Cincinnati at South Florida (Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.)
Both Big East schools are coming off bye weeks after easy wins over mediocre opponents on Oct. 3. Cincinnati (5-0, 1-0 Big East) handled a road game at Miami of Ohio with no issues as they won 37-13 and the Bulls (5-0, 1-0) got their first conference victory in a laugher at Syracuse. Bearcats' quarterback Tony Pike, the Big East's leader in total offense with over 306 yards per game, jumped onto the national stage the last time these two teams met last season. Pike, broken arm and all, went 20 of 28 for 281 yards and two scores to upset then-No. 24 USF in Cincinnati. Both the Bulls and Bearcats will enter Thursday's primetime game ranked in the AP Top 25 but it is Pike's team that comes in inside the Top 10. However, the Bearcats remain slightly untested as their best win thus far was the opening week of the season, 47-15 at Rutgers. They had closer-than-expected games at Oregon State and against Fresno State in consecutive weeks. South Florida has dealt with adversity this season and has come out better for it. Senior quarterback Matt Grothe got hurt and is out for the year but freshman B.J. Williams has come on and hasn't missed a beat. The Bulls beat up on the Seminoles in Tallahassee three weeks ago in Williams' first game and he's been nothing but solid in his two starts.
Jeff's breakdown: This Thursday night affair featuring two ranked undefeated Big East schools should prove highly entertaining. The Bulls and Bearcats both have excellent offenses and defenses. USF is ranked 36th nationally in total offense and 10th in defense, giving up just 263 yards per game. They will need that defense against a Cincinnati offense averaging over 468 yards per game and ranked 11th in the nation. The Bulls are looking for some sweet vindication after the upset they suffered at the hands of the Bearcats last season and since this game is at home, Williams and company should have just enough on offense and defense to overcome the higher ranked Bearcats for an upset of their own.
Iowa at Wisconsin (Oct. 17, Noon)
Last season in Iowa City the Hawkeyes dominated the Badgers, 38-16. This year should be a much different story. Wisconsin (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) enters Saturday's game having suffered its first defeat of the season on the road at heavily favored Ohio State. Iowa (6-0, 2-0) narrowly defeated Michigan last week and has had two close calls in a row, as it also had a scare the week prior against Arkansas State. The Badgers are led by RB John Clay, who is among the best in the Big Ten with almost 107 rushing yards per game. Since Iowa is allowing 134 rushing yards per contest, Clay should be able to eat up large chunks of yardage. Wisconsin doesn't have a stellar passing attack and will give the Hawkeyes a steady dose of the run all game. Iowa does not have the greatest offense as they rank 67th nationally and the defense isn't amazing, either. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi has been more of a game manager than top offensive weapon and it was really the defense that helped them beat the Nittany Lions. Their Sept. 26 win at Penn State was easily their season's highlight thus far and they've been largely underwhelming since that game.
Jeff's breakdown: Iowa seems ripe for a letdown as the undefeated team has played very close games the last two weeks at home against Arkansas State and Michigan, two teams they should have handled easily. They just haven't looked as sharp since winning at Penn State three weeks ago and hitting the road against a Wisconsin team that returns home after its first loss of the season should translate into loss No. 1 for the Hawkeyes.
Oklahoma at Texas (Oct. 17, Noon)
The Red River Rivalry should be as good as ever on Saturday despite Oklahoma coming in with two losses. Despite losing to open the season against BYU, losing Heisman Trophy-winning QB Sam Bradford to injury and then another loss two weeks ago to Miami, the Sooners were high on life after getting Bradford back in an easy win over Baylor last week. Now they can concentrate fully on revenge against their Big 12 rivals, who upset them in Dallas last season when the Sooners were ranked No. 1 in the land. Despite the 45-35 loss last season, Bradford threw for 387 yards and five touchdowns against the Longhorns and should be 100 percent by this week's game. Colt McCoy threw for 277 yards and a touchdown in the game last year but has been one of the best in the nation in 2009. Texas (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) comes in ranked second in the nation. Coming off an easy win over Colorado, the 'Horns are largely untested thus far. Outside of a home victory over an unranked Texas Tech team, which did prove their defensive dominance, Texas hasn't seen a team as good as Oklahoma yet while the Sooners have been thoroughly tested already this season.
