September 16, 2010
Time to take a look at this week's notable matchups in college football. And do change things up a little bit, this time I'm going to rank the games in order of significance. ESPN isn't labeling this one a "Monster Saturday" but it's still a day jampacked with great matchups. Remember, every Saturday is a "Monster Saturday." Can't miss out on any college football game.
My Rankings
Week 3's Most Important Matchups
1. TEXAS at Texas Tech 8pm on ABC
Doesn’t this bring back memories. All of the coverage and hype this game is getting by ESPN is bringing back the jitters. It feels like yesterday I’m sitting on the couch anxious to death waiting and waiting for the release of the BCS Standings only to see that Texas had again gotten screwed over.
Now I’m pumped for this game as my Horns go back into Lubbock to redeem what happened that night in 2008 and need a huge performance and a convincing win to both shut up that fan base and impress the pollsters.
And I’m just as anxious and pumped for this game as I was in 2008 even though this time we’re not the #1 team in the nation and ending that four-game gauntlet on the schedule, but believe me everything is still on the line.
This is the big revenge game for Texas. We all remember that horrendous night in 2008 when Michael Crabtree caught the game-winning touchdown pass for Tech with 1 second left on the clock (only because Blake Gideon dropped the interception that would have won the game, and on the Crabtree catch, Earl Thomas jumped the route but didn't get there in time and Curtis Brown missed a tackle. If Earl would’ve stayed back he would have been in position for the tackle after Crabtree got away from Curtis). Now though, it's one of the nation's best secondaries at Texas.
But that catch by Crabtree was the only blemish on the 2008 season, it cost the Longhorns the 2008 BCS National Championship and probably cost Colt McCoy the Heisman Trophy. I could go on about Texas getting screwed over that year for a long time. But I won't.
This is the first true road game for new quarterback Garrett Gilbert and the 12 freshmen getting significant playing for Texas this year, notably defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and receiver Mike Davis. They played Rice at Reliant Stadium (with an atmosphere that was a virtual Texas home game) and then battled Wyoming at home. So this is the first hostile environment the young Texas players will step into. How they handle that will determine the outcome of this game.
At this point, Texas Tech is a borderline Top 25 team, but Texas is no doubt the superior team on paper, but Tech has the experience, but a new coach with Tommy Tuberville.
What worries me in this game is the new Texas offense that is focusing on a downhill running game with Gilbert under center and handing the ball off to Fozzy Whittaker (named the starter for this game) and Tre’ Newton. This is the first test the offensive line will receive by having to deal with Brian Duncan and Colby Whitlock along the Tech D-Line. The Tech offense is still as explosive as it was under Mike Leach and with the injury to Christian Scott at safety, the Longhorns lack experienced depth in the secondary and Tech will spread the ball out. If Tech gets out to a lead and/or the game becomes a shootout, Texas will have to abandon the downhill run game and spread the ball out with Gilbert. Garrett hasn't looked good throwing the ball yet, even though he has made good decisions and hasn't turned the ball over yet. He's just missed a lot of open throws. That can't happen in Lubbock. Lyle Leong and Detron Lewis are the two bigtime Tech receivers and I'm not sure you can go man-to-man with them. The great secondary of Aaron Williams, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown, Blake Gideon, and Kenny Vaccaro will have its hands full. If they can lock down a receiver long enough for the defensive line to get to Taylor Potts, the game should be in good hands. I know WIll Muschamp is down there with a lot of ways to bring the heat on Potts.
Texas Tech on the road brings back nightmares, but I like the matchup that Texas can win, but they can't get off to a slow start like they have the past two weeks.
Texas wins 27-23
Result: Texas 24, Texas Tech 14
2. Iowa at ARIZONA 10:30 pm on ESPN
Arizona looks great after the 33-0 loss in last year's Holiday Bowl to Nebraska. The AP Poll has the Wildcats at 24, I have them at 18, and they do have a legitimate shot at winning the Pac-10 and going to their first ever Rose Bowl. Who could they face in the 2011 Rose Bowl? Iowa.
