Curator Sam Burnham
Game of the Week
SEC Championship - Georgia vs Alabama
This may be the game of the year.These are the two best teams in the nation and they will be the two best teams after this game is over. To be honest, at this point, Clemson is the only team that can stay on the field with these two. The Tigers are the only team preventing this game from being the national championship game. Georgia can win this game. It requires a big day by their pass rush and their secondary to hold down Tua Tagovailoa. Alabama has won their last two games while really only playing in the second half. If they try that Saturday, Georgia will repeat as SEC Champs.

Upset Alert - A Two Alarm Week
Big XII Championship - Texas vs Oklahoma
This isn’t as big of an upset as people are playing it out to be. Texas beat them before and they’ll beat them again. Oklahoma has no defense whatsoever and it shows. The Longhorns will be ready and will handle their business.
SEC Championship - Georgia vs Alabama
I said Georgia can win and now I’m telling you they will. Georgia has a chip on their shoulder after last year’s game. They’ve got the horses to stay in this race and while I think you’ll see Jake Fromm putting up some numbers, Georgia will win this on the ground. Running the ball and controlling the tempo will help with controlling Tagovailoa and lead them to victory.

Coach Drew Burnham
Game of the Week
Big XII Championship - Texas vs Oklahoma
As a general rule, it is incredibly difficult to beat the same team twice in one season. That is even tougher to do if the first game was close. Add a top 5 rivalry to the mix? Almost impossible. This game should be full of fireworks. I just think that at the end of the day there are too many things adding up against Oklahoma including the pressure of holding on to that playoff spot for dear life. That is pressure that the Horns don’t have to deal with. Look for this one to be a high scoring affair to the bitter end again with the Longhorns making just one more play late.
​
Upset Alert
The American Conference Championship - Memphis vs UCF
​See “Game of the Week” about how hard it is to beat the same team twice in a year. That was a 1-point game in October. The Memphis offense has only grown more volatile since putting 490 yards and 30 points on the Knights. That attack will carry them through this game. Look for Darrell Henderson (1699 yards, 19 touchdowns) to carry the ball 30+ times in a Tiger attempt to manage the clock and keep the UCF offense off the field. I missed this upset by a single point last time I picked it, I can’t be wrong twice right?

Curator’s Picks
Utah vs Washington
Louisiana-Lafayette vs Appy
Texas vs Oklahoma
UAB vs MT
Stanford vs Cal
Memphis vs UCF
Alabama vs Georgia
Fresno State vs Boise State
Northwestern vs Ohio State
Clemson vs Pittsburgh

Coach’s Picks
Utah vs Washington
Louisiana-Lafayette vs Appy
Texas vs Oklahoma
UAB vs MT
Stanford vs Cal
Memphis vs UCF
Alabama vs Georgia
Fresno State vs Boise State
Northwestern vs Ohio State
Clemson vs Pittsburgh

Curator Sam Burnham
Game of the Week
Apple Cup - Washington @ Washington State
When choosing what I think will be the best game on Rivalry Weekend, I'm looking at the choices. Georgia hosting Tech, Michigan facing an Ohio State team who looks woefully unprepared for the challenge, Auburn headed to Tuscaloosa. So I look out west and see a game with playoff implications. I see The Huskies from Seattle crossing the Cascades to face the face the Cougars on the Polouse. This of it as the Country Cat and the City Dog. But seriously, watch for Mike Leach's Air Raid offense, which Gardner Minshew is running flawlessly, to be a huge challenge for the Huskies. I also expect the Huskies will come prepared. The winner faces Utah in the PAC-12 Championship Game. For the Cougars, a win is another step toward a playoff appearance. Friday's 8:30 kickoff is a chance to get their team in front of the committee. In the end, Minshew makes a Heisman bid, the Cougars make a playoff bid, and the Huskies try to ruin both.

Upset Alert
Florida @ Florida State
Right now everyone in Tallahassee is ready to fire Willie Taggart. This game could help get things going in the right direction. Beating Florida, becoming bowl eligible for the 37th consecutive year, and having the seniors graduate having never lost to the Gators would all be wins for Taggart at this point. The Gators come in nationally ranked, still looking at major bowl possibilities and need this one to make a late season statement. But Florida has been inconsistent in a Jekyll & Hyde fashion. They looked strong against LSU but lost by 21 to Missouri at home. If they take Jekyll to Tallahassee, Osceola is going to hurt his feelings. 

