MICHIGAN vs OHIO ST
When: 11/26/2016 12:00 PM

TV: Noon ET, ABC.
LINE: Ohio State -6.5
PREDICTION: Michigan 23, Ohio State 21

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State-Michigan game is big enough by itself to be considered one of the greatest rivalries in college football.

No matter what the records are, the annual border battle is intense for the players and fans. Bragging rights are a big deal, particularly in Ohio. This game means everything to the players.

This year, there’s even more at stake when second-ranked Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) and No. 3 Michigan (10-1, 7-1) square off on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus (noon, ABC).

The two teams are playing for a share of the Big Ten East Division title, the right to go to the conference championship game in Indianapolis next month and an anticipated berth in the College Football Playoff.

“It’s officially rivalry week,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer declared after last Saturday’s narrow escape at Michigan State with a 17-16 victory. “Our eyes are forward. Let’s go.”

Without a doubt, this is the most important game of the season in college football. ESPN’s College GameDay is expanding to five hours from three during rivalry Saturday.

“It’s going to be intense. The game of the century,” Ohio State defensive end Jalyn Holmes said after the Buckeyes survived at Michigan State when the Spartans failed on a go-ahead two-point conversion attempt with less than five minutes remaining.

A win over Michigan doesn’t necessarily guarantee Ohio State a berth in the Big Ten championship or a playoff berth. If Ohio State takes down Michigan and Penn State beats Michigan State on Saturday in State College, Pa., the Nittany Lions go to Lucas Oil Stadium to likely face Wisconsin, based on a head-to-head win over the Buckeyes last month.

All the Buckeyes can do is win and then hope Michigan State pulls off the upset. Even if Ohio State beats Michigan and doesn’t get to Indianapolis, there’s still a strong possibility of landing a spot in the four-team national playoff.

Asked about the postseason possibilities, Meyer dodged the question in his only media availability of the week. As an Ohio native who grew up watching this game, he recognizes the history and importance of Michigan-Ohio State.

“I hope that our two tackles’ ankles are completely healed,” Meyer responded. “And we have to have a great Tuesday practice.”

For the Wolverines, the formula is much simpler. Win and they’re in Indianapolis for the first time since the Big Ten begin playing its championship game in 2011. Michigan hasn’t won a conference title since 2004.

“I feel like we’re ready to go to battle, in a football kind of way,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “And I’m ready to lead them.”

Ohio State has dominated the series in recent years, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings. The only Michigan victory came in 2011 after Jim Tressel resigned as Ohio State coach in the wake of a scandal and Luke Fickell took over for one year before Meyer arrived.

In Harbaugh’s first year in 2015, the Wolverines didn’t fare so well, losing 42-13 at home to the Buckeyes. Harbaugh’s arrival has definitely injected some extra pizazz into the game, if it needed any more. The Meyer-Harbaugh coaching matchup is reminiscent of the Woody Hayes-Bo Schembechler era when the series was in its heyday in the 1970s.

Saturday’s clash will be the biggest in the series since the epic 2006 game when the teams entered as Nos. 1 and 2 in the country. Ohio State, led by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, came away with a 42-39 victory in Columbus. The Buckeyes have not lost to the Wolverines in Columbus since 2000.

“I’ve never been in a top-five Michigan game,” Holmes said. “But we could either both be in the top five or we could both be 0-11. It’s still going to be intense.”

The teams appear to match up evenly. Both defenses are dominant and the two offenses are balanced. They rank No. 1 and 2 in the Big Ten in scoring offense and defense, and also in total offense and defense.

“When you face an elite defense like this, you need everything you’ve got,” Meyer said.

Michigan has more experience at the outside skill positions on offense and also has at its disposal the multitalented Jabrill Peppers, who plays defensive back but also returns kicks and takes some snaps on offense.

Ohio State is led by J.T. Barrett at quarterback. He could be the difference-maker in this game because of his ability to run and pass with a school-record 99 career touchdowns accounted for. Two years ago, he was in the process of leading the Buckeyes to a win over the Wolverines when he suffered a broken ankle at the start of the fourth quarter.

Michigan, meanwhile, had John O’Korn make his first start of the season at quarterback in last week’s win over Indiana after Wilton Speight, who started all year, suffered a shoulder injury in the Wolverines’ loss at Iowa. Harbaugh won’t say which one will start Saturday, only that Speight is day to day.

The quarterback situation adds some intrigue to a game that needs no more hype.

“It’s No. 2 vs. No. 3. We’ve never been in this position before. This is unreal,” Michigan offensive lineman Erik Magnuson said. “A lot different than in the past when it was like ‘hopefully, we can pull out a big upset. … Now now.”

