How important is this final week of the regular season?
Zack Barnett of footballscoop.com reported this week that when the long Thanksgiving weekend began, actually on Tuesday night , there were 20 games with conference championship stakes, 18 games with College Football Playoff implications and 16 teams playing to extend their seasons into December and January.
A busy SEC schedule is certainly a part of that, including for still playoff hopeful Ole Miss, squaring off against Mississippi State on Friday.
(VCT 1001 OLE MISS TD & COACH…oc….started that way)(:40)
Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin, after the hard earned 26-14 win over Mississippi State.
The Rebels are now 9-3 on the season, 3 losses perceived by many this season to be one loss to many to make it to the field of 12. But after a comment by College Football Playoff Chair Wade Manuel on the Tuesday rankings announcement show, in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.
(VCT1002 CFP MANUEL…oc…see them this way)(:28)
How important is this weekend?
They are calling the 110th ever meeting between Texas and Texas A&M the biggest game in this rivalry’s history. The winner between Mike Elkos 20th ranked Aggies and Steve Sarkisians 3rd ranked Longhorns heads to to Atlanta.
(VCT1003) Texas/A&M Combo….oc…Saturday night)(:42)
Mike Elko at A&M, whose Aggies have lost their last two SEC games and can ill afford a 4th overall loss. The Longhorns have won four straight since a 30-15 home loss to Georgia October 19th.
Who the A&M Texas winner plays next week in the SEC Championship was decided last week when A&M lost, assuring Georgia a berth in the title game.
The Bulldogs had their final tuneup for next weeks game with a Friday night matchup with Georgia Tech and what a game it was. It kicked off at 7:44. Four hours and 18 minutes later, just after the stroke of midnight, it ended…..in the 8th overtime.
(VCT1004) Georgia TD & Coach…oc….great game)(:13)
(VCT 1005 Vandy Lea 1……..oc…makes us proud)(:23)
That is Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea, who despite some special wins this season, has never beaten Tennessee, as a Head Coach, or even as a Commodore fullback from 2002 through 2004.
How big is this weekend? For the Commodores Head Coach…..very big!
(VCT 1006 Vandy Lea 2……..oc…result we want)(:39)
The Commodores can clinch their first winning season since 2013 with a victory. For Tennessee, it appears a win equals a playoff berth. But in a season of surprises and “I didn’t see that coming” nothing is guaranteed.
Kickoff in Nashville is at 12:07.
How important is this weekend?
An Iron Bowl win today apparently keeps three loss Alabama alive in a longshot berth in the playoffs. The Tide has not lost four in a season since Nick Saban’s first year there in 2007. Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze, whos team is coming off the four overtime win over A&M last week, needs more of the same today.
(VCT 1007……Auburn Freeze…oc…they’re getting better)(:24)
Auburn’s last win at Bryant Denny Stadium was in 2010, during the Tiger’s run to a 13-0 National Championship season.
How big is this weekend? Even the non conference games matter. South Carolina enters the game with Clemson on a five game win streak, and even Gamecock followers believe they could still take a trip to the playoffs. But that trip for Shane Beamer and company takes them up I-26 to I-85 where they collide with Clemson.
(VCT1008 SC Beamer…..oc…right now)(:28)
Kickoff between the Gamecocks and the Tigers, like Tennessee and Vanderbilt, is at 12:07
A win tonight by Oklahoma in Baton Rouge would leave the Sooners and the LSU Tigers at 7-5 on the regular season.
It’s the more inspired Sooner team that has won two of its last three games that Tigers Head Coach Brian Kelly expects will show up tonight in Baton Rouge.
(VCT1009 LSU Kelly…oc…the football)(:24
LSU and Oklahoma kick off at 7:05 tonight at Tiger Stadium.
The rest of the schedule on this final day of the regular season has Kentucky, which has won five straight in the series, hosting Louisville. As the Cats are not headed to the postseason, they may treat this one as their bowl game when they kick at 12:03 in Lexington. Florida looks to break a two game losing streak in the series with Florida State when the Gators and Noles meet in Tallahassee. By the way, a Florida State loss would give them 10 defeats for the first time since 1974. The road weary Missouri Tigers, who have played five of their last seven away from home, will play host to an Arkansas team searching for its first every win in Columbia.