Iowa won last year's matchup 27-17 after scoring 20 unanswered points after Arizona gained a lot of momentum. Arizona had its quarterback situation early last season until Nick Foles took over full-time and has now emerged as the Pac-10's top three quarterbacks. In this game last year Foles threw for only 55 yards, but had a late touchdown pass to Juron Criner. Saturday, I expect to see more of the Foles-Criner connection as Juron has really emerged as the big down the field receiver.
Iowa has the best receiver tandem in the Big Ten with Marvin McNutt and Darrell Johnson-Koulianos, but this should be a relatively low scoring game (maybe 23-21) with these two defenses. Arizona is in my opinion the best Pac-10 defense while Iowa is among the best in the nation.
What to watch is that Iowa hasn't done well in its past trips to the state of Arizona as hey lost 44-7 to Arizona State in 2004 and 35-11 to Arizona in 1996.
Earlier this year I said Iowa had a chance to go undefeated, but that was before I saw with my own eyes the vast improvements Arizona has made. Arizona wins 25-21
Result: Arizona 34, Iowa 27
3. Florida at Tennessee 3:30 on CBS
The big news this week in Gainesville was the suspension of Chris Rainey, one of the Gators' top playmakers who moved to receiver this season. As if John Brantley and the offense hasn't struggled enough, take away his top playmaker. Returning from last year's injury is explosive runningback Jeff Demps. Demps is going to have get some huge gains on offense to help out Brantley.
Tennessee put Oregon on Upset Alert last week and then got blown away in the second half of that game in a 48-13 loss. That should only fuel Tennessee more for this rivalry game. Despite the Oregon offensive barrage on the Vols, this is still a good Tennessee defense on a given Saturday. If the Florida offense and Brantley struggle again to get things going, they don't win this game.
Florida wins 23-17
Result: Florida 31, Tennessee 17
4. East Carolina at Virginia Tech 1:30
Virginia Tech is 2-1 against East Carolina in the past three years, but the Pirates have always played the Hokies tough and we remember the 2008 opening day upset when the Pirates turned a blocked punt into a touchdown for a 27-22 win.
Virginia Tech lost last week to FCS-foe James Madison and of course had the heartbreak against Boise State the week before. Now, lucky Tech, they get the Pirates for yet another tough game. It's in Blacksburg, but with the struggles they're going through and the success East Carolina has had, Virginia Tech could end up 0-3.
The Hokies won last year's matchup in November 16-3 but struggled in the redzone and had three short field goals. Of course, the defense stepped up that day, but new ECU quarterback (Boston College transfer if the name sounds familiar to you) Dominique Davis has a variety of weapons for a high-powered offense (remember that shootout with Tulsa in week one?) Justin Jones is a big 6-foot-8 receiver that's going to cause matchup problems for Tech.
But lets look at this realistically. Ryan Williams ran all over the Pirates with 179 yards last year. He didn't find the endzone, but he'll do plenty of that this Saturday. Hokies need to come out with intensity, they still have the ACC to play for and need to realize that before coming out flat like they did last week against JMU. That's how you lose games, in the mental aspect of it.
Virginia Tech wins 30-17
Result: Virginia Tech 49, East Carolina 27
5. Georgia Tech at North Carolina 12:00
Georgia Tech's coming off of its upset (finally somebody beat them) to Kansas 28-25. Georgia Tech won the ACC last year and was labeled as a top contender again this year, but you all know me, I never jumped on the GT bandwagon. I wanted Clemson to win the ACC last year, and I had Iowa winning the Orange Bowl. Georgia Tech with its offense and non-existent defense (although improved under new defensive coordinator Al Groh) is the most overrated team in the land. WIth the loss to Kansas, the Yellow Jackets have finally dropped from the rankings.
North Carolina on the other hand, is very underrated. After watching the performane against LSU you have to wonder that if UNC had all of its personnel off of suspension, would they have won the game? I think yes. Getting tailbacks Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn and top receiver Greg Little back from suspension are huge for the Tar Heels. They need those players back. I'm still waiting for the gametime updates, but Draughn has been cleared to play this Saturday. The key pieces of the defense need to return, with everyone on the field, Carolina has the top defense in the nation, which is important for facing Georgia Tech's offense.
Nonetheless, without the key players on defense, North Carolina was off last week which is a huge advantage to prepare for the triple-option spread offense. Anytime you give a good coaching staff time, they can utilize ways to slow down the offense. The key is whether the replacements in the UNC defense can handle their duties lacking experience.
