Rare late non-conference match-up. Texas trailed 24-23 early 4^th qtr in the schools only meeting in ’07 which was the first ever game in UCF’s Bright House Stadium. The #2 Horns are off a huge Oklahoma St win which was their last big hurdle of the season. QB Colt McCoy is averaging 247 yards per game (72%) with a 14-8 ratio. UCF QB Brett Hodges is averaging 174 yards per game (59%) with an 8-7 ratio. RB Brynn Harvey (632 yards, 4.2) is 29% of the Knights offense but Texas is #1 in the nation at stopping the run (53 yards per game, 1.7). UCF is ranked #100 in our pass efficiency defense allowing 243 yards per game (65%) with a 9-5 ratio and UT comes in #2 (188 yards per game, 53%, 9-16 ratio). UT has big off (#2-103) and defense (#1-46) edges playing the much tougher slate (#22-104). With the Horns’ sights set on a National Title, the only question here is by how large the final margin will be. UCF was also very fortunate to escape Sunday night with a win thanks to a late Marshall fumble and they are playing on a short week.

Cincinnati is 4-1 versus the Huskies with an average win by 14 points per game. Last year, QB Tony Pike returned from injury (Pike will practice won’t know till end of week if he starts) but was ineffective and sat out the 2^nd half giving Cincy their only Big East loss, 40-16. The key was a 6-0 turnover edge as Cincy led 13-10 at Halftime. The #4 Bearcats (8-0) are off a workmanlike 28-7 win and cover over Syracuse. Backup QB Zach Collaros is 32-0 as a starter (including High School) and has stepped in well to Kelly’s plug and play system averaging 207 yards per game (79%) with a 7-1 ratio and 206 rush yards (6.9). WR Mardy Gilyard leads the Big East in all-purpose yards (169.5). The defense is allowing 13 points per game and 313 yards per game. Connecticut is off a heartbreaking 28-24 loss to Rutgers, their 1st home game since the death of CB Jasper Howard. After taking the lead with :38 left off a 15 play 87 yard drive, Connecticut gave up a short pass that went 81 yards for a TD. QB Cody Endres was injured in the 1^st Qtr (out for the year) but  Zach Frazer replaced him and threw for 333 yards (46%) with a 3-1 ratio. The defense has allowed 414 yards per game in BE play and now faces the Big East’s top offense (454 yards per game, 39.1 points per game). Connecticut has proven it can stay with any team but emotion is a question.

Despite being in a flat spot last week, TCU continued their drive to the BCS with a 41-0 win over UNLV. The Frogs, as usual, have a dominating defense giving up only 240 yards per game but this year’s team also has an explosive offense which is averaging 447 yards per game. San Diego St, meanwhile, is 4-4 and is looking for its first bowl game since 1998. QB Ryan Lindley started off the season slowly, but after the bye week is averaging 336 yards per game (63%) with a 12-1 ratio! New DC Rocky Long leads a much-improved defense that is allowing 111 yards per game less this year. Last year his New Mexico defense held TCU to 291 yards, its lowest total of the season. TCU has won the last 3 by an avg of 46-13 with an AMAZING 97-25 first down edge and last year had a 498-95 yard edge at home as Lindley was KO’d early (shoulder) and back-up Drew Westling hit 6-17 for just 61 yds. TCU is 4-0 at Qualcomm Stadium (2 bowl gms, 2 vs SDSt) the last four years. However, the Aztecs this year are a different team under Hoke.

