College Football

New BCS Rankings Released

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:49:44 -0500

No upsets this weekend so there were no changes in the Top 8 of the BCS standings. There are three "lines" to pay attention to in the rankings. The top three, separated from the rest of the country from the first day of fall practices, are essentially left to fight amongst themselves for the two spots in the BCS Championship Game. Close to three hundreths of a point separates each of those teams and with Florida and Alabama meeting in the SEC Championship Game on December 5th one of those two will not be in Pasadena for the season's ultimate game.

Behind them are TCU and Cincinnati and both have established some solid distance between themselves and Boise State. At this point in the season it would be virtually impossible for the Broncos to pass the Horned Frogs for the non-AQ automatic slot. Both TCU and Cincinnati will need some sort of chaos if they're to finish in the top two at season's end and given the distance even that may not be enough to vault them ahead of the top three teams.

Lastly there's the line separating Georgia Tech from the other one-loss teams, and the Yellow Jackets are close enough that they're a threat to pass Boise State due to a schedule that finishes off with Georgia and possibly Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Teams 8-11 are rather close together and you have to think that LSU is pretty much out of the running for an at-large slot due to the rule that no conference can have more than two teams in the BCS.

So who's in the running for an at-large? Boise State should be a BCS team if they run the table but it's all about the bottom line for bowl execs once the top two are selected. Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Iowa and Penn State are all in play based on the current standings but as we've seen in seasons past anything can happen in the final weeks of the season.

Games of the Week:

Oregon @ Arizona (Saturday, 8 PM on ABC): The winner takes control of the Pac-10 race towards Pasadena. The Ducks lead the Wildcats, Stanford and Oregon State by a game in the loss column but a win here for Arizona would put them in firm control of the race. The Wildcats, who are the lone school from the Big Ten or the Pac-10 to have never played in the Rose Bowl, have already beaten both Stanford and Oregon State this season.

Virginia @ Clemson (Saturday, 3:30 PM on ABC): If the Tigers win they clinch the Atlantic Division's spot in the ACC Championship game opposite Georgia Tech. A loss and Boston College, who has lost the last two title games (both to Virginia Tech) would take control of the race. Clemson owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Eagles.

Ohio State @ Michigan (Noon on ABC): Michigan needs a win to become bowl eligible while the Buckeyes have already punched their ticket to the Rose Bowl (where they haven't been since 1997). But don't think for a second that Ohio State won't be motivated to knock off the Wolverines; the seniors have a chance to earn their fourth (or in the case of the 5th-year guys fifth) pair of gold pants (OSU gives players a "pair" for each win over Michigan). Rich Rodriguez needs a win as the alums and boosters aren't happy with the fall of his team following a solid start.

Honorable menton: Colorado State at New Mexico (6 PM): CSU has yet to win a conference game while the Lobos haven't won a game period. Something's got to give here, but at the least check out the nation's leading tackler in New Mexico LB Carmen Messina (134 total tackles).

Updated BCS Standings

1 Florida 10-0
2 Alabama 10-0
3 Texas 10-0
4 TCU 10-0
5 Cincinnati 10-0
6 Boise State 10-0
7 Georgia Tech 10-1
8 LSU 8-2
9 Pittsburgh 9-1
10 Ohio State 9-2
11 Oregon 8-2
12 Oklahoma State 8-2
13 Iowa 9-2
14 Penn State 9-2
15 Virginia Tech 7-3
16 Wisconsin 8-2
17 Stanford 7-3
18 USC 7-3
19 Oregon State 7-3
20 Miami (FL) 7-3
21 Utah 8-2
22 Brigham Young 8-2
23 Clemson 7-3
24 Houston 8-2
25 California 7-3

My Defensive All-America Ballot

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:04:29 -0500

As a member of the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) I get to fill out a ballot for the organization's All-America Team that will be announced in early December. Figured it would be good to post my ballots on here, opening myself up to ruthless criticism. Enjoy, and the offensive ballot will be here next week.

DL Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
DL Terrence Cody, Alabama
DL Jerry Hughes, TCU
DL Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
LB Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut
LB Carmen Messina, New Mexico
DB Rahim Moore, UCLA
DB Eric Berry, Tennessee
DB DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson
DB Tyler Sash, Iowa

No Brandon Spikes (Florida) or Taylor Mays (USC) for me; I think other guys at their positions were more productive this season despite the fact that these are still two likely high draft picks in April. Messina leads the country with 127 tackles; you can't blame him for the Lobos being 0-9. For one guy I went back and forth on, ultimately leaving him off of the team, look to Pitt DT Mick Williams. He's been an absolute handful all season on what's been one of the nation's best defensive lines.

Lastly, Suh for Heisman.

New BCS Standings Released

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:16:07 -0500

The latest BCS standings are as follows:

1 Florida 9-0
2 Alabama 9-0
3 Texas 9-0
4 TCU 9-0
5 Cincinnati 9-0
6 Boise State 9-0
7 Georgia Tech 9-1
8 LSU 7-2
9 USC 7-2
10 Iowa 9-1
11 Ohio State 8-2
12 Pittsburgh 8-1
13 Oregon 7-2
14 Miami (FL) 7-2
15 Houston 8-1
16 Utah 8-1
17 Arizona 6-2
18 Penn State 8-2
19 Oklahoma State 7-2
20 Wisconsin 7-2
21 Virginia Tech 6-3
22 Brigham Young 7-2
23 Oregon State 6-3
24 South Florida 6-2
25 West Virginia 7-2

What's there to keep an eye on here? TCU, ranked fourth, has achieved the highest ranking for a school from a non-AQ conference in the history of the BCS. Next up for them is Utah at home on Saturday in a game that will decide the Mountain West title. QB Jordan Wynn has played well the last game and a half for the Utes and if his offensive line can keep Jerry Hughes and company at bay Utah will have a shot in Fort Worth. TCU's important to watch because following the Utes they've got Wyoming and New Mexico to end the season.

The Horned Frogs have benefitted from margin of victory in recent weeks and if they continue on that path it becomes extremely difficult for Cincinnati and/or Boise State to jump them. However the Bearcats will have the benefit of two games against teams ranked in the current BCS Top 25 (West Virginia and Pittsburgh), and should TCU fall Brian Kelly's team could also be in position to jump...Texas. It's a very long shot to say the least but given the difference in strength of schedule (the computers favor both Cincinnati and TCU over Texas for this reason) there's a chance.

So who won't be playing for the BCS Championship? You can rule out the Big Ten automatic qualifier thanks to Northwestern beating Iowa 17-10, and the Hawkeyes may not even reach Pasadena due to the severely sprained ankle suffered by QB Ricky Stanzi in the loss. Up 10-0 at the time, Stanzi was hauled down by Corey Wootton and fumbled the ball in his own end zone and Northwestern recovered to move to within 10-7. Iowa could get little done offensively behind backup James Vandenburg and the end result was the end of their undefeated season.

Next up for Iowa: at Ohio State, who won at Penn State 24-7, turning this Saturday's meeting at the Horseshoe into a showdown for the Big Ten's automatic bid. It's unlikely that the Nittany Lions play themselves back into contention for an at-large berth, giving the conference just one BCS participant. The Pac-10 is also unlikely to play for the national title with Oregon losing to Stanford but that was a longshot to begin with due to their loss to Boise State.

And as fate should have it USC is back in the Top 10 (9th), four spots ahead of the same Ducks team that blew them out on Halloween. Oregon could be in danger of getting completely shut out of the BCS now that they're tied in the loss column with Arizona atop the conference standings. Thanks to USC's name brand and how the race has shaken out the Pac-10 may be well on their way to a pair of BCS berths. And that's quite fitting given the fact that the conference has arguably been the best from top to bottom this year.

Provided both Florida and Alabama collapse down the stretch they'll both be in the BCS in some form (the winner playing for the BCS championship if they hold serve) and with one spot going to either TCU or Boise State that would leave one open spot should everything play out in predictable fashion. So who could sneak in for that last at-large? Pittsburgh would have a lot of work to do and with bowl execs looking for TV ratings they would be a tough sell. Miami? The name would be there but how well would their fans travel?

But should Texas be upset in the Big 12 Championship Game all bets would be off for both; the Longhorns would get that final slot. All told, we're in for a wild final three weeks of a regular season despite what we think we know on paper.

Bowling Green/Buffalo Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:37:16 -0500

Two of the best offenses in the Mid-American Conference will be on display tonight (8 PM on ESPN2) when the Bowling Green Falcons (3-5, 2-2) visit the Buffalo Bulls (3-5, 1-3) in a game that doesn't have as much riding on it as anticipated when the season began. Buffalo lost starting RB James Starks before the season began and his absence has had an effect despite Turner Gill's team having the conference's second-best offense. Turnovers have been a problem for the Bulls, who rank eleventh out of thirteen teams in turnover margin. The key for the Bowling Green defense will be to pressure QB Zach Maynard, foricing him to make bad decisions.

But the best player on the field tonight will be wearing the road whites. WR Freddie Barnes has 99 receptions through eight games and leads the nation in receptions (12.38) and yards per game (131.75), and going up against a pass defense that ranks seventh in the conference there should be opportunities for Barnes to go to work. QB Tyler Sheehan leads the conference in total offense and passing yards per game, another example of the effect that first-year head coach Dave Clawson has had on the Bowling Green attack.

One key to watch is how well the Falcons do in the red zone. They've converted just 68% of their red-zone opportunities, ranking eleventh in the conference in that category. Buffalo is eleventh in the MAC in red-zone defense so there will likely be opportunities on both sides to make plays. It will be fun to watch receivers Barnes and Buffalo's Naaman Roosevelt go to work in this one; Bowling Green wins it with a late field goal.

Week 9 Football Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:14:10 -0500

Halloween was a rather light Saturday on the schedule in regards to showdowns but we nearly had our fireworks thanks to #4 Iowa, who took awhile to wake up for their 11 AM (local) start against Indiana. The Hoosiers got out to a 21-7 halftime lead and looked to be well on their way to a remarkable upset (keep in mind that Indiana lost 47-7 at Virginia earlier this season) halfway through the third quarter with another Hawkeye turnover giving them the ball in the red zone. Then Iowa's Tyler Sash made the play that, if Iowa goes on to win the Big Ten, will be remembered as a turning point in their run.

Sash picked off Ben Chappell and ran it back eighty-six yards for a touchdown to pull Iowa within 21-14. The Hoosiers were able to close the quarter with ten-point lead (24-14) but Iowa may have had them right where they wanted them, scoring 28 unanswered points to win by a deceptive final score of 42-24. Stanzi threw five interceptions on the day but was bailed out by solid performances from a defense that forced three turnovers and freshman RB Brandon Wegher (118 rushing yards and 3 TDs). Marvin McNutt and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos both eclipsed the 100-yard mark in receiving, and that's a miracle in itself given how poorly Stanzi played.