Curator’s Picks

​Mississippi State @ Mississippi
Oklahoma @ West Virginia
Washington @ Washington State
Florida @ Florida State
Georgia Tech @ Georgia
Michigan @ Ohio State
NC State @ UNC
Auburn @ Alabama
LSU @ TAMU
Notre Dame @ Southern Cal

Coach’s Picks

​Mississippi State @ Mississippi
Oklahoma @ West Virginia
Washington @ Washington State
Florida @ Florida State
Georgia Tech @ Georgia
Michigan @ Ohio State
NC State @ UNC
Auburn @ Alabama
LSU @ TAMU
Notre Dame @ Southern Cal

Curator Sam Burnham
​Game of the Week

This is a tough category this week. With the leaders all filling their schedules with cupcakes for a preparation for Rivalry Week, it's hard to hype up games featuring The Citadel or UMass. It's embarrassing and the teams should be ashamed of themselves. You want to start a season with some small school that's fine. But your fans, the pollsters, the Playoff Committee, the TV networks, the players, and, most of all, the dignity of the sport deserve better. Quit being cowards and make a real schedule. 
That being said:
West Virginia @ Oklahoma State
The Mountaineers have a few big weeks ahead of them. If they can finish strong and get a little help, they'll be playoff bound. But that means going to Stillwater and taking care of business. Mike Gundy is going to have his Cowpokes and his disdain for Twitter and over 40 years of manliness ready. I like defense, so this is a tough choice but I also like no-nonsense coaches and good teams that can throw a monkey wrench in the plans of powerhouses. This should be a fin game to watch. 


Upset Alert
Syracuse vs Notre Dame @ Yankee Stadium
The Orangemen (quit being silly) are the surprise of the season. At 8-2 this is a team that has done more than change the culture, they've been reborn. They gave both Clemson and Pitt all they wanted. With only those two losses, they head to New York City to play Notre Dame in the "Shamrock Series" which is a bit of a gimmick and y'all know I hate gimmicks. History tells us that Notre Dame throws one at the end of the season - Boston College, etc. Let's face it, they aren't going to be throwing anything except touchdowns against Southern Cal. So it is this week or never. Add to all that a questionable Ian Book - the Irish need a healthy field general in this one - and the pieces are in place. This is a very good Syracuse team. I don't think they know they're supposed to be intimidated by Notre Dame and, therefore, won't be. This should be a great one. I'm not making any guarantees but the Irish are officially on watch.
​ 

Northwestern @ Minnesota
NC State @ Louisville
Syracuse @ Notre Dame
Missouri @ Tennessee
Southern Cal @ UCLA
West Virginia @ Oklahoma State
Wisconsin @ Purdue
UAB @ Texas A&M
Duke @ Clemson
Arizona @ Washington State

Northwestern @ Minnesota
NC State @ Louisville
Syracuse @ Notre Dame
Missouri @ Tennessee
Southern Cal @ UCLA
West Virginia @ Oklahoma State
Wisconsin @ Purdue
UAB @ Texas A&M
Duke @ Clemson
Arizona @ Washington State

Curator Sam Burnham
Game of the Week
Auburn @ Georgia
This game may not have all the meaning that it usually has. Win or lose, Georgia goes to Atlanta. Win or lose, Auburn doesn't. But this is the Deep South's oldest rivalry. This one was first played in 1892 and has been played annually since 1919. This game is never meaningless. The rivalry itself is enough to motivate these two teams. Georgia fans are calling for a Blackout, which worked once against Auburn but after they tried it against Alabama, those black jerseys should have been piled up in the middle of the North Quad and burned. I expect to see red jerseys and a Georgia victory but Auburn isn't going to just roll over. 

Upset Alert
Ohio State @ Michigan State
The Buckeyes are in a position to make the playoff if they just win out. Finish with that one loss, capping it off with wins over Michigan and the Big Ten Championship Game and they are certainly in. But their season has been surrounded by chaos. An abusive assistant led to a scandal for their head coach who has now revealed some serious health problems. They got smashed at Purdue and then they squeaked past 2-7 Nebraska. This is a dead team walking, perhaps even stumbling into East Lansing. And Sparty is waiting their, licking his chops. 

Curator’s Picks
Ohio State @ Sparty
Ole Miss @ A&M
Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma
Kentucky @ Tennessee
Mississippi State @ Alabama
Purdue @ Minnesota
Washington State @ Colorado
Auburn @ Georgia
Texas @ Texas Tech
Clemson @ Boston College

Coach’s Picks
​Ohio State @ Sparty
Ole Miss @ A&M
Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma
Kentucky @ Tennessee
Mississippi State @ Alabama
Purdue @ Minnesota
Washington State @ Colorado
Auburn @ Georgia
Texas @ Texas Tech
Clemson @ Boston College