Patriots vs. Steelers

New England -1 vs. Pittsburgh

Things don’t seem to be getting any easier for the Steelers, but when you hold the distinction of having to play the NFL’s toughest schedule, things tend to not get better. Pittsburgh has weathered the storm quite nicely, however. The Steelers (8-3) are tied for the second best record in the AFC with 8 wins and are still one game in front of Baltimore in the AFC North. The next “big boy” on the Steelers schedule is the New England Patriots.

Pittsburgh will travel to Foxboro, a place where they have not had much success. Their last victory over the Patriots in Massachusetts was in 1997. The Patriots have claimed seven of the last 10 matchups as well, including three straight and six out of the last seven, including postseason play.

Pittsburgh swarmed all over the Bengals at home last week 27-10. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 243 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions against Cincinnati. Big Ben has had a solid season despite being banged up through much of it and missing his first-string running back through a good chunk of the season as well. Roethlisberger has thrown for 2233 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. Willie Parker, the aforementioned first-string running back has also been hobbled by injuries. He ran for only 37 yards on 15 carries last week and is listed as questionable for the New England game.

Mewelde Moore continues to get the bulk of the carries for Pittsburgh even when Parker is in the lineup. Last week he got the ball 15 times for 56 yards. He will see his carries increase substantially if Parker misses his sixth game of the season.

Matt Cassel continues to improve and impress under center for New England (7-4). In the Patriots 48-28 road victory over the Dolphins, Cassel became only the second New England quarterback to throw for 400 yard in consecutive games, the only other one being Tom Brady. In the last two games, Cassel has completed a combined 60 of his 94 passes for 815 yards, six touchdowns and only one interception.

Cassel will probably not be expecting a third straight 400-yard performance against the Steelers‘ tough defense.

The last time the Steelers beat the Patriots was in 2004 in Pittsburgh.

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Giants vs. Redskins

New York -3 1/2 vs. Washington

The best thing the Redskins can do this weekend is to win. Easier said than done when they welcome in the division leading Giants to FedEx Field. It is imperative for Washington to keep pace with the Giants and, more importantly, the Cowboys.

The Giants (10-1) are three full games in front of both the Redskins and Cowboys. Even if Washington is victorious, they realistically have a slim chance at taking the division. Their more pressing concern is Dallas. The teams split their meetings this season, which means if the teams’ have identical records, which they do now, the deciding factor is conference record. Right now, Washington boasts a 6-3 NFC record against Dallas’ 5-4.

The Cowboys are in an easy portion of their schedule at the moment, they host Seattle on Thanksgiving, and the Redskins must keep pace as it seems more likely only two teams from the NFC East will go to the postseason because the NFC South contains all above .500 teams.

It is doubtful, however, that Washington will have Dallas on their minds when they play New York Sunday. They are looking to avenge the first game of the NFL season in which the Giants made the Redskins look like the worst team in the NFL by winning 16-7. Washington (7-4) recovered and have surprised many by their ability to contend in one of the toughest divisions in the league.

Last week the Redskins put a stop to a two game losing streak by beating the aforementioned Seahawks on the road last Sunday 20-17. Meanwhile the Giants kept on rolling.

New York traveled to their Mecca last Sunday. They went to Arizona, the site of last February’s Super Bowl triumph, and beat the Cardinals 37-29. The Giants did not have their best game both offensively and defensively, but they made the key plays when needed to hold off the West-leading Cardinals to come home riding a six-game winning streak.

The New York Giants gave the Cardinals their first home loss of the season last Sunday and the Redskins hope to do the same thing to the Giants, who are 6-0 at home. They already have topped their home victory total from last season when they went 3-5 at Giants Stadium. Washington has been almost equally as effective on the road, winning all but one of their five road games.

Giants’ running back Brandon Jacobs who missed last week’s game with an injury is still day-to-day.

The teams split their games last season, with each team winning on the road. With the Giants Week 1 victory, New York has won four of the last five and five out of the last seven.

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Jets vs. Broncos

New York -7 1/2 vs. Denver

New Yorkers are getting used to being better than perfection. It’s not that the citizens of the Big Apple need any more arrogance, but their football teams have done some remarkable things over the past year. First the New York Giants took to the road to win three playoff games and then upended the heavily favored and undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII this past February. Since that game the Giants have only lost once and are now tied for the best record in the league at 10-1. Just do not overlook the Jets.

If it was not for the Giants, the Jets (8-3) would be the hottest team in the NFL. By totally dominating the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans 34-13 on the road last week, the Jets at least claimed the honor of hottest team in the AFC.

