TCU vs. Houston 

All things being equal, Houston didn’t have a bad year, finishing 8-4 with losses to East Carolina, Alabama, Oregon and Tulsa. Still, playing under interim coach Chris Thurmond, after head coach Art Briles left for Baylor, you have to wonder how smooth the transition will be for the Cougars. Offensively, this Houston team is pretty talented. They have tailback Anthony Aldrige, a Conference USA all-teamer who finished the year with 1,500 yards rushing and wide receiver Donnie Avery who led the conference in receptions and receiving yards. The offense’s ability and effectiveness against a TCU defense who finished fifth in the Mountain West in pass defense could hinge largely on the play of freshman quarterback Case Keenum averaging just 160 yards a game through the air. Houston’s bread and butter all year has been Aldridge and a consistent run game. The offensive strategy may have to change if TCU’s front five stuff the ran as they have all year, leading the way in the Mountain West allowing just 95 yards a game on the ground. I don’t think the All-MWC first team defensive end Chase Ortiz and this Horned Frog defense will give Aldridge a chance to get going. I’ll take TCU beating Houston at Reliant Stadium in Houston in a close one.

Friday, Dec. 28 - Emerald Bowl 

Oregon State vs. Maryland 

For Oregon State, the strategy to beating Maryland in the Emerald Bowl is pretty simple: GET YVENSON BERNARD ON THE FIELD. The second-leading rusher in Oregon State football history, everything the Beavers do offensively centers around Yvenson Bernard. Bernard’s health is certainly a question going into the bowl game. After injuring his right knee against Washington State in the middle of November, Bernard had his right knee scoped and missed the Beavers’ double overtime win against archrival Oregon in Eugene. With Bernard in the lineup, Oregon State becomes an exponentially better team. Going up against a Maryland rush defense that is giving up more than 136 yards a game on the ground, Bernard’s health will be huge for Oregon State. To be successful, Oregon State will have to put a helmet on Terrapin linebacker Erin Henderson. A First-Team All-ACC selection, Henderson is a game changer; leading the ACC in both tackles and fumble recoveries. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen will rely heavily on his defense to make plays, create turnovers and even put some points on the board since his offense has struggled to find their rhythm all year. I’ll take Oregon State in this one, betting that Yvenson Bernard will be healthy enough to go.

Saturday, Dec. 29 - Meineke Car Car Bowl

UConn vs. Wake Forest 

Better than anybody else in America, UConn has found ways to win all year round. Still, I would think this is a game of disappointment for both squads in this game. UConn was playing for a Big East title before being beaten at Cincinnati on Nov. 10 and then blown out by West Virginia on Nov. 24. Coming off a Cinderella season, an ACC Title and a trip to the Orange Bowl, Jim Grobe’s team has struggled offensively and battled injuries to key starters for most of the season. This game will ultimately comes down to which of these defenses can make plays. UConn’s defense, which finished second in the Big East in scoring this season, has found ways to create turnovers and score points all year long — largely out of necessity. UConn’s offense, led by Tyler Lorenzen, who finished third to last among Big East quarterbacks in yards passing a game and tailback Andre Dixon, who had more than 20 yards less rushing yards on the season than USF quarterback Matt Grothe. For Wake Forest, who found out today they will be keeping coach Jim Grobe, who had entertained the notion of becoming Arkansas’ next head coach, offensive consistency have been tough to come by this season. The Demon Deacons ranked in the lower half of ACC teams in total offense and have been unspectacular on defense; finishing ninth in the conference. If Wake Forest is to win this game, that offense will have to find some playmakers and quick. I’ll take UConn in this low-scoring affair.

Let me just go on record as saying that Rutgers and Louisville have officially gotten on my nerves. I get it, guys. You schedule your games for Thursday and Friday night to get some national airtime but I am not at all interested in seeing Louisville beat up on the mighty Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University. Ditto for Rutgers thumping Navy on Friday night. It’s not good football or good television, it’s just annoying. Given how weak the Big East is, you would think one of these schools (lump in West Virginia for kicks) would schedule someone of some import to gain some credibility for those teams, the conference and the Heisman candidacies of the league’s top players. But who wants to play USC, Texas, Oklahoma or LSU when you can line up against Middle Tennessee State, Marshall and Navy? They can play those games but I’m not watching them.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Virginia Tech at LSU - 9:15 ET - ESPN

What was billed at the beginning of the year as the best non-conference matchup of the season, which it still very well may be, has turned into a game of reluctant excitement for most college football fans after less than spectacular week one performances by both teams.

