Josh Dobbs and Jalen Hurd get one more shot at Florida this weekend.
Week four of the college football season is upon us. There are several key conference match-ups this weekend that could have long term implications. Here are our top five games.
#5 Clemson Tigers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Beware of the Jackets. Paul Johnson has the Ramblin Wreck rolling thus far this season at 3-0. The Jackets are using their flexbone triple option offense to ball control teams and they are playing great defense.
Clemson will have its hands full tonight. It is imperative that they score first and carry the play because if they don’t, they will have a game on their hands. The Tigers cannot allow Tech to run the football and control the clock. If they do, they lose. Despite all that, I like Clemson tonight.
Prediction: Clemson 34 Georgia Tech 24
#12 Georgia Bulldogs at #23 Ole Miss Rebels: No rest for the wary as the Rebels host Jacob Eason and the Bulldogs. Georgia escaped Columbia last week with a win against Mizzou but they will need to play much better this week if they want to beat an Ole Miss team that slapped 43 on Alabama last week.
Chad Kelly and company have navigated through a tough schedule to start the season but they are battled tested and ready to win a big game. That’s why I am taking them in this one. They’ll beat a Georgia team that has had a horse shoe on their side thus far this season.
Prediction: Ole Miss 35 Georgia 31
#11 Wisconsin Badgers at #8 Michigan State Spartans: Sparty is coming off of a big win in South Bend last week so you would think they are primed for a let down. Nah. Michigan State is one of the most consistent programs in the country for a reason. This is a big crossover game for them. Mark Dantonio will have the Spartans up for it.
For Wisconsin, this is a statement game. They need to prove that last week’s bad performance against Georgia State was an aberration. Winning in East Lansing is always a tough. If there is one team in the Big Ten West that can do it, its Wisconsin. That being said, I’m not picking against Sparty.
Prediction: Michigan State 31 Wisconsin 20
#19 Florida Gators at #14 Tennessee Volunteers: Is this the year Tennessee finally breaks their 11 game losing streak to Florida? I say yes! The Vols have stumbled out of the gate but that won’t matter in this SEC East rivalry game. Tennessee is motivated to end one of the most dubious streaks in program history.
With Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio battling a knee sprain, the Gators could struggle offensively. Florida is averaging 33.7 points per game but they’ll struggle to score 21 if Del Rio isn’t 100%. Instead, the Gators will rely on the nations stingiest defense which is giving up a mere 4.7 points per game thus far this season.
Tennessee and Florida always play tight games and this one should be no different. I’m picking the Vols to snap their 11 game losing streak to Florida and send Rocky Top into a frenzy Saturday night.
Prediction: Tennessee 28 Florida 24
#17 Arkansas Razorbacks at #10 Texas A&M Aggies: Power meets speed as Arkansas and their old school offense travel to Kyle Field to battle Trevor Knight and the uptempo Aggies. This should be a great game. Arkansas has to pound the ball, control the clock and keep the score down. For A&M, its all about turning this game into a shootout. Force Arkansas into long down situations and make them throw the ball. If A&M can unleash Myles Garrett on second and long and third and long downs, look out!
This will be a great game. I love power football. My heart says go Arkansas but I know that in the SEC, speed wins. I am going with A&M.
Prediction: Texas A&M 38 Arkansas 31
#7 Stanford Cardinal at UCLA Bruins: Stanford heads to their home away from home in Pasadena to battle Josh Rosen and the Bruins. Stanford has been impressive thus far, especially on offense. The Cardinal pro-style offense is running at peak efficiency right now. They’ll have to be to keep up with a UCLA offense that has big play potential. The Bruins are only averaging 27.7 points per game but they have the potential to score 40 or more if the Stanford defense struggles, which it has at times this season.
If I were David Shaw (That would be awesome) I would continue to pound the football out of 23 personnel (2 RB’s, 3 TE’s) and take shots down the field when the opportunity presented itself. UCLA is not that physical defensively. Stanford should be able to run the football and set up play-action. If they do those two things, the Cardinal will win this game.
Prediction: Stanford 28 UCLA 24
Other Top Games
USC Trojans at #24 Utah Utes: Utah is a tough place to play, just ask Jim Harbaugh. The Trojans are a mess offensively but its been their defense which has been a bigger disappointment thus far. The Utes will roll in this one.
Duke Blue Devils at Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish are pretty much out of the playoff picture but they can still secure a New Years Day bowl game if they run the table. David Cutcliffe’s Blue Devils will be a tough out. They’ll make the Irish sweat in this one.
#18 LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers: Neither team has a quarterback so expect an old school fist fight. Both teams will pound the ball and lean on their respective defense to win them the game.
Oklahoma State Cowboys at #16 Baylor Bears: The quarterback match-up of Mason Rudolph and Seth Russell is a good one. Both quarterbacks will have big days in what will be a shootout.