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FLORIDA vs FLORIDA ST
When: 11/26/2016 8:00 PM

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC.
LINE: Florida State –7
PREDICTION: Florida State 27, Florida 14

Something other than instate pride is on the line when No. 15 Florida State hosts No. 13 Florida.

Florida State seniors are trying to accomplish a feat that no other class in program history has been able to do: Finish their careers with an 8-0 sweep of rivals Florida and Miami.

They already won their four meetings with Miami to stretch the Seminoles’ winning streak to seven over the Hurricanes, and go for the sweep against the Gators on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC).

“I think it means a lot to the seniors’ legacy here, and the foundation that we set,” Seminoles’ senior cornerback Marquez White said of the possibility of going 8-0 against their two rivals. “This is my last time playing in this stadium. Last home game.

“This is the way I want to go out. This is the way I want to be remembered. So, it means a lot to have this opportunity.”

All told, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher is 12-1 against Miami and Florida since taking over the program in 2010. He is the first Florida State coach to have wins over Florida and Miami in three consecutive years.

“It’s important to us,” Fisher said. “It’s part of our goal. We always say that. The state of Florida is a dynamic football state. If you can play with Miami and Florida, you’re usually in the national title hunt.”

Of course, that isn’t quite the case this season. Miami isn’t ranked, and though Florida (8-2) has the opportunity to create a little chaos by beating Alabama in the SEC championship game Dec. 3, the Gators aren’t in College Football Playoff consideration.

That situation could been more likely had their offense matched their defense this year, but that hasn’t been the case. The Gators produced an average of just under 355 yards in total offense, in part because coach Jim McElwain has had to replace his starting quarterback twice this fall.

Luke Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State, started the season, but was hurt in the third game and gave way to Purdue transfer Austin Appleby. Del Rio returned after a three-game absence and started three games but went out injured again. Appleby started the last two games and will do so again at Florida State. He led the Gators to wins over South Carolina and LSU in their last two games.

The latter victory last week gave the Gators the SEC East title.

It was Florida’s defense that sealed that win over the Tigers, however. The Gators stopped the Tigers on two plays from their own 1-yard in the closing seconds to preserve the 16-10 victory.

For the season, the Gators are fifth in the country in total defense in limiting opponents to just over 282 yards a game with just 160 of that coming through the air.

“This is a very impressive team when you turn the film on,” Fisher said. “Defensively, they jump off the screen at you.”

The game in Tallahassee features two game-breakers, one for each team.

Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway has 37 receptions for 545 yards and two touchdowns and has returned 23 punts for 175 yards, including a 39-yarder. He has had two games with 125-plus yard receiving.

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook has put himself at least on the fringe of the Heisman conversation with yet another outstanding season. The school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,166 yards, Cook rushed for 1,467 yards this season with 17 touchdowns and a 6.1 per-carry average. He also boasts 400 yards receiving on 27 catches.

“This guy is the most explosive player in college football,” McElwain said. “You look at his running and his catching the ball out of the backfield, he’s going to play at the next level for a long time.”

The Gators lead the series 34-24-1, but the Seminoles can match their longest winning streak against Florida with a victory.

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TENNESSEE vs VANDERBILT
When: 11/26/2016 7:30 PM

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Tennessee -7.5
PREDICTION: Tennessee 44, Vanderbilt 38

With the SEC East Division title now resting in Florida, No. 24 Tennessee looks to play to enhance its bowl credentials.

Vanderbilt is playing for automatic bowl eligibility, though the Commodores still may get into the postseason even with a loss.

And, of course, there is always the reward of beating an intrastate rival.

Such is the situation when the Volunteers (8-3, 4-3 SEC) and Commodores (5-6, 2-5) face off at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The SEC Network has the telecast.

Until last weekend, the Vols were hoping that LSU would pin a third conference loss on Florida to give them an opportunity to play in the SEC Championship. Tennessee held the tiebreaker over the Gators to get the berth if each team finished with 5-3 marks.

About halftime of the Vols’ 63-37 rout of Missouri last weekend, however, Florida was holding on for a 16-10 victory over LSU to finish conference play with a 6-2 record to snuff out Tennessee’s last opportunity.

That may have been a downer, but coach Butch Jones doesn’t see that as an issue this week.

“In terms of putting the East behind us, I guess the greatest illustration I can give you is that our players came out and played one of their best second halves in the second half against Missouri,” he said. “I’m not naive enough to tell you — they knew what had happened. They knew exactly the situation. We never addressed it, but kids are kids.

