Yahoo - 2014 season preview: Five games to watch in week 11 (Dr. Saturday)

[Jenni Carlson]

The college football offseason is long and arduous, but its end is almost in sight. We’re going to take a look at five games you have to look forward to for every weekend of the season. (This is also a handy guide to decide how to RSVP for any autumn weddings.) All times are Eastern and all games are played on Saturday unless otherwise noted. These games take place the weekend of November 8. Previously: Week One (August 30) ~ Week Two (September 6) ~ Week Three (September 13) ~ Week Four (September 20) ~ Week Five (September 27) ~ Week Six (October 4) ~ Week Seven (October 11) ~ Week Eight (October 18) ~ Week Nine (October 25) ~ Week Ten (November 1) Alabama at LSU (TBD) Early Tiger losses at Georgia and Ole Miss combined with the rise of Auburn to make this match up slightly less important than usual in 2013, but this is still generally where the SEC West is decided. In 2011, LSU won in Tuscaloosa in overtime, winning the division and the conference title (before falling to Alabama in the BCS title game). In 2012, T.J. Yeldon’s late touchdown catch-and-run knocked off the Bayou Bengals in Baton Rouge. Last year’s game wasn’t as close as the LSU defense had absolutely no answer for Alabama’s offense after tying it at 17 in the third quarter, giving up three unanswered touchdowns en route to a 38-17 loss. A.J. McCarron (who threw three touchdowns that night) is gone, but the deadliest of his weapons are all back, including a trio of effective tailbacks (T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry, Kenyan Drake), probable top-five pick Amari Cooper at wide receiver and perhaps the best tight end in the country in sophomore O.J. Howard. But the Tigers are at home and return seven defensive starters after the previous offseason’s talent drain. They also have bulked up the offensive firepower, with five-star freshmen at tailback (Leonard Fournette, of the Adrian Peterson comparisons ) and wide receiver ( Malachi Dupre ). Both teams will be coming off byes. Ohio State at Michigan State (8:00 p.m.) A rematch of last year’s surprising Big Ten championship tilt, which featured the Spartans blowing a 17-0 lead in impressive fashion before rallying for the final 17 points of the game in a 34-24 victory that ended Urban Meyer’s 24-game Buckeye win streak and denied their conference mates a chance at the BCS title game. Due to the reorganization of Big Ten divisions (farewell, Legends and Leaders), these two are now division rivals competing with mutual enemy Michigan for a berth in the title game. Ohio State returns most of the front seven that couldn’t stop Connor Cook in the fourth quarter but has to rebuild their secondary. It will be interesting when Ohio State has the ball, as their rebuilt offensive line attempts to aid Braxton Miller in moving the ball on a Pat Narduzzi defense missing most of its 2013 stars. Worth noting that Michigan State is coming off a bye. Baylor at Oklahoma (TBD) Last year’s clash of top-12 teams turned into the Bears’ hot katana going through a Sooners team that spent most of the game impersonating particularly malleable butter, the final result a 41-12 Baylor win. Oklahoma was still going with Blake Bell at quarterback at that point, and with his switch to tight end and Trevor Knight’s emergence, the Sooners offense should be a little more reliable. (It wouldn’t hurt if they could get a transfer waiver for former top receiver recruit Dorial Green-Beckham , who was booted from Missouri.) Baylor will score points as long as Art Briles walks their sideline, and while he has to replace a few parts, he brings back quarterback Bryce Petty (32 touchdowns, three picks in 2013) and top receiver Antwan Goodley in addition to the enrollment of All-Name first-teamer and blue-chip freshman wideout K.D. Cannon. Baylor has only beaten Oklahoma twice in the series’ history (2011, 2013), both at home.

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