A Look Ahead to the Weekend

Alabama over South Carolina, 20-10. Both teams sport great defenses, but I'm not sure the Cocks have enough offensive horses to keep up at Alabama. They have two great wideouts, but one of them is a freshman and makes a lot of mental errors. Next year, Mr. Gurley will be a great one for the Old Ball Coach.

Texas over Oklahoma, 35-24. Both teams appear improved defensively, but OU is not where they need to be offensively to beat a team like Texas. Plus, Mack Brown is a better big game coach than Bob Stoops. However, being the underdog in this game might be enough motivation for OU to pull this out: I don't think it will be though. The better team doesn't always win, but the better team that is better coached usually does. That's why Florida rarely loses.

Georgia Tech takes down Va Tech, 27-24. Caution, however: Georgia Tech's defense has been giving up yards and points in huge bunches. The O has found a little mojo since the Miami game, but none of those games featured a defense like Va Tech's. Va Tech has struggled away from home this year though, which I think will give Georgia Tech enough time to get the option rolling against the Hokies. Last year, Va Tech did a decent job against the option, at least in managing points. The Va Tech offense is what costs them this game.

USC over Notre Dame, 35-23. I keep hearing about how Notre Dame has a chance in this game. The experts are divided. It's at Notre Dame. They are improved. Notre Dame is winning close games this year, which they haven't done so well the past few seasons. However, this one won't be close. I think the Irish defense's inability to stop the run and the offense's inability to score TDs in the red zone will be what prevents them from having a chance in this game.

Wisconsin over Iowa, 28-16. Wisconsin is a pretty good football team. Not a great team, but they COULD beat any time outside the top 10 on any given Saturday, and probably even Cincinnati and Boise State from the top 10 based on what I've seen from those two.

Penn State over Minnesota, 31-14.
Nebraska over Texas Tech, 28-24. Tech wants this game in the 30's. Nebraska wants it in the teens. Nebraska's D is too good and O too bad for it to get into the 30's. Tech's O is too explosive and it's D too undisciplined to keep it in the teens. Into the 20's it goes. Advantage: sea of red.

OK State over Mizzou, 35-28. Both teams need help on D. Mizzou needs a confidence boost, and maybe they can pull off the shocker, but I wouldn't bet on it: unless the spread were 14...OK State needs this win to establish the credibility they lost when Houston lost by double digits to UTEP after beating the Cowboys at home by 10.

Kansas over Colorado, 42-24. Kansas' D looked bad all season until last week, when it looked horrific. Iowa State had guys wide open all over the field, especially on third down and in the fourth quarter. It's a good thing for their D that CU is atrociously bad on both sides of the ball. At some point, there needs to be some senior leadership (or coaching) that says enough is enough, let's go win. It won't come from Hawkins, it's pretty obvious his players don't buy into his stuff, but somebody needs to step up and lead the way! This is pathetic, it looks like intramural football at times. And we all know how Dan Hawkins feels about Division I and intramural football...

Utah over UNLV, 27-7. UNLV is in a similar situation as Colorado: somebody has to step up and stop the bleeding. The D is bad. I paused during a couple of plays last game to show my wife how GAPING the holes were for BYU running backs to go through, you could literally drive a car through them. And Utah has a better offensive line to block with! The only way Utah doesn't rush for 300 yards is if they get down to their 5th string RB (depth is a little shaky at that spot right now). The UNLV O has some playmakers and their return game is decent. The problem is: UNLV's playmakers line up opposite of Utah's. And Utah's are playing with confidence and reckless abandon. And it helps that they never get called for pass interference...

TCU over Colorado State, 31-13. CSU had a chance to establish itself as one of the competitors for the MWC crown last week, and led Utah 17-3 late in the 3rd quarter. A couple of picks and some bad special teams later, and they were on the short end of a 24-17 home loss. TCU has a better defense, a similar offense, and better special teams than Utah. Plus they get this game in warm weather at home.

Rutgers plays its first Big East home game since that debacle against Cincy in week one on Labor Day. They look like an improved team, but playing 2 I-AA teams, a Sun Belt bottom feeder, and Maryland can get anybody on a roll. Even Idaho could run through that undefeated...wait, can't make jokes like that this year with the 5-1 Vandals...Pitt 31, Rutgers 17.

MWC game I am most excited to see this weekend: Wyoming at Air Force. Both teams are hanging tough right now at 2-0 and 2-1 in conference play, respectively. Both teams play at Utah in their next game: Air Force next week and Wyoming in two weeks (following a bye). This game gives the winner confidence heading into that game, and keeps them in the running to remain in the top 3 come season's end. For Wyoming, it can keep them on top of the MWC Standings heading towards November: a place they haven't been in a long time. For Air Force, it keeps them around as a potential dark horse, should TCU falter, who beat them last week.
Air Force is 3-3 with all 3 by 7 points or less, 2 of them on the road and 1 of them to a top 10 team.
Wyoming stands at 4-2, 4-0 when not playing Big 12 teams. Last week they dominated New Mexico, after their previous 3 wins were all close games. Their two losses were blowouts, however, to Texas and Colorado. The Texas game was actually quite respectable before the Longhorns ran away with it in the second half. The Colorado game was never respectable. They have a solid defense, as usual, but the spread O is what is opening eyes in Laramie. It is actually moving the ball and putting points on the board.
However, with these two, it always seems to turn into a defensive slug fest. I give the slight edge to Air Force, playing at home on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon (which is one of the more beautiful venues I have been to, if you haven't checked it out, I recommend catching a game there). Falcons 24, Cowpokes 21.