Rivalry Weekend

Here are a couple of quick hits to get us going (not quite as quick as the Auburn offense, but the Wing Expert is changing up his plays a little more).

First down: Florida State rolled in an uneventful and rather dull rivalry game with Florida today. Jameis Winston threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns as the Seminoles beat the Gators, 37-7.

Second down: Ohio State held on to defeat Michigan in “The Game.” The Buckeyes are 12-0 this season, but not after a scare in Ann Arbor, as the Wolverines scored in the final minute, but couldn’t convert a 2-point conversion to take the lead.

Third down: Alabama versus Auburn, the Iron Bowl, was an absolute beast of a game that had me pacing back and forth and on my knees at the very end. Auburn shocked the world and won, but it was how they won that still has everybody perplexed. The Tigers out-rushed the Tide, 296-210, and of course the 100-yard missed field goal return didn’t take away from the game’s excitement.

Fourth down: It was a little close here and we needed a measurement to make sure we didn’t turn the ball over on downs, but Duke held on today to beat North Carolina and earn its first berth into the ACC Championship game, 25-23.

It’s rivalry weekend and it has been a wonderful one at that. Here are the games that did not disappoint.

Mississippi State pulled off a huge win over Mississippi at home on Thursday night. Scoring in the final minute to force overtime and eventually winning after a Bo Wallace fumble as he was trying to walk into the end zone. Dan Mullen is granted another season after the Egg Bowl victory.

I don’t know why I doubt this matchup, but the Battle for the Golden Boot is year-in and year-out one of the best matchups in college football. LSU was a three-touchdown favorite over the Hogs, but Arkansas had its back to the wall and nothing to lose. Zach Mettenberger had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter and Arkansas pinned the Tigers on the one-yard line with a three-point lead. Freshman quarterback Anthony Jennings stood tall in the pocket and ran when he needed too, marching the Cardiac Cats down the field and connecting on a wide-open 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Tigers the lead. LSU retains the Golden Boot for another year.

Ohio State survived Michigan and This Wing Expert tips his hat to Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke, who attempted a 2-point conversion instead of kicking the point-after attempt to tie the game. It was a back and forth game all the way though, and Hoke made the right choice in my mind by going for the win and not the tie in what would’ve been an enormous win for the school. Devin Gardner’s pass however was intercepted and the Wolverines lost.

Injured Georgia prevailed in a game against Georgia Tech, after two overtimes, 41-34, getting 122 rushing yards and three touchdowns from running back Todd Gurley. Georgia Tech jumped out to a 20-7 lead before allowing 20 points in the second half and eventually falling.

Auburn pulled off another stunner at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday, beating top-ranked Alabama, 34-28, after a 100-yard return following a missed field goal attempt with one second left. Auburn took an early lead over the Tide in the first quarter, but allowed 21-unanswered points in the second quarter. The Tigers looked broken and stunned, it happened so fast, how did they score so fast? The Tigers managed to put together a drive of 80 yards before the half to regain some confidence, trailing 21-14. Auburn added another touchdown in the third to tie the game and proceeded to pin it’s in-state rival on the one-yard line two straight times. Bama would march down and miss a field goal on the first and A.J. McCarron connected with Amari Cooper on the second for a 99-yard touchdown. Auburn fought back though, marching down the field in a rather quick fashion, until quarterback Nick Marshall connected with Sammie Coates for the game-tying touchdown. Alabama answered with two draws up the middle and after a booth review put one second back on the clock, the Tide stared down a 57-yard field goal for the win. Gus Malzahn called a timeout for Auburn and sent Chris Davis back to the goal post to set up the return that would shock the football world. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it, because Auburn had this planned the whole time and Alabama watched as history wrote itself.

Auburn is now preparing for an SEC Championship and possibly a National Championship. I realize that I am an Alabama fan, but Auburn held their own against my beloved Crimson Tide and in the end, made the plays needed to win the game. Congrats Auburn, I hope to never say that again. Roll Tide.

