Conference Titles on the Line in ACC,SEC

Even though they’ve been ranked no. 1 since the preseason rankings emerged, the USC Trojans haven’t popped up in this space very much this year. There is a good reason for that, actually: There isn’t much to say. The Trojans know they’re great, you know they’re great, everyone knows they’re great. Outside of some tenuous moments, including a near-loss against Oregon State last week, no team other than Oklahoma is even close to USC when it comes to dominance and talent.So the Trojans don’t make for a lot of drama, and this weekend shouldn’t be much different, as they host Arizona in a game they should win easily. With only Notre Dame and UCLA left on the schedule, it is very possible USC will remain unbeaten and go wire-to-wire with the top ranking in the country. The best hope for all of you rooting against the Trojans is their road game against Notre Dame Saturday, a game the Irish need to win as they try to move up the rankings themselves.There are two key games this weekend that will begin to frame the picture in both the ACC and SEC, not to mention the BCS standings. After two shocking losses, Miami hopes to salvage its season and keep its conference title dreams alive against 10th-ranked Virginia. Meanwhile, unbeaten Auburn hosts eighth-ranked Georgia in the biggest SEC game of the year.GEORGIA (8) AT AUBURN (3)3:30 P.M. (CBS)This is easily the most important game of the year for Auburn as they try to remain unbeaten and shoot for a national title. Not only do the Tigers have to win this game, but they have to hope USC or Oklahoma loses pretty soon, or they will stay on the outskirts of the BCS looking in.Auburn has already won the SEC West and is headed to the conference title game. If you are predicting a letdown given their unblemished success so far this year, think again. Quarterback Jason Campbell has thrown just three interceptions while completing 66% of his passes this season, and the twin rushing attack of Carnell Williams and Reggie Brown has produced 16 touchdowns and the second most rushing yards in the conference.Auburn’s defense, among the best in the nation, has allowed only 9.7 points and 102 rushing yards per game. That is going to make things tough for Georgia freshmen Danny Ware and Tommy Brown, who have both proved themselves to be excellent backs.The wild card may be Georgia quarterback David Greene, who has not been having anywhere near as strong a season as his 2003 campaign. He still knows how to win big games in tight spots, though. In routing Kentucky last week, Greene won his 40th game, breaking Peyton Manning’s record for wins by a Division I-A quarterback. If Greene can avoid Auburn’s nasty pass rush, the Bulldogs will be in good shape to move up into the top six in the BCS rankings and earn themselves a BCS Bowl game in the process.This is going to be a rough, physical game, and it will be fun to watch. Neither of these clubs has played a ranked opponent in more than a month, so this is will be a big test on both sides. Auburn has won 11 games in a row, dating back to last November when they lost to – you guessed it – Georgia. It took a late drive by the Bulldogs to win that game in their home stadium, but these are not the same Tigers. When Auburn lost this game last year, it was not a surprise. If they win it this time around, it will be no shocker, either.MIAMI (18) AT VIRGINIA (10)3:30 P.M. (ABC)What happened to the Hurricanes? A month ago they were ranked second in the BCS and looking forward to a national title game appearance. Then they were upset by North Carolina – maybe the shocker of the year – and followed it up with a loss to Clemson, another stunner.Any chance of a national title is now gone, but the ‘Canes still believe they can earn themselves an ACC championship and a bowl game if they can win their last three games. With two of those games against ranked teams – 10th-ranked Virginia this week and 16th-ranked Virginia Tech in two weeks – Miami will have to meet a big challenge to end the season on a high note. But a conference title is still more than possible since Virginia and Virginia Tech are tied for the ACC lead.For those who watched either of their losses, the problem in Miami is no mystery: The once mighty defense has entirely collapsed. The Hurricanes have no chance of beating anyone if the defense cannot return to the form it showed earlier in the season. Virginia’s offense is averaging 33.5 points and 458 yards per game, so the Miami defense will have limited room for error, especially since the Cavaliers are converting more than half their third down attempts each week.Miami, of course, is no slouch on offense either, scoring over 30 points per contest, but they’re facing a tough-as-nails Virginia defense that allows only 14 points per game. If there’s a silver lining in the Hurricanes’ two losses, it’s that they’ve dropped both on the game’s final play. The offense has kept Miami in both games, thanks to the right arm of ACC passing yardage leader Brock Berlin and the legs of running back Frank Gore, who has six rushing touchdowns.Head coach Larry Coker knows his offense may once again be his best defensive option. With so much at stake, not least the embarrassment of losing three games in a row, Miami will be very hard to handle and should win in a close one. It would be fitting if they pulled it out on the final play of the game.

Conference Titles on the Line in ACC,SEC

Conference Titles on the Line in ACC,SEC

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