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Friday, November 17
Rivalries aren't for the faint of heart

By Rod Gilmore
Special to ESPN.com

This is not the week to be indifferent. The guys are playing for more than just the farm animal and farm tool trophies. This is rivalry week. It's about pride and bragging rights.

As fans, you must pick a side. You are either Alabama Crimson Tide or Auburn orange and blue. A Duck or a Beaver. Michigan or Ohio State. A Gator, or Gator bait. Stanford red, or Cal blue. A Trojan or a Bruin.

You cannot be a bystander this weekend. You must let the passion that is college football flow. Choose. Cheer. Cry. If you can't decide, then this is not the weekend for you. We only want the true, passionate fans this weekend.

Let's check out a few of the games:

No. 6 Oregon at No. 8 Oregon State


	Ken Simonton may not be the key to Oregon State upsetting the Ducks.

Nothing bigger has ever hit the state of Oregon (if you don't count Nike). Never before have the two schools met with a possible Rose Bowl berth on the line for both schools. Both teams have nine wins. If Oregon wins, the Ducks fly south to Pasadena. If Oregon State wins and Washington loses, the Beavers get their first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1964.

I've attended a couple of Civil War games, and let me tell you they are always loud, VERY cold, and usually wet. The rivalry is enhanced by the proximity of the schools (only 40 miles apart) and the stereotypical class distinctions between them (e.g., the sophisticated "city slickers" from Oregon versus the farmers of Oregon State).

There's a personal edge to this rivalry too. Some Beavers were not "good enough" for the Oregon program. For example, Oregon State tight end Martin Maurer wanted to go to Oregon, where his dad had played. He's blossomed into a fine tight end, but neither he, nor his father, have gotten over the fact the Ducks didn't recruit him.

This rivalry has been very good in recent years. It used to be dominated by Oregon, but Oregon State has caught up with the Ducks. Oregon State is actually playing better than Oregon. The Beavers have been winning their conference games by a margin of about 17 points, while Oregon has eked out their victories. The Beavers are a last-second missed field goal against Washington away from being undefeated. They dominated Arizona last week, which was a must win for the Wildcats. The Beavers had never won in Tucson before.

Although much is made of Ken Simonton and the Beavers' running game, the key player in this game will be wide receiver Chad Johnson. He's big (6-foot-3), fast (4.3 in the 40-yard dash) and a big-play receiver. Quarterback Jon Smith has thrown only six picks this season, and four of those weren't his fault. (Hate those tipped balls.)

Oregon should be able to slow down the Beavers' running game, so look for the Beavers to go to their passing game from the spread offense early, using all three of their receivers. But Johnson will have to make big plays. Expect Oregon to crowd the line of scrimmage and force the Beavers to throw.

Speaking of throwing, Oregon has a pretty good passing attack, too. However, the Beavers' secondary is the best in the conference. Although Oregon receivers Marshaun Tucker and Keenan Howry can light it up, cornerbacks Dennis Weathersby and K. Heyward-Johnson will play tough man coverage. They won't have to cover very long because of the play of defensive ends Ladaris Jackson (19 tackles for loss) and DeLawrence Grant. They will put a lot of pressure on Joey Harrington. If Harrington remains patient, he may be able to hit a big play or two. However, the Beavers' defense can frustrate quarterbacks.

The home team has won only 37 percent of the time in this series. Since the game is in Corvallis, that statistic -- which has not held up the last two seasons -- would indicate a slight edge for the visiting Ducks.

Wow! The Rose Bowl on the line in Corvallis. The balance of power in the Pac-10 has shifted to the Northwest.

No. 18 Michigan at No. 12 Ohio State
Ah, the memories of this rivalry are so fresh.

When I was a kid, this game was always the early game on ABC (followed by USC-UCLA), and was always a defensive struggle. There was Archie Griffin, Randy Gradishar and Jack Tatum for the Buckeyes. For Michigan, it was the helmet that got my attention. Artificial turf, cold weather and "three yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust" (on Turf?). The Rose Bowl was always on the line in this game.

Well, things have changed.

The Rose Bowl may not be on the line if Purdue takes care of Indiana, but the intensity of the rivalry is the same. Forget about a defensive struggle. This game will be about offense, and explosion plays specifically.

Michigan can put points on the board (33.5 ppg), but can give up a bunch too (see: Northwestern). Expect the Wolverines to showcase wide receivers David Terrell and Marquis Walker. Drew Henson has been playing at a high level and will get a chance to show off his arm against a solid Buckeye secondary. The matchup between Terrell and defensive back Nate Clements should be a good one. Mike Doss has also been on a tear lately, coming up with big plays and big hits in the secondary.