North Carolina wins 30-28
Result: Georgia Tech 30, North Carolina 24
6. Arkansas at Georgia 12pm
I can't wait for this matchup, and the only downside is that while I am in the stands of the Penn State-Kent State football game Saturday, this game will be going on and I'll be missing it.
Arkansas finally gets tested against a true SEC defense that had a heavy weight battle last weekend with South Carolina. Ryan Mallett is a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, mainly because he has all of his offensive weapons back from a year ago like top target Greg Childs. I still want to see more from the Arkansas defense, and of course I won't be able to see it on TV, but maybe the stat lines can give an indiciation as to what Georgia's offense can muster. Georgia is again without top receiver AJ Green.
I expect Arkansas to win this SEC opener on the road, but the offense won't be exploding for 40+ points even though this game was a shootout last year and Mallett passed for over 400 yards. This is the most improved Georgia defense under the new coordinator. Expect three touchdowns maximum, but Arkansas will win and continue to prepare for the Alabama showdown in the coming weeks.
Arkansas wins 24-20
Result: Arkansas 31, Georgia 24
7. Arizona State at Wisconsin 3:30pm
Wisconsin will see a familiar face as Michigan transfer QB Steven Threet takes over for Arizona State. He had a big game throwing for 391 yards against Northern Arizona last week. Against an inferior team, Threet attempted 49 passes, but the offense will have to be a lot more balanced to stay in the game against Wisconsin.
Arizona State is a top 25 defense with a strong defensive line and an emerging prospect in sophomore middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict. John Clay will have to have another 100-yard game. Scott Tolzien struggled against San Jose State with a couple interceptions. That can’t happen as the competition stiffens.
Wisconsin wins 33-28
*Update: Wisconsin WR's Nick Toon and David Gilreath are both out for this game. It could change the complexion. Gilreath is also the Badgers punt returner.
Result: Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 19
8. Brigham Young at Florida State 3:30pm
BYU was flying high last year when the Seminoles landed in Provo and altered the images of the BCS that the Cougars had. Florida State lit up the BYU defense in a 54-28 win. Florida State had a chance to do what BYU did in beating Oklahoma last year, but was ousted 47-17. Now BYU flies in to try to kick em while they're down, but a reminder that the Cougars also got routed by Air Force last week. BYU needs signature wins again this year. Florida State needs to blow out the Cougs again to show they are not what they appeared to be last week against OU.
Florida State wins 28-21
Result: Florida State 34, BYU 10
I'm tired... Other games to watch..
Baylor at TCU 4:30
*Baylor QB Robert Griffin will cause "Denard Robinson" like problems for the TCU defense putting the Horned Frogs directly on Upset Alert.
*TCU's defense should put things together and Baylor has no answer on the defensive side of the ball or on special team for the dynamic Jeremy Kerley and the TCU run game.
TCU wins 35-24
Result: TCU 45, Baylor 10
Air Force at Oklahoma 3:30
*Air Force just blew out BYU, Oklahoma blew out Florida State. BYU and Florida State now play each other too.
*Air Force QB Tim Jefferson is the perfect man for the triple-option offense. Oklahoma spent a lot of time preparing for Florida State's offense in pro-style quarterback Christian Ponder and now have to make a quick adjustment for the Air Force system. This could lead to a slow start and an Air Force lead in the first quarter.
*Oklahoma's defense is much better than it appeared to be against Utah State. The front seven match up with anyone in the country. They must stick with their assignments to slow down Air Force and leave the rest up to the Oklahoma offense.
Oklahoma wins 45-21
Result: Oklahoma 27, Air Force 24
HOUSTON at UCLA 10:30
The status of Quarterback Case Keenum who left last week’s game with a head injury is still up in the air. Without Keenum, Houston will have a tough time winning on the road even if backup Cotton Turner can run the offense. The offenses goes as Keenum goes and with that said, he has had his struggles this year throwing a lot of early interceptions and with Rahim Moore playing centerfield for UCLA, Keenum or whoever the quarterback is needs to take care of the football. Moore led the FBS in interceptions last year.
UCLA will also attack with linebacker Akeem Ayers and freshman defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa. Kevin Prince is back healthy at QB for UCLA and returns his top weapons Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree and of course the Bruins have All-America kicker Kai Forbath back, too.
