Buffs need win, USC loss to reach Pac-12 title game
Game is one of the few highlights on a schedule devoid of big matchups
A weekend devoid of drama appears to be setting up in college football unless you’re Colorado.
Southern California (4-0, 4-0) can lock up a spot in the Pac-12 championship game if it beats crosstown rival UCLA on Saturday even if Colorado beats Utah to remain undefeated in the Pac-12 South.
Colorado (4-0, 3-0) has had two games canceled by COVID -19; the Trojans lost one game to the virus, the one against the Buffaloes.
If CU and USC win this weekend, the Trojans would go to the title game based on the tiebreaker that gives the nod to the team with the higher College Football Playoff ranking. The Trojans are No. 15 and the Buffs are No. 21.
So if you’re a Colorado fan, you’re cheering hard for the Buffs in the morning and, if they win, for the Bruins at night.
Top-ranked Alabama is the only team among the top four in the CFP rankings playing this week, and the Crimson Tide are a 31-point favorite at Arkansas.
Notre Dame and Clemson are idle until they meet next Saturday in the Atlantic Coast championship game.
Ohio State had its game against Michigan canceled because of COVID -19 issues in the Wolverines’ program. The No. 5 team in the CFP rankings, Texas A&M, also will be off after having its game against Mississippi called off.
Best game
No. 25 Wisconsin at No. 19 Iowa: The Hawkeyes (5-2, 5-2 Big Ten) are averaging better than 37 points during their five-game win streak, their longest since the 2015 season that saw them go 12-0 in the regular season.
Wisconsin (2-2, 2-2) has had a bumpy ride. Graham Mertz had one of the best starting debuts in FBS history against Illinois but hasn’t come close to duplicating that 20-for-21 performance.
The Badgers, ranked as high as No. 9 before having three games in five weeks canceled because of COVID -19, have scored a combined 13 points in losing their past two.
Heisman watch
Alabama’s Mac Jones overtook Florida’s Kyle Trask as the favorite with a stellar performance against LSU. That’s according to oddsmakers. Jones closes the regular season at Arkansas after throwing for 385 yards and four touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s 55-17 win.