Moving past my stunned view of Davis running the missed field goal back for a touchdown, Duke defeated North Carolina, earning the Blue Devils a trip to the ACC Championship against juggernaut Florida State. Duke has won 10 games in a season for the first time in school history, earned its first berth in the ACC Championship and is bowl eligible in consecutive seasons. Duke has won its last eight games and needs one more to set the longest winning streak in school history. Watch out Florida State, the Blue Devils are coming.

Keep an eye on David Cutcliffe for the open coaching positions this offseason. He may be 59 years old, but he gets the most out of his players.

Speaking of coaching vacancies, well they aren’t vacant yet, but these schools need to look at their selves and think about a little change in the future.

Florida is missing a bowl for the first time in more than 20 years and lost to an FCS team for the first time in school history. Let me make this clear, the Gators cannot miss a bowl game and lose to an FCS team, they’re too good and deep for that. Now I realize they have had injuries all over the field, but even the Gator second string should roll through some non-conference and SEC East opponents. It looks like Will Muschamp is getting to stick around, but he’ll need to re-energize his offense LSU-style next year. I’m not saying there is another Cam Cameron out there, but being one dimensional is never good.

Nebraska fell to Iowa on Friday, 38-17, and while this is no pushover Hawkeye club,  the Cornhuskers managed only 89 rushing yards and surrendered 24 points in the second half for their third home loss of the season. Nebraska is giving up 25.3 points per game, which is embarrassing compared to the old “Black Shirt” Husker days. Nebraska needs to get back to basics, line up, run the ball and stop the run on defense.

Texas and USC were on this list early in the year, but both have turned around their seasons and possibly found the future (or past) of their programs. Running the football has saved both teams. Texas has a stable of skilled running backs and some big offensive lineman that the Longhorns can bring in to overpower teams. USC has done the same, taking some of the pressures of a young quarterback, while both teams are keeping their defenses off the field and not allowing them to get worn out. I don’t think Ed Orgeron will get the USC job, but Mack Brown will retain his, I just hope both programs don’t try to get too cute.

This upcoming weekend features some unusual conference championship matchups.

Stanford is taking on Arizona State in the Pac-12 championship, with the Sun Devils hosting. Stop me if you thought ASU would be playing in the championship over USC and UCLA, let alone hosting the game over Stanford and Oregon. Todd Graham has the Sun Devils rolling and should get some solid considerations for head coaching vacancies next season, and with his history should jump at the chance for a couple.

Ohio State is playing Michigan State, with both teams coming into this game with 23 combined wins and just one loss. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in offense, while the Spartans boast the conference’s top defense. These are the matchups I enjoy watching, hopefully Michigan State’s offense can stay on the field long enough to give the defense a breather.

Florida State is taking on Duke, yes I’m still talking football, in the ACC Championship. Florida State is led by Heisman front-runner Jameis Winston, and the Seminoles have rolled through opponents all season long. Duke has won its last two games despite scares in each. This may be the biggest mismatch in all the games next week, but the Blue Devils seem to find a way to win and I think Florida State is beatable, especially if Winston investigation heats up. Don't sleep on Duke.

Auburn takes on Missouri in the SEC Championship, which has to be the most shocking and least predicted matchup of the conference championships. Both teams combined for eight wins and 16 losses last season, but came through this year with 22 combined wins and only two losses. Auburn and Missouri both run fast spread out offenses, so this game will be very un-SEC like. The winner should play in the National Championship, each has deserved it and the conferences track-record has earned it.

All in all it’s been a great weekend and a wonderful way to finish up the best holiday and month of the year. I have a tee time tomorrow, but afterwards I think I'm going to work on a little something to give you three days in a row of reading material. It was a great day for college football and I'm still proud of my Alabama Crimson Tide.

-The Wing Expert

Game Day

I'm going to try my hand at a little poetry on here from time to time. Don't laugh, it's only my thoughts and dreams being jotted down on some paper and transposed onto the web for everybody to see (you're welcome). But this is where I can work to hone my skills and practice what I've learned in writing.

Today is the inaugural Iron Bowl and I thought there was no better topic, than to preach about my favorite day of the week. Game Day.