“They know. I think that’s what defines who we are as a football program and what defines our players. We went out and had one of the best second halves.”

It’s a bit early to see how things will eventually shake out in the bowl picture, but with a quarterback like Josh Dobbs and a receiver like Josh Malone, the Vols can be an attractive team. Dobbs has rushed for a team-best 660 yards and nine touchdowns and passed for 2,315 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 60 percent completion rate, while Malone is averaging 19.2 yards on 38 receptions.

That’s if Tennessee can go into the postseason with nine wins and alone in second place in the division, not tied with Georgia and Kentucky at 4-4.

“There’s a lot to be played for,” Jones said. “This has the makings to be a great, great, very, very special season. You look at all the great things that we have accomplished and all the great things that are ahead of us — and I think also it’s a great illustration of persistence and resiliency of all the adversities that have gone through this season.

“I have never been through a season like this in 30 years of coaching in terms of the adversities, the injuries, the setbacks, the big wins, all that that goes into it.”

Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason could express similar sentiments.

“This group has earned the right as you look at what they’ve had to go through, the close ballgames that have been,” he said.

The Commodores have done a remarkable turnaround after ranking 128th out of 128 FBS teams in total offense just a few weeks ago. After starting the season at 2-4, they have almost reversed that by winning three of their last five games.

Last week against Ole Miss, they amassed 481 yards in total offense, their season high against an FBS opponent, and the 38-17 win over the Rebels were the most points they have scored against a conference opponent since Mason took over in 2014.

In particular, Vanderbilt’s receiving corps stood out with Trent Sherfield gaining 73 yards on two receptions and Darius Sims getting 53 on just two grabs. C.J. Duncan had four catches and Caleb Scott three.

“They made some great plays,” Mason said. “They gave us chances to be successful. They’ve been maligned all year, so it’s good to see them have a breakout game.”

The win kept the Commodores’ hopes alive for getting to six wins and not having to depend on their academic credentials to get them into a bowl if not enough six-win teams are available to fill the slots.

“Why settle for second when first is available,” Mason said.

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NOTRE DAME vs USC
When: 11/26/2016 3:30 PM

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: USC -17
PREDICTION: USC 38, Notre Dame 21

The 12th-ranked University of Southern California Trojans (8-3, 7-2) wrap up their regular season Saturday against the rival Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the L.A. Coliseum, having completed the conference schedule with seven consecutive victories. One of those wins came against Colorado, which is 7-1 in the league but plays host to a tough Utah team Saturday after the USC game.

If the Utes win, the Trojans advance to the conference title game as the Pac-12 South winner because of its head-to-head victory over the Buffaloes.

“We’ll be big Utah fans next week,” USC coach Clay Helton said after his team beat UCLA 36-14 on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. “We’ve set our mark at 7-2, and we’ve got to see if Colorado can match it.”

As for what the Trojans can control, they can only continue to play well and hope to position themselves for the biggest bowl possible. Nothing less than a smackdown of struggling Notre Dame (4-7), which coughed up a pair of 17-point leads last week in a 34-31 home loss to Virginia Tech, is expected.

The hits kept coming Tuesday when the NCAA ruled that Notre Dame must vacate wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to academic misconduct, stemming from a student athletic trainer completing coursework for football players. The university announced it would appeal the decision.

The 2012 season includes a 12-0 run in the regular season.

Kelly called it “student on student” cheating, adding that he felt “zero” responsibility in the matter.

“I’m proud of our support staff, our academic support staff,” he said. “I’m proud of the people that represented us here at Notre Dame during this time.”

While the school litigates those old victories, Kelly and the Irish will be trying to pull off an upset to get one more in 2016.

“Their personnel is fabulous,” Helton said of the Irish. “I know they’ll come to play. A Brian Kelly team always does.”

Well, USC did win 49-14 when the teams last met in Los Angeles to end the 2014 regular-season.

The Trojans enter this meeting in a much better place, thanks in large part to redshirt freshman Sam Darnold. With his arm, smarts and crafty ability to escape pressure, he has positioned himself on some Heisman lists behind Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, even though Darnold has started only eight games.

Helton inserted Darnold into the starting lineup in the fourth game after a 1-2 start with quarterback Max Browne. The Trojans lost Darnold’s first start, when the defense gave up a touchdown in the final seconds to Utah, but haven’t lost since.

USC has scored at least 36 points five times in its seven-game winning streak. Helton says there is a trust level with Darnold that is allowing offensive coordinator Tee Martin to be more aggressive.

“A lot has to do with Sam. We’re able to play with our hair on fire right now,” Helton said. “Our success on third down … we’re gunning on third down. There’s a lot of trust from Game 1 to now.”

