Football Future-see 2014: Week Eight

Record
Week 1	8-2
Week 2	5-0
Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8	2-3 4-1 2-3 2-8 4-1 3-2
Total	30-20	0.600

4-1 sure feels a whole lot better than 2-8. Last week went well for me. I could give myself nothing but cupcake picks and really inflate my stat line, but I’d rather go after the hard games and challenge myself. Hence our slate of games for this week. There is no easy pick here. 

For the picks, I’m still using the AP Poll. 

The Games: 

14 Kansas State vs 11 Oklahoma (Saturday, Noon, ESPN) 
K-State lost to Auburn. Oklahoma lost to TCU. Neither loss is a bad loss. Neither team is out of the Big XII race, but right now the Big XII looks like Baylor’s to lose. This one being in Norman shifts things toward the Sooners, but this is the same Sooner team that nearly gave away the game to Texas. I like Oklahoma to win here, but it will be incredibly close, maybe even a last second field goal. Sooners win. 
Final Score: Oklahoma 30, Kansas State 28 
INCORRECT: Kansas State won 31-30

21 Texas A&M at 7 Alabama (Saturday, 3:30pm, CBS) 
Offensively, Alabama is doing a little worse each game since the middle of September. The recently lost to Ole Miss 23-17 and then beat Arkansas 14-13. The Tide is reeling, if 5-1 overall and #7 in the nation can be called “reeling.” The Aggies, meanwhile, have lost their last two games by at least two touchdowns. This is the crazy, mixed-up world of the SEC West. I think ‘Bama gets back on track, but not as much as Saban would prefer. The Aggies will be left looking for answers after this one. ‘Bama wins. 
Final Score: Alabama 24, Texas A&M 14
CORRECT: Alabama won 59-0 

10 Georgia vs Arkansas (Saturday, 4:00pm, SEC Network) 
For Arkansas, this is a chance to finally get over the hump against an SEC opponent. For Georgia, it’s a chance to continue doing what they need to do to get to Atlanta. The absence of Todd Gurley didn’t seem to slow the Dawgs one bit against Missouri. Arkansas just held Alabama to a season-low 14 points, even though the Hogs lost. Georgia has a better quarterback and better RBs, especially if Gurley returns. Arkansas’s offensive line may actually be more physical than UGA’s. I look for a close game through three, but Georgia pulls away in the fourth. Dawgs win. 
Final Score: Georgia 31, Arkansas 21 
CORRECT: Georgia won 45-32

5 Notre Dame at 2 Florida State (Saturday, 8:00pm, ABC) 
Hands down, this is the biggest game of the week. Notre Dame is riding a little lower after not-so-easily dispatching of North Carolina. Florida State, meanwhile, has yet to look truly impressive against anyone, which caused the voters and the coaches to drop the ‘Noles to #2. Now, FSU quarterback Jameis Winston is being investigated for selling autographs (sound familiar?), and the school could be looking at suspending him again. That will not help their case against the Irish, but here’s the thing…I’m not sold on Notre Dame just yet. I think, with or without Winston, FSU should win this one. 
Final Score: Florida State 34, Notre Dame 26 
CORRECT: Florida State won 31-27

23 Stanford at 17 Arizona State (Saturday, 10:30pm, ESPN) 
This week’s PAC-12 action comes from Arizona State, where the Sun Devils are ranked #17 and hosting the #23 Stanford Cardinal. Both of these teams have been a bit up and down this year. ASU was annihilated by UCLA, 62-27. Stanford has lost two close games (USC 13-10 and Notre Dame 17-14) by a total of 6 points. Even with this game being at Arizona State, I don’t see the Sun Devils winning. Stanford wins a close game. 
Final Score: Stanford 27, Arizona State 23 
INCORRECT: Arizona State won 26-10

The Right Wing Top Ten 
The Associated Press Poll and the Amway Coaches Poll both feature a Preseason version. I even posted a “Preseason Top Ten,” or something to that effect, a while back. I never intended to use that poll as a basis for the Right Wing Top Ten, though. 

15. Arizona State (last week: NR) 
14. East Carolina Pirates (last week: NR) 
13. TCU Horned Frogs (last week: 11) 
12. Kansas State Wildcats (last week: NR) 
11. Oklahoma Sooners (last week: 12) 
  
10. Alabama Crimson Tide (last week: 7) 
Why: I watched ‘Bama sneak by Arkansas 14-13. Given the way Arkansas’s QB was playing, this game should not have been close. For that reason, I’m dropping the Tide to #10. 

