College football Week 14 primer: Heisman Watch, upset picks, predictions and more

Week 14 of the school soccer season is right here — the next-to-last weekend of the common season.   

The end line is in sight in a season that continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. This week’s schedule options two matchups between groups ranked within the AP High 25.  

MORE: Week 14 picks against the spread for every top 25 game

No. 10 Indiana faces No. 18 Wisconsin in a battle of one-loss Large Ten groups. No. 14 Coastal Carolina faces No. Eight BYU in a battle of unbeatens. That’s the greatest recreation of the week. SEC rivalries between No. 1 Alabama and LSU and No. 6 Florida and Tennessee will solely make headlines if there’s an upset.   

Each week, Sporting Information surveys the panorama on the lookout for Heisman contenders, coaches on the spot, upset alerts and different developments. With that in thoughts, prepare for Week 14.   

Heisman watch  

LSU’s Joe Burrow used final 12 months’s stage towards Alabama within the No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown to clinch the Heisman Trophy.  

A Crimson Tide participant might return the favor this 12 months realizing that they’re 30.5-point favorites within the rematch, however the one query is which one?  

Mac Jones is second within the FBS with a 208.Zero passer ranking, and that is the greatest mark amongst Energy 5 quarterbacks. Najee Harris leads the FBS with 17 speeding touchdowns, and DeVonta Smith leads all Energy 5 receivers with 12 TDs.  

The LSU recreation is the place Derrick Henry — Alabama’s final Heisman winner — upstaged Leonard Fournette with 210 yards and three TDs. This can be a probability for a kind of three gamers to seize the highlight.  

There is a good probability that all three end within the high 10 within the ultimate voting.  

Coach on the spot   

Tennessee entered the season with momentum. The Vols had a high 10 recruiting class in 2020, and Jeremy Pruitt appeared to have this system in the suitable path.   

Now, Tennesse is 2-5 and up towards one other rival in Florida. Pruitt is 15-17 the previous three years, and an Zero-Eight report towards Georgia, Alabama and Florida has not modified. It isn’t simply the losses. It is the common margin of victory towards these rivals.   

TEAM AVG MARGIN
Alabama 30
Florida 27
Georgia 26

Florida beat Tennessee 34-Three final season. If Saturday’s matchup is someway worse, that could possibly be huge hassle for Pruitt. South Carolina and Vanderbilt have already fired their coaches. Would Tennessee be subsequent in line?   

Upset alert   

A complete of 13 unbeaten groups are left within the FBS. Here’s a nearer have a look at that record:  

UNBEATEN TEAMS AFTER WEEK 13
No. 1 Alabama (Eight-Zero)
No. 2 Notre Dame (9-Zero)
No. Three Ohio State (Four-Zero)
No. 7 Cincinnati (Eight-Zero)
No. Eight BYU (9-Zero)
No. 14 Coastal Carolina (9-Zero)
No. 15 Marshall (7-Zero)
No. 17 USC (Three-Zero)
No. 23 Washington (Three-Zero)
Colorado (Three-Zero)
San Jose State (Four-Zero)
Buffalo (Four-Zero)
Western Michigan (Four-Zero)

Which convention has probably the most unbeaten groups? The Pac-12, in fact. Control these matchups this weekend. No. 23 Washington performs Stanford on Saturday, and Colorado travels to Arizona. No. 17 USC performs on Sunday towards Washington State.  

Over/below   

In a standard season, Energy 5 groups with one loss would nonetheless have an opportunity to make the Faculty Soccer Playoff.  

That’s lower than half-right this 12 months. Eight Energy 5 faculties have one loss heading into this week, and solely 4 have reasonable Faculty Soccer Playoff hopes.  

That is the place the number-of-games argument elements in. No. Four Clemson (Eight-1), No. 5 Texas A&M (6-1), No. 6 Florida (7-1) and No. 9 Miami (7-1) have a bigger pattern measurement than Indiana (5-1), Wisconsin (2-1), No. 16 Northwestern (5-1) and No. 21 Oregon (Three-1).  

It isn’t ACC or SEC bias at this level. It is based mostly on the variety of video games performed, and that makes it simpler to forgive that one loss. The pending Notre Dame-Clemson and Florida-Alabama convention championship matchups shall be de facto Playoff quarterfinals. The opposite three Energy 5 conferences cannot say that.  

As for the two-loss Large 12 crowd that features No. 12 Iowa State, No. 13 Oklahoma and No. 19 Oklahoma State? That is simply an excessive amount of floor to make up in two weeks.  

Give it some thought …   

If Wisconsin beats Indiana on Saturday — and it is a distinct chance realizing that Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was misplaced for the season with a torn ACL — then the Large Ten could have some intrigue heading into the ultimate week of the common season.  

What if Northwestern loses to rival Illinois? That may imply the Wildcats — who can be 6-2 at that time — would go to the Large Ten championship as an alternative of the Badgers, whose absolute best end is Four-1.  

Ohio State is on trek to play at Michigan State this week, however what if the sport towards the Wolverines is canceled? The Buckeyes could possibly be 5-Zero, however the Hoosiers would possible be 6-2 at that time.  

By the foundations, Indiana and Northwestern would play within the Large Ten championship recreation. 

If that situation unfolds, and it is doable, then the Large Ten ought to step in and let Wisconsin and Ohio State play for the championship.



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