Buckeyes playing in its second “The Ineligi-bowl”

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be playing in their second “Ineligi-bowl” this Saturday at Beaver Stadium, against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The reason why this game is called the “Ineligi-bowl,” is that both Ohio State and Penn State are both “ineligible” for bowl games this season. Ohio State played Miami (Fl.) in the first “Ineligi-bowl” in 2011.

Ohio State will be coming off its second straight nailbiter game, defeating Purdue 29-22 in overtime. Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, who will be recovering from a nasty hit last week against Purdue, is expected to start on Saturday. Miller has thrown for 1,384 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions this season, while rushing for 959 yards and 10 touchdowns.

With Miller not at full strength, Ohio State will need to rely on running back Carlos Hyde, who has rushed for 545 yards and nine touchdowns this season. The Buckeye offense will need to be at the top of its game Saturday, as they will face a Penn State defense that is averaging 15.7 points allowed per game.

Quarterback Matt McGloin will lead Penn State. He has thrown for 1,788 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. Saturday’s game is scheduled to be a “white out” at Beaver Stadium. The only rewards in this game will be intangible ones, as pride and bragging rights will be on the line Saturday in Happy Valley.

Gators and Bulldogs clash in classic rivalry game

The No. 2 ranked Florida Gators and the No. 10 ranked Georgia Bulldogs will go head to head Saturday in Jacksonville in their annual rivalry game, which is affectionately known as, “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”

The Gators can snag a spot in the SEC Championship game with a victory on Saturday. To do that, Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel, who has thrown for 929 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception, while adding 321 yards rushing and four touchdowns, will need to help lead the Gator offense attack the Georgia defense that is averaging 24.1 points allowed per game.

Assisting Driskel will be running back Mike Gillislee, who has rushed for 652 yards this season and seven touchdowns. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray will have his hands full on Saturday, going up against the tough Florida defense, which is averaging only 12.1 points allowed per game.

The Georgia offense, while led by Murray, has a balanced rushing and receiving attack. Georgia’s rushing attack is led by running back Todd Gurley, who has 622 yards rushing and nine touchdowns this season, while the receiving corps is led by Tavarres King, who has 26 receptions on the year, for 511 yards and five receiving touchdowns. Saturday in Jacksonville, the tough, smash mouth style of football the SEC is known for will be on full display, in a game that has SEC Title game and National Title game implications.

Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma

The No. 5 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish will travel to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the No. 8 ranked Oklahoma Sooners, in what could be both teams’ toughest test yet.

Notre Dame star linebacker and Heisman Trophy candidate Manti Te’o will lead the strong Notre Dame defense against an explosive Oklahoma offense that is averaging 44.7 points score per game. Te’o will be going for his fourth straight game with double-digit tackles.

Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson will be back, after missing last week’s game against Brigham Young. Golson has thrown for 968 yards and four touchdowns on the season, while adding three interceptions.

Oklahoma will be led by quarterback Landry Jones. Jones has thrown for 1,653 passing yards and 12 touchdowns this year, and added three interceptions. Complementing Jones in helping lead the Sooner offensive attack, is running back Damien Williams, who has rushed for 552 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

The Oklahoma offense, which is averaging 489.7 total yards per game will be going up against its toughest test yet, facing a Notre Dame defense that is averaging 9.4 points allowed per game. The last time these two teams met was in 1999, a game where Notre Dame won 34-30.

Contact Joe Smith at [email protected].