Football Games To Watch This Weekend [Opinion]

The weekend is here…and that means FOOTBALL! Here are the games that I think will be the ones to watch:

COLLEGE:

#2 ALABAMA (11-1) VS. #3 GEORGIA (11-1) 2 p.m. on CBS

This is what its going to fell like when we get the BCS playoffs in 2014, as the SEC is giving us a preview with what is essentially a play-in game for the national championship.  Alabama is led by its defense, which tops the nation in both scoring and total defense. But both teams feature potent offenses as well, with each averaging 38-plus points per game. Georgia’s Aaron Murray and Bama’s A.J. McCarron come into the game as the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 rated passers. The Bulldogs and the SEC East race may not have had the visibility of Alabama/LSU, but they are very capable of pulling off this upset.

NFL

Minnesota Vikings (6-5) at Green Bay Packers (7-4)  11 a.m. FOX

Adrian Peterson’s NFL-best 1,236 rushing yards lead the attack for Minnesota, but it’s a one-dimensional offense. The Vikings rank 30th in passing yards per game with 186.2. The Packers missed linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive back Charles Woodson in the loss to the Giants on Sunday night. Green Bay has beaten the Vikings the past four times the teams have met. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the NFL’s top-rated passer with a 105.6 rating. Minnesota’s pass rush has produced 27 sacks, while Rodgers has been taken down a league-high 37 times.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) at Baltimore Ravens (9-2) 2:25 p.m. CBS

Baltimore can win the AFC North title with a victory and a Bengals loss.
Ravens running back Ray Rice ranks 11th in the NFL with 794 rushing yards. He’s also second among running backs with 404 receiving yards on 48 catches. The Steelers lead the league in total defense, allowing just 257.2 yards per game. Pittsburgh hopes quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can return from injury. If not, third-stringer Charlie Batch or back-up Byron Leftwich will face a Ravens defense that gives up just 19.9 points per game. They helped Baltimore beat the Steelers, 13-10, in Week 11.

N.Y. Giants (7-4) at Washington Redskins (5-6) 6:30 p.m. ESPN

New York has no shortage of offensive weapons. The Giants hope running back Ahmad Bradshaw and receiver Victor Cruz can help quarterback Eli Manning take advantage of a Redskins defense that allows 301.4 passing yards per game, second-most in the league. Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III leads a Washington offense that just didn’t have enough time in a 27-23 loss to the Giants in Week 7. The New York defense will pressure Griffin with blitzes.

Enjoy the games!