College Football Exciting Top 10 Week #14 2021

This article covers predicted College Football Exciting top 10 Week #14 games. Week #14 is here and that means ten conference championship matchups. Time to continue a weekly cadence of highlighting the best games to watch. Hard part about doing this exercise in 2021, is trying to determine if any of the 2020 trends will continue. 2020 was the season of partial team schedules due to Covid-19 impacts, all players getting an extra year of eligibility and transferring schools without having to sit one season.

2021 Week 12 Picks Recap

Top 5 games to watch – 3/5 correct thanks to Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma State

Top 2 upsets that could happen – 2/5 correct thanks to San Diego State and Michigan State

Overall picks -5/10 which is at the median

2021 All Picks Recap

Top 5 games to watch – 43/65 correct

Top 5 upsets that could happen – 22/65 correct

Overall picks – 65/130 correct which is at the median

College Football Exciting Top 10 Week #14

10. Conference USA Championship: Western Kentucky vs. UTSA

Evening kickoff from the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX at 7:00 PM EST on Friday night. Hilltoppers enter this matchup at 8-4 vs. the Roadrunners at 11-1. Rematch of the Week 6 game that UTSA won 52-46. Western Kentucky was in that game from the opening kickoff and led early in the third quarter. Hilltoppers have won seven straight games in blowout fashion. Roadrunners were on an eleven game winning streak, before getting beaten badly at North Texas in Week 13. UTSA has six victories in close games decided by ten points or less. Something has to give in this rematch and the Roadrunners home crowd will help with the momentum swings.

Prediction: UTSA is currently a 3.5 point home underdog and they will win by 7 points

9. PAC-12 Championship: Oregon vs. Utah

Late evening kickoff (8:00 PM EST) from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. Ducks enter this game at 10-2 vs. the Utes at 9-3. Rematch of the Week 12 game in Salt Lake City, UT that the Utes dominated 38-7, to end the Ducks CFP hopes for the 2021 season. Hard to get a read on this game due to what happened in Week 12 and since the PAC-12 will be on the outside of the CFP yet again. That should change in the next three-to-four years with Lincoln Riley moving to USC. Oregon will be wearing their umpteenth uniform combination with white jerseys and black pants, but they are sharp for this occasion. Utah will be playing in honor of two teammates they lost in 2020 and 2021. Kyle Wittingham will have his squad ready to play for a spot in the Rose Bowl.

Prediction: Utah is currently an 2.5 point neutral site favorite and will cover that line easily

8. Big-12 Championship: Baylor vs. Oklahoma State

Underrated matchup has an afternoon kickoff (12:00 PM EST) from Jerry’s World in Arlington, TX. Bears enter this game at 10-2 vs. the Cowboys at 11-1. Rematch of the Week 5 game in Stillwater, OK that the Cowboys won 24-14. Baylor knocked Oklahoma from the unbeaten ranks in Week 11 and have been trending up every week. Oklahoma State is still celebrating their Beldam win at home in Week 14. No team wants to face their stingy defense right now, which is causing the Cowboys to be a trendy CFP pick if chaos unfolds this weekend.

Due to the head coaching carousel this week with Lincoln Riley heading to USC and Brian Kelly to LSU, Baylor would be wise to extend Dave Aranda’s contract regardless of the outcome of this game. If that doesn’t happen, Aranda could be coaching in the NFL in 2022 or 2023, due to being a talented leader and motivator.

Prediction: Oklahoma State is currently a 5.5 point neutral site favorite and will win by 6 points

7. MAC Championship: Kent State vs. Northern Illinois

Afternoon kickoff (12:00 PM EST) from Ford Field in Detroit, MI. Golden Flashes come into this game at 7-5 vs. the Huskies at 8-4. Rematch of the Week 9 game in Kent, OH that Kent State won 52-47. That score fest had 1345 total yards of combined offense by both teams. Kent State scored 31 points in the second quarter and Northern Illinois scored 20 points in the fourth quarter. Expect another offensive shootout in this game, with the Huskies freshman WR Trayvon Rudolph becoming a household name. Wonder if he’ll enter the transfer portal, due to catching 14 passes for 309 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in Week 9. Not to mention Rudolph returns kickoffs and punts, which sometimes go to the house. Definitely watch the fourth quarter of this game for offensive highlights.

Prediction: Northern Illinois is currently a 3.5 point neutral site underdog and will win by 3 points

6. Mountain West Championship: Utah State vs. San Diego State

Late afternoon kickoff (3:00 PM EST) from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. Aggies enter this matchup at 9-3 vs. the Aztecs at 11-1. Both teams did not play each other during the 2021 MWC regular season. Utah State has two quality losses (Boise State, BYU) and one bad loss (Wyoming). San Diego has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 season. One quality win (Utah) and one quality loss (Fresno State). Brady Hoke has coached his team with the philosophy of defense first, special teams second and offense third. Sounds, looks and smells similar to baseball analytics and it’ll just be a matter of time before other coaches are copying Hoke’s current philosophy.

