Content provided by Dawg Sports.

A pitiful 4-3 mark in last week’s SEC predictions dropped me to 52-13 for the season in conference forecasts, while a middling 3-2 ledger in last week’s national games of interest doomed me to limp into the final weekend of the regular season sporting a 36-22 record in non-SEC prognostications. Accordingly, it almost goes without saying that, when it comes to my ability to pick the winners of college football games, you should heed my weekly advice: Don’t Bet On It!

All of this week’s games are slated to take place on Saturday, December 4, unless otherwise noted:

MAC Championship Game: Miami (Ohio) RedHawks v. Northern Illinois Huskies (Friday, Dec. 3): This matchup of mascots is better suited to a Jack London short story than a college football game, which I suppose is appropriate, since the fact that this affray is taking place in Detroit in December suggests that tailgaters would be well advised to review the particulars of “To Build a Fire” before grilling bratwursts in the Ford Field parking lot. NIU is riding a nine-game winning streak, and the Huskies have topped 30 points in eight of those outings. Since the RedHawks rank 50th nationally in scoring defense, I’m going with Northern Illinois. Well, that, and the fact that I’m still ticked off over the fact that the ‘Dawgs lost to Miami (Ohio) in the ‘74 Tangerine Bowl.

Conference USA Championship Game: Central Florida Knights v. SMU Mustangs: Given the very high likelihood that the Georgia Bulldogs are Liberty Bowl-bound, I’m actually more interested in this one than in any other game being played outside of the Atlanta city limits. Here’s a fun fact for you: Orlando has hosted two previous Conference USA title tilts, and, in both of those games, the winning team scored exactly 44 points. Home field advantage has mattered little in this league championship clash, but, because the East Division champion has won three straight conference crowns, I’m predicting that the Knights will pad George O’Leary’s resume with a win.

ACC Championship Game: Florida St. Seminoles v. Virginia Tech Hokies: All right, all right, all right, Florida State is back, already! Which way will the game go when the ACC Atlantic Coastal division champion Seminoles face the ACC Coastal Atlantic other division champion Hokies in Jacksonville Charlotte some city along the Eastern seaboard lying somewhere between Miami and Boston? Dude, that’s easy: FSU will win, because VPI’s Michael Vick is suffering from the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. Wait, what’s that? Vick no longer plays for the Hokies? Oh, well, that makes it even easier, then; I’m definitely going with Florida State.

Big Eight Twelve Championship Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers v. Oklahoma Sooners: The over-under on references to the 1971 Game of the Century during the broadcast is 47. Take the over, and also take the ’Huskers to stick a final finger in the eye of the Big Twelve Ten on their way out the door to the Big Ten Twelve.

SEC Championship Game: Auburn Tigers v. South Carolina Gamecocks: From the outset, I wish to be clear that (a) I am picking this game based upon the expected result on Saturday, not the expected vacating of that result after Cam Newton later is declared ineligible, and (b) I will be rooting for the Palmetto State Poultry. However, this rematch in the Georgia Dome reminds me a lot of the 2003 SEC Championship Game, which pitted the Red and Black against the LSU Tigers. Earlier in the year, Georgia had lost a single-score game to the Bayou Bengals in Baton Rouge, which offered some hope that the ‘Dawgs might stand a chance against Louisiana State at a neutral site. Instead, the national championship-bound Tigers defeated Georgia handily, for the simple reason that Nick Saban’s squad had improved dramatically over the course of the campaign. While Steve Spurrier’s 2010 South Carolina squad arguably finished the season stronger than Mark Richt’s 2003 Bulldogs did, I fear the same scenario will be played out on Saturday, as a Gamecock club that played the Plainsmen tough in Jordan-Hare Stadium earlier in the autumn will find that Auburn has gotten much better since then.

Those are the picks for this week’s slate of games, and I am apt to be wrong more often than I am right, so I will end this set of projections the way I always do, by reminding you, whatever you do, . . . Don’t Bet On It!

The national game of disinterest is a seven-way tie between the four Pac-10 games and the three Big East games being played this weekend. I’m sorry, but you don’t have a championship game, so the rest of us don’t really care. If you didn’t know we were right, you wouldn’t be adding teams, now, would you?

Go ‘Dawgs!

Content provided by Jerry Tipton on UK basketball.

UK players wore black socks and block wristbands against Boston U Tuesday night to signify their mourning. Calipari’s mother, Donna, passed away at age 74 on Sunday.
Before the game, Calipari tweeted his appreciation of the gesture.
“It means a lot to me and is another sign of the kind of superb young men we have in our program,” he tweeted. “Thanks to all of (the Big Blue Nation) for your support.
“I’ll coach with a heavy heart tonight. But I know my mom is watching from the luxury boxes with a whole crew of UK luminaries cheering along with her.”

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

Tonight, the Boston U. Terriers visit Rupp Arena for a tilt with the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time in over a decade.  Former head coach Rick Pitino was prowling the sidelines the last time the ‘Cats welcomed the Terriers into the Bluegrass.

I have just one question, though –  Who scheduled all these teams with canine mascots?  This is our third in a row!

