4-Down Territory: Red Alert in the Month of Conference Contender Separation Games

Today’s Pigskin Stew shows up two days early because the slate of Top 20 games starts Thursday night. Red Alert games for this weekend are games when Power-4 conference championship contenders square off. Halfway through the season, there are 6 Big Ten teams and 7 SEC teams with one or fewer conference losses. The ACC has 7 teams and the Big 12 has 6 teams with one or fewer conference losses.

So, as we start the second half of the season, Conference Contender Separation (CCS) is a real thing, and it starts Thursday night. And now the Oregon Ducks take their place as the nation's #1 team heading into the stretch run of late October and November.

Pre-Game: CCS Starter Dose THURSDAY and FRIDAY: Syracuse (5-1) at #19 Pitt (6-0) Thursday 7:30 ESPN: This game features a showdown between two ACC contenders with two quarterbacks that the rest of the country should notice. Pitt’s freshman QB Eli Holstein (sounds like an Amish dairy farmer) has thrown for 1700 yards and 15 TDs. He’s coming off a tough outing in a win against a good Cal defense. Pitt won that game by running the ball and getting six sacks. They will need that pass rush to slow down Syracuse senior QB Kyle McCord who’s thrown for 2160 yards and 19 TDs. Watch for Orange TE Oronde Gadsden who is a matchup problem, and although WR Umari Hatcher only has 13 catches, he is an under-the-radar big-play threat…....#17 Boise State (5-1) at UNLV (6-1) 10:30 CBS Sports Network: These are two real playoff contenders. Much like Oregon and Ohio State in the Big Ten, these two teams seem likely to square off again in December. Speaking of Oregon, Boise State’s only loss was to the Ducks (by 3) and UNLV’s only loss was to Syracuse (also by 3). The key for UNLV is to limit the Boise State running game. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty leads the country with 1248 rushing yards in six games and averages 9.9 yards per carry. Boise State will have to slow down a UNLV offense that is scoring 43.5 points a game to keep them off the scoreboard and from bleeding time off the clock to keep the ball away from Jeanty.

First Down: Keep an Eye On These Games: #21 Missouri (6-1) at #15 Alabama (5-2) 3:30 ABC: This is a battle of two inconsistent teams. For Mizzou, a loss here gives them two conference losses. The Alabama faithful are restless as this team teeters on the edge of being eliminated from college football playoff contention. A fast start to get the home crowd into it will be important. One correctable area is to fix the penalties that are killing them at inopportune times. The Tide ranks 129th in the country with a ghastly 8.86 penalties per game….Washington (4-3) at #13 Indiana (7-0) 12:00 Big Ten Network: ESPN’s College Gameday is in Bloomington, marking a homecoming of sorts for Lee Corso. But IU is for real and even after losing starting QB Kurtis Rourke to a hand injury, backup QB Tayven Jackson came in and hit 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards, 2 TDs and led 4 TD drives. Both UW and IU are playing top 10 defense. UW has a physical secondary that will have to matchup with a deep group of IU receivers. Getting the UW running game going may be a key here…..Oklahoma (4-3) at #18 Ole Miss (5-2) 12:00 ESPN: OU’s hopes for the year have faded. Ole Miss needs a big finish to get into playoff contention, so this is a must-win. With a game left against #2 Georgia they cannot afford a stumble.