Jeff's breakdown: The Sooners might be down in the rankings compared to the Longhorns but their defense is as good as ever and their Heisman winner is back just in time. Texas ranks inside the top 10 both offensively and defensively but the Sooners aren't far behind. We think OU will return the upset favor in what should prove another exciting installment of the Red River Rivalry game.
Minnesota at Penn State (Oct. 17, 3:30 p.m.)
It hasn't been since 2006 that Penn State and Minnesota locked battle in the Big Ten and the Nittany Lions won that game 28-27 in overtime. Nothing about these two teams is the same three years later, well, except for the fact that PSU is still heavily favored to win the game. Penn State wasn't nearly as good back in '06 as coach JoePa has them now at 5-1, 1-1 in the Big Ten and ranked just outside the Top 10. Minnesota handled Purdue last week 35-20, one week after losing their only Big Ten contest at home against Wisconsin. They also lost earlier in the year at home against then-No. 8 Cal. Penn State's lone loss came three weeks back as Iowa limited the Nittany Lions to just 10 points in a 21-10 loss. Coming off back-to-back wins at Illinois and against FCS Eastern Illinois, PSU really hasn't had its first impressive win. That said, the Nittany Lions rank 23rd in total offense and 8th in defense and Minnesota isn't even close at 99th and 77th, respectively. Minnesota QB Adam Weber has not been very good this season despite having the Big Ten's best wide receiver in Eric Decker at his disposal. Decker is 7th in the nation in receptions and leads the Big Ten with 114.8 yards per game. That said, PSU's pass defense is one of the best in the country as well.
Jeff's breakdown: Penn State is playing at home and with QB Daryl Clark and RB Evan Royster running the show, it is hard to believe Minnesota has much of a chance. Royster is 3rd in the Big Ten in rushing and Clark leads in passing efficiency and is 3rd in total offense with over 246 yards per game. They struggled offensively against a solid defense in their loss to Iowa, but Minnesota is not Iowa. The Nittany Lions should be able to score and their top-notch defense will keep the Gophers in check.
USC at Notre Dame (Oct. 17, 3:30 p.m.)
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez led the Trojans to a big 38-3 victory over the Fighting Irish in Los Angeles last season and it seemed that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis' job was in jeopardy following the clunker. Both teams head into their annual rivalry game on Saturday at 4-1, only this time, it is the Irish, with Weis' job safe, that has a quarterback in the Heisman race, as Jimmy Clausen has been absolutely phenomenal with over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns with just two picks. USC has a future Heisman candidate of their own in freshman Matt Barkley, but despite coach Pete Carroll's affinity for the youngster, he has only three touchdowns and two interceptions to his credit. USC is largely a running team this season and are led by Joe McKnight. Notre Dame, on the other hand, doesn't run nearly as well as they pass frequently and own the 8th-best passing offense.
Jeff's breakdown: Two factors should make all the difference on Saturday. Notre Dame will be playing in front of Touchdown Jesus but although they are on a three-game winning streak, they've beaten Michigan State, Purdue and Washington by a total of 13 points. They've been allowing far too many points to mediocre teams and their defense ranks 100th in the nation. USC, on the contrary, ranks 6th and 4th, respectively, in total and scoring defense and should be able to shut down Clausen and the Irish. Notre Dame is far better in 2009 than when it lost at USC last year, but we still think the result will be the same, another Trojan victory.
Washington at Arizona State (Oct. 17, 10:15 p.m.)
