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Georgia
(9-2) at Georgia Tech
(7-4)
3:30
PM ABC
Why to watch:
It’s not as if “clean, old-fashioned
hate” needs extra storylines, but
this year’s edition does have a couple
of juicy sub plots. No. 7 Georgia is
one of the nation’s hottest teams,
riding a five-game winning streak that
could land it in the SEC Championship
game or the Sugar Bowl if LSU winds up
playing for a national championship.
Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey, on
the other hand, might need to stop his
personal five-game losing streak against
the Bulldogs in order to improve his job
security. Gailey is 0-5 in this
high-profile series, and a sixth
straight loss to your main rival is no
way to quiet critics. The Dawgs have
done an about-face since getting bombed
by Tennessee in Knoxville more than a
month ago, getting massive production on
the ground from freshman sensation
Knowshon Moreno. While a Volunteer loss
sends Georgia to the league title game
to face LSU, the Bulldogs will be a very
attractive at-large BCS bowl candidate
if they can get to 10-2. Back-to-back
wins over Duke and North Carolina have
Georgia Tech in the postseason, but
winning a second-tier bowl game in
December is nothing compared to beating
Georgia for the first time since 2000.
The Jackets’ 7-4 record is a little
hollow, considering they’re just 1-3
versus teams with a winning record.
Why Georgia might win: Few teams
in the country are playing better than
the Bulldogs, who are having fun,
exuding confidence, and growing up
quickly. The transformation is
especially evident on offense, where
Moreno has rushed for more than 100
yards in each of the last five games,
and QB Matthew Stafford has stepped up
his play as a sophomore. On defense, an
improving unit has 20 sacks during the
winning streak, while putting choke
holds on Auburn and Kentucky the last
two weekends. Georgia Tech RB Tashard
Choice will get his yards on Saturday,
but without much help from the nation’s
100th-ranked pass attack,
they’re going to be hard yards.
Why Georgia Tech might win: This
is the week that the Georgia offensive
line finally looks like it’s got three
freshmen in the starting lineup.
Although Stacy Searels’ unit has been a
revelation in Athens, facing Jon
Tenuta’s attacking defense will make
even veteran front fives wilt. The
swarming Yellow Jackets lead the country
in sacks and tackles for loss, getting
pressure from every member of the front
seven. Tech is also No. 9 at stopping
the run, which is the toughest challenge
Moreno and Thomas Brown will face. That
Bulldog swagger is going to disappear
the first time Stafford is dumped on
third down or gets called for
intentional grounding. Choice may not
explode for 150 yards, but he will move
the chains, and keep the Georgia offense
standing around on the sidelines.
Who to watch: Georgia’s youth
movement hasn’t been relegated to the
offensive side of the ball. On defense,
true freshman LB Rennie Curran has been
distinguishing himself since earning
more playing time last month. Quick,
instinctive, and ferocious he broke
through with 13 tackles and a tackle for
loss in a fourth straight game against
Kentucky last week. Curran’s objective
this week will be to fill the lanes,
making sure Choice doesn’t get past the
second level of defense.
What will happen: Like any good
rivalry, this game will be nip-and-tuck
for 60 minutes, with neither team
getting much separation. Georgia will
prevail when Tech QB Taylor Bennett
fails to engineer a game-ending drive,
but it’s not going to be easy for the
Bulldogs.
CFN Prediction:
Georgia
29 ... Georgia Tech 20
...
Line: Georgia -3.5
Must See
Rating: (5
The inside of your eyelids after eating two pounds of turkey
- 1 The inside of a gym with
every 120 calories equaling a mile on the treadmill) ...3.5
Duke (1-10) at North Carolina
(3-8)
3:30 PM ESPNU
Why to Watch:
Were this game being contested
in the Dean Dome, it would be
one of the must-win games of the
season. But it’s on the
gridiron, which means those
giving their attention to this
one will be assessing the rubble
of some shattered dreams. For
Duke, it’s the fallout from a
solid start that included a win
over Northwestern and a
near-miss against Navy.
Meanwhile, six of North
Carolina’s eight losses have
come by a total of 24 points,
including last week’s 27-25
crusher against Georgia Tech.
Duke has gotten worse over the
course of the year while North
Carolina is building towards
bigger and better things. Very
quickly, the two ACC
cellar-dwellers could be playing
some lopsided games if UNC Butch
Davis’s magic starts to work
early next year. Next year
starts right now for both teams.