Second Down: Cool Conference Matchups and Faded Rivalries: #11 BYU (7-0) at UCF (3-4) 3:30 ESPN: UCF put the fear of God into undefeated Iowa State last week, before the Cyclones made a great last-second escape. UCF’s running attack is 3rd in the country and will put the BYU defense to the test…… Nebraska (5-2) at #4 Ohio State (5-1) 12:00 FOX: Last year’s turnover virus returned to hurt the Huskers at Indiana. Ohio State is returning to action for the first time since a tough loss at Oregon where they also had key turnovers. Ohio State will look to start fast and get the ball into the hands of a talented group of running backs and wide receivers. It will also be interesting to watch the OSU defense to see how they adjust to create more pressure on the quarterback……Kansas (2-5) at #16 Kansas State (6-1) 8:00 ESPN2: This in-state rivalry game is vital for K-State’s Big 12 title hopes. Kansas is just looking for some wins to try and get bowl eligible—Advantage K-State……Florida State (1-6) at #6 Miami (7-0) 7:00 ESPN: I think you have to be 40 or older to remember when this was a huge game. Miami can score against just about anyone. The problem is just about anyone can score on them. Luckily for Miami, the Florida State offense is really struggling…..North Carolina (3-4) at Virginia (4-3) 12:00 The CW: This is called “The South’s Oldest Rivalry” in a series that dates back to 1892. UVA has improved from a year ago, while UNC needs a win to get headed in the right direction…..Michigan State (4-3) at Michigan (4-3) 7:30 Big Ten Network: Any time the Paul Bunyan Trophy is up for grabs, you have to watch at least part of the game.

3rd down CCS Red Alert Part 1: #5 Texas (6-1) at #25 Vanderbilt (5-2): No one expected Vanderbilt to be an SEC contender, but here we are. Texas will look to get going early and re-establish a crisp turnover-free offense that makes big plays. On defense, they will need to contain the passing and running of Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia. The Vanderbilt scheme can be tough to get ready for in just one week……#12 Notre Dame (6-1) vs #24 Navy (6-0) at Met Life Stadium –East Rutherford, NJ 12:00 ABC: Much like Vanderbilt’s attack, Navy’s offense is also a headache to get ready for in one week. Navy has been rolling and has won every game by 12 or more points. For both teams this game has big-time college football playoff implications……#22 SMU (6-1) at Duke (6-1) 8:00 ACC Network: Duke is coming off its first-ever win over Florida State. SMU is on a 4-game winning streak that has been fueled by 182 points on offense. They will be a real challenge for Duke Head Coach Manny Diza who’s been a defensive-minded guy his whole career.

4th down Major Red Alert: #20 Illinois (6-1) at #1 Oregon (7-0) 3:30 CBS: Oregon is where everyone expected them to be, Illinois has been one of the surprises of the Big Ten. Oregon has speed to burn on the outside on offense and that will be a key matchup for the Illini defense. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel throws the most accurate and catchable deep passes in the Big Ten. It will be quite a change for Illinois after playing the one-dimensional Michigan offense last week. The Illinois offense will test Oregon and will look to shorten the game and control the clock in noisy Autzen Stadium…..#3 Penn State (6-0) at Wisconsin (5-2) 7:30 NBC: This much is certain, the Badgers have chance to truly earn a Big Ten title game spot with a remaining schedule that includes #3 Penn State and #1 Oregon. Night games in Madison can be tough, the noise level is elite. To erase that, expect Penn State to try and shake their habits of slow starts. Stat to be worried about for PSU—since 2014 PSU is 3-7 against Big Ten teams after bye weeks and that includes a 1-3 record against unranked Big Ten teams after bye weeks. Wisconsin has settled on RB Tawee Walker as their guy, and he’s rolled up 418 yards on the ground on this 3-game winning streak. For Penn State’s offense, tight end Tyler Warren is the guy who can beat you. The Badger scheme does set up to have deep safety help on Warren. That will require their CBs to matchup one-on-one outside versus the PSU wide receivers. Expect to see Warren be like a “Where’s Waldo” puzzle as PSU moves him around to avoid being doubled. While Wisconsin has played better offensively, they've had too many turnovers. The Badger defense is the best in the Big Ten in preventing TDs in the Red Zone…..#8 LSU (6-1) at #14 Texas A&M (6-1) 7:30 ABC: These are the only two teams left in the entire SEC with no losses in conference play. LSU has found great play from their quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. The amazing stat for LSU is that he has only been sacked twice all year. That has allowed him to spread the ball to four different receivers who are averaging four catches per game. Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman has re-emerged as the starter the past two games and has led the team to 75 points while throwing for almost 500 yards. That has provided much-needed balance to their Top 20 running game. The A&M schedule is manageable. Should they win Saturday they will be favored to stay unbeaten in conference play all the way to the season finale against Texas.