Get ready for Big Boy Football Saturday

By MIKE DAROZA

CFRT Editor

The brass down at ESPN headquarters would love to have you believe what they dubbed "Monster Saturday" a couple of weeks ago was the biggest weekend in the 2010 college football regular season.
Oh sure, it certainly packed plenty of potential with Penn State visiting Alabama, Miami playing at Ohio State and Florida State heading out west to play Oklahoma.
Note: All of the aforementioned games were aired on one Disney-owned network (ABC and ESPN) or another.
But, in retrospect, the margins of victory of those supposed "Monster" games (40, 25 and 12) was no doubt more "monstrous" than the ESPN Marketing Dept. had hoped for. 

On the other hand, this coming Saturday promises to have just as much or more potential impact on the Top-25 landscape as "Monster Saturday" could have, but I'll bet you haven't heard a peep about this coming Saturday being tabbed with a catchy, over-hyped theme, have you?
Let's see, doesn't No.7 Florida visit No.1 Alabama?
Doesn't No.9 Stanford play at No.4 Oregon?
Doesn't No.21 Texas take on No.8 Oklahoma?
Doesn't No.24 Michigan State host No.11 Wisconsin?
Doesn't No.22 Penn State travel to No.17 Iowa?
So, why in the world aren't we hearing "Gargantuan Saturday," "Mammoth Saturday" or "Enormous Saturday," or something like that?
I'll tell you why.
It just so happens that all but one of those premier games being played on Saturday are being aired on a Disney-owned network (ABC and ESPN), while Florida at Alabama is being aired on CBS.
Don't you find it just a tad interesting how just one game can have so much of a political/marketing impact on college football?
For instance, ESPN's College Gameday (CFRT's absolute favorite TV show by the way), which prides itself on being on location for the biggest game of the week each week, will be at the Stanford-Oregon game on Saturday.
No offense to the Ducks and to The Cardinal, but we all know which game is the biggest game of the weekend, Florida at Alabama - winners of the past two BCS Championships that have combined to lose just one regular-season game (by one point I might add) since 2007.
Need more evidence Florida-Alabama is a bigger game?
Even if the LOSER of the Florida-Alabama game goes on to win out, they will STILL be in the BCS Championship game.
Again, no offense, but can the Stanford-Oregon LOSER say that - with a straight face? 

Well, since the CFRT has no stake in TV ratings, just a simple blue-blood passion for college football period, we've decided that if no one else is going to do it, we're going to give this coming Saturday's slate our own unequivocally enthusiastic propagandized stupendous buildup title.
So, sit back, get comfortable and enjoy Big Boy Football Saturday.

CFRT's Pick 6

(Tonight)
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is second in the nation in both passing yards per game (391.7) and scoring (57 points per game), while the Aggies average nearly 300 yards passing and 41 points per game, so expect a shootout. And in a shootout, one must go with a Cowboy. Okie State, 51-50.


(Saturday)
No.21 Texas vs. No.8 Oklahoma
This annual Red River Rivalry came within three points from becoming The Red River Recovery if Oklahoma hadn't found a way to escape Cincinnati with a 31-29 win last week. The knee-jerk reaction after UCLA's bludgeoning of the Longhorns last weekend is undefeated Oklahoma will smash Texas, but the CFRT thinks UT was caught looking ahead. 'Horns 24-21.


No.11 Wisconsin at No.24 Michigan State
Just another one of the many tough picks this week. Other than the sacrificial Austin Peay (70-3) last week, Wisconsin has not played up to its potential. Then again, it took Sparty a once-in-a-lifetime fake FG play to beat 1-3 Notre Dame in OT. Badgers, 20-17.


No.22 Penn State at No.17 Iowa
While Penn State was struggling against a scrappy Temple team (22-13), the Hawkeyes were crushing Ball State (45-0). Iowa's only loss came two time zones away in Arizona and they were down 27-7 and came back to tie that game at 27 before losing 34-27. Plus, PSU's only other wins were over Youngstown State and Kent State. Hawkeyes, 33-21.


No.9 Stanford at No.4 Oregon
Oregon leads the nation in scoring (57.8 points per game) and is third in the nation defensively, giving up a stingy 11 points per game. The Ducks have even won 10 in a row inside Autzen Stadium. On a neutral site, the CFRT picks Stanford all day long. But in Eugene? Ducks, 38-31.


No. 7 Florida at No.1 Alabama
The inspiration behind Big Boy Football Saturday (see, CFRT has a marketing department too), this game would've been much easier to pick had 'Bama blown out Arkansas (like they had been doing to everyone else up to that point) and if the Gators had struggled on offense against Kentucky (like they had been doing against everyone else up to that point). Instead, they both did the opposite. The CFRT thinks special teams will play a huge role. The gut says Florida. The head says Alabama. Unfortunately, my gut's bigger, Gators 24-23.

Last Week: 6-0

Season: 20-4

Your Saturday "Couch Schedule"

"Early Game"
No.16 Miami at Clemson at Noon on ESPN2

"Remote Control Roulette Afternoon Games"
No.21 Texas vs. No.8 Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m. on ABC (east)
No.11 Wisconsin at No.24 Michigan State at 3:30 p.m. on ABC (west)

"Remote Control Roulette Late Games"
No.7 Florida at No.1 Alabama at 8 p.m. on CBS
No.9 Stanford at No.4 Oregon at 8 p.m. on ABC