THE USGA IS ABOUT FAR MORE THAN THE U.S. OPENS

HOUSTON, Texas - It's easy to associate the USGA with events such as the U.S. Open Championships for the men and women, as well as the U.S. Amateur Championships. Players such as Tiger Woods, Hollis Stacy, Nancy Lopez and Phil Mickelson established stellar amateur careers playing in USGA events. My first experience with a USGA event was the 1967 U.S. Women’s Open which was won in a stunning wire-to-wire performance by French amateur Katherine La Coste, daughter of the designer of the alligator shirts. However, there is a lot more to the USGA than the high profile tournaments and I came to Houston's Champions Club to get some behind the scenes looks at the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.

The tournament was originally scheduled for October 7 - 12 at Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, Florida. Damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma forced the USGA to relocate to the Champions Club Cypress Creek course with the date moving to November 11 - 16. Champions was founded in 1957 by professional golfers Jack Burke, Jr. and the late Jimmy Demaret. Burke, Jr. currently serves as president of the club, which is also home to the Jack Rabbit course on the same property. 

  

The Women's Mid-Amateur is open to female amateur golfers who have reached their 25th birthday by the first day of the originally scheduled championship and have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 9.4. Entries closed on Aug. 2. There were 427 entries received for the 2017 championship and 120 players were chosen from 27 qualifying sites. The remaining players in the field of 132 were fully exempt into the tournament via performances in prior Women's Mid-Amateur championships.

This championship is clearly for players that have a love of the game of golf. No sponsorships are at stake, no endorsement deals on the table and most likely not a future in professional golf awaiting someone with a win or a high finish. In fact, several of the competitors have regained their amateur status after taking a stab at professional success. Take Patricia Schremmer, a fifty-two year-old from Honolulu who took seventeen years off from golf to raise a family. She was reinstated as an amateur three years ago and has two USGA semifinal appearances in the last year. 

Mallory Hetzel, a thirty year-old from Virginia Beach, is more accustomed to watching her players at Old Dominion University where she is in her second year as the Monarch's golf coach. At this week's Mid-Amateur, Mallory is grinding out victories and hoping her players don't give her too hard a time for almost squandering a four hole lead with five to go in her second round match against medalist Katie Miller. A par-saving fifteen foot putt on the seventeenth hole clinched the win to send her to a third round match later in the day against a good friend, Courtney McKim. 

The 2009 champion, 55 year-old Martha Leach, was playing in her record twenty-eighth Mid-Amateur championship. She is the sister of Hollis Stacy, who won three U.S. Women’s Opens and three consecutive U.S. Girls’ Junior championships. Stacy is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Leach is in the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame and is scheduled to be inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame in 2018. I followed Leach for a few holes of her opening round, and in addition to her impressive ability to drive the golf ball, she was extremely gracious to all of the volunteers she encountered on her way around the course.  Another veteran of USGA championship play, Mary Jane Hiestand, 58 of Naples, Florida entered the third round after defeating ninth seeded Paige McCullough 5 & 3 then surviving a one-up match against Kay Daniel to advance. Her next match would be against Megan Stasi, who sunk a thirty-five foot putt from off the green to extend her second round match to extra holes, which she would eventually end on the 23rd hole.  Mary Jane was playing in her 43rd USGA championship and her 20th Mid-Amateur.

Club founder Jack Burke, Jr. was a constant presence, displaying incredible energy at 93 years young. I had an opportunity to spend some time with the legend and asked him since his two major championships were won in stroke play and match play, which one he preferred. “I don’t really care, I just played to beat whoever I was against. Even in Ryder Cups, I’d try to beat the other guys by myself. I didn’t really care what my partner did.” I could feel his competitive nature and have a better understanding of why he is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The atmosphere at the Mid-Amateur is relaxed, with no ropes keeping spectators from the players, but with an expectation that those following the action clearly understand where to walk, stand and how to conduct themselves. It has more of a feel of a club championship without the low hum of partying members on the clubhouse deck, but the calm belies the energy and activity generated behind the scenes by the USGA staff, volunteers and club personnel. When asked how they pulled off the organization of a USGA championship with less than two months' notice, Jack Burke credited his membership and experience in hosting tournaments with enabling the Champions Club to pull off a virtual impossibility.