Why Duke Might Win: It
has been a tough year for QB
Thaddeus Lewis, but he has
nonetheless been the catalyst
for the Blue Devils, throwing
for 2,211 yards and 19
touchdowns, nine of those scores
coming to Eron Riley, who has
averaged a remarkable 21.1
yards/catch. The Duke ground
game got a little boost last
week from Justin Boyle, who
rushed for 45 yards and caught a
couple passes. Expect Lewis to
play a huge role against a UNC
defense that is ranked 69th
against the pass. Duke will also
try to rattle Carolina QB T.J.
Yates, who has thrown 16
interceptions this year.
Why North Carolina Might Win:
The Tar Heels will try to
control Lewis with a strong
front wall led by Hilee Taylor
(10 sacks, six hurries, three
forced fumbles) that piles up
2.8 sacks a game. Yates has had
his troubles throwing to the
wrong team, but he was strong
last week against GT’s stout
defense, completing 21-of-35 for
283 yards and a score. He’ll be
hooking up with sophomore
receiver Hakeem Nicks (68
receptions) to counter a
struggling ground attack.
Who to Watch:
There’s no question Michael
Tauiliili was a big part of the
Duke defense as a junior, piling
up 94 tackles and 10 stops for
loss. He has been even better
this year, amassing 101 tackles,
13 of which have come behind the
line, along with 3.5 sacks and
three interceptions. Tauiliili
has forced a fumble and hurried
the QB two times. This is his
last game of ’07, but he’ll
begin the ’08 season on
everybody’s all-America lists.
What Will Happen:
Duke is game and lost a
heartbreaker last year, but UNC
has too much for the Blue
Devils, particularly
defensively.
CFN Prediction: North
Carolina 27 …
Duke
23
... Line: North Carolina
-14
Must See Rating: (5
The inside of your
eyelids after eating two pounds
of turkey
- 1
The inside of a gym with every
120 calories equaling a mile on
the treadmill) ...2
Florida State
(7-4) at Florida
(8-3)
5:00
PM CBS
Why to watch:
Although this rivalry’s heyday was a few
years back, it remains an intense game
that still means plenty to both schools,
their fans, and the recruits deciding
whether to open up their next chapter in
Tallahassee or Gainesville. Florida may
be out of the SEC race, but at No. 12 in
the BCS standings, will solidify a spot
as an at-large option with one more
win. The first player in history to run
and throw for 20 touchdowns in the same
season, Gator QB Tim Tebow is one of the
favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and
has one more big chance to show off. In
front of a national TV audience,
Saturday will be his final chance to
convert those voters hesitant to give
the award to a sophomore. Having
already lost to Miami, Florida State
needs this game more for its psyche than
its postseason positioning. After going
7-6 a year ago, any chance of claiming
progress in 2007 will be shot if the
Seminoles enter another postseason with
five losses.
Why Florida State might win: Yes,
there have been occasional lapses, but
the Seminole defense has largely been a
rock all year, creating turnovers,
making plays for negative yards, and
holding opponents to less than 100 yards
a game on the ground. On offense,
Florida State will attack a Florida
secondary that’s been riddled recently
by injuries, and is last in the SEC in
pass defense. Enjoying a nice run since
regaining the starting job last month,
QB Drew Weatherford will pick on the
Gator corners with the help of receivers
Greg Carr and De’Cody Fagg.
Why Florida might win: Since
losing to LSU on Oct. 6, the Gator
offense has churned out an average of
nearly 47 points a game, getting a good
mix from the running and passing games.
Expect more of the same in the Swamp, as
Tebow shows off his second wind, and
explosive WR Percy Harvin returns from a
sinus infection and migraine headaches.
To win this game, Florida State will
have to reach the 30s, something the
offense hasn’t been able to do since
Week 2 when UAB visited Doak Campbell
Stadium.
Who to watch: What were you
thinking, Geno? For some unexplained
reason, Florida State LB Geno Hayes
chose to taunt Tebow in the press this
week, basically saying that the lefty
was going down hard on Saturday. It’s
not like the Gators need any extra
motivation to stick it to the Seminoles,
but the fans at Ben Hill Griffin will be
prepared to unleash a chorus of Geee-nos
the first time Tebow breaks free from
one of Hayes’ tackles.
What will happen: While Florida
State will move the ball on Florida,
each time the Seminoles score, the
Gators will counter with at least one of
their own. Tebow will enhance his
Heisman brag sheet, taking a chance to
rub it in if the opportunity is there.