Arizona State thoroughly defeated Washington in Seattle last season, but that wasn't saying much as Tyrone Willingham's Huskies couldn't win a single game in 2008. Steve Sarkisian's Huskies already have a win over then-No. 3 USC to their credit. That said, Washington is still just 3-3 and 2-1 in the Pac-10. They lost to then-No. 11 LSU the opening week of the season and suffered back-to-back defeats immediately following the win over the Trojans at Stanford and at Notre Dame. Washington is coming off a wild home win over Arizona, 36-33, and is in for a defensive battle against the 3rd best defense in the nation. It is a good thing that the Sun Devils are so good defensively, because their offense leaves a lot to be desired. Led by QB Danny Sullivan and RB Dimitri Nance, ASU is 79th in total offense. Washington, led by QB Jake Locker and RB Chris Polk, is only slightly better offensively but their defense is among the worst in the FBS.
Jeff's breakdown: Arizona State (3-2, 1-1 Pac-10) lost at Georgia and at home against Oregon State in consecutive weeks and hasn't shown much of anything this season against decent teams. That said, their defense is still stout and should be able to limit Washington at home. We like the direction the Huskies are headed under their new coach but still feel that they'll be picking up their second Pac-10 loss of the season on Saturday.
Arkansas at Florida (Oct. 17, 3:30 p.m.)
Florida is 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation, a position in the polls only strengthened on the heels of their 13-3 victory at then-No. 4 LSU Saturday night. Arkansas is 3-2 and 1-2 in the SEC and unranked. That said, the Razorbacks are as hot as any team in the nation right now after consecutive wins at Texas A&M and against then-No. 17 Auburn. Quarterback Ryan Mallett is ranked 18th in the nation in total offense and is tops in the SEC with over 280 yards per game. He's giving Florida's Tim Tebow a run for his money as the SEC's best signal caller. Of course, coming off a concussion suffered against Kentucky two weeks prior, Tebow solidified his spot in the Heisman race with a heroic performance at LSU as he went 11 of 16 for 134 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 38 more yards, grinding out gains when Florida needed it most. Arkansas has definitely proven itself thus far and the offense is absolutely legit. Ranked 15th in the country in total offense, they have been even better finding the end zone with over 37 points per contest. Of course, Florida, the defending national champs, have been even better. The Gators are the second-best running team in the country with over 284 ground yards per game and are 6th overall despite not concentrating on the pass for lack of need. The difference maker here, however, lies in the defense. While the Hogs hand out yards and points in bunches, Florida owns the nation's best defense. They are No. 1 in passing, total and scoring defense and teams are averaging just under seven points per game against them.
Jeff's breakdown: Arkansas has been on a nice run and is definitely an up-and-coming team in the SEC. Some might argue that the Gators are ready for a letdown game after their big win at LSU. But this is an Urban Meyer-coached team and with Tebow still not 100 percent following the concussion, the Gators are not leaving anything to chance. They will be prepared, they certainly don't want to lose on homecoming and the bottom line is that Mallett and the Razorbacks will simply be overwhelmed by the defense.
Cal at UCLA (Oct. 17, 3:30 p.m.)
Despite the return of QB Kevin Prince last week for the Bruins, they still lost its game against Oregon, 24-10. Prince did not play all that well in his return and UCLA has now lost two straight to fall to 3-2 and 0-2 in the Pac-10 as they get set to host Cal on Saturday. The Bears, unfortunately, haven't been much better lately. Ranked inside the Top 10 at one point this season, Cal has also lost its last two games at Oregon and against then-No. 7 USC last week. As these two teams get set to do battle, something has got to give. The last time Cal played the Bruins, in Berkeley last season, the Bears won handily 41-20. Running back Jahvid Best rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown in that game and is averaging almost 103 yards per game this season. That said, Best has been limited to just 102 yards total the last two weeks and hasn't seen the end zone in that time. UCLA is just as good against the run as Oregon has been this season and that could mean another tough day for Best, who is obviously having trouble with his offensive line. UCLA's signature win came in Week 2 at Tennessee, but that Vols squad isn't the same one that destroyed Georgia last Saturday.