Every day is new,
But this one is different.
Its only just arrived,
And it will be gone in just an instant.

We've worked all throughout the week,
Which has led us right to here.
To the point where we can only,
Sit, watch and cheer.

Something about this day,
We find oh so freakin' right.
That wakes us up in the morning,
Keeping us excited throughout the night.

It puts us on the edges of our seats,
With each and every play.
Whether you enjoy a simple run,
Or a screen with a slight delay.

So toss all your worries aside,
Because this I know is true.
Game Day is here today,
And it has plenty in store for you.

Get up everybody, it's Game Day!

-The Wing Expert

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and I hope you’re having a great one (or had a great one like me). I have returned from my parent’s house and am watching the Cowboys and my dogs.

I was trying to get this posted Wednesday night, but computer issues kept me from being able to post this. However, I came up with five games this weekend that have piqued my interest for this holiday season while a couple of squatters were making camp in the dining room earlier.

Kicking off my list is obviously the Iron Bowl on Saturday, featuring No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Auburn (if you didn’t already know). Looking a little deeper into the series, Bama has won four of the last five meetings with the Tigers, but this time last season Auburn was 3-8 and coming off a shutout loss to Georgia. The Crimson Tide blew out the Tigers in last year’s meeting, 49-0, but as referenced before, this isn’t the same Auburn team as last season. The Tigers like to run the ball and the Crimson Tide have only allowed five rushing touchdowns all season. We’ll see Saturday which side can prevail.

I don’t pick Alabama games, so you’ll get nothing from me, other than it should be an amazing game and much closer than the 49-0 showing last year.

Roll Tide.

Coming in at No. 2 is an NFL game, on Monday night. Seattle is hosting New Orleans and the 12^th man is sure to be rocking in this matchup between the top two teams in the NFC. This game should have huge implications on the playoffs as the winner will likely get home-field advantage throughout the. New Orleans and Seattle each possess a top-5 defense in the NFL and two quarterbacks who are capable of moving the ball for their teams. Seattle edges the Saints in the running department and should be able to control the clock and Drew Brees’ offense. Hopefully Jimmy Graham has a huge day for my fantasy team. Seattle wins this game at home, 20-16, with both defenses standing tall.

Sneaking into the top three, at No. 3, is the Palmetto State showdown on Saturday, featuring Clemson and South Carolina. SC has won the last four meetings by an average of 17.5 points, but the Tigers have just one loss this season and that was to the undefeated Florida State (which they were completely outplayed in). Connor Shaw and Tajh Boyd are the senior quarterbacks and will factor greatly in the outcome, whichever can make a play or not make a mistake. Dabo Sweeney gets Clemson up early, but Jadeveon Clowney reasserts himself and sacks the quarterback three times. South Carolina wins, 34-28.

At No. 4 is another matchup in the NFL, really a rematch, pitting Kansas City and Denver in the Mile-high City. The Chiefs came up short in the last meeting, and the defense gets another shot at Peyton Manning, who was held in check last week against the Patriots. It should be a riveting matchup between two division opponents, and will be a factor in home-field advantage. I see the Chiefs playing well, but losing their third in a row, 27-23.       

Rounding out the top five is an NCAA basketball matchup between Arizona and Duke in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Friday. This is a matchup of two top-10 teams, but my interest is piqued by the matchup of the teams’ two talented freshman. Duke’s Jabari Parker could be argued as the best player in the league and Zona’s Aaron Gordon has the abilities to play alongside Parker. Parker has scored more than 20 points in his first seven games this year and is coming off a season-high 27 points against Alabama at Madison Square Garden (the last freshman to score 20+ points in his first seven games was a guy by the name of Kevin Durant, so there’s that). Gordon is averaging 12.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game and has four double-doubles this season. Gordon matches up with Parker very well and should provide a great head-to-head matchup inside this game of talented teams. I see Duke winning however, 81-74.

As I said earlier, I hope you are having or have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy the best time of the year. I love this chilly weather and the fact that there is always a game on, whether it’s a football, basketball, or eve hockey game, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

-The Wing Expert

Down the stretch they come!

