A Day of Hatred Filled Glory

{author: Daniel Wright}

Rivalry Week.  For some teams, it is the most boring day of the year; for others, it is the most nerve-wracking and exciting game of the entire season.  For a few teams, it is just another game, but for most (especially in the south), it is a must-win. Countless hours go into preparing to face your rival.  Hours of training. Hours of determined work. And it all comes together to provide three hours of hatred filled glory. Today, we’re going to take a look at three rivalry games that could have a big impact on the Playoff Picture.

First up, there is the Iron Bowl, the annual game between the country’s two teams who are more often referred to by their slogan than their actual mascot.  Obviously, this is the battle between the Crimson Tide Alabama Elephants and the War Eagle Auburn Tigers. This game always provides highlights, with both teams going 1-1 over the past two years.  This year, #15 Auburn hosts #5 Alabama at Jordan-Hare stadium. Alabama is not necessarily the favorite, because they are playing on the road without Heisman candidate Tua Tagavailoa who is out for the season with a hip injury. You can catch that game on CBS.  My pick is very optimistic, but I believe that Alabama’s offense without Tua is just not strong enough.

My Pick: Auburn 27, Alabama 24.

Next up is Ohio State vs. Michigan.  The two Big 10 powerhouses facing off in the final game of the season.  If Ohio State wants to be a step closer to punching a ticket to the Playoffs, they must win this game.  Michigan last beat Ohio State in 2011, snapping a 7-game losing streak, only to start a new one that has continued since the two teams faced off in 2012.  Ohio State is the obvious favorite for this game. They are 11-0 and have already booked a ticket to the Big 10 Championship Game. This season they have outscored their opponents 543-115, which is an average final score of about 49-10. First-year transfer and former Georgia backup, Justin Fields, has completed a whopping 175 passes for over 2,352 yards, and he has thrown 33 touchdown passes with only one interception. He also has 445 rushing yards with 10 rushing touchdowns.  Michigan, on the other hand, has only 369 points over 11 games (36.9 PPG average) and they have a 9-2 record after losing to Wisconson and Penn State.  They have allowed a total of 178 points, scoring slightly more than twice as much as their opponents. All Michigan can win in this game is a 10-2 record and a whole bunch of pride.  Winning would snap another 7-year long year streak of losing to the Buckeyes, and losing would mean that five freshman classes played through college, graduated, and never beat Ohio State.  While Michigan is hosting its rival in Ann Arbor, Ohio State is favored by 9.5 points. I agree with the professionals. You can see that game on Fox, but I think the margin of victory will be broader.

My Pick: Ohio State 49, Michigan 28.

Finally, last but certainly not least, we have Power 5’s most-played rivalry game.  When people ask what Power 5 rivalry is the most played, I would not guess this one.  But, it is none other than the Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. the Wisconsin Badgers. The #9 Golden Gophers are having an extremely good season, going 10-1 so far after going 6-6 last season and beating Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl.  This season they have stampeded to their current record, upsetting Penn State along the way. While they are 10-1, Minnesota hasn’t been the best at winning games with big margins. In fact, of their 10 wins, half of them have come with a touchdown or less separating the two teams.  Their one loss came while playing away at the University of Iowa. They only lost by 4. Wisconsin, on the other hand, has gone 9-2, getting upset by Iowa State and getting blown out by Ohio State. All things considered, this season has been much like their others. Two losses and the final game of the season deciding whether or not they get to the Big Ten Championship.  Wisconsin is favored by 2.5 points. You can watch that game on ABC.  

My Pick: Minnesota 31, Wisconsin 28.