Agony-Ball (Thanksgiving Edition)...

Hello, Constant Readers. We're back in the saddle today after much feasting and lazing. Here's a glance at the ups and downs of our alma maters, as well as a few (hopefully) spot-on predictions, in a special joint Thanksgiving Edition of The Agony Meter/Crystal Ball...

Choking on a bone: Southern Methodist
The 1-10 Mustangs have one more shot at a conference win: Saturday versus Southern Mississippi. But it's a tall order since the Golden Eagles are playing their best football of the season right now.

White meat or the beak: Arizona State
Can the 4-6 Sun Devils pull a disappointing season out of the fire and keep those bowl hopes alive with a win against UCLA? My gut says yes, but we'll find out Saturday.

About to pull on the wishbone: Boston College
A chance to play for the ACC title and a big-money bowl awaits, but BC must beat Maryland to get there. The Eagles' chances would be better if their starting quarterback, Chris Crane, hadn't broken his collarbone. Doh!

Now, for... The Crystal Ball (Quick Hits):

Friday games:

West Virginia at Pittsburgh. The Mountaineers squeak by and exact a measure of revenge. You may recall that Pitt upset West Virginia last year to knock the Mountaineers out of the national title game.

UCLA at Arizona State. The Sun Devils win a close one at home and train their sights on the, ahem, prestigious San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

Fresno State at Boise State. Fresno State will hang tough, but the Broncos will prevail in one of those typical WAC, ESPN2 Friday-night, high-scoring, no defense, smurf turf showdowns.

Saturday games:

UPSET ALERT: Georgia Tech at Georgia. It looks like an uphill battle for Tech on paper. But I'm not so sure. The Jackets are motivated as they are looking to end a years-long losing streak against their in-state rivals. Tech's defensive front will give Georgia's young offensive line fits. The Yellow Jackets' option offense also has so far made mincemeat out of fast, overpursuing defenses (read: Georgia). It all points to a Jackets' upset.

South Carolina at Clemson. Remember our warnings in August about how overrated Clemson was? Yeah. South Carolina wins with defense.

Virginia at Virginia Tech. Virginia will keep things competitive, but the Hokies are too much to handle at raucous Lane Stadium.

Kansas vs. Missouri (Kansas City). Missouri wins a game that will feature more touchdowns than punts. Beware Oklahoma... The Tigers are still lurking.

Auburn at Alabama. This is Auburn's last shot at glory, while the Crimson Tide has national title aspirations. Auburn's defense will hang tough, but the Tigers just don't have the offensive horses to pull off the upset. 'Bama wins.

Maryland at Boston College. If BC can limit its turnovers, I like the Eagles to win on the shoulders of the defense. If not, the Terps will score the upset.

Big Games:

Oregon at Oregon State. The absence of Oregon State's freshman sensation RB Jacquizz Rodgers will hurt. Still, the Beavers will air it out with success to beat their rivals at home and clinch a Rose Bowl berth. Take that Trojans and your hot Song Girls and your probable at-large BCS bowl berth!

CHARLIE WEIS'S JOB ON THE LINE ALERT: Notre Dame at USC. This is a big game in the sense that much is at stake and there are many story lines. Storied rivalry. Irish coach Charlie Weis's job is on the line. And the Trojans are hoping to play themselves into the national title game. Like everone in the universe, I think the swoon of the Irish will continue in an embarrassing loss to USC that will have Notre Dame's haters hating with full throat.

Biggest Game:

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State. All the ingredients exist for a possible Oklahoma State upset: Home crowd. Night game. National television audience. For those who think the Sooners will win in a rout, think again.

That said, the question is whether the Cowboys have the horsepower on both offense and defense to topple the white-hot Sooners. My answer is yes. Okie State's talent, of which they have lots, has shone at home this year. And given the rivalry and high stakes, I expect the Cowboys to be focused.

But all of that may not be enough. The Sooners play well on the road and have now reached a zone of focus that might give Tiger Woods pause. And no team, not even Texas, has so far neutralized Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford, who slings the ball like a laser-guided bomb. Whether the Sooners will ultimately get to the national title game is unclear, but that is a discussion for another day. On this night, Oklahoma wins.