College Football: Week 4

The college football season is really starting to get good now. Conference games are slowly working their way in and teams aiming for the national championship game are starting to play each other, as evidenced by OSU-USC.

This week, there some really good matchups. Most of them include SEC teams, which should comes as no surprise with 5 of the top 10 teams in the nation coming from that conference. There some other intriguing non-conference matchups though that will just give us all a better look at what these teams will do when they hit the conference season.

As far as my picks, I went a very respectable 11-4, with 2 losses coming from OSU and OU. Another one of the losses came with my APPY pick if Purdue over Oregon. I was a FG away from claiming another APPY victory but that moves my APPy record now to 1-2. Eh well, we try again...

BEST 15 GAMES (Last week: 11-4, Season 30-15)

GAME OF THE WEEK:
1. #3 Georgia @ Arizona State - Many may think LSU/Auburn is the game of the week but in my mind, neither will make a run at the national title. Meanwhile, UGA has a legit shot and the team to do it. But to keep those hopes alive, they have to win in Tempe. This game did lose some thunder when ASU lost to UNLV last week in OT but this is still a big game. UGA and ASU have never faced each other so there's no history. And both have something to prove. UGA is out to prove that last week's close game with South Carolina was just typical SEC rivalry football. And not to mention the fact they are 3-0 but yet have fallen from #1 to #3. Meanwhile, ASU is hoping to prove that the UNLV loss was just a misstep and that they still are legit contenders to take down USC and win the Pac-10 title. Plus, they get the Dawgs at home in Sun Devil Stadium. With all that in mind, it makes this game bigger than any other. In the end, I'm taking GEORGIA in a tight one. Georgia 34-27

REST OF THE BEST
2. #6 LSU @ #10 Auburn - For a matchup between two teams in the top 10, I'm not really that enthused. Maybe that's because LSU has not really played anyone yet and no one really knows how good the defending champs really are. They're probably only ranked this high because of last year. Or maybe I;m not excited because of Auburn less than impressive (and incredibly boring) 3-2 win over a mediocre Mississippi State team. So why get excited for this game? Because it's an SEC game and that means it will be tight and should have some sparks. I don't think either will finish the year undefeated so this isn't big in terms of the national title picture. But it does give one the leg up in the SEC West race. Since I know nothing about LSU and am skeptical of what they really have, I'll go with AUBURN and hope their offense shows up this week.

3. #4 Florida @ Tennessee - Another great SEC matchup and this one could really be good. Tim Tebow and the Gators have looked good so far and it's not even the offense. It's the Gator D that has been so impressive. Holding a Hawaii squad to 10 points and a Miami (FL) team hoping for an upset to just 3 points. And that Miami (FL ) game gave the Gators a bit of a test too so UF should be ready for the Vols. Even had a week off to rest some bodies. As for Tennessee, rough start with the loss to UCLA but 12 days later, they wiped up UAB 35-3. Johnathan Crompton looks comfortable at QB now and with this game at Neyland Stadium, the Vols crowd will be loud. Under Urban Meyer, the Gators have not lost to Tennessee. But since 2001, UF is 10-12 in close games of 7 points or less. Well, that's where I see this game going and Tennessee is 20-8 in those games. Oh, the drama! FLORIDA wins this game I think and if I'm wrong, I'm gonna be upset.

4. Notre Dame @ Michigan State - Is Charlie Weis okay? Oh wait, who cares? Not like he plays. That's too bad too because Notre Dame could use a big body on the D-Line to stop the run. The Irish D gave up 159 rush yards, including 131 to Sam McGuffies, an undersized running back who while a YouTube sensation, is nothing special at Michigan. If not for 6 Michigan turnovers, ND probably loses. Meanwhile, MSU has bounced back nicely after dropping their Week 1 game to Cal. And it's the rushing game behind Javon Ringer that is spurring the Spartan surge. Last week, Ringer ran for 282 yds and 2 TD against Florida Atlantic. That doesn't bode well for the Irish. Gimme MICHIGAN STATE and let's hope Charlie doesn't get hurt again.

5. Virginia Tech @ North Carolina - Well, VT finally made the right move by taking the redshirt off Tyrod Taylor and making him the starting quarterback again. It paid off against a good Georgia Tech team that may have pulled off the upset if not for Taylor's playmaking ability. Well, now VT has to take on a UNC team that has some talent and some confidence after rolling over Rutgers last week. Butch Davis has this team thinking and believing that they are better than mediocre and you know what, I'm going with Butch in this one. I'm picking NORTH CAROLINA to win.

6. Ball State @ Indiana - I know this won't make any college football shows for premier games of the weekend but this is one of those games that intrigues me. Ball State is a very good team, led by QB Nate Davis. Playing an in-state, BCs conference team has to give them some extra fire too, just like it did OU against OSU. Indiana is the better team and actually could win 8-9 games this year but it is games like these that will really show the Big Ten how good they are. I'm going with INDIANA but look for this one to be as close or even closer than the OU-OSU tilt.

7. Boise State @ #17 Oregon - Well, Oregon squeaked by Purdue. In fact, they got downright lucky that the Purdue kicker isn't clutch. The AP noticed that, dropping Oregon from #16 to #17. The coaches did not, elevating the Ducks all the way to #12. Yet another reason why I appreciate the AP poll. Boise State beat BG last week easily and is exactly the kind of team that could pull off this victory in Autzen Stadium. I'm thinking the Purdue game gave the Ducks a wake-up call so I'm picking OREGON to win an eventful game over the Broncos.

