Some top matchups this weekend, as well as a few upset alerts…
The biggest matchup is #3 South Carolina at #9 LSU, as the Old Ball Coach brings his undefeated Gamecocks into Death Valley after a very impressive win over previously unbeated Georgia last week. This game pits two of the more interesting coach in the game, and LSU is coming off of a whipping at resurgent Florida last week. We just can’t see LSU losing two in a row, especially at home, and we’ll take Les Miles’ squad in a 21-17 squeeker.
#15 Texas plays #13 Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and it’s the first time in over a decade that at least one of these teams was not in the top ten. Texas is expected to get some helpers back on defense after their close loss at home against West Virginia, while OU had a nice game on the road in Lubbock last week. This one could really go either way, and the loser will virtually be out of the Big 12 race early with two losses. We’ll go with the Longhorns in a 35-31 game, but really could see it going the other way, as Bob Stoops has pretty much owned Mack Brown.
#5 West Virginia is at Texas Tech, and should score at least half a hundred, but this could also be a mini upset alert, as Dana Holgorsen will have a tough time keeping the Mountaineers minds on the Red Raiders with Kansas State coming to Morgantown in a week, for what could be a giant factor in the Big 12 race. We’ll go with WVU on this one 51-45 in a shootout.
#17 Stanford travels to play #7 Notre Dame in what we dub the “Overrated Bowl”. Neither of these teams is much to write home about, and Stanford could get the win here, but the Irish will likely stay undefeated with a 24-17 win over the Cardinal and their pathetic excuse for a band.
#22 Texas A&M travels to Shreveport to take on surprising #23 Louisiana Tech. No sure how good either of these teams are, but I’ve been to a Tech game before, and if you get behind their fans get a little psycho. That being said, A&M should win this one 31-21, but we wouldn’t be shocked if this one went the other way.
#10 Oregon State travels to BYU, and the Cougars have a terrific defense that could slow down the Beavers. The BYU faithful get into any game when it involves a Pac 12 team, and with OSU ranked in the top ten it will be even more so. Expect a fairly low scoring game, where the first team to 17 wins, and we think that will be BYU in the upset 17-14.
#11 USC travels to Seattle to take on Washington, who just a few weeks ago upset Stanford. The Trojans are well aware of that, so won’t take the Huskies lightly, and want to get back into the national picture after their early season loss. Expect USC to win this one big, 47-21.
#1 Alabama travels to Missouri, and should thump the hapless Tigers into oblivion. There are already folks in Columbia who are not happy with the job Gary Pinkel is doing this year, and with the move to the SEC the hits keep on coming. Crimson Tide ends this one early with a 54-14 win. Anyone who thinks this could be an upset needs to put down the crack pipe immediately.
Wisconsin goes to West Lafayette to take on Purdue, and the Boilermakers were brought back to reality by Michigan last week in a beatdown. You’d like to think Purdue will bounce back, but the more physical Badgers will push Purdue around and win 37-14.
TCU was embarrassed at home by Iowa State last week, and now travel to take on a pretty good Baylor squad. Without their star QB Pashall on the sidelines the rest of the season, the Horned Frogs will stuggle in the Big 12, and we expect them to struggle in Waco on Saturday, with the Bears winning 38-17.
We’ll talk about the Games of the Week, and other stories, all week on the Greg Swaim Radio Show.