Darnold is eighth nationally with a passing efficiency rating of 162.4.

Notre Dame has one of the top NFL quarterback prospects in DeShone Kizer, but USC has two of the nation’s most athletic cornerbacks in Adoree’ Jackson and Iman Marshall.

“The two corners we have right now are doing a tremendous job,” Helton said.

USC has held the past two opposing starting quarterbacks to under 50 percent passing — Washington’s Jake Browning (17 of 36) and UCLA’s Mike Fafaul (15 of 31).

Kizer was 16 of 33 for 235, with two touchdowns, last week against Virginia Tech. The Irish also posted their second consecutive 200-yard rushing day, led by running back Josh Adams. He has three 100-yard rushing games this season.

Notre Dame looked good at times on defense, with tackle Jarron Jones and end Isaac Rochell up front, but the Irish are statistically average, ranking 55th nationally by allowing 26.3 points per game.

Each of the Irish’s seven losses have come by eight points or less, but the Trojans are hot enough to run up the margin.

Kelly is still looking for elusive consistency.

“Some of that is guys growing up, getting more experience,” he said. “Some of that is better coaching. But, yeah, there’s nothing endemic within the program as much as it is a team that has not executed consistently for four quarters.”

Notre Dame leads this traditional intersectional rivalry 46-35-5, which does not include the Trojans’ 2005 victory that was later vacated due to NCAA penalty. Including that 2005 vacated game, USC has won 10 of the last 14 meetings.

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UTAH vs COLORADO
When: 11/26/2016 7:30 PM

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Colorado -10
PREDICTION: Colorado 27, Utah 20

Colorado is one victory away from finishing a worst-to-first season.

If the ninth-ranked Buffaloes (9-2, 7-1) can defeat visiting No. 21 Utah in the final game of the regular season in Boulder on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX), they will win the Pac-12 South, just one year after finishing last with a 1-8 conference mark.

A victory by Utah (8-3, 5-3) means USC advances to the conference title game. The Trojans have finished league play at 7-2 and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Colorado.

“We are very happy to be in the position that we are in,” said Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau. “We’re very happy to be able to go out there and grind one out and get a good win.”

Colorado had lost 23 consecutive games to ranked foes before defeating No. 20 Washington State 38-24 last Saturday.

“We have something called the gold games and we have gold bricks,” running back Phillip Lindsay said. “So any time we beat a ranked team, we get a gold brick. This is our first time since we’ve been ranked that we get a gold brick so it’s a pretty big deal for us. We’re excited and we’re happy and we have to continue to ride this wave and get ready for the next game.”

Utah was also in contention for the South title until it was upset 30-28 at home to Oregon on Saturday. The Utes will have to be on guard against an emotional letdown.

“It’s a concern when you have an emotional game like that and it ends like it did with so much disappointment,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.

“There was a lot of frustration in our locker room, which was different than after the UW game (a 31-24 loss), where there was a lot of anger. This was frustrating. There is concern, but this team has shown the ability all year long to bounce back and play well, so we expect that.”

Two of Utah’s seniors reached milestones last Saturday — defensive Hunter Dimick set the program’s career sack record with 29, and Joe Williams became the 13th Utah player to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season — despite missing five games due to a temporary retirement.

When asked about the achievement, all that Williams could say is: “Colorado.”

Colorado and Utah joined the Pac-12 in 2011, but the “Rumble in the Rockies” — something of a forced rivalry between the schools — has never been for much in terms of real stakes. The Utes have been in contention for the South title late in the season, but the Buffaloes won a mere five conference games in their first five seasons.

Colorado, which is 9-2 overall for the first time since 2001, has surged this season behind a veteran team and the steady play of Liufau. He became the second player in school history to throw for 300 yards and run for 100 when he had 345 passing yards and 108 rushing yards with three scores in the win over Washington State.

The Buffaloes have no obvious week links.

They can run the ball — Phillip Lindsay has 1,051 rushing yards and a Pac-12 high 15 rushing touchdowns — and they have the top-rated defense in the conference (322.4 yards per game allowed) and yields only 18.5 points per game, second in the league. Colorado has a plus-8 turnover margin on the season; linebacker Jimmie Gilbert has forced five fumbles.

Utah counters with a stout defensive line, led by Dimick and defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei, a first-round NFL Draft prospect. Marcus Williams is one of the nation’s top free safeties. But the Utes still allowed Oregon to run for 251 yards, while being burned for 324 passing yards by Ducks freshman quarterback Justin Herbert.

