There’s not that much time left in this college football season, so every game counts. Some teams are playing to get into their conference championship, and the others are just trying to win their conference. The upsets have been gradually coming along, so this week shouldn’t disappoint.
1. No. 3 Arkansas @ No. 1 LSU
Some people say that LSU has the best defense in the nation, but I’m not too sure about that. Alabama could have beat them if it wasn’t for their three missed field goals, and they only ended up losing by 3 anyway. One thing that LSU can gloat about is their secondary, with Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne. Claiborne is great in coverage, and Mathieu is a ball hawk. But if any team’s offense can be successful against their defense, it’s Arkansas’. They have three potential receivers that could end up being drafted in Greg Childs, Joe Adams, and Jarius Wright. Tyler Wilson is one of the best QBs in the nation, and will definitely outshine LSU QB Jordan Jefferson on Friday. ARK 28-24
2. No. 2 Alabama @ No. 24 Auburn
Last season, Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers came back from 24 points down to beat Alabama, and the Tide have not forgotten. The Tigers have downgraded quite a bit, but they still have a dangerous run game with Michael Dyer and Ontario McCalebb. They’re going to have a tough time running on this Alabama defense though. They have four potential players on defense that could be drafted in the first round of the draft. They also have Heisman hopeful Trent Richardson running the ball for them, and this is his last year, so he’s not going to let a repeat of last year happen again without a fight. BAMA 38-27
3. No. 19 Penn State @ No. 16 Wisconsin
Penn State has gone 1-1 ever since Paterno was let go, but it doesn’t look like they’ve lost a beat. Even the loss was a close game, and they have a chance to go to the Big 10 championship if they win this game. They’ve moved away from using the two-QB system and are sticking with McGloin. Wisconsin win the QB battle though with Russel Wilson. He is a dual-threat, and is incredibly accurate, as he ranks 2nd in the nation for completion percentage. It does help when you have Montee Ball and James White running the ball though. Ball has been considered in Heisman talks after running for over 200 yards in last week’s game against Illinois. The winner will face Michigan State for the Big 10 title. PSU 24-21
4. No. 17 Clemson @ No. 12 South Carolina
Clemson lost again last week, but that was without freshman sensation Sammy Watkins. He should be back this week, so they should have a much higher chance of winning. I think South Carolina is rated way too high at 12, and this game will prove that. They have had inconsistent QB all year, and their best threat in Alshon Jeffery has not been as dominant as he could be. CLEM 31-17
5. No. 22 Notre Dame @ No. 6 Stanford
Notre Dame is playing for some respect. They lost three games early in the season, but kept on fighting and are now ranked. They replaced Dayne Crist with Tommy Rees in the middle of the season, and it has payed dividends. Cierre Wood has played great, but needs to protect the ball better. But someone who does a fine job of protecting the ball is Andrew Luck. You don’t get bored watching him. The game is still important to Stanford though, since Oregon can still end up on top. STAN 42-27
Honorable Mentions
No. 8 Houston @ Tulsa — One team will no longer be undefeated in Conference-USA after this game. Watch it if you like offense.
Iowa State @ No. 9 Oklahoma — Iowa St. did just upset Oklahoma State, so why not Oklahoma?
No. 13 Georgia @ No. 23 Georgia Tech — The rivalry has been awakened as both teams are finally contenders. Georgia has been on fire, but Georgia Tech has had a new style of offense. Georgia still has a chance at the SEC title.
A Blog With Upside 