It will be interesting to see what the computers make of this result and their answer could be a clue in regards to the hopes that TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati have of moving up the BCS rankings. Iowa will likely be dropped by the humans (at least those who saw the game) but the computers have loved them all season due to their road victories and that final touchdown could make a difference in that area. Many will scoff at their struggles but if you don't win you've got no shot. And while it's an overused saying regarding Kirk Ferentz's team they find ways to win games. Whether or not we can figure out how doesn't matter to them, nor should it.

ACC: Georgia Tech is one of two teams in the conference with just one league loss. The other one is...Duke.

Whether this speaks to the weakness of the conference (Duke did lose to Richmond in the season opener) or the resolve of David Cutcliffe's team is up for debate but you can't discount what they've been able to do thus far. The Blue Devils (5-3, 3-1) scored nineteen points in the fourth quarter to knock off Virginia in Charlottesville 28-17, staying alive in the first three quarters thanks to kicker Will Snyderwine (four field goals; finished 5-5).

Thaddeus Lewis is one of the best quarterbacks in the country few people talk or know about (more people talk about Greg Paulus playing quarterback), and he threw for 343 yards against the Cavaliers. But the real stars of the afternoon: the members of the Duke defense, who held Virginia to 196 yards, 4-16 on third down and scored the touchdown that sealed the win. It would be too much to say that the Blue Devils are a serious contender in the ACC Coastal due to their end of season schedule (they still play Georgia Tech, Miami and North Carolina)...or would it. This is the ACC, where nearly anything can happen on a weekly basis.

Big 12: Texas dominates Oklahoma State, likely sealing the Big 12 South.

It wasn't the greatest of performances for Colt McCoy and company in Stillwater, putting up just 275 yards of offense. But the great thing about their 41-14 win was that they didn't have to thanks to a dominant performance from their defense. Will Muschamp's unit held the explosive Cowboys to 277 yards and forced five turnovers, returning two of their four interceptions of Zac Robinson for touchdowns.

The Longhorns (8-0, 5-0) have three conference games remaining with the toughest game on paper (Kansas) being in Austin. Of course rival Texas A&M could pull the upset on Thanksgiving night but Texas is still in the driver's seat since either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State has to lose once more (they play Thanksgiving weekend and Texas has the tiebreaker over both).

Big East: It may be a bit early to bury USF.

After their blowout loss at Pittsburgh it was commonplace that the annual October swoon had run its course, ripping the Bulls' season to shreds in the process. But there's nothing that gets Jim Leavitt's team going more than the sight of West Virginia, who they seem to match up quite well with. Unlike the majority of teams in the Big East the Bulls can match up with the likes of Noel Devine in space, and that was evident in the way they handled the Mountaineer spread in their 30-19 win Friday night.

Devine was held to forty-two yards rushing and seventy-five yards of total offense on the night and as a team the Mountaineers rushed for just 118 yards. The star of the night ended up being QB B.J. Daniels, who shook off his struggles in the previous two games to account for 336 yards of offense, three passing touchdowns and most importantly no turnovers. Now that they've run the gauntlet of Big East title contenders look for USF to close with sprinter's speed down the stretch. And with games remaining against both bitter rival Pittsburgh and Cincinnati by no means are the Mountaineers out of the title race.

Big Ten: What's happened to Michigan?

For the second consecutive week Greg Robinson's defense has been shredded, but last week's loss to Penn State is far more acceptable than what happened in Champaign on Saturday. Illinois went into that game without a conference win (their lone win came against Illinois State in fact) and embarrassed the Wolverines by a final of 38-13. Juice Williams and company put up 500 yards of offense, and when's the last time a Michigan defense gave up 377 yards on the ground? Old-school "Michigan men" watching likely stared at the display in horror, and those who rely on the Sunday paper will spit out their morning coffee in disgust.

Backs Mikel LeShoure (150 yards) and Jason Ford (128 yards) each went over the 100-yard barrier and Williams wasn't far behind with his ninety-seven yards. It's not like the Wolverines didn't know that Illinois was going to run the ball; bad things happened when the Illini relied too much on the pass in prior games and Juice attempted only eleven throws on the afternoon. And it doesn't help matters that Michigan was outscored 31-0 in the second half. There's no way to spin this; an extremely poor showing from the maize and blue.

Conference USA: One of the nation's best turnarounds: SMU.

It shouldn't be a surprise that June Jones has turned things around in his second season in Dallas; he did the same at Hawaii, going from one win to nine. The Mustangs are up to four wins thanks to their 27-13 win at Tulsa behind freshman QB Kyle Padron (354 yards and two touchdowns). But despite the success of the "run-n-shoot" system this win should be credited to the defense, which picked off G.J. Kinne twice (he was eventually benched) and held the Golden Hurricane to 322 yards of offense and 3-15 on third down. If not for their efforts there's practically no way in which SMU gets away with being called for fourteen penalties.

Now tied with Houston atop the West Division with a 3-1 league record (the Cougars own the head-to-head tiebreaker) SMU has a realistic shot at the division with three of their last four games at home. The home contests are UTEP (who lost to UAB on Saturday), Rice and Tulane with the lone road game coming against Marshall. Keep an eye on this team in the final month of the regular season.

Independents: Navy fails to take advantage of three Temple turnovers, losing 27-24 at home.

This game featured over 500 yards of rushing offense but if a bet were to be placed on which team finished with more yards you'd likely bet on Navy. But when the game ended it was Temple who won the battle on the ground, rushing for 274 yards in their 27-24 win in Annapolis. This happened in spite of a bad day from QB Vaughn Charlton (5-17, 37 yards and 2 INT) and possessing the football for just over twenty-four minutes. Temple got a huge play in the kicking game immediately following one of the more bizarre special teams plays you're going to see.

Navy returned a punt three yards (not a blocked one but an actual kick that was rushed) for a score to go up 10-7. James Nixon followed that up with a 100-yard kick return to regain the lead and their ability to run the ball eventually earned Temple the win. The good news for Navy is that Ricky Dobbs (knee) did make a short cameo appearance at quarterback and the hope is that he'll be ready to go next week when they visit Notre Dame. But they likely lost a shot at winning ten games this season due to this result.

MAC: Kent State keeps contact with Temple in the MAC East.

On a day in which Miami (Ohio) picked up their first win of the season the most important result may have been Kent State's 26-14 win over Western Michigan. Despite three turnovers the Golden Flashes knocked off Tim Hiller and company due to a stout run defense (thirty-eight yards on 23 carries) and an offense that produced 477 yards of offense. Spencer Keith threw for 373 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the afternoon, with Tyshon Goode catching both touchdowns.

The win moves the Golden Flashes to 4-1 in conference play, one game in the loss column behind the Owls atop the MAC East. Their next two games are both on the road: Akron and Temple. Nothing is ever guaranteed but Kent State has at least made sure that they control their own destiny.

Mountain West: Jordan Wynn rescues the Utes.

Things weren't going well for Utah offensively against Wyoming on Saturday afternoon; while Terrence Cain wasn't turning the ball over the Utes weren't finishing drives either, trailing 10-3 at the half. So head coach Kyle Whittingham pulled the trigger on the switch, handing the keys of the offense to talented freshman Jordan Wynn and the young man didn't disappoint. Wynn being inserted into the lineup gave the offense a boost and the defense sacked Wyoming QB Austyn Carta-Samuels five times in the second half of their 22-10 victory.

The question now is who will start next week at New Mexico, the Utes' final tune-up before their showdown at TCU. The pick here is Wynn; at this point in the season you don't turn down the opportunity to redshirt a freshman if he's not going to play.

Pac-10: There's a new sheriff in town thanks to Oregon's beating of USC.

It's one thing for someone to tie with the Trojans for the Pac-10 crown; that's happened before. But to flat-out snatch away the automatic BCS berth, something that hasn't occurred since the 2002 season when Washington State went to the Rose Bowl while the Trojans were an at-large selection (FedEx Orange Bowl). You can likely add 2009 to that list thanks to Oregon's 47-20 demolition of the Trojans in Eugene Saturday night. The Ducks put up 397 yards on the ground (613 yards of total offense) and thirty-one first downs in the win, dominating play in the second half thanks to a hellacious tempo.

Jeremiah Masoli accounted for 386 yards of offense and two total touchdowns, combining with redshirt freshman RB LaMichael James to rush for 347 yards against a USC defense that looked to have some holes in their win over Oregon State. The difference here was that the Oregon defense was able to limit the Trojans' ability to generate yards after first contact. Matt Barkley completed 21 of 38 passes but the yardage (187 yards; 8.9 yards per completion) was a far cry from what he did against the Beavers in the Coliseum. Now in the driver's seat for the Rose Bowl, Chip Kelly's team looks nothing like the outfit that sputtered to a loss at Boise State in the opener.

SEC: Nothing like the sight of a bitter rival to jumpstart your offense.

Much of the talk going into Florida's game with Georgia focused on their struggles in the red zone. The Gators can move the football on anyone but it seemed as if once they got into the scoring zone things came to a screeching halt. No such issues in Jacksonville on Saturday as the top-ranked Gators soundly whipped the hideously dressed Bulldogs 41-14. They certainly didn't look like world beaters on offense with 374 yards (210 on the ground) but the fact that Tim Tebow and his mates were far more efficient than in recent weeks bodes well for the future.

And when speaking of the defending national champions one must not ignore that defense, which forced four turnovers and returned a pick for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Already having a trip back to the SEC Championship Game locked up the Gators simply need to keep winning and shoring up their deficiencies; it would take a miracle for them to be dropped out of the top two of the major polls.

Sun Belt: Troy asserts their dominance against UL Monroe.

Saturday's game in Troy was a matchup between the two remaining undefeated teams in the Sun Belt and the defending champions did not disappoint. Levi Brown threw for 378 yards and four touchdowns in the Trojans' 42-21 win over the Warhawks to move to 5-0 in conference play. Troy has a number of weapons on offense, ranging from RB DuJuan Harris to receivers Jerrel Jernigan and one-time Oklahoma commit Josh Jarboe.

And if Larry Blakeney can get production from his defense (forced four turnovers Saturday) on a weekly basis they'll be well on their way to repeating as conference champs. Winners of six straight the Trojans have a chance to win at least nine games, not counting the bowl game.

WAC: The charmed season at Idaho continues with a thrilling comeback.

Things didn't look good for the Vandals in the fourth quarter of their game against Louisiana Tech, trailing 34-21 halfway through the quarter. But if there's been anything to be learned about Robb Akey's team in 2009 it's that they're not going to quit. That determination resulted in an exciting 35-34 victory thanks to a pair of DeMaundray Woolridge touchdown runs in the final 5:51, moving Idaho to 4-1 in the WAC.