9. Georgia Bulldogs (last week: 10) 
Why: Gurley who? Georgia proved that they didn’t need Todd Gurley to take down their main rival in the SEC East. Georgia now has the inside track at playing in the SEC Championship Game. 

8. Auburn Tigers (last week: 1) 
Why: You can’t lose by 15 to Mississippi State and remain atop the polls. Auburn was exposed by Dak Prescott and the Bulldog offense. 

7. Oregon Ducks (last week: 9) 
Why: Oregon put a hurt on UCLA to claim their spot atop the PAC-12…for now… 

6. Michigan State Spartans (last week: 8) 
Why: Sparty looks to be the top dog in the Big Ten. A later-season date with Ohio State will tell the tale, though. 

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (last week: 6) 
Why: The Irish are undefeated and play a tough schedule. We’ll learn a lot more about them this week, when they face FSU. 

4. Baylor Bears (last week: 2) 
Why: Baylor drops from #2 to #4 on account of giving up 58 points in regulation and still winning. You can’t win a championship like that. Bryce Petty is a scary good QB, though. 

3. Florida State Seminoles (last week: 2) 
Why: This is me still giving FSU a bit of credit for last season. Otherwise, the Seminoles are undefeated but have yet to be thoroughly impressive. 

2. Ole Miss Rebels (last week: 5) 
Why: Ole Miss has, without doubt, the best defense in the country. They just made the Aggies look silly. 

1. Mississippi State Bulldogs (last week: 4) 
Why: I thought Auburn was the best team in the country. Then, Dak Prescott and the Bulldogs welcomed the Tigers to Starkville and laid a beating them that changed my mind. Mississippi State, in the AP Poll, rose from unranked to #1 in the shortest amount of time ever in history. 

If the Playoff Started Today 
I started this section last year, knowing that the College Football Playoff was coming. This is what I think the selection committee will do. This has nothing to do with my Top 15 poll, or with the current AP or Coaches Poll. If the playoff started today, who would the committee select? 

The Four Teams In 
These four teams would make up the playoff field if it all started today. #1 would play #4, #2 would play #3. I’ve ranked them as such, because I believe the Selection Committee will move to limit two teams from the same conference reaching the championship game. Of course, the Egg Bowl later this year will sort out the Mississippi schools. 
1 Mississippi State 
2 Florida State 
3 Baylor 
4 Ole Miss 

The First Four Teams Out 
5. Notre Dame 
6. Oregon 
7. Alabama 
8. Michigan State 

Football Future-see 2014: Week Seven

Record
Week 1	8-2
Week 2	5-0
Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7	2-3 4-1 2-3 2-8 4-1
Total	27-18	0.600

Well, that might’ve been the worst thing that ever happened to my picks. At one point last weekend I was 0-6. Big thanks to Georgia and Michigan State proving that I’m not completely inept at making picks. Actually, it would’ve been difficult even for professional prognosticators to go above .500 last weekend, given the plethora of upsets. The SEC West finally felt what the SEC East has been feeling for weeks now, as they finally started beating up on each other. 

For the picks, I’m still using the AP Poll, but this week we unveil the Right Wing Top Ten. Week Seven features four games with two Top 25 teams playing, and we also have the Red River Rivalry. 

The Games: 
Texas vs 11 Oklahoma (Saturday, Noon, ABC) 
If you drew the 50-yard line up into the stands in the Cotton Bowl, one side of the line would be primarily red, the other side would be orange. Oklahoma has to be careful here, as Texas is down and the Sooners have Kansas State next week, making this a bit of a trap game. The Sooners looked like a lock for the playoffs, but TCU provided them a roadblock last week. Given the anger they likely have about that, the Sooners will barely encounter a speedbump in Texas. OU rolls. 
Final Score: Oklahoma 44, Texas 21 
CORRECT: Oklahoma won 31-26

