I’ll admit it- despite my political opinions, my pulse quickened when Barack Obama mentioned the need for an eight-team playoff in college football. Fortunately for America, he didn’t stop there. According to an AP report Sunday, Obama pressed the issue once more in a 60 minutes interview (to be aired Sunday). Obama said:

“If you’ve got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there’s no clear decisive winner. We should be creating a playoff system.”

He added:

“So, I’m going to throw my weight around a little bit. I think it’s the right thing to do.”

To that I say Godspeed Mr. Obama. Finally an effective politician standing up for something I believe in (most of the Republican party has abandoned me after all). Bring it on!

As Saturdays go, this Saturday is pretty weak. Only one game involving two ranked teams, and aside from some payback games, not a whole lot else. Don’t let that lull you to sleep though, that’s when the upsets happen.

Weather will start to be a factor in games (it’s November after all). Here’s the forecast for several of the games this weekend:

1.) Can Spurrier get a victory at the Swamp? South Carolina comes into Gainesville winning 6 of the last 7, but Florida enters the game as the hottest team in the country, having already clinched a spot in the SEC Championship game against Alabama. Florida has to win out to reach the National Championship game, a point Tim Tebow and the Gators likely heard frequently this week. South Carolina needs to finish strong this season, after a disappointing end last year (lost their last five).

I expect Florida to win but I think South Carolina can cover the 21 point spread. Incidentally, Mike Bianchi in the Orlando Sentinel calls the game a “win-win” for the Gators.

2.) Can Ohio State exact revenge on Illinois? Illinois was the sole regular season loss for the Buckeyes last year in a game where Juice Williams played out of his mind. Illinois is even more Jekyl & Hyde this season with the offense leading the conference in total offense and also interceptions given up. They’ll need a near flawless game like last year to put up the win.

The game has a strange feel for the Buckeyes. The annual finale against Michigan doesn’t have the same flavor what with Michigan sucking and all, so this is the competitive finale and a must win if they want to share the conference title with Penn State and/or Michigan State.

The Buckeyes are coming off a dominant performance last week against Northwestern where both the offense and defense performed well. Unfortunately, Ohio State has been a little Jeckyl & Hyde this season as well, often following up good performances with mediocre ones.

I like Ohio State to win because Illinois doesn’t have a running game (aka Rashard Mendenhall) and Juice can’t possibly go the entire 60 minutes without a pick(knocking on ever table in the house). I do like Illinois to cover the 8-point spread at home though.

3.) Can Kansas keep it close against Texas? I don’t think so. Kansas is a beaten poodle having lost three of the last four and giving up a couple thousand yards, including a loss to Nebraska last week. They’re only one game behind Missouri in the Big XII North, but don’t look to be a team that can be counted on. They’ll need a huge game from QB Todd Reesing to keep pace with Texas who should put up 40-50.

Even with a loss, Texas still has a good shot at getting into the National Championship and I expect the Longhorns to play well. Texas is favored by 13 and I like them by at least that much.

4.) Will Stanford upset USC for a second year in a row? No. USC may suffer from the apathy bug every once in awhile but they won’t tonight. Even if the offense isn’t firing (it will), the USC defense will once again control the game and dominate the Cardinal.

It may be a case of blue-bowls (clever, I know) for Stanford who is one win away from being bowl eligible. They must either beat the Trojans this week or Cal next week to go bowling for the first time since 2001.

5.) Will Mississippi State upset # 1 Alabama? No. It’s definitely a trap game for a young Crimson Tide team, coming off an emotionally-draining win over LSU last week, and with Florida looming in the SEC Championship game. Still, it’s at home for ‘Bama and MSU just isn’t that good. The Bulldogs three wins have come against Southeastern Louisiana, Vanderbilt, and Middle Tennessee State. I like Alabama in a close game.

6.) Will Troy upset LSU? Maybe. LSU could be flat after the crushing loss to Alabama last week. They also continue to struggle in the QB department with Jarrett Lee having a horrific game last week (eight interceptions in last three games).

Troy has a decent defense (37th nationally in total D), but will need some turnovers to pull of the upset. LSU is favored by 19 so clearly Vegas isn’t too concerned. I’m feeling generous/wreckless so I’m going with Troy in a November shocker.

You’re welcome.