As I'm looking through the matchups this weekend, I'm realizing that I have no rooting interests this week in football. To be honest, it is borderline-great! Sure, I'd love it if Iowa State was playing for something meaningful right now, but since we've never experienced it, how could I be bummed?
Last night was the Civil War game for the Rose Bowl, and it was very entertaining. Sure, Oregon State can't tackle worth a damn, but who really cares? Watching a game between two very good offenses, in a rivarly, for something that both teams want, makes for some entertaining football.
It's too bad that we do not have an in conference foe that we feel this way about. I personally hate K-State, and everything that goes along with them. But I don't think many ISU fans feel that way. I think they'd be perfect for a rival, but you can't just manufacture these things, unless teams are playing for something big. ISU and K-State aren't, so it won't happen.
Enough of the rant. Let's talk about this weekend.
Below is my ranking of the six games I'm most looking forward to, from least, to most:
5. Houston vs. East Carolina (CUSA Championship) - 11am CST ESPN2- Winner likely goes to the Liberty Bowl to face a SEC team, while the loser is probably going to the Armed Foces Bowl against a MWC team, most likely Air Force. Just not that big on my list of games, especially with the other options during this timeslot
4. Texas vs. Nebraska (Big 12 Championship) - 7pm CST ABC - Either way you look at this one, it's going to be an ugly game. Either Texas' offense will be rolling and Nebraska will get blown out. Or, Nebraska's defense will get rolling, and it will be a defensive slugfest. I'm thinking the former is going to happen, but wackier things have happened. I expect Texas to be pretty focused, as winning this will take them to the MNCG and they came up so short of the opportunity last year.
3. Cincy vs. Pitt (Quasi-Big East Championship) - 11am CST ABC - Winner goes to a BCS game. There's a good chance the winner of this game will play the winner of the ACC in the Orange Bowl, while the loser of this game, plays the loser of the ACC Championship at the Gator Bowl.... But then you have to factor the Bowden Factor. I am pretty sure that Florida State is going to try and lobby the Gator Bowl to select Florida State and West Virginia. That would bump the losers to the Meinke Car Care Bowl instead... Going back to the game, it's pretty neat that the schedule worked out in a way that the two best teams in the conference are going to play each other on the last game of the year. Very similar to the Pac 10 situation. Anyhow, I'm a big fan of Cincy this year, as they are fun to watch. I have this ranked #3, because I think Cincy will roll Pitt, but that's just me.
2. Georgia Tech vs. Clemson (ACC Championship) - 7pm CST ESPN - Battle for the Orange Bowl. It's also a rematch of a Thursday night game from earlier in the season. In that particular game, Georgia Tech jumped out with a big lead, mostly due to some trickery, but Clemson got right back in it. I'd expect this to be pretty entertaining as well. Lots of speed between both of these teams, and two pretty good coaches.
1. Pretty obvious here, Florida vs. Alabama (SEC Championship) - 3pm CST CBS - I'm not even going to break it down, because I'm sure you've heard all of it by now. My mind tells me Florida, but my gut tells me 'Bama. I wonder what Saban and Meyer have up their sleeves in this one!
So, I'll wake up, and watch Cincy vs. Pitt at 11am, Florida vs. 'Bama at 3pm, and then Georgia Tech vs. Clemson at 7pm, capping it all off with the ISU vs. Cal Basketball game at 10pm. There are other games on, but I really only care about conference championships at this point... I really don't care about Wisconsin vs. Hawaii, or Cal vs. Washington, for example.
What games are you looking forward to watching this weekend?