Let’s recap Week 14, shall we?

Game of the week: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Georgia

Final score: Tide 32, Bulldogs 28

Pregame rant: Some would say this is the national championship game.

The winner will likely be the favorite to beat Notre Dame in next month’s BCS title game.  Alabama and Georgia are in this position because Oregon and Kansas State lost.

The Bulldogs are not as good on defense as Alabama, but have better skilled players on offense than the Tide.

So special teams could be the difference. If it is, edge Alabama.

The Tide have a senior kicker in Jeremy Shelley, who is 10-for-10 on field goals this season.

Georgia has a freshman kicker in Marshall Morgan, who is 8-for-12.  He’s missed two of his last four attempts.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here are three college football games worth watching in Week 14.

Game of the week: No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 SEC) vs. No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1 SEC), Saturday, 4 p.m., Georgia Dome, Atlanta, WSEE (CBS).

Pregame rant: Some would say this is the national championship game.

The winner will likely be the favorite to beat Notre Dame in next month’s BCS title game.  Alabama and Georgia are in this position because Oregon and Kansas State lost.

The Bulldogs are not as good on defense as Alabama, but have better skilled players on offense than the Tide.

So special teams could be the difference. If it is, edge Alabama.

The Tide have a senior kicker in Jeremy Shelley, who is 10-for-10 on field goals this season.

Georgia has a freshman kicker in Marshall Morgan, who is 8-for-12.  He’s missed two of his last four attempts.

Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s recap Week 13, shall we?

Game of the week: No. 1 Notre Dame at USC

Final score: Irish 22, Trojans 13

Pregame rant: This is pretty simple. The Irish win, they’re playing for a national title.

Notre Dame hasn’t won it all since the 1988 season, but hasn’t really contended for one since 1989 when it lost to No. 1 Colorado in the 1990 Orange Bowl.

So for the Irish, this is a long time coming. For USC, this is a season it’d like to forget.

The Trojans have lost four games, their best player – quarterback Matt Barkley – is out with a shoulder injury and they’re coming off a 38-28 loss to in-town rival UCLA.

Beating the Irish would sure wipe the slate clean for USC.

Read the rest of this entry »

Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien addresses the media after Saturday’s 24-21 overtime win against Wisconsin.

A first-year head coach, O’Brien talked about what he was thinking before Wisconsin attempted a game-tying field goal to force a second overtime and more.

Penn State senior quarterback Matt McGloin, sophomore kicker Sam Ficken and senior cornerback Stephon Morris talk about Saturday’s 24-21 overtime win against Wisconsin on Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.

The Nittany Lions finished the 2012 season with an 8-4 overall record. They went 6-2 in Big Ten play.

Penn State celebrated its 24-21 overtime win against Wisconsin with its fans at Beaver Stadium. Erie Times-News sport reporter Duane Rankin got right in the heart of the celebratory scene Saturday night.

Check out how Penn State senior right tackle Mike Farrell, senior linebacker Gerald Hodges and senior defensive tackle Jordan Hill each reacted to the win.

Erie Times-News sports reporter Duane Rankin captures Sam Ficken’s game-winning field goal of 37 yards in Penn State’s 24-21 overtime win against Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

Kyle French missed a 44-yard field goal wide left that would have forced a second overtime.

Erie Times-News Sports reporter Duane Rankin captured Wisconsin’s game-tying touchdown with 18 seconds left in regulation to force overtime against Penn State at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 24.

Curt Phillips hit Jeff Duckworth for a 4-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal. The Badgers lost the game in overtime, 24-21.

Erie Times-News sports reporter Duane Rankin captured Penn State entering Beaver Stadium for the final time in this 2012 season.

The players wore No. 42 on their helmets for senior captain Michael Mauti, who is out with a knee injury. The Nittany Lions beat Wisconsin in overtime, 24-21, in their season finale.

Here are three college football games worth watching in Week 13.

Game of the week: No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0) at USC Trojans (7-4, 5-4 Pac-12), Saturday, 8 p.m., WJET (ABC).

Pregame rant: This is pretty simple. The Irish win, they’re playing for a national title.

Notre Dame hasn’t won it all since the 1988 season, but hasn’t really contended for one since 1989 when it lost to No. 1 Colorado in the 1990 Orange Bowl.

So for the Irish, this is a long time coming. For USC, this is a season it’d like to forget.

The Trojans have lost four games, their best player – quarterback Matt Barkley – is out with a shoulder injury and they’re coming off a 38-28 loss to in-town rival UCLA.

Beating the Irish would sure wipe the slate clean for USC.

Read the rest of this entry »