Juices are flowing across the country as college rivals square off in the last, big weekend of the regular season. Here are my picks for five games to watch.
#12 Wisconsin @ #8 Minnesota
Spread: Wisconsin by 3
In this year’s edition of the most-played rivalry in the FBS, which is tied 60-60-8 all-time, the winner will get the chance to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Wisconsin has bounced back from their midseason two-game slump. The Badgers have faltered a bit on defense, but the offense has only looked better as the weeks have gone on. Jonathan Taylor has eclipsed 200 yards rushing in all of his last three games.
For the Gophers, Tanner Morgan continues to play very well. With one of the most dangerous receiving corps in the B1G, Minnesota can challenge Wisconsin’s good secondary. Even though both teams play solid defense, this game could easily flip the script and become a shootout.
How each defense handles the other team’s big weapons will ultimately decide this game. However, the Gophers have one key advantage: Wisconsin thrives on winning the time of possession battle. But with Minnesota being a pass-heavy team, they may not care how long the Badgers hold on to the ball.
I think Morgan will be able to make the throws to answer Wisconsin’s long drives, and Minnesota will win the Axe behind his arm.
Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 24
#5 Alabama @ #15 Auburn
Spread: Alabama by 3
With Mac Jones leading the charge, Alabama will need to play a clean game to exit Jordan-Hare with their CFP hopes intact.
Jones has looked good in his starts, but he remains untested. Thankfully, with the three-headed monster of Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, and DeVonta Smith, he may only need to be a “game manager” to have success. But I think it’ll be Najee Harris’ performance that will decide Alabama’s fate in this one. A major factor in UGA’s victory over Auburn was D’Andre Swift averaging over six yards-per-carry.
Auburn can make Jones feel the pressure that he has never seen before. Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson are fantastic, and although Alabama’s pass protection is very good, it has not faced a defensive line has dangerous as Auburn’s. As usual, Auburn’s fate also lies in how well Bo Nix performs.
I think Auburn’s ability to pressure Jones will be the key in this game. In one of the lowest spreads in the Nick Saban era, I’m going to cave and pick Auburn to win outright.
Auburn 27, Alabama 24
Colorado @ #6 Utah
Spread: Utah by 28
With a 28-point spread, it may seem questionable to choose this game as one of the weekend’s games to watch. However, with USC’s win over UCLA, Utah has to win this game to make the Pac-12 Championship. And if we learned anything from Oregon, the last thing you want to do is ignore a 5-win team in November.
The reason why Utah needs to be extra-careful for this game is that Colorado (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) just beat a good Washington team. They’re also motivated to get to a bowl game. It would be understandable for Utah to overlook their rivals from Boulder.
Regardless, I don’t think Colorado has much of a chance. Utah has dominated at the line of scrimmage in most of their games, and the duo of Huntley and Moss should be too much for a pedestrian CU defense. Still, I think that CU will do better than expected early, and Utah will eventually pull away without covering the massive spread.
Utah 35, Colorado 17
#7 Oklahoma @ #21 Oklahoma State
Spread: Oklahoma by 13.5
With Oregon going down, the CFP door has suddenly swung open for the Sooners. Of course, that would only give OSU more motivation to play spoiler for their rivals from Norman.
I honestly don’t understand why the spread is so large in OU’s favor. The Sooners have struggled in most of their conference games, and the Cowboys have the weapons to challenge Oklahoma. Heisman candidate Chuba Hubbard leads the nation in rushing yards, and he’ll have extra motivation to have a career night to land a spot in New York.
The key for the ‘Pokes is how well backup QB Dru Brown plays. Brown had a good career at Hawaii, and he performed well against WVU last week. With a stud like Hubbard to hand off the ball, I think Brown will have ample time to settle in.
OU’s offense is dangerous. Oklahoma State probably can’t keep them under 40, but I also don’t see the Cowboys being held under 30 themselves. I expect a close game in Bedlam, but Hurts will ultimately be too much for OSU. He’ll win it in the final minutes.
Oklahoma 42, Oklahoma State 34
GAME OF THE WEEK
#1 Ohio State @ #13 Michigan
Spread: Ohio State by 9.5
This may be the closest game between these two since 2016. Michigan has been on the upswing. Shea Patterson has been masterful in his last two games, throwing nine touchdowns and passing for 750 yards.
But the Buckeyes have several clear advantages. For one, Michigan has not shown an ability to run the ball consistently, and being one-dimensional will kill the Wolverines. With Fields and Dobbins, Ohio State also has more weapons on offense than Michigan has seen all year.
I think this will be a lower-scoring game than many expect. In the end, Ohio State’s balance will be the key. Patterson will keep the Wolverines in the game, but the Buckeyes have too much for Michigan. Ohio State will escape Ann Arbor with a win and an undefeated regular season.
Ohio State 27, Michigan 20
