Cedric Reed (88) and his defensive mates will have to play well if Texas wants to beat TCU. (
Welcome to Week 14 of The Lowe Down.
It’s Rivalry Week in college football so expect a few upsets over the next three days. There’s a lot of pressure on teams this time of year, especially highly-ranked teams, trying to close out a special season.
There will only be one team left standing in early January, but there are a number of huge games left to be played for all those aspiring to be that team. Playing mistake-free football becomes paramount the bigger the stage. It will be interesting to see which teams perform well in these pressure-packed rivalry games considering an even tougher game awaits some of the first-ever eventual College Football Playoff participants.
Here’s a brief breakdown on Thursday’s games, along with three NFL picks. The weekend games will be posted by Friday morning.
Hope everyone enjoys a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day with their family and friends. Last week’s record was 17-4, bringing the yearly record to 188-70. To the games we go…
@MattLowe777
Thursday, November 27
No. 5 TCU(9-1, 6-1 Big 12) at Texas (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) 6:30 p.m. CT (FS1)
This is a dangerous spot for TCU. The Longhorns have won three in a row and are really starting to gain some confidence on both sides of the ball. Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, a rangy dual-threat, is coming off a 305-yard, two-TD passing performance against Oklahoma State and is playing well, as is a Longhorns’ D that’s allowed an average of 12 point per game over its last three contests. The UT defense is spearheaded by its talented front seven, led by end Cedric Reed (4.5 sacks), defensive tackles Malcom Brown, who leads the team in sacks (6.5), Hassan Ridgeway (6 sacks) and athletic linebacker Jordan Hicks, the ‘Horns top tackler. How well that front seven plays against the explosive Horned Frogs will be a major key to the game. If Trevone Boykin and the TCU run game is held in check, Texas has a great shot at pulling the upset here. Charlie Strong is a heck of a coach and you can tell his hard-nosed, disciplined approach is starting to produce results. It will show here on in front of a national audience.
The Lowe Down: TCU 26, Texas 28
LSU (7-4, 3-4 SEC) at Texas A&M (7-3, 3-4 SEC) 6:30 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Les Miles’ team stumbles into this matchup having lost its last two games, but don’t be surprised if the “The Mad Hatter” has his bunch ready to play following a bye week. The Tigers had Alabama on the ropes before falling in overtime three weeks ago, and a lackluster effort in Fayetteville (a 17-0 loss to Arkansas) the following week was semi-expected for a young team coming off such an emotional loss. Leonard Fournette’s emergence in the run game has aided in LSU’s ability to wear out opponents with a physical, ball-control ground attack, but sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings needs to step up his game if the Tigers want to finish strong. Jennings didn’t even break the 100-yard passing mark against the Crimson Tide or Razorbacks, nor did he complete a pass over 18 yards. Look, a team can have the best backs in the world, but if there’s no threat of a vertical passing game it hinders the effectiveness of a rushing attack. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has to find ways of getting the ball down the field more often if LSU wants to break out of its offensive slump. Texas A&M has struggled all year long on defense — although end Myles Garrett (11 sacks; second in SEC) is an absolute freak at defensive end — so LSU should have a shot to finally put up some points. I also think LSU’s defense matches up well with the Texas A&M offense which will parlay into a bid road win for the Louisiana boys.
The Lowe Down: LSU 27, Texas A&M 17
NFL Picks
Chicago 13, Detroit 30
Philadelphia 28, Dallas 35
Seattle 19, San Francisco 24
