College Football - Week 6

This looks like another huge weekend in college football. The last few weekends have been void of major upsets and a bunch of really close games but that is bound to happen and it may be this weekend. There seems to always be a couple Saturdays when the whole landscape of the Top 25 is destroyed beyond recognition. For all the people that don't see how anyone in the Top 5 is going to lose the rest of the year...it will happen eventually, it always does.

In a battle of defeated superheros Tennessee is playing at Georgia at 12:30. This particular Saturday used to always be special because of this game, the LSU/Florida game, Red River Shootout and lots of playoff baseball. Well now all those games have lost their luster and baseball is only playing 2 games tomorrow instead of 4. Oh well. Somehow someway Georgia is favored by 11 points in this game. What have they done to deserve this? I guess you could say since they are going home where they played Arkansas tough they should play better, but I don't know about 11 points better than a team that hung with Oregon for a half, Florida for 3 quarters, and should have beaten LSU. Tennessee always plays well in Athens so whoever wins this game I think it will be in the last minute of the game. I'll give the edge to Georgia in this game, they absolutely have to have this one...this game could determine which one of these teams ends up making a bowl this year.

Mississippi State is going to Houston to play them without Case Keenum. The Cougars have beaten State 3 in a row including 2003, 2005, and last year so hopefully the Dawgs will have some revenge on their minds and pound a lesser team. Houston is good but without Kennum I don't think they will be able to get much going against a hungry State D. I'm predicting a blowout, 38-10 State. Auburn is visiting Kentucky, these teams are headed in opposite directions. Auburn has played 3 tough games, two of them against tough defenses so the games have been close and their offense has struggled at times in those games. But Kentucky's D is awful and I expect Auburn to crush them in Lexington....which maybe UK's only saving grace that they are at home, 35-20 Auburn.

LSU at Florida still has the great rankings but it just doesn't feel like the huge matchup it has been the last few years. Florida has a lot to prove after being dismantled last week and I think Les Miles' 9 lives are up and this is the week things start to unravel for him. LSU's defense is good and that will keep them in this game but in the end Florida will be too focused and ready to play to be beaten by a mediocre (for LSU) team. 21-13 Florida.

The big game of the week is Alabama at South Carolina and I think it will live up to expectations a lot more than the Florida/Bama game did. There are still a lot of questions about the Gamecock's quarterback situation but if Spurrier will leave Garcia in the game I think they are much much better off. There was no reason to take him out of the Auburn game and he needs to stay in there if they want to have a chance against the Tide. Alabama has only faced one team (Arkansas) with a good passing attack, but the Hogs didn't have a running game. South Carolina, while not as good as Arkansas though the air, is pretty good and they have big, tall, physical receivers. Plus they have Marcus Lattimore and a solid run game, much more than Arkansas had to offer. I think Garcia's ability to throw the ball against Alabama still young secondary and their ability to run the ball and control the clock will be what gives them a chance. Don't forget that Ryan Mallett threw 3 INT's in that game and that is what got Bama the victory, not that their defense stopped Arkansas. All of that plus Alabama is coming off two emotionally charged games in back to back weeks and I am going to stick with my preseason pick of South Carolina beating Alabama at home. I think their defense is just good enough to stop Bama a few times and stay in the game. South Carolina wins 24-17.

Arkansas has had a week to think about how they almost beat Alabama. It will be interesting to see how they come out. They should win the game vs. Texas A&M and that could propel them into a really solid year. Vanderbilt is playing Eastern Michigan and this is definitely a game they need to win and I think they will. Ole Miss has got the week off.

I'll pick Michigan State over Michigan, Pittsburgh over Notre Dame and Miami, FL over Florida State. Stanford's PAC 10 hopes may have been dashed last week so it will be interesting to see how they play this week vs. USC, they are smart kids so I think they bounce back and win. Southern Miss over East Carolina and SMU over Tulsa for some CUSA love. Looks like a great week of football.

JB