The college football season is flying by! We're already in week five and October tends to be the month of HUGE conference showdowns. I struggled with my predictions of the big games last weekend, but I've held my own for the season with a record of 72-11. We've got some marquee names playing against each other today and it should be a fun day of games, so let's see how my predictions work out!
#1 Florida: Idle
#2 Texas: Idle
#3 Alabama vs. Kentucky: In the SEC west, there's Alabama and then there's everyone else. I think they've been the most complete team in the conference this season and I expect them to handle Kentucky easily. And Kentucky is AWFUL this season.
#4 LSU vs. #18 Georgia: I can't figure out these two teams. I think LSU is woefully overrated and Georgia is woefully inconsistent. When I think about the match-ups in this game, I feel like Georgia has an advantage, but that doesn't mean much. LSU has some holes on the defensive line, and Georgia should be able to establish the running game. And Georgia is weak in the secondary, but LSU hasn't done too much with the vertical passing game. And for the same reason that I usually pick every week, I'll take the Dawgs because I think Mark Richt is a better coach than Les Miles.
#5 Boise State vs. UC Davis: Boise State will continue to win and move up the rankings and it'll be interesting to see where they are when the BCS standings are released. UC Davis will be just another small bump on the road as Boise motors ahead.
#6 Virginia Tech vs. Duke: People were down on Virginia Tech after their opening loss against Alabama, but I think that's more of an indication of how good Alabama is than anything else. The Hokies are tough on defense and special teams, and they're starting to develop some playmakers on offense. No chance of a letdown this week against Duke.
#7 USC vs. #24 California: I think everyone jumped off the Cal bandwagon like it was about to explode. Not me! The loss to Oregon didn't surprise me, but I was surprised with the way they lost. If California can complete some big passes and open up running lanes for Jahvid Best, I think they have a great chance to win this game. I expect the Bears to play a little more relaxed coming off a loss and their crowd should be wild. USC just seems down this year and I think losing Stafon Johnson will really hurt. Bears in the upset!
#8 Oklahoma vs. #17 Miami (FL): Oklahoma comes into this game without their starting quarterback and their best receiver, but I'm still taking the Sooners. I don't think Miami has played against a defensive unit like Oklahoma's this season, and I think the Sooners will frustrate Jacory Harris all game. I expect this to be a low-scoring battle, but Oklahoma's defense will shut down the Canes and get a huge road win in Miami.
#9 Ohio State vs. Indiana: Indiana played tough against Michigan last week, but I don't expect the same close game this weekend against the Buckeyes. Ohio State will play great defense and not make mistakes and win comfortably.
#10 Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH): As I look at the schedule for the Bearcats, this is a team that'll be favored in the rest of their games this season. It's a long way to go, but Cincinnati certainly has a chance at going undefeated. It'll be interesting to see how they handle the pressure as they continue to win games and move up the rankings. If you can't tell, I think they'll beat Miami (OH).
#11 TCU vs. SMU: TCU continues to establish themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the country and they're showing it again this season. The Horned Frogs will take care of business against SMU and march towards their showdown against BYU on October 24th.
#12 Houston vs. UTEP: I love how half of Houston's schedule is against other teams from the state of Texas. The Cougars will beat UTEP and continue to put up points and maybe Case Keenum deserves some Heisman consideration.
#13 Iowa vs. Arkansas State: I'll go ahead and say right now I think Iowa is overrated. I don't consider beating Penn State last week to be a huge accomplishment because Penn State was even MORE overrated. I'll take the Hawkeyes to beat Arkansas State, but it wouldn't surprise me if this game ends up being close.
#14 Oklahoma State vs. Idle
#15 Penn State vs. Illinois: The Nittany Lions should come out angry after their loss last week and strangle the Illinois offense. However, Ron Zook has so much talent on this Illinois team that you always worry about playing them just because of their potential. I'll take Penn State because the Fighting Illini never seem to pull it all together.
#16 Oregon vs. Washington State: Too much was made of Oregon's opening loss against Boise State. They're still a good team and they'll have a solid year, even if they don't bring back LeGarrette Blount. They'll win this game because Washington State is one of the worst teams in any of the major conferences in football.
#19 Kansas vs. Idle
#20 BYU vs. Utah State: Played Friday night
#21 Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt: Ole Miss is finally ranked where they deserve to be. All the players spent the past week talking about how they're glad the pressure is off and now they can get back to working hard and just playing football, which is RIDICULOUS! If you want to become great, you have to learn how to handle expectations and Houston Nutt needs to change the mindset of his players. I like Ole Miss to win this game but I expect them to be a big disappointment this season.
#22 Michigan vs. Michigan State: This could be the most exciting game of the weekend. I expect both teams to put up tons of points, but I expect the Wolverines to make the most plays and get the win.
#23 Nebraska vs. Idle
#25 Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State: Georgia Tech got a strong win against North Carolina last week and I expect them to build on that momentum against Miss. State. Hopefully, this will be the only win against the Bulldogs for Georgia Tech this season.
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