Ah, Week 12—or as it used to be called (before the BcS), Rivalry Weekend. This used to be the best weekend of the year but with the bastardization of rivalry weekend for TV and the 12-game schedule all we have is Harvard-Yale, Stanford-Cal and Ohio State-Michigan to pull us through a potential horrible weekend. (I have said this I think six times and only one or two weekends have been truly horrible.)

Thursday, November 19^th

Well this game should be a blowout but they never seem to go that way on Thursday nights. I wonder if this season ESPN has gone to getting Erin Andrews corner suites so that no one has access to her room?

Colorado @ Oklahoma State (ESPN, 7:30pm) – Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, Erin Andrews

Friday, November 20^th

Whee, another Boise State weeknight game. Lucky for them Utah State is awful or I might be worried for the Broncos on the road.

• Akron @ Bowling Green (ESPNU, 5:30pm) – Kevin Negandhi, Jon Berger
• Boise State @ Utah State (ESPN2, 9:30pm) – Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore

Saturday, November 21^st

This is a horrible set of games but ABC is force-feeding us the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry—which Michigan has won only once since Senator Sweatervest has arrived from Youngstown (so apparently he is the anti-John Cooper). Also on Versus (if you get the channel) you can watch Harvard-Yale, which is the Future Millionaires of America rivalry. So many games … none of which are really worth blocking out four hours for.

• Ohio State @ Michigan (ABC, Noon) – Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, Holly Rowe
• Harvard @ Yale (Versus, Noon) – [I have no idea who the announcers are.]
• Minnesota @ Iowa (ESPN, Noon) – Dave Pasch, Bob Griese, Chris Spielman
• North Carolina @ Boston College (ESPN2, Noon) – Pam Ward, Ray Bentley
• Duke @ Miami (ESPNU, Noon) – Clay Matvick, David Diaz-Infante
• Mississippi State @ Arkansas (SEC Network, Noon) – Dave Neal, Andre Ware, Cara Capuano (Will Air on MSG2, CSN California)
• Chattanooga @ Alabama (SEC Network, Noon) – Doug Bell, Chris Doering
• Louisville @ South Florida (Big East Network, Noon) – Mike Gleason, John Congemi, Quint Kessenich (Will Air on Altitude, CST, MASN, SNY)
• Maryland @ Florida State (Raycom, Noon) – Tim Brant, Rick Walker, Mike Hogewood
• Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (FSN, 12:30pm) – Joel Meyers, Gary Reasons, Jim Knox
• Memphis @ Houston (CSS, 1pm) – Matt Stewart, Chuck Oliver, Allison Williams
• Florida International @ Florida (SUN PPV, 1pm) – Larry Vettel, Nat Moore, Steve Babik
• Texas Christian @ Wyoming (MTN, 2pm) – Dan Gutowsky, Blaine Fowler, Natalie Vickers
• Tulane @ Central Florida (Bright House, 2pm) – Drew Fellios, Mark Royals, Dave Baumann

In the midday window I would recommend you watch the NotreDame Broadcasting Company try and save Charlie Weis. The SEC game of the week on CBS is not worth watching so at 4 Eastern you can checkout ASU at UCLA from the Rose Bowl just for the views from the blimp.

• Connecticut @ Notre Dame (NBC, 2:30pm) – Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Alex Flanagan
• Louisiana State @ Mississippi (CBS, 3:30pm) – Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson
• Penn State @ Michigan State (ABC/ESPN, 3:30pm) – Mike Patrick, Craig James, Heather Cox
• Virginia @ Clemson (ABC/ESPN, 3:30pm) – Bob Wischusen, Brian Griese
• North Carolina State @ Virginia Tech (ESPNU, 3:30pm) – Todd Harris, Charles Arbuckle
• Air Force @ Brigham Young (CBS College Sports, 3:30pm) – Tom Hart, Aaron Taylor
• Purdue @ Indiana (BTN, 3:30pm) – Craig Coshun, Anthony Herron, Mark Campbell
• Wisconsin @ Northwestern (BTN, 3:30pm) – Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin, Charissa Thompson
• Alabama-Birmingham @ East Carolina (ISP Sports, 3:30pm) – Patrick Kinas, Billy Weaver, Brian Meador (Will Air on MASN)
• Arizona State @ UCLA (FSN, 4pm) – Barry Tompkins, Petros Papadakis, Michael Eaves
• San Diego State @ Utah (Versus, 4pm) – Tim Neverett, Glenn Parker, Lindsay Soto
• Florida Atlantic @ Troy (Sun Belt TV, 4pm) – Todd Kalas, Derek Rackley (Will Air on CSS, CST)
• Arkansas State @ Middle Tennessee (Blue Raiders TV, 4pm) – Chip Walters, Kelly Holcomb

In the evening window (again, if you get Versus) you can watch the battle for the Ax in the Big Game as Cal comes to the Farm to take on Stanford. Then in part of the country (not the part I live in) you can also checkout Oregon’s return trip to Tucson to take on the Wildcats. The last time Oregon came to Tucson they were #2 in the country and Dennis Dixon was a Heisman favorite and he destroyed his knee and Oregon lost their last 3 games.

• Colorado State @ New Mexico (MTN, 6pm) – James Bates, Todd Christensen, Keenan McCardell
• Vanderbilt @ Tennessee (ESPNU, 7pm) – Eric Collins, Brock Huard
• California @ Stanford (Versus, 7:30pm) – Ron Thulin, Kelly Stouffer, Lewis Johnson
• Tulsa @ Southern Mississippi (CBS College Sports, 7:30pm) – Dave Ryan, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila
• Kansas State @ Nebraska (ESPN, 7:45pm) – Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Erin Andrews
• Kentucky @ Georgia (ESPN2, 7:45pm) – Mark Jones, Bob Davie
• Kansas @ Texas (ABC, 8pm) – Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham
• Oregon @ Arizona (ABC, 8pm) – Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters
• Hawaii @ San Jose State (Time Warner-Oceanic, 8pm) – Bill Leahey, Russell Yamaoha
• Nevada @ New Mexico State (ESPNU, 10:30pm) – Terry Gannon, David Norrie

Have a great weekend; enjoy the games and thanks to Awful Announcing for the week’s TV Schedule.