The Jets return home this weekend to welcome in the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos. The two game road trip they are returning from was supposed to ruin their season, instead it has put them in the AFC East drivers seat. Before dominating the Titans in Nashville, New York also dispatched New England at Foxboro the week before in overtime. The Jets now have won five straight and six out of seven.

The Jets success has had a lot to do with the improvements of Brett Favre. Perhaps the veteran quarterback needed some time to learn the new offense, but he has excelled in it the last few weeks. During the road trip, Favre threw for a combined 51 of 65 for 482 yards with two touchdowns and only one interception. It is probably no coincidence that Favre has gotten hot while Thomas Jones has gotten on track. Jones was just four yards short of 100 yards last week and caught a touchdown pass.

You will forgive them if Favre, Jones and the rest of New York’s defense is salivating for more than just Thanksgiving dinner. The Denver defense has been terrible all season long. The Broncos (6-5) are coming off a humiliating 31-10 home loss to the awful Oakland Raiders last week. However, Denver still leads the division by two games over San Diego who can not get on track this season. The Broncos appear headed for the postseason, perhaps by default and will look to shore up its defense down the stretch with the return of All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey.

The teams have not met since 2005 in Denver with the Broncos blanking the Jets 27-0. The Jets last win was in 2002 at home.

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Nebraska vs. Colorado

Cornhuskers -18 vs. Buffaloes

Taking to the field in their traditional battle that takes place the day after Thanksgiving, Colorado will visit Nebraska as both teams attempt to assign meaning to their season by beating their archrival. Nebraska has won two straight and has their sites on a bowl game, while Colorado seeks to improve to .500 and become bowl eligible.

The Cornhuskers (7-4, 4-3) beat Kansas State on the road 56-28 continuing their potent offensive attack. Nebraska boasts one of the top offenses in the nation. They are 10th in total yards, 15th in passing yards and 18th in points scored. The offense has been anchored by Joe Ganz who has had an outstanding year by throwing for 3103 yards and 21 touchdowns. The senior had the best game of the season last week against the Cougars as he not only passed for 270 yards with two touchdowns, he also gained a season-high 95 yards on the ground with another two rushing touchdowns. Ganz will finish his stellar career by taking a bow on Senior Day at Memorial Stadium.

If it were not for a three game losing streak in late September through early October, the Cornhuskers may be in the thick of things of their division. Since the three game skid, Nebraska has only lose once five tries.

The Buffaloes (5-6, 2-5) also suffered through a three-game losing streak at exactly the same time as the Huskers, but unlike their arch-rival, they were unable to right the ship and save their season. Since the three game skid, Colorado has gone 2-4. Last week Colorado lost on Senior Day to Oklahoma State 30-17.

Colorado finds themselves in this hole due to their poor offense. Ranking no higher than 77th in any offensive category, and much lower in most, the Buffaloes have sputtered at quarterback and running back all season long. They also have not been able to win away from home. This will be Colorado’s fifth and final road game and are 0-4 thus far. Nebraska is 5-2 in Lincoln this season.

The Buffaloes won last season in a shootout 65-51 in Boulder which snapped a two-game Cornhusker winning streak in the series. Colorado last won in Memorial Stadium in 2004.

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Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State

Sooners -7 vs. Cowboys

For the first time in awhile both Oklahoma teams will face off with much on the line. When one side has been good, the other has usually been down. But when the teams meet up this Saturday night in Stillwater, they will be meeting for the first time when both teams have nine victories.

It is hard to think of a team that has a better, more complete victory than Oklahoma’s win last week. The Sooners (10-1, 6-1) not only beat the previously undefeated and second-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, they made a statement in doing so. Oklahoma built an insurmountable lead and cruised to a shockingly easy 65-21 victory. Sam Bradford, who has had a storybook season by throwing for 42 touchdowns on only six interceptions, completed 14 of his 19 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns.

The win helped the Sooners climb into number three in the BCS standings behind Alabama and Texas. Oklahoma is hopeful one of those two teams will fall, allowing them to go to the title game. If victorious in this game, the Sooners have a very good chance at staking claim to the Big 12 South title.

This game should be an offensive explosion. Oklahoma is third in total yards and Oklahoma State is seventh. The Sooners are the best team and the Cowboys are the seventh best team in points scored. Each team does an aspect of their offense very well. The Sooners are better as passing, third in the country, while the Cowboys are eight in rushing.

Oklahoma State (9-2, 5-2) though disappointed about losing two of their last four, can hold their heads up high. It has been a long time since the Cowboys have had this much success in a season and their losses to Texas and Texas Tech were to teams that were ranked at or near number one at various points this season. Oklahoma State can mark a terrific season and stop their archrivals from winning the division with a home victory.