If the Vandals are to have any thoughts of beating either Fresno State or Boise State in coming weeks the defense needs to improve; they allowed 547 yards and 29 first downs. But given where they were as a program when Coach Akey took over, this is one of the best stories in college football this year.

Sunday's Game: Marshall (5-3, 3-1) @ UCF (4-3, 2-2) 8 PM on ESPN

Opposite the World Series is a key matchup in the East Division of Conference USA with the Thundering Herd looking to keep pace with East Carolina atop the division. A loss to the Knights would essentially end their hopes of winning the East as they've already lost to the Pirates this season. But they do have one of the nation's most productive running back in Darius Marshall, who leads the conference in rushing and ranks second nationally in rushing yards per game (136). He'll be going up against the conference's best rushing defense as the Knights allow fewer than ninety-three yards per game.

The key for UCF will be the efficiency of their offense especially QB Brett Hodges, who ranks fourth in the conference in pass efficiency. If he can spread the ball around UCF can win this game given the ability of their defense to both stop the run and get after the quarterback. Conference USA title races are rarely straightforward and that means that UCF will vault themselves back into contention with a win tonight.

Updated BCS Rankings

1 Florida 8-0
2 Texas 8-0
3 Alabama 8-0
4 Iowa 9-0
5 Cincinnati 8-0
6 TCU 8-0
7 Boise State 8-0
8 Oregon 7-1
9 LSU 7-1
10 Georgia Tech 8-1
11 Penn State 8-1
12 USC 6-2
13 Pittsburgh 7-1
14 Utah 7-1
15 Houston 7-1
16 Ohio State 7-2
17 Miami (FL) 6-2
18 Arizona 5-2
19 Oklahoma State 6-2
20 California 6-2
21 Wisconsin 6-2
22 Notre Dame 6-2
23 Virginia Tech 5-3
24 Oklahoma 5-3
25 South Florida 6-2

Saturday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:38:15 -0400

12:00 PM ET Indiana at No. 4 Iowa
The Hawkeyes aren't going to be a "style points" kind of team; the key for Kirk Ferentz's team is to simply win games. That's how you end up with the nation's second-longest win streak, and the loss of leading rusher Adam Robinson just serves as one more source of motivation for Iowa. They may not impress in regards to the margin of victory, especially if Hoosier defensive ends Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew get to Ricky Stanzi with regularity, but the Hawkeyes will lean on a stout defense to remain undefeated.

12:00 PM ET No. 8 Cincinnati at Syracuse
Despite Tony Pike not playing due to his arm injury this game will likely get out of hand. Zach Collaros adds another dimension to the Bearcat offense; he may not throw for as many yards as Pike but he's efficient and can also run. Add this to a talented group of backs and receivers on a "speed track" and you've got the makings of a serious beating. Cincinnati rolls on the road.

12:00 PM ET New Mexico State at No. 17 Ohio State
The Buckeyes looked better offensively in last week's win over Minnesota but the strength of the opponent may have had something to do with that along with their own improvement. Terrelle Pryor and company host another team that's likely to be overmatched in the skill department, so the focus here will be on fine-tuning things for the stretch run.

12:00 PM ET Rutgers at Connecticut
This will be an emotional day in East Hartford with the Huskies playing their first home game since the death of Jasper Howard. But if Connecticut can bring the same energy they brought with them to Morgantown last weekend and combine that with even better execution it's hard to see Rutgers beating them when their best road win came at Army last week. Cody Endres is looking more comfortable at quarterback by the week and senior WR Marcus Easley has gone from afterthought to big-play threat. If the Scarlet Knights can establish their running game with Joe Martinek and Jourdan Brooks they'll have a shot but in the end Connecticut pulls out the victory.

12:00 PM ET North Carolina State at Florida State
The Wolfpack are almost in the same boat as Rutgers but at least they've got one resume-building victory (Pittsburgh) this season. The Seminoles will go the way in which their defense takes them; an improved second half in Chapel Hill last week allowed Christian Ponder and the offense enough time to steal a 30-27 win. In fact, Ponder's play has been severely underrated, most likely a product of FSU's shoddy defense and requisite coaching controversy.

The junior has numbers that rank right up there with some of the nation's best yet their 3-4 record has kept him out of the Heisman conversation. Whichever quarterback between Ponder and Russell Wilson keeps the turnovers to a minimum will end up winning the game, and the pick here is Florida State. By no means are the out of the ACC Atlantic race.

12:00 PM ET Purdue at Wisconsin
The Boilermakers are a tough team to figure out; a close call at Oregon was followed by a home loss to Northern Illinois and two weeks ago they beat Ohio State. The offense, which has been inconsistent, can keep both teams in the game due to the alternating of big plays with costly turnovers. On defense they've got one of the Big Ten's best defensive linemen in Ryan Kerrigan, and he'll need to be stout in the run game if Purdue is to win at Wisconsin. The Badgers are a battering ram type of team but if Scott Tolzien can make some plays with his arm they become even more dangerous. Look for the Badgers to defend Camp Randall, winning what could be a close ballgame.

12:00 PM ET Ohio at Ball State
The Cardinals finally picked up their first win of the season, coming back to beat Eastern Michigan on the road. When you need that kind of effort to beat another winless team, chances are you're not going to beat a division title contender the following week. Look for Theo Scott to lead the Bobcats to the win.

12:00 PM ET UL Lafayette at FIU
While this could be a tough trip for the Ragin' Cajuns, they still should leave Miami with another Sun Belt win to stay right in the thick of the title race. The Golden Panthers haven't made the progress in the win column that some were hoping for following last season, but Mario Cristobal has some talent to put on the field. Just not enough to beat UL Lafayette.

12:00 PM ET Akron at Northern Illinois
The Zips have had too many issues at quarterback to expect to go into DeKalb and leave with a victory, especially when considering how solid the Northern Illinois defense can be. Huskies win by a comfortable margin.

12:21 PM ET No. 25 Ole Miss at Auburn
Things went downhill in a hurry for Gene Chizik and company; after starting off 5-0 the Tigers have lost three straight to fall out of contention in the SEC West. Ole Miss is also out of the division crown conversation but back in the Top 25 following their early-season freefall. If Jevan Snead can keep the mistakes to a minimum, and Dexter McCluster gets the football regularly (there have been times when you wonder if the coaches remember that Dexter should get the ball), the Rebels will win. Auburn can definitely score but the traditional nuts and bolts of Auburn Football (a strong running game and a physical defense) have been lacking during the current skid. Ole Miss by a touchdown.

12:30 PM ET Nebraska at Baylor
The way in which the Bears can knock off the Huskers is to force turnovers; Nebraska gave the ball to Iowa State eight times last weekend in their 9-7 home loss. No Robert Griffin III so it's tough to pick Baylor, especially given the lack of playmakers on offense. Nebraska struggles but they limit the turnovers and turn things around in Waco.

1:00 PM ET Southern Miss at No. 18 Houston
Before the season began this was seen as a possible Conference USA title game preview; now both teams need the win to stay in their respective divisional races. DeAndre Brown and Damion Fletcher are keys to the Golden Eagle offense but if QB Martevious Young is off it will be a long day in Houston for Southern Miss. In fact, even if Southern Miss can move the football it's hard to see them matching the Cougars score for score. If Houston's defense plays the run like they did against UTEP they'll lose; that's not going to happen here. Houston wins.

1:30 PM ET Missouri at Colorado
Another week in the wacky Big 12 North and it's likely that nothing will be solved following this weekend's slate regardless of what happens in Boulder. But it would behoove both teams to win since they each have two league losses already. I've got to think that Blaine Gabbert will be a week closer to being 100% on that gimpy ankle, and he's not going up a defense the caliber of either Nebraska or Texas this week either. Tigers pick up a key road victory, reviving their division title hopes in the process.

1:30 PM ET Coastal Carolina at Clemson
C.J. Spiller will more than likely pad his stats in this one. Tigers roll.

2:00 PM ET SMU at Tulsa
The Golden Hurricane can be susceptible to strong running games; SMU's version of the run is the screen pass. But June Jones' team is much improved and that should keep things competitive. But in a high-scoring game take the team that can play some semblance of defense on occasion, and that's likely to be the home team. Tulsa keeps alive their Conference USA West title hopes.

2:00 PM ET Western Michigan at Kent State
With both teams looking to be out of their respective division races this game is all about possible bowl positioning. The MAC doesn't get the same number of bids as larger conferences so a game like this could make all the difference in playing football and staying home come bowl season. As for a winner, go with Tim Hiller and his weapons at the skill positions on the road in a close one.

3:00 PM ET San Jose State at No. 7 Boise State
The Spartans have neither the defense nor the offense to keep up with Boise State on the blue turf. This one's over by halftime.

3:00 PM ET UAB at UTEP
The last time the Miners came off of a big win (Houston) they followed it up with an inexplicable loss (Memphis). While UAB has the talented Joe Webb at quarterback a loss here would kill all momentum gained in UTEP's win over Tulsa last week, not to mention put a serious dent in their Conference USA West title hopes. But RB Donald Buckram and QB Trevor Vittatoe will do just enough to ensure that UTEP isn't victim to another letdown.

3:30 PM ET Georgia vs. No. 1 Florida (in Jacksonville)
These two have gone back in forth in the anger department; Georgia stormed the field in celebration following their first touchdown in 2007 and eventually won the game. Not to be outdone, Urban Meyer prolonged the Bulldog misery last year by using all three of his second-half timeouts in a 49-10 Gator beating. Is Georgia due? Well, it's not as simple as saying "he who laughs last" or whatever saying you prefer; when you're defense is ranked 84th in total defense it's hard to say that you're going to shut down Tim Tebow. But there are questions regarding the consistency of Florida's wide receivers and if Willie Martinez's defense can avoid costly lapses they could hang around. But "could" and "will" are two different words; Florida wins by two scores.

3:30 PM ET No. 19 Miami (FL) at Wake Forest
This could be a wilder football game than it looks to be on paper; Miami hasn't exactly blown ACC opponents out save for Georgia Tech and the Demon Deacons still have Riley Skinner at quarterback. To be perfectly honest however, if these two don't combine for at least four turnovers I'll be surprised. RB Javarris James and LB Sean Spence are both out due to injury for the Hurricanes, and look for the loss of Spence to have a bit more of an effect. The pick here is Miami because Jacory Harris and company have shown a better ability this year to shake off adversity thus far.

3:30 PM ET No. 24 California at Arizona State
The Sun Devil defense can keep this one close, and it will likely be a tough day for Jahvid Best on the ground. But can Danny Sullivan lead the ASU offense on enough scoring drives to ensure victory? That's the important question, one that hasn't had the best results against their toughest opponents to this point of the season. Look for Kevin Riley to limit his turnovers in leading the Golden Bears to the road victory.