For LSU, they managed to turn on the afterburners and leave Mississippi State in the dust after an average-to-poor performance in the first half in Starkville. For Virginia Tech, they couldn’t seem to close the door in Blacksburg on Saturday against ECU, beating the Pirates by just 10 points, seven of which came on an interception return for a touchdown toward the end of the first half.

The matchup is intriguing but if you’re LSU, you have to feel better about this game than the Hokies do. Given the monsters that the Tigers have up front, you have to figure Bo Pelini is going to throw a number of blitz packages at Sean Glennon, who looked like a deer in headlights at certain moments against ECU, and force him to make bad decisions, leaving Jonathan Zenon, Chevis Jackson and Craig Steltz to do what they do best: intercept the football.

On offense, new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton will have to prove that this offense has some depth, dimension and creativity after a stagnant performance against Mississippi State Thursday night. Running the ball could be difficult given who the Hokies have playing linebacker and the cornerback/receiver matchups in this one are intriguing.

O.G.I. - OTHER GAMES OF INTEREST

Oregon State at Cincinnati - Thursday - 7:30 ET - ESPN

Oregon State running back Yvenson Bernard may be the nation’s best kept secret at tailback and he will get a chance to show out Thursday night when the Beavers take on the Bearcats in Cincy. Last week, Bernard hung 165 yards and 2 TDs on a pretty good Utah team and will look to do the same on national TV Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Bearcats come into the game from a week where they scored 59 against Southeast Missouri State, including more than 300 yards on the ground. On the other side of the ball, Oregon State held the Utes to 20 yards rushing. I’d expect the Beavers to roll big in those and for Bernard to have a huge game.

Miami at#8 Oklahoma - 12:00 ET - ABC

Two or three years ago, this would have been the game of the week, nay of the season, but with Randy Shannon rebuilding Miami football, the game manages a small blip on the radar on this week. I’m expecting Oklahoma to hang a big number on The U but the game could be worth a watch if you didn’t buy third season of The Office, which came out this week.

#20 Nebraska at Wake Forest - 12:00 ET - ESPN

Hats off to teams like Oklahoma and Miami, Wake and Nebraska for scheduling early season games that are worth checking out. Wake quarterback Riley Skinner is not likely to play in this game after separating his shoulder against BC last week and that could make a difference. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see Sam Keller and Nebraska, this game presents a good opportunity to do so and it’s certainly a better game than Oklahoma/Miami.

Oregon at Michigan - 3:30 PM - ABC

This game is interesting for a couple different reasons. The most obvious being that many people, myself included, want to see how Michigan will respond after suffering the greatest upset in the history of the sport last week at home. My guess is that the Michigan faithful will yell and cheer and get rowdy and show that they are still behind their team, that is unless they lose again at home to a team they should be. It will also give people a chance to see Oregon, a team not many people are familiar with. The Oregon offense against the Michigan defense is a matchup worth watching regardless of the game’s backdrop

South Carolina at #13 Georgia - 5:45 ET - ESPN2

Certainly the most intriguing SEC matchup of the week (sorry Vandy/Alabama). The game will serve as a test to see just how much the new and interception-free Matthew Stafford has matured. I expect Georgia, based on how they played last week against Oklahoma State, to win big but it’s a regional and SEC rivalry and anything could happen. One thing that will happen in this content, win or lose, we will find out just how far Matthew Stafford has come.

#22 TCU at #4 Texas - 7:00 PM ET - Fox Sports Net

Only the second game this week between ranked teams, TCU and Texas’ matchup will be watchable… at least until LSU/VT comes on. I’m not really sure what to make of TCU but Texas is ranked that high for a reason and they’re awfully good. TCU defensive end Tommy Blake will need to get in Colt McCoy’s face early and often if the Horned Frogs are to have a chance in Austin.

UNDER THE RADAR GAME OF THE WEEK

South Florida at #18 Auburn - 8:00 ET - ESPN2

The Tigers, fresh off a solid if unconvincing win, over Kansas State play host to South Florida and the Bulls are certainly upset-minded. For most of America, it will be one of their first exposure to USF quarterback Matt Grothe, who has Big East coaches singing his praises. The multi-talented Grothe is as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm. I’m not sure we’ll see an upset in this one but USF could give Auburn a game that is worth checking out while the VT/LSU game is at commercial.