Last time out the Cowboys beat Colorado and spoiled their home finale 30-17. In that game, star running back Kendall Hunter rushed for 102 yards with a touchdown. The sophomore has had a stellar year by rushing for 1434 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hunter has rushed for at least 100 yards in all but two games this season.

Oklahoma State has not won in the series since 2002, a 38-28 home victory. Oklahoma has won five straight and seven of the last ten.

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Georgia vs. Georgia Tech

Bulldogs -7 1/2 vs. Yellow Jackets

In the annual grudge match for the state of Georgia, the Bulldogs welcome in the surprising Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to Athens Saturday afternoon.

For Georgia Tech (8-3, 5-3), it has been a roller coaster season, especially the last month. The Yellow Jackets were riding high at 6-1 and firmly in the Top 25 after earning a road victory against Clemson on October 18. Georgia Tech promptly dropped their next contest 24-17 to Virginia and began alternating losses and wins. A 2-2 mark down the stretch could be discouraging; however last week’s 41-23 triumph against Miami helped ease some discouragement. The Hurricanes were feeling good as they were in the Top 25 for the first time in over two seasons, but were dominated by the Yellow Jackets. The victory was the perfect way for Georgia Tech to tune up for their archrivals.

Georgia Tech did not have to pass much last week, Josh Nesbitt threw only six passes. But the quarterback rushed 15 times for 93 yards with a touchdown and Jonathan Dwyer added another 128 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns. The sophomore back went over 100 yards rushing for the eighth time in 11 games this season and has rushed for 1184 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs are impressed with what the Yellow Jackets have accomplished, but history tells us that they will be ready for them. Georgia has beaten Georgia Tech seven straight times. The Jackets have not won since 2000, which was also the last time they won between the hedges.

Georgia (9-2, 6-2) is ranked 13th, but is a far cry from the preseason number one ranking they once possessed. Losses in two of their biggest games of the year, Alabama and Florida, have lead to a bit of a disappointing season for the Dawgs, but they still have big victories, such as over LSU to hang their hats on.

The Bulldogs have won two straight and topped Auburn on the road 17-13 two weeks ago. At 215 yards, Matthew Stafford had his lowest yardage output since he threw for 213 against Central Michigan on September 6. Stafford threw for two touchdowns against the Tigers and has 17 on the season against only eight interceptions. Knowshon Moreno helped take some of the pressure off of Stafford by rushing for 131 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore has rushed for 1244 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season.

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Alabama vs. Auburn

Crimson Tide -14 1/2 vs. Tigers

The Alabama Crimson Tide have their eyes set on greater things than this week’s game with rival Auburn. But they also know that looking ahead has rarely been good for any team and will concentrate on getting one step closer to that BCS championship game.

If the number one ranked Crimson Tide (11-0, 7-0) can get past the Tigers, they will head into the SEC championship game undefeated. Alabama knows they are going to the game no matter what happens in the annual Iron Bowl battle with their state rivals, but will probably not be looking forward to a BSC game if they lose.

Unless Auburn (5-6, 2-5) can pull off a stunning upset, the Tigers will be sitting at home for bowl season and a loss to Alabama would cap a very disappointing season for Auburn. A win over the top ranked Alabama will certainly put the Tigers on the map for a bowl game and at 6-6 would be eligible for one. Auburn had better improve on their last showing at home against Georgia when they lost their sixth game of the year 17-13.

The 96th-ranked Tiger offense has been anchored by Kodi Burns. The sophomore passed for 179 yards and a touchdown and ran for an ineffective 28 yards on 14 carries against the Bulldogs. Ben Tate had similar dismal statistics from out of the backfield with 37 yards on 14 carries with no scores.

Alabama’s high powered offense continues to turn out points and uses a solid defense to win on both sides of the ball. Two weeks ago, the Crimson Tide beat Mississippi State 32-7. John Parker Wilson actually had a fairly pedestrian game for him. The senior threw for 148 yards with no touchdowns, however he scored once on the ground. Glen Coffee also had an uncharacteristically off game by his standards. Coffee gained only 71 yards on 17 carries with no scores.

When the offense has been slacking this season, the defense has picked it up. Alabama held Mississippi State to only seven points and have only allowed 9.3 points per game over the past four Tide victories.

Alabama holds a slight edge in the long-time series 38-33-1. No one should count out the Tigers, however. Quietly Auburn has strung together six straight victories in the series, the longest of either squad in the history of the series. Alabama has not won since 2001 in Auburn and last beat the Tigers in Tuscaloosa in 1998.

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West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh

Mountaineers -3 1/2 vs. Panthers

In one of the best rivalry games of the weekend, Pittsburgh plays host to West Virginia as the bitter rivals renew acquaintances in the Backyard Brawl. The loss last season at home to the Panthers cost the Mountaineers a chance at the BCS title game and once again this game will be meaningful.