The visitor has 3 straight upsets as Iowa has dropped back-to-back games to Northwestern. Iowa lost 5 TO’s (-4 overall) in last year’s 22-17 upset loss as the Hawkeyes are off a stunning 42-24 win over Indy in which they trailed 21-7 at the half. Big plays turned it in the Hawks’ favor as Tyler Sash returned an interception, which bounced off several players, 86 yards for a TD and Indy controversially had a TD pass overturned (horrible call!) and then missed a 28 yd FG. QB Ricky Stanzi (228 yards per game, 56%, 14-13 ratio) continued his wildly erratic play tossing int’s on 4 straight 3^rd Qtr possessions but also threw 92 and 66 yard TD passes to put the Hawks in the lead. The defense leads the Big Ten with 25 TO’s gained. NU lost the Big Ten’s top passer QB Mike Kafka (244, 67%, 9-7 ratio) in the 2^nd Qtr and the game 34-13 as Penn St scored on 3 straight plays in the 4^th quarter. Backup Dan Persa hit 14-23 for 115 yards but was sacked 4 times in the loss. The banged up Cats’ defense is allowing 123 rush yards per game (3.8). Iowa has the biggest regular season game in Ferentz’s tenure on deck at OSU.

Last year OSU was held to 14 FD’s in front of a record home crowd (105,711) in a 13-6 loss in which PA native Terrelle Pryor, on 3rd&1 at the 50 with 10:38 left and a 6-3 lead, fumbled on a QB sneak. Lions back-up QB Pat Devlin led the game winning TD drive after Daryll Clark suffered a concussion. Penn St was tied 13-13 with NW into the 4^th quarter last week but scored on 3 straight offensive touches in a 34-13 win in which the Big Ten’s leading passer (Cats QB Mike Kafka) was KO’d in the 2^nd quarter. Big Ten pass efficiency leader (Ohio native) Clark (240 yards per game, 63%, 18-7 ratio) pilots the conference’s top offense but wasn’t recruited by OSU. RB Royster (859 yards, 5.9) has had 4 straight 100 yard games vs conference foes. PSU Defense leads the Big Ten in scoring (9.3-#1 NCAA), rushing (84 yards per game, 2.6), total D (255 yards per game) and sacks (32). OSU got its 3rd shutout of the year beating NM St 45-0 while holding the Aggies to 2 FD’s and 62 total yards. The Bucks had some razzle dazzle recovering an onside kick and having a WR reverse pass for a 39 yard TD. QB Pryor (171 yards per game, 55%, 13-9 ratio, 554 rush yards) made some controversial comments about PSU when he chose OSU and will be playing in his home state for the first time. The o-line played without 2 starters last week and has started 5 different lineups this year. OSU’s huge special team’s edge (#14-112) may be negated here as kicker Pettrey suffered a serious knee injury. Similar programs and styles but the big difference here is on offense (PSU edge #23-38) with QB Clark a polished vet while Pryor is still a work in progress.

A critical game in the CUSA West race. The home team has won 3 in a row by an average of 51-16! Last Year Tulsa came in ranked #25, but Houston got a career-high 6 TD passes from Keenum as the Cougars scored 70 points for 1st time since ‘91. Tulsa won the last time here 56-7 in ‘07. The Hurricane are off a 27-13 upset loss to SMU at home. They were out-gained 429-322 by an SMU team led by a true frosh QB making his 1st start. Tulsa QB GJ Kinne is averaging 187 yards per game (58%) with a 12-4 ratio, but was benched last week after throwing 2 early interceptions. WR Damaris Johnson leads with 29 receptions (19.6) and is also a dangerous return man. The Cougs are off a 50-43 home win over Southern Miss as they put up 750 yards. QB Case Keenum threw for a career high 559 yards (81%) and 5 TD’s. He is #1 in NCAA averaging 412 yards per game (72%) with a 25-5 ratio. UH has 6 players with 20+ receptions, led by James Cleveland with 62 (11.1) and 8 TD’s. They have struggled stopping the run this year (223 yards per game, #115 NCAA) and Tulsa’s rush attack is averaging 155 yards per game. The home team is 3-0 in the series and we expect that trend to continue here.