Houston returns all the key components of its offense from a year with star receivers Patrick Edwards, James Cleveland, and Tyron Carrier and backs Charles Sims and Bryce Beall.
*Update: Houston is preparing the offensive game plan as if Case Keenum will play. Coach Sumlin has yet to announce the plans
UCLA wins 30-28
Result: UCLA 31, Houston 13
Clemson at Auburn 7:00
These two groups of Tigers last met in 2007 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl where Auburn won 23-20. The Auburn Tigers have won the last 13 matchups with Clemson. Is it finally time that Clemson won? Yeah probably, but should it happen? No because before the season I projected Auburn to go undefeated going into the Iron Bowl. The only way that doesn’t happen is if Auburn drops a game at home, potentially against South Carolina next week, LSU in October or Georgia in November. The schedule works out perfectly if Auburn executes its game-plan every week.
Clemson has a chance to get the ACC a signature win before they begin conference play. The offense is replacing CJ Spiller and Jacoby Ford with youth. Sophomore Andre Ellington who got meaningful carries last year replaces Spiller while freshmen Bryce McNeal and Martavis Bryant need to contribute in the passing game. Clemson is lucky to have back Kyle Parker at quarterback. This game should be a defensive battle, Auburn is still looking for rhythm on offense and Clemson is young, but these two defenses are very experienced. Clemson brings back All-ACC linemen Da’Quan Bowers and Jarvis Jenkins along with DeAndre McDaniel, possibly the best safety in the nation while Auburn has their own great safety in Zac Ehteridge and have Neiko Thorpe and Josh Bynes back also.
Auburn wins 31-21
Result: Auburn 27, Clemson 24
More Upset Alerts:(Possibility of Happening in my Opinion. Scale of 5)
Winner is bolded
Southern Miss over Kansas (3/5)
Nevada over Cal (2/5)
Washington over Nebraska (2/5)
Minnesota over USC (1/5)
Hawaii over Colorado (4/5)
Mississippi State over LSU (4/5)
Tulsa over Oklahoma State (1/5)
Wyoming over Boise State (2/5)
Utah State over Fresno State (1/5)
Wake Forest over Stanford (2/5)
Temple over Connecticut (3/5)
My Rankings
Week 3's Most Important Matchups
1. TEXAS at Texas Tech 8pm on ABC
Doesn’t this bring back memories. All of the coverage and hype this game is getting by ESPN is bringing back the jitters. It feels like yesterday I’m sitting on the couch anxious to death waiting and waiting for the release of the BCS Standings only to see that Texas had again gotten screwed over.
Now I’m pumped for this game as my Horns go back into Lubbock to redeem what happened that night in 2008 and need a huge performance and a convincing win to both shut up that fan base and impress the pollsters.
And I’m just as anxious and pumped for this game as I was in 2008 even though this time we’re not the #1 team in the nation and ending that four-game gauntlet on the schedule, but believe me everything is still on the line.
This is the big revenge game for Texas. We all remember that horrendous night in 2008 when Michael Crabtree caught the game-winning touchdown pass for Tech with 1 second left on the clock (only because Blake Gideon dropped the interception that would have won the game, and on the Crabtree catch, Earl Thomas jumped the route but didn't get there in time and Curtis Brown missed a tackle. If Earl would’ve stayed back he would have been in position for the tackle after Crabtree got away from Curtis). Now though, it's one of the nation's best secondaries at Texas.
But that catch by Crabtree was the only blemish on the 2008 season, it cost the Longhorns the 2008 BCS National Championship and probably cost Colt McCoy the Heisman Trophy. I could go on about Texas getting screwed over that year for a long time. But I won't.
This is the first true road game for new quarterback Garrett Gilbert and the 12 freshmen getting significant playing for Texas this year, notably defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and receiver Mike Davis. They played Rice at Reliant Stadium (with an atmosphere that was a virtual Texas home game) and then battled Wyoming at home. So this is the first hostile environment the young Texas players will step into. How they handle that will determine the outcome of this game.
At this point, Texas Tech is a borderline Top 25 team, but Texas is no doubt the superior team on paper, but Tech has the experience, but a new coach with Tommy Tuberville.