Offensively, the Utes rely on Joe Williams and quarterback Troy Williams, who has thrown for 14 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He was solid last week in the loss to Oregon, going 20-of-30 for 235 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown pass. He also tallied 40 yards on 10 carries.

Utah has won the last four in the series but can only be a spoiler as Colorado looks to go 6-0 at home and win the Pac-12 South.

“Our young men are performing well under pressure,” coach Mike MacIntyre said. “They don’t get stressed out.”

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West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Iowa State Cyclones
When: 11/26/2016 3:30 PM

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1.
LINE: West Virginia -7
PREDICTION: West Virginia 38, Iowa State 31

Oddsmakers currently have the Mountaineers listed as 7.5-point favorites versus the Cyclones, while the game’s total is sitting at 57.

Coming off a lopsided and error-plagued 56-28 home loss to Oklahoma that ended its hopes of winning a Big 12 championship, 19th-ranked West Virginia will now try to rebound at suddenly red-hot Iowa State on Saturday afternoon in Ames, Iowa.

Two weeks ago the Cyclones (3-8, 2-6 Big 12) looked like the perfect opponent to play after a crushing loss. No more. Matt Campbell’s squad has won back-to-back Big 12 games for the first time since the 2013 season and come in off a record-setting 66-10 shellacking of Texas Tech.

Saturday’s contest also is Senior Day for Iowa State. Little wonder that West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen has told the Mountaineers (8-2, 5-2) to be ready for their “toughest week of the year.”

“We put a lot into (the Oklahoma) game, and it didn’t go the way we wanted it to,” Holgorsen said Tuesday. “We’re disappointed with it, but we’ve got a tough one on the road against Iowa State, and you saw what they did to Texas Tech. It’s going to be the toughest week of the year, but I’m anxious to see how the guys respond.

“One thing I know about this group is they’re going to continue to fight and continue to work. There’s no doubt in my mind they’re going to prepare and practice and put as much into it as they possibly can. I know they’re going to do that. With that said, it’s going to be a tough week.”

Despite the disappointing loss to the Sooners, the Mountaineers, who finish Big 12 play on Dec. 3 with a home game against slumping Baylor, still have plenty to play for.

The Mountaineers can still set a high for wins since joining the league in 2012. They can also win 10 games for the ninth time in school history. And if it can end Big 12 play with two wins and then pick up a victory in a bowl game, West Virginia can match its school record with a sixth 11-win season.

“We spent the majority of this year with this 2016 team with zero expectations,” Holgorsen said. “We’ve practiced and played pretty good throughout the course of this season. The pressure’s off. We didn’t get it done when it came to the Big 12, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not a lot to play for. I think this group rebounds and gets out there and gets ready to play another game. We’ve still got a lot to play for obviously. We’ll try to get win No. 9 this week.

“A lot of teams wish they were in that position.”

Iowa State comes in off one of its finest offensive performances in school history. The Cyclones set all-time school records for points against a conference opponent (66), margin of victory against a league opponent (56) and points in a quarter (31) and fell just three points short of most points in a half (48) with 45 in the first 30 minutes. Iowa State finished with 608 yards of total offense, its first 600-yard game since 2008.

“To be honest with you I thought we had a great week of practice, and we deserved the right to feel confident going into the football game to play well,” said Campbell, the 2015 Mid-American Conference coach of the year at Toledo, who is finishing up his first year in Ames. “I thought that was closest to the best 60 minutes we played completely this year. I’m really proud of our senior class. Those guys stayed the course and really allowed us to continue to get better as the season went on.”

It was the best game by far for the two Iowa State quarterbacks, each of whom did what he does best. Jacob Park threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, while Joel Lanning ran for 171 yards and five scores.

“(Texas Tech) played an entirely different defense than we expected or had seen on film,” Campbell said. “I think our ability to adapt within the game, our ability to execute, and the ability to have options is certainly great. I thought both Jacob and Joel played about as fluid and well executed game between the two as I have seen.”

The Cyclones have one more chance to build optimism for the final recruiting blitz and the upcoming 2017 season against a West Virginia team that enters with a Top 25 ranking but enough flaws to make an upset possible. Campbell isn’t under any illusions that the win last week is enough to finish with.

“Obviously, we’ve got one last big challenge left before this season ends,” Campbell said.

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MICHIGAN ST vs PENN ST
When: 11/26/2016 3:30 PM

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Penn State -12.5
PREDICTION: Penn State 27, Michigan State 20

They’ll probably try to avoid it, but no one can blame members of Penn State’s football team if they are playing a little scoreboard-watching during warm-ups Saturday.

