Hawaii (6-5, 4-4) vs. MSU (5-6, 4-4)
Crone - OK, so this is the end of the road. By virtue of Southern Miss and Syracuse winning, there are barely enough bowl-eligible teams. So, MSU now really has nothing to play for - if the NCAA had needed a 6-6 team, you can bet the Spartans would have been first on the list. Anyway, on to the game.
The Spartans are still a high-powered offense, especially against a crappy defensive team like the Warriors. Look for Stanton, Cobb, Teague and Caulcrick to run wild on the Hawaii defense. Warrior QB Timmy Chang will throw a lot of touchdowns, but not enough for the win.
MSU 55, Hawaii 49
Uncle Joey - John L. Smith says there are two Hawaii teams. One plays in Aloha Stadium for home games and beats teams with a sharp passing game. The other endures painfully long plane trips and plays on the road like a team with a hangover.
I say there are two MSU teams. One that can dang near play with any college football team in the country and another that losses to one of the Big Ten's worst offensive teams in the last five years (Penn State) by 24 points.
The Spartans don't want to be a two-faced team anymore. They want to finish games they should win (Michigan, Ohio State) and dominate teams they should beat (Penn State, Rutgers). That's the plan for next year, but it starts Saturday with Hawaii.
So which MSU team will it be? I'll take Team A, the version that is capable of shutting down Chang and can score upwards of 50 points against a defense like Hawaii's.
This season's senior class deserves to go out with a win.
MSU 38, Hawaii 27
No. 3 Auburn (11-0, 8-0) vs. No. 15 Tennessee (9-2, 7-1)
Crone - I love Auburn. They play tough defense and I think they should be in the National Championship game against Southern Cal - if the Trojans beat UCLA, that is. The Tigers are too tough for Tennessee, especially behind the running of Carnell Williams and the QB play of Jason Campbell.
The Volunteers are a year away from the SEC title and possibly a national title. Tennessee will lose this game and probably meet Iowa in the Capitol One Bowl or Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl to close out this season.
Auburn 31, Tennessee 10
Uncle Joey - Tennessee, especially the defense, is not playing its best football right now. Tennessee, in its past two games, has beat Vanderbilt and Kentucky, SEC foes with one conference win apiece. Even more surprising is that the Vols allowed both teams to score more than 30 points.
As Crone pointed out, Auburn is on a different page. The Tigers are building a strong case for the right to play for the national championship. Personally, I'd say Auburn is No. 3 behind Oklahoma and Southern Cal. In a perfect, non-BCS world the Tigers would get the chance to prove me wrong. They'll have to settle for a blowout win against the fading Vols.
Auburn 36, Tennessee 16
No. 9 Miami (8-2, 5-2) vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech (9-2, 6-1)
Crone - After leaving the Big East, "The U" and "Va. Tech" have taken the ACC by storm in their first seasons in the conference. The winner of this game gets into the BCS and gets a huge pay off. The loser probably goes to the Peach Bowl.
With the Hurricanes at home, that is a huge advantage. The Hokies have been the surprise team in the conference, but they will not surprise Miami in this one. Special teams plays will be huge for both teams, but Miami's players have more experience than the Hokie players.
Miami 34, Virginia Tech 24
Uncle Joey - Winners of seven straight, Virginia Tech is peaking at the right time. It's really a credit to coach Frank Beamer, who has established Virginia Tech as a premier college football program, despite some predictions that his team would falter this year, its first in the ACC. The Hokies just find ways to win and have earned a chance to play in a BCS bowl. Good for them.
Standing in the Hokies' way are the big, bad Miami Hurricanes. Miami has won two straight since losing back-to-back games. Miami quarterback Brock Berlin, known for his occasionally shaky performances, is coming off a four-touchdown game against a bad Wake Forest team. The pressure will be on Berlin to repeat that performance this weekend against Virginia Tech. The problem is, the Hokies' defense puts Wake Forest's to shame.
Virginia Tech 24, Miami 17