Jeff's breakdown: Both of these teams need a win in the worst way to stay competitive in the Pac-10 standings. The Bruins have the home-field advantage and the edge defensively but their offense has been just abysmal and is one of the worst in the nation. Hopefully Prince gets more comfortable in his second game back but we still think the Bears will have enough offensive firepower to come into Los Angeles and leave with their first conference win.
Kentucky at Auburn (Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.)
In case you didn't notice, the Kentucky Wildcats will be playing the fourth and final installment of what was just a brutal stretch of football games on Saturday at Auburn. Because the Tigers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) lost last weekend at Arkansas and dropped out of the rankings, is the only reason Kentucky won't be meeting their fourth straight ranked SEC opponent. The Wildcats (2-3, 0-3) started the season 2-0 with wins over Miami of Ohio and Louisville but have since lost three straight. They were pounded in the first two at home to No.1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama and then played close on the road at No. 22 South Carolina and lost a nail biter, 28-26. Now they must go up against the fifth-best offense in the nation in Gene Chizik and Guz Malzahn's Tigers in their home stadium. That's right, Auburn, a team that was just awful last year under longtime coach Tommy Tuberville, is suddenly one of the most entertaining and high-flying teams in the nation with quarterback Chris Todd throwing passes to Darvin Adams and Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb running the football. Kentucky's 59th-ranked defense will have to stand very tall on Saturday. These two teams have not met since 2005, when Auburn was an annual BCS contender and Kentucky was, well, Kentucky. Auburn has gone from great to terrible and back again since then. The Tigers' defense still leaves a lot to be desired and it was majorly exposed in their first loss last Saturday at Arkansas. The Tigers can score but are also allowing over 27 points per game against them this season. Kentucky's offense has been dismal but their bright spot is the running game, where Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb can do some damage against the 84th-best rush defense in the nation.
Jeff's breakdown: If this game were in the Blue Grass State there would be much more to speculate here. At Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, one of the loudest places to play in the south, we don't feel the Wildcats will be able to put up enough offense to match what Auburn will do coming off its first loss. The Tigers suffered a setback but make no mistake. They are a good football team, better than Kentucky, and they will show that with a win going away on Saturday.
Missouri at Oklahoma State (Oct. 17, 9:15 p.m.)
It must have been an emotional win all around last Saturday as the Cowboys defeated Texas A&M in College Station. Oklahoma State, ranked 16th in the nation, had just lost one of the top wideouts in the nation when the NCAA ruled Dez Bryant ineligible due to his failure to disclose his relationship with Deion Sanders. Also out against A&M was running back Kendall Hunter, who missed his third straight game with a leg injury. To make matters worse, quarterback Zac Robinson had just lost his grandfather before the game. Still Mike Gundy's team fought and won to improve to 4-1 and 1-0 in the Big 12. Missouri (4-1, 0-1), on the other hand, was undefeated before losing its first game last Saturday against conference foe Nebraska. It was the Tigers' first real test and they failed it. Missouri comes in ranked 38th in the nation in total offense thanks in large part to a passing game that is ranked 18th with almost 275 yards per game on the arm of Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert, however, is currently questionable for Saturday with an ankle issue. The Cowboys are slightly better offensively but certainly will suffer without Bryant. They were able to overcome last week but Texas A&M is far worse against the pass than Mizzou. Hunter is another issue, but the team has gotten by just fine on the legs of Keith Toston and should that continue for another week, it won't likely slow them down much. If anything, Hunter's return could be a big boost should it occur.
Jeff's breakdown: There is no doubt that both of these teams can light up the scoreboard. Each are averaging over 30 points per game and the Cowboys are in the top 10 in scoring at 38.4 per. The Tigers will want to rebound from their first loss but their talent level just doesn't compete with Gundy's Cowboys. With the game in Stillwater, it just doesn't seem Missouri will be able to avoid starting 0-2 in the Big 12.