3:30 PM ET Arkansas State at Louisville
The Red Wolves have put a scare into prior foes from BCS conferences, including winning at Texas A&M last season. Can they do the same to Louisville? A win here would likely make their season given the preseason Sun Belt contender's early stumbles in league play. Add to this the instability of the Louisville quarterback situation and you've got all the makings of an Arkansas State victory.

3:30 PM ET Central Michigan at Boston College
The Chippewas definitely can upset Boston College due to the presence of QB Dan LeFevour. But the pick here is BC due in large part to what happened when CMU visited Arizona in the season opener: their offensive line couldn't hold up in pass protection. The line play has improved but look for the Eagles to do just enough on defense, combining with a solid day from RB Montel Harris to ensure the victory.

3:30 PM ET Toledo at Miami (OH)
The Rockets have been slumping of late but it's hard to see them losing to the RedHawks, who are winless on the year. Aaron Opelt has a big day for Toledo.

3:30 PM ET Iowa State at Texas A&M
Amazingly the Cyclones are right in the Big 12 North race and first-year head coach Paul Rhoads has done a good job so far of restoring a competitive attitude in Ames. But how will they figure out Texas A&M? One week the Aggies got their doors blown off in Manhattan by Kansas State; the next they hang fifty-two on Texas Tech in Lubbock. Look for Mike Sherman and company to follow QB Jerrod Johnson to victory; although their tough to peg A&M can score with a little more regularity than ISU, especially if QB Austen Arnaud is forced to sit out again due to injury.

3:30 PM ET Duke at Virginia
Thanks to North Carolina beating Virginia Tech on Thursday night the winner of this game can remain tied in the loss column with Georgia Tech atop the ACC Coastal, a sentence that seemed unfathomable back in September. If the Virginia defense can get to Thaddeus Lewis his productivity could suffer, but he's the best quarterback in the ACC no one is talking about for a reason. Look for the Blue Devils to upset the Cavaliers in Charlottesville.

3:30 PM ET Michigan at Illinois
While there is a possibility that an above-average football team can allow a bad one to hang around it's a very slim one, especially when that bad team is this year's Fighting Illini. There's definitely some individual talent in Champaign but the combination has done nothing thus far. Hard to see them all of a sudden snapping back to life.

3:30 PM ET Temple at Navy
They've been by and large ignored by the national media but Temple is one of the better stories in college football to this point in the season. Already in the driver's seat for the MAC East crown Al Golden's team takes the show to Annapolis, where they'll have to deal with a Navy option attack that's still a force to be reckoned with despite the loss of Ricky Dobbs. Navy didn't attempt one pass last week yet still beat Wake Forest 13-10, so the Owls are going to need to dig in and slow down the option attack. But the Owls have been able to force turnovers while QB Vaughn Charlton and the offense has cut down on theirs. But the fact that they don't see the option in the MAC will likely be the difference; Midshipmen continue on their way towards a possible 10-win season.

3:30 PM ET Kansas at Texas Tech
For those who have argued themselves hoarse in years past that who plays quarterback for Texas Tech doesn't matter (it's all about the system), they should have paid attention to what happened in their loss to Texas A&M last week. Taylor Potts struggled and was replaced by a redshirt freshman in Seth Doege who will start against the Jayhawks. That's what can happen when Steven Sheffield gets hurt, leaving Mike Leach with no other options at the position.

And there's also the matter of the Red Raiders lacking focus (Coach Leach called out their "fat little girlfriends" earlier this week), and it makes you wonder whether or not they're going to bring anything of consequence to the table against the Jayhawks. Kansas has been a mystery themselves but not this much; go with Todd Reesing and company.

4:00 PM ET UNLV at No. 6 TCU
TCU blew out BYU, who blew out UNLV. It's going to be one of those games in Fort Worth.

4:00 PM ET Air Force at Colorado State
Steve Fairchild's Rams are reeling, having lost five straight following a 3-0 start to the season. Look for Troy Calhoun's Falcons to show more discipline and rush their way to a victory on the road.

4:00 PM ET UCLA at Oregon State
UCLA has one of the best defenses in the Pac-10. However, they're also one of the worst offensive teams in the conference. That imbalance costs them again, this time in Corvallis.

4:00 PM ET Middle Tennessee State at Florida Atlantic
Two of the Sun Belt's better quarterbacks will be on display in Boca Raton in FAU's Rusty Smith and Middle Tennessee's Dwight Dasher and they get the job done in different ways. Smith will throw the ball all over the field while the aptly named Dasher can burn you with his legs as well as his arm. In what could be a high-scoring football game look for Smith to make the final play in a close Owl victory.

4:05 PM ET Hawaii at Nevada
The Wolf Pack are red-hot, winning their last four games and putting up astronomical offensive numbers in the process. That doesn't bode well for the struggling Warriors, who will likely get blown out for the second consecutive week.

4:15 PM ET Western Kentucky at North Texas
If the Hilltoppers were going to win a conference game this season this would be one of their best chances. The Mean Green have been banged up the past few weeks, and the caliber of defense for both teams points towards a shootout. In that case go with the home team, who nearly knocked off Florida Atlantic in Denton a couple of weeks ago.

4:30 PM ET No. 12 Penn State at Northwestern
At this point all the Nittany Lions can do is continue to win while hoping that Iowa slips up if they're to get at least a share of the Big Ten title. But they'll be in for a battle in Evanston, taking on a Northwestern team that needs wins in order to improve their positioning in the conference bowl pecking order. Mike Kafka and company can move the football but whether or not they pull the upset will depend on how much pressure the defense can put on QB Daryll Clark. Look for Clark to connect with WR Graham Zug on a couple of big plays through the air, leading the Lions to the victory.

5:00 PM ET Louisiana Tech at Idaho
The winner of this game greatly improves their prospects in regards to which bowl they end up going to; in fact, the Vandals may be a good fit for the Humanitarian Bowl due to travel and the fact that they haven't been bowling since 1999. Louisiana Tech hasn't played at the level that some expected; no longer do they look like a team that could derail Boise State's BCS quest. But they do have Phillip Livas at wide receiver and if he gets loose look out. Unlike Nevada last weekend there isn't that kind of separation in regards to offensive firepower, which means that Nathan Enderle and company can pick up another win. And they'll do just that.

5:00 PM ET Utah State at Fresno State
The Aggies can move the football but they're simply too turnover-prone to pick on the road. Not to mention the defense needing to shut down one of the nation's best running backs in Ryan Mathews; look for Pat Hill's Bulldogs to take care of business at home.

7:00 PM ET Eastern Michigan at Arkansas
The Eagles had their chance at win number one of the Ron English era last week yet blew their lead late in a loss to Ball State. The Razorbacks have been mistake-prone at times but that would have to reach historic proportions for them to lose this game.

7:00 PM ET Mississippi State at Kentucky
Both teams are in need of victories if they're to hold out any hope of becoming bowl eligible and to call this one a toss-up would be accurate. The pick here is Mississippi State due to the fact that the Wildcats have struggled at times to get the ball to their two best offensive threats, Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb.

7:00 PM ET Kansas State at Oklahoma
The Wildcats lead the Big 12 North heading into Saturday's games and it's a coin flip as to whether that's a sign of the mastery of Bill Snyder or just how bad that division is. Look for the Sooners to prove the latter true, but things could get interesting if they don't keep tabs on WR Brandon Banks. He may very well be the fastest man in college football.

7:00 PM ET UL Monroe at Troy
This has the chance to be a decent game in the Sun Belt if the Warhawks can slow down Troy's Levi Brown and the numerous options at his disposal. But that's a huge "if", one that I'm not sure they have the answer to. Trojans remain undefeated in conference play.

7:30 PM ET No. 11 Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt lost at Army earlier this season and Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson never lost at Army when he was head coach at Navy. Put all that together and you've got big days from Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer. However, if the Yellow Jackets are a little too charitable with the football this becomes more strenuous than it should be.

7:30 PM ET Washington State at No. 23 Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish will actually play a home game in San Antonio, allowing NBC to broadcast an Irish game in primetime. Good thing they virtually assured Charlie Weis' team a win in making the schedule; the Cougars are the worst team in the Pac-10 and it's not much of an argument at this time either. Big night for Jimmy Clausen; Notre Dame rolls.

7:30 PM ET New Mexico at San Diego State
New Mexico head coach Mike Locksley is back from his 10-day suspension for punching an assistant, but there's usually more to point to when dealing with a team that's winless. Changing coaches has gone better for the Aztecs, who are greatly improved under Brady Hoke and are coming off of a win at Colorado State in which QB Ryan Lindley was lights out. Look for more of the same against the hapless Lobos.

7:45 PM ET No. 22 South Carolina at Tennessee
Look for this to be a close, low-scoring affair in Knoxville and it wouldn't be a surprise if the Volunteers upset the Gamecocks. Why? Because they've got one of the best defensive minds to have ever lived in Monte Kiffin, resulting in a defense that currently ranks tenth nationally in total defense. QB Stephen Garcia will have his work cut out for him in Knoxville in dealing with the scheme and a talented secondary led by safety Eric Berry. If Jonathan Crompton can get anything done in the way of offensive production Tennessee can win but he'll be going up against some talented defenders himself, most notably LB Eric Norwood. Gamecocks win on a late field goal.

8:00 PM ET No. 3 Texas at No. 14 Oklahoma State
The Big 12 South crown is likely on the line in Stillwater, and you can bet that the Longhorns remember what happened last season when they fell to Texas Tech. Mack Brown and company don't want to fall victim to another three-way tie, meaning that Oklahoma State will need more than just a home-field advantage to win. Kendall Hunter will be back for the Cowboys, combining with Keith Toston to form a solid tandem on the backfield to go along with QB Zac Robinson. But Russell Okung and company will need to keep the talented Texas front four away from Robinson if he's to make enough plays to win the game.

As for the Cowboy defense, they've got to get the ball out of Colt McCoy's hands in the running game. McCoy leads Texas in rushing this season, and if Oklahoma State can get some early hits on him that could change the flow of the game. Something to watch: whether or not the Cowboys can pick off McCoy. OK State is 106th in pass defense but 34th in pass efficiency defense, which means that while they give up yards opponents have to work very hard for those yards. LB Patrick Lavine has three interceptions, which could come in handy when dealing with the intermediate routes that Texas will run. The winner: Texas. I get the feeling that this is Colt McCoy's year.

