Football Future-see 2012: Week Ten

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..2-3
Week 10....4-1
Overall..…41-14

Review/Preview:
A 2-3 week is never a good thing, and that’s my third 2-3 week this season, though the overall record stands at 37-13 (a roughly .740 winning percentage). With the exception of one match-up, every game this week features a clash of top 25 teams. The biggest game of the week is, without a doubt, LSU-Alabama, the de facto SEC West Championship game. The winner of that game basically punches a ticket to Atlanta to face Georgia, assuming Georgia wins against Ole Miss and Auburn.

The Games:

23 Texas at 18 Texas Tech .....INCORRECT

This Big XII clash marks, I believe, the third straight week that Texas Tech has appeared in the predictions. They’re 1-1 since I started picking their games, beating TCU and losing to Kansas State. Texas is a team that knows, deep down, that they should be better than they are. Mack Brown’s squad is having a bit of a disappointing season, although I know a long list of teams who would happily take 23rd in the rankings. But going into Lubbock is no easy task, as the Longhorns will find out.
FINAL SCORE: Texas Tech 24, Texas 21

16 Texas A&M at 15 Mississippi State .....CORRECT

Games in which the teams are ranked only one spot apart are hard to call upsets, but I am picking A&M to knock off Mississippi State, even in Starkville. The Bulldogs are coming of a demoralizing loss to Alabama, while the Aggies are riding high after putting up over 400 yards of offense in one half in Auburn. Aggies QB Johnny Football will lead his team to victory.
FINAL SCORE: Texas A&M 27, Mississippi State 21

Ole Miss at 6 Georgia .....CORRECT

The lone match-up on our slate not featuring two ranked teams (since I always pick the Georgia game). Georgia is coming off arguably their biggest win in the last several years, knocking off second-ranked Florida in Jacksonville. The Dawgs now control their destiny (I hate that phrase, it is an over-worn cliché that is actually semantically impossible) in the SEC East. Win out, Georgia, and you get to play for the SEC Championship.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 31, Ole Miss 14

24 Oklahoma State at 2 Kansas State .....CORRECT

If you told me that no SEC team would be allowed to play for the national title this season, then I would go all in on the Wildcats. QB Collin (Optimus) Klein leads one of the most balanced teams in the country to the field of battle against Oklahoma State. The surprising Cowboys are ranked 24th in the country, but I think it’ll be a short-lived ranking. It’s hard to win in Manhattan.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 28, Oklahoma State 14

1 Alabama at 5 LSU .....CORRECT

This is the third time in a year that the Crimson Tide is meeting the Tigers. The first time resulted in a 9-6 LSU victory. The second time resulted in ‘Bama keeping LSU from crossing midfield in a 21-0 National Championship Game debacle. What lies in store this time? Well, frankly, Alabama is the best team in the nation. They just knocked off Mississippi State, who might’ve been playing their best football in my lifetime. The Tide knows that a win here locks them into Atlanta. LSU knows the same thing, but I don’t think the Tigers have the strength to take down the mighty Tide.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 30, LSU 17

The Right Wing Top Ten

Some major changes to the RW Top Ten.  Just the Top Ten this week.

10. Clemson Tigers
Clemson needs to keep up their pace if they hope for an at-large bid to the BCS.

9. South Carolina Gamecocks
Don’t look for South Carolina to hang around the top ten for too long. Sadly, they’ve lost start running back Marcus Lattimore for at least the rest of this season…maybe longer.

8. Florida State
The Seminoles still have some big games coming up, but their complete destruction of Duke puts them in the 8-spot this week.

7. Florida Gators
Florida came out very flat against Georgia in the sloppiest game of the century.

6. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia came out on fire against Florida. The defense played its best game all year. Couple that with the fact that Florida’s offense played its worst game all year and you have a UGA win in Jacksonville.

5. Louisiana State Tigers
You get a week off, you move up one spot. Not bad, if you’re an LSU fan.

4. Oregon Ducks
You put up 70 on Colorado, only to watch Notre Dame leapfrog you. Just remember, Ducks, you are only now coming into the meat of your schedule. Those two teams currently ranked ahead of you have already played the worst of theirs. Also, you have a conference championship game. They don’t.

