It goes without saying that national championship hopes and BCS implications are on the line in the games this week. But more importantly to these schools, all three programs in the running for Poolsville's team of the year (for best record in the pool) are in action. Auburn (5-0), Oklahoma State (5-0), and Stanford (5-1) will determine in separate games who takes home the 2013 Poolsville Cup. In the tradition of the BCS, if the teams are tied after Saturday, the prize will go to the highest-ranked team in the composite rankings, which are currently 6) Auburn, 7) Stanford, 8) Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau Bedlam Series
Oklahoma - Oklahoma State
11 a.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Oklahoma State by 9
* Underdog worth four points
Texas - Baylor
2:30 p.m., Saturday, Fox
Line: Baylor by 15
* Underdog worth five points
SEC Championship Game
Missouri - Auburn
3 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Auburn by 2
Pac-12 Championship GameStanford - Arizona State
6:45 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Arizona State by 3
Big Ten Championship Game
Ohio State - Michigan State
7 p.m., Saturday, Fox
Line: Ohio State by 5
* Underdog worth three points
Good luck.
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This has been the year of Auburn -- 4-0 in pool play going into the Iron Bowl. Brad Ramey, current leader in the standings, and three other Auburn fans in the top group -- Lee Davis, Matt Tuck, and Oscar Davis -- have been riding their team's success and reaping the rewards. Now the moment of truth. Do they roll the dice with an 11-point Auburn underdog, or do they do the unthinkable for a faithful Auburn fan and pick Alabama? The Iron Bowl could be a deciding factor in winning Poolsville. Loyalties will be tested with money on the line!
The Iron Bowl
SEC West Championship
Alabama - Auburn
2:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Alabama by 11
* Underdog worth four points
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate
Georgia - Georgia Tech
2:30 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Georgia by 3
The Palmetto Bowl
Clemson - South Carolina
6 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2
Line: South Carolina by 5
* Underdog worth three points
Texas A&M - Missouri
6:45 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Missouri by 4
Battle for Los Angeles
UCLA - USC
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: USC by 3
Gobble Gobble!
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The Pac-12 continues to be the non-SEC conference of the year, and this week it throws us another wild card. The Washington vs. Oregon State game is currently off the books, so when a line is issued, potential bonus points will be determined. Here is a chance to start a push for poll position in the standings as we reach the final three weeks of the season and head to the postseason.
For $800 and the prestigious Ramon Escobar Trophy plus a variety of other great prizes, select your winners and email them back to me by 5 p.m. Friday.
The Gulf War
Texas A&M - LSU
2:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: LSU by 4
Pac-12 South Championship
Arizona State - UCLA
6 p.m., Saturday, Fox
Line: Arizona State by 2
Missouri - Ole Miss
6:45 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Missouri by 2
Big 12 North Championship
Baylor - Oklahoma State
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Baylor by 9
* Underdog worth four points
Washington - Oregon State
9:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2
Line: Off
Good luck.
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The ACC has been uncharacteristically quiet in the pool this season with only two conference games making the weekly lists so far. Finally, the ACC is back this week, but I would not have expected Duke -- and without bonus points! -- to be the reason in a game against Miami. Such is the wackiness of the conference that hosts Clemson.
Washington - UCLA
8 p.m., Friday, ESPN2
Line: UCLA by 2
Miami - Duke
2:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPNU
Line: Miami by 3
Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
Georgia - Auburn
2:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Auburn by 3
Oklahoma State - Texas
2:30 p.m., Saturday, Fox
Line: Oklahoma State by 3
Stanford - USC
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Stanford by 4
Good luck.
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Just four seasons ago, Baylor was enjoying yet another 4-8 season on top of the 13 previous losing seasons. That overall record included a 1-7 in conference play, a familiar ratio of wins to losses for Baylor in the Big 12. But jump from 2009 to 2013, and Baylor, currently the best team in the Big 12, is now an unheard-of-for-any-school 15-point favorite against Oklahoma and No. 6 in the BCS. Meanwhile, Arkansas, which had risen to No. 3 in the BCS as recently as 2011, has fallen so far that the Razorbacks should be glad there is no relegation in college football or else we would all be talking Sun Belt next year. We know how Auburn does it (bagman), but how does Baylor continue to do this as Arkansas, a richer program in just about any way you could count, flounders so badly with no sign of direction? Congrats, Baylor, you may not have allowed dancing on campus until 1996, but you have put together a solid football program and hired a great coach. And your stadium is even better than Missouri's.
Oklahoma - Baylor
6:30 p.m., Thursday, Fox Sports 1
Line: Baylor by 15
* Underdog worth five points
Oregon - Stanford
8 p.m., Thursday, ESPN
Line: Oregon by 10
* Underdog worth four points
BYU - Wisconsin
2:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Wisconsin by 7
* Underdog worth three points
LSU - Alabama
7 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Alabama by 12
* Underdog worth four points
UCLA - Arizona
9 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: UCLA by 1
Good luck.