8:00 PM ET No. 5 USC at No. 10 Oregon
An Oregon win here would essentially be a fatal blow to USC's BCS hopes, and the Trojans haven't won in the state of Oregon since 2005. Matt Barkley has been to both Columbus and South Bend this season but neither will compare to what he'll hear (and won't as a result) at Autzen Stadium. The fans will be loud and the defense has played well this season, ranking nineteenth in total defense and sixth in pass efficiency defense. Kenny Rowe and company can also get to the quarterback, ranking tenth in the country in sacks per game, averaging just over three sacks per contest. If Barkley is under siege look out; Oregon is very good at taking advantage of opponents' mistakes.

The other question will be how the USC defense fares in slowing down Jeremiah Masoli and the rest of the Oregon offensive attack. The Ducks rank fourteenth in rushing offense and don't be fooled by that ranking of 66th in total offense; these guys can get to the end zone on any given play. LaMichael James has performed better with each passing week at running back, but the Oregon rushing attack will be tested by a USC defense that currently ranks fifth nationally in rushing defense.

USC also get to the quarterback, leading the nation in sacks per game, so it may be a good thing that Masoli is mobile. Normally in a big game like this turnover margin plays a major role in the outcome; with USC ranking last in the Pac-10 in that category they haven't encountered anyone who can hold them accountable for those mistakes outside of Washington. After Saturday night in Eugene, you can add Oregon to that mix.

8:00 PM ET Tulane at No. 9 LSU
The "Tiger Rag" will be on the line in this one but there's little reason to believe that it will be leaving Baton Rouge when the game ends. LSU win comfortably.

8:00 PM ET Wyoming at No. 16 Utah
Austyn Carta-Samuels has been a difference maker for the Cowboys, who have lost just once since he took over the starting quarterback role. But things have gotten tougher in regards to the schedule with Air Force last week (10-0 loss) followed by a Utah team that some have ignored since their loss at Oregon. Terrence Cain and company are still undefeated in Mountain West play, and the number of options on offense makes the Utes a tough team to stop even with RB Matt Asiata out for the year. Look for Cain and RB Eddie Wide III to make enough plays to keep the Cowboys from winning in Salt Lake City.

8:00 PM ET Michigan State at Minnesota
Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio may have dropped a pair of running backs (Caulton Ray and Andre Anderson) from the depth chart but that's nowhere near the deal that Minnesota losing WR Eric Decker for the remainder of the season is. The aforementioned backs went from projected pieces of the offensive puzzle to barely even playing; Decker may have been on his way to winning the Biletnikoff Award (given to the nation's best wide receiver). That's the difference here, despite the fact that this game is being played in Minneapolis.

Thursday/Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:21:51 -0400

Both football games on the schedule before Saturday seem to have the following theme: conference title contender taking on an opponent that's disappointed to this point in the season. North Carolina (4-3, 0-3 ACC) has been hurt by injuries on the offensive line and in the backfield, resulting in the ACC's second-worst offense. But can T.J. Yates and company challenge #13 Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-1) in Blacksburg? That's been among the toughest things to do in the recent history of college football with the Hokies being a dominant team at home on Thursday nights (9-2 at home on ESPN Thursday nights).

Both teams will rely on the run and backs Shaun Draughn (North Carolina) and Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) are two of the conference's better rushers, but the freshman Williams is one of the favorites right now to win the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award. The Tar Heels rank second in the conference in rush defense, allowing just over 102 yards per game on the ground. This will be a good matchup of "strength vs. strength", with players such as DE Robert Quinn, LB Bruce Carter and the rest of that UNC front seven attempting to shut down the ACC's leading rusher.

Ultimately the key in this meeting will be the ability of Yates and his young corps of receivers to make plays through the air. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster will look to take advantage of a shuffled UNC offensive line, likely throwing everything but the kitchen sink in his blitz packages at the Tar Heels. Look for big games from DE Jason Worilds and LB Cody Grimm, who seems to always be around the football, in a low-scoring Hokie victory.

As for Friday night, USF (5-2, 1-2 Big East) said all the right things in the preseason (as well as September) about being able to avoid the seemingly annual October swoon. But saying that you're going to avoid something and actually doing it aren't always bedfellows, something that became painfully apparent in their 41-14 whipping at the hands of Pittsburgh last weekend. While it may not be fair to say that the Bulls' season is on the line when #20 West Virginia (6-1, 2-0) visits Tampa that kind of statement wouldn't be far off.

QB B.J. Daniels has completed just 47.5% of his passes in losses to Cincinnati and Pitt and if the pass isn't working then it becomes tougher to find lanes in the run game. The Mountaineers may provide that opportunity, as they gave up some big plays in the passing game to Connecticut in their last contest. But they do have a streak of eleven consecutive games with an interception, and that experienced secondary can punish Daniels for any wayward throws. Despite ranking seventh in the conference in pass defense West Virginia is third in pass efficiency defense.

When West Virginia has the football it will be even more important for the Bulls to keep contain. Noel Devine is one of the nation's best running backs, and he accounted for 178 yards and a touchdown in the 28-24 win over Connecticut. But QB Jarrett Brown is also a threat on the ground, especially if defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul, George Selvie and Craig Marshall get too hellbent on rushing upfield. WR Jock Sanders is also a dangerous option in the passing game and Alric Arnett has been solid as well. It will be interesting to see how safety Nate Allen (12 tackles last week) and the rest of the USF secondary matches up in this area; USF leads the Big East in pass defense.

In regards to who wins this game, all four prior meetings have been decided by no more than eight points with each team winning twice. Is USF of the proper state of mind, or will the Mountaineers add to the misery of losing to all three Big East title contenders in a row? Maybe the Bulls will circle the wagons and come out prepared to play (and win) but the safe pick is West Virginia.

East Carolina vs. Memphis Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:59:26 -0400

No football on Wednesday night (Game 1 of the World Series) but there is a game on Tuesday, with East Carolina (4-3, 3-1) hitting the road to take on Memphis (2-5, 1-3) at 8 PM on ESPN2. The Pirates, who are looking to defend their Conference USA title, got off to a slow start this season with losses to West Virginia and North Carolina but they've won three of their last four games. In Memphis they'll take on an offense that can move the ball, ranking sixth in the conference in total offense (362 yards per game), but they average just twenty-one points per contest.

Tommy West's Tigers are talented on that side of the ball with players such as RB Curtis Steele and WR Duke Calhoun leading the way, but the quarterback position has been the holdup. Tyler Bass is out for the season with a shoulder injury, putting the job back into the hands of Will Hudgens with Arkelon Hall backing him up. Hopefully the sight of ECU, who knocked both of them out of last year's 30-10 Pirate victory, won't result in negative flashbacks.

As for the Pirates they've had problems moving the ball consistently, especially in the passing game. ECU ranks ninth in the conference in both pass offense (198 yards per game) and passing efficiency (112.7 rating). But they've been able to remain in contention for the conference crown due to a defense that can force turnovers. Led by safety Van Eskridge and linebacker Nick Johnson the Pirates have forced seventeen turnovers (10 interceptions) in 2009, resulting in a turnover margin of +4 (3rd in Conference USA).

Memphis ranks among the worst teams in the conference in turnover margin and with the Pirates having the better defensive unit of the two the game will likely come down to how well Will Hudgens performs for the Tigers. Look for the Pirates to win a game that plays out a bit closer than many will expect it to.

Week 8 Football Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:07:42 -0400

Following last weekend's results the thought of many was that the top three teams in the polls (Florida, Alabama and Texas) were far and away the best teams in the country. But if there was any need for clarification, we learned on Saturday that the college football season is a fluid situation and anything can happen on any given week. Texas was impressive in their dominance of Missouri on the road but it wouldn't be a surprise if they were to have a dogfight on their hands next week in Stillwater.

Alabama, if not for the massive left paw of Terrence Cody, would have learned the value of playing games on the field the hard way at the hands of bitter rival Tennessee. "Mount Cody" blocked two Daniel Lincoln field goal attempts, the last of which preserved a 12-10 victory in which Mark Ingram found the running lanes smaller and QB Greg McElroy continued to struggle. Nick Saban's defense is among the nation's best but without improved production in the passing game the road to another SEC West crown becomes a bit more treacherous.

As for Florida they dealt with the sight of a former assistant (Dan Mullen) instead of one of the greatest defensive minds in the history of the game (Monte Kiffin), and they struggled as well. Both Mississippi State and Florida tossed two interceptions of the "pick six" variety apiece, but the Gators were able to survive by the final of 29-19 due to the overall strength of their defense. Florida's offense hasn't had the consistent big-play ability of last year's group but they can methodically get the job done. A defense the caliber of Charlie Strong's can afford you such a luxury.

The lesson to be learned from this Saturday: nothing is a given. In light of the guarantees and prognostications of the previous week, quite a few needed the reminder.

ACC: So much for Miami's run to the BCS.
After getting through a four-game stretch that some theorizes would get Randy Shannon fired with a 3-1 mark, many assumed that the Hurricanes and a smooth path towards a BCS berth (either automatic as ACC champion or an at-large). All they had to do on Saturday was beat a Clemson team that few have been able to figure out and they'd be one step closer to that accomplishment. But not knowing which Clemson football team would show up was exactly why such a prediction shouldn't have been made.

C.J. Spiller went off on the Hurricanes, setting a school record for all-purpose yards in a game in the process, and Kyle Parker hit Jacoby Ford for a touchdown in overtime that gave the Tigers the 40-37 victory. It was a wild game that featured scores in all three phases of the game, and it showed that despite their promise the Hurricanes are still a young football team. But even with this loss, which places Georgia Tech in the driver's seat in the ACC Coastal, Miami will still be a factor in that race. It's just that now they don't control their own destiny.

Big 12: Nebraska may be in serious trouble due to their offensive...offense.
While there were questions regarding QB Zac Lee and his ability to lead the offense heading into the season, few people thought that the Nebraska offense would reach the point it did in the 9-7 home loss to Iowa State. The Huskers turned the ball over eight times, losing five fumbles to go along with three Lee interceptions.

And for those who argue that DT Ndamukong Suh shouldn't at least be considered for the Heisman, keep in mind that his performance (8 tackles, 1 sack, 3 hurries and 2 pass deflections) fit in with a defensive effort that if not present they get blown right out of Memorial Stadium.

It helps Nebraska's chances in the Big 12 North that both Kansas and Missouri lost as well, but it's tough to see them winning the division if their offense doesn't improve substantially. Lastly, it took Gene Chizik two years in Ames to win five games (5-19 record) before he left to take over at Auburn. First-year head coach Paul Rhoads is now 5-3.

Big East: Annual USF nosedive isn't a myth.
I tried to believe in the Bulls, I really did (even picked them to win the Big East). But their performance at Pittsburgh on Saturday was downright poor. One team showed up for the noon kick and it was the Panthers, who beat USF 41-14 to remain in first place in the conference standings while dealing the visitor's a crippling blow. Pittsburgh went into the locker room up 31-7, and when you hear mentions of head coach Jim Leavitt having to "pick up" his assistants in the days following their loss to Cincinnati (not sure if this is true but it was mentioned during the telecast) something's wrong.

