Games of the Week
#14 Stanford Cardinal (8-2) at #1 Oregon Ducks (10-0)
Easily the game of the week we have the top two teams in the Pac 12 facing off against each other. The winner of this game would represent the North Division in the Pac 12 Title Game. We'll see Oregon's high octane offense go up against Stanford's physical defense. Last year Stanford couldn't handle Oregon's speed and athletism, will they be able to this year? Can Stanford QB Kevin Hogan pick up where he left off and help keep the Cardinal in the game? Or will Oregon's improved defense shut down Stanford?
Prediction: Stanford 24 Oregon 42
#2 Kansas State Wildcats (10-0) at Baylor Bears (4-5)
Just looking at these two teams records it doesn't look like too good great of a match up. But Baylor is a lot better than their record indicates. They have the ability to score a ton of points and will put a lot of pressure on KState's defense. But Baylor's defense is one of the worst in the nation and that isn't a good sign when you have KState's efficient offense coming to town. This could be a big game for QB Collin Klein that could help him solidify his Heisman chances. But this game could go to a shootout. And Baylor might be due to knock somebody off.
Prediction: KState 44 Baylor 32
#18 USC Trojans (7-3) at #20 UCLA Bruins (8-2)
This game doesn't have the national appeal we thought it was going to have early in the season, but there is still a lot to play for here. Not only is this the battle for Los Angeles, but the winner of this game will represent the Pac 12 South in the Conference Title Game. With a loss USC will have four on the season and with Notre Dame coming next week could be their 5th. UCLA has a lot to prove. New HC Jim Mora will want to make a statement against USC to keep the Bruins momentum going. But will UCLA have enough defense to slow down the potent USC offense. But can UCLA's running game expose USC's lack of depth on defense?
Prediction: USC 35 UCLA 38
#25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-1) at Cincinnati Bearcats (7-2)
The Big East race will come down to how Rutgers, Cincinnati, and Louisville play each other. The team that wins the round robin will be the conference champion. Cincinnati has already lost to Louisville, so they really need to knock off Rutgers here. However Rutgers has been playing very good lately especially on defense. Not a good sign for the Bearcats who haven't had good consistent play out of the QB position. They could really use Munchie Legaux to regain his old form if they want to win.
Prediction: Rutgers 24 Cincinnati 17
#23 Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-3) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-3)
Unlike the rest of the games listed here this game doesn't have any affect on a conference or nation title. But it is still a quality game between to top 25 contenders looking to finish the season strong. Texas Tech is looking to get some revenge from last year's blow out loss to Okie State. Oklahoma State is looking to get things back on track but will have to do so with some uncertainty at QB. But we do know that this will be a high scoring affair with the #1 (Tech) and #4 (Okie State) passing offenses in the nation. So it could be the team with the ball last will bed the winner.
Prediction: Tech 45 Oklahoma State 38
Coaching Hot Seat
Lane Kiffin
Record at USC: 25-10
Bowl Appearances: 0
Some people may be surprised to see Lane Kiffin's name associated with being on the hot seat, but you shouldn't be surprised. USC was ranked #1 at the beginning of the year and there were a lot of expectations. The Trojans returned star QB Matt Barkley and had stud WRs in Robert Woods and MarQuise Lee. They have two talented RBs in Silas Redd and Curtis McNeill. The offense was loaded at at a minimum were going to be able to outscore a lot of opponents.
It's safe to say that the Trojans haven't lived up to them. They've lost 3 games so far this season and with games against UCLA, Notre Dame, and possibly Oregon (again) it's safe to say they might lose two more. Even with the sanctions they have enough talent to be better. But QB Matt Barkley has struggled to be consistent and the defense has holes all over it.
Adding insult to injury there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Kiffin. Against Colorado USC had a backup QB change his jersey to be the same as the punter (who is also the FG holder) and then ran a fake off of it. A clear violation of NCAA rules. Then there was the case of the deflated footballs. USC "fired" a student manager because it was found out that the Trojans were deflating the footballs below NCAA standards. Most people know that a student manager isn't going to do that without direction from the head coach. Why bring this up, because Kiffin is widely known for bending the rules from his days at Tennessee and was on staff at USC when NCAA violations were broken.