8. Miami (FL) @ Texas A&M - Ten years ago, this would have been a big game. But tides have turned for these programs and now, they struggle to just be mentioned each week. Miami (FL) is heading in the right direction under Randy Shannon, as seen by the fight they put up against Florida. Meanwhile, Mike Sherman has his work cut out for him in Aggie-land. A&M lost to Arkansas State (who?) in Week 1 and barely got by New Mexico last week. But this game is in College Station, home of the 12th man. Oh wait, I don't care. MIAMI (FL) is the better team and should win.

9. Kansas State @ Louisville (WED) - I promise that I wrote about this game before kickoff. In fact, it's the reason I am doing this post earlier on wednesday than usual. It's the kind of game that again will show how good these teams will be in conference play. Kansas State is the kind of team that could play spoiler all year in the Big 12. But their schedule is so brutal. Starting in October, they play Texas Tech at home. Then two away games at A&M and Colorado. Then, a home game against Oklahoma and that's followed by away games at Kansas and Missouri. OUCH. Meanwhile, Louisville is well, not very good. Brian Brohm is gone and it shows. They lost to Kentucky 27-2 in the first week. Yea, that's right. 2 points. But this game could be what the Cardinal need for Big East play. Honestly, this is a crapshoot and when it is, I go with the home team. Guess that means LOUISVILLE.

10. Iowa @ Pittsburgh - Both of these teams need this. Actually, let me rephrase that. Both of these COACHES need this. Kirk Ferentz was the darling of Iowa when he got there. He was even being rumored for NFL jobs. Now, every rumor is him losing his college job and for good reason. The Hawkeyes have been miserable as of late but a win like this on the road could go a long way. Meanwhile, Dave Wannstedt seems to always be on the hot seat no matter where he coaches. The opening week loss to BG hurt bad but they did come back to beat Buffalo. Losing to Iowa would not be good though. This team can still win the Big East but they need some momentum first. In this game of two coaches trying to save their job, I'm going with the guy with a moustache. Dave Wannstedt and PITTSBURGH survive.

11. Central Michigan @ Purdue - Well, the Chippewas lucked out last week against OU while Purdue was unlucky against Oregon. Now, the teams face each other in a game of two evenly matched teams. Both have less than average defenses. Both have pretty good offenses led by good quarterbacks. And both have faced stiff competition early in the year. CMU took on UGA while Purdue took on the Ducks. I like the way Curtis Painter played though in that Oregon game so I'm gonna go with PURDUE over Dan LeFevour and the Chips.

12. #15 East Carolina @ NC State - Well, East Carolina tried to ruin their perfect season last week by losing to Tulane but Patrick Pinckney picked up the Pirate offense and drove them to on a GW drive. Now, I've seen NC State live twice and let me tell you, they are not good. I don't care if this game is in Raleigh, it won't help the Wolfpack. EAST CAROLINA rolls.

13. #18 Wake Forest @ #24 Florida State - Oh, I know what you may be thinking. A top 25 matchup in the ACC? Yeah, I know. This game may look good due to the numbers but trust me, Wake Forest is the better team. Bobby Bowden's squad has not even played a team in the FBS yet but somehow were voted into the Top 25. Meanwhile, Wake has taken on some BCS conference teams in Mississippi and Baylor. Jim Grobe has this team focused on winning a weak ACC and maybe an undefeated record and national title consideration. WAKE FOREST spoils the fun in Tallahassee.

14. #25 Fresno State @ Toledo - The Bulldogs lost a great chance for a victory over a top 10 team when they fell to Wisconsin. It all came down to kicking, which is a shame because the offense played well against a tough Wisconsin defense. Now they get to bounce back against Toledo but they have to travel yet again. They passed their first road test at Rutgers. Their second test should be a little easier. FRESNO STATE wins easily.

15. #21 West Virginia @ Colorado (THU) - I like how after West Virginia loses to East Carolina, they give their head coach a 6-year contarct extension. Seems like an odd move, unless it was meant to give the team some motivation to beat the Buffaloes on Thursday night. Well, it's gonna take more than money to motivate the Mountaineers. Instead, it's gonna take some good play from QB Pat White. But Colorado is no slouch. Dan Hawkins has come from Boise State and slowly cleaned up a program that Gary Barnett ruined. His son is the quarterback and he's not bad. And in my opinion, this is the exact game West Virginia does not need after losing to ECU. That's why I'm gonna call this my APPY and pick COLORADO to upset WVU.

TEAMS I LOVE (OR ACT LIKE I LOVE)
Troy @ Ohio State - It's good to hear that Senator Tress is gonna have Boeckman and Pryor split the snaps next week. Since this season is not over but on the verge of being a disaster, it makes sense. The Ohio State team that played USC could not beat Penn State, Wisconsin and maybe even Illinois. So shaking things up (Sarah Palin's favorite phrase these days) may be what OSU needs. Thankfully, the Bucks have Troy to figure it out. These men of Troy should be much easier and slower. Ohio State 45-7

Ohio @ Northwestern - Ah, a battle of my alma mater and the school that could have been my alma mater. I'm proud of the way my Bobcats have played in the first 3 games. They look tough and again, playing better than the talent they actually have. To go along with that though, they can;t close the deal. Granted, the OSU game was a tough task but Wyoming and Central Michigan were winnable games. And now at 0-3, they get a Northwestern team that knows they are better and is still playing for their deceased head coach Randy Walker. The Wildcats are good and should not lose this game. And while 0-4 may look bad for the Cats, they have to remember how they played these first four games and see that as a positive in the final eight games. This one may be close but as usual, Cats won't close. Northwestern 30-17

Wofford @ South Carolina - Been a rough two weeks for the Gamecocks. A loss to Vandy when they were leading. And then a loss to Georgia in which they were leading and had an opportunity to take that game into OT. And while this game won't be close, this is a game to just lick the wounds and prepare for the rest of the SEC season. South Carolina 38-10

Alright folks, there's your preview of the fun to come. Let's hope it turns out to be as fun as it looks.