Previewing the Weekend: BC v. Clemson

You have to think Boston College has been shunned from the collective psyche of the Northeast. I mean, come on they lost a game. And not only one game, they lost TWO! That's two more than the Celtics and Patriots combined. As far as Boston is concerned, the Golden Eagles are a bunch of 8-2 losers. Matt Ryan is far removed from being a Heisman front runner and BC is coming off 2 straight losses.

But BC goes into Clemson with both teams tied for the lead in the ACC Atlantic Conference. The winner goes on to face, most likely, Virgina Tech in the ACC Championship game. So there are big BCS implications for these two teams.

BC comes in on the strength of its passing game, behind Matt Ryan. While Clemson relies on is two big-time runners, CJ Spiller and James Davis (no relation to Greg, Texas fans). Also, Clemson comes in riding a 4 game win streak and, as mentioned before, BC has lost 2 in a row. But, if you look at Clemson's wins, you have to think they have not played a very tough schedule. Their last four wins come against Central Michigan, Duke, Maryland and Wake Forest. Not exactly a bunch of world beaters (Maryland did just beat BC).

Boston College has at least beaten some quality opponents (Virginia Tech & Georgia Tech), but they have definitely gotten themselves in a rut. They only managed 17 points against a very mediocre Florida State team and they had their defense destroyed by Maryland. Just a few weeks ago it seemed improbable that Boston College, who was ranked #2, would be on the verge of dropping three straight. But that's were they find themselves.

The big advantage Clemson has is their running game. They can control the clock and keep Matt Ryan off the field. When a strong passing team and a strong running team clash, I always err on the side of the running team, since they can keep the passers off the field. I think Clemson keeps the ball just long enough to not let BC in the endzone enough. Oh, and his game happens to be in Death Valley. Prediction: Clemson 27 BC 24

What this means for Texas: Honestly, not too much. Texas needs for the ACC to only get 1 team in the BCS and not have an at large bid. What is going to be most important is that the winner of this game needs to lose to Virginia Tech in the ACC championship game. So, with that being the case, let's root for BC since they are the lower ranked team

Previewing the Weekend: Kentucky v. Georgia

With Texas enjoying its first bye week of the season, we turn our attention to other matchups of note this Saturday that can have an effect on the Longhorns outside chance at a BCS bid.

Kentucky Strengths: For the Wildcats, its their offense. Andre Woodson has emerged on to the scene as a quarterback that can play on the big stage and lead his team to victory. Woodson's offense has put up almost 40 points a game this season, including 43 and 47 against LSU and Florida, respectively. Only twice this year has Kentucky put up less than 27 points.

Kentucky Weaknesses: Defense. Kentucky is 11 of 12 in total defense in the SEC, giving up almost 30 points a game. That is not a good sign when Georgia has been on fire as an offense. They are going to have to deal with Matt Stafford who is beginning to live up to the hype re received out of high school. It may be long game for the Kentucky secondary.

Georgia Strengths: Figuring out ways to excite their team. Whether is be Black jerseys or a full team celebration in the endzone, Mark Richt has pulled out all the stops to get his team pumped to go out and win. There is just no telling what tricks he might be pulling out of his inspirational gimmick bag.

Georgia Weaknesses: They don't have a glaring weakeness, but in the past 3 games the Bulldogs have given up 30, 34 and 20 points. And, oh by the way, that 34 was to Troy. Georgia just needs to be more consistent. They have all the pieces to make a run at the SEC, but their defense needs to come play every Saturday. That is especially true this week as Kentucky brings in a high powered offense.

What Will Happen: Kentucky and Georgia have seemingly taken opposite routes to this game. Kentucky exploded out of the gate and made a run at a Top 5 ranking before losing 3 of their last 5. Georgia, on the other hand, has won 4 straight and is one of the hottest teams in America. The Bulldogs are coming off an 25 beating of a ranked Auburn team. Georgia's offense can keep up with anything the Wildcats can do. But the difference is that Georgia's defense is going to come up with the stops that Kentucky's will not. Predicted Score: UGA 42 Kentucky 33.

What this means for Texas: It would be helpful to Texas' BCS chances if Kentucky could pull this out. Georgia is hot right now and climbing in the rankings. If they win out (even if they don't win the SEC) they could be in a prime spot for a BCS berth. Texas needs teams that are not going to win their conference to lose. The less teams they have to compete with for an at-large bid, the better. Go Cats!