Last week of College Football & Games that matter

What a crazy week of college football. More conference shuffling and this morning it soon becomes official Louisville will be off to the ACC.  This morning the ACC issued a threat to the Big East that if they lose anymore team they will be back for more! Before we dive into all that lets look at the games that matter for Bronco Nation this final week.

Thursday we have what is bill as the Big East Championship Louisville at Rutgers neither team is ranked and both now are leaving the Big East so they only outcome that matters to me is the one that gives someone else the opportunity to win the conference. A  Rutgers loss will help Boise State with the putters and hurt Kent State if they should beat N. Illinois than a Louisville one so go Cardinals.

Friday nights a huge night for Bronco Nation and the really good news is most the nation might watch about an hour of the no defense MAC league. By 8 pm all football fans outside Kent State University and N. Illinois. Even more good news is by the 4^th quarter most of those tuning in from Kent State will be turning off their sets as well. At 8 pm est. 99.9999999999% of college football fans will be turning their TV’s to  FOX for the main event of the evening UCLA vs. Stanford. I will say this about UCLA and the BCS I find it a bit troubling that a team who lost at home by 17 not only didn’t fall in the poll but actually moved up a spot in the BCS, for now I will chalk that up to a SNFU.

The biggest question of this back to back rematch from last weekend where Stanford smashed UCLA at the Rose Bowl 35-17, who was the one holding back for the rematch? While some might say it was UCLA  seeing how they already had their spot in the PAC 12 championship game. I say it was both even though Stanford had to win the game to get into the game, UCLA didn’t want to face the Duck so they laid up early and often. However because they game was over mid-way through the 3^rd Stanford was never threatened and never had to pull out any stops.

While it is hard to beat a team twice in any given year UCLA doesn’t have the muscle to take down Stanford. Look for Stanford to power over early and often UCLA putting this game away in much the same fashion as they did last week.

With a Kent State and UCLA loss there becomes no doubt there will be a BCS buster the only question now is who N. Illinois or Boise State. With a few more games to review that will impact that question let’s get them out of the way first.

Oklahoma @ TCU, this is a trap game for Oklahoma. This is not the TCU team of two years ago let alone last year and with the loss of their QB early this season it has taken a while for the entire team to jelly and jelly they have. Beating Texas last week 20-13 in Austin wasn’t just a huge win it was a huge confidence booster. OU is coming off a hard fought home win over OSU, going into the Frog Horn den is going to prove to be too much. There are two possible outcomes to this game a hardened TCU defense with an explosive offense which leads to the unexpected blow out or a up and down game with the home team squeaking out a win. While I can see Gary Paterson opening it up and not playing the game close to the vest after last week’s win over Texas. History shows in the big games he calls the offense more tight then loose so I expect the latter a close game.

Oklahoma State vs. Baylor is important simple because Boise State can use all the help they can get with the computers and a loss by OSU will help. That’s not why I’m picking Baylor. I’m taking Baylor because teams don’t do well coming off losses like OSU had against OU last week and Baylor still have much to prove and the ability to do it at home.

Texas @ Kansas State a K-State win helps Boise State in many ways one with human voters still holding Texas ahead of Boise State on their Ballots and with the computers. Either way Kansas has too much power and too much QB for Texas and will handily beat a Texas team that just got beat down at home by former MWC member TCU.

While some talking heads believe that both UCLA and Florida state both need to lose as well as Texas for any non-AQ to get a shot, I don’t buy into the FSU part of this equation as well though FSU is coming off a gut wrenching loss to Florida I don’t see the Yellow Jackets having what it takes to upset FSU, not saying it can’t happen but I wouldn’t bet on it.

#12 Nebraska vs. Wisconsin B1G championship game.  Here is the game that will burst all bubbles. Lets be frank the B1G hasn’t been a quality conference for a long time and that doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon. Wisconsin is the better team, however again I have to add the caveat this is the B1G we are talking about and one never knows if Jim Delany will be making a call to the head of B1G officiating  expressing his will that Wisconsin not go back to the rose bowl for a 4^th time  in 4 years. It really doesn’t matter who wins but the fact is Wisconsin should school the QB’less cornhuskers team.

Believe it or not this next game may matter more then most above. South Alabama at Hawaii bot team stink and seeing how this one might help with .01 of a point in Boise State’s computer ratings I’m going Hawaii!

Finally the game that matters and the one ESPN has decided I will have to pay to see .

Boise State @ Nevada. Boise State has dominated this match up from the very beginning only losing to the Pack once it just so happen to be one that really mattered. That being said they have always played some very pressure packed exiting games other than last year.  The Wolf Pack have been winning their games by outscoring their opponents as they are only ranked 97

Stefphon Jefferson has piled up the yardage this year with 1564 and 20 TD’s oddly enough he’s only had 663 at home. Receiving isn’t his strong point either with only 175 yds. Wyoming, Air Force and Fresno are the only teams to keep him under 100 yards this year and he’s piled up a ton of yards against weak competition so I don’t know how much to read in to this.

With their pathetic defense which has giving up tons of yards rushing I look for D.J. Harper and Jay Ajayi to rip it up. With the power run game Boise State has now at its disposal Nevada will be forced to put 8 in the box so Mr. Miller, Baldewijn and Burks should have a great game as should Potter and the Dallas brothers both is Senior is ready to come back which I heard is possible.

Keys to this game for Boise State is Defense, can Samuel, Lawrence, Grimes, Koontz, Beau, Percy and Tommy Smith hold the middle while Gavins, Taylor, Simmons, Ioane and Taylor contain the edges and passing game. I think they will. With a mostly nationwide audience looking in and a possible BCS game on the line I see a blood bath in the Wolf Packs future.  52-17 Boise State.