Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Best of the rest
A look at the college football landscape, including what to watch for this weekend.
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 9 Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 8 CFP) at No. 2 Ohio State (10-0, 7-0, No. 2 CFP)
The East Division race probably comes down to this. Ohio State clinches a spot in the conference championship game Dec. 7 with a win. If Penn State wins, it would only need to beat last-place Rutgers at home next week to reach the title game for the first time since 2016. Ohio State has beaten each of its first 10 opponents by no fewer than 24 points but is playing a top-10 opponent for the first time. The Buckeyes have won two straight one-point games against Penn State, and the last three meetings have been decided by a total of five points.
BEST MATCHUP OF THE WEEK
Defensive-minded TCU coach Gary Patterson against Oklahoma’s offense.
The Horned Frogs (5-5, 3-4), who need one more win to get bowl eligible, lead the Big 12 allowing only 329 yards per game, though they give up 27 points a game. Four-time defending Big 12 champion and No. 8 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1, No. 9 CFP) can return to the title game with a win. The Sooners lead the nation with 581 total yards per game and are fourth with 47 points a game. TCU has held all 10 opponents below their season averages for total yards, and only one team has been above its season scoring average. Oklahoma has averaged nearly 43 points in winning five in a row by double figures against TCU, whose last win in the series was 37-33 in 2014.
UPSET WATCH
Tennessee (5-5, 3-3) has won three consecutive games and Missouri (5-5, 2-4) has lost four straight, yet Missouri is a four-point favorite to beat the visiting Volunteers on Saturday. Missouri has beaten Tennessee 50-17 each of the last two years, but those games came when the Tigers were enjoying late-season surges. Missouri has fared much better at home than on the road this season, but the Tigers’ 23-6 home loss to No. 10 Florida last week suggests the Tigers currently aren’t very good no matter where they’re playing.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Washington QB Jacob Eason may have some clarity about his future coming out of the final two weeks of the regular season. Eason is thought to be a potential first-round pick if he were to declare for the NFL draft. But it’s been an inconsistent first season at Washington. Eason at times has made NFL-caliber throws, combined with careless and costly mistakes. He hasn’t been helped by drops from a lackluster receiving corps. Whether he returns for his senior season will be a lingering question hovering over the Huskies.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Big 12 already has six bowl-eligible teams and could get up to nine. TCU needs to win only one of its last two games while Texas Tech and West Virginia — both with first-year coaches — have to win their last two games. Tech plays Kansas State this week before going to Texas, while West Virginia is home against Oklahoma State and finishes the regular season the day after Thanksgiving at TCU . ... Oklahoma State is trying to win at least eight games for the 10th time in the past 12 seasons . ... The offense for No. 1 LSU (No. 1 CFP) has produced 60 touchdowns this season. Fortyfive of those 60 touchdown drives lasted less than three minutes . ... No. 5 Alabama (No. 5 CFP) has allowed only 239 touchdowns since the start of the 2009 season, the lowest total of any Football Bowl Subdivision program during that stretch. Alabama is followed by LSU (297) and Florida (303) . ... Kentucky’s 38-14 victory over Vanderbilt last week was the Wildcats’ most lopsided SEC road triumph since 2001 . ... Mississippi State’s Kylin Hill hasn’t lost a fumble in 387 career college carries. The last time he lost a fumble was his sophomore year in high school . ... The scoreboard operator at Clemson gets a much-deserved break this week. The thirdranked Tigers have tied an ACC record by scoring at least 45 points in six consecutive games. The Jameis Winston-led 2013 Florida State team is the only other conference team to do that. The Tigers also have won their last six games by at least 30 points, and joined Army in 1944 and Nebraska in 1972 as the only teams in the Associated Press poll era with four straight wins by 45 or more points . ... Penn State is playing a Top 25 opponent for the fifth time in six games, making this its most difficult stretch of games since the Associated Press poll began in 1936. Ohio State is facing its third Top 25 opponent . ... Iowa’s Keith Duncan leads the country with an single-season school record 23 field goals. His 86.5% success rate is best among Iowa kickers with at least 30 attempts . ... No. 11 Minnesota (6-1 Big Ten, No. 10) would be 10-1 for the first time since 1905 if it wins at Northwestern (2-8, 0-7).