CFN Prediction:
Florida 40 ..
Florida State
27
...
Line: Florida -14.5
Must See
Rating: (5
The inside of your eyelids after eating two pounds of turkey
- 1 The inside of a gym with
every 120 calories equaling a mile on the treadmill) ...3.5
Clemson
(8-3) at South Carolina
(6-5)
7:00
PM ESPN2
Why to watch: As rivalry
games go, Clemson vs. South Carolina
doesn't get much in the way of national
recognition, mainly because at least one
of the two programs is almost always
mediocre and the game rarely means
anything to the rest of the college
football landscape, but it's nasty. It's
a battle for the state, it's a battle
that fans will point to for 365 days,
it's a battle that makes a big
difference on the end-of-the-year
résumés for their respective
conferences. This year, it's also about
righting the ship after tough slides.
Clemson had the ACC Atlantic Division in
the bag with going into the fourth
quarter against Boston College, and then
got hit with 17 points and failed to
capitalize on its chances late to,
there's no other way to put it, choke it
away. Hanging around at 22 in the latest
BCS rankings, there's a shot at getting
an at-large BCS bid if it can blow away
South Carolina. The Gamecocks were right
in the BCS hunt for a few minutes, and
then the season made a quick left turn
into mediocrity with a four-game losing
streak to put bowl hopes in question.
Injuries have been a problem, but a
total defensive meltdown has been the
bigger issue. After losing four straight
in the series, the Gamecocks pulled out
a 31-28 win last year as part of a nice
three-game winning streak to end the
season, while Clemson went belly up
losing four it its last five. Tiger fans
aren't going to be too pleased with
another disaster.
Why
Clemson might win: South Carolina's
defense can't stop anyone. There were
problems after the loss of All-America
LB Jasper Brinkley, and then things
quickly went south as Arkansas tore off
651 yards of total offense, and 570
rushing yards, with four touchdown runs,
while Florida came up with 537 yards of
total offense and five scoring runs.
Clemson's offense might have struggled
against an inspired Boston College D,
but it's been a machine against average
defenses all season long. SEC fans might
disagree, but Clemson's defense is the
best the Gamecocks have faced since the
loss to LSU. Outside of one blown
coverage against BC, the Tiger secondary
has been unbelievable.
Why South Carolina might win: All
the pressure is on Clemson. South
Carolina might need this game to pull
out of the doldrums, but it has the
injury excuse to fall back on. If
Clemson loses this, all the good that
came with the 8-2 start will be wiped
away. The one really, really good Tiger
win came over, um, uhhhh .... Florida
State in the opener? To be fair, the
Tigers blasted a good Wake Forest team
and hung 70 on a Central Michigan team
that'll likely win the MAC, but it's not
like USC will see speed and talent it
hasn't faced before in SEC play. The
Gamecock passing game has been strong
over the past few weeks, and while
Clemson's secondary is having a
statistically great year, it faced only
one team that throws the ball
effectively, Boston College, and it was
lit up for 315 yards. Blake Mitchell
isn't Matt Ryan, but he's playing well.
Who to watch:
Only four South Carolina starting
quarterbacks have beaten Clemson more
than once, and it hasn't happened in
more than ten years. Mitchell struggled
in his first attempt against the Tigers,
throwing three interceptions in the 13-9
loss two years ago. He wasn't much
better last year giving away three more
picks, but he also threw for 268 yards
and won the game. That's six
interceptions and no touchdown passes in
two tries, but he could throw ten
interceptions and still be hailed as a
hero if he pulls out a win. For all the
yards he's bombed away for, he has only
thrown four touchdown passes against
teams with a pulse and isn't making the
clutch throws to turn games around.
Again, all that matters is pulling out
the win for his disappointing career to
suddenly become something special.
What will happen: Oh
yeah, Clemson has a running game.
Relatively dormant over the last few
weeks it'll break out and dominate from
the start. It won't exactly be the
Arkansas game all over again for the
Gamecocks, but it won't be far off.
CFN Prediction:
Clemson 38
... South Carolina 30
...
Line: Clemson -3
Must See
Rating: (5
The inside of your eyelids after eating two pounds of turkey
- 1 The inside of a gym with
every 120 calories equaling a mile on the treadmill) ...3.5
ACC Week
13 Predictions, Part 1 |