A handful of thrilling conference championships is on the cards for Saturday. It all begins in the AAC Championship Game when the Temple Owls and Houston Cougars kick things off in the AAC at noon. Later that evening, the Big Ten Championship Game will be contested by the Michigan State Spartans and Iowa Hawkeyes. The Big Ten title isn’t the only thing on the line; the winner would most likely nab a precious College Football Playoff spot.
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[sc:NCAAFArticles ]The Top Five College Football Games to Watch in Week 14
Temple Owls vs. Houston Cougars
Line: Temple Owls (+6) at Houston Cougars (-6); total 55.0 – view all NCAA Football lines
[sc:NCAA240banner ]They say defense wins championships. That statement could ring true on Saturday when the Temple Owls’ top-notch rushing defense takes on the Houston Cougars. Temple has the best rushing defense in the AAC, allowing just 117.3 yards per game. Houston ranks third in the conference in rushing offense, with 240 yards per game. The Cougars rely plenty more on their ground game, scoring 40 rushing touchdowns compared to 20 through the air.
Writer’s prediction: The Owls hang tough to cover +6 in an upset victory.
USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal
Line: USC Trojans (+4.5) at Stanford Cardinal (-4.5); total 40.0 – view all NCAA Football lines
Facing Stanford’s top three total defense in the Pac-12 is no problem for the USC Trojans. They ran amok with 427 yards of offense in the first meeting between the two teams in Week 3. The Trojans’ backfield will also be very confident facing a Stanford rushing defense, which allowed 299 yards and three scores against Notre Dame last week.
Don’t count out the Cardinal though. Quarterback Kevin Hogan was stellar last week, throwing for 269 yards and four touchdowns last week. Plus, the Cardinal also have a workhorse in running back Christian McCaffrey, who is the first player with 3,000 all-purpose yards in one season since 2012. McCaffrey had 249 all-purpose yards in a 41-31 Cardinal victory over USC in Week 3.
Writer’s prediction: The Cardinal beat USC again, covering -4.5.
Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Line: Florida Gators (+17.5) at Alabama Crimson Tide (-17.5); total 40.0 – view all NCAA Football lines
The Florida Gators have a tough nut to crack in Alabama. The Crimson Tide have the best run stopping defense in the country, allowing just 79 yards per game and a total of six rushing touchdowns. The Gators are a run-first offense considering how sophomore quarterback Treon Harris has struggled. Running back Kelvin Taylor has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games, but faces his toughest challenge to date.
While a win may be far-fetched, the Gators have a chance to cover the 17.5-point spread with their solid defense. They’re ranked fourth in the nation against the run, but face Alabama’s beastly running back Derrick Henry. Henry set a career-high 271 yards on 46 carries in a 29-13 win at the Iron Bowl last week.
Writer’s prediction: Henry will be a little too weary in this game. Alabama slows down, allowing the Gators to cover +17.5.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Clemson Tigers
Line: North Carolina Tar Heels (+5) at Clemson Tigers (-5); total 67.5 – view all NCAA Football lines
After losing to South Carolina in Week 1, the North Carolina Tar Heels have been dominant with an 11-game win streak. The Tar Heels even have an off shot to make the College Football Playoff as standing in their way are the CFP Ranking’s No. 1 the Clemson Tigers. But they’ll need a very impressive blowout to do so. The Tar Heels have just the thing for an upset in a strong offense, ranking 11th in the nation with 41.3 points per game.
North Carolina is carried by quarterback Marquise Williams, who has the second-most passer efficiency in the conference. He’s also quite a good runner with 10 rushing touchdowns. But the Tigers are completely different animals. Quarterback Deshaun Watson has been a stellar dual-threat player, accounting for 279 yards passing and 114 yards rushing with four total touchdowns in a tight 37-32 victory over South Carolina.
Writer’s prediction: Watson outplays Williams as the Tigers (-5) win the ACC title.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Line: Michigan State Spartans (-3.5) at Iowa Hawkeyes (+3.5); total 51.0 – view all NCAA Football lines
It’s a quarterback battle in the Big Ten Championship Game as Michigan State’s Connor Cook goes head-to-head against Iowa’s C.J. Beathard. Cook made an excellent return from injury, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-6 rout of Penn State on Saturday. Beathard also had an impressive outing leading Iowa to an unbeaten regular season (12-0) in a tight 28-20 win over Nebraska on Friday. Beathard has thrown for 2,354 yards and 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions this season.
Writer’s prediction: The Spartans (-3.5) show their class as they make the College Football Playoff in a tight victory.
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