Three-and-a-half hours before the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) take the field for their Senior Day finale against Michigan State (3-8, 1-7), there is a pretty significant conference game taking place at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio, between No. 3 Michigan (10-1, 7-1) and No. 2 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1).

If the favored Buckeyes take care of business and defeat the Wolverines for the 12th time in 13 years, Penn State will take the field with a chance to go to the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis by virtue of its dramatic 24-21 comeback win over Ohio State earlier this season. However, Michigan, which defeated the Nittany Lions 49-10 back on Sept. 24 at the Big House, owns the tiebreaker if it can upset the Buckeyes.

Penn State was just 2-2 after that ugly loss in Ann Arbor and some restless Nittany Lions fans were calling for head coach James Franklin to be fired. But seven consecutive Big Ten wins, including one that featured a 17-point fourth quarter and 14-point comeback against Ohio State, has changed the atmosphere in State College dramatically.

“It’s surreal,” defensive end Evan Schwan said. “I never thought as a freshman that we’d be in the position we are now. I’m very proud of everyone on the team, the fans and staff for sticking with us and working through the tough times.”

Schwan knows all about those times. He was an underclassmen during the toughest years in program history, when the NCAA levied brutal sanctions — banning the team from a bowl game for two years, gutting its scholarship counts and allowing players to transfer without having to sit out.

Now, Schwan is one of 12 seniors who are helping lead the way and getting crucial contributions from their younger teammates who have elevated their game in what’s been a dominant run since their last loss to the Wolverines.

An offensive turnaround under first-year coordinator Joe Moorhead has reaped massive reward. The defense has done the same with two of its biggest pieces — linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell back.

Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions aren’t erring on special teams and are winning second halves every week.

They’ll try to continue those trends against a Michigan State team that has gone the other way. The Spartans won the Big Ten title last season but haven’t been able to ride a youth movement like the Nittany Lions. Michigan State has started nine true freshmen this season and will likely be without top defensive lineman Malik McDowell again in this one.

“Obviously, this is a unique situation,” Franklin, who went 6-6 and 7-5 in his first two seasons at Penn State, said. “Like I mentioned before, we’re tough to beat at home when that stadium is rocking with 107,000. We’re going to need that on Saturday.”

Michigan State has shown that it won’t go down easily. The Spartans nearly upset Ohio State last week at home, losing 17-16 after failing to convert a go-ahead two-point conversion with 4:41 remaining. Running back LJ Scott continues to play his best football, running for a career-high 160 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes while also catching a 64-yard touchdown pass. The sophomore has run for more than 100 yards in four of the last five games.

“There are positives out there,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. “There are a lot of positives and we’re a very young football team in a lot of respects, but it doesn’t help ease the pain when you lose and you lose close.”

Michigan State has led in every game it has played this season but still finds itself at 3-8 overall and 1-7 in the Big Ten heading into the finale at Penn State. Last week’s loss to Ohio State was no different as missed opportunities and a handful of crucial penalties kept the Spartans from the win.

The failure to convert the two-point conversion in the fourth quarter was just one example of not executing down the stretch and it was followed by a sack and interception in the last minute.

“I think we’ve had chances throughout every football game we’ve played this year,” Dantonio said. “We’ve been ahead, and then something’s happened. That’s the game. We gotta be able to make plays at the end of a football game, this one’s no different.”

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AUBURN vs ALABAMA
When: 11/26/2016 3:30 PM

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Alabama -17
PREDICTION: Alabama 30, Auburn 17

Top-ranked Alabama already wrapped up the SEC West and plays East winner Florida for the conference championship Dec. 3, but that doesn’t mean the Crimson Tide is looking past Auburn.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said the Iron Bowl rivalry will define the “legacy of the season” in terms of what the Crimson Tide is trying to accomplish.

“I think this is one of the greatest rivalry games in the country,” Saban said. “I know it means a lot to a lot of people in this state as well as nationally and the competitors in the game probably enjoy this kind of competition, this kind of rivalry as much as any game that they play.”

The Crimson Tide host the No. 16 Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).

Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC) goes into the game with the nation’s No. 1 defense against the run, holding foes to fewer than 69 yards per game rushing, and No. 2 in scoring defense (11.4 points). The defense scored nine touchdowns on five fumble returns and four interception runbacks this season.

Add in three punt returns for touchdowns and the Tide scored 12 non-offensive touchdowns, twice as many as the next two FBS teams on the list (Ohio State and Houston).

Offensively, the Tide averages nearly 478 yards in total offense with freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts passing for 197 per game and rushing for 73. Running backs Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs combined to average more than 121 yards rushing.