13 Georgia at 23 Missouri (Saturday, Noon, CBS) 
Any time Todd Gurley touches the football something big may happen. This looks like the game that will decide the SEC East. Missouri is coming off a big comeback win over South Carolina and Georgia has been rolling since the road loss at South Carolina. Georgia’s lowest scoring output of the year is 35 points. If they can press the run game into good service, they can expose the middle of Mizzou’s defense. I expect a big day from Todd Gurley, as he mounts a strong Heisman campaign. Dawgs win. 
**UPDATE: Todd Gurley has been suspended indefinitely by Georgia after reports surfaced that, apparently, Gurley signed an autograph and was paid. This is basically the same thing Johnny Manziel did, from what I've gathered so far, and Manziel only sat for one half of one game. We'll see...I still think UGA wins, but much closer than I originally predicted.**
Final Score: Georgia 28, Missouri 24 
CORRECT: Georgia won 34-0

12 Oregon at 18 UCLA (Saturday, 3:30pm, Fox) 
For the second straight year, Oregon faltered against Arizona. Sometimes a team just has your number. Ducks QB Marcus Mariota watched his Heisman stock plummet as the Wildcats celebrates in Autzen Stadium. UCLA, though, is also struggling to live up to preseason hype. Bruins QB Brett Hundley has dealt with on-again-off-again offensive consistency, along with injury. This game might steal the show this weekend, as both programs look to get back on track, aiming for a PAC-12 title and a shot at the playoffs. I trust the Ducks more than the Bruins, though. Oregon wins a close game. 
Final Score: Oregon 31, UCLA 27 
CORRECT: Oregon won 42-30

2 Auburn at 3 Mississippi State (Saturday, 3:30pm, CBS) 
For the second straight week, ESPN’s College GameDay is in Mississippi. This time, Mississippi State plays host to the traveling show, as the Bulldogs welcome in Auburn, who I think is the best team in the nation. MSU has beaten LSU and TAMU. Auburn has beaten Kansas State on the road and then flat steamrolled LSU. QB Nick Marhsall guides a high-powered Tiger team that is ready to prove they should be the #1 team in the land. But MSU’s Dak Prescott is rapidly making waves in the Heisman discussion. Look for a serious battle here. But Auburn should win… 
Final Score: Auburn 34, Mississippi State 28 
INCORRECT: Mississippi State won 38-23

9 TCU at 5 Baylor (Saturday, 3:30pm, ESPN2) 
Given that TCU owns a victory over Oklahoma, and that Baylor has yet to play the Sooners, this game could be shaping up as a battle for Big XII supremacy. Baylor has a schedule that looks good for a potential playoff run. Getting a big win over a conference foe will certainly help in stating their case. TCU, though, would love to keep up their run in the conference and gain some momentum heading into the meat of their conference schedule. I like Baylor in this one, though. Bears win. 
Final Score: Baylor 38, TCU 30 
CORRECT: Baylor won 61-58

The Right Wing Top Ten 
The Associated Press Poll and the Amway Coaches Poll both feature a Preseason version. I even posted a “Preseason Top Ten,” or something to that effect, a while back. I never intended to use that poll as a basis for the Right Wing Top Ten, though. There’s a reason I wait until after week six to reveal my Top Ten (in this case, Top 15)… 

15. Kansas Stat Wildcats 
14. Arizona Wildcats 
13. Texas A&M Aggies 
12. Oklahoma Sooners 
11. TCU Horned Frogs 

10. Georgia Bulldogs 
Why: The Dawgs have the best running back in the nation (quite possibly the best player). They’re averaging nearly 44.5 points per game, and the SEC East is wide open now that South Carolina has crashed and burned. 

9. Oregon Ducks 
Why: The Ducks aren’t used to being this far down in the standings in early October, but an embarrassing home loss to previously unranked Arizona started a Ducks tailspin. (Get it? Ducks tailspin? Duck Tales? Woo-hoo) 

8. Michigan State Spartans 
Why: Michigan State claimed supremacy in the weakened Big Ten, but they still have to navigate their remaining schedule. 

7. Alabama Crimson  Tide 
Why: Many people thought ‘Bama was one of the best teams in the nation in the preseason. I seem to recall predicting on this blog that Ole Miss would defeat the Tide… 

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 
Why: Notre Dame has been in this position before, just two years ago. Win out, Irish, and you’ll get the chance for an SEC team to beat you into oblivion yet again. 

5. Ole Miss Rebels 
Why: Ole Miss has only beaten Alabama and Boise State. The Rebels are behind Mississippi State for the simple fact that the Bulldogs own victories over TAMU and LSU. The two are basically interchangeable. 

4. Mississippi State Bulldogs 
Why: The Bulldogs are ahead of Ole Miss for the simple fact that they own victories over TAMU and LSU. Ole Miss has only beaten Alabama and Boise State. The two are basically interchangeable. 