What a day of college football, three teams eclipsed the 70-point mark (Florida State, North Carolina and South Carolina), while two more surpassed the 65-point mark (Fresno State and Georgia Tech).

Don’t look now, but the college football season is coming to an end. There is one week before the Conference Championships begin and only two more weeks with a heavy schedule.

With the season winding down, each game gets more and more important. Here are the biggest wins of the 

week:

(1)    Oklahoma State was the host of College Game Day this week and of undefeated and fourth-ranked Baylor. The Bears have crushed every single one of its opponents this season, while the Cowboys have cruised since the insertion of Clint Chelf as the starting quarterback, winning its last four games by an average of 27.5 points. OSU didn’t disappoint this week, unless you’re a fan of the green and gold, beating the Bears, 49-17, and moving one game closer to winning the Big 12 and earning a BCS bid.

(2)   Duke fell behind Wake Forest 14-0, but stormed back to beat the Demon Deacons, 28-21, and getting itself one game closer to playing Florida State in the ACC Championship. With all the controversy surrounding the Seminoles, don’t be surprised to see Duke playing in its own BCS Game.

(3)    Arizona State made my last post as one of the most underrated teams in the league, and the Sun Devils proved again that they are not getting the respect they deserve. ASU beat UCLA and clinched the Pac-12 South Division and will play Stanford in the championship. Don’t sleep on the Devils from the desert.

(4)    Missouri defeated Ole Miss and needs only a win over Texas A&M next week to clinch the SEC East and play the Iron Bowl winner in the SEC Championship. MIzzou is one of the best turnaround stories this season, along with Auburn.

(5)    Michigan State is another team that made my most underrated list and the Spartans have won their last seven games. The defense has been there all season for MSU, but the offense is finally beginning to stride and I think the Spartans pose a great threat to the Buckeyes and could be the team to end their 22-game winning streak.

(6)    LSU beat Texas A&M and is the only team in the SEC West to have two conference wins over the Aggies since their inception. LSU didn’t do it by outscoring the Aggies, instead the Tigers dominated its opposition by running the football and smothering the opposing offense with its ferocious defense (the LSU way). Looks like Les Miles and his team has found their swag right before the Arkansas game.

Along with big wins, comes even bigger losses, which has caused some teams to start thinking about next year.

(1)    The worst loss of the day is a pretty easy one, Florida fell to Georgia Southern at home, 26-20. The Gators have lost their last six games after falling to this FCS foe and I find it very hard to believe that Will Muschamp will be back on the sidelines for Florida next season. UF is going to miss a bowl game for the first time since 1990 and who knows how bad rival FSU beats them next week.

(2)    Oregon was given a second chance last week, after USC defeated Stanford to give the Cardinal two losses in conference. The Ducks answered by getting blown out by Arizona, 42-16, turning the ball over twice as Marcus Mariota kissed his Heisman chances goodbye. The Ducks should enjoy playing the Longhorns in the Holiday Bowl.

(3)    Baylor is only on this list because of what was at stake. The Bears were on a roll and looking to win the Big 12, with an outside chance of playing in the National Championship. Baylor was on the road like Oregon, and lost, 49-17, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to make this game closer than it really was. Baylor still has a lot to play for and a slim chance of winning the Big 12, since Okie State fell to West Virginia and could lose again.

Finishing off this late post, it is Iron Bowl week and this season’s matchup might be the biggest of the rivalry in 10 seasons. Auburn has the one loss to LSU in a monsoon, while Alabama hasn’t lost and is rolling through opponents.

I’m sorry it’s been a week between posts, but a Wing Expert has a schedule to keep and mouths to feed. I plan on dropping by again midweek and might even dive into something that’s not sports related. Until then, 

I’m tired and going to sleep.

Enjoy Brady vs. Manning on Sunday night!

-The Wing Expert.

Crunch time is upon us!

It’s that time of the year again; the time when teams can see their post-season dreams become clearer and clearer after each game.