What worries me in this game is the new Texas offense that is focusing on a downhill running game with Gilbert under center and handing the ball off to Fozzy Whittaker (named the starter for this game) and Tre’ Newton. This is the first test the offensive line will receive by having to deal with Brian Duncan and Colby Whitlock along the Tech D-Line. The Tech offense is still as explosive as it was under Mike Leach and with the injury to Christian Scott at safety, the Longhorns lack experienced depth in the secondary and Tech will spread the ball out. If Tech gets out to a lead and/or the game becomes a shootout, Texas will have to abandon the downhill run game and spread the ball out with Gilbert. Garrett hasn't looked good throwing the ball yet, even though he has made good decisions and hasn't turned the ball over yet. He's just missed a lot of open throws. That can't happen in Lubbock. Lyle Leong and Detron Lewis are the two bigtime Tech receivers and I'm not sure you can go man-to-man with them. The great secondary of Aaron Williams, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown, Blake Gideon, and Kenny Vaccaro will have its hands full. If they can lock down a receiver long enough for the defensive line to get to Taylor Potts, the game should be in good hands. I know WIll Muschamp is down there with a lot of ways to bring the heat on Potts.
Texas Tech on the road brings back nightmares, but I like the matchup that Texas can win, but they can't get off to a slow start like they have the past two weeks.
Texas wins 27-23
Result: Texas 24, Texas Tech 14
2. Iowa at ARIZONA 10:30 pm on ESPN
Arizona looks great after the 33-0 loss in last year's Holiday Bowl to Nebraska. The AP Poll has the Wildcats at 24, I have them at 18, and they do have a legitimate shot at winning the Pac-10 and going to their first ever Rose Bowl. Who could they face in the 2011 Rose Bowl? Iowa.
Iowa won last year's matchup 27-17 after scoring 20 unanswered points after Arizona gained a lot of momentum. Arizona had its quarterback situation early last season until Nick Foles took over full-time and has now emerged as the Pac-10's top three quarterbacks. In this game last year Foles threw for only 55 yards, but had a late touchdown pass to Juron Criner. Saturday, I expect to see more of the Foles-Criner connection as Juron has really emerged as the big down the field receiver.
Iowa has the best receiver tandem in the Big Ten with Marvin McNutt and Darrell Johnson-Koulianos, but this should be a relatively low scoring game (maybe 23-21) with these two defenses. Arizona is in my opinion the best Pac-10 defense while Iowa is among the best in the nation.
What to watch is that Iowa hasn't done well in its past trips to the state of Arizona as hey lost 44-7 to Arizona State in 2004 and 35-11 to Arizona in 1996.
Earlier this year I said Iowa had a chance to go undefeated, but that was before I saw with my own eyes the vast improvements Arizona has made. Arizona wins 25-21
Result: Arizona 34, Iowa 27
3. Florida at Tennessee 3:30 on CBS
The big news this week in Gainesville was the suspension of Chris Rainey, one of the Gators' top playmakers who moved to receiver this season. As if John Brantley and the offense hasn't struggled enough, take away his top playmaker. Returning from last year's injury is explosive runningback Jeff Demps. Demps is going to have get some huge gains on offense to help out Brantley.
Tennessee put Oregon on Upset Alert last week and then got blown away in the second half of that game in a 48-13 loss. That should only fuel Tennessee more for this rivalry game. Despite the Oregon offensive barrage on the Vols, this is still a good Tennessee defense on a given Saturday. If the Florida offense and Brantley struggle again to get things going, they don't win this game.
Florida wins 23-17
Result: Florida 31, Tennessee 17
4. East Carolina at Virginia Tech 1:30
Virginia Tech is 2-1 against East Carolina in the past three years, but the Pirates have always played the Hokies tough and we remember the 2008 opening day upset when the Pirates turned a blocked punt into a touchdown for a 27-22 win.
Virginia Tech lost last week to FCS-foe James Madison and of course had the heartbreak against Boise State the week before. Now, lucky Tech, they get the Pirates for yet another tough game. It's in Blacksburg, but with the struggles they're going through and the success East Carolina has had, Virginia Tech could end up 0-3.
