College Football Games of the Week – Week 9
NEW YORK- By Robert Cowper
Each week we’ll take a look at the best upcoming matchups in college football. I’ll try to focus on games that are easy to find on the dial, and not all on at the same time; my hope is that you can use this as a reference to plan your college football Saturday.
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I’m being a bit selfish with this round of Games of the Week. I will be away from the television all afternoon and evening at a friend’s wedding, but figured I would take a look at what was available on the WatchESPN app in case I got the itch for some college football action. Surprisingly, there are three games, back-to-back-to-back that are interesting, should I find a quiet spot with WiFi.
Kent State at #15 Rutgers, 3:30pm ESPN3
Rutgers has a BCS bowl spot on the line in this one. The Big East has gotten a lot of flak lately for being the weakest BCS conference, and I have to agree, but a BCS berth is a BCS berth in the current format. Kent State poses an interesting opposition; on paper, most fans will cast them aside immediately by name only, but this Kent State team has upset potential in this game.
Kent State’s strength is their rushing offense, where they have a solid two-back duo. Sophomore Trayion Durham, the primary back, has 649 yards and seven TDs on 144 carries. Junior Dri Archer is the home run threat and has 687 yards and eight TDs on just 68 carries; 10.1 yards per carry. Senior QB Spencer Keith is a four-year starter who is more experienced than talented.
Rutgers also relies on their running game; RB Jawan Jamison is fourth in the nation in carries per game with 25.29. His numbers could be better with that much work (779 yards, three TDs) but he wears down defenses and opens up the passing game for QB Gary Nova.
When it comes down to it, the Golden Flashes don’t have enough talent to keep up with Rutgers, but they will give the Homecoming crowd a scare early in the game. Rutgers 19, Kent State 14
Ohio State at Penn State, 5:30pm ESPN
At first, I couldn’t believe that neither of these teams was BCS ranked. Then I remembered about the bowl bans. The bans will have a huge impact on the Big Ten’s bowl season in 2012-13. Normally they have seven bowl tie-ins plus the Rose Bowl and a possible at-large bid. Last year, 10 teams were bowl eligible, this year that will be minus two bowls. For the only time I can remember, the Big Ten may not have enough bowl eligible teams to play in all of their bowl games. Furthermore, the bowls they do play in may easily turn into losses (in the standings and at the gate) because a team like Iowa or Northwestern will be playing the bowl instead of the Buckeyes or Nittany Lions.
QB Braxton Miller is expected to play for the Buckeyes after he was cleared for practice on Thursday. Junior backup QB Kenny Guiton is talented and would start on most other teams, but he is very inexperienced; he’s thrown just 23 career passes. Keep an eye on Miller’s health. A huge portion of the Ohio State offense depends on his rushing ability (959 yards, 10 TDs) and that may be limited if he’s still feeling the effects from last week.
After Penn State lost their two opening games against Ohio and Virginia, they’ve improved and have now won three straight conference games. Former walk-on QB Matt McGloin is having his best season ever under new, pass-happy coach Bill O’Brien (former Patriots offensive coordinator). McGloin has already matched his previous high for TDs (14) and beat his personal best for yards (1,788 in 2012) and attempts (259 in 2012). After losing RB Silas Redd to USC in the wake of their scandal, PSU has been unable to establish a rushing game (ranked 78th in yards per game). The defense is led by Senior LB Mike Mauti with 65 tackles and has also contributed 2.5 sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
This one will come down to the Nittany defense and whether they can control Miller. Since he is banged up, I’m going to assume they can keep him in check. Penn State 20, Ohio State 17
#11 Mississippi State at #1 Alabama, 8:30pm ESPN
I hate writing about Alabama. I guess it’s because it’s just the same old story over and over. You could read a Crimson Tide game preview from last week, last month or last season and it’s the same: steady QB play, bruising RBs and a stout defensive loaded with rookie NFL starters. So, since we already know ‘Bama’s story, let’s talk about the Mississippi State Bulldogs, since many of you may not know much about them.
The Bulldogs have gotten spectacular play out of Junior QB Tyler Russell. He has thrown for 15 TDs and just one interception. He’s ranked 27th in passer rating in the nation, which is impressive since he is averaging just 29 attempts per game, and facing SEC defenses every week, when many of the top guys have 30+. RB LaDarius Perkins has 724 yards and eight TDs so far this season. The defense is their best unit and the Bulldogs boast the top ranked team nationally in turnover margin. They have 21 total takeaways, led by four picks each from Jonathan Banks and Darius Slay. Freshman LB Benardrick McKinney leads the team in tackles, which seemingly never happens, with 55.
Alabama has a tough matchup next week against #6 LSU, and the Bulldog defense may be able to catch QB AJ McCarron and company looking ahead. I expect a late defensive play like a pick-six or a safety to seal it for Mississippi State. Mississippi State 16, Alabama 7