Unlike many of the higher profile championships conducted by the USGA, the Mid-Amateur’s lack the requirement for extensive infrastructure such as television towers, spectator parking areas, concession stands and ropes restricting access to the course and other player-only areas. There were still nineteen USGA staff members and two hundred thirty volunteers on site at Champions for the event. It serves as a good tune-up for the club as it’s set to host the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open, which will come with all of the aforementioned needs.

The third round of match play in the Mid-Amateur is in essence the initial qualifying round for the next year, as those advancing to the quarterfinals  earn exemptions for the following year’s championship. For those reaching the semifinal, an additional year’s exemption awaits, while the runner up receives a third year’s exemption and the winner gets to play in the next ten Mid-Amateurs. She also qualifies for the following year’s U.S. Women’s Open, a first for the 2017 edition.  If the winner is age fifty or older, they also receive an exemption to the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. Patricia Shremmer didn’t make it that far, losing in the first round after reaching the semifinals in 2016. I spoke to her just minutes after she'd lost the last two holes of her match in a 1-up defeat by Eleanor Tucker. She was standing by the open trunk of her rental car with her youngest daughter. “I’m disappointed because I didn’t trail all day until the end. But I’m happy to be competing again and I’m even eligible for the senior events.”  Mallory Hetzel had her third round match all square after the first nine holes, but in her words, she “just ran out of steam”, eventually losing 4 and 3 to McKim. With another year remaining on her ten-year exemption, Martha Leach was looking to extend it, but lost to Amanda Jacobs 3 and 1. Mary Jane Hiestand continued her incredible run, defeating Meghan Stasi by another 1-up score, guaranteeing her spot in the 2018 Mid-Amateur, when she will be 59 years old. “I didn’t expect this at all. I just went out to play golf this afternoon and see what happens.”

With the number of matches winding down, I had an opportunity to sit down with  Champions Club Vice President Robin Burke, wife of Jacke Burke, Jr. In addition to her role at the club, Robin has an extensive amateur golf resume. She has been a Curtis Cup player and captain, as well as a participant in over 35 USGA Championships, including 38 match wins in the Mid-Amateur. I was primarily interested in the Champions Club’s motivation for hosting the championship on such short notice and her perspective on amateur golf. “We stepped in because we’ve hosted before and wanted to contribute to the championship. It’s also good preparation for the 2020 Women’s Open.” When asked about what the USGA means to her, Robin said “they put on the best amateur championships and they do a great job of promoting amateur golf.” I asked her what golf means to her personally. “It’s the competition, the challenge of playing golf. You can never be perfect.” She added, “Now that the Mid-Amateur winner gets the Open exemption, I’m motivated to enter next year. They should give an exemption into the Sr. Women’s Open too.” I mentioned to her later that both exemptions were available. Finally, the conversation turned to the state of golf from a business perspective. “We got overbuilt on courses and the focus turned away from golf. Some of that’s working itself out. At Champions, we’re just about golf and we have an Open to prepare for. The USGA will be in here beginning next summer to begin organizing things. We’re excited.”

Eventually, Mary Jane Hiestand made it all the way to the finals to face twenty-six year old Kelsey Chugg from Salt Lake City who was making her Mid-Amateur debut. Unfortunately for Mary Jane, her quest for exemptions into the U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open fell just short as she lost 3 and 1. But her appearance in the finals was the farthest she’d advanced in her extensive USGA championship experience and I’m sure the six-time and reigning Florida State Golf Association’s Senior Player of the Year will be back for more, such is the lure of amateur golf competition.

For more information on the USGA and full coverage of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, go to www.usga.org.