Last year Utah, who came in averaging 39 points per game, was caught looking ahead (to TCU) and only pulled out a 3 point win as New Mexico held the Utes to a season low 13 points. This year the Utes again have TCU on deck but this is a much different New Mexico team that is 0-8 under 1st year head coach Locksley. Despite its 7-1 record, the Utes have either been tied or have trailed in the 2^nd half of five of their 8 games. The Utes’ offense seem to have gotten a spark last week with true Freshman QB Jordan Wynn (PS#52) coming in for Terrance Cain and leading the Utes to 19 2^nd half points in their 22-10 win over Wyoming. While Utah’s offense has not topped 35 points this year, the New Mexico defense is giving up 36 points per game. Despite the big game on deck, the Utes continue the Lobos’ losing ways.

Notre Dame had a streak of 43 wins in a row snapped in a 3 overtime loss the last here. Last year ND led 27-7 with 1:33 left and fumbled deep in Navy territory with the backups in. Navy got 2 TD’s and 2 onside kicks and had the ball down 27-21 but was stopped on downs at the ND 31 with :22 left. ND had a 341-137 yard edge prior to Navy’s last two drives. ND WR Michael Floyd was injured in the 1^st quarter vs Navy last year and did not play the rest of the regular season. Ironically, Floyd will return this week from a broken collarbone (out last five games). ND is off a comfortable 40-14 win over Washington St in San Antonio and after 6 straight down-to-the-wire games, the starters were able to rest in the 2^nd half last week. ND QB Jimmy Clausen is averaging 290 yards per game (67%) with an 18-2 ratio. Navy is off a 27-24 loss to Temple ending their streak of 5 straight wins. QB Ricky Dobbs (77 pass yards per game, 50%, 3-2 ratio, 595 rushing, 3.5) has missed the last two games (knee injury) but will start this week. ND was in control last year, but almost let it slip away but this year’s ND team is better and playing at home.

Last year WSU was actually tied 14-14 before eventually losing 59-28 at home. Zona RB Nic Grigsby set a career-high rushing mark for the 2nd consecutive year vs the Cougs with 189 yards but he is questionable here with a shoulder injury that has plagued him most of the season. Arizona returns from a bye still believing they have a shot at the Rose Bowl with an offense that is averaging 465 yards per game in conference play led by the emergence of QB Nick Foles who is avg 325 yards per game (73%) in his 4 starts. After last week’s thumping in San Antonio vs ND (Irish home game with crowd edge), the Cougs are averaging a 25 points per game deficit in their losses this year. UA has won three straight in the series by an average of 45-24 giving them the convincing win here this week.  

In their last visit here, Cal had a chance to move up to #1 in the nation with a victory but then back-up QB Kevin Riley, making his first career start, committed a critical error on the final play allowing OSU to escape with the win. Last year, Cal trailed by 6 and had the ball but suffered a 25 yards interception return for a TD with :31 left for a misleading 13 point road loss. OSU held off scrappy UCLA (led 19-3 in the 4^th quarter last week in Corvallis After last week;s last second win in Tempe vs ASU, Cal has won 3 consecutive games after their collapses vs Oregon and USC in early October leaning on their splendid run game that has posted 218 yards per game (6.0) in that span. Seven of Cal’s 8 games have been decided by 2 or more TD’s and while this may be closer, Cal plays very well at home vs over-matched opponents.

Deer hunting season in Wyoming started on November 1 so expect a smaller than usual crowd with this being the first Saturday. Wyoming is having a solid season going 4-4 under new coach Christensen. The Pokes are led by true freshman QB Austyn Carta-Samuels who is averaging 147 yards per game (58%) with a 6-3 ratio. However, the offense has averaged only 188 total yards per game the last two games and this week they run into a BYU team that is coming off a bye and wants to get the bad taste out of their mouth from the TCU game. Mendenhall’s teams usually finish strong with the exception of last years BCS bubble burst, as the Cougs have lost only 2 games in the month of November during his tenure. BYU QB Max Hall is averaging 279 yards per game (69%) with a 17-11 ratio and the Cougar coaches and players say they will not let the TCU game effect the rest of the season like last year. In this series, the Cougs have won the last five by an average of 45-6! Expect more of the same this year with BYU’s offense playing very well on the road this year averaging 50 points per game the last three.