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish took apart Oklahoma in a way I did not see coming. Brian Kelly’s squad is playing some great defense and is trying to make a case for the BCS National Championship Game.

2. Kansas State Wildcats
K-State looked every bit the #2 team in the nation in their dismantling of Texas Tech. The Wildcats may be the most balanced team, after Alabama.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide 
One of these weeks I’ll get to type something other than Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Nine

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..0-0
Overall..…35-10

Review/Preview:
4-1 last week and 35-10 on the year. Not too shabby. Let’s see how things go this week. Once again, the #5 team in the country faces a huge challenge, as Notre Dame travels to Oklahoma. You also have the World’s Largest Outdoor Non-Alcoholic Fun-For-The-Whole-Family Event in Jacksonville. Kansas State faces yet another Big XII challenge, and two undefeated teams clash in the SEC West.

The Games:

11 Mississippi State at 1 Alabama

If anyone actually believed that an October 27 match-up of Alabama and Mississippi State would be a match-up of unbeaten teams, then I’m not sure I believe them. Mississippi State has played some of the best football in the program’s recent history this season, but their toughest challenge looms on Saturday. Alabama is the best around. This game may stay close for a bit, but Alabama will eventual pull away.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 35, Mississippi State 17

14 Texas Tech at 3 Kansas State .....CORRECT

Did anyone have Kansas State as the third best team in the nation at the start of the season? The Wildcats have played impressive football, going into Norman and beating Oklahoma and most recently going to Morgantown and knocking off the Mountaineers in “resounding thud” fashion. Texas Tech just played a triple overtime thriller against TCU. Kansas State should be able to further pad their résumé.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 38, Texas Tech 20

10 Georgia vs 2 Florida (at Jacksonville) .....THANKFULLY INCORRECT

Of all the games I’m picking this week, I’m writing out this entry last. Florida is playing as good as anyone in the country and Georgia, quite frankly, is struggling. Then again, this is the “Cocktail Party,” where strange things have been known to happen. The Dawgs could only muster 29 points against a Kentucky team that, just a week before, had surrendered 49 to Arkansas in a weather-shortened game. Perhaps Georgia was just looking ahead to the annual clash with Florida…I don’t know. What I do know is that Georgia has to step up their game if they intend to make it back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. I loathe picking against the Dawgs, but given the past few games…
FINAL SCORE: Florida 24, Georgia 21

5 Notre Dame at 8 Oklahoma

I’m thinking this might be Notre Dame’s toughest test all season, although a later date with USC still looms large on the calendar. The Irish are living and dying by their defense. Oklahoma has been an offensive juggernaut for the last two weeks. The average score to an Oklahoma game is 45-15 in favor of the Sooners. The Irish are averaging 26 points per game while giving up an average of less than 10 points per game. But Notre Dame hasn’t faced an offense quite like Oklahoma. This, to me, is a coin-toss game, but since I have to pick a winner…
FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma 30, Notre Dame 23

Ohio State at Penn State

This battle of unranked teams makes the list because of the stories surrounding these programs. Ohio State is not bowl eligible this season. Penn State just had the last couple of decades wiped from the record books by the NCAA. How long will Buckeye’s QB Braxton Miller be out? Should Bill O’Brien be considered the coach of the year for the job he’s done at Penn State? These questions, and more, will be answered Saturday.
FINAL SCORE: Penn State 28, Ohio State 21

The Right Wing Top Ten (25)

Some major changes to the RW Top Ten (25)…the Top Ten get a blurb about why, but I’ll give you the whole Top 25, free of charge…

25. Nebraska Cornhuskers
24. West Virginia Mountaineers
23. Texas Christian Horned Frogs
22. Cincinnati Bearcats
21. Michigan Wolverines
20. Northwestern Wildcats
19. Boise State Broncos
18. Ohio Bobcats
17. Louisville Cardinals
16. Clemson Tigers
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
14. Texas Tech Red Raiders
13. Florida State Seminoles
12. South Carolina Gamecocks
11. USC Trojans

10. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State is undefeated. I will repeat that. Mississippi State is undefeated.

9. Georgia Bulldogs
Okay, so Georgia struggled a bit against Kentucky. Popular opinion is that UGA was looking ahead to Florida.

8. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma beat Texas by 42, and then beat Kansas by 45. The next game is a big one, though. Notre Dame visits Norman this Saturday.

7. Oregon State Beavers
The toughest contest remaining for Oregon State is a November 24 home date with Oregon.

6. Louisiana State Tigers
LSU won a hard-fought battle against SEC newcomer Texas A&M. The Tigers have played some fairly good football since that loss to Florida.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame remains at #5, despite playing a lackluster game against BYU. The Irish still have Oklahoma and USC on their schedule, so they have plenty of time to make a title game case.

4. Oregon Ducks
Poor Oregon. They only ever win and yet they keep falling. I could see putting Oregon at #3 if they had kept their foot on the gas against ASU, but they didn’t. If Oregon had won by the margin K-State won by, then Oregon would be #3. But the Ducks are just now entering the meat of their schedule. The race to see who plays the winner of the SEC Championship Game should be fun to watch.

3. Kansas State Wildcats
There was no way I would’ve bet on K-State to do what they did to West Virginia. Collin Klein has the Wildcats rolling. If I were to predict a BCS Championship Game match-up right now, I’d have a tough decision between Kansas State and Oregon. For my money, K-State has the better credentials for a title game berth.

2. Florida Gators
Florida dismantled South Carolina. They made the Gamecocks look bad in almost every aspect of the game. In doing so, the Gators proved themselves a worthy second-place team.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide 
One of these weeks I’ll get to type something other than Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Eight

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Overall..…35-10

Review/Preview:
Back to five games this week, as last week’s six games were picked to fill an obligation from week one (Louisiana Tech vs Texas A&M). I went 5-1 last week…not bad. I just should’ve been smarter on the Red River Blowout. Georgia is back on the schedule this week. If you were wondering about which rankings I use (since the ranking in the picks don’t match the Right Wing Top Ten), just look at ESPN’s college football schedule. Whatever ranking they use, (Coaches Poll, AP, or BCS) is what I use. The last two weeks, the #5 team in the poll has gone down to defeat. Georgia was trounced by South Carolina, West Virginia was trounced by Texas Tech…and now #5 is Notre Dame, playing host to BYU. The pressure is on you, Brigham Young. Can you keep up the Curse of #5?

The Games:

6 LSU at 18 Texas A&M .....CORRECT

Texas A&M has adapted to SEC play far better than fellow newcomer Missouri. While Mizzou is 0-for-the-SEC, Texas A&M is 2-1 in conference play, losing only to Florida. Their upcoming run is tough, though, with LSU, at Auburn, at Mississippi State, and at Alabama comprising their next four games. Going 2-2 in that stretch is admirable. Anything more is impressive. 1-3 is more realistic. LSU is coming off a big win over South Carolina. The Tigers are looking to build up some momentum going into their November 3 match-up with top-ranked Alabama.
FINAL SCORE: LSU 24, Texas A&M 20

7 South Carolina at 2 Florida .....CORRECT

You want a game of the week? I got your game of the week. Connor Shaw leads the powerful Gamecocks into the Swamp to take on Jeff Driskel and the Gators. Both of these teams are in the toughest stretches of their respective seasons. Florida’s current run includes LSU, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Gamecocks had Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee. This might be a better game than last week’s LSU-SC tilt, and this one is very difficult to predict. I give the edge to Florida in the Swamp.
FINAL SCORE: Florida 31, South Carolina 28

11 Georgia at Kentucky .....CORRECT

The bye week came at the perfect time for Georgia. The Dawgs will have nearly two full weeks to stew on a 35-7 loss to Darth Visor and the Gamecocks. Kentucky, just last week, gave up 49 points to Arkansas…yes, that Arkansas. If the anemic Razorbacks can hang 49 on Kentucky, what can Georgia do to them? I would not want to be a Wildcat this Saturday.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 56, Kentucky 10