Game particulars, via UKAthletics.com:

Boston U. @ Kentucky
Game Notes	Kentucky Game Notes | Boston Game Notes
Date & Time	Tues., Nov. 30, 7:00 p.m. ET
Coverage	TV: FS South/BBSN Radio: BBSN GameTracker Online Audio Live Video via ESPN3 Text Updates
Location	Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky.

Unlike last game, Kentucky faces a team with a significant disadvantage in every measurable area, including size.  This is one of the rare teams so far that is not longer or bigger than Kentucky in some way, and the second team all year with markedly inferior athletes.

More after the jump.

What Kentucky must do to win:

• Share the basketball.  This, I expect to happen.  Still, I’m looking at you, Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins.
• Attack the rim.  This, I am afraid might not happen.  It is typical for a team to overreact to criticism, and the “selfish” angle has been way, way over-hyped by the media.
• Continue the effective offensive rebounding.  I am very pleased to see the Wildcats doing so well in this stat without a high-quality big man.
• Talk on defense.  This team is as tight lipped as razor clam.  These guys have got to learn to talk on defense, and Darius Miller needs to provide some leadership on the floor.
• Make free throws.  Bad free throw shooting is getting tiresome.

What Kentucky can do to lose or look really bad:

• Jack up a bunch of quick threes, like they did against the Connecticut Huskies.
• Dribble the ball around aimlessly looking for something to do.
• Stand around on offense.
• Play defense like they are shod in lead.
• Fail to learn the lessons of Maui.

That’s it.  This should be a mismatch, and if it isn’t, something is badly broken.  But the Terriers are not just going to come in here and lay down — they are led by seniors and that does matter.  Kentucky should win, but Boston U. is going to make them earn it, and if UK starts to lose focus like they did in the late first half against UConn, who knows — this could turn into a dog and ‘Cat fight.

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Boston U. Terriers in Rupp Arena, the first meeting of the two teams since 1994, a game which the then-#7 ranked Wildcats defeated the Terriers 90-49 behind balanced scoring from Antoine Walker, Rodrick Rhodes, Tony Epps and Tony Delk.  Boston University was former UK head coach Rick Pitino’s first head coaching job, and he did reasonably well there, getting Boston U. to the NIT in 1980 and the NCAA Preliminary round in 1983.

Here are some facts about the Boston University Terriers, courtesy of BBstate.com:

Personnel

The Terriers have had a huge turnover since last year, losing all but three of their players, eight to graduation.  The replacements are seven freshmen and three other players, either walk-ons or transfers.

Here is how the 2010-11 Terriers shape up in terms of losses and additions over last year:

Boston U. Roster With Comments

Four Factors Analysis

The Four Factors to Winning look like this for these two teams, courtesy of Statsheet.com:

At this point in time, Kentucky is the superior team, four factors-wise.  There is no statistical area of these four where the Terriers are currently superior.

Overall Analysis

• Kentucky is bigger, quicker, and more talented than Boston U.
• Kentucky is a significantly better ballhandling team.
• Boston U. is a poor FG% defensive team.
• Kentucky shoots bad free throws.  Fortunately, Boston U does not send people to the line a lot.  That may change this game.
• Kentucky matches up very well with this team inside, one of the few times we have been able to say that.
• Kentucky does not force many turnovers, which is a big problem for them.  Perhaps they will force some this game.  That is a stat that is killing the Wildcats.
• Last game put a big dent in UK’s eFG%.  Hopefully, they will begin a rebound in that area tonight.
• Hopefully, Darius Miller will finally show some leadership on the floor in this game.
• Hopefully, the Wildcats will have figured out that getting to the rim is only part of the Dribble Drive Motion — particularly Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins.

This game is a pretty big mismatch on paper.  Boston U. has played two more games, but also has two more losses, and has beaten only one team inside the top 200 in the nation so far this year — George Mason.

If this game is competitive in the second half, I cannot imagine Calipari being happy.

LSU enters its sixth straight NCAA Tournament as the No. 13 national seed and faces off against No. 22 Tulsa in the opening round Friday at 5 p.m. inside Oklahoma's McCasland FieldHouse.
(more)

BATON ROUGE – This week's installment of LSU Tiger Tracks, a program highlighting various aspects of the university and its athletic department, can be seen at 4 p.m. Thursday on Cox Sports Television.
(more)

There were 32 former University of Florida football players on NFL rosters in Week 12. Fourteen players started, while 26 earned playing time.
(more)

Highlights from NFL week 12 games that featured former Auburn football players.
(more)

Auburn University students and fans are invited to watch the Southeastern Conference Championship game on the videoboards at Auburn Arena following Sunday’s women’s basketball game against Temple.
(more)

The University of Alabama men’s basketball team continues its two-game homestand on Wednesday when it hosts South Alabama in the Jaguars’ first visit to Coleman Coliseum. Wednesday’s contest is a part of a doubleheader with the women’s team and will tipoff 30 minutes after the women’s 5 p.m. game against Alabama State. Tickets for the men’s game will be honored at the women’s contest.
(more)