The Hokies won last year's matchup in November 16-3 but struggled in the redzone and had three short field goals. Of course, the defense stepped up that day, but new ECU quarterback (Boston College transfer if the name sounds familiar to you) Dominique Davis has a variety of weapons for a high-powered offense (remember that shootout with Tulsa in week one?) Justin Jones is a big 6-foot-8 receiver that's going to cause matchup problems for Tech.
But lets look at this realistically. Ryan Williams ran all over the Pirates with 179 yards last year. He didn't find the endzone, but he'll do plenty of that this Saturday. Hokies need to come out with intensity, they still have the ACC to play for and need to realize that before coming out flat like they did last week against JMU. That's how you lose games, in the mental aspect of it.
Virginia Tech wins 30-17
Result: Virginia Tech 49, East Carolina 27
5. Georgia Tech at North Carolina 12:00
Georgia Tech's coming off of its upset (finally somebody beat them) to Kansas 28-25. Georgia Tech won the ACC last year and was labeled as a top contender again this year, but you all know me, I never jumped on the GT bandwagon. I wanted Clemson to win the ACC last year, and I had Iowa winning the Orange Bowl. Georgia Tech with its offense and non-existent defense (although improved under new defensive coordinator Al Groh) is the most overrated team in the land. WIth the loss to Kansas, the Yellow Jackets have finally dropped from the rankings.
North Carolina on the other hand, is very underrated. After watching the performane against LSU you have to wonder that if UNC had all of its personnel off of suspension, would they have won the game? I think yes. Getting tailbacks Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn and top receiver Greg Little back from suspension are huge for the Tar Heels. They need those players back. I'm still waiting for the gametime updates, but Draughn has been cleared to play this Saturday. The key pieces of the defense need to return, with everyone on the field, Carolina has the top defense in the nation, which is important for facing Georgia Tech's offense.
Nonetheless, without the key players on defense, North Carolina was off last week which is a huge advantage to prepare for the triple-option spread offense. Anytime you give a good coaching staff time, they can utilize ways to slow down the offense. The key is whether the replacements in the UNC defense can handle their duties lacking experience.
North Carolina wins 30-28
Result: Georgia Tech 30, North Carolina 24
6. Arkansas at Georgia 12pm
I can't wait for this matchup, and the only downside is that while I am in the stands of the Penn State-Kent State football game Saturday, this game will be going on and I'll be missing it.
Arkansas finally gets tested against a true SEC defense that had a heavy weight battle last weekend with South Carolina. Ryan Mallett is a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, mainly because he has all of his offensive weapons back from a year ago like top target Greg Childs. I still want to see more from the Arkansas defense, and of course I won't be able to see it on TV, but maybe the stat lines can give an indiciation as to what Georgia's offense can muster. Georgia is again without top receiver AJ Green.
I expect Arkansas to win this SEC opener on the road, but the offense won't be exploding for 40+ points even though this game was a shootout last year and Mallett passed for over 400 yards. This is the most improved Georgia defense under the new coordinator. Expect three touchdowns maximum, but Arkansas will win and continue to prepare for the Alabama showdown in the coming weeks.
Arkansas wins 24-20
Result: Arkansas 31, Georgia 24
7. Arizona State at Wisconsin 3:30pm
Wisconsin will see a familiar face as Michigan transfer QB Steven Threet takes over for Arizona State. He had a big game throwing for 391 yards against Northern Arizona last week. Against an inferior team, Threet attempted 49 passes, but the offense will have to be a lot more balanced to stay in the game against Wisconsin.
Arizona State is a top 25 defense with a strong defensive line and an emerging prospect in sophomore middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict. John Clay will have to have another 100-yard game. Scott Tolzien struggled against San Jose State with a couple interceptions. That can’t happen as the competition stiffens.
Wisconsin wins 33-28
*Update: Wisconsin WR's Nick Toon and David Gilreath are both out for this game. It could change the complexion. Gilreath is also the Badgers punt returner.
Result: Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 19
8. Brigham Young at Florida State 3:30pm
BYU was flying high last year when the Seminoles landed in Provo and altered the images of the BCS that the Cougars had. Florida State lit up the BYU defense in a 54-28 win. Florida State had a chance to do what BYU did in beating Oklahoma last year, but was ousted 47-17. Now BYU flies in to try to kick em while they're down, but a reminder that the Cougars also got routed by Air Force last week. BYU needs signature wins again this year. Florida State needs to blow out the Cougs again to show they are not what they appeared to be last week against OU.