4 Kansas State at 13 West Virginia .....CORRECT

How ‘bout this? Two Big XII games on the slate. This is the bigger of the two match-ups. If not for South Carolina and Florida playing this week, Morgantown would’ve been a good destination for ESPN’s Gameday crew. For weeks the Mountaineer offense was putting up huge numbers. Geno Smith looked to have already secured the Heisman. Then they ran into a Red Raider buzz saw last week that held the WVU offense to 14 points and a mere 408 yards (the Mountaineers season average is somewhere around 540). The problem for West Virginia is that Kansas State is better than Texas Tech. If this game were at Manhattan instead of Morgantown the points would be worse.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 45, West Virginia 34

17 Texas Tech at 23 TCU .....INCORRECT

The other Big XII clash on our slate is a match-up of Texas Tech and TCU. Texas Tech is coming off a dismantling of then-#5 West Virginia. TCU is coming off a 28-point win over Baylor. I’m not really familiar with either team here, so I’m curious to see how close I can get on this pick. Going by the rankings, I guess that makes this an upset pick.
FINAL SCORE: TCU 27, Texas Tech 24

The Right Wing Top Ten (25)

In the initial release of the Right Wing Top Ten(25), I left USC off the rankings completely. Why? I was still thinking about them being banned from postseason play. They aren’t, anymore. So we’ll get them on this list. Sorry, Men of Troy. I’ll give you the whole Top 25, free of charge…

25. Texas A&M Aggies
24. Texas Tech Red Raiders
23. Boise State Broncos
22. Northwestern Wildcats
21. Iowa State Cyclones
20. Cincinnati Bearcats
19. Texas Christian Horned Frogs
18. Ohio Bobcats
17. Louisville Cardinals
16. Clemson Tigers
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
14. Florida State Seminoles
13. Mississippi State Bulldogs
12. Oklahoma Sooners
11. USC Trojans

10. Georgia Bulldogs (BCS #10: USC)
Georgia had a week to get over the humiliating loss at Columbia. I would not want to be a Kentucky Wildcat this Saturday.

9. Oklahoma Sooners (BCS #9: LSU)
Oklahoma not only won the Red River Rivalry game, they made Texas look bad…very bad.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks (BCS #8: Oregon State)
The Gamecocks lost a heartbreaker to LSU in Death Valley, so it’s nothing to be ashamed of. A one-loss SEC champion will most likely still play for the national championship.

7. Louisiana State Tigers (BCS #7: South Carolina)
LSU and South Carolina are, after Saturdays clash, basically on equal footing as far as I’m concerned. I really feel like, top to bottom, the SEC East is better this year than the West.

6. Oregon State Beavers (BCS #6: LSU)
Who, at the start of the season, would’ve pegged Oregon State to be a top ten team? Trouble is, it might not last. The Beavers QB is hurting, and without a QB in the PAC-12, your days are numbered.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (BCS #5: Notre Dame)
Notre Dame should’ve at least played an overtime against Stanford. The non-touchdown call on 4th-and-Goal really aided the Irish. Still, undefeated with their schedule is impressive.

4. Kansas State Wildcats (BCS #4: Kansas State)
Kansas State is 5-0 in one of the better national conferences, and is still flying under the radar. I don’t even have to change that description.

3. Florida Gators (BCS #3: Oregon)
The BCS says Florida is the #2 team in the country. As much as I love the SEC, I still think you should have only one team per conference in the national championship game. But Florida is a good team, and may prove to me that they deserve the #2 spot.

2. Oregon Ducks (BCS #2: Florida)
Possibly the fastest offense in the nation gives Oregon a stranglehold on second place.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (BCS #1: Alabama)
As I said last week, Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Seven

Record

Week 1…..8-1

Week 2…..5-0

Week 3…..2-3

Week 4…..5-0

Week 5…..4-1

Week 6…..2-3

Week 7.....5-1

Overall..…31-9

Review/Preview:
Again, I have a good week and it is sure to be followed by a week that is mediocre at best. Last week was just plain bad. Hopefully this week turns out better. We have six games on the slate this week, as the week one contest between Texas A&M and Louisiana Tech, which was postponed because of Hurricane Isaac, is finally played. Also, I can safely say, there is no way that Georgia loses a game this week…they’re off until October 20.

