Author: nfltalk

USATSI

There hasn’t been a lot of drama this college football season when it comes to the teams at the top of the rankings. None of the top eight teams from the initial College Football Playoff Rankings have lost, and the top-10 teams that have fallen all lost to teams ranked ahead of them.

But perhaps this is the weekend when chaos makes itself known. An early look at the odds for Week 12 show a lot of large spreads, but there’s also a prevalence of road favorites. Strange things can happen when favorites hit the road late in the year, particularly a week ahead of rivalry week.

Here’s an early look at Week 12’s biggest games.

Odds via SportsLine consensus

The best games

Georgia (-10) at Tennessee: After spending the entire season untested, Georgia faces a third straight ranked opponent, but you know what? We’re still waiting for the test. The Bulldogs disposed of Missouri and Ole Miss pretty easily, and now it’s Tennessee’s turn. Can the Volunteers pick themselves up off the mat after getting beat up by the same Mizzou squad that lost to Georgia?

Utah (-1) at Arizona: Arizona avoided a road upset at the hands of Colorado in Week 11 and returns to a familiar position: The home underdog. The Utes managed to keep things close against Washington in Seattle, but their offense disappeared in the second half of the game and will have to play at a higher level to avoid a second consecutive loss here.

Washington (-1) at Oregon State: Some teams have only recently been tested, but it feels like Washington gets tested…

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The Oregon Ducks won their ninth game of the season under the Saturday night, Autzen Stadium lights against the USC Trojans. The Ducks led for almost the entire game, but the Trojans did make a late push. With around five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Austin Jones scored a rushing TD, making the score 36-27. Lincoln Riley opted to go for the 2-point conversion, even though the PAT would’ve made it a one-score game. The Trojans didn’t convert, and the Ducks iced the game with a few first downs shortly after.

The thing that stood out most to me was how strong Oregon’s passing attack was. Bo Nix has led one of the nation’s best passing offenses all year, but his performance in this game was particularly special. The Oregon receiving corps was able to make plays in open space throughout the game.

Below are the rest of my instant reactions to Oregon’s win over USC.

Final Score – Oregon Ducks 36 – USC Trojans 27

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

The Oregon Ducks closed out the USC Trojans at home on the latest edition of Pac-12 After Dark.

Keys to the Game

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Downfield coverage seemed to be the most important factor for Oregon on defense. In the first half, both of the Trojans’ scoring drives were highlighted by Caleb Williams’ deep balls. But, when the Ducks were able to maintain their downfield coverage, USC’s offense stalled.

Caleb Williams made some impressive deep throws, but Bo Nix’s long ball couldn’t be stopped. By the game’s end, Nix had completed 3 passes of more than 60 yards, 2 of which were touchdowns.

USC’s defense used a lot of zone coverage, and the Oregon WRs and TEs seemed to have no trouble finding the soft spots between the Trojans’ zones.

Oregon struggled to run the ball for most of the game, which was a surprise considering how much USC’s run defense…

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The race for the SEC East title and New Year’s Six bowl picture both hang in the balance when No. 13 Tennessee travels to face No. 14 Missouri on Saturday afternoon in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week.

The Volunteers are coming off a win over UConn that has given them momentum heading into the home stretch. Led by quarterback Joe Milton III, a stout rushing attack and a defense that creates chaos behind the line of scrimmage, they have to win and get help from Ole Miss against Georgia to stay alive in the division title race. 

The Tigers fell to Georgia 30-21 last week in a pivotal division matchup. However, quarterback Brady Cook has established himself as one of the most consistent signal-callers in the league. 

What will go down Saturday afternoon in Columbia? Let’s break down the game and make picks straight up and against the spread. 

Tennessee vs. Missouri: Need to know

The identity of the Vols: Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel made waves last year when he led the Volunteers to the No. 1 spot in the initial College Football Playoff rankings and kept them in the mix throughout the regular season thanks in large part to a dynamic passing attack. Things are different this year. The run game, led by Milton and running backs Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson, has allowed the Vols to stay competitive. They lead the conference with 227.78 rushing yards per game.

“That’s the number one stat I think we look at as an offensive line,” said offensive lineman Ollie Lane. “It’s a testament to the hard work we put in, plus with how great our running backs see and their field vision, being able to hit a hole that we create for them is huge. But, being able to be rated at the top means a lot to us. Coming through this whole…

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Nov. 10—MORGANTOWN — Last season, West Virginia defeated Oklahoma for the first time as a member of the Big 12. This season, the Mountaineers again have the chance to make history against the Sooners, although it will be the last chance they get for a very long time.

With last year’s 23-20 win coming in Morgantown, the Mountaineers have still never won a game in Norman, Okla. Saturday’s contest (7 p.m./FOX) in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will be the final meeting between the pair before No. 17 OU leaves for the SEC in 2024, meaning the Mountaineers’ next trip to Norman is not guaranteed.

“This time we’re going on the road to play one of the top programs in the country, ” WVU coach Neal Brown said. “It’s on primetime TV again and it’s at one of the top venues to play in, so our guys will be fired up.”

The Mountaineers (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) were nearly victorious on their last trip to Norman, but a 30-yard field goal as time expired gave the Sooners (7-2, 4-2) a 16-13 win in 2021.

“We’ve just got a sour taste in our mouth from the last time we were there, ” Brown said. “Got beat on a walk-off field goal and felt like we were in control of the game with an opportunity to win it. We turn it over on downs and then they win it late. That’s really the motivation.”

Safety Aubrey Burks was little more than a special teams player in 2021 but has held on to that experience even as he has become WVU’s defensive leader this season.

“My freshman year going to Oklahoma was one of the best atmospheres I’ve been to, ” he said. “It’s a big week for us.”

Over 84, 000 people attended the game in 2021, considerably more than what can fit into Milan Puskar Stadium.

“It’s awesome, the energy’s really fun. I like playing on the road, but it’s not something that’s easy, ” tight end Kole Taylor said.

A former LSU Tiger, Taylor is no stranger to…

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