Bob's Picks - B-Week: Take the Bears, Buckeyes, Buffs, Bobcats, Bison, Broncos, Bulldogs ... but not the Bruins, Beavers, Bengals, Boilermakers
Which is bigger - The Big Game or The Game?
My friend Bill, who tends to follow these things closely, wants to know if UC Davis is absolutely, positively in the FCS playoffs no matter what happens Saturday against Sacramento State.
Bill, the Aggies are in, no matter what. Trust me on this. They could lose to the dreaded Hornets, 160-0, and they'd still get a bid.
But there's a better chance the Aggies will win, 160-0, than the opposite.
I know, I know, this is a rivalry game and you're supposed to throw all the records out the window. But even when you do that, the Aggies win by three touchdowns.
The better team always wins this game. How otherwise do you explain the three straight Hornet wins in the series when Troy Taylor was roaming the Hornet sideline or the 18 straight Aggie wins in the series when Jim Sochor was on the UC Davis sideline?
Yes, a playoff bid is assured. However, a first-round bye, a high seed for the Aggies and a home game or two are not assured. Those things are critically important.
The Aggies are currently No. 5 behind North Dakota State, Montana State, South Dakota State and South Dakota. If they can move up just one spot to No. 4, they will have a first-round bye and a guarantee of at least two home games, presuming they keep winning.
The top eight seeds get first-round byes and a home game in the second round. After that, home games will be played at the higher-seeded team's stadium. Thus, if No. 5 plays No. 4 in the quarterfinals, the game will be held on No. 4's field.
This holds all the way to the championship game that will be held at a neutral site the evening of January 6 in Frisco, Texas.
An interesting twist in the schedule for the final week of the FCS regular season has No. 1 North Dakota State at No. 4 South Dakota.
Which team should Aggie fans be rooting for in that one?
Answer: North Dakota State.
Such a result, depending on the score, would likely knock South Dakota behind the Aggies, assuming a UCD win at Sacramento State. If South Dakota wins, the Aggies might be stuck at No. 5.
But first things first. The Aggies need to win Saturday's Causeway Classic.
Period.
This week's picks are follows:
(All of last week’s picks are available here)
CAL over STANFORD ... Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor faces his alma mater as a two-touchdown underdog. The last time I saw Troy Taylor was at his final Sac State press conference after the Hornets had defeated the Aggies for the third time in a row. Troy saw me walking into the press conference and shouted out "Hey Bob, who won the Big Game?" The Big Game has always been important to him, and for years, he always rooted for Cal. But now he's at Stanford. Enough said.
USC over UCLA ... Both teams are trying to salvage terribly disappointing seasons as they try to convince their fans that moving to the Big Ten was a grand idea. No one is buying it.
OHIO STATE over INDIANA .. Everyone keeps waiting for the Hoosiers' bubble to pop. This will be the weekend it happens.