NCAA Football Week 12 Preview
A couple of things have been pretty steady over the years in the NCAA football. First, the Ohio State Buckeyes ruled the Big Ten. Second, the USC Trojans ruled the Pac 10.
Ohio State is still the top dog in the Big Ten, but this year USC is middle of the pack in the Pac 10.
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Arguably the two biggest college football betting games this Saturday involves four Pac 10 teams and not a single one of the four sports the nickname “Trojans”. That’s how competitive the Pac 10 has become this season.
In the bigger of the two Pac 10 games, the Oregon Ducks, who control their own destiny, travel to Tucson to take on the Arizona Wildcats. The Wildcats looked like winner on the road against California last weekend until quarterback Nick Foles made a very costly mistake.
In field goal position, Foles caught his own pass after it bounced off of another player. Then, he scrambled. Then, he threw the ball forward. That’s not legal and the Wildcats lost yards and the third down. So, Arizona had to go for it on 4 and 17th. They didn’t get it. California scored on the next play.
With the loss, Arizona, once again, is probably not going to the Rose Bowl. I say probably because a number of things would have to happen for Arizona to get into the 2010 Rose Bowl and not a single one of them, I believe, is likely too happen.
But the ‘Cats do have a shot to keep the Oregon Ducks out of the Rose Bowl when they play them this Saturday. Will Arizona be able to keep the reinstalled LeGarrette Blount from rushing all over them and piling up Oregon points? Not likely.
The Ducks are 6 point favorites in the college football sportsbook and most likely will keep it going against a porous Arizona defense and a shell shocked Arizona offense. Then again, maybe Blount goes postal again.
In the other Pac 10 game, the Stanford Cardinal take on the Jahvid Best-less California Golden Bears as 7 point favorites at home. The Cardinal is coming off of a 55 to 21 pasting of the USC Trojans in L.A. as 10 point favorites. Are they the best team in the Pac 10 right now? Probably, but the #17 ranked Stanford Cardinal suffered two straight losses to Oregon State and Arizona before their current three game winning streak.
That will probably keep them out of the Rose Bowl as well because even though they beat Oregon this season, they are a game behind the Ducks in the Pac 10 standings. Still, the destruction of USC was nice and Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh is well on his way to building a Pac 10 powerhouse.
Big Ten is Once Again All about Ohio State
The state of the Big Ten hasn’t changed since The Ohio State Buckeyes decided to take over the conference. This year was supposed to be different with both Penn State and Iowa looking exceptionally strong, but here we are, once again, with the Buckeyes on the verge of a Rose Bowl berth. 
Okay, I’m not being fair to Penn State who did play in the 2009 Rose Bowl, but come on, Big Ten! Seriously? A team that lost to 4 and 7 Purdue as 12 point favorites is going to play in the Rose Bowl?
Who am I to argue? Ohio State beat Penn State and beat Iowa and they should destroy the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor this Saturday. Michigan is a 12 point underdog and truth be told, unless the Wolverines find a way to beat Ohio State this Saturday, Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez might be looking for a job.
The citizens of Ann Arbor are not known for their patience and Coach Rod hasn’t been able to squeeze two or three more victories out of the Wolverines with his patented spread formation offense. Losing to Penn State and Wisconsin is forgivable but blowing it against Purdue and Illinois, who are a combined 7 and 14 straight-up, is not.
Coach Rod’s style may be better suited to the Pac 10, if there is an opening this off-season. There could very well be one at Arizona if the Wildcats end up losing their next three games against Oregon, Arizona State and USC. ‘Zona fans have grown tired of Coach Mike Stoops’ promises and Rodriguez’s style of pigskin would go over very well in Tucson.
Texas Better Beware of KU
The Texas Longhorns are on a roll. Since battling Oklahoma to a 16 to 13 victory in the Red River Rivalry, the Longhorns have gone 3 and 1 against the spread and have outscored their opponents 164 to 38.
Texas looks unbeatable and figure to march into the Big 12 Championship game without a scratch on their collective behinds. All appears on schedule for Texas to take on the SEC Championship game winner, either Florida or Alabama, in the BCS Championship which is why their game against the Kansas Jayhawks is so important this Saturday.
Kansas is a 28 point underdog to beat the Texas Longhorns. After all, the Jayhawks have lost five games in a row and are a mess of a team. Kansas was routed by Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Nebraska and lost straight-up to Kansas State as 1 ½ point favorites.
KU shouldn’t have a shot against Texas, but the Longhorns have been playing at such a high level that KU, who is still plenty talented, could sneak into Texas and punch the Longhorns in the mouth. In other words, Texas should be wary of Kansas which can still put up 40 points on any given Saturday.
We’re one week closer to the bowl season! Enjoy Week 12 in college football!
