Typically it’s a forgettable day of shopping, leftovers and antacid. But this year, Black Friday brings a highly anticipated football feast — the top three teams in the nation, all facing ranked opponents on national television, with their BCS national championship hopes hanging in the balance.
Fascinating Friday begins in the afternoon with No. 2 Auburn and Heisman Trophy front-runner Cam Newton playing at No. 9 Alabama in the Iron Bowl. It picks up in the evening with No. 1 Oregon hosting No. 19 Arizona. And it concludes in the wee hours with No. 3 Boise State at No. 20 Nevada.
By Saturday morning there should be some clarity to the BCS title picture. If Oregon and Auburn win, they will need just one more victory each to make their reservations for Jan. 10 in Phoenix.
If one of the top two loses, Boise State likely would bust the cartel and become the first team from a non-BCS conference to reach the title game since it was established in 1998.
But there’s another scenario that appeals to subversives. It’s BCS doomsday. What if Oregon and Auburn lose, leaving Boise State and TCU as the nation’s lone unbeatens? Could the lords of the NCAA bring themselves to reward two teams from non-BCS conferences? Or would they find a way to get one of their own into the title game and run the risk of sparking an insurrection that could be the beginning of the end of the BCS?
Some of these questions will be answered with Friday’s three intriguing games. Here’s a look at each:
Auburn at Alabama
After years of mediocrity for one team or the other, the 75th Iron Bowl finds both ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 1994 and with much at stake. Auburn (11-0) already has a berth in the SEC Championship locked up, but that game against South Carolina won’t mean nearly as much if the Tigers lose to the Crimson Tide and surrender their title dreams.
For defending national champion Alabama (9-2), which was ranked No. 1 for the first five weeks of this season, the Iron Bowl is about dealing its archrival a devastating setback, reclaiming its place as the state’s top program and earning a BCS bowl berth.
Arizona at Oregon
This was supposed to be a clash of titans. But that was before the Wildcats (7-3) lost two straight and the Ducks (10-0) escaped California with a 15-13 win, their first close call this season.
Did the Golden Bears stumble upon the blueprint for slowing down the Ducks’ up-tempo spread? California played man-to-man defense and used a safety to spy Oregon dual-threat quarterback Darron Thomas, who had his worst passing (15-for-29, 155 yards) and rushing (16 carries, 34 yards) numbers this year.
But more than likely, this will be the type of track meet that has typified the Pac-10 this season. Last year Oregon survived Arizona in double overtime 44-41 as running back LaMichael James carried 19 times for 117 yards. James’ ankle was pronounced fit after leaving Cal on crutches two weeks ago.
Boise State at Nevada
After winning 22 straight games in the unimposing WAC, Boise State (10-0) gets what could be its toughest conference test in three years in Reno.
The Pistol offense of Nevada (10-1) ranks fourth in the nation in points (44.1 a game), fueled by 6-foot-6 dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick and back Vai Taua, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the third straight year. This is the last home game for the senior duo and their final shot at Boise State after making the Broncos sweat the last three meetings — 69-67 (2007), 41-34 (2008) and 44-33 (2009).
