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This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. The combination of Thanksgiving and three days of college football is a tough one to beat. Notre Dame travels to the Farm to face Stanford on Saturday night but there are plenty of other games to watch while we wait for the Irish to claim the PAC 12 title.
We have a lot of games to discuss this week so I will get to it.
If any of you are looking for full TV schedules I suggest the link below.
Matt recently added a drop down menu that allows you to choose your time zone. *All times listed below are EST.
Rankings are per the BCS Standings
Thursday November 28th
Texas Tech (7-4) at Texas (7-3) 7:30 FOX Sports 1
I always enjoyed the Texas vs. Texas A&M games on Thanksgiving weekend when I was growing up. Subbing in Texas Tech just isn't quite the same. This could actually end up being an entertaining game to watch. The rumor mill says Mack Brown will announce his "retirement" early next week. We'll see...
Ole Miss (7-4) at Mississippi State (5-6 ) 8:00 ESPN
The Egg Bowl! Ole Miss will likely take home the Golden Egg for another year.
Friday November 29th
Iowa (7-4) at Nebraska (8-3) 12:00 ABC
Back in 2011 someone decided to start calling this one The Heroes Game. After they get done recognizing some of the fine citizens of Iowa and Nebraska Corn will need to grab a win to help save Bo Pelini's job. Kirk Ferentz certainly doesn't need it; he's already hit his win quota for the year.
SMU (5-5) at Houston (7-4) 12:00 ESPN2
Neither of these former Southwest Conference foes made the cut for the Big 12 but they still get to knock heads in the AAC!
Arkansas (3-8) at #17 LSU (8-3) 2:30 CBS
The Battle for the Golden Boot probably won't be much of a battle this year. I need to make it to a game in Red Stick at some point. That is one scene that I definitely need to see in person.
Miami FL (8-3) at Pittsburgh (6-5) 3:30 ABC
I miss the Backyard Brawl. That was a fine name for a rivalry game. Damn you conference realignment! The cold weather could be the spark that helps Pitt pull the upset and become bowl eligible. Hurricane players are already hiding extra Under Armour in their travel bags.
Washington State (6-5) at Washington (7-4) 3:30 FOX
The Apple Cup has the potential to turn into an entertaining game this year. I can't even remember the last time that both teams came into this game with winning records.
#16 Fresno State (10-0) at San Jose State (5-6) 3:30 CBS Sports
David Fales and the Spartans will have to knock off Derek Carr and the undefeated Bulldogs to go bowling. That isn't likely.
Oregon State (6-5) at #13 Oregon (9-2) 7:00 FOX
The winner of The Civil War takes home the Platypus Trophy. That makes total sense right? The Beavers mailed it in a month ago after a tough loss to Stanford. Now that Webfoot U got smacked around at Arizona last weekend this game is relatively meaningless for both teams. I'm thinking that the Ducks are likely to take out their frustrations on the hapless Beavers. Now that I said that Oregon State will run away with it. College football!
USF (2-8) at UCF (9-1) 8:00 ESPN
This will get ugly.
Saturday November 30th
#3 Ohio State (11-0) at Michigan (7-4) 12:00 ABC
The Game. Congrats on sharing that one with Stanford and Cal! Oh wait they call theirs the Big Game. Game, Big Game, whatever. tOSU should cruise in this one. How did Notre Dame find a way to lose to Michigan again?
#2 Florida State (11-0) at Florida (4-7) 12:00 ESPN
The Sunshine Showdown is likely going to get out of hand in a hurry. Florida is just plain bad. Florida folks keep saying that Muschamp's job is safe but I can't imagine they are going to be too happy if the Noles hang 50 on them. The Seminoles have looked like a BCS Championship contender all season. At least they do with Winston under center...
#24 Duke (9-2) at North Carolina (6-5) 12:00 ESPN2
The Tarheels are the last team standing between Duke and an ACC Coastal Championship. That's pretty cool.
Kansas State (6-5) at Kansas (3-8) 12:00 FOX Sports 1
The Governor's Cup will be on the line when Bill Snyder and Chuck Weis lock horns on Saturday.
Minnesota (8-3) at #11 Michigan State (10-1) 12:00 Big Ten
The Gophers had a nice run going before Wiscy gave them a little dose of reality last weekend. I suspect that Sparty will give Minny more of the same.
Grambling (1-10) at Southern (7-4) 2:30 NBC
Ahhhhh yes, the Bayou Classic. Is Grambling going to show up to play this one? Someone give me a heads up when the halftime show starts.
Georgia (7-4) at Georgia Tech (7-4) 3:30 ABC
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Now that's how you name a rivalry game. With all of Georgia's 22 starters on crutches the Jackets might be able to pull this off.
#1 Alabama (11-0) at #4 Auburn (10-1) 3:30 CBS
The ESSSSEEEESSEEEE master plan is coming together in the Iron Bowl. Auburn will upset Bama at Jordan-Hare setting up a re-match between #1 Auburn and #2 Alabama in the BCS Championship. Of course Bama will win the re-match and another crystal football for Saban. Why does that feel so inevitable?
Penn State (6-5) at #15 Wisconsin (9-2) 3:30 ESPN
I just don't care.
#9 Baylor (9-1) at TCU (4-7) 3:30 ESPN2
Ohhhhh Baylor, it was fun while it lasted. Despite playing one another for more than a century these two teams never bothered to give this rivalry a name, a trophy or anything else cool. Regardless Baylor should bounce back here.
Virginia Tech (7-4) at Virginia (2-9) 3:30 ESPNU
The Commonwealth Cup. I briefly considered going to this game but I decided that freezing to death and having to watch ND vs. Stanford on a delay just wasn't going to be worth it. Instead I'll be watching with my Hokie fanatic brother-in-law from his man cave in Blacksburg.
Tennessee (4-7) at Kentucky (2-9) 7:00 ESPNU
These two teams used to play for a wooden beer barrel trophy in the Battle for the Barrel. Apparently in the late 90's someone decided that a beer barrel wasn't something that student athletes should be competing for. Lame. Now the winner just takes home bragging rights.
Notre Dame (8-3) at #8 Stanford (9-2) 7:00 FOX
The Legends Trophy will be on the line when Notre Dame takes the field at Stanford Stadium on Saturday Night. If the Irish can win this one they will be the unofficial PAC 12 champs. Full previews are on the way.
Clemson (10-1) at South Carolina (9-2) 7:00 ESPN2
The winner of the Palmetto Bowl gets to take home the Hardee's Trophy. Does anyone know why it's Hardee's on the East Coast and Carl's Jr. on the West Coast? Where is the dividing line? Why does the same cruddy fast food place have two different names? How can that be cost effective? On the football note this should be a good game.
#21 Texas A&M (8-3) at #5 Missouri (10-1) 7:45 ESPN
The only thing standing between Mizzu and an SEC East title is Johnny Football. This could be fun.
#22 UCLA (8-3) at #23 USC (9-3) 8:00 ABC
My growing dislike for UCLA and my desire for Coach O to get hired full time at USC might push me to pull for the Trojans in this one. The Coach O celebration could be epic. I'm thinking it would involve some combination of Coach O ringing the Victory Bell, wrestling a gator, sucking crawdads, fist pumping and screaming incoherently.
Arizona (7-4) at #12 Arizona State (9-2) 9:30 PAC 12
The Duel in the Desert is played for the Territorial Cup. That's pretty cool.
New Mexico (3-8) at Boise State (7-4) 10:15 ESPN 2
Nightcap?
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! We will have open threads on Friday, Saturday afternoon and another on Saturday night for Notre Dame vs. Stanford. See you there!