Non-BCS Football Week 11 Breakdown
TCU versus Boise State
WHY YOU’LL WATCH
This is for all the Mountain West marbles. Both are currently undefeated in the conference and the winner has the edge to win the conference title. These two teams have been two of the most consistent non-BCS teams in the country for the last several seasons. Boise State has lost exactly one game since 2009. TCU has lost three total, including this season. Interestingly enough, one of TCU’s losses was to Boise State in their 2009 bowl game. Perhaps the Horned Frogs remember and would like revenge. This is going to come down to quarterback play. Kellen Moore, the all-time wins leader for quarterbacks in NCAA history, is a preseason favorite for a ton of awards. He has been as good as ever, throwing for nearly 2,300 yards and 29 touchdowns. Casey Pachall has been good too, tossing 19 touchdowns himself. This could be one of the best games of the weekend.
Louisiana versus Arkansas State
WHY YOU’LL WATCH
Both of these schools are two-loss teams and the winner takes the lead in the Sun Belt conference. Louisiana has really risen to every challenge it has faced minus hiccups against Oklahoma State (understandable) and Western Kentucky. This really is a complete team that can score points behind crisp passer Blaine Gautier. He has a 64% completion rate. He doesn’t throw interceptions either (two for the year). Arkansas State is undefeated in conference. They have rattled off six straight wins since losing to Virginia Tech. They are well balanced, and have a strong defense. This one could go down to the wire.
East Carolina versus UTEP
WHY YOU’LL WATCH
Pirates quarterback Dominique Davis was a record setter a few weeks ago. He will try to make up ground on Southern Mississippi by beating an inconsistent UTEP team. Davis completed 26 straight passes to open the game against Navy. The Pirates ended up stumbling two weeks later against Southern Mississippi. But Davis is really playing high-level football. He had been inconsistent up until the Navy game. They face a UTEP game that is one win away from being .500. They just can’t seem to find a win within Conference USA. Unfortunately, that lack of winning has put them out of the running for the conference title. The Miners will still try to play spoiler though. They do average 154 rushing yards per game. East Carolina is 100th in scoring defense. Maybe the Miners can generate some momentum and dismantle Davis and Co.’s chances at a Conference USA title.
Navy versus Southern Methodist
WHY YOU’LL WATCH
Navy is not having a good year. Southern Methodist is resurging under June Jones. There is an interesting dichotomy in this game. Both programs seem to have switched places. Southern Methodist has some really great wins on their resume. They defeated TCU and UCF, two quality opponents. However, there is an indication that this program isn’t quite where it wants to be due to losses at Southern Mississippi and Tulsa where they only scored 10 total points. This team is clearly on the rise. Running back Zach Line has propelled this offense (1,089 yards, 17 touchdowns). If Navy were to win, it wouldn’t be the greatest win for the Midshipmen. It would however give them some confidence going forward. Their triple-option attack still ranks them among the best in the country, but they are second to last in the FBS in passing. Unfortunately, that has come back to bite them. Their defense is a mess and they are constantly trying to come from behind. When you can’t throw, it’s hard to compete in the fourth quarter. We’ll see if they can get off the snide.
Central Florida versus Southern Mississippi
WHY YOU’LL WATCH
This is a big matchup for Central Florida. While they are most likely out of the Conference USA race, they can play spoiler against a Southern Mississippi team that is on fire right now. They’ve won seven straight and have been dominating. Their offense and defense are both ranked top 20 in FBS. This is an important game for the Golden Eagles. After Central Florida, their next two opponents have a combined record of 3-15. They would have a great chance to finish the season with one loss and make a case for a really good bowl game. The curious thing about UCF is that their defense is top five in the country in scoring, only giving up 15.3 points per game. Their offense just needs to catch up. They don’t seem to have a go-to running back. They have five rushers with over 100 yards, but none has 600 yet. The passing game is lacking as well. Jake Godfrey and Blake Bortles have thrown for a collective five touchdowns. They will need to do more to upset Southern Miss. Should they beat the Golden Eagles, it would be a tremendous boost for the Knights.
Western Kentucky versus LSU
Ok, this game is pretty much just for LSU to take a breather after Alabama. But Western Kentucky has the chance to play the No. 1 team in the country. If they can pull off a miracle, the Hilltoppers program would revisit the 2011 season forever.