On offense, Ohio State also has a couple of big play guys in Kenyon Rambo and Reggie Germany. The only question is whether the erratic Steve Bellasari can get the ball to them.

Give the edge to Michigan in what should be a fantastic game. But don't expect a defensive struggle, or the Rose Bowl, to be decided by this game.

No. 4 Florida at No. 3 Florida State
There is so much riding on this game. It has major BCS implications, with the winnerl having a great shot at the Orange Bowl, and it's a huge game for Chris Weinke. If he plays well, he has a strong shot at the Heisman. If he doesn't, he'll finish second or third.

But a lot rides on this game every year. Bragging rights are important here because these two teams recruit the same players and a win gives a slight recruiting advantage.

Both Florida and FSU love to throw the ball -- they're each putting up over 40 points per game. So, one of the keys is which team can protect its quarterback better. Naturally, that brings FSU's defensive end Jamal Reynolds into play and Florida's defensive end Alex Brown. The team that blocks the other's top pass rusher best will have an advantage. Florida should do a better job than FSU in this area, because FSU will have trouble running the ball.

FSU was not a top running team to begin with -- its 171 yards a game is deceiving since the Seminoles piled up yards on the ground after games are decided -- and then they lost two key running backs this week. Plus, the Florida defense has played much better since being blasted by Mississippi State on Sept. 30.

Florida defensive coordinator Jeff Hoke simplified the defense so his guys can just play instead of trying to figure out their assignments. This has resulted in Florida leading the country in takeaways with 33. They'll need a few of them Saturday.

With an avearge of 110 yards a game, Florida doesn't run the ball very well either. Expect Steve Spurrier to go to his "ball plays" that feature screens and draws in order to slow the FSU pass rush. It's critical for Florida that Jesse Palmer makes good decisions, and he can start by constantly looking for Jabar Gaffney. Gaffney is on fire and should be featured in this game. Palmer will be better in this environment than the young Rex Grossman. Remember how well Palmer played in a hostile environment in Tennessee? That experience will help Saturday.

Florida also has to do a better job of punt protection. There is no excuse for the two blocked punts last week. FSU may be able to return some punts on the Gators if the Gators don't cover now because of the extra concern about preventing blocked punts.

Edge to FSU unless Florida can get four takeaways.

No. 19 Auburn at Alabama
Forget about the fact that this game is important to Auburn's shot at winning the SEC West. It doesn't matter that Alabama has had a disappointing season. This is the ultimate rivalry game.

When you watch this game, check out the crowd. Check out the colors. Check out the expressions of emotion on the faces of the players and coaches. As they say in Alabama, this game is more important than life and death. I don't profess to understand it, I just know that I love watching it.

It will be interesting to see if Freddie Milons and Andrew Zow can bounce back from disappointing seasons and create some magic one last time. As their performances dipped this season, so did Alabama's shot at winning the SEC West. The guy who has been consistent for Alabama is Dustin McClintock, the tough blocking fullback. If Alabama wins this game, you can bet McClintock will be a key reason. He'll have to deliver key blocks to open the running game, and will also have to protect Zow.

For Auburn, it's all about Rudi Johnson. This is Johnson's first Auburn-Alabama game and he'll be under great pressure to perform. Expect Alabama to go all out to take him out of the game with an eight-man front. But it won't really matter. Johnson has to get 25 to 30 touches in this game for Auburn to win. If he touches it less than that, someone will have some explaining to do.

No. 5 Washington at Washington State
The Apple Cup, a game that could be a lot closer than you think. The Cougars have played well during the second half of the season, including beating USC last week. The Huskies have a shot at the Rose Bowl or another BCS game riding on the outcome of this game. The Cougars have nothing to lose, and coach Mike Price will pull out the "trickeration."

Also, traveling to Pullman is no piece of cake. I've played there. It's in the middle of nowhere, tough to fly into and a long drive. Also, it will likely be very cold or snowing. The stadium isn't big, but the fans are loud, and the visiting sideline and locker room are not very comfortable. The Cougars could use all of these things to their advantage.

However, if Washington quarterback Marquess Tuiasosopo doesn't turn the ball over much, the Huskies should pull out the win.

Then the fun will begin. Washington will be able to stake its claim to a spot in the Orange Bowl if Miami is slated for that game. After all, the Huskies would have the same record as the Canes, and knocked them off earlier this season.

ALSO SEE
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Fowler: Savor these Florida-FSU games

Nothing civil about this war

Bowden-Spurrier rivalry softens, FSU-Florida does not

BCS numbers don't lie, FSU-Florida winner a title contender

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