Here we stand at week 6 of the college football season with plenty of highlights, headlines, and by my count... 13 legitimate national championship contenders. Yes you heard right, out of the one hundred and twenty-six football bowl subdivision (FBS) teams only 13 of them have legitimate national championship hopes, and that's with me being extremely generous. I know, what a bleak future! For someone like myself who eats, sleeps, and breathes college football I've reached a boiling point. The fact that not even halfway through the college football season less than 10% of the FBS has a legitimate national title shot is flat out ludicrous. However, the seasoned politician that has become the FBS has shifted the attention and in turn conversation to conference realignments. Hey, what better strategy to re-shape the controversial discussion of college football then change the main talking point and hope that it will drown out the voice of the people. Nice try but it won't be that easy. Without getting too in depth, there's only one argument I need to justify the necessity for an FBS/BCS playoff and it comes in the form of a small phrase-TAKE A LOOK AROUND, AND BECOME AWARE! The Bowl system continues to be exposed (see- every Sunday sports page, every Sunday), the people (fans, college administrations, and politicians) will always be chomping at the bit for the last piece of the puzzle in American organized sports, and the fundamental one of course- playoffs are the essence of sport. What more does a sports fan want than a tournament of champions between the best of the best, and for the cherry on top- the inevitable David v. Goliath match up where the underdog prevails and turns into the Cinderalla. A look at this year's MLB playoffs shines a bright light on the competitive brilliance playoffs bring along with them. Last weeks episode of HBO's Real Sports (must watch) motivated me to take a look at this perpetual sports debate but for different reasons than in the past, and I still come to the same conclusion as millions of others. I hope it's only a matter of time before the top takes action by listening to the majority of their constituents as oppose to serving their financial best interests.With that being said, here's What I'm Watching for this week's college football slate.
(3) Oklahoma v. (11) Texas High Noon ABC
Red River Rivalry. Both teams are undefeated and it's the 6th straight meeting both teams are ranked in the top 25.Voted top Rivalry Game in College Football by FBS coaches. Are the McCoy and Shipley families cloning their children? OU (-11) these games are always close, expect Landry Jones to have a day.... OU 31 Hook em' Horns 24
(17) Florida v. (1) LSU 3:30pm CBS
Always a great SEC match up- I think it's highly unlikely that it plays out that way this year. LSU (-14) is running on all cylinders right now and the Gators got rocked last week after scoring on their first play from scrimmage and proceeding to put up a dOnut thereafter. Remember when LSU was the talk of the town with a plethora of suspended players one being their staring QB??? Well they've silenced those critics and now the only talk they garner has to do with being the best team in the country. LSU rolls in this one, I might watch it sparingly with the hopes of seeing a nice Les Miles special teams trick play (it will be here soon, trust me).
(19) Maine v. (7) James Madison 3:30 CSN
Since I think the LSU v. FLA game will be a dud, and being wholeheartedly fed up with the FBS/BCS- I'm gonna make a statement here and go back to my FCS roots were college football is pure, natural, and there is in fact a playoff. The CAA is no question the SEC of the FCS (at least until they started dealing with attrition and realignment) anyways, this will be a great game with huge CAA implications. Both teams come in undefeated in conference play and I think James Madison is a national title contender but Maine always comes hard and prepared. JMU 28 Maine 24
(15) Auburn v. (10) Arkansas 7pm ESPN
Huge SEC match up with two evenly matched teams, this game is huge for Arkansas after already suffering a conference loss. Auburn has continued to show the resiliency and ability to finish football games that led them to an undefeated national championship last year. This game to me is a huge tone setter- Arkansas looses and they pretty much remove themselves from competing for the SEC West, Auburn is a 10 point underdog and a loss for them spells big trouble as they host Florida and then head to LSU in the next two weeks! This is literally a must win for both teams but I think Auburn's ability to close games gets them the win and stirs up talks about them being back on the radar. Auburn 38 Arkansas 35
(12) Michigan v. Northwestern 7pm Big Ten Network
It's the first test for Denard & Co. since the Fighting Irish came to town. Big Blue comes in with their highest rank since the 2007 preseason poll and a win will most likely catapult them to right around 9 or 10 in the next AP poll. Talk about leaps and bounds for a program? Right around this time last year I was at "The Big House" watching the Wolverines almost hand a game over to my FCS alma mater UMass. Northwestern is for real and will come in with their field general Dan Persa who is coming off a torn achilles last season. You rarely see this Northwestern team unprepared and expect them to be geared up after losing a tough one last week to Illinois. Northwestern 45 Big Blue 42
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