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: WEEK ELEVEN PREDICTIONS

Last week was this prognosticator's Waterloo. After maintaining a record over 80% for the entire season, the upsets finally caught up with me. This week we have three match-ups between top ten teams, clearly a watershed week for teams looking to punch their playoff tickets at some point. There's one thing for certain in college football, that upsets will occur. The secret is picking the right ones at the right time. I've picked a bunch this week, so read on and see who I think will go down and create playoff chaos!

Last Week     16 - 12   57%
Overall         193 - 53  79%

Friday:

(9) Washington (8 - 1) 27 @ Stanford (6 - 3) 14: Washington is hoping for some more chaos to occur in the next three weeks so they have a chance to get into the playoffs if they can find a way to win out. That won't be easy with Utah and Washington State coming up, but the Huskies' defense is the best thing west of Tuscaloosa.  Between this game and one to end the season against Notre Dame, Stanford could also have a big impact on inflicting some chaos of their own. If they're going to stay in the Pac-12 North race, their offense will need to find more consistent explosiveness.

Saturday:

11:00 am CST

(12) Michigan State (7 - 2) 30 @ (13) Ohio State (7 - 2) 27: All of a sudden, the Big Ten East race is a real dogfight, with both of these teams the only ones left that control their own destiny. A win by Michigan State would really put them in the driver's seat with remaining games with Maryland and on the road at Rutgers. Ohio State still has Illinois and then they travel to the Big House to take on a still relevant Michigan team. Last week's blowout loss to Iowa was either a telling game or a wake-up call anomaly for the Buckeyes. The last two games along with their earlier loss to Oklahoma have been a sign to me that against tougher opposition, Ohio State struggles.

Rutgers (4 - 5) 13 @ (14) Penn State (7 - 2) 38: Two weeks ago Penn State was riding high with a big lead against Ohio State and the prospect of playing their way into the playoffs. Now they find themselves virtually out of the Big Ten East title hunt, just trying to win out against lesser competition. They need two losses by both Michigan State and Ohio State the rest of the way, a highly unlikely scenario.

(15) Oklahoma State (7 - 2) 31 @ (21) Iowa State (6 - 3) 27: After giving up sixty-two points to Oklahoma, the Cowboy defense will need to make some adjustments before heading to Ames, a difficult place to play. Iowa State was on a nice run but couldn't get their offense going at West Virginia. The Cyclones have one of the two legitimate defenses in the Big 12 along with TCU. I still like Oklahoma State to bounce back to stay alive, just barely, for a spot in the conference championship game.

Connecticut (3 - 6) 17 @ (18) UCF (8 - 0) 47: UCF needs to make a statement to get the playoff committee's attention, but beating UConn won't be it.

(23) NC State (6 - 3) 24 @ Boston College (5 - 4) 27: This is game sporting two teams headed in different directions. Boston College has an impressive three game winning streak following a tough home loss to Virginia Tech. Their opponent has lost consecutive games to teams that are currently in the top four in the playoff rankings. The long trip to Boston and the early start are advantages for the Eagles as N.C. State looks to recapture its defensive energy. I think these teams will emerge from the game with identical records.

Arkansas (4 - 5) 23 @ (24) LSU (6 - 3) 31: Arkansas has somehow pulled off consecutive last minute, one-point wins to stay alive for bowl contention. The Hogs have a history of shocking LSU, but Arkansas just hasn't shown the ability to consistently stop anyone from scoring. LSU isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut, but they play solid defense and Arkansas quarterback Cole Kelley is still getting his feet under him. I'll be pulling hard for the Razorbacks, but even my heart won't allow me to pick them in this one.

Duke (4 - 5) 27 @ Army (7 - 2) 31: Army completes a pass about as often as Alabama coach Nick Saban praises the media. Duke ranks a respectable 41st in rushing yards, but they'll be tested by a unit that leads the nation with an average of 365 yards a game. This isn't one of Duke's best teams and they'll have a long day against the Army rushing attack.