But the biggest reason why Kiffin's job might be in jeopardy is because USC Athletic Director Pat Haden wasn't the AD that hired Kiffin. And word is that Haden isn't too pleased with Kiffin's run ins with NCAA rules. Add that to a struggling team and Haden could feel the need to change coaches. USC is one of the top jobs in college football and they could get whoever they wanted. This could be Haden chance to get his own guy.
What happened to....
Wake Forrest Demon Deacons
Let's take a look back to 2006. That was the year that Wake Forrest made a big jump. The went 10-2 on the regular season, won the ACC Championship, and went to the school's first BCS Bowl Game (Orange Bowl). Head coach Jim Grobe was hailed for his coaching and schools (almost got the Nebraska job) were looking to hire him away from the Winston-Salem school. Grobe was known for redshirting every freshman with the thought that his 4th year juniors and 5th year seniors would lead to success. Linebacker Aaron Curry went #4 overall to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Wake Forrest used the momentum from the 2006 ACC Championship season to reel off a 9 win and 8 win years. The future was bright for Wake Forrest and it looked like they would be a consistent threat in the ACC's Atlantic Division.
However, Wake Forrest was never able to maintain that success. Since the 2008 season the Demon Deacons have only 14 wins and made it to only one bowl game (Music City Bowl loss to Miss State). This year Wake Forrest has gotten better, but only have 5 wins on the season. But with games against #3 Notre Dame and Vanderbilt left on schedule it doesn't look like they'll be bowl eligible. That's a far cry from the program that we thought Grobe had built around 2007.
How about....
UCLA Bruins
Often times there are lists made of underachieving programs or schools that have the potential to become college football powers. A name that you always see on both lists is the UCLA Bruins. And why not, UCLA is in the fertile recruiting grounds of Los Angeles that produces a ton of football talent. The Bruins have had some tradition of success. But they've never really been able to put it together to reach a consistent level of success. The Bruins have brought in several different coaches to try and turn their fortune around, but they usually end up firing the coach because a lack of success.
Well they may have finally found the guy that can get the job done. Jim Mora Jr was hired this past year and there were a lot of negative reactions. Mora wasn't very successful while being a head coach in the NFL (being fired twice) and his only experience coaching in college was when he was a GA at Washington in 1984. Many thought that Mora was hired because all the top names they wanted turned down the job.
But sometimes it's not the first choice that ends up being the best choice. When Mora took over he hired assistants that have had a ton of experience in the college game. His OC Noel Mazzone is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in college football. Together they have transformed a UCLA offense that was rather pedestrian into one of the best in the Pac 12. RB Jonathan Franklin has emerged as one of top RBs in the nation, while freshman QB Brett Hundley is thriving in the spread attack. The Bruins have been a regular in the top 25 and if they can beat USC this weekend they will make it to the Pac 12 Title Game with a chance to get to the Rose Bowl.
Player Spotlight
Chase Thomas
Height: 6'4
Weight: 240
School: Stanford
Year: Senior
Position: Rush Linebacker
Andrew Luck may get a lot of the attention for helping Stanford become a yearly Pac 12 contender, but a huge reason for their success is the improved play of their defense. One player that has really embodied the physical play of the defense is outside linebacker Chase Thomas. Playing outside linebacker in the Cardinal defense it is Thomas' responsibility to seal the edge and put pressure on the QB. Thomas played DE but once the Cardinal moved to the 3-4 Thomas was able to transition easily to the OLB spot. He has a high motor, good quickness, and an understanding of how to get to the QB. His specialty is the sack/fumble. A skill that defensive coordinators love. A good comparison might be current Bear and former Boise State Broncos Shea McClellian. Teams are always looking for pass rushers and we are beginning to see teams take guys regardless of scheme (Bruce Irvin, McClellian) which only helps somebody like Thomas.