Florida State wins 28-21
Result: Florida State 34, BYU 10
I'm tired... Other games to watch..
Baylor at TCU 4:30
*Baylor QB Robert Griffin will cause "Denard Robinson" like problems for the TCU defense putting the Horned Frogs directly on Upset Alert.
*TCU's defense should put things together and Baylor has no answer on the defensive side of the ball or on special team for the dynamic Jeremy Kerley and the TCU run game.
TCU wins 35-24
Result: TCU 45, Baylor 10
Air Force at Oklahoma 3:30
*Air Force just blew out BYU, Oklahoma blew out Florida State. BYU and Florida State now play each other too.
*Air Force QB Tim Jefferson is the perfect man for the triple-option offense. Oklahoma spent a lot of time preparing for Florida State's offense in pro-style quarterback Christian Ponder and now have to make a quick adjustment for the Air Force system. This could lead to a slow start and an Air Force lead in the first quarter.
*Oklahoma's defense is much better than it appeared to be against Utah State. The front seven match up with anyone in the country. They must stick with their assignments to slow down Air Force and leave the rest up to the Oklahoma offense.
Oklahoma wins 45-21
Result: Oklahoma 27, Air Force 24
HOUSTON at UCLA 10:30
The status of Quarterback Case Keenum who left last week’s game with a head injury is still up in the air. Without Keenum, Houston will have a tough time winning on the road even if backup Cotton Turner can run the offense. The offenses goes as Keenum goes and with that said, he has had his struggles this year throwing a lot of early interceptions and with Rahim Moore playing centerfield for UCLA, Keenum or whoever the quarterback is needs to take care of the football. Moore led the FBS in interceptions last year.
UCLA will also attack with linebacker Akeem Ayers and freshman defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa. Kevin Prince is back healthy at QB for UCLA and returns his top weapons Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree and of course the Bruins have All-America kicker Kai Forbath back, too.
Houston returns all the key components of its offense from a year with star receivers Patrick Edwards, James Cleveland, and Tyron Carrier and backs Charles Sims and Bryce Beall.
*Update: Houston is preparing the offensive game plan as if Case Keenum will play. Coach Sumlin has yet to announce the plans
UCLA wins 30-28
Result: UCLA 31, Houston 13
Clemson at Auburn 7:00
These two groups of Tigers last met in 2007 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl where Auburn won 23-20. The Auburn Tigers have won the last 13 matchups with Clemson. Is it finally time that Clemson won? Yeah probably, but should it happen? No because before the season I projected Auburn to go undefeated going into the Iron Bowl. The only way that doesn’t happen is if Auburn drops a game at home, potentially against South Carolina next week, LSU in October or Georgia in November. The schedule works out perfectly if Auburn executes its game-plan every week.
Clemson has a chance to get the ACC a signature win before they begin conference play. The offense is replacing CJ Spiller and Jacoby Ford with youth. Sophomore Andre Ellington who got meaningful carries last year replaces Spiller while freshmen Bryce McNeal and Martavis Bryant need to contribute in the passing game. Clemson is lucky to have back Kyle Parker at quarterback. This game should be a defensive battle, Auburn is still looking for rhythm on offense and Clemson is young, but these two defenses are very experienced. Clemson brings back All-ACC linemen Da’Quan Bowers and Jarvis Jenkins along with DeAndre McDaniel, possibly the best safety in the nation while Auburn has their own great safety in Zac Ehteridge and have Neiko Thorpe and Josh Bynes back also.
Auburn wins 31-21
Result: Auburn 27, Clemson 24
More Upset Alerts:(Possibility of Happening in my Opinion. Scale of 5)
Winner is bolded
Southern Miss over Kansas (3/5)
Nevada over Cal (2/5)
Washington over Nebraska (2/5)
Minnesota over USC (1/5)
Hawaii over Colorado (4/5)
Mississippi State over LSU (4/5)
Tulsa over Oklahoma State (1/5)
Wyoming over Boise State (2/5)
Utah State over Fresno State (1/5)
Wake Forest over Stanford (2/5)
Temple over Connecticut (3/5)
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