The Iron Bowl tops Friday’s bill as Auburn travel to Tuscaloosa for a date with Alabama. Oregon and Boise State will look to impress voters in their big night-time games.
Alabama can spoil the party South Carolina beat the Tide with resilient defense and opportunistic offense. LSU beat Alabama with Les Miles’ usual blend of madness and rugged defense. Now Auburn look to inflict #11 Alabama’s third loss of the year with a one-man army and some shaky pass-defense.
College Football betting fans know that Cam Newton is many things but he is not a linebacker corps. He is not a defensive back and he most certainly isn’t going to play nose tackle against the Tide on Friday. That’s a big problem for the Tigers because they will need some big plays on defense to win the Iron Bowl to remain atop the BCS standings and on course for a shot at the National Championship. The Tigers are giving up 24.9 points per game, putting plenty of pressure on Newton and the offense to deliver big in Tuscaloosa.
It’s tough to see Auburn winning this game without a massive improvement on defense. The Tide effectively had a bye-week to prepare for Gus Malzahn’s offense, barely breaking a sweat against 1-AA/FCS foe Georgia State. While Bama’s defense remains a work in progress, there’s no questioning the potential of the talent on-hand. This unit has the athleticism to contain, if not stop, Newton. That should prove the difference on Friday. Auburn may be going to the SEC title game but I like Alabama to bust their BCS dreams.
Ducks and Broncos will roll Arizona haven’t lived up to the hope that followed their heroic victory over Iowa earlier this season but they still remain a dangerous opponent for Oregon. The Wildcats have dropped two straight, getting stomped at Stanford and losing 24-21 at home to USC. While form is against them, #21 Arizona still possess a potent passing game and a defense that tends to keep the score down. For all that, it’s still tough to see any team handling this Oregon offense in the regular season. Bet on the Ducks to stay on top of the human polls for one more week.
Boise State may have a play-in game to the BCS Championship on their hands if either Auburn or Oregon slip-up. The Broncos travel to #19 Nevada, a team they have struggled to put away in each of the last three years. A strong showing on the road against the Wolfpack could win over what few sceptics remain. I like the Broncos to win big.