Thursday
8:00 PM ET ESPN: #17 Texas A&M 8-3 (-3.5) @ Texas 5-6 - The Aggies defense is weak against the pass, but it's questionable if QB Garrett Gilbert will be able to take advantage. He's only had two games this season where he's thrown more TDs than INTs. The ground game hasn't been much better this season and it's doubtful they're able to find many yards against A&M's 15th ranked run defense. The exciting part of this game should be when the A&M offense takes the field, led by converted QB Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill has a 10/3 TD/INT ratio and a top ten completion percentage (68.6|PERCENT|). He's got great weapons at his disposal in WRs Jeff Fuller and Ryan Swope. The Longhorns defense has good yardage numbers, but is vulnerable against the run. I look for a big day from Cyrus Gray, who now has 100 yards rushing in 5 straight games. This is a must win for a Longhorns team that has yet to gain bowl eligible. Texas has won 8 of the last 10 in this series.
Aggies Offense: 455.0 ypg (15th), 5.5 yards/play (61st), 43.5|PERCENT| 3rd Down (40th)
Pass: 295.7 ypg (11th), 7.2 ypa (51st), 61.0|PERCENT| comp. (46th), 24 TDs, & 12 INTs
Run: 159.3 ypg (53rd), 3.86 yards/carry (84th), & 17 TDs
Longhorns Defense: 294.2 ypg (8th), 4.5 yards/play (9th), & 37.8|PERCENT| 3rd Down (42nd)
Pass: 164.6 ypg (11th), 6.6 ypa (41st), 57.8|PERCENT| comp. (51st), 12 TDs, & 8 INTs
Run: 129.6 ypg (31st), 3.22 yards/carry (14th), & 19 TDs
Longhorns Offense: 384.6 ypg (60th), 5.3 yards/play (73rd), 40.8|PERCENT| 3rd Down (55th)
Pass: 233.2 ypg (51st), 6.3 ypa (97th), 59.3|PERCENT| comp. (60th), 9 TDs, & 15 INTs
Run: 151.4 ypg (66th), 4.22 yards/carry (61st), & 18 TDs
Aggies Defense: 357.4 ypg (51st), 4.7 yards/play (15th), & 34.2|PERCENT| 3rd Down (15th)
Pass: 242.5 ypg (97th), 5.9 ypa (11th), 61.2|PERCENT| comp. (85th), 15 TDs, & 13 INTs
Run: 114.9 ypg (15th), 3.26 yards/carry (16th), & 11 TDs
Friday
12:00 PM ET ABC: West Virginia 7-3 @ Pitt 6-4 (-2.5) - This is going to be an ugly, low scoring, defensive game. Both teams have below average offenses that struggle to move the ball. Pitt's QB Tino Sunseri has a 2/2 TD/INT ratio over his last 3 games. WV's QB Geno Smith has had one good game in the last month and the rest have been forgettable. The run games feature RBs with big names, but small production. Pitt has Dion Lewis, who might not even be the best RB on his own team, with the emergence of Ray Graham. For WV, Noel Devine was touted as a Heisman candidate coming into the season, but has 82.8 ypg and 6 rushing TDs to show for it. The best part of this game will be the defensive play. WV's defense ranks in the top ten in almost all statistical categories. Maybe most impressive is that they've allowed the fewest TDs in the nation at 12. That or the fact that they allow the lowest 3rd down conversion rate. Pitt's defense is top 20 in almost all statistical categories and is especially good against the pass. The last four games they've allowed an average of 105.5 ypg passing. West Virginia must win this game to remain in the hunt for the Big East title. The last 10 games in this series have been split 5/5.
