No. 4 Washington vs. No. 17 Utah
These two Pac-12 teams are having standout seasons, with just one loss between the two. And luckily for us, we may see them play each other again in the Pac-12 title game.
Washington has won its first seven games to start the season, but really proved itself when the Huskies dismantled No. 7 Stanford 44-6. Stanford is the only ranked team Washington has played this year, and Utah is currently the only ranked team left on the Huskies’ schedule.
Sophomore quarterback Jake Browning has been nothing short of amazing for the Huskies’ offense. He has thrown for 1,709 yards on the year and 26 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He has also added four scores on the ground. If Browning continues the pace he’s on, it’s hard to imagine anyone stopping the Huskies.
Utah currently sits at 7-1 this season, with the only loss coming at the hands of Cal, 28-23. Much like Washington, the Utes haven’t been tested all year, with this game being their first against a ranked team.
Senior wide receiver Tim Patrick has been a star for the Utah offense, leading the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The Utes only have seven receiving touchdowns on the year, but Patrick has hauled in five of them. His 429 receiving yards is at least 100 more than anyone else on the team.
This Pac-12 showdown will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
No. 7 Nebraska vs. No. 11 Wisconsin
In the preseason, this game wasn’t supposed to feature two highly ranked teams. Today, it features undefeated No. 7 Nebraska and No. 11 Wisconsin.
Up to this point, Nebraska hasn’t really blown any team out of the water, and has only played one ranked team in No. 22 Oregon. That will change over the next couple of weeks with this game and then when the Cornhuskers travel to No. 6 Ohio State.
It’d be hard to find a player more competitive than senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. Armstrong’s numbers aren’t going to dazzle you, but he gets the job done. He’s thrown for 1,611 yards and 11 touchdowns on the year. He also ranks second on the team with 380 rushing yards and leads the team with six rushing touchdowns.
On the other hand, Wisconsin has played a difficult schedule. This will be the Badgers’ fifth game against a team ranked in the top 10. Their only two losses on the year have came to No. 4 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State, losing each game by only a touchdown.
In an offense that struggles to throw the ball, the Badgers have relied on senior running back Corey Clement. Clement has been a workhorse, averaging just over 20 carries a game. He leads the team in rushing yards and touchdowns, with 617 and six, respectively. Only one other player on the team has more than one rushing touchdown.
This highly anticipated Big 10 battle will kick off at 6 p.m. Saturday.
No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 12 Florida State
The winner of this ACC Coastal game won’t necessarily clinch a spot, but will put itself in a great position to make the ACC title game.
If the Clemson Tigers can get past this game, there is a strong possibility they will win out the rest of the regular season, as there are no ranked teams left on their schedule.
Junior quarterback Deshaun Watson has been the MVP of the Tigers’ offense this year. He’s thrown for just shy of 2,000 yards and has 20 touchdowns on the year. He’s also the second-leading rusher on the team with 279 yards.
After dropping its first two ACC matchups, Florida State has won its last two. But even winning out may not being enough to put them in the conference championship game, as the Seminoles currently sit behind Clemson and Louisville.
After a slow start, junior running back Dalvin Cook has really picked up his game. He’s rushed for 900 yards on the year and has found the end zone seven times. He also ranks third on the team in receptions and receiving yards, with 21 and 356, respectively.
This ACC contest will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday.
