Lame Ducks, and Beavers

LSU – 4.5 @ Arkansas (Friday)

It’s a rivalry game and both teams should be fired up, but LSU has the extra motivation for this game:

• First should be their pride - playing on CBS after going 0-3 on CBS over the last month or so.
• Second they are trying to salvage a .500 SEC record and a New Year’s bowl.
• Last but not least is revenge for Arkansas’ win last year.

The Tigers should be better now that QB Jefferson has worked with the first team all week and they have finally benched Human-Pick-6 Lee.

As if that isn’t enough, Arkansas is officially the worst team in the SEC after losing to Mississippi State last week and will be playing without injured star RB Smith and two suspended defensive linemen.

COLORADO + 18 @ Nebraska (Friday)

Like LSU, Colorado has extra motivation in this rivalry game as they play for a bowl bid.

The Buffs have had a pretty good D all year so the big spread is enticing and it’s not like Nebraska is some juggernaut either:

In their last two home games against similar competition to the Buffs (Baylor and Kansas) the Huskers won by 12 and 10 respectively.

OREGON STATE – 3 v Oregon

Arizona finally stopped Quizz last week (not really, actually they injured him in the 1Q) but the Beavers still came out on top.

The Beavers are a Rose Bowl team of destiny that needs only to win this last home game against their rival to accomplish their goal. Oregon State has won 3 straight in the “Civil War” rivalry and have not lost at home to the Ducks since ’96.

Oregon is 8-3 and ranked, but looks like a paper tiger. Only one of their 8 wins is against a team with a winning record (6-5 Arizona) and the teams they have beat have a combined record of 24-62 (28% win).

The Ducks are 0-3 against pretty good to good teams (Boise, USC, Cal).

I’m not about to jump off the Beaver bandwagon now. Even without Quizz, State finds a way to get it done at home and head to Pasadena.

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