By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports activities
It’s rivalry week. However the Large 12’s schedulers didn’t get the message.
Arizona at Arizona State is the one historic rivalry recreation on the docket, though Colorado and Kansas State play once more for the second 12 months in a row in a renewal of their previous feud.
The remainder of the league options “common” matchups which can be emblematic of the expanded convention. For groups within the West, Utah performs at Kansas, and BYU hosts UCF.
I preview all these video games right here and provides a “look in” on the different matchups within the Large 12.
No. 13 Utah at Kansas
Friday, November 28
9:00 a.m. PT, ESPN
Utah’s possibilities of making the Playoff are exceedingly slim, however not utterly destroyed.
If final week was a wakeup name within the model factors division, this week is the ultimate alarm. The Utes have to impress the Committee with a transparent and convincing victory.
Kansas has a good group with a quarterback who can deal.
Jalon Daniels is having a superb season, throwing for 21 touchdowns to simply 4 interceptions with one other three scores on the bottom. He’s the guts and soul of KU’s program, and the Jayhawks want the win to succeed in bowl eligibility.
The KU fanbase is beginning to develop anxious with Lance Leipold, too, upping the ante for the stakes of the sport. Theoretically, a blowout Utah win may be the straw that breaks the camel’s again and forces the Kansas administration to make a change.
The Utes ought to be capable to transfer the ball with their environment friendly run recreation. Coming into the competition with the highest speeding offense within the Large 12 and matched up towards the third-worst run protection within the league, the analytics favor Utah.
However turnovers might be game-changing, and it will be unwise to miss Kansas. The sport may be tighter than some count on, even with Utah’s observe file of blowing out the middle-tier groups within the Convention.
No. 25 Arizona at No. 20 Arizona State
Friday, November 28
6:00 p.m. PT, FOX
In probably the most anticipated Territorial Cup in a decade, the Solar Devils and Wildcats face off in a Prime 25 matchup.
Kenny Dillingham ought to run the ball down Arizona’s throat. Defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales has engineered one of many prime passing defenses within the nation. However stopping the run is a wholly completely different story.
All season, opponents have damaged their tendencies to run the ball towards UA’s uncommon formations. Houston pounded the rock repeatedly with nice success, creating the sport plan for Dillingham to repeat.
Jeff Sims is the perfect quarterback to function the kind of performs which have been profitable towards the Wildcats this 12 months. Unable to decelerate QBs that run and bordering on incompetence in stopping the normal run recreation, the Arizona protection is weak.
Maybe Gonzales cooks up some completely different appears to be like and persistently dials up play calls particularly designed for runs. If he does that, it may depart the UA corners on an island and prone to giving up chunk performs excessive.
But when the Wildcats can fairly cease the run and forestall dagger throws downfield, the Arizona offense may rating sufficient factors to get the win.
Colorado at Kansas State
Saturday, November 29
9:00 a.m. PT, FS1
It’s been a horrible season for Deion Sanders and the Buffs.
No person was predicting a repeat of final 12 months, however the expectations have been increased than a three-win season. The one solution to positively spin the scenario is to label it as a constructing 12 months for Julian Lewis.
Even that might be thought of a stretch, although, with experiences indicating Lewis will protect his redshirt and sit out the ultimate recreation of the season. If he hits the switch portal over the offseason, it will likely be the definition of a “misplaced 12 months” for Colorado.
Matched up towards a Kansas State group needing a win to succeed in bowl eligibility, the sport may get ugly.
Slowing down Avery Johnson is essential, particularly after the Wildcats ran wild on Utah’s protection final week.
It’s most likely going to take just a few pressured turnovers for CU to maintain the sport aggressive. The Vegas oddsmakers agree, with the road at present hovering round 17 factors.
For Sanders and his roster, the 12 months can’t finish quickly sufficient.
UCF at No. 11 BYU
Saturday, November 29
10:00 a.m. PT, ESPN2
Control what you’ll be able to management.
That must be Kalani Sitake’s message to his group within the remaining recreation of the 12 months. And what are you able to management? The ultimate rating on the finish of the sport.
Operating it up is likely one of the few methods to realize the respect of the Playoff Committee. They don’t care that BYU has only a single loss and a greater power of file than most of the groups above them within the rankings.
So, the one logical response is to utterly crush your opponents. It’s a lesson that Sitake and the Cougars are studying the exhausting method. Run it up. It’s what you need to do.
UCF is a horrible street group that has but to win a recreation exterior of Orlando this season. The Knights do want the victory to grow to be bowl eligible, nonetheless. And this matchup in Provo is their remaining likelihood to appropriate their wrongs.
In that sense, Scott Frost’s group goes to go away all of it on the sphere, and BYU have to be prepared.
Even so, the Cougars have superior models on either side of the ball and will dominate. It’s time to point out the Committee how good this group actually is.
The Remainder of the Large 12
Texas Tech travels to West Virginia as heavy favorites. You by no means know the way the Committee will react, however a win towards the Mountaineers may assure a spot within the Playoff.
It will be a criminal offense to go away TTU out in the event that they find yourself shedding within the Large 12 Championship Sport.
It’s attainable, although, and don’t put it previous the Committee to make that call.
Nevertheless it feels unlikely, and the Crimson Raiders may lock themselves into the Playoff with a victory in Morgantown.
Cincinnati goes on the street to tackle TCU in Fort Price.
The groups are at reverse ends of the momentum spectrum. The Bearcats have fallen aside whereas the Horned Frogs regained juice after beating Houston final week.
The showdown encompasses a quarterback battle between Brendan Sorsby and Josh Hoover.
It’s an odd matchup for the ultimate recreation of the common season that must have been performed in the midst of the 12 months.
Houston faces a Baylor group needing a win to succeed in bowl eligibility.
The Bears have been proper within the recreation with Arizona till the center of the fourth quarter, and the Cougars can’t take a look at the ultimate rating and take the sport evenly.
The oddsmakers even have Baylor as the favourite, indicating how troublesome of recreation it will likely be for Willie Fritz’s group.
No less than the Large 12’s scheduling masters acquired this matchup form of proper, giving us a brand new age rivalry recreation on rivalry week.
Iowa State performs Oklahoma State in Stillwater with an opportunity to succeed in eight wins.
The Cyclones have dramatically underperformed within the latter half of the 12 months. As soon as considered the cream of the crop within the Large 12, ISU can nonetheless finish the 12 months on a profitable be aware.
The Cowboys are a dumpster fireplace, though momentum has lastly shifted with the announcement of Eric Morris as their subsequent head coach.
Maybe the Pokes can shock the world with a win.
Miller covers School Basketball and School Soccer in addition to Formulation 1 racing as a Senior Author and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports activities.