3. Florida State Seminoles 
Why: This is me giving FSU a bit of credit for last season. Otherwise, the Seminoles are undefeated but have yet to be thoroughly impressive. 

2. Baylor Bears 
Why: Baylor is looking pretty good, and their schedule is shaping up to get them into the playoffs. 

1. Auburn Tigers 
Why: Auburn is, in my opinion, the single most complete team in the country. They’ve beaten Arkansas, which means more now than it did in the preseason, they’ve beaten Kansas State on the road, which looks better each week, and they just smashed LSU. 

If the Playoff Started Today 
I started this section last year, knowing that the College Football Playoff was coming. This is what I think the selection committee will do. This has nothing to do with my Top 15 poll, or with the current AP or Coaches Poll. If the playoff started today, who would the committee select? 

The Four Teams In 
These four teams would make up the playoff field if it all started today. #1 would play #4, #2 would play #3. 
1 Florida State 
2 Auburn 
3 Ole Miss 
4 Baylor 

The First Four Teams Out 
5. Mississippi State 
6. Notre Dame 
7. Oregon 
8. Michigan State 

Football Future-see 2014: Week Six

Record
Week 1	8-2
Week 2	5-0
Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6	2-3 4-1 2-3 2-8
Total	23-17	0.575

UPDATE: This was an unmitigated disaster! Of the Top 25, #2, #3, #4, #6, #8, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, and #19 all went down in defeat. That's eleven Top 25 schools losing on the same day. And yeah, it ruined my season. I went from 21-9 on Thursday morning to 23-17 today, after an ugly 2-8 weekend.

Welcome to a Super-Sized Ten Game Edition of the Right Wing’s Football Future-see. Week Six is loaded with high-profile games. In fact, the ten games I’m picking this week contain fifteen teams currently in the Top 25 (AP). Only one match-up of unranked teams lands on the slate, and that’s because it’s a matchup of traditional SEC East powers. There’s been some discussion about how much better the SEC West is in relation to the East. I’ll say this: The SEC West is just as much of a hot mess as the East, they just haven’t truly started beating up on each other yet. 

Also, after this week the first version of the Right Wing Top Ten will be released. 

The Games: 

Arizona at 2 Oregon (Thursday, 10:30pm, ESPN) 
42-16. That’s probably painted in bright, big numbers somewhere in the Oregon training facility. That’s how bad Arizona beat Oregon last season. At the time, the Wildcats had a record of 6-4 and were coming off a 24-17 home loss to a 4-5 Washington State team. That’s salt in the wound for the Ducks, especially considering Oregon had beaten that same WSU team 62-38. Oregon won’t let it happen again. Ducks QB Marcus Mariota will probably deliver a Heisman game tape here. (Of course, Oregon is coming off a close win over Washington State…) 
Final Score: Oregon 40, Arizona 17 
INCORRECT: Arizona won 31-24

Florida at Tennessee (Saturday, Noon, SEC Network) 
There was a time when this game decided the SEC East almost by defeault. Now, however, we have a tale of two teams. The Vols are a team on the rise. They’ll be in contention for the division crown by next year. Florida, conversely, seems to be in perpetual freefall. They look great one week, and then just barely skate by the next. Their QB does not inspire confidence, even in their most ardent supporters. That said, if this game were played in the Swamp, I’d probably have Florida winning. Being that it’s in Neyland Stadium, I think the Gators will hear “Rocky Top” several times. Vols win. 
Final Score: Tennessee 24, Florida 17 
INCORRECT: Florida won 10-9

6 Texas A&M at 12 Mississippi State (Saturday, Noon, ESPN) 
The Aggies are still riding high after their opening week crushing of South Carolina. Never mind that Arkansas exposed them as being susceptible to the run. Mississippi State is coming off a huge win over LSU. As I said in the opening paragraph, we’re getting to the point where the SEC West will being to cannibalize itself. The Bulldogs of Mississippi State are good, but I think Kenny Hill and the former Flying Johnny Footballs are better. Aggies win. 
Final Score: Texas A&M 42, Mississippi State 30 
INCORRECT: Mississippi State won 48-31