Mountaineers Offense: 363.6 ypg (74th), 5.1 yards/play (86th), 41.9|PERCENT| 3rd Down (48th)
Pass: 200.9 ypg (71st), 6.6 ypa (89th), 63.0|PERCENT| comp. (32nd), 19 TDs, & 7 INTs
Run: 162.7 ypg (46th), 3.90 yards/carry (79th), & 12 TDs
Panthers Defense: 302.6 ypg (12th), 4.6 yards/play (12th), & 37.5|PERCENT| 3rd Down (40th)
Pass: 187.4 ypg (20th), 5.8 ypa (8th), 56.5|PERCENT| comp. (38th), 11 TDs, & 10 INTs
Run: 115.2 ypg (16th), 3.43 yards/carry (19th), & 9 TDs
Panthers Offense: 360.6 ypg (75th), 5.8 yards/play (39th), 38.5|PERCENT| 3rd Down (69th)
Pass: 206.3 ypg (66th), 7.6 ypa (37th), 65.8|PERCENT| comp. (18th), 14 TDs, & 8 INTs
Run: 154.3 ypg (59th), 4.41 yards/carry (49th), & 18 TDs
Mountaineers Defense: 245.1 ypg (4th), 4.1 yards/play (2nd), & 21.7|PERCENT| 3rd Down (1st)
Pass: 157.1 ypg (8th), 5.6 ypa (6th), 56.9|PERCENT| comp. (43rd), 7 TDs, & 11 INTs
Run: 88.0 ypg (4th), 2.78 yards/carry (3rd), & 3 TDs
2:30 PM ET CBS: #2 Auburn 11-0 @ #11 Alabama 9-2 (-4) - Bama will try to do something no team has done this season, slow down Tigers QB Cam Newton. Newton has ascended to the top of the Heisman trophy race with his dynamic play on the ground and through the air. He ranks 2nd in QB passer rating (183.58), 2nd in yards per attempt (10.3), 8th in completion percentage (68.2|PERCENT|), 9th in rushing yards per game (117.9) and 2nd in rushing TDs (17). The Bama run defense is playing well, but so was the LSU run defense, before Auburn ran right through them. I wouldn't be surprised to see Newton have a better day passing than rushing as the Bama secondary can get very leaky at times. For Bama offensively, QB Greg McElroy should have a great day passing, assuming DT Nick Fairley doesn't knock him down or out first. The key for Auburn will be stopping RBs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, who haven't played up to their potential this season. In their two losses, the team averaged almost 70 yards rushing. Julio Jones should have a monster game going up against these Auburn DBs. Auburn has won 6 of the last 8 in this series.
Tigers Offense: 505.2 ypg (6th), 7.6 yards/play (1st), 53.3|PERCENT| 3rd Down (3rd)
Pass: 197.3 ypg (77th), 10.2 ypa (1st), 67.5|PERCENT| comp. (9th), 22 TDs, & 6 INTs
Run: 307.9 ypg (3rd), 6.53 yards/carry (1st), & 37 TDs
Crimson Tide Defense: 293.5 ypg (7th), 4.7 yards/play (15th), & 34.0|PERCENT| 3rd Down (14th)
Pass: 168.7 ypg (14th), 5.8 ypa (8th), 51.9|PERCENT| comp. (6th), 8 TDs, & 21 INTs
Run: 124.7 ypg (22nd), 3.75 yards/carry (39th), & 5 TDs
Crimson Tide Offense: 434.6 ypg (26th), 6.9 yards/play (8th), 44.8|PERCENT| 3rd Down (31st)
Pass: 249.7 ypg (36th), 9.2 ypa (7th), 69.5|PERCENT| comp. (6th), 21 TDs, & 5 INTs
Run: 184.9 ypg (32nd), 5.18 yards/carry (19th), & 23 TDs
Tigers Defense: 355.7 ypg (50th), 5.2 yards/play (38th), & 38.2|PERCENT| 3rd Down (49th)
Pass: 244.2 ypg (100th), 6.7 ypa (47th), 62.5|PERCENT| comp. (93rd), 19 TDs, & 8 INTs
Run: 111.6 ypg (11th), 3.45 yards/carry (22nd), & 15 TDs
7:00 PM ET ESPN: #21 Arizona 7-3 @ #1 Oregon 10-0 (-19) - In their last game, Oregon stumbled and almost fell to Cal 15-13 on the road. This week they're facing another tough defense in Arizona. The Wildcats are 14th in the nation in run defense and 9th in yards allowed per carry. Troubling is the fact that they've given up and average of 211 yards and 3 TDs in their last two games (Stanford & USC). This Oregon run game is up-tempo to the point that Cal players were faking injuries to slow the pace of the game down. I doubt Arizona defenders will do that in this game, but it did work. Expect QB Darron Thomas and WR Jeff Maehl to have big games against this 45th ranked pass defense. You can pass on the Duck defense (see Arizona State, Stanford, & USC) and I look for Arizona QB Nick Foles to have a big game. Foles is 11th in passing ypg (275.1) and 4th in the nation in completion percentage (71.0|PERCENT|). Hopefully RB Nic Grisby (ankle) will play and help lift a run game that ranks 78th. What Arizona can not do is try and trade scores with Oregon, they have to try and bleed the clock and get their defense some rest. The Ducks have won 9 of the last 11 in this series.