Both teams ride into the game at 7-3. West Virginia is in a better position than Pittsburgh, as the Mountaineers have a better conference record, but both teams are headed for a bowl game. The victor of this game will go on to a more prosperous and prestigious bowl game.

Due to their loss to Cincinnati 26-23 a few weeks back, West Virginia finds themselves on the outside looking in at the Big East championship. The Bearcats have a game lead and hold the tiebreaker. The Mountaineers did well to rebound from that tough loss to Cincinnati by beating up Louisville 35-21 last week. Quarterback Pat White threw for 122 yards against the Cardinals with two touchdowns, but really made his mark on the ground. The senior rushed 21 times for 200 yards with three more touchdowns. White will take his last regular season snaps in his brilliant career which has totaled 98 touchdowns both on the ground and through the air.

For Pittsburgh, the excitement and momentum of beating Notre Dame on the road in overtime and coming home to crush Louisville was lost when they were defeated at Cincinnati 28-21 last week. It was the Bearcats first ever win over the Panthers and it cost them any hopes at capturing the Big East title.

The Panthers will definitely regroup against their archrival. However, West Virginia has had more success in the series over the years. Prior to last year, the Mountaineers had taken seven out of the last nine. But Pitt hopes they have turned the tide with the stunning 13-9 road victory last season.

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LSU vs. Arkansas

Tigers -4 1/2 vs. Razorbacks

The program that Les Miles has brought to LSU is not used to losing four games per year. But that is exactly what they have done this season. The Tigers (7-4, 3-4) have had a down year by the new standards in Baton Rouge where winning is everything and nothing less than a trip to the SEC title game is accepted.

Alas Tigernation will have to accept it, for a year. The SEC was once again one of the top conferences in the nation and LSU stumbled a bit against the top teams-and some of the mediocre ones as well-to sputter to at best a .500 record in the SEC and they will have to get past Arkansas on the road this Saturday to accomplish that.

The story of LSU’s inconsistent season can be seen by the results of their games. The Tigers started the season 4-0, but when they got into the heart of their conference schedule, they could not sustain wins.  Starting on October 11 when the Tigers were undefeated, they played the Florida Gators. They lost that game 51-21 and have neither won two in a row nor lost two in a row. They have alternated wins and losses each week since then. LSU’s most recent loss was an ugly home loss to Ole Miss 31-13. The Tigers never seemed right on both sides of the ball and lost their third home game of the season, which was thought unfathomable.

North in Arkansas, things have not gone well for first year coach Bobby Petrino. The Razorbacks (4-7, 1-6) have fallen apart this season. They have won only twice in their last nine games and have lost two straight overall. Last week Arkansas also lost their third home game of the season to Mississippi State 31-28.

Saturday’s game will be a rematch of last year’s entertaining overtime game between Arkansas and LSU. The Razorbacks won that game 50-48 and were victorious for the first time since 2002, which was also the last time the Arkansas Razorbacks won at home.

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Bowling Green vs. Toledo

Falcons -1 1/2 vs. Rockets

I am sure you probably heard it. The joke that was making its way through the internet last week and making the entire state of Ohio shake with laughter. It appeared a few days before the annual grudge match between Michigan and Ohio State and went a little something like this:

Did you hear the Michigan-Ohio State game has been cancelled? It seems Michigan can not get past Toledo.

Funny perhaps if you are an Ohio State fan, troubling if you are a Michigan fan and perhaps a little prophetic as the Wolverines were drilled by their Buckeye rivals 42-7. But if you are the Toledo football program, how do you take that joke. On one hand it’s a complement that you were the first Mid-American team to beat Michigan, but on the other hand it is a bit of a slight that the lone highlight of your season was the win in Ann Arbor. Yet, at 3-8, it is truly hard to argue that it was the only highlight of the season.

Unfortunately for the Rockets (3-8, 2-5), any momentum the program gained by the 13-10 win against the Wolverines was quickly washed away when they lost four straight. They finally stopped the skid last week with a home win against Miami of Ohio and look to take a two-game winning streak into the offseason when they faceoff at home against Bowling Green.

For the Falcons (5-6, 3-4) they have not been the butts of nationally known jokes, but they have not really had a highlight that defines their season like Toledo. A win for Bowling Green would gain them bowl eligibility and a .500 record, but an actual bowl game is almost certainly not in the cards. The Falcons lost their final home game to Buffalo 40-34 in overtime last week which snapped their modest two game winning streak.

In their last matchup last season, Bowling Green beat Toledo 37-10. The victory was the Falcons first over the Rockets since 2003.

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