11:20 am CST:

(17) Virginia Tech (7 - 2) 31 @ Georgia Tech (4 - 4) 20: Virginia Tech is coming off a disappointing loss to a team they had a good chance of defeating. Offensively, the Hokies never got it going against a good Miami defense. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster has a history of success against Georgia Tech's option running game because of speed at linebacker and skilled defensive backs. The Hokies should be able to win, but they'll need more big offensive plays than they were able to make against the Hurricanes.

2:00 PM CST:

Wake Forest (5 - 4) 24 @ Syracuse (4 - 5) 27: Three of the last four Syracuse games have ended in a 27 - 24 score, so why change now? The Orange will be happy to be getting out of Florida with consecutive losses at Miami and Florida State. This is a tough one to call, but I'm going with the home team as Wake Forest's defensive performance has diminished as the season has progressed.

2:30 pm CST:

(1) Georgia (9 - 0) 23 @ (10) Auburn (7 - 2) 24:  I've maintained for a month or so that Auburn was going to take down one of the top two teams and finally that time has arrived. Auburn's fourteen points from being undefeated and I'm sure that second half at LSU is still haunting the team. Georgia has rolled through a schedule that frankly, with the exception of the Notre Dame squeaker, is pretty underwhelming. I'm sticking with Auburn, primarily because Georgia hasn't had to line up against a team this talented since early September.

Florida State (3 - 5) 17 @ (4) Clemson (8 - 1) 28: Before the season started and Florida State was ranked third, this was penciled in as the game of the year in the ACC. The Seminoles lost their starting quarterback, and well, now it's not. Florida State is trying to get bowl eligible while Clemson is still in contention for the playoffs. I just haven't seen enough from Florida State that leads me to pick the big upset. The Tigers are just better right now.

(20) Iowa (6 - 3) 27 @ (8) Wisconsin (9 - 0) 24 : After Iowa steamrolled Ohio State last week, it would be easy to jump on the Hawkeye bandwagon. The playoff committee hasn't been impressed with the Badgers, as Wisconsin only has two  wins against teams with winning records and only one of those is a power five school. This will be by far the sternest test of the season for Wisconsin and sometimes having to step up in class can be tough. We need to look no farther than fellow Big Ten team Ohio State. I like Iowa in an upset that could really put the Big Ten on playoff life support.

Virginia (6 - 3) 34 @ Louisville (5 - 4) 31: Louisville is a big favorite in this game and I can't figure out why. They haven't been impressive at all this season, with just a single win over an FBS team with a winning record. I like Virginia in what Vegas calls an upset, but I don't think of it that way. Virginia has come a long way in a year and Louisville is likely to find out how far.

West Virginia (6 - 3) 27 @ Kansas State (5 - 4) 20: Even though Kansas State got by Texas Tech in overtime last week, I'm still not a buyer of the Wildcats. They end the season with Oklahoma State and Iowa State, so they have an uphill battle to get bowl eligible, which I don't think they'll be able to do. West Virginia is just a better team.

Michigan (7 - 2) 27 @ Maryland (4 - 5) 14: Michigan and Penn State both have tough paths to the Big Ten East crown, but if the Wolverines keep winning, you never know what their final game against Ohio State could mean. Maryland is dangerous but Michigan is taking care of business down the stretch.

3:00 pm CST:

(11) USC (8 - 2) 34 @ Colorado (5 - 5) 20: USC can clinch a berth in the Pac-12 championship game with a win over the Buffaloes. Colorado has won the games they should have and lost the ones to better competition. That shouldn't change much in this one as USC quarterback Sam Darnold and the Trojan offense are hitting on all cylinders.

Kentucky (6 - 3) 37 @ Vanderbilt (4 - 5) 24: Kentucky isn't great, but they're better than Vanderbilt, who snapped a five game skid last week against Western Kentucky. Eventually, the Wildcats are going to lose head coach Mark Stoops to a bigger job, but he's done a good job at a basketball school and deserves a lot of credit.