The Games:

15 Texas vs 13 Oklahoma.....INCORRECT

The Red River Shootout is upon us, and this may be one of the closer match-ups in recent memory. Texas is coming off a home loss to Big XII newcomer West Virginia. Oklahoma hasn’t looked the same since the K-State loss. I could see this game going either way, and frankly, I view it as a coin-toss decision. But, since a pick must be made…
FINAL SCORE: Texas 27, Oklahoma 24

22 Texas A&M at 23 Louisiana Tech.....CORRECT

These two teams had to wait six weeks to play this game. The Aggies of Texas A&M have found their footing in the SEC, coming into the league much stronger than fellow newcomer Missouri (although you could argue that the East is a tougher road than the West this year). Louisiana Tech is a dangerous offensive team. This could be one of the first times in recent football memory that a WAC team has the chance to knock off an SEC opponent. But I think A&M’s defense has enough to hold LaTech in check.
FINAL SCORE: Texas A&M 24, Louisiana Tech 20

3 South Carolina at 9 LSU.....CORRECT

South Carolina put on a clinic against Georgia. The Bulldogs had no answer for a powerful Gamecock offense. Now the chickens of Columbia go to Louisiana’s Death Valley to play what has to be an angry LSU team. The Tigers are coming off a road loss to Florida. LSU QB Zach Mettenberger has yet to play up to expectations from the start of the season. I know I probably shouldn’t, but I’m calling for the upset here.
FINAL SCORE: LSU 28, South Carolina 24

17 Stanford at 7 Notre Dame.....CORRECT

Notre Dame is playing far better than I would’ve thought. The Irish are coming off a beatdown of former powerhouse Miami. Stanford is an up-and-down team if ever there was one. Personally, I think a ranking of #17 is too high for the Cardinal. Notre Dame will make the poll voters see the same thing.
FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 34, Stanford 17

1 Alabama at Missouri.....CORRECT
I’m just putting this one in because it’s been a long time since Alabama made a Football Future-see appearance. Alabama is, far and away, the best team in the nation. Missouri has played three SEC games so far, and is 0-3, losing by a combined score of 91-45. Alabama’s worst game this year was a 33-14 victory over a feisty Ole Miss squad. It’s no stretch to say Missouri drops to 0-4 in conference play. But hey, at least they get to play Kentucky at the end of October.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 48, Missouri 13

4 Florida at Vanderbilt.....CORRECT

Call me crazy, but this one has the makings of a trap game for Florida, as the Gators play host to #3 South Carolina next week in a game which very well could decide the SEC East race. Vanderbilt is one of those programs that is right on the edge of being a threat to almost everyone they play. Florida is playing very good ball at the moment, and just took down LSU. Vanderbilt is looking for that signature win. I don’t think they get it, but they may keep this one closer than the experts think.
FINAL SCORE: Florida 28, Vanderbilt 20

The Right Wing Top Ten (25)

Earlier this season I decided to do my own Top Ten, but not to start until after week six, so that I could see how I think the teams match up, versus the current polls. We’ll base our comparison off the AP Poll, although unlike the AP Poll, I’m not ranking anyone who is banned from postseason play this year (we’re looking at you, Ohio State). I’ll give you the whole Top 25, free of charge…

25. Northwestern Wildcats
24. Iowa State Cyclones
23. Stanford Cardinal
22. Ohio Bobcats
21. Cincinnati Bearcats
20. Texas Christian Horned Frogs
19. Texas A&M Aggies
18. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
17. Louisville Cardinals
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
14. Clemson Tigers
13. Texas Longhorns
12. Oklahoma Sooners
11. Georgia Bulldogs

10. Florida State Seminoles (AP #10: Oregon State)
FSU lost to an unranked, but they are still a good football team.

9. West Virginia Mountaineers (AP #9: LSU)
My biggest gripe with the Mountaineers is the lack of defense. Allowing 63 points in regulation to Baylor is not acceptable in the long term.

8. Louisiana State Tigers (AP #8: Ohio State)
LSU lost to a top ten team, but if they can solidify the QB play they should be alright.

7. Oregon State Beavers (AP #7: Notre Dame)
Yes, Oregon State is only 4-0 after six weeks (I’m not sure how), but that’s undefeated in the PAC-12. Not even USC can say that.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (AP #6: Kansas State)
The Irish have an offense that no one wants to play, and the linebackers, led by Manti Te’o, are simply fierce.

