Has there ever been a fan base more in need of an emotional bye week than the Auburn family right now? Well done, scheduling wizards. Here's a few games from around the country that you can watch without worry of having your heart broken. All times listed are Central.
Minor League (Non-SEC) Schedule
Wednesday
(16) Northern Illinois @ Toledo: 7 p.m., ESPN2
Northern Illinois is one of only six undefeated teams left in the nation. Unfortunately, the Huskies ,along with Fresno State, are also one of the two undefeated teams that absolutely do not matter when it comes to the BCS. Huskies QB Jordan Lynch has been so impressive throughout this season that you'd have to look to Johnny Manziel to find a statistically better dual-threat quarterback. Standing in between him and an undefeated season is the high-octane offense of Toledo. Listen, this is Wednesday night MACtion -- the teams very well may top 100 combined points. Why wouldn't you watch it?
Saturday
(4) Baylor @ (10) Oklahoma State: 7 p.m., ABC
Speaking of combining for 100 points, these two teams do that on average. Baylor is still scoring around 60 points a game, while Oklahoma State averages just north of 40. Could this be the first time a team tops 70 in a loss? Probably not, but this is a fascinating game for several reasons. Both of these team have obvious BCS aspirations. We all know that Baylor has the best offense in the Big 12, but did you know that Okie State boasts the best defense? It's hard to imagine the Cowboys shutting down Bryce Petty and the Bears' offense, but can they slow them down enough to give their own potent offense a puncher's chance?
(17) Arizona State @ (14) UCLA: 6 p.m., Fox
The Sun Devils and Bruins meet this weekend in a game that will likely determine the Pac-12 South champion. The Bruins have been experimenting with their offense late in the season, most notably by turning former linebacker Myles Jack into a running back. He followed up a 120-yard debut with a four-touchdown game last week, so it seems to have worked out for both him and his offensive coordinator, Noel Mazzone (!). Arizona State, like every other Pac-12 team, puts up a lot of points and should be a great test for the Bruins. Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly has been flying under the radar, but has been quietly putting together one of the best seasons in the conference this year.
(19) Wisconsin @ (25) Minnesota: 2:30 p.m., ESPN
If only Marion Barber and Lawrence Maroney were still alive to see Minnesota ranked in the top 25 again ... The Golden Gophers are a two-loss team that has a chance to have a really special season, as they end the year against two ranked conference foes. To do so, the Gophers will have to first defeat a Wisconsin team that may look a little familiar to Auburn fans. The Badgers run the ball very successfully and play pretty stingy defense. Wisconsin also boasts two running backs who have already eclipsed 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. Look for BERT's former team to run over the Gophers pretty convincingly.
Dont' forget to check back in on Friday for our SEC preview.
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