4:30 pm CST:

(19) Washington State (8 - 2) 37 @ Utah (5 - 4) 21: Washington State has a couple of ugly losses and a bunch of impressive wins. They still control their own destiny in the Pac-12 North and will have an off week before facing Washington in what could be a winner take all game in Seattle. But first they need to beat a good Utah team that broke a four game losing skid in a win over Josh Rosen-less UCLA last week. If the Cougars can get their offense going, it could be a long night for the Utes.

6:00 pm CST:

(2) Alabama (9 - 0) 28 @ (16) Mississippi State (7 - 2) 30: My feeling has been from the beginning of the season that someone was going to beat Alabama. There are only three chances left (I can't consider Mercer as a possibility next week) and it will take a monumental effort from Mississippi State. The only blemishes on the Bulldogs' record are blowouts to Georgia and Auburn in consecutive games. On paper, this one is similar, but Mississippi State has run off four wins in a row behind very good defensive efforts. Can I bring myself to pick the home team? You bet I can!

Purdue (4 - 5) 17 @ (25) Northwestern (6 - 3) 30: Northwestern appears to be for real, on a four game winning streak and sporting wins over Iowa and Michigan State. Purdue is improved, but the Wildcats are at home and on a roll. Their all but eliminated from the Big Ten West race but winning out is possible and could get them into a very nice bowl game.

7:00 pm CST:

(3) Notre Dame (8 - 1) 27 @ (7) Miami (8 - 0) 20: It seems like every week we have at least one playoff elimination game and this definitely qualifies, as does the next one. Of the four teams in these two games, Miami probably has the best chance of surviving a loss because they're undefeated and will likely get a chance to defeat Clemson in the ACC Championship. I was surprised at how well the Hurricanes last week, but Notre Dame may be playing as well as any team in the nation. I'm looking for Notre Dame to dominate on the ground and wear down Miami.

(6) TCU (8 - 1) 21 @ (5) Oklahoma (8 - 1) 30:  These two teams have a good chance to meet again in the Big 12 Championship since both hold the tiebreaker over Oklahoma State. West Virginia and Iowa State are also still in the hunt, but have tough finishing schedules. Even though TCU has a strong defense, I just don't think they can keep up with Oklahoma on the scoreboard, especially the way Baker Mayfield is playing at quarterback for the Sooners.

8:30 pm CST:

Arizona State (5 - 4) 37 @ UCLA (4 - 5) 41: Arizona State has won three of their last four, but UCLA will have Josh Rosen back after suffering a concussion. The Bruin defense is awful, giving up almost forty points a game. This is a compelling pick and I'm going with UCLA on nothing more than a hunch. If it's a shootout, the Bruins have more offensive weapons than Arizona State.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: WEEK TEN PREDICTIONS

I took a week off from prognostication in favor of spending time with my wife, usually a very good decision. It didn't keep me from watching a number of games, including big comebacks by Arkansas and Ohio State, Notre Dame's dominance of N.C. State, Virginia Tech's defensive gem against Duke, Oklahoma's spanking of Texas Tech and finally USC putting Arizona State back in its place. With the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings, things start to get very serious this weekend. Oklahoma's number five spot should give the Big 12 reason for optimism to get a team into the playoffs, something that will probably be unlikely unless the Sooners run the table. It's worth noting that in the first three years of the playoffs, only five of the twelve teams ranked in the top four of the initial list ended up in the playoffs. The lesson is that there are still a lot of meaningful games to be played, especially by teams that have the strength of their schedules back-ended. Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Miami, among others, fall into that category. The ACC will begin to get sorted out this week, with Clemson traveling to N.C. State and undefeated Miami hosting Virginia Tech. Bedlam takes place in Stillwater, Oklahoma between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, with the winner continuing as a Big 12 contender and the loser facing an uphill battle to make the conference championship game.

