It’s hard to ask a sport with more than 150 years of implicit insanity to suddenly demonstrate some sense of order.
It’s hard to ask a sport with more than 150 years of implicit insanity to suddenly demonstrate some sense of order.
Just as horse racing’s Triple Crown challenge consists not of three stages of a competition but rather of three distinct races seeking their own best interests, the FBS conferences are a loose (and we use that term loosely) confederation of organizations seeking their own interests at the expense of others.
Within these leagues, schools are looking out for their own best interests at the expense of everyone else, including another conference member who might be five hours away.
Lane Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to LSU last weekend was not an isolated incident in the coaching carousel. In fact, we have this closer to home with James Madison’s Bob Chesney heading across the country to UCLA.
But bailing out a school almost assured of a College Football Playoff berth for a conference foe? Welcome to sports’ “silly season,” when National Signing Day has passed and Penn State is still searching for its new head coach.
Friday matches
Sun Belt Conference: No. 19 James Madison (11-1) vs. Troy (8-4), 7 p.m., ESPN
The skinny and the story: JMU can make its playoff case with a win plus a loss at Virginia (as the Dukes would likely be seeded higher than ACC champion Duke), while the Trojans try to become the first three-time winner in the game’s eight-year history. Although both of its wins came at home, Troy is 2-0 in this game as host James Madison makes its first title trip.
The match: The Dukes defense leads the Sun Belt in stopping the run and pass, containing foes on third down, while allowing the fewest total yards and points this fall. Troy is last in running the ball while allowing the most sacks in the conference, meaning JMU will likely put a lot of pressure on Trojans quarterback Goose Crowder. Troy’s Donnie Smith leads the conference with nine sacks, forcing the Dukes’ Wayne Knight to carry the mail and provide balance.
Presto’s choice: The Dukes gave Chesney a nice parting gift in the form of a 34-12 victory.
USA Conference: Kennesaw State (9-3) at Jacksonville State (8-4), 7 p.m., CBSSN
The skinny and the story: Jacksonville State is actually not in Florida, but in Alabama. The Gamecocks are defending champions and handed the Owls a 35-26 loss on Nov. 15, one of five single-digit victories for Jacksonville State this fall. Kennesaw State is making its first appearance in a championship game and only joined FBS last season.
The match: JSU’s Cam Cook leads FBS in rushing (1,588 yards on 5.7 per carry with 15 touchdowns) and rumbled for 132 yards and a score in the November meeting. KSU wide receiver Gabriel Benyard leads C-USA in receiving yards (877) and in his last four games he has 19 catches for 383 yards and six touchdowns. The only game without two touchdowns during this period? The loss to Jacksonville State.
Presto’s choice: The owls win this battle of the birds, 30-24.
American Conference: No. 20 North Texas (11-1) at No. 21 Tulane (10-2), 8 p.m., ABC
The skinny and the story: The navy should be there, right? Football factory Tulane is making its fourth straight appearance in this game, while the Mean Green are making their first trip since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013. Their last conference title was the 2004 Sun Belt. Tulane won the most recent meeting, a 45-37 victory at Denton last year.
The match: North Texas leads FBS in total offense (511 yards per game) and scoring (46.8) behind quarterback Drew Mestemaker (3,835 yards and 29 passing touchdowns), while running back Caleb Hawkins (1,216 yards and 23 rushing touchdowns) keeps opponents honest with his feet. Green Wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff led BYU to 11 wins last season.
Presto’s choice: North Texas wins a 21st century shootout, 45-40.
West Mountain: UNLV (10-2) at Boise State (8-4), 8 p.m., FOX
The skinny and the story: Tiebreakers were exhausted after four schools finished tied for first at 6-2, and participants in the title game were determined by various measures. The Broncos have won a league-high five championship games, while the Rebels are 0-2 in the title race. Boise State won the regular season meeting 56-31.
The match: Former Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea threw for 3,050 yards with the Rebels, and his 22 touchdown passes are close to the 26 he threw in two seasons for the Cavaliers. Dylan Riley may not have Ashton Jeanty’s numbers from last season, but the sophomore totaled a season-high 201 yards in the Broncos’ win over UNLV.
Presto’s choice: Rebels in shock, 31-17.
Saturday matches
Big 12: No. 5 Texas Tech (11-1) vs. No. 11 BYU (11-1), noon, ABC
The skinny and the story: The Cougars are playing for a playoff spot while the Red Raiders are playing for a possible first-round bye. Both schools are making their first appearance in this game as Texas Tech won the regular season meeting 29-7 in Lubbock.
