Clubhouse Article

CFB: Week Ten – Top Three Games to Watch

October 31st, 2012 by Patrick Sturgeon

The latest weekly rundown of the best college football games on ESPN America. PATRICK STURGEON (aka “Paddy The Brick”) gives a personal overview of his top games to watch and predicts a winner for each game.

WEEK TEN GAMES TO WATCH

Missouri Tigers at #7 Florida Gators
This is our live first game on ESPN America on a Saturday full of SEC match ups. I totally expect Florida to bounce back from their first loss of the season to Georgia. Gator QB Jeff Driskel can only improve on last week’s performance when Florida managed just three field goals against the Bulldogs.

This will be Missouri’s first trip to “The Swamp” as a member of the SEC and it’s going to be a soggy one. I like the Tigers because my old friend Mike Alden is the Athletic Director there, I can’t see Missouri winning this game in Gainesville.
Final Score: Florida 34, Missouri 17

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Ole Miss Rebels at #6 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia got back into the SEC Championship and National Championship picture with a hard fought and thrilling win over then unbeaten Florida last week. We know all about their stingy defense led by All-America Linebacker Jarvis Jones, who is a sure-fire Top 5 NFL Draft pick next year.

They also have a veteran QB in Aaron Murray, who has already thrown for over 2000 yards and 17 touchdowns. Plus, they have “Gurshall” which is the nickname given to the combined play of freshman running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Murray’s mom was seen wearing a t-shirt that said: “Keep Calm, We’ve Got Gurshall” in reference to “Herschel” Walker, the legendary Georgia running back who won the Heisman Trophy and went on to star in the NFL. Well, you know how I love nicknames and gimmicks.
Final Score: Georgia 32, Ole Miss 14

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#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #5 LSU Tigers
Last year this regular season contest was billed as the “Game of the Century” as LSU held on to beat the Alabama 9-6 in overtime in Tuscaloosa. However, the Crimson Tide got their revenge in the National Championship game, shutting out the Tigers 21-0.

Alabama has been on a ‘Roll Tide Roll’ (pardon the pun) since then. They have been ranked number one most of the season and have won every game this year by at least 19 points. ESPN College GameDay will be on hand in Baton Rouge for this Saturday night encounter. So it still shapes up to be one of the top games of this season.

The winner will have the inside track to play in the SEC Championship game which we all know leads to a possible date in the National Championship game. LSU has won 22 straight home games and had last week off, so they will be well rested. But for some reason, I still like Alabama to win this game, but it should be close.
Final Score: Alabama 23, LSU 16

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#3 Notre Dame Update: ND defied me and the oddsmakers last Saturday night by whipping up on Oklahoma 30-13. The Irish defense, led by linebacker Manti Te’o held the Sooners in check even though Landry Jones passed for 356 yards. The ND offense exploded for 17 unanswered points in the 4th Quarter after the Sooners had tied the game. With the victory Notre Dame moved to #3 in the BCS standings. In the eyes of the US media and me, the Irish are relevant again after starting their season in Dublin, Ireland. Maybe some of the Irish luck rubbed off on them, during their time on the Emerald Isle. This week they play a home game again Pittsburgh and are heavily favored.

Last Week: I had an off-week, finishing at 1-2. I correctly predicted that South Carolina would get past Tennessee, but I did not think the game would be that close. The Gamecocks held on for a wild 38-35 win, but lost star running back Marcus Lattimore for the rest of season with a very severe knee injury. I had Florida beating Georgia in the ‘World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party’, but I did not count on the Bulldogs forcing the Gators into six turnovers in their 17-9 upset victory. I was teased all weekend about taking Oklahoma to beat Notre Dame on Saturday night, after all, the Irish are one of my favorite teams. I am glad I was so wrong.

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About the author

PATRICK STURGEON (aka ‘Paddy the Brick’) is the Director of Programming for ESPN America. He has been working in the TV sports business for 25 years. Patrick started his career in Arizona where he was a Emmy Award winning sports producer and director. He moved to the Europe in 1994 and has been with ESPN America since 2003. He has a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Kansas (Go Jayhawks!).

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