Wildcats Offense: 444.5 ypg (20th), 6.3 yards/play (24th), 51.1|PERCENT| 3rd Down (11th)
Pass: 300.6 ypg (10th), 7.9 ypa (30th), 71.2|PERCENT| comp. (3rd), 18 TDs, & 8 INTs
Run: 143.9 ypg (78th), 4.40 yards/carry (51st), & 19 TDs
Ducks Defense: 315.4 ypg (15th), 4.4 yards/play (5th), & 30.2|PERCENT| 3rd Down (5th)
Pass: 189.1 ypg (22nd), 5.3 ypa (2nd), 53.2|PERCENT| comp. (10th), 8 TDs, & 15 INTs
Run: 126.3 ypg (24th), 3.43 yards/carry (19th), & 11 TDs
Ducks Offense: 542.2 ypg (2nd), 6.8 yards/play (9th), 47.2|PERCENT| 3rd Down (21st)
Pass: 249.3 ypg (37th), 8.2 ypa (24th), 62.6|PERCENT| comp. (35th), 24 TDs, & 6 INTs
Run: 292.9 ypg (6th), 5.95 yards/carry (4th), & 35 TDs
Wildcats Defense: 318.7 ypg (19th), 4.8 yards/play (19th), & 41.6|PERCENT| 3rd Down (82nd)
Pass: 205.8 ypg (45th), 6.9 ypa (54th), 57.5|PERCENT| comp. (49th), 12 TDs, & 8 INTs
Run: 112.9 ypg (14th), 3.13 yards/carry (9th), & 10 TDs
10:15 PM ET ESPN: #4 Boise State 10-0 (-14) @ #19 Nevada 10-1 - What's so impressive about this Broncos team isn't the offense, it's the defense. You can't run the ball against them (1st in run defense), you can't pass it against them (2nd in ypa), and on 3rd Down they're great (3rd in conversion percentage). They've held 7 of their 10 opponents to 14 points or less. They're allowing 3.7 yards per play, which is 1st in the nation and almost half a yard better the 2nd place team... I could go on and on. Nevada has a potent offense with QB Colin Kaepernick to potentially challenge this defense. Kaepernick is 8th in the nation in terms of total offense per game (308.5). RB Vai Taua is 7th in the nation in rushing ypg (124.1) and gives the team that 1/2 punch it needs in this pistol system. This is the last real test for Boise State and their last shot at jumping TCU in the BCS standings, so I expect their best effort. Boise State has won 5 in a row against Nevada.