The match: Texas Tech led the conference in scoring while allowing just 11.2 points per game, and they are led on defense by dynamo David Bailey (12.5 sacks). BYU’s LJ Martin’s 1,229 rushing yards paced the Big 12, but he was held to 35 yards on 10 carries in the November meeting.
Presto’s choice: The Red Raiders go on a 37-12 run.
Mid-American: Western Michigan (8-4) vs. Miami (OH) (7-5), noon, ESPN
The skinny and the story: Why isn’t the MAC Championship played on a Tuesday? WMU is seeking its first title since 2016, while Miami is a regular in conference championship games (third straight appearance with its most recent title two years ago). And the RedHawks won the regular season game 26-17 after outscoring the Broncos 17-0 in the fourth quarter.
The match: “You can’t spell MAC without a D” may not make sense on its face, but both teams have factors that make a difference on that side of the ball. Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker tied for the conference lead with 12 sacks, while Miami’s Corban Hondru had 83 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions.
Presto’s choice: Miami succeeds, 28-20.
SEC: No. 3 Georgia (11-1) vs. No. 10 Alabama (10-2), 4 p.m., ABC
The skinny and the story: The Bulldogs are playing for a first-round bye, while some believe a bad loss would eliminate the Crimson Tide from the playoffs. Alabama won the regular season meeting in Athens 24-21 and has won 10 of the last 11 meetings, including the previous four SEC championship games, making Atlanta a suburb of Tuscaloosa.
The match: Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson threw two touchdowns and ran for a third in September’s victory, while the Bulldogs’ Gunner Stockton was held to 130 yards as Georgia went 2-8 on third down. Expect a clean game (two of the three least-penalized teams in the conference) and don’t be surprised if it’s “four-down territory” early and often for the Tide (league-high 20 for 30 on fourth down).
Presto’s choice: The curse continues as Alabama wins 20-16.
Big Ten: No. 1 Ohio State (12-0) vs. No. 2 Indiana (12-0), 8 p.m., FOX
The skinny and the story: The last two remaining unbeatens on FBS face each other, and although the Buckeyes own the most Big Ten titles in the championship game era with five, they have not won the title since 2020. The Hoosiers are trying to win their first conference title since 1967 and have not beaten the Buckeyes since 1988, although the two schools tied in 1990 and the victory of OSU in 2010 was canceled due to “Tattoogate”. (look at it). They lost last year in Columbus 38-15.
The match: If quarterback is the name of the game, both schools have enjoyed elite play with Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza (2,758 yards and 32 touchdowns) shining for the Hoosiers in his first fall on campus while Buckeyes redshirt freshman Julian Sayin (3,065 and 30) exceeded expectations in his first year as a starter. Mendoza and Sayin will be tested Saturday as they face elite defenses: Ohio State is allowing a low 7.8 points per game while Indiana (10.9) ranks second nationally.
Presto’s choice: Midnight strikes for the Hoosiers in a 23-14 loss.
ACC: No. 16 Virginia (10-2) vs. Duke (7-5), 8 p.m., ABC
The skinny and the story: The Cavaliers are playing for their first College Football Playoff berth, while a Blue Devils win would likely deprive the ACC of a spot in the bracket. Both are making their second appearance in Charlotte: Duke lost by 38 to Florida State in 2013 while Virginia lost by 45 to Clemson in 2019. The Cavaliers won the regular-season showdown three weeks ago in Durham 34-17 and have won nine of the last 10 in the series.
The match: Duke leads the ACC with 289.3 passing yards per game, but Virginia has held quarterback Darian Mensah to a season-low 33.3 QBR while sacking him four times in November. The Blue Devils defense has coughed up 34 points per game since early November and has given up big days to Cavaliers running back J’Mari Taylor (133 rushing yards and two touchdowns) and receiver Trell Harris (eight catches for 161 yards and a score).
Kippy and Buffy head to Charlotte for a reunion with their longtime friends Henry and Hildy (Kip and Henry were roommates as freshmen), and they pour a bottle of Carlisle 2019 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.
“Cherries, white pepper, rose petals and a dusty, iron quality delight the nose. A very convincing nose!” reads the winery’s website. “On the palate, medium to full-bodied, with flavors of red cherry, loamy earth and bouquet garni…a little more savory and mineral character. »
Presto’s choice: The Cavaliers cruise their way to the College Football Playoff with a 31-16 victory.
Last week: 2-2
Season: 91-28
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