3 Alabama at 11 Ole Miss (Saturday, 3:30pm, CBS) 
ESPN’s College GameDay is traveling to the Grove for the first time. Ole Miss might be a tad over-ranked, but the Rebels are good. They have the most experienced QB in the conference. ‘Bama, meanwhile, has a nasty front seven on defense and they also have one of the best WRs in the nation in Amari Cooper. This game, I think will be much closer than several people think. Ole Miss may even have a chance at winning it. But in the end, I think the Tide is just too strong for Ole Miss. ‘Bama wins. 
Final Score: Alabama 35, Ole Miss 27 
INCORRECT: Ole Miss won 23-17

4 Oklahoma at 25 TCU (Saturday, 3:30pm, Fox) 
The only ranked match-up of Big XII teams on the docket this week comes from the Sooners visiting TCU. The Horned Frogs have clawed their way into the Top 25, which is unfortunate for them, because they’re about to get knocked out. I’m not going to lie, as much as this hurts to say, but Oklahoma may just be the best team in the country…given their schedule. Sooners win by at least two touchdowns. 
Final Score: Oklahoma 37, TCU 20 
INCORRECT: TCU won 37-31

14 Stanford at 9 Notre Dame (Saturday, 3:30pm, NBC) 
Notre Dame, like the SEC, gets a lot of good press based on its history. I truly think that’s why the Irish are in the Top 10. That’s not to say Notre Dame isn’t good. Stanford is also a good football team and will likely expose some of the Irish’s weaknesses. But I still think Notre Dame wins. If Everett Golson can remain upright against a typically nasty Cardinal front seven, then Notre Dame should celebrate a victory in South Bend. Irish win. 
Final Score: Notre Dame 24, Stanford 20 
INCORRECT: Notre Dame won 17-14

Vanderbilt at 13 Georgia (Saturday, 4:00pm, SEC Network) 
Georgia is an interesting team. Their offense is averaging just over 45 points per game, but the defense is giving up nearly 23 per game. The Dawgs rely on Todd Gurley and the deep stable of backs…that isn’t so deep any more. It’s basically Gurley and Chubb for this game. Should the Dawgs get some of their receivers back from injury, this one won’t be close. If they stay as they are with the roster, well, it still shouldn’t be close. Vanderbilt is bad. Sure they took South Carolina to the edge before losing, but they also lost to Temple, Ole Miss, and Kentucky and just barely got by UMass. Georgia should roll. 
Final Score: Georgia 45, Vanderbilt 14 
CORRECT: Georgia won 44-17

15 LSU at 5 Auburn (Saturday, 7:00pm, ESPN) 
LSU was the only team to hand Auburn a regular season loss last year. That game, though, was in LSU’s home stadium. The Bayou Bengals have to travel to The Plains for this game. Both teams have had their ups and downs this season. LSU lost to Mississippi State by virtue of not actually waking up for the game until the fourth quarter. Kansas State push Auburn to the brink before losing, but K-State kinda beat themselves. This one should be fun to watch. LSU is starting a new Quarterback and Auburn is trying to hold on to their spot on the cusp of the playoffs. Tigers win! (See what I did there?) Okay, seriously, I like LSU is a mild upset here. But, I liked Cincinnati in an upset last week and they lost by 3 TDs… 
Final Score: LSU 28, Auburn 24 
INCORRECT: Auburn won 41-7

Arizona State at 16 USC (Saturday, 7:30pm, Fox) 
I recently looked at Arizona State as an upset pick over UCLA. Instead, the Bruins thrashed the Sun Devils and went home with a win. Now, ASU travels to Southern Cal, where the Trojans are fast regaining their former swagger. I don’t expect the Sun Devils to win here, but I do look for a closer game than what happened against UCLA. Trojans win, but not running away. 
Final Score: USC 31, Arizona State 24 
INCORRECT: Arizona State won 38-34

19 Nebraska at 10 Michigan State (Saturday, 8:00pm, ESPN2) 
Think of this game as the last stand of the Big Ten in the college football playoff. Two situations arise here. Michigan State is more highly ranked, even though they have an ugly road loss to Oregon. Nebraska is more lowly ranked, though they are undefeated. In situation #1, Michigan State wins a solid game here, establishing themselves as the class of the conference, but leaving themselves potentially on the outside looking in at selection time. In situation #2, Nebraska wins, remaining undefeated and setting themselves up for a possible playoff run. The Big Ten as a whole might feel better about option #2, but option #1 is what will happen, even though it won’t be a “solid” win. Sparty wins a close game. 
Final Score: Michigan State 27, Nebraska 21 
CORRECT: Michigan State won 27-22