Prediction: San Diego is currently a 6.0 point home favorite and will win by 10+ points

5. Sun Belt Championship: Appalachian State vs. Louisiana

Late afternoon kickoff (3:30 PM EST) from Cajun Field in Lafayette, LA. Mountaineers come into this game at 10-2 vs. the Rajun’ Cajuns at 11-1. Rematch of the Week 6 game that Louisiana dominated 41-13. Most fans remember when Appalachian State upset Michigan at the Big House to kick off the 2007 season. The Mountaineers play their home games in one of the most scenic sports venues at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, NC. Louisiana has been trending up the past three seasons going 11-3 in 2019, 10-1 in 2020 and 11-1 in 2021. Main reason for that annual consistency was head coach Billy Napier, who accepted the same job at the University of Florida on 11/28/21. Napier will coach in this game and his squad will definitely be ready to play.

Prediction: Louisiana is currently a 3.0 point home underdog and will win this game by a wide margin

4. SEC Championship: Georgia vs. Alabama

Late afternoon kickoff (4:00 PM EST) from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Bulldogs enter this matchup undefeated at 12-0 vs. the defending national champion Crimson Tide at 11-1. This is the game all college football fans have been waiting for in 2021, since both teams were significantly better than rest of the country for the majority of the season. Both teams didn’t meet during the regular season, but they did play an incredible OT CFP national title game in early 2018, that Alabama won 26-23 behind a no-name freshman QB.

Once a decade, a statistically sound and dominating defense pops up in college football to leave a historical mark. Alabama did in 1992, Miami in 2001, Michigan State in 2013 and now Georgia in 2021. QB Bryce Young will have to put in a Herculean effort against the Bulldogs DL to give Alabama a chance at keeping this game close. Watch all 60 minutes and hopefully there’s a Chapter 2 in the CFP.

Prediction: Georgia is currently a 6.5 point neutral site favorite and this is their one chance to vanquish their arch-rival, without having to face the Tide again in the CFP. Hard to make this pick, but the Bulldogs win a nail-bitter by 3 points.

3. American Athletic Championship: Houston vs. Cincinnati

Late afternoon kickoff (4:00 PM EST) from Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Cougars come into this game at 11-1 vs. the undefeated Bearcats at 12-0. Houston has had three close games (Navy, ECU, SMU) and I know Andre Ware is pulling all the strings he can to be shown on ESPN Gameday with Lee Corso. Bearcats have had two close wins (Navy, Tulsa) and their road win at Notre Dame in Week 4 continues to gain importance. Cincinnati is trying to break through the non-Power 5 conference glass ceiling, by winning this game and a seed in the CFP. Luke Fickell has done a masterful job keeping the Bearcats focused on a weekly basis and believing in themselves. Cincinnati could erase painful close-but-not-quite memories of Boise State in 2012 and Central Florida in 2017. This is why the games are played, to write new history or repeat old history.

Prediction: Cincinnati is currently a 10.5 point home favorite and they will cover that line and make CFP history

2. Big Ten Championship: Michigan vs. Iowa

Primetime kickoff (8:00 PM EDT) from Lucas Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. Wolverines come in on fire at 11-1 vs. the Hawkeyes at 10-2. Michigan is making its first appearance in the Big Ten championship game and Iowa is making its second appearance since 2015. Jim Harbaugh took a pay cut at the beginning of 2021, was ridiculed by all of the talking heads daily on television, and leaned on a younger coaching staff to mold his team. Hawkeyes started the season 6-0 and ranked #2, before back-to-back losses to Purdue and Wisconsin. Longest tenured coach in college football (Kirk Ferentz at 23 years) will be running into an underrated DL that caused havoc to the Buckeyes. Game will feature a lot of running plays by both teams, resembling a tractor pull contest. Enjoy three yards and a cloud of dust.

Prediction: Michigan is currently a 11.0 point neutral site favorite and will win this game by 7+ points

1. ACC Championship: Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest

Primetime kickoff (8:00 PM EDT) from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. Panthers enter this matchup at 10-2 vs. the Demon Deacons also at 10-2. Two very under rated coaches (Pat Narduzzi, Dave Clawson) will run contrasting game plans for the first time since playing in 2018. Pittsburgh relies on senior QB Kenny Pickett (4098 passing yards, 40 touchdown passes), and more importantly he likes a cold beer after a big win over Clemson. Wake Forest leans on sophomore QB Sam Hartman (3711 passing yards, 34 touchdown passes), and two WRs to both eclipse 1000 receiving yards (A.T. Perry, Jaquarii Robertson). The ACC is no longer a defensive conference relying on field position and this game will be an entertaining night cap to the end of the 2021 regular season.

Prediction: Pittsburgh is currently a 3.5 point neutral site favorite and will win by 6 points

Same bat time, same bat channel in two week. I’ll review the results of College Football Exciting Top 10 Week #14 and try again in Week #16 when bowl games get rolling.

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