The BCS top five is as follows, Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, Stanford and Baylor, with Bama and FSU controlling their destinies and diminishing the dreams of the other three with each win.

Alabama struggled with Mississippi State, who Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban was one of the best 4-5 teams in the country, as the defense held the Bulldogs to just seven points. Bama won 20-7, but it wasn’t pretty. A.J. McCarron threw two touchdowns, but the senior signal caller also tossed two interceptions. Running backs T.J. Yeldon and Kenyon Drake each coughed up fumbles to put coach Saban into a red cloud of anger on the sideline (which isn’t exactly anything new). But four turnovers in a game is never good and the defense answered the call, standing strong the whole game.

Florida State cruised past Syracuse, 59-3, as quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns amidst his off field issues.

Alabama has Charleston next week and Auburn after that with the SEC Championship waiting if the Tide can beat the Tigers. Florida State gets Idaho and Florida, with the ACC Championship awaiting the Seminoles, no matter what.

Ohio State and Baylor soared out to big leads and held on in the end, but Stanford grinded with USC in Los Angeles, eventually losing after watching its championship aspirations fall from the leg of the Andre Heidari. The Ducks have canceled plans to fly south for the winter, they’ll stick around a little longer.

I don’t see any losses coming to the Tide or Seminoles, but It’s always interesting to watch these teams as the pressure rises.

Auburn posses a big threat to the Crimson Tide, as the Tigers have won their last seven games since losing to LSU in a monsoon at Tiger Stadium. However leave it to the Barners to storm out to a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, and watching the Bulldogs score 21 straight to take the lead. But in typical Dawg fashion, Auburn completed a 73-yard pass to take the lead and hold off an UGA charge that ended with Aaron Murray fluttering a ball out five yards. Auburn is still able to win the SEC West, if it can beat Bama.

Hats off to Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, who picked up his 157^th win with the Sooners, tying him with the great Barry Switzer. OU got back to its running ways today and hopefully found their quarterback of the future in Trevor Knight (Kendall Thompson looked pretty good in limited work too).

Bob Stoops and Barry Switzer each have 157 wins at Oklahoma and Bud Wilkinson has 143, giving the Sooners three coaches with 140 wins with the program, that’s impressive.

Duke defeated Miami today, 48-30, scoring 20-unanswered points at the end. The Blue Devils are 4-2 in ACC play this season and if they can beat Wake Forest and North Carolina in the next two weeks, they’ll get the Noles. Hats off to David Cutcliffe.

Moving from the top of the list, here are my top three underrated teams in the nation.

                Coming in at No. 3 is Arizona State. The Sun Devils are averaging 43.7 points per game and are ranked No. 19 in the BCS. ASU has wins over USC, Washington and at Utah, with a lucky bounce against Wisconsin. State is the least penalized team in the country and play tough defense and can score quickly. Don’t sleep on the Sun Devils.

                No. 2 is Michigan State, which is coming off its first-ever win over Nebraska, 41-28. The Spartans were neck and neck with the Cornhuskers until coach Dantonio called a fake field goal, which seemed to spark the Spartans. MSU might be ranked No. 1 in basketball, but Sparty is No. 16 in football, boasting the nation’s No. 1 total defense (210.2 yards per game) and rushing defense (43.4 yards per game).

                My No. 1 underrated team is Wisconsin. Besides the horrible loss to Arizona State (which shouldn’t have happened since the officials were as lost and confused as the OU fanbase last week when their Sooners were getting pummeled by Baylor) on the road, the Badgers have just one loss, to Ohio State. The Badgers are ranked 22^nd in the BCS but have wins over Northwestern, BYU and Iowa. Wisconsin hung with Ohio State for four quarters, and might be the only team in that region capable of beating them. Beware the Badgers in a bowl game.

I submitted job applications to 12 different jobs tonight, so if you’re reading this keep me in your thoughts and prayers please. As I am looking to substitute my three current jobs with one that pays much better, which would allow more time for me to write and keep up you all of you.