5. Florida Gators (AP #5: West Virginia)
Florida has gotten better each week, and that is not good for the rest of the SEC East.

4. Kansas State Wildcats (AP #4: Florida)
Kansas State is 5-0 in one of the better national conferences, and is still flying under the radar.

3. South Carolina Gamecocks (AP #3: South Carolina)
Yes, South Carolina is that good. A 28-point win over Georgia proves it.

2. Oregon Ducks (AP #2: Oregon)
Possibly the fastest offense in the nation gives Oregon a stranglehold on second place.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (AP #1: Alabama)
As I said earlier, Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Six

Record

Week 1…..8-1

Week 2…..5-0

Week 3…..2-3

Week 4…..5-0

Week 5…..4-1

Week 6.....0-0

Overall..…24-5

Review/Preview:
Going 4-1 last week was nice, but it wasn’t an upset-heavy slate. This week, though, I’m taking three lower-ranked teams to win. The SEC showed last week that they don’t necessarily need defense to win. West Virginia certainly showed that defense is overrated. So let’s see what Week Six has in store…

Remember, too, that after this week of play I debut the Right Wing Top Ten. See, sports writers, I’m waiting and gathering information on teams before I decide who should be Number 1.

The Games:

8 West Virginia at 11 Texas

West Virginia has no defense, as evidenced by the fact that Baylor hung 63 on them. They do have an offense, however, as evidenced by the fact that they hung 70 on Baylor. In regulation. Texas does know how to play defense, though. WVU quarterback Geno Smith is on a Heisman-winning pace, but I look for that to get slowed down in Austin. Texas may not have the high-octane offense of West Virginia, but the Longhorn defense should slow the Mountaineers enough for Texas to hand WVU a conference loss.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 35, West Virginia 33

4 LSU at 10 Florida

LSU is undefeated, but they keep falling in the polls, thanks to playing less-than-inspired football recently. Florida, on the other hand, is a team on the rise. The Gators had last week off to rest up for this game. Don’t get me wrong, LSU is still a good team and beating Towson by only 2 touchdowns should not be held against them as an indicator of their entire season. Still, when you aren’t playing your best, it’s probably not a good time to find yourself in the Swamp in Gainesville, Florida. I suppose you could call this an upset pick.
FINAL SCORE: Florida 27, LSU 24

5 Georgia at 6 South Carolina

Okay, what happened to Georgia’s defense against Tennessee? Yes, Georgia won, but you really can’t be too happy with a 51-44 win. I’m guessing it was rust on the defense, as Bacarri Rambo and Alec Ogletree returned from suspension. If the defense is back to “Vanderbilt” levels this week against South Carolina, it could be a long game for the Gamecocks. Georgia QB Aaron Murray is leading possibly the SEC’s best offense into Columbia for a showdown big enough to land ESPN’s College Gameday. South Carolina is up to 6 in the nation, but they weren’t exactly sharp against Kentucky, especially in the first half. If South Carolina doesn’t jump out to a fast start, Georgia should be able to win this one.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 35, South Carolina 31

Georgia Tech at 15 Clemson

This could have the makings of a trap game for Clemson, as they have Virginia Tech next week in a game in which the kickoff time has yet to be determined (as of this writing) what with flexible TV schedules and all. The Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech flat stunk against lower-tier competition, losing 49-28 at home to Middle Tennessee. One player for the Blue Raiders accounted for nearly as much offense as the entire Tech team. Clemson will not likely show mercy if Tech comes out of the gate slow in Death Valley. 
FINAL SCORE: Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 17

21 Nebraska at 12 Ohio State

Nebraska nearly cost me two games last week (I missed the OSU-MSU game). But the Huskers found a way to win in the end, as did Ohio State. This week marks the second consecutive big test for the Buckeyes. Braxton Miller is carrying the team on offense, so shutting him down is task one for the Huskers Defense. On the offensive side of the ball for Nebraska, there are weapons aplenty, if they use them properly. Taylor Martinez can sling it all over the field, and the running backs can make you pay for not loading the box. Call this an upset if you must…
FINAL SCORE: Nebraska 24, Ohio State 21