Football Future-see 2014: Week Five

Record
Week 1	8-2
Week 2	5-0
Week 3 Week 4 Week 5	2-3 4-1 2-3
Total	21-9	0.700

Week Four was good for the Right Wing. In fact, I was an LSU-didn’t-show-up-for-three-quarters game away from perfection. Georgia dominated Troy, as expected. Auburn barely escaped Kansas State, but they still won. Alabama pulled away from Florida. Florida State took overtime but defeated Clemson. Yeah, it was just LSU that messed the whole thing up. Now, at 19-6 on the year, we start getting into more conference play and some higher profile games. This is especially true next week. This week we have two Thursday games, one of which is the only Top 25 match-up on our slate this week. Georgia is there again, facing rival Tennessee. Mizzou visits South Carolina and Ohio State hosts Cincinnati. Enjoy. 

The Games: 

Texas Tech at 24 Oklahoma State (Thursday, 7:30pm, ESPN) 
Ever since taking Florida State to the limit in a Week One loss, Okie State has rolled, albeit against inferior competition. Texas Tech had steamrolled their first two opponents, but then ran into the buzzsaw that was SEC bottom-feeder Arkansas. The Razorbacks rolled up 438 rushing yards and 49 points on the Red Raiders, leading to the Lubbock team bringing in a defensive coordinator. Oklahoma State has the advantage here, with home field and more staff stability. The Red Raider defense will be tested, and I believe Oklahoma State will find enough holes to pull away in the second half. Cowboys win. 
Final Score: Oklahoma State 35, Texas Tech 21 
CORRECT: Oklahoma State won 45-35

11 UCLA at 15 Arizona State (Thursday, 10:00pm, Fox Sports 1) 
The only Top 25 game on our slate this week features two PAC-12 South teams in a battle for supremacy. UCLA, though ranked #11, has thoroughly underwhelmed this season, barely skating past Virginia, Memphis, and Texas. While those schools are not exactly the “little sisters of the poor,” they’re not exactly powerhouses at the moment. Arizona State, meanwhile, has looked better against worse competition, soundly defeating Weber State, New Mexico, and Colorado. It’s not a stretch to call this one an upset. Sun Devils win a close game. 
Final Score: Arizona State 27, UCLA 23 
INCORRECT: UCLA won 62-27 (I might be wrong, but at least I correctly predicted ASU's point total)


Tennessee at 12 Georgia (Saturday, 12:00pm, ESPN) 
Last year, this game is when the wheels came off the bus for Georgia. Injuries kept piling up against an upstart Vols team that was looking for a huge upset. They nearly got it, as UGA won in OT 34-31. This time, though, Georgia is healthier. They’re rested, with the starters sitting much of last week’s 66-0 whipping of Troy. Tennessee hasn’t played since their 34-10 loss at Oklahoma. The Vols are averaging 27 points per game while giving up 20. They’re also averaging 130 rushing yards per game. Georgia is averaging 304 rushing yards per game while scoring 49 and giving up 20. Both teams are 2-1. I can’t see Georgia going away from the run. They purposefully rested Todd Gurley against Troy so he’d be ready for Tenessee. Vols QB Justin Worley may have some answers against the Dawgs, but I think Georgia rolls, especially between the hedges. Dawgs win. 
Final Score: Georgia 38, Tennessee 17 
CORRECT: Georgia won 35-32

Cincinnati at 22 Ohio State (Saturday, 6:00pm, Big Ten Network) 
Alright, kiddos, here’s your first real Upset Special of the year. Now, do I really think Cincinnati is going to pick off Ohio State? Truthfully, no. I don’t think they will. But if ever there was a time to pick off the Buckeyes, the Bearcats are scheduled for it. The Buckeyes are about to enter conference play, they’re missing their starting QB, and they were just proven mortal at home by Virginia Tech. Cincinnati had best be dissecting the game tape from the OSU-VT match-up. If Cincinnati wins, it’ll be close, perhaps on a last second field goal. Bearcats in the upset. 
Final Score: Cincinnati 24, Ohio State 22 
INCORRECT: Ohio State won 50-28

