With the leaves off the trees, the icy crisp in the air, and the cheerleaders waiting in the hot tub, it’s almost time for Thanksgiving football! Entering the final weekend before Thanksgiving break, the Big Ten wraps up its schedule (finally), while a few Top Ten teams have the week off.

Will some of the favorites already be stuck in early vacation mode? Will some major underdogs cause a shakeup in the BCS standings? Or will the rankings look the same come Monday morning? There is one major match-up this weekend and one that will seal the Big Ten’s fate - and oh yea, that Utah/BYU game that all the Mormons are talking about…

Check out College Football Week Thirteen: Cheerleader Edition after the break!

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No. 1 Alabama (11-0) is idle

Saban’s crew gets the week off after a dominating victory over Mississippi State last week. Next up for the Tide is Auburn next Saturday.

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No. 2 Texas Tech (10-0) at No. 5 Oklahoma (9-1)

Now this is late season football at its best. A road win for the Red Raiders could bump them past Bama into the No. 1 slot, while a win for the Sooners will put them back in the national title conversation. These two teams have combined to score 993 points en route to a 19-1 record, an average of almost 50 points per game each. Texas Tech can clinch the Big 12 South with a win.

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No. 3 Texas (9-1) is idle

The Longhorns have risen back into the big picture after another convincing win on the road in Kansas last week. They are off this week but will do battle with Texas A&M on Thanksgiving Day.

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No. 4 Florida (9-1) vs. Citadel (4-7)

Florida continued its nationwide assault last week with a humiliating 56-6 stomping out of the South Carolina Gamecocks. This week, they get to end Citadel’s season with a 4-8 final record and hopefully not
too many dislocated shoulders. Big bully Florida is 13-0 all time against the Football Championship Subdivision Bulldogs - but hey, if fellow Southern Conference Appalachian State can take down Michigan in
the Big House, why can’t Citadel do the same to the Gators…oh wait, Florida is actually good.

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No. 6 USC (7-1) is idle

Once again, USC is idle this week - oh wait, no, they did play last week but Pac-10 opponents and idle are basically synonymous. The Trojans will meet up with rival Notre Dame next Saturday.

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No. 7 Utah (11-0) vs. No. 14 BYU (10-1)

The Mormon Super Bowl hits us hard this year and this time Utah and BYU are a combined 21-1. Let’s drink to that! (No, just put down that water…nevermind). While angry forum activists might point out to me that Utah is not a Mormon school, I refuse to listen to them as we are ready for the biggest heavyweight battle the state of Utah has seen since prodigal son Karl Malone teamed with Dallas Page to take on the Hulkster and Dennis Rodman in a WCW match.

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No. 8 Penn State (10-1) vs. No. 15 Michigan State (9-2)

This game will determine the 2008 champion of the Big Ten one way or another. However, another Big Ten game that begins three-and-a-half hours earlier will alter the fate of these two teams, should the road team emerge victorious. Confused? So am I. Let’s just put it this way - Iowa shattered the dreams of Nittany Lion fans around the world with their last second kick, but Paterno’s crew needs only a win against MSU to take home the league title and a date in the Rose Bowl. On the flip side, if Michigan State wins, then…(hint: read No. 10 Ohio State vs. Michigan section)

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No. 9 Boise State (10-0) at Nevada (6-4)

Boise State looks to continue its dominance of the WAC and steamroll towards another potential BCS berth when they travel to Reno to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. Last year, these teams combined for a Football Bowl Subdivision record 136 points in a 69-67 victory for the Broncos. Can the Wolf Pack avenge last year’s defeat on their home turf and destroy Boise’s bid to match the 2006 team’s undefeated season?

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No. 10 Ohio State (9-2) vs. No. 68 Michigan (3-

Yes, Michigan vs. Ohio State is the greatest rivalry in college football history. Yes, the Michigan vs. Ohio State will once again impact determining the Big Ten champion. And yes, the Michigan Wolverines really are ranked a putrid 68th in the BCS Standings, 11 spots below Navy, causing Michigan to be a record 21-point underdog in The Game. Now, onto The Game… Blue will try to turn around its historically terrible season and try to make everyone side with Rich Rodriguez again if he can redefine the word ‘miracle’ this Saturday in the Shoe. More likely to happen since the game is here on Earth, the Buckeyes will annihilate the Wolverines, send their fan base into a frenzy and will be home in time to cheer on the Spartans to once again
send them to the Big Ten title and a free trip to the Rose Bowl…at least.