Point blank: until this program learns how to deal with disappointment immediately and realize that "every week is a season" they won't win the Big East.

Big Ten: Penn State makes their statement for being the second-best team in the Big Ten.
Head coach Joe Paterno told his players in the days leading up to their trip to Michigan that they had to show him how good they were capable of being. If their 35-10 whipping of the Wolverines is any indication of what's to come, the Nittany Lions are going to be a tough out and could very well work themselves back into the BCS at-large discussion.

Daryll Clark (16-27, 230 yards and 4 TDs) was more than efficient in the win and the defense limited Michigan to just 3.3 yards per play. Just imagine if they'd taken care of business in the second half of that loss to Iowa.

Conference USA: Could UTEP be a contender for the West Division title?
Believe it or not yes, thanks to their come-from-behind 28-24 win over Tulsa on Wednesday night. Donald Buckram's 3-yard run in the game's final minute tied the Miners in the loss column with both Tulsa and Houston, and they've already beaten both should this boil down to a tiebreaker. Mike Price's team does have two of the more dangerous offensive threats in Buckram and QB Trevor Vittatoe, but whether or not they've got enough to win the division will boil down to two factors: defense and discipline.

The defense played well against the Golden Hurricane, limiting one of the nation's most prolific offenses to 428 yards and 5-14 on third downs. In regards to their discipline the Miners did finish the game with just three penalties and few missed assignments. But there's also this aspect of discipline: the week after they beat Houston they fell at Memphis. Stay focused and they've got a serious shot in the West.

Independents: Navy finds a way to win without their starting quarterback.
What did the knee injury to starting QB Ricky Dobbs mean for the Navy offense? Instead of rarely throwing the football Ken Niumatalolo's squad didn't throw the ball once in their 13-10 victory over Wake Forest in Annapolis. FB Vince Murray and QB Kriss Proctor combined to rush for 264 yards and a touchdown on fifty carries for the afternoon while the defense kept the Demon Deacons out of the end zone for just over fifty-two minutes of action. Now 6-2 on the year the Middies have a shot at winning ten games this season.

MAC: Temple (4-0 MAC) makes a statement and takes control of the MAC East race.
Heading into this weekend it looked as if the muscle in the Mid-American Conference resided in the West. But even though Central Michigan, on the cusp of entering the Top 25, is likely to be considered the favorites to win the league it wouldn't be wise to count out Temple. The Owls went on the road and took care of Toledo 40-24, racing out to a 23-7 lead before the Rockets pulled to within 23-17 at the half.

No problem for Al Golden's team, who scored the first seventeen points of the second half to put the game out of reach. Who's been the difference-maker? RB Bernard Pierce, who ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon. In the early stages of the season Vaughn Charlton's arm was relied upon and that didn't go so well for Temple. With the emergence of Pierce, Charlton has been far more efficient through the air (11-20 for 122 yards and 2 TDs, 0 INT). Looks like a win-win situation and it's one that could land the Owls in their first-ever MAC Championship Game.

Mountain West: TCU may be well on their way to a BCS bowl appearance.
For the second consecutive season the meeting between BYU and TCU garnered national attention. And for the second consecutive season the Horned Frogs proved to be a bad matchup for the Cougars, winning 38-7 in Provo. Offensively the TCU attack has proven to be too much, especially when they can put a player like the dynamic Jeremy Kerley in the slot. BYU doesn't have the personnel to deal with such an alignment given the fact that Kerley is a threat to run, catch a pass or throw one (he completed a big one to position the Horned Frogs for their second score).

Andy Dalton outplayed Max Hall, throwing three touchdown passes on the afternoon, but he also didn't have a player the caliber of Jerry Hughes chasing him down on every play. Next up for TCU: UNLV, followed by a tricky trip to San Diego State before their rematch with Utah in Fort Worth on November 14th. If they get to that one undefeated, Gary Patterson's team could be playing for a lot more than just a conference title.

Pac-10: Oregon and USC take care of business, setting up next week's showdown in Eugene.
While there's still more than a month left in the regular season the Trojans' trip to Eugene the outcome could very well determine who wins the Pac-10. The Ducks didn't get off to the fastest start in Seattle, trailing Washington 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. But in the middle two quarters Chip Kelly's team outscored the Huskies 36-3 on their way to the 43-19 victory. Jeremiah Masoli returned to the lineup after missing the UCLA game due to injury, rushing for two touchdowns while LaMichael James added 154 yards and two scores.

As for the Trojans, they found the trek to victory a bit tougher yet in the end they had enough to take care of Oregon State at the Coliseum 42-36. USC accounted for 227 yards and three touchdowns on the ground; making up for the solid job the Beavers did against the pass. So who's likely to be favored next weekend? Oregon will most likely be favored due to the home field advantage. But for those who wonder whether or not Matt Barkley can handle a hostile environment remember that he's already won at Ohio State and Notre Dame this season.

SEC: A month ago people were building statues for Gene Chizik. Wonder what the prevailing thought is now.
When the Tigers had it rolling earlier this season the buzz was all about how well Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn were doing in their first season on The Plains. Well once they got into the meat of the SEC slate things began the head downhill, with LSU shutting down that spread attack in a 31-10 beating in Baton Rouge.

QB Chris Todd threw for just 47 yards and as a team Auburn accounted for 193 yards and three turnovers, failing to slow down John Chavis' defense. What made things worse it that an LSU offense that's looked rather pedestrian at times suddenly had room to make plays all night long. Is Auburn physical enough to compete with the "big boys" of the SEC? Good question.

Sun Belt: Don't give up on Florida Atlantic just yet.
Howard Schnellenberger's Owls didn't get off to the best of starts, looking thoroughly overmatched against BCS-conference opponents (first two games) on their way to a 0-4 start to the season. But they've won two in a row, most recently beating previously undefeated (in conference play) UL Lafayette on the road 51-29.

Rusty Smith threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns for the day and Alfred Morris added 181 yards and two scores on the ground. Troy and UL Monroe remain on top of the standings without a conference loss but don't forget about FAU. They've got championship experience, having won the Sun Belt two years ago, and one of the best coaches around to guide them towards a title.

WAC: Boise State is the clear favorite but no one in the WAC wants to run into Nevada right now.
Idaho was (and still is) one of the best stories of the college football season thus far heading into their game at Nevada on Saturday. Unfortunately for Robb Akey and company they were walking into a buzz saw, with the end result being a 70-45 Wolf Pack victory. Since starting the season 0-3 Chris Ault's team has won four straight, scoring an average of 51 points per game in the process.

QB Colin Kaepernick accounted for 408 yards of offense and six touchdowns on Saturday and Nevada finished the afternoon with 662 yards of offense. And outside of their game against Fresno State on November 14th (at home) the Wolf Pack has a manageable schedule leading up to the season-ending showdown with Boise State. Imagine if that game had the WAC title and a possible BCS berth for the Broncos riding on it? That would be a far cry from the Nevada squad we saw the first month of the season.

BCS Standings

1 Florida 7-0
2 Alabama 8-0
3 Texas 7-0
4 Iowa 8-0
5 USC 6-1
6 TCU 7-0
7 Boise State 7-0
8 Cincinnati 7-0
9 LSU 6-1
10 Oregon 6-1
11 Georgia Tech 7-1
12 Penn State 7-1
13 Virginia Tech 5-2
14 Oklahoma State 6-1
15 Pittsburgh 7-1
16 Utah 6-1
17 Ohio State 6-2
18 Houston 6-1
19 Miami (FL) 5-2
20 Arizona 5-2
21 West Virginia 6-1
22 South Carolina 6-2
23 Notre Dame 5-2
24 California 5-2
25 Mississippi 5-2

Saturday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:53:10 -0400

12:00 PM ET No. 12 Georgia Tech at Virginia
This should be a more interesting game than many would think at first glance. Al Groh has actually done well against the Yellow Jackets, most recently taking care of Paul Johnson's option attack in Atlanta last season. As effective as the option can be, Tech sometimes succeeds in keeping both teams in games due to their tendency to put the ball on the ground. If Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer can produce while keeping the fumbles to a minimum Georgia Tech should win. But the Cavaliers haven't been a conventional team this season.

A brutal start resulted in calls for Coach Groh's head, and all they've done is win three straight games and take over the top spot in the ACC Coastal. Does that end on Saturday? No, and the Wahoos will likely credit the "Curse of Scott Sisson" for a win streak against the Jackets in Charlottesville that dates all the way back to 1990 (when Sisson's 37-yard field goal gave Georgia Tech the 41-38 victory). Not sure how they go about doing it, but look for Virginia to find a way to win.

12:00 PM ET Minnesota at No. 19 Ohio State
Terrelle Pryor has been the focus of a lot of criticism in the days following the bad loss at Purdue. Some think he should be benched, others think he should be switched to wide receiver, and there's even an element that blames Jim Tressel for the sophomore's struggles. Pryor's high school coach came out and blamed the play calling, suggesting that Ohio State run more zone read plays. Personally, I'd take a look at the combination of decision-making and throwing mechanics.

There were some throws last weekend that a winning quarterback (or one hoping to be one) simply cannot make. Throwing into coverage is bad enough, but to compound that with very poor mechanics is asking for trouble. The thought here is that while Pryor and the Ohio State offense has some issues moving the ball they'll do enough to beat the Golden Gophers. Penn State did a good job of keeping WR Eric Decker under wraps and they shut out Minnesota. The Buckeyes have good enough corners to avoid being lit up by the senior.

12:00 PM ET USF at No. 20 Pittsburgh
Was last week's loss to Cincinnati the beginning of the "annual" October swoon for the Bulls? Or can they rebound to knock of the Panthers, thus placing themselves back in the middle of the Big East race? B.J. Daniels struggled against the Bearcats, completing less than half his pass attempts and throwing a pair of interceptions. If the Bulls are to rebound the offensive line will need to keep Daniels upright; they're going up against one of the nation's best teams when it comes to sacking the quarterback.

Pittsburgh also has the Big East's most productive running back in freshman Dion Lewis, and if QB Bill Stull is on his game look for receivers Jonathan Baldwin and Dorin Dickerson to have solid afternoons. But USF is also good at getting to the quarterback, most notably junior DE Jason Pierre-Paul, and they may be able to force the Panthers into some mistakes. In a game that likely won't be decided until late, look for USF to head back to Tampa with the win.

12:00 PM ET Connecticut at No. 23 West Virginia
To say the least it's going to be a tough afternoon in Morgantown, with this being the first game the Huskies play following the tragic passing of CB Jasper Howard. Tributes have been planned for the occasion, and while both teams will attempt to get back a sense of "normalcy" once the ball is placed on the tee is there really such a thing? Truth is we really don't know what to expect here. In terms of the all-time series it hasn't been much of a contest; the Mountaineers have won the previous five meetings by a combined score of 210-77.