Ohio State at Purdue (Oct. 17, Noon)
Purdue (1-5, 0-2 Big Ten) has to feel fortunate to be getting No. 7 Ohio State at home. After winning their season opener over Toledo, not much has gone right for the Boilermakers. They've lost five straight games, including getting walloped last Saturday at Minnesota. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, just easily handled a good Wisconsin team to win their fourth straight and start the year 5-1 and 3-0 in conference. OSU won 16-3 the last time these teams met last season in Columbus. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor did nothing spectacular but managed the game that saw just one touchdown on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by the Buckeyes. Pryor, now in his second season at the helm, is a much more complete player this time around. Still, like last year's game, the Buckeyes expect to win with a defense that is ranked 11th in the nation and 7th in scoring allowing just 12 points per game. It will have to be good on the road against a Purdue team that can certainly gain some yards and ranks 37th in total offense with over 410 yards per game.
Jeff's breakdown: Unfortunately for the Boilers, their defense is dismal and their propensity to turn the ball over is great. This bodes quite well for the Buckeyes, who don't exactly rack up the yards. Did you know Ohio State's offense is ranked just 86th in the FBS? They manage to score almost 30 points per game and rely upon their defense to create those points. Coach Jim Tressel's team should be able to do that effectively on Saturday and continue on their quest for a Big Ten title and BCS berth.
South Carolina at Alabama (Oct. 17, TBA)
Just when the Gamecocks were getting comfortable in the AP rankings at No. 22, they have to travel to Tuscaloosa for a game against No. 2 Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC). These two teams meet for the first time since 2005 when the Crimson Tide beat USC handily, 37-14. The programs are much different nowadays and while Steve Spurrier has his team flying high with four straight wins, including an upset over then-No. 4 Mississippi, Nick Saban's Tide are rolling along themselves. 'Bama won at Virginia Tech in the season's opening week and most recently also crumbled an Ole Miss team that was ranked 22nd when the Tide beat them in Mississippi. If South Carolina (5-1, 2-1) does one thing really well it is stop the passing game. USC is ranked 6th in the nation in pass defense. Unfortunately for them, Alabama doesn't pass all that well anyway. They'll stick to a ground game ranked 11th in the nation with over 223 yards per contest. While South Carolina is among the top 15 defenses in the nation, they have trouble stopping the run. Speaking of defense, complimenting their top offense, Alabama is the second-best defense in the nation behind only Florida and is allowing under 13 points per game.
Jeff's breakdown: Running back Mark Ingram is among the best in the nation, Greg McElroy has been most efficient handling the passing game and wideout Julio Jones is an amazing talent. Those offensive standouts plus a defense that makes teams wilt are the difference for an Alabama team that likely won't be seriously tested again until they get to the SEC championship game. It just doesn't seem likely that USC can beat Alabama in their home stadium.
Texas Tech at Nebraska (Oct. 17, TBA)
Something has to give in Saturday's showdown in Lincoln between Texas Tech (4-2, 1-1 Big 12) and No. 15 Nebraska (4-1, 1-0). Texas Tech is ranked second in the entire nation in scoring but, guess what? The Huskers are also ranked second, in scoring defense. Tech is dropping 43 points per game on folks while Big Red is giving up just eight. Tech can't run but throws for over 443 yards per game, good enough for the second-best total in the nation, but once again, Nebraska has the answer as they rank 14th in pass defense and is allowing just 163 yards per contest. Nebraska lost in a close high-scoring affair last season in Lubbock. Graham Harrell threw two touchdown passes in that game, both to Michael Crabtree. Both of those players are gone now but with Tech's offensive scheme, it doesn't seem to matter who is throwing or catching the football. Case in point, Harrell's replacement, Taylor Potts, was among the best in the nation in the early going this season. He's since suffered a concussion and missed last week's game against Kansas State. His replacement, Steven Sheffield, threw for 490 yards and seven touchdowns. Sheffield would be a fine replacement if Potts can't go so the Raiders have no worries there. Nebraska could be missing RB Roy Helu, ranked 13th in the nation with over 110 yards per game on the ground, as he suffered a shoulder injury last week. He's questionable for the game but the Huskers expect to have him in tow.