Last Week (week eight):   18 - 4    81.8%
Overall:                           177 - 41  81.2%

Friday:

(23) Memphis (7 - 1) 41 @ Tulsa (2 - 7) 34: How Tulsa pulled out a lopsided win against Houston is anyone's guess, but they'll need more of the same to end Memphis' four game winning streak. The Golden Hurricane can pin their hopes on the fact that the Tigers, despite their record and top 25 ranking, are giving up almost 34 points a game, just about the same as Tulsa is averaging on offense. This one should be high scoring and entertaining.

UCLA (4 - 4) 31 @ Utah (4 - 4) 28: On the road in Salt Lake City with a short week after getting whacked at Washington. It doesn't necessarily look good for UCLA as they, just like Utah, are struggling to get bowl eligible. That makes this game critical for both teams, especially since the Utes have lost their last four games. Even though road games on a short week are usually the kiss of death and UCLA hasn't won a road game this season, I just don't like the negative momentum for Utah.

Saturday:

11:00 am CDT:

(7) Penn State (7 - 1) 34 @ (24) Michigan State (6 - 2) 24:This will be a very difficult follow-up to last week's devastating loss for Penn State. Michigan State is also coming off a disappointing defeat at the hands of Northwestern. Unlike Penn State, Michigan State still controls their own destiny in the Big Ten East as they have Ohio State next week. For the Nittany Lions, they will need a lot of help to advance to the conference title game. One certainty is that they can't afford another loss.

(9) Wisconsin (8 - 0) 27 @ Indiana (3 - 5) 14: We'll have to see if Wisconsin gets a chip on their shoulder, because despite an unblemished record, the Badgers find themselves ranked ninth in the initial college football playoff ranking. It's apparent that the playoff committee is watching the games and looking closely at non-conference schedules.For Wisconsin to move up, they'll need to start steamrolling their remaining opponents.

(14) Auburn (6 - 2) 31 @ Texas A&M (5 - 3) 20: If Auburn hadn't let LSU off the hook, its likely they would be sitting somewhere in the top ten of the playoff rankings. Instead, the Tigers have no margin for error if they want to get to the SEC Championship game. They've been dominant at times, but with Georgia and Alabama looming, it will take some valiant efforts for Auburn to jump into the national mix.

UMass (2 - 6) 13 @ (16) Mississippi State (6 - 2) 45: Not much of a game in this one. Mississippi State gets a breather before hosting Alabama next week.

Kansas State (4 - 4) 21 @ Texas Tech (4 - 4) 34: If Kansas State is looking for a win the rest of the way, this might be their best shot. Texas Tech has lost four of their last five, but I still believe they're a better team than the Wildcats. Maybe I'm just biased by K-State's pathetic out of conference scheduling.

11:20 am CDT:

Syracuse (4 - 4) 27 @ Florida State (2 - 5) 24: It's been a miserable season for Florida State as they've been unable to get past the loss of their starting quarterback. Last week's pummeling by Boston College was especially distressing, as the Eagles put up 35 points on what was supposed to be a good defense. Of course, BC has been on a roll since a home loss to Virginia Tech so perhaps the 'Noles can find a way to bounce back at home. The main problem is Florida State hasn't been able to find a way to consistently score points.

2:00 CDT:

Georgia Tech (4 - 3) 38 @ Virginia (5 - 3) 17: Virginia began the season 5 -1, but have been scorched the last two weeks by Boston College and Pittsburgh. With questions on defense, possibly the worst team you want to face is Georgia Tech. I look for the Yellow Jackets to run all over the Cavaliers. This one could be ugly.

2:30 pm CDT:

South Carolina (6 - 2) 23 @ (1) Georgia (8 - 0) 28: Georgia emerged at the top of the playoff rankings, setting up this game as a bit of a trap for the Bulldogs in advance of their game at Auburn. South Carolina is one of a plethora of 6 - 2 teams that are positioned to wreak havoc in the closing weeks of the season. Are the Gamecocks capable of taking out Georgia? Absolutely. Georgia wants to run the ball, but South Carolina has a pretty capable rushing defense. The difference in this game will most likely be the Georgia defense. It's as good as South Carolina's, but the Gamecock offense isn't as good as Georgia's.

