Auburn and Alabama stand on the precipice of a historic Iron Bowl, one that would amplify the normal insanity surrounding the annual rivalry to near-unfathomable proportions. With matching wins Saturday, both teams will enter the season finale – this time, at Auburn – with one or fewer losses for the first time since 1994. What’s on the line? The SEC West Division, for one, followed by the SEC, perhaps followed by a shot at the national championship.
First things first: Auburn must get past Georgia. It’s the oldest rivalry in the South, hence the title – the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry – and also the most evenly matched series in major college football. The Tigers and Bulldogs have met 116 times since 1892; the all-time record stands at 54-54-8.
An impressive Auburn win could alter the Bowl Championship Series landscape heading into the season’s final weeks. At 10-1 heading into the Iron Bowl, the Tigers could conceivably earn an at-large BCS bid even with a loss to the Crimson Tide. Better yet, Auburn could theoretically finish 12-1 – beating Missouri in the SEC title game – and get some help, squeezing into the BCS National Championship Game in coach Gus Malzahn’s first season with the program.
Washington: The Huskies have already packed two seasons into nine games. There were the salad days of 4-0, complete with impressive wins against Boise State and Arizona. Then came the downturn, when UW dropped three in a row to the Pac-12’s best – Oregon, Stanford and Arizona State. But the Huskies have bounced back to win two in a row in impressive fashion, breezing past California and Colorado, and can reclaim much of the team’s lost luster by beating No. 15 UCLA on the road. A victory could move Washington back into the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll while creating the possibility for a 10-win season.
Cincinnati: Starting 7-2 is easy when you don’t play a team currently holding a winning record. That’s set to change for Cincinnati, which trades the nation’s easiest schedule for the threesome of Rutgers, Houston and Louisville to end the regular season. Starting with Saturday’s trip to Rutgers, the Bearcats are on a quest for national respect.
Oklahoma State: They’re the forgotten team in the Big 12, for one reason or another. Hidden behind Baylor’s juggernaut offense, Texas’ resurgence, Oklahoma’s missteps and Texas Tech’s torrid start under a new staff, No. 10 Oklahoma State sits at 8-1, front and center in the race for the league’s BCS bid. The road is clear: OSU heads to Texas on Saturday, taking on the injury-ravaged Longhorns, before closing with Baylor and rival OU, both at home. Considering the team’s growing pains on offense, this might mark Mike Gundy’s finest coaching job.
Michigan State: All that stands in Michigan State’s path to a Big Ten Legends Division title is Nebraska, which has been tough to beat in November home games under coach Bo Pelini. In the Spartans’ corner stands the nation’s best defense, one that has allowed only 44.44 rushing yards per game and 1.62 yards per carry. Can Nebraska’s run-based offense find any traction? With a win, Michigan State can turn its focus to Ohio State and the conference championship game.
Michigan: Speaking of running the football – or trying, at least: Michigan accounted for minus-69 rushing yards in losses to the Spartans and Cornhuskers. While blame has been heaped on offensive coordinator Al Borges and quarterback Devin Gardner, the onus falls on the underachieving and supremely disappointing play of the offensive line. The only Big Ten team scuffling more than Michigan is Northwestern, which hosts the Wolverines having lost five in a row after its 4-0 start. Something has to give.
Florida: The Gators have two four-game losing streaks since 1990; both have come under third-year coach Will Muschamp. Saturday’s trip to South Carolina comes with bowl eligibility on the line: 4-5 Florida closes against Florida State, so a loss to the Gamecocks essentially ends any hopes of continuing the nation’s longest active bowl streak. Behind the scenes, how Florida caps its regular season may have enormous bearing on how Muschamp approaches his staff in 2014; while his job is secure, the Gators could opt for changes on the offensive side of the ball.
Baylor: What does Baylor have left to prove? Not much, to be honest. But there’s still a degree of intrigue surrounding Saturday’s matchup with Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Consider: Baylor has played only two road games during its 8-0 start. With trips to Oklahoma State and TCU up next, facing off against the Red Raiders on a neutral field might give the Bears a taste – if only a small taste – of what’s to come during the next two weeks.
Stanford: There is a growing national dialogue supporting Stanford’s case for a top-four ranking – ahead of an undefeated team – despite the Cardinal’s one loss to Utah. Stanford can add fuel to the conversation by beating red-hot USC, which has altered the direction of its own season since replacing Lane Kiffin with Ed Orgeron in late September. At the very least, the Cardinal can put itself in position to play for the national championship if only one undefeated team is left standing at the end of the regular season.
Oregon State: It’s entirely possible that Oregon State falls from 6-1 to 6-6, dropping its last five games to limp into the postseason as the coldest team in the Pac-12. Perhaps we should have seen this coming: OSU started 6-1 against a cherry-picked schedule of Pac-12 patsies, and has since found tougher sledding against tougher league competition. Saturday’s trip to Arizona State provides an opportunity to right the ship, should the Beavers prove capable of stopping the Sun Devils’ run game.
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