Jeff's breakdown: You can expect another high-scoring affair like last year's contest. As we said, something has got to give and we think that will apply to both teams. The Nebraska defense that has held largely mediocre offenses in check will be tested to their limits and the Tech offense that has been so good will face their staunchest opponents yet. In the end, we feel that Nebraska, which does fine on the scoreboard themselves with almost 37 points per game, will make the important stops and limit the Raiders just enough to remain undefeated in the Big 12 and get vindication from last year's loss.
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (Oct. 17, 6:00 p.m.)
Virginia Tech beat the Yellow Jackets in Blacksburg last season in a closely-contested 20-17 game and you just know the Buzz is looking for some sweet vindication. Making it ever more sweet is the fact that the Hokies are ranked No. 4 in the nation. A win for Georgia Tech would put them back in the driver's seat in the ACC Coastal division and knock current leader, Virginia Tech, off the pedestal. Both teams come in on a roll as Georgia Tech (5-1, 3-1 ACC) is ranked 19th in the polls after consecutive wins over then-No. 22 North Carolina, at Mississippi State and at Florida State last Saturday. Virginia Tech hasn't lost since the first game of the season against No. 2 Alabama and just dismantled a decent Boston College team last week. Historically known for their defenses, these two teams have been putting up some points lately. Virginia Tech is averaging 34 points per game and the Jackets are right behind at 33. The Jackets, led by star RB Jonathan Dwyer, are No. 4 in the country in rushing with over 277 yards per game, but, once again, Tech, led by freshman Ryan Williams, isn't far behind at 208.5 yards per game and ranked 16th. On defense, the Hokies have the edge, though they aren't as dominant as they once were. Giving up 26 points to Duke will cause people to think they can score against you.
Jeff's breakdown: In front of the faithful in Atlanta, Georgia Tech, which needs this win badly to make up ground in the ACC standings, should pull the upset. These are two evenly matched teams but Dwyer and company might want it more. We expect this to be an entertaining high-scoring affair and, in the end, like the Yellow Jackets to run away with it, literally and figuratively.
Wake Forest at Clemson (Oct. 17, Noon)
This game features two ACC teams that aren't exactly exhibiting BCS-championship caliber potential. Wake Forest (4-2, 2-1 ACC) visits Death Valley and a Clemson team that is under .500 at 2-3, 1-2 in conference and is coming off a bye week after losing three of its last four games at then-No. 15 Georgia Tech, against then-No. 15 TCU and in their last game against a 2-4 Maryland team that had struggled to beat James Madison earlier this year. Both of Wake Forest's losses have come to mediocre teams as Baylor and Boston College have combined 7-4 record. They have solid wins over Stanford and N.C. State but have yet to face a Top 25 opponent. The last time these teams met was last season as Wake QB Riley Skinner directed a ranked Demon Deacons squad past Clemson in a defensive struggle, 12-7. Skinner is back for his senior season and is the captain of an offense that is 25th best in the FBS at 426 yards per game. Clemson RB C.J. Spiller has struggled this season and so has the Clemson offense.
Jeff's breakdown: While it sounds like all the advantages go to Wake, these teams are more evenly matched than you'd think. That is because of Clemson's 8th-ranked pass defense. The Tigers know Wake has trouble running the ball and has a pass-oriented offense and they have what it takes to keep Skinner in check. Clemson is craving a big win and home cooking is just what the doctor ordered for them to get one on Saturday.
No comments:
Post a Comment