Wake Forest (5 - 3)  17 @ (3) Notre Dame (7 - 1) 30: Notre Dame is fifth in the nation in rushing offense and Wake Forest is way down the list in stopping the run. After what the Irish did to N.C. State's sixth rated rush defense last week, I would expect much of the same behind Josh Adams this week. Wake has exceeded expectations this season, but they're overmatched in this one. 

(4) Clemson (7 - 1) 27 @ (20) N.C. State (6 - 2) 23: With Virginia Tech taking on Miami later in the day, many experts are calling this semifinal Saturday in the ACC. I tend to agree, especially since N.C. State can virtually clinch the Atlantic division with a win. I expect Clemson to be able to handle the Wolfpack in much the same way Notre Dame did a week ago, but State is still a dangerous defensive team.

(6) Ohio State (7 - 1) 31 @ Iowa (5 - 3) 17: After a furious comeback against Penn State that put Ohio State firmly in the national picture, the Buckeyes can't sleep on Iowa. After watching a lot of football teams this season, the speed of Ohio State might be the best of any team in the nation. I don't see the Hawkeyes keeping up.

(15) Iowa State (6 - 2) 34 @ West Virginia (5 - 3) 37: This is a very interesting match-up, with Iowa State suddenly controlling its own destiny in the Big 12 after four successive victories. They head into Morgantown to take on a West Virginia team that is fifth in the nation in passing and will put significant pressure on Iowa State's defense that's ranked sixty-fifth against the pass. West Virginia's problems this season have been an inability to make stops on defense, particularly against the run. Iowa State doesn't have a strong running game, which makes this contest so difficult to predict. For some reason, I'm taking the Mountaineers to outscore the Cyclones.

(21) Stanford (6 - 2) 27 @ (25) Washington State (7 - 2) 34: Statistically, Stanford's defense is not among the best in the nation, but they've been able to keep opposing teams off the scoreboard. Washington State leads the nation in passing yards per game and they play particularly well at home. Even though the Cardinal have won five straight, I like the Cougars to get off the mat after getting thrashed in two of their last three games.

Northwestern (5 - 3) 27@ Nebraska (4 - 4) 30: Despite having a better record, this game is somewhat of a match-up problem for Northwestern. The Wildcat's pass defense is ranked 120th, while Nebraska's passing attack is 30th. Northwestern has continued to surprise, but their three wins in a row have come against teams with passing attacks ranked no better than 67th in the country. Nebraska showed some grit in grinding out a tough win at Purdue last week and I like them to carry that momentum forward.

 3:00 pm CDT:

(5) Oklahoma (7 - 1) 35 @ (11) Oklahoma State (7 - 1) 37: Bedlam: A scene of uproar and confusion. Perhaps in some prior years, that word hasn't necessarily applied to this game, but it surely does this season. The winner remains in contention for both the Big 12 title and a spot in the college football playoff. The loser likely falls by the wayside and into a large group of two loss teams destined to be on the outside looking in. The similarities are striking, with both teams sporting star quarterbacks, identical records and multiple game winning streaks. Oklahoma has won twelve of the last fourteen meetings, so the history is not on Oklahoma State's side. Fortunately though, quarterback Mason Rudolph is and I believe he can be the difference in this game.

Ole Miss (3 - 5) 37 @ Kentucky (6 - 2) 30:The disparity in records probably belies how closely matched these two teams are. Ole Miss has played a much tougher schedule than Kentucky and is coming off a game against Arkansas which they should have put away in the first half. The Wildcats have a porous pass defense and Ole Miss is ranked eighth in the country through the air, something that Kentucky hasn't faced this season. Unless Ole Miss is still nursing a comeback hangover from last week, I think they'll score on big plays and hold on against an offense that doesn't score a lot of points.

