It's the last week of the regular season in conferences that have divisions and title games, and in the Pac, its also when most of the traditional rivalry games are played, though not all of them, thanks to the "Notre Dame affect", and so we have 7 games, and a couple of independent visitors on hand to wrap up the season over Turkey leftovers.
Things start off Friday, with the Territorial Cup, which will be contested in Tucson this season, and a North-South game in the Rose Bowl, which will decide the Pac-12 South, and determine who takes on Pac-12 North Champion Oregon next Friday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara for the Pac-12 Championship.
Stanford (6-5, 4-4) visits #UCLA (9-2, 6-2) at 12:30 PM PST, and ABC will be there. The Cardinal, having secured bowl eligibility with last week's win at California, haven't much to play for, though they aren't as assured of a bowl bid as they will be a lock for with an upset here. The Bruins on the other hand, can win the Pac-12 South with a win, and keep alive their hopes for reaching the College Football Playoffs.
#13 Arizona St. (9-2, 6-2) visits #11 Arizona (9-2, 6-2) at the same time, 1:30 PM AST (but 12:30 PST), and the winner will be heading to Santa Clara if Stanford upsets UCLA. FOX will have all the tortilla tossing fun.
Saturday starts off with a morning game, with #25 Utah (7-4, 4-4) at Colorado (2-9, 0-8) at 11 AM MST (10 AM PST), and the game starts off the Pac-12 Channel's day as well. This was as heated a rivalry as any a half-century ago, but then the Buffs and Utes went different ways as far as their conference affiliations go, and the rivalry laid dormant until the schools were reunited when the Pac-10 expanded to the Pac-12.
First up in the afternoon is the annual intersectional, as Notre Dame (7-4) visits USC (7-4, 6-3) in the LA Coliseum at 12:30 PM PST. Being the Irish, even though they have lost 3 in a row, and 4 of their last 5, the game gets national coverage on FOX.
The other game involving an independent visitor is up in Berkeley, with BYU (7-4) at California (5-6, 3-6) at 1:30 PM PST, and it's the last football game of the season on the Pac-12 Channel. The Bears can get Golden, and become the conference's 9th bowl eligible team with a win.
The Civil War is in Corvallis this year, with #2 Oregon (10-1, 7-1) at Oregon St. (5-6, 2-6) at 5 PM PST, and its the ABC National evening game. The Ducks are driving for a National Championship, never mind just a berth in the College Football Playoffs, as well as a Heisman Trophy for Marcus Mariota, but the Beavers are playing to become bowl eligible. If Cal wins, and OSU does too, the Pac-12 will have an unprecedented 10 bowl eligible teams.
The Pac-12 season concludes with a night game in Pullman (!), but its worth shivering or staying up for, because its the Apple Cup. Washington (7-5, 3-5) visits Washington St. (3-8, 2-6) at 7:30 PM PST, and Fox Sports 1 will be there too. The Huskies are fresh off becoming the 8th bowl eligible team from the conference with their play-in win over Oregon St. last weekend, while the Cougs are reduced to trying to take their second consecutive Apple Cup in games contested in Pullman.
The weekend actually starts on Thanksgiving Day (other than Tuesday's episode of MACtion), with a pair of games in Texas, and Black Friday features 14 other games besides the 2 that will decide the Pac-12 South for those that are looking for something better to do than shop.
Here's the full schedule, adjusted as always for East Coast Bias Time:
Thu, Nov 27, 2014 | ||||
7:30 PM ET ESPN |
LSU | at | Texas A&M | |
7:30 PM ET FS1 |
(5) TCU | at | Texas | |
Fri, Nov 28, 2014 | ||||
11:00 AM ET ESPNU |
Northern Illinois | at | Western Michigan | |
12:00 PM ET CBSS |
Houston | at | SMU | |
12:00 PM ET ABC |
Nebraska | at | Iowa | |
12:00 PM ET FS1 |
Western Kentucky | at | (24) Marshall | |
12:00 PM ET ESPN2 |
UCF | at | South Florida | |
1:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Toledo | at | Eastern Michigan | |
1:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Ball State | at | Bowling Green | |
1:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Buffalo | at | Massachusetts | |
1:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Akron | at | Kent State | |
2:30 PM ET CBS |
Arkansas | at | (17) Missouri | |
3:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Navy | at | South Alabama | |
3:30 PM ET ABC |
Stanford | at | (8) UCLA | |
3:30 PM ET CBSS |
Colorado State | at | Air Force | |
3:30 PM ET FOX |
(13) Arizona State | at | (11) Arizona | |
8:00 PM ET ESPN |
Virginia | at | Virginia Tech | |
8:30 PM ET ESPNU |
East Carolina | at | Tulsa | |
Sat, Nov 29, 2014 | ||||
12:00 PM ET SECN |
(16) Georgia Tech | at | (9) Georgia | |
12:00 PM ET ESPN2 |
Kentucky | at | (22) Louisville | |
12:00 PM ET ESPNU |
Illinois | at | Northwestern | |
12:00 PM ET ABC |
Michigan | at | (6) Ohio State | |
12:00 PM ET FSN |
North Texas | at | Texas-San Antonio | |
12:00 PM ET BTN |
Purdue | at | Indiana | |
12:00 PM ET CBSS |
Rice | at | Louisiana Tech | |
12:00 PM ET ESPN |
South Carolina | at | (21) Clemson | |
12:00 PM ET FS1 |
West Virginia | at | Iowa State | |
12:00 PM ET ESPNN |
Cincinnati | at | Temple | |
1:00 PM ET PAC12 |
(25) Utah | at | Colorado | |
12:30 PM ET ESPN3 |
NC State | at | North Carolina | |
12:30 PM ET ESPN3 |
Syracuse | at | Boston College | |
12:30 PM ET ESPN3 |
Louisiana-Lafayette | at | Troy | |
2:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Texas State | at | Georgia State | |
2:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Idaho | at | Appalachian State | |
2:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
New Mexico State | at | Arkansas State | |
3:30 PM ET FOX |
Notre Dame | at | USC | |
3:30 PM ET ABC/ESPN2 |
(7) Baylor | vs. (Arlington) |
Texas Tech | |
3:30 PM ET ESPN |
Florida | at | (3) Florida State | |
3:30 PM ET ABC/ESPN2 |
(10) Michigan State | at | Penn State | |
3:30 PM ET BTN |
(18) Minnesota | at | (14) Wisconsin | |
3:30 PM ET CBS |
(4) Mississippi State | at | (19) Mississippi | |
3:30 PM ET ESPNU |
Rutgers | at | Maryland | |
3:30 PM ET CBSS |
San Jose State | at | San Diego State | |
4:00 PM ET FS1 |
Kansas | at | (12) Kansas State | |
4:00 PM ET SECN |
Tennessee | at | Vanderbilt | |
4:00 PM ET ESPNN |
Connecticut | at | Memphis | |
4:30 PM ET PAC12 |
BYU | at | Cal | |
6:00 PM ET ESPN3 |
Louisiana-Monroe | at | Georgia Southern | |
7:00 PM ET ESPNU |
Wake Forest | at | Duke | |
7:00 PM ET ESPN2 |
Pittsburgh | at | Miami (FL) | |
7:45 PM ET ESPN |
(15) Auburn | at | (1) Alabama | |
8:00 PM ET ABC |
(2) Oregon | at | Oregon State | |
10:15 PM ET ESPN2 |
Utah State | at | (23) Boise State | |
10:30 PM ET FS1 |
Washington | at | Washington State | |
10:30 PM ET ESPNU |
Nevada | at | UNLV |
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com