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As the college football season makes it's way into Tim Beckman's "4th Quarter," every week will provide exciting games that will shape and sculpt the post-season playoff picture. This week, we have 6 games between ranked opponents that will decide the outcome of conferences and divisions.
Since this week was a bye week and we had no Illini game to simulate, we let NCAA Football decide the outcome of EVERY game we will be watching this weekend.
Friday 11/7
Utah State Aggies @ Wyoming Cowboys ~ 7:00pm CT (ESPN2)
Craig Harrison and the Aggies scored early and often and took a 28-10 lead into halftime. But the 'Boys and their passing attack led my Colby Kirkegaard would come from behind and get the win. Maybe Utah State should have brought "Wild Bill" with them for good luck...
Final Score: Utah State 35 ~ Wyoming 42
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Saturday 11/8
#12 Baylor Bears @ #15 Oklahoma Sooners ~ 11:00am CT (Fox Sports 1)
Baylor is looking to keep on rolling with Kansas St at the end of their schedule. Heading into Norman, they jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead and would never look back. Note to the rest of the Big 12, Bryce Petty is good...really good.
Final Score: Baylor 35 ~ Oklahoma 20
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Iowa Hawkeyes @ Minnesota Golden Gophers ~ 11:00am CT (ESPN2)
De-fence (clap) (clap). But seriously, if the Illini beat Minnesota and then Minnesota beats Iowa...isn't there something with the transitive property about this?
Final Score: Iowa 17 ~ Minnesota 20
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#10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ #9 Arizona State Sun Devils ~ 2:30pm CT (ABC)
As it stands, both teams would be in the "Top Tier" bowl games after the updated College Football Playoff standings were released Tuesday night. BUT only one team will remain after these two face off in Tempe. Everett Golson drives the Irish down the field with 3 minutes left to put the Irish head 27-24. But Sparky and the Devils kill of the clock and find the endzone on a 27 yard pass to Jaelen Strong and the Devils win. ND fans continue to complain about the FSU game.
Final Score: ND 27 ~ Arizona St 31
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Michigan Wolverines @ Northwestern Wildcats ~ 2:30pm CT (ESPN2)
If Michigan wins, they are one game away from bowl eligibility. If Northwestern wins, fans get to gloat that they beat Michigan. We're rooting for a tie.
Final Score: Michigan 31 ~ Northwestern 17
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#7 Kansas State Wildcats @ #6 TCU Horned Frogs ~ 6:30pm CT (FOX)
The battle for the Big 12 could be the game of the week. While the Frogs have the 2nd best scoring offense in college football, K-State actually understands what a defense is. This one will be fun to watch...and NCAA certainly thinks it will be a close game.
Final Score: K-State 30 ~ TCU 31
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#5 Alabama Crimson Tide @ #16 LSU Tigers ~ 7:00pm CT (CBS)
The only reason to root for Alabama is to set up a potential "battle for a playoff spot" between Alabama and Auburn in the Iron Bowl at the end of the season. Personally, I would LOVE to see that happen and NCAA is always "fanboy-ish" when it comes to Nick Saban and the Tide.
Final Score: Alabama 56 ~ LSU 31
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#14 Ohio State Buckeyes @ #8 Michigan State Spartans ~ 7:00pm CT (ABC)
The B1G East Division Championship game is going to be a doozy. On paper, these two teams have almost the exact same season stats and that should equal an EPIC game in primetime. The X-Factor however is State's ability to compete in big games, and there's a good chance that J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes will have a VT-esque result in this one.
Final Score: Ohio St 21 ~ Michigan St 35
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#4 Oregon Ducks @ #17 Utah Utes ~ 9:00pm CT (ESPN)
The Ducks control their own destiny as they head into Salt Lake City looking to clear their biggest hurdle before the PAC-12 Championship Game. The Utes have been rock solid on defense and have kept most games close this season. But they haven't seen anyone quite like Marcus Mariota yet...
Final Score: Oregon 42 ~ Utah 28
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