Missouri at 13 South Carolina (Saturday, 7:00pm, ESPN) 
ESPN’s College GameDay visits Columbia for a game that seemed far more important at the beginning of the season than it does now. Both of these teams have lost much of the luster that they held in the Preseason Top 25 poll. South Carolina is arguably the more dangerous team here, but they’re coming off a much-closer-than-it-should-have-been win over lowly Vanderbilt. Missouri was just upset at home by Indiana. Steve Spurrier has even said the Gamecocks are not a good football team, which is Head Ball Coach speak for “we’re not that bad, but we need work.” The air is out of the tires for Mizzou, so I see South Carolina taking this one. Gamecocks win, but close. 
Final Score: South Carolina 28, Missouri 24 
INCORRECT: Missouri won 21-20

Football Future-see 2014: Week Four

Record
Week 1	8-2
Week 2	5-0
Week 3 Week 4	2-3 4-1
Total	19-6	0.760

While Week Two gave me my first perfect week, Week Three was almost an abject disaster. As it stands, it was just a barely mitigated disaster. Of course, I couldn’t control any of that.

Boston College stunned USC by simply outplaying the Trojans. Virginia defeated Louisville (I actually predicted UVA’s final score) even though I admitted that I could not call for the upset. And South Carolina beat Georgia, although a very good argument could be made that Georgia beat Georgia (I actually *almost* predicted UGA’s final score). This week looks to be even more difficult, with two SEC conference games, two match-ups of Top 25 teams, and the obligatory Georgia pick. 

The Games: 

5 Auburn at 20 Kansas State (Thursday, 7:30pm, ESPN) 
A Thursday night road trip to the heart of Big XII country (read: the middle of nowhere; I’ve been to Manhattan, Kansas, and it is the middle of nowhere) might be a recipe for defeat for Auburn. K-State is now a Top 20 team and would love to hand Auburn a loss. The Tigers, though, are simply a better team. I like Auburn in this game, but I’m not going to be surprised if Kansas State keeps it a lot closer than it probably should be. 
Final Score: Auburn 30, Kansas State 20 
CORRECT: Auburn won 20-14

Troy at 13 Georgia (Saturday, Noon, SEC Network) 
This is a bad time for Troy to roll into Athens. Georgia will be looking to exorcise some demons from the loss to South Carolina. For Troy, the season has not gone well. The Trojans are 0-3 and are giving up 40 points per game. The Dawgs are averaging 40 points per game. I really can’t see this one being much of a contest, and I think that Mark Richt may have to take the binders off the offense in this game, just to let some of that aggression bleed out. Georgia rolls. (PS – I could go on at length about what went wrong for Georgia in Columbia, but I think beating down Troy would be better medicine than sitting around complaining.) 
Final Score: Georgia 56, Troy 14 
CORRECT: Georgia won 66-0

Florida at 3 Alabama (Saturday, 3:30pm, CBS) 
Will the real Florida Gators please stand up? A thrashing of Eastern Michigan was followed up by a triple OT home win over Kentucky. So no one really knows what Florida is bringing to the table. But the Gators better figure it out quick, as they go to Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Alabama has followed up their close victory over West Virginia with back-to-back wins by a combined score of 93-12. Alabama is settling into a groove with their QB position. I’m not sure Florida has enough to escape Tuscaloosa with a win. ‘Bama wins. 
Final Score:  Alabama 31, Florida 20 
CORRECT: Alabama won 42-21

Mississippi State at 8 LSU (Saturday, 7:00pm, ESPN) 
Two minutes, thirty-six seconds into the third quarter against Wisconsin. That’s the last time LSU gave up any points. That was August 30. Since then LSU has beaten Sam Houston 56-0 and UL-Monroe 31-0. Of course, they’ll be playing a little higher level of competition this weekend than the last two. Mississippi State is a dangerous team that comes to LSU with a 3-0 record and averaging nearly 44 points per game. But this will be their first test too. I like LSU to win, but MSU keeps it close. 
Final Score: LSU 28, Mississippi State 20 
INCORRECT: Mississippi State won 34-29

22 Clemson at 1 Florida State (Saturday, 8:00pm, ABC) 
This game will probably decide the ACC Atlantic Division, which is odd because it’s the first conference game for either team. Then again, in the same division is Boston College, who just knocked off USC. Florida State is still the #1 team in the country. Clemson was throttled by Georgia 45-21, but returned the next week to lay a massive beating on South Carolina State, 73-7. FSU meanwhile has only scored 37 points in each of their victories (Oklahoma State and Citadel). Expect both teams to bring their best to Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday night, but expect FSU to leave victorious. 
Final Score: FSU 45, Clemson 20 
CORRECT: Florida State won 23-17 in overtime