6:15 pm CDT:

Texas (4 - 4) 24 @ (8) TCU (7 - 1) 21: Three of Texas' four losses are by a combined eleven points to three of top seventeen teams in the current CFP rankings. They are also the last team to hang an "L" on Iowa State, something TCU was unable to do last week. I believe the Longhorns are close to turning the corner, and despite TCU's tough defense, I think they will pull the upset of the week. TCU's offensive difficulties will eventually hurt them and Texas is athletic enough to make them pay.

(18) UCF (7 - 0) 42 @ SMU (6 - 2) 27: SMU has a pretty good record, but they are extremely vulnerable through the air and UCF isn't the highest scoring team in the FBS by accident. They'll put up a ton of points on the Mustangs to remain in the hunt for a New Year's Day bowl game.

6:30 pm CDT:

Minnesota (4 - 4) 13 @ Michigan (6 - 2) 23: Michigan didn't hear their name called during the initial playoff rankings show Tuesday night and I'd imagine that didn't sit well with head coach Jim Harbaugh. He's a master motivator and I'm certain he'll use that to his advantage this week. Both of these teams rely on their defense, but Michigan's is better and will find a way to shut down an anemic Minnesota attack.

7:00 pm CDT:

(19) LSU (6 - 2) 20 @ (2) Alabama (8 - 0) 31: It's taken until week ten for Alabama to get to the meat of its schedule, facing current top twenty teams LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn to finish up the season. I still maintain that there is a loss in there somewhere but I don't think LSU has enough offensive firepower or consistency to do it this week. But the line on this game is Alabama -21.5, which I can't help but think is a bit high. We'll have to see how the Tide can step up their game as the caliber of competition increases.

(13) Virginia Tech (7 - 1) 27 @ (10) Miami (8 - 0) 17: Miami has won a number of close games this season, primarily because their run defense is only ranked 83rd in the nation. Their last four wins are against unranked opponents by a combined 18 points. It took a late play to get past a North Carolina team that Va. Tech had beaten 59 - 7 a week earlier. Their last really good performance was over a month ago at Duke. They'll need another one similar to it if they want to remain unbeaten and in the ACC Coastal race. The Hokies sport a top ten defense, ranked in the top fifteen against both the run and pass. If Tech gets pressure on quarterback Malik Rosier, it could be a long day for the Hurricanes.

8:00 CDT:

Colorado (5 - 4) 30 @ Arizona State (4 - 4) 37: Colorado runs a very balanced offense, at least by today's college football standards. This game will come down to Arizona State's ability to throw the ball on a Buffalo defense that is prone to big plays through the air while playing decent enough defense to keep Colorado from putting up big numbers of their own.

9:00 pm CDT:

Oregon (5 - 4) 17 @ (12) Washington (7 - 1) 31: If the Pac-12 is going to get a team into the college football playoffs, it will have to be Washington. Their defense has a good chance of getting them there as long as they don't look past the Ducks. Games with Stanford, Utah and Washington State loom to close out the regular season. The Huskies can't afford a hiccup at home. Oregon will try to run on the second stingiest run defense in the country, so it's likely to be tough going for the one-dimensional Ducks.

9:45 pm CDT:

(22) Arizona (6 - 2) 28 @ (17) USC (7 - 2) 38: Although the national sports media seems to be a little down on USC, it appears to be skewed by their performance against Notre Dame. There's a good chance the Irish will make more teams look bad on their way to a potential appearance in the playoffs. The Trojans righted the ship against Arizona State last week and I expect more of the same against the other Arizona school. This game features a real contrast in styles, with Arizona averaging over 330 yards on the ground, while USC quarterback Sam Darnold wants to throw the ball all over the field. Unfortunately for Arizona, they sport the 128th ranked pass defense out of 130 teams in the FBS.

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.