5. (20) Oklahoma at (3) Texas (Noon on ABC)
The Texas Longhorns shocked the top-ranked Sooners last season in the Red River Shootout. Of
course, OU recovered to make it to the BCS title game and Sam Bradford recovered to win the Heisman Trophy. Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Jermaine Gresham returned to capture a national championship only to see their title dreams go up in smoke against BYU. The Sooners can still win the Big 12 title but they will need to beat Texas to make it happen. The Longhorns have not played their best football yet. They struggled against Texas Tech before pulling away late, got off to a slow start against Wyoming and trailed at the half to a bad Colorado team. Colt McCoy has had a solid season but the Texas offense needs someone besides Jordan Shipley to step up. I don't think UT will be able to run the ball on Oklahoma. However, I think they will find a couple of receivers to help Shipley carry the load. Dan Buckner and true freshmen Marquise Goodwin will have an impact on this game and the Longhorns will stay unbeaten. Hook 'em, 31-20.4. (6) USC at (25) Notre Dame (3:30 on NBC)
This has not been a rivalry for the past decade. The Southern California Trojans have beaten on Notre Dame like a red-headed stepchild, outscoring the Irish by an average of 27 points a game. The Fighting Irish can finally claim an edge at QB. Jimmy Clausen is playing very well. However, I think the Irish advantages stop there. USC has a very good offensive line and they welcome their best receiver, Ronald Johnson, into the lineup for the first time. The defense has been stingy and Taylor Mays appears healthy. Notre Dame managed just 91 yards of offense in the Coliseum last season. I expect ND to score some points but I don't expect them to keep up with the Trojans. USC will win number eight in a row and keep their title hopes alive. The bigger question is what happens to Weis. I think he will be fine if this game is close. However, if ND gets drilled by USC again, Weis might be out of a job. This is not a must-win but it is an absolute must-compete game for the Irish. 3. (4) Virginia Tech at (19) Georgia Tech (6 on ESPN2)
The Virginia Tech Hokies look better than they have since the days of Mike Vick. They are playing great defense, have a very strong running game and are getting solid play from Tyrod
Taylor. The Hokies appear to be on their way to another ACC title and a berth in the Sugar Bowl. The biggest test remaining on their schedule appears to be the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech racked up 401 rushing yards against Florida State last week but their defense continued to look awful. I called for Georgia Tech to go unbeaten before the season began but I gave them way too much credit. The triple option is fantastic but they can't stop a good offense. Virginia Tech has a good offense and I think defensive coordinator Bud Foster will find a way to at least slow down the Yellow Jackets rushing attack. The Hokies will force GT into enough passing situations to win a close one.2. (22) South Carolina at (2) Alabama (7:45 on ESPN)
I was very impressed with South Carolina a few weeks ago when they dominated Ole Miss to pull out an upset. The Gamecocks have continued to win and have climbed into the Top 25. The Alabama Crimson Tide have now established themselves as a Top 5 program. They are physical, athletic, fast and disciplined on defense. Ole Miss looked absolutely bewildered on offense last week in Oxford as Alabama shut them down. The opening night win over Virginia Tech looks more impressive each week and I think the Crimson Tide are the best team in college football right now. This game intrigues me because I love watching Alabama play. They have added some explosive plays to their offense because of Greg McElroy's surprising arm strength but the bread and butter is the running game of Ingram and Richardson. Look for the Crimson Tide to keep rolling and blow out the Gamecocks in Tuscaloosa.1. (11) Iowa at Wisconsin (Noon on ESPN)
This game is sliding under the radar because of the other matchups but I think their is a
potential upset waiting to happen in Madison. The Badgers outgained the Ohio State Buckeyes 2-to-1 in yardage last week in Columbus. However, two defensive TDs and one special teams TD doomed the Badgers. Scott Tolzien has been a pleasant surprise at QB and John Clay is a beast at running back. The Wisconsin defense held up nicely against the Buckeyes and they should be able to do the same against Iowa. The Hawkeyes are unbeaten and have a chance to win the Big Ten if they can get past two more tough road tests. They play this one at Madison and have to go to Columbus to take on OSU. Iowa has started slow in almost every game this season. They will struggle early again and it will be too much to overcome in Camp Randall. Badgers win a close one. Tomorrow, I will preview the Illinois at Indiana game (7 on BTN). Pay attention next week as I begin my preview of the 2009-2010 Indiana Hoosiers basketball season. Until then, stay vigilant and God Bless America.
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