I’ll definitely be back midweek however, updating you on the big matchups of the weekend. I might also dive into some college basketball, but will probably stick to what I know best.

In the meantime, take care and have a wonderful week.

-The Wing Expert

How about a little #MACtion?

When you aren’t one of the bigger conferences in college football, you have to switch things around and buck a couple of trends. In the instance of the Mid-American Conference, you need to hype up your teams and personnel as distinct and more popular, and move your biggest matchups to a different night, preferably one with nothing else going on.

The MAC has done this and done it very well. MAC heads have thrown out the possibilities of hyping up defenses and decided to focus on scoring points and playing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

So you might be asking, “How do I get into this MAC action?”

Well to answer your question, tune in this week for some top notch #MACtion on ESPN2.

Tuesday night features a Buffalo team that is leading the Eastern Division and has won its last seven games since losing to Ohio State and Baylor in its first two games. The Bulls are looking for their first eight-game winning streak in the same season for the first time in school history, playing against Toledo, who is sitting third in the West Division behind two juggernauts.

Buffalo features a top running back in Branden Oliver, who has 1,123 rushing yards this season, and a supremely talented linebacker in Khalil Mack, who’s 59 tackles show a knack for finding the football and demolishing whoever is carrying it. Buffalo is a more than average football team and well equipped to beat the Rockets on the road. Bulls win.

If you happen to be busy Tuesday night, then check out Wednesday for the prime matchup of Ball State and Northern Illinois, for the lead in the MAC West Division. Ball State has one loss on the season, falling to North Texas, but the Cardinals are playing much better as of late, scoring more than 40 points in three of their last five games. NIU is the best team in the MAC and has been for the last three years, winning 22 consecutive conference games. The Huskies are led by ultra-elusive Jordan Lynch at quarterback, who has 3,021 total yards and 31 total touchdowns. Ball State has won its last 11 conference games since a loss to the Huskies last season, 35-23, giving up 207 rushing yards and three touchdowns to the aforementioned Lynch. I expect NIU to win, but Ball State should make this interesting and fun, expect nothing less from #MACtion.

There is another game in the MAC going on Wednesday, but it features winless Miami (Ohio) against Kent State, who has two wins this season. Instead of discussing this matchup, I think I should point out that I believe Miami is the worst team in college football this season. The RedHawks are averaging 10 points per game (yes you read that correctly), 135.4 passing yards per game, and 92.7 rushing yards per game. Ranking last in scoring doesn’t help, but here are some other teams that are a cut above, but not too far above.

Coming in a close second on this not-so-fortunate list is Southern Mississippi, who has lost its last 21 games since beating Nevada in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl in 2011 and beating Houston in the Conference USA Championship game the same year. The Golden Eagles are averaging an abysmal 12.8 points per game, but that’s still 2.8 over Miami (Ohio). Don’t sleep on your success yet Southern Miss, you still have three games left to catch up.

Florida International has one win this season and that should attest for the fact that they come in third on my list. Averaging just 10.1 points per game isn’t super, but the Golden Panthers have the key win they need to fall to third on this list. FIU beat Southern Miss in the “Pillow Fight” on Oct. 5, 24-23.

California gets a little bump because they play much tougher competition than the MAC and Conference USA teams on this list. But the Golden Bears are 1-9 this season, under first-year head coach Sonny Dykes. Cal is averaging 344.8 passing yards per game, but is giving up 44.7 points per game, ranking 124^th in the nation. The good news is that Cal has a matchup with Colorado this weekend, but a matchup with Stanford looming on Nov. 23.

Seems like the golden years are behind us as three of the bottom four teams are labeled with the “Golden” nickname. Better luck next year teams.

So take my advice and tune in on Tuesday and Wednesday night for some #MACtion. The play style is infectious, and who doesn’t like to watch small crowds cheer on small schools in small venues. At least it’s football early in the week, right?

--The Wing Expert.

November brings the marquee matchups

November is here, which happens to be my favorite month of the year and with it comes some key football matchups that will shape the season.