Auburn’s defense, however, allowed only 15 touchdowns in 11 games, limited opponents to about 118 rushing yards per game, and allowed an average of 334.5 yards in total offense, which is 18th-best in the country and fifth in the SEC.

The Tigers (8-3, 5-2) can also to put pressure on opposing passers (25 sacks, 82 quarterback hurries) and when they can’t get to the quarterback, they have a knack for batting the ball down at the line of scrimmage. Defensive linemen Montravius Adams, Marlon Davidson, Dontavius Russell, Maurice Swain and Derrick Brown have combined for 10 pass breakups.

“Obviously, we’re working for sacks,” Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. “But more importantly, we’re working to affect the quarterback, and one of the ways to affect the quarterback is to get your hands up and bat balls.”

But the Tigers are unsettled on the offensive side of things. Though running back Kamryn Pettway, their leading rusher with 1,108 yards, is expected to play after missing the last two games with a leg injury and starter Kerryon Johnson’s ankle seems to get better each week, the situation at quarterback remains a mystery.

Sophomore Sean White sat out last week’s victory over Alabama A&M with a sore shoulder and senior Jeremy Johnson started. Johnson was effective in only his third game this season, completing 14 of 19 passes for 147 yards in the 55-0 rout.

But that was against an overmatched FCS foe. Need it even be said that Alabama’s defense presents a much bigger challenge?

White, who is 129 of 198 passing for 1,644 yards and nine touchdowns, has been on and off the field in recent games. He didn’t start against Vanderbilt but came in to rally the Tigers from a three-point halftime deficit to a 23-16 victory.

The next week, he started against Georgia but re-injured his shoulder and was largely ineffective as the Tigers lost 13-7. He didn’t play at all last week as Johnson and John Franklin III took over.

Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said that Johnson could start again with Franklin as an alternative.

“I thought Jeremy and John both did a good job,” Lashless said of their performance last week. “They’ve been repping for us the last couple of weeks of practice when Sean hasn’t been practicing. We’ll see where Sean is in the process.

“We’ll try to make a call, at least on our end, earlier in the week so we can prepare the way we need to, but I wouldn’t rule any of them out right now.”

Alabama prevailed 29-13 last year and won six of the last eight meetings to take a 44-35-1 series lead.

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Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Wisconsin Badgers
When: 11/26/2016 3:30 PM

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
LINE: Wisconsin -14.5
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 33, Minnesota 17

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
LINE: Wisconsin -14.5
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 33, Minnesota 17

MADISON, Wisc. — In the middle of October, Wisconsin’s football season looked headed toward a subpar season with a 1-2 record in the Big Ten Conference after a stellar start.

Sure, the Badgers lost those two conference games to No. 4 Michigan by seven points on the road and to No. 2 Ohio State in overtime in Madison, but projections for another strong season looked bleak with games against Iowa and Nebraska in consecutive weeks looming.

And they had quarterback questions with freshman Alex Hornibrook taking over the starting job at Michigan.

“When we looked at our schedule, we knew there wasn’t a game that we couldn’t win,” Hornibrook said. “We felt we could win every one of them.”

Now the Badgers are knocking on the door of the Big Ten title game.

They’ve won five straight games heading into Saturday’s showdown against Minnesota on Senior Day at Camp Randall Stadium, are ranked No. 5 in the country and at 9-2 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten West, they have to win one more game to ensure a spot in the Big Ten title game on Dec. 3.

Wisconsin can clinch the division crown Friday if Iowa beats Nebraska, and if Minnesota beats Wisconsin on Saturday, the Badgers would still win the division due to a four-way tie with Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Badgers have beaten Minnesota 12 straight times.

“The end of the season’s feeling closer, with Senior Day coming up,” UW running back Dare Ogunbowale said. “I wouldn’t say that anything is different, as in the postseason or anything like that. We know we have to beat Minnesota for all that stuff to (ring) true, so we’re going to make sure we go out and do that.”

The Badgers are one of three Big Ten teams, including Michigan and Ohio State, ranked in the top five. The Badgers are ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll. Take care of business, and the Badgers in playing in the conference title game in Indianapolis and have a shot at a berth in the college playoffs.

“I had the personal and our team had the goal of getting (to the Big Ten title game),” Wisconsin linebacker Vince Biegel said. “We still have one more game before that happens. We cannot overlook a talented Minnesota offense and team. They’re hungry for a win against us. It’s a trophy game. It’s a border battle. A lot of storylines. A lot of things on the line in this game.”