Broncos Offense: 528.8 ypg (4th), 7.5 yards/play (2nd), 50.0|PERCENT| 3rd Down (14th)
Pass: 323.4 ypg (5th), 10.2 ypa (1st), 71.0|PERCENT| comp. (4th), 31 TDs, & 5 INTs
Run: 205.4 ypg (20th), 5.34 yards/carry (13th), & 28 TDs
Wolf Pack Defense: 374.5 ypg (66th), 5.6 yards/play (70th), & 37.1|PERCENT| 3rd Down (33rd)
Pass: 249.9 ypg (103rd), 6.9 ypa (54th), 56.4|PERCENT| comp. (36th), 12 TDs, & 10 INTs
Run: 124.6 ypg (21st), 4.02 yards/carry (50th), & 14 TDs
Wolf Pack Offense: 537.7 ypg (3rd), 7.3 yards/play (3rd), 55.7|PERCENT| 3rd Down (2nd)
Pass: 233.4 ypg (50th), 8.9 ypa (12th), 65.2|PERCENT| comp. (23rd), 20 TDs, & 7 INTs
Run: 304.4 ypg (4th), 6.49 yards/carry (2nd), & 44 TDs
Broncos Defense: 229.2 ypg (2nd), 3.7 yards/play (1st), & 26.6|PERCENT| 3rd Down (3rd)
Pass: 156.9 ypg (7th), 5.3 ypa (2nd), 53.0|PERCENT| comp. (9th), 7 TDs, & 11 INTs
Run: 72.3 ypg (1st), 2.20 yards/carry (1st), & 7 TDs
Week 12 Leaders
Passing:
1. Bryant Moniz (Hawaii) - 32/44, 560 yards, 3 TDs, & 2 INTs vs San Jose State
2. Ryan Lindley (San Diego State) - 36/54, 528 yards, 4 TDs, & 3 INTs vs Utah
3. David Piland (Houston) - 28/47, 467 yards, 4 TDs, & 1 INT at Southern Miss
4. T.J. Yates (North Carolina) - 33/44, 411 yards, 2 TDs, & 0 INTs vs NC State
5. Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) - 31/43, 389 yards, 3 TDs, & 0 INTs at Kansas
6. Zach Collaros (Cincinnati) - 23/39, 366 yards, 4 TDs, & 1 INT vs Rutgers
7. Jordan Wynn (Utah) - 21/33, 362 yards, 2 TDs, & 0 INTs at San Diego State
8. Bryan Ellis (UAB) - 21/38, 361 yards, 3 TDs, & 2 INTs vs Memphis
9. Chas Dodd (Rutgers) - 19/29, 335 yards, 4 TDs, & 2 INTs at Cincinnati
10. Sean Renfree (Duke) - 30/41, 334 yards, 1 TD, & 0 INTs at Georgia Tech
Rushing:
1. Mikel Leshoure (Illinois) - 33 carries, 330 yards, & 2 TDs at Northwestern
2. Bobby Rainey (Western Kentucky) - 45 carries, 248 yards, & 2 TDs vs Middle Tennessee
3. Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati) - 31 carries, 213 yards, & 4 TDs vs Rutgers
4. Kendrick Hardy (Southern Miss) - 26 carries, 205 yards, & 2 TDs vs Houston
5. Zach Line (SMU) - 30 carries, 202 yards, & 1 TD vs Marshall
6. Rodney Stewart (Colorado) - 34 carries, 195 yards, & 2 TDs vs Kansas State
7. Dwayne Priest (Eastern Michigan) - 35 carries, 192 yards, & 3 TDs at Buffalo
8. Knile Davis (Arkansas) - 30 carries, 187 yards, & 2 TDs at Mississippi State
9. James White (Wisconsin) - 23 carries, 181 yards, & 2 TDs at Michigan
10. Montee Ball (Wisconsin) - 29 carries, 173 yards, & 4 TDs at Michigan
Receiving:
1. Mark Harrison (Rutgers) - 10 catches, 240 yards, & 4 TDs at Cincinnati
2. Vincent Brown (San Diego State) - 8 catches, 184 yards, & 3 TDs vs Utah
3. Anthony Elzy (North Carolina) - 9 catches, 178 yards, & 1 TD vs NC State
4. Titus Young (Boise State) - 8 catches, 164 yards, & 2 TDs vs Fresno State
5. DeMarco Sampson (San Diego State) - 12 catches, 154 yards, & 0 TDs vs Utah
5. Kealoha Pilares (Hawaii) - 9 catches, 154 yards, & 1 TD vs San Jose State
7. Damaris Johnson (Tulsa) - 6 catches, 146 yards, & 0 TDs vs UTEP
8. Greg Salas (Hawaii) - 8 catches, 144 yards, & 1 TD vs San Jose State
9. Luther Ambrose (Louisiana Monroe) - 7 catches, 140 yards, & 2 TDs vs North Texas
10. Armon Binns (Cincinnati) - 6 catches, 139 yards, & 0 TDs vs Rutgers