Two of the Big East's best rushing attacks will be on display, with Connecticut relying upon the tandem of Andre Dixon and Jordan Todman while WVU will lean upon Noel Devine. How this game goes will depend largely upon the Huskies' state of mind; that's something that cannot be predicted one way or the other until the ball is snapped. Also of note is West Virginia's tendency to put the ball of the ground; they've fumbled sixteen times this season, losing eleven. Go with the Mountaineers, but look for the Huskies to keep things competitive.

12:00 PM ET Indiana at Northwestern
Indiana got back on the winning track last weekend, taking care of a reeling Illinois team in Bloomington. Now they face a Northwestern team that's played in quite a few nail biters thus far. Go with the home team for this one despite the presence of defensive stalwarts Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew.

12:00 PM ET Central Michigan at Bowling Green
The Chippewas have shown themselves to be the class of the MAC to this point in the season, and despite the improvements made by Dave Clawson at Bowling Green it would be a surprise if the Falcons knocked off Dan LeFevour and company.

12:00 PM ET UAB at Marshall
The Thundering Herd struggled offensively against in-state rival West Virginia last week, but look for RB Darius Marshall to be his productive self in front of the home folks in Huntington. UAB's Joe Webb is one of the more dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks that few people know about and he will get his share of yards on Saturday. But it won't be enough to pick up the road win.

12:00 PM ET Illinois at Purdue
There's no way to tiptoe around this: Illinois is a bad football team. Period. There's definitely some individual talent but nothing has gone right for Ron Zook's team this year. Boilers build on the momentum gained in their upset of Ohio State last week.

12:21 PM ET Arkansas at Mississippi
The pick this week is Arkansas, who let one get away at Florida last weekend (of course that personal foul call didn't help matters). Jevan Snead hasn't looked comfortable this season and the Rebels have also failed to get playmaker Dexter McCluster the ball at times for lengthy stretches. Look for a good day from Ryan Mallett, who will face a defense that isn't on the same level of the unit he ran into last weekend.

12:30 PM ET No. 15 Oklahoma State at Baylor
The presence of Robert Griffin III would have given the Bears a puncher's chance against the team most likely to be Texas' main challenger in the Big 12 South. But with Griffin done for the year with a torn ACL it's hard to pick Baylor, even if the Cowboys get caught looking ahead to their game in Stillwater against the Longhorns next weekend.

12:30 PM ET Iowa State at Nebraska
A mere 24 hours after being given back their Blackshirts the Nebraska defense had all sorts of trouble slowing down Steven Sheffield and the Texas Tech offense, going down by the final score of 31-10. Iowa State's offense isn't as good as the Red Raiders' attack, and this should lend itself to a big day from DT Ndamukong Suh. It also remains to be seen whether or not Bo Pelini sticks with Zac Lee under center; it's reportedly a game-time decision between Lee and freshman Cody Green. Whoever gets the nod would be well-served to hand the ball off to RB Roy Helu Jr. in what should be a Nebraska victory.

12:30 PM ET Colorado at Kansas State
Both teams posted surprising wins last weekend; the Buffaloes beat Kansas in Boulder and K-State hung 62 points on Texas A&M just one week after giving up 66 to Texas Tech. The question here is how well Colorado travels, especially QB Tyler Hansen, who took over for an inconsistent Cody Hawkins. Hansen, who was originally supposed to redshirt, did a good job of leading the offense last week. The pick here is that it was the Wildcats' performance that was the anomaly last week; Buffs win.

1:00 PM ET Northern Illinois at Miami (OH)
Truth be told first-year head coach Mike Haywood walked into one of the toughest rebuilding jobs at the FBS level. Northern Illinois doesn't have the kind of offense that can hang fifty on you, but they should do enough defensively to handle the Redhawks.

1:00 PM ET Ball State at Eastern Michigan
Wow. That's all you can really say about a game in which the two teams "boast" a combined record of 0-13. And looking at the upcoming schedules for both teams, a win would be huge since both could approach ten losses on the year before they sniff a victory. My pick: Ball State. They've got RB Miquale Lewis.

1:30 PM ET Maryland at Duke
Maryland's been pretty bad this season outside of a home win over Clemson. That's not a good thing when you're going up against one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC in Thaddeus Lewis. Duke just looks like the more stable football team and program, something that will be quite evident in the final score.

2:00 PM ET Kent State at Ohio
This is a big matchup in the MAC East; the Golden Flashes sit a game behind the undefeated (in league play) Bobcats in the standings. This should be a league race that goes down to the final weekend of the regular season but if Kent State wants to be a factor they need to pick up the road victory. But the Bobcats have been hot of late, winning their last three and holding their last two opponents to seven points apiece. That's not good news for Kent State's freshman QB Spencer Keith, who's been solid but still leads one of the less productive offenses in the MAC. Look for Theo Scott to lead Ohio to the win.

2:00 PM ET Buffalo at Western Michigan
Sandwiched in between losses to Northern Illinois and Central Michigan for the Broncos was an impressive win over Toledo, but that 1-2 stretch essentially ensures WMU that they won't win the MAC West this season. The Bulls are hanging on by a thread in the East, but it's not a good sign that their league win came at the expense of a bad Akron team by four points. It's hard to see them being able to go on the road and beat a WMU team that still has QB Tim Hiller and a few solid options at the skill positions. Broncos win.

3:00 PM ET Louisiana Tech at Utah State
This could be an upset opportunity for the Aggies; Diondre Borel can move the football on offense and the Bulldogs haven't exactly been unstoppable offensively this season. But it's tough to see Derek Dooley's team falling in Logan; they will be tested but ultimately escape with the win.

3:30 PM ET Tennessee at No. 2 Alabama
Greg McElroy has struggled in recent weeks, and it's going to be tough to get back on the right track personally when going up against a stout Tennessee defense led by defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. But there's also the matter of the Vols finding a way to slow down RB Mark Ingram, who practically carried the Crimson Tide to a win over South Carolina last weekend. He is essentially the difference in this heated rivalry on Saturday; Tennessee doesn't have an offensive player of that caliber to make plays against a tough defense led by LB Rolando McClain. Roll Tide.

3:30 PM ET Louisville at No. 5 Cincinnati
Even with the status of QB Tony Pike (forearm) unknown this will likely go the way of the Bearcats. Backup QB Zach Collaros has more than enough weapons at his disposal, and the time working with the first team this week should do wonders for his timing. The Cardinals will put up a fight, but they're lacking compared to the Bearcats when it comes to the talent level.

3:30 PM ET Clemson at No. 10 Miami (FL)
Another tribute to the late Jasper Howard will take place in this game, with Clemson DB Chris Chancellor switching his number from 38 to 6 in honor of his friend and high school teammate. As for the game itself, the quality likely depends upon which Tigers show up at Land Shark Stadium. They manhandled Wake Forest last weekend, but this is also a team that went on the road and lost at Maryland. The Hurricanes have played well since the loss to Virginia Tech, and they seem to find new options at the skill positions on a weekly basis. That, along with their discipline, will prove to be too much for Dabo Swinney's team.

3:30 PM ET No. 11 Oregon at Washington
Oregon's quarterback will be a game-time decision due to the health of starter Jeremiah Masoli, but it shouldn't matter much who runs the show provided they take care of the football. Defensively they'll need to contain QB Jake Locker, which is what they'll be able to do on the road. Ducks win.

3:30 PM ET No. 13 Penn State at Michigan
Is Penn State a true contender for the Big Ten title? If you look at their record yes, but all they've done is handle the teams they're supposed to and lost in their one test (Penn State) thus far. The Wolverines have been tested against the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan State and Iowa, so they won't be intimidated at all by the Nittany Lions. Add to this the motivation of being soundly whipped in Happy Valley last season and you've got the makings of an upset in the Big House. Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson combine to take out Penn State.

3:30 PM ET Oklahoma at No. 25 Kansas
For all the attention being paid to Sam Bradford, who won't even play this weekend, a lot of people don't realize that there will still be a pretty good quarterback on the field in Lawrence. Senior Todd Reesing has practically rewritten the Kansas record book, and with wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier he's got enough weapons to stretch the vaunted Sooner defense. But the question for the Jayhawks will be the performance of the defense, which didn't fare too well last week in the upset loss at Colorado. And it isn't as if Landry Jones hasn't experienced being the starting quarterback. If Oklahoma's offensive line keeps the redshirt freshman upright they should win a hotly-contested game.

3:30 PM ET Boston College at Notre Dame
The Eagles, who tend to play this game with a chip on their shoulder every year, have won the last six meetings in the series. Last year's game was a disaster for Jimmy Clausen and company with their offense rendered inept by a tough BC defense in the 17-0 shutout at The Heights. Things should be different this time around with Clausen and the passing game vastly improved, and the Eagles' offense hasn't always gotten on the plane when hitting the road.

The key in this meeting will be the play of QB Dave Shinskie. When he plays well things open up on the ground for Montel Harris, with last week's whipping of NC State being a prime example. With this game immediately following USC on the schedule we'll find out just how much beating Boston College truly means to the Irish. Their intensity level hasn't matched that of BC's in recent meetings, but that changes this weekend.

3:30 PM ET Akron at Syracuse
For all the snickers and jokes directed towards the Orange for picking up Greg Paulus, at least they didn't have to advertise their quarterback needs in the school paper. 2009 was likely doomed from the get-go for J.D. Brookhart and company, with returning starter Chris Jacquemain being suspended for the year. And don't think that Syracuse forgot about their embarrassing loss at the hands of the Zips last season. It's payback time.

3:30 PM ET UCF at Rice
This may be one of Rice's best opportunities to pick up a win this season; more than a few pundits expected a drop given who they lost but 0-7? Definitely not in the cards, so look for the Knights to pick up a hard-fought road victory.

3:30 PM ET Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee State
Can the Hilltoppers contain the versatile Dwight Dasher? Not too confident that they do, but Western Kentucky has played better football in recent weeks. Look for this game to be closer than many expect it to be.

3:30 PM ET Wake Forest at Navy
Wake Forest is another one of those ACC Atlantic teams that's extremely hard to define on a weekly basis. One week they look like they can beat anyone, only to go out the following week and have their heads handed to them. The familiarity with Navy (this is their third meeting in the last two seasons) could help Jim Grobe's team but there's no Aaron Curry or Stanley Arnoux on that defense this year. But with Ricky Dobbs out with a knee injury, the pick switches to Wake.

