GAMECOCK Day Edition of Games to Watch

Happy Thanksgiving to ONE AND ALL!!! Here is a little college football appetizer of the last weekend of the regular season!!! Don't tell me it's almost over.....at least I have leftover ham, turkey, corn bread, lemon bars, and home-made pie to keep me company. So for one last time in the regular season, here are the games that are worth watching.

Friday
Oregon State@(13)Oregon

Why it matters: It probably matters more to Stanford who wins this game. Stanford is trying to get in position for an outside shot at a national championship. Probably not going to happen because of all the dominoes that need to fall ie: Ohio State loses to Michigan and Michigan State among others. But a win by Oregon keeps Stanford's strength of schedule going strong.

Prediction: Oregon won't lose 2 straight, and can we see Oregon and Texas A&M in a bowl game? That is my Thanksgiving wish....

Saturday
(1)Alabama@(4)Auburn - GAME OF THE WEEK

Why it matters: What can I tell you that you already don't know? Winner of this game plays for the SEC Championship and the winner of THAT game plays for a National Championship

Prediction: Alabama has come too far to break now

(2)Florida State@Florida

Why it matters: Florida State cannot lose now....the Buckeyes are hot on their heels for the #2 spot and a lose to Florida will shatter the Seminoles chances like Georgia Southern shattered Muschamp's career last week.

Prediction: Florida State

(3)Ohio State@Michigan

Why it matters: Other than the fact that it is Ohio State and Michigan? Ohio State's dreams of national glory ride off on the back of a wolverine with a loss here.

Prediction: Ohio State

(21)Texas A&M@(5)Missouri

Why it matters: Missouri is the dark horse galloping hard towards a possible national championship game. They have a ranked opponent this week and another in the SEC Championship game. By my calculations if Missouri won both of those games it would raise their 3PP Ranking to: 15.79, up from a 14.10, which would put them into the Top 4 on my chart. Would this be enough in the BCS world? I would like to think so, but this could go either way. It would depend on how well Missouri impressed the coaches. But Texas A&M, under the shadow of Manziel leaving or staying could have a chip on their shoulder. They lost a bad one to the Tigers and I just don't see that offense getting stopped 2 weeks in a row. And the Tigers pass defense is suspect. A lot of points in this one.

Prediction: Texas A&M

(6)Clemson@(10)South Carolina - Game of the week runner up

Why It Matters: If Missouri loses and the Gamecocks win, the Gamecocks go to the SEC Championship game. Now on the national stage, can South Carolina challenge for a spot in the BCS Championship? My 3PP, if South Carolina beats Clemson and wins the SEC Championship game (if Missouri loses), is 18.10 which would make them #1: that strength of schedule would be ridiculous and the Gamecocks would be boasting multiple wins over Top 10 opponents. The question is, how much would the Coaches care? Probably not enough which would be a travesty. A 2 loss South Carolina team as an SEC Champ would have as much right to play for a national championship as anybody. But about the game at hand: Clemson got hammered at home against FSU but beat Georgia. South Carolina hasn't been as consistent as FSU and they got beat by Georgia...but I expect South Carolina to be loaded with emotion and Boyd not to be able to respond on the road to early adversity.

Prediction: South Carolina

(25)Notre Dame@(8)Stanford

Why It Matters: We have a Notre Dame team looking to get into a decent bowl and a Stanford team that is still trying to bolster their resume AND praying for absolute chaos in the BCS Top 10 the next 2 weeks. A loss against the Irish and they can stop praying.

Prediction: Stanford

(22)UCLA@(23)USC

Why it matters: Because it will be damn entertaining that's why. And somewhere in the depths of strength of schedule rankings this matters to Stanford and Arizona State.

Prediction: USC is riding high, UCLA has gone flat, give me the Trojans

I'll be back on Saturday with the break-down of the Saturday action and the break-down of Bama/Auburn.

Predictions last week: 8-5
Predictions all time: 53-25, 68%