubleheader, part one) game of the week at home.
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NERDOUT OF THE WEEK: MICHIGAN STATE at NEBRASKA
After last week’s disaster at Purdue, the question now is this: Could Mike Riley get fired if the Huskers lose out? They will almost certainly lose on Saturday against a Spartan team that will need to win, and look good doing so, to impress the committee. After all, Ohio State looms in two weeks. Will the Cornhuskers lie down on Riley? If he loses the team, and the final three games, the kneejerk-happy Husker faithful would certainly call for a change.
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ODDITY OF THE WEEK: TCU at OKLAHOMA STATE
There’s no chance this game was getting left off the list this week. It’s a big one, it has national title implications, and it has Heisman implications for Trevone Boykin. Beyond that, it’s only the second time in the history of college football that both programs enter the month of November undefeated. In 1932 the Cowboys made it to the second weekend in November 6-0-2, including a win over Oklahoma, before losing to Jefferson, 12-6.
TCU tied LSU, 3-3, early in the ’32 season before running over all its opponents, en route to a 10-0-1 final record and a year-end ranking of ninth in the Dickinson polls. Those Frogs weren’t as offensively potent as this year’s group, but they were just as dominant as Gary Patterson’s current squad. The 1932 Frogs outscored their opponents 283-23 with seven shutouts, and they beat Baylor 27-0.