3:30 PM ET North Texas at Troy
The Mean Green can definitely pose a challenge for the reigning Sun Belt champs but if Riley Dodge is either hindered or can't go due to the injury he suffered last week it's tough to see them winning on the road. Look for the Trojans to remain undefeated in conference play.

4:00 PM ET Air Force at No. 18 Utah
If the Falcons can get their ground game rolling this is a possible upset in the making. But given their meager output against Wyoming last weekend (10 points, but they did win 10-0) it's tough to see them running wild on the Utes. Add to this the number of weapons that Utah has on offense, even with RB Matt Asiata out for the year, and it's likely that the Utes defend their home turf.

4:00 PM ET San Diego State at Colorado State
After starting the season 3-0 things have gone downhill for the Rams, who have lost their last four games. San Diego State is a much improved team over the outfit that went 2-10 a season ago, so look for Brady Hoke's team to hang around. But if Grant Stucker can avoid the costly interception CSU will win this game.

4:05 PM ET Idaho at Nevada
It's been a great run for the Vandals, who hope to continue doling out beatings to those who took advantage of their misfortune in prior meetings. Next up is a tough Nevada team that seems to be hitting its stride at just the right time; Idaho will have their hands full in trying to slow down Colin Kaepernick and company. Robb Akey's team has found a way to win football games but that all comes to an end in Reno. Nevada wins by two scores.

4:30 PM ET Washington State at California
Not to say that there's no way in which the Golden Bears lose to the Cougars, but it would be an absolute stunner if they did. Jahvid Best goes off in a blowout win.

5:00 PM ET Florida Atlantic at UL Lafayette
The Owls finally picked up their first win of the season last week, but blowing a big lead in the process at North Texas isn't the best way to go about cementing one's status as a player in the Sun Belt race. Ricky Bustle's team is currently undefeated in league play and they've got the ability to continue on that path whether or not starting QB Trey Revell is able to play this week. Not sure if the Ragin' Cajuns have enough firepower to win the conference, but they've shown the ability to find ways in which to win. That happens again Saturday afternoon.

6:30 PM ET UCLA at No. 22 Arizona
The nation's leading quarterback when it comes to completion percentage is...Arizona's Nick Foles, and his insertion into the starting lineup has coincided with the rapid improvement of the Wildcat offense. If Arizona can get consistent production out of Nic Grigsby and Greg Nwoko on the ground this can be one of the most explosive offenses on the West Coast. And it should help matters that the defense will be dealing with a UCLA offense that has struggled to consistently move the football against solid competition. Arizona wins.

7:00 PM ET No. 6 Iowa at Michigan State
This is a dangerous game for the Hawkeyes, but while they're the favorites to win this Big Ten tilt there are more than enough naysayers out there to allow Kirk Ferentz to sell his team on their being disrespected by the nation. As was the case last season, when Ricky Stanzi is efficient Iowa more times than not wins the game, but they've gotten away with a few close shaves in 2009. The Spartans, on the other hand, have experienced almost a rebirth following their struggles in non-conference play and a win here would put them right in the thick of the race to Pasadena.

The Michigan State offense has been more productive of late due to the improved play of QB Kirk Cousins combined with a more consistent rushing attack. It would shock no one if the Spartans were to win this game, but that's not the pick here. The Hawkeyes simply find ways to win football games, and thanks to intangibles combined with a very good defense they'll do just that on the road.

7:00 PM ET Vanderbilt at No. 24 South Carolina
The Commodores were supposed to continue progress following a season that saw them go to their first bowl game since 1984. So much for that thought; Vanderbilt is right back at the bottom of the SEC and they'll likely remain winless in conference play due in large part to the South Carolina defense. LB Eric Norwood is one of the best defenders in the nation yet people seem to ignore the senior's body of work, and QB Stephen Garcia should be able to rebound from an off night in Tuscaloosa last weekend. Gamecocks win, but as they're wont to do they'll make it a little more interesting than it needs to be.

7:00 PM ET UL Monroe at Kentucky
While the Wildcats have struggled in conference play, key players such as Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke should find better lanes in which to make plays against the Warhawks. Charle Weatherbie's team will be a tough out but at the end of the evening Kentucky's skill position players will be a little too much to handle.

7:00 PM ET Florida International at Arkansas State
The Red Wolves had the perfect chance to show the nation that they were indeed a threat to win the Sun Belt last Tuesday night, but they fell behind 16-0 at UL Lafayette and fell short in their comeback attempt. If they're to have anything to say about who wins the conference they can afford no more stubs of the toe, most certainly against a winless FIU squad. Mario Cristobal has improved the level of talent at FIU but it hasn't clicked thus far. That remains the case in Jonesboro.

7:00 PM ET Tulane at Southern Miss
The Green Wave have a hard enough time winning at home so it's extremely difficult to see them knocking off Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. Look for Martevious Young to hit DeAndre Brown for a pair of scores in a solid Golden Eagles victory.

7:00 PM ET Texas A&M at Texas Tech
Last week the Red Raiders went to Nebraska and beat the Cornhuskers 31-10, and QB Steven Sheffield looked pretty good in leading the offense. Meanwhile, the Aggies gave up sixty-two points in an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Kansas State. For the second consecutive weekend Mike Sherman's team will be on the receiving end of a serious beating, and this one will be over by halftime.

7:00 PM ET Temple at Toledo
The Owls currently lead the MAC East with an unblemished (3-0) conference mark. QB Vaughn Charlton has played better in recent weeks and the defense has more than held up its end of the bargain. But they'll be tested on the road by Aaron Opelt and company, and to this point in the season it hasn't been difficult to see that the true power in this conference resides in the West. Rockets win at the Glass Bowl.

7:30 PM ET No. 1 Florida at Mississippi State
Some are selling this as the opportunity for Dan Mullen to pick up the first signature win of his tenure, citing his familiarity with the Florida system and its personnel. Yup, and that's exactly what people said about USF defensive coordinator Bob Diaco going up against Cincinnati last Thursday night. The point is, while you can draw up every formation and play your old team is going to run it eventually comes down to skill level and how well your players execute. The Gators have superior athletes right now, and that will be the difference in Starkville.

7:30 PM ET No. 8 TCU at No. 16 Brigham Young
The game of the day is the first of three games that will likely decide who wins the Mountain West, and if there's anything the Cougars can take away from last year's 32-7 loss in Fort Worth it's that they need to block TCU DE Jerry Hughes. Hughes, who already has eight sacks this season, was a man possessed in the last meeting and BYU didn't take care of the football either. If Max Hall has to worry too much about staying upright he's going to be in trouble. If given time the senior can hook up with TE Dennis Pitta and RB Harvey Unga, and as a result the Cougars will put points on the board.

As for TCU's offense, senior Andy Dalton is a winner that can hurt you with either his arm or his legs. Four Horned Frogs have rushed for at least 200 yards this season, led by senior Joseph Turner's 399 yards and seven touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how Bronco Mendenhall's defense deals with slot receiver Jeremy Kerley; if you want him to run wild just try to cover him with a linebacker. Kerley is also a threat in the return game, but the number of options that TCU has could ultimately be the difference. Look for TCU to win the turnover battle and escape Provo with a three-point victory.

7:30 PM ET Auburn at No. 9 LSU
No, Auburn hasn't looked good in losses to Arkansas and Kentucky, but this is a game they can win. Why? Because LSU hasn't exactly hit its stride offensively this season, especially QB Jordan Jefferson. Without consistency in the passing game it's been tough for backs Charles Scott and Keiland Williams to consistently find holes as a result. I get the feeling that this will be a high-scoring game, and in that case look for Chris Todd to make enough plays to wrap up the upset.

7:30 PM ET SMU at No. 17 Houston
This could be the highest-scoring game in the country on Saturday. June Jones has turned around the Mustangs in good fashion to this point in the season; he's extremely successful in the second year of his tenure no matter where he's been. But they will be tested by Case Keenum and company, and Houston can ill-afford another league loss with UTEP sitting there with one league loss (and the head-to-head tiebreaker). Bo Levi Mitchell has progressed nicely for SMU, but the pick here is Houston because their defense looks more capable of getting that one stop that could determine the outcome.

8:00 PM ET No. 3 Texas at Missouri
Blaine Gabbert looked very good in replacing Chase Daniel in the early stages of the season. But he learned quickly that there's a definite difference when you get to conference play, struggling in losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Now he's got to deal with Texas, whose defensive line proved last weekend that they can get after the quarterback. Add to that the presence of Colt McCoy and you've got a Longhorn victory. The score will be close but in the end Texas wins by a touchdown.

8:00 PM ET Oregon State at No. 7 USC
The last two times USC has visited Corvallis they've lost, but at least their players were alive (and can likely remember) for a successful trip north. Oregon State, on the other hand, hasn't won at USC since 1969 and if the Beavers have any players who were alive for that meeting then he shouldn't be playing. Jacquizz Rodgers is beginning to get back into his comfort zone following a mediocre stretch that coincided with a two-game losing streak. Can Sean Canfield and company move the ball consistently on the vaunted Trojan defense? Can Oregon State slow down Matt Barkley and the USC passing attack? This one doesn't get out of hand but look for USC to be more than motivated for this rematch. Trojans win by a comfortable margin.

8:00 PM ET UNLV at New Mexico
The loser of this game will likely be considered, without a doubt, the worst team in the Mountain West. The Lobos have more punches landed by a head coach (1) than they do wins (0) at this point in the season, and Mike Sanford is likely in serious danger of losing his job due to UNLV's recent nosedive. This game likely comes down to a "take your pick" involving the quarterbacks, and I'd take Omar Clayton over Donovan Porterie. Not by much, but just enough to give UNLV a much-needed victory.

10:15 PM ET Fresno State at New Mexico State
The Aggies have been a pleasant surprise under DeWayne Walker, playing solid defense while remaining competitive offensively. But they don't have the firepower to match what the Bulldogs bring to the table, most notably RB Ryan Mathews. NMSU will hang around for much of the game but in the end Pat Hill's team is a bit too strong.

10:25 PM ET Arizona State at Stanford
The problem for the Sun Devils, even in victory, hasn't been the defense. With freshman phenom Vontaze Burfict on the prowl this is a unit that can make plays. They'll have their hands full with Toby Gerhart and Andrew Luck, but the bigger issue is how well QB Danny Sullivan will play. He wasn't great against Washington last week but made the play that won the game in the final seconds. If he has issues with the Stanford defense it will be hard for the Sun Devils to pick up the win. And with these two teams likely being in the middle of the Pac-10 standings come season's end this result could go a long way in determining bowl assignments. Stanford by a touchdown.

11:05 PM ET No. 4 Boise State at Hawaii
No disrespect to Bryant Moniz but the Warriors have a far better chance of winning if Greg Alexander weren't out for the year with a torn ACL. Chris Petersen's squad continues on their march towards a second consecutive WAC title.