Minnesota (8-3) could position itself for a better-than-expected bowl bid if the Golden Gophers win the border rivalry. Saturday will be the 126th meeting between the two programs, marking the most-played rivalry in the FBS.

Minnesota has won five of its last six games.

“I know it’s always special in this game,” Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst said. “I’ve been lucky to go the Minnesota/Wisconsin game with my dad, just me and him in the stands, and then when he was coaching. I got a chance to be a part of it as a player, and then as a coach here.”

Wisconsin hasn’t thrived on offense, but it has been consistent for the most part.

Hornibrook is a quiet but effective leader and quarterback. He has completed 100 of his 171 passes, but has thrown seven interceptions and eight touchdowns. He enters the Minnesota game looking to lead the Badgers into the Big Ten title game. He must keep his emotions under check during Senior Day, and not try and force the issue and stay away from turnovers.

A big reason he should stay calm is Corey Clement, who has topped the 1,000-yard mark to raise his season total to 1,040 yards, becoming the 17th player in school history to hit the 1,000-yard mark in a season. His running has been key in Wisconsin’s five-game winning streak, and with the division title at state, look for him to have plenty of carries against Minnesota.

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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals
When: 11/26/2016 12:00 PM

TV: Noon ET, ESPN.
LINE: Louisville -26.
PREDICTION: Louisville 45, Kentucky 14

Oddsmakers currently have the Cardinals listed as 27½-point favorites versus the Wildcats, while the game’s total is sitting at 71.

The disappointment of the loss to Houston last week still seems to be lingering a bit with Louisville heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Kentucky.

The No. 11 Cardinals (9-2, 7-1 ACC) and unranked Wildcats (6-5, 4-4 SEC) kick off at noon ET at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville with ESPN cameras covering the action.

The 36-10 whipping by the Cougars essentially squashed whatever hopes the Cardinals had of garnering one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff. At 11-1, they would have been in the conversation. At 10-2, not so much.

“We blew it. We had an opportunity sitting there,” coach Bobby Petrino said immediately after the game. “It was one of those situations where they were better than us tonight. There’s no question about it.”

Mistakes, which started with the Cardinals fumbling the opening kickoff away to set up Houston’s first touchdown, led to their downfall. They lost two other fumbles, were penalized 15 times for 114 yards, allowed a remarkable 11 sacks, and got only one touchdown and a field goal on three trips inside the red zone.

“When you look at a video when you get beat, you always consider two things,” Petrino said. “Did we just get beat, or did we beat ourselves?

“Certainly that game was a combination of the two.”

But it’s time to move on, and Petrino thinks the Cardinals have.

“Our focus is completely on this game,” he said, looking to Kentucky. “And winning this game and doing everything we need to do be successful in winning this football game. And, like I said, send the seniors out with a win.”

The Wildcats come into the affair having already reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010 with last week’s 49-13 win over Austin Peay, unlike the last two years when they needed to beat Louisville for a sixth win. Thus they will be playing without that kind of pressure weighing on them.

“I don’t know if it is a relief,” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said, “but it is certainly better. I wish we were sitting at seven or eight, but definitely a better situation.”

Freshman Benny Snell has rushed for a Kentucky freshman-record 1,006 yards, a good bunch of it by taking direct snaps from the “wildcat” formation. Junior Boom Williams has amassed 1,072 yards in more conventional fashion.

“They’ve made a commitment to running the football,” Petrino said, “We know going into the game we’re going to need to stop the run, and we’re going to need to the ball to win the game.

“So it should be a good matchup.”

Quarterback Stephen Johnson, a junior college transfer who took over when Drew Barker suffered a season-ending back injury the third game of the season, also has been a big key in the Wildcats’ turnaround from an 0-2 start.

“They now have a quarterback that can run the ball and throw the ball deep,” Petrino said. “And they’re running a lot of the wildcat game. I think the installation of the quarterback has really helped because he has a strong arm and can throw the deep ball.

“Once you loosen people up, you can run the football.”

Of course, Louisville has a pretty good runner and passer at quarterback as well. Sophomore Lamar Jackson has rushed for nearly 125 yards a game and passed for another 283. He has scored 19 touchdowns and passed for another 28.

He has Stoops’ respect.

“What I admire most about Lamar Jackson is you can see his leadership and you can see his toughness,” Stoops said. “Just watching some of their games when I could get a chance throughout the year, and, of course, on film you don’t see as much as on TV, but you could see how strong he is and what type of leader he is.

“They are good across the board and well-coached across the board, but when they need a play he is there. He will either run or throw it or make a good decision and will his team to wins.

“You have to have a lot of respect for someone like that.”

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