Florida State defeated Miami at home Saturday night, 41-14, scoring 20 unanswered points in the second half. Freshmen quarterback Jameis Winston completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards and one touchdown. But the surprise of the game was Winston’s two interceptions, as it seems the freshman phenom is human and capable of making mistakes. FSU has games against Wake Forest, Syracuse, Idaho and Florida coming up and I don’t see them falling in any of those. The Gators pose an interesting threat, but I think they are too injured and banged up to make a difference, like they did last season.

Ohio State rolled Purdue (as they should have) and the Buckeyes have won every single game since Urban Meyer took over the dysfunctional program last year. OSU has games against Illinois, Indiana and Michigan remaining and like the Seminoles, I don’t see a loss in the future.

But I don’t think those teams hold their own destinies when it comes to National Championship aspirations. They’ll need a loss to one of or maybe both Alabama and Oregon this season.

Moving out of the past and into the future, which has plenty in stow regarding college football, including three huge matchups and the possibility for the best weekend of the season. However in regards to the college theme this weekend begins on a Thursday.

Oklahoma is making a trip south on I-35 to Waco, Texas, with the Bears of Baylor awaiting the Sooners. Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1) is 20-1 all-time against Baylor (7-0, 4-0) and handed Texas Tech its first loss of the season two weeks ago. Baylor however is bringing in the nation’s top offense, averaging 63.9 points per game and throwing for 417.3 yards per game. But it’s the Bears’ defense that has them where they are, No. 6 in the BCS poll, giving up a meager 15.9 points per game, ranking sixth in the nation, SIXTH! Oklahoma is improving and will pose a tough test for Baylor, but Lache Seastrunk, Bryce Petty and those talented receivers will have something to say in the outcome, Baylor wins 56-38.

*Side Note* I’ll be in Waco at the Baylor game Thursday.

The same night after Baylor faces OU, another OU takes on it’s one and only loss from last season, Stanford. Oregon (8-0, 5-0) ranks second in the nation in rushing with 331.5 yards per game and second in points, averaging 55.6 points per game. Stanford (7-1, 5-1) is winning games with its defense and balance, averaging 196.4 rushing yards per game and 193.3 passing yards per game. The Cardinal are only giving up 19.4 points per game and will need to hold this quick and fast Duck offense to as little as it can. Stanford was able to do this last season, beating Oregon in overtime, 17-14. Marcus Mariota and Kevin Hogan will both have to have great games for their teams to win, but I see Byron Marshall making a difference and Oregon beating Stanford, 31-20.

Oregon vs. Oregon State is looking more and more like a wonderful end of the year finish and maybe a sneaky upset pick by the Wing Expert.

In a little more traditional matchup, LSU travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to take on the two-time defending champion Crimson Tide. Alabama (8-0, 5-0) is No. 1 in the BCS Poll after steamrolling through the competition in October, winning all four games by a combined score, 190-20. LSU (7-2, 3-2) is coming into this meeting after a loss to Ole Miss and a tough win over Furman, yes, you read that correctly. Alabama is opening as a 10.5-point favorite, but the Fighting Tigers have won five of the last six meetings with the Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium, with the lone loss coming in 2009 and the Patrick Peterson interception that was ruled a no catch. Alabama ranks 11^th in scoring, averaging 41.3 points per game, and first in defense, giving up just 9.8 points per game. Bama is rolling right now and seems like they cannot be stopped, but LSU always gives the Tide fits and they’ll do it again this week. I see Alabama winning this game, but just like last year, with a lot of suspense. Tide defense holds strong and gets Bama one win closer to a three-peat, winning, 23-13.

Not one upset picked by the Wing Expert, which is unusual, but these will all be close games that will have you begging for more. Oregon, Alabama and Baylor are some of the best three teams in the country this year, with Oklahoma, Stanford and LSU not far behind.

Sorry for the gap in between posts, and the late upload here, but I wanted to get something on for you to have on the Manic Monday. Check in later this week for my update on the Heisman watch and my reaction from Floyd Casey and the OU-Baylor game.

Thanks for checking in and have a wonderful week.

Wing Man out.