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The big game this week is Miami at Florida State in an ACC showdown in primetime on ABC complete with a visit from the ESPN GameDay crew. Or so the Powers That Be would have you believe. Despite being ranked No. 7 by many of the meaningless polls and the BC$ formula, Miami is a 22-point underdog and is only given a 7-percent chance to win by the cool computers in the know. Combined with a Tennessee team that is an embarrassing 10-point underdog to SEC newcomer Missouri and its subpar football stadium, this is how you end up with Arkansas in the pool as it swirls in the soap opera of Gus Malzahn's first return to the state since being passed over for the Razorback job. Remember, the games pick themselves.
USC - Oregon State
8 p.m., Friday, ESPN2
Line: Oregon State by 4
Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy
Michigan - Michigan State
2:30 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Michigan State by 6
* Underdog worth three points
World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
Georgia - Florida
2:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Georgia by 2
Auburn - Arkansas
5 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2
Line: Auburn by 8
* Underdog worth three points
Oklahoma State - Texas Tech
6 p.m., Saturday, Fox
Line: Texas Tech by 2
Good luck.
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Each season, Poolsville bestows the Skunk of the Year award on the team that has the worst record in pool games only. Sorry to say this TCU grads, but right now TCU and Florida are in the lead with 0-3 records. However, Texas is not far behind at 1-2. Saturday's game could be the determining factor in which school is contacted by Poolsville with the news. Neither will be winning Slabby, I'll tell you that.
Boise State - BYU
7 p.m., Friday, ESPN
Line: BYU by 7
* Underdog worth three points
Texas Tech - Oklahoma
2:30 p.m., Saturday, Fox
Line: Oklahoma by 7
* Underdog worth three points
South Carolina - Missouri
6 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2
Line: Missouri by 2
Texas - TCU
6:30 p.m., Saturday, Fox Sports 1
Line: TCU by 2
Stanford - Oregon State
9:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Stanford by 3
Good luck.
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"Fans, this may be the greatest week of games in Poolsville history." That's how Tony Schiavone would start out this week's episode of Poolsville TV before introducing his co-host Larry Zbyszko. And, of course, what best week in pool history would be complete without an appearance by Clemson playing in what is being billed as the ACC Game of the Century against Florida State with national championship implications on the line. Clemson, Notre Dame, Missouri, TCU... what could possibly go wrong with your picks? Just don't be influenced by the subliminal messages. Which way is Corso really telling you to go?
TCU - Oklahoma State
11 a.m., Saturday, Fox
Line: Oklahoma State by 7
* Underdog worth three points
Florida - Missouri
11:20 a.m., Saturday, SEC-TV
Line: Florida by 3
UCLA - Stanford
2:30 p.m., Saturday, ABC/ESPN2
Line: Stanford by 5
* Underdog worth three points
Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh
USC - Notre Dame
6:30 p.m., Saturday, NBC
Line: Notre Dame by 3
ACC Game of the Century
Florida State - Clemson
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Florida State by 3
Good luck.
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Does undefeated Missouri really have a chance against Georgia (which plays the toughest annual schedule in sports), or are the Tigers about to be exposed as a second-class citizen of the SEC? Well, according to the experts, Arkansas has a better chance beating South Carolina. Some say the Razorbacks' entire season hangs in the balance against the Gamecocks. A loss wipes out hope from fans that they can salvage a season better than the previous one. A win softens the defeat to Alabama and makes Auburn and Ole Miss look winnable. Which are you choosing?
Missouri - Georgia
11 a.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Georgia by 8
* Underdog worth three points
South Carolina - Arkansas
11:20 a.m., Saturday, SEC-TV
Line: South Carolina by 6
* Underdog worth three points
Florida - LSU
2:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: LSU by 7
* Underdog worth three points
Michigan - Penn State
4 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Michigan by 2
Oregon State - Washington State
9:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPNU
Line: Washington State by 1
Good luck.
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Who would have thought that Arizona State would be tied for most pool appearances after the first five weeks? With three appearances each already, Arizona State and Notre Dame make it number four this week in a game that will decide whether the Sun Devils are the surprise story of the season or Notre Dame is the early season flop. It is the Shamrock Series, which can only mean one thing -- time for Doug Virden to dress up as a leprechaun to give the Irish a little luck. But then again, Arizona State has the keg baby pictured above right, and that kind of fan enthusiasm is hard to beat.
UCLA - Utah
9 p.m., Thursday, Fox Sports 1
Line: UCLA by 4
Ole Miss - Auburn
6 p.m., Saturday, ESPNU
Line: Ole Miss by 2
Shamrock Series 2013
Arizona State - Notre Dame
6:30 p.m., Saturday, NBC
Line: Arizona State by 5
* Underdog worth three points
Ohio State - Northwestern
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Ohio State by 5
* Underdog worth three points
Washington - Stanford
9:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Stanford by 6
* Underdog worth three points
Good luck.
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