College Football Questions and Answers: Week 13

1.) I finally hit on my “Texas Tech is going down” mantra. Missed on the final margin though- I picked OU by a couple. What I really meant was OU by almost four dozen. The Sooners got loads of pressure on Graham Harrell sacking him three times, hurrying him all game, and shutting down yards after the catch.

The real difference in the game was running the football. Oklahoma was able to get a stunning 299 yards running on the ground while Texas Tech could manage only 45. Scarier still was OU’s balance on offense- 299 on the ground, 326 through the air.

If OU can beat Oklahoma State in Stillwater, they’ll likely jump Texas claiming the Big XII tiebreaker (to get into the Big XII Championship game) and then punch their ticket to Miami.

2.) The Ohio State-Michigan game was even more lopsided than I thought it would be. I remember well the dominance of Michigan in the 90’s and that dominance has come completely full circle with Ohio State now winning five in a row. Even assuming Michigan can find a freshman quarterback that can step in right away next year, they’ve got loads of holes to fill, including replacing most of the defense.

3.) I went conservative on picking Penn State by a few. Two turnovers for Michigan State and a career day for Daryll Clark led the way for a 49-18 Penn State victory. Now it’s a tough spot for the Nittany Lions- either a re-match with Oregon State or a date with USC, neither of which sound very appetizing.

4.) Utah finished up another undefeated season with a win over rival BYU. The Utes now will head to a BCS bowl, likely the Sugar Bowl, and probably against Alabama.

5.) Oregon State got a strong performance from Quarterback Sean Canfield in a win over Arizona. I thought Arizona could pull off the win, but their lack of a decent QB (aka Willie Tuitama) struck again. Even without Jacquizz (left early with an injury), OSU got just enough productivity and then got some crucial plays at the end of the 4th quarter that led to the game-winning field goal.

The Beavers are one win away from clinching the Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl to play Penn State. That win will put Ohio State out of the BCS so put on your day-glo green clothes- we’re Oregon Duck fans this week.

You’re welcome.