WEEK 7
October 10th, 2013
By Mike Nowoswiat and Brett Ciancia
By Mike Nowoswiat and Brett Ciancia
TEXAS vs. OKLAHOMA
Saturday October 12th, Noon, ABC. AT Cotton Bowl
Dallas State Fair. Early October. Stadium split 50/50 Burnt Orange and Crimson. This is College Football: Texas vs. Oklahoma. Last fall, the famous statue "Big Tex" burned to the ground, much like Mack Brown's status as an elite coach. In the last 365 days, Big Tex was rebuilt bigger and better than ever...we are still waiting on Coach to fix his problem. Since Bob Stoops took over in 1999, he has owned Mack Brown, winning 9 of 14 matchups. More telling is the combined score of the past two Sooner victories: 118 to 38. Given the Longhorns struggles since the end of the Colt McCoy era, and the defensive collapses this season, many feel that another blowout loss to the Sooners could be the final dagger for Mack Brown. If Coach Robinson hasn't shored up the run defense, look out! Oklahoma is equipped with a deep stable of talented runners: Brendan Clay, Damien Williams and Roy Finch - even both quarterbacks are proven runners! The Sooners also have the weapons at receiver to challenge what was supposed to be an elite back 7 for the Longhorns. Texas again has failed to live up to expectations so far. This would be a program changer and halt the downward spiral. But I simply do not see the Longhorns pulling it together here. I am not calling for a 2011 or 2012 style Sooner blowout, but I am calling for the Golden Hat to remain in Norman and for the Sooners to remain undefeated ... Oklahoma 38 Texas 24
MISSOURI at GEORGIA
Saturday October 12th, Noon, ESPN. AT Sanford Stadium
Georgia continues its brutal schedule this week against the undefeated Missouri Tigers. The Bulldogs continue to lose players after losing top wideout Malcolm Mitchell week one and Justin Scott-Wesley and Keith Marshall last week, not to mention Todd Gurley is doubtful for Saturday. But most importantly, Aaron Murray remains healthy and looks to exploit a weak secondary that is allowing opposing quarterbacks to pass for nearly 300 yards per game. However, the Missouri defense already has eleven interceptions on the season, and will need to come up with a couple to pull off this upset. Although Mitchell and Scott-Wesley are no longer available, Chris Conley, Michael Bennett, and Arthur Lynch are good enough to get the job done. The loss of Gurley and Marshall will be huge as the Bulldogs will have no significant threat out of the backfield; Murray will need to prove his Heisman candidacy once again. On the other side of the ball, James Franklin has bounced back after a rocky first year in the SEC, putting up stats that are eerily similar to Aaron Murray’s through five games, albeit against much weaker competition. Missouri's Dorial Green-Beckham is beginning to resemble the former number one overall recruit as he and fellow wide receiver L’Damian Washington have already combined to put up over 700 yards and nine touchdowns on the year. Georgia was exploited by Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry when LSU came to town, which could foreshadow another shootout. While I am not saying that the Tigers of Missouri are in the same class as the Tigers of LSU, I could see this game being tight. I would be very tempted to pick Missouri if this game were being played in Columbia, but it’s not…Georgia 44 Missouri 32
NORTHWESTERN at WISCONSIN
Sat. October 12th, 3:30, ABC. AT Camp Randall Stadium
Northwestern was on the center stage of the College Football World last Saturday, hosting Gameday and the undefeated #3 Buckeyes. NU handled the spotlight well, producing witty signs for the show and also giving Ohio State all it could handle. Despite leading most of the game, two late 4th quarter touchdowns ended NU's upset bid. Not much time to dwell on the loss, as they are forced to play another Leaders division powerhouse, the 3-time defending BigTen Champ Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin is also coming off of a Buckeye loss, except they have had an additional week to rest up and prep. Coach Andersen has went through the growing pains I thought he would (First ranked game AT Arizona State and First BigTen test AT Ohio State). Despite the 3-2 record, Wisconsin still has the blueprint to win big-time conference games: RUN THE BALL, STOP THE RUN. Wisconsin is averaging over 300 yards rushing per game, led by a trio of Melvin Gordon, James White, and Corey Clement. The Badger defense yields just 14 points per game, good for 10th in the nation. Camp Randall is a tough place to play; two positives for Northwestern are the afternoon kickoff as opposed to primetime, and its Senior-laden, veteran roster. That said, to say that Ohio State and Braxton Miller underperformed is an understatement. While I think Northwestern is a solid team, I except trouble bouncing back from that emotional loss. NU will come out flat, allowing Wisconsin the chance to gain a lead. The Badger ground game will grind out the win... Wisconsin 31 Northwestern 23
FLORIDA at LSU
Saturday, October 12th. 3:30. CBS. AT Tiger Stadium
Last week, I predicted the Gators to beat Arkansas by a touchdown and they not only beat the Razorbacks, but they won by 20. Now, as Dennis Green once eloquently said, “if you wanna crown their asses, crown ‘em.” While an impressive win—I still think Florida will finish 3rd in the SEC East—the Gators are not good enough to win in Death Valley…at night. LSU is very good on both sides of the ball, but for the first time in a long time, its strength is the offense. The best unit-vs-unit matchup this weekend will be the LSU receivers and the Florida defensive backs with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry lining up against Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy. Beckham is not often mentioned in the same breath as Marqise Lee and Sammy Watkins, among others, but should be. Both Roberson and Purifoy could solidify first-round grades with big performances in this game. However, the LSU passing game has been on a tear and I won’t pick against them. In Athens against Georgia, the pair combined for 16 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown. On the other side of the ball, Florida QB Tyler Murphy has performed well in Driskel’s absence. He has a 72.2% completion percentage in his three starts with five touchdowns and only one interception. However, the Gator coaching staff has not asked him to go out and win a game; the games he has won have been comfortable victories. To win in Death Valley, Murphy will need to have an epic day…LSU 27 Florida 13
OREGON at WASHINGTON
Saturday October 12th, 4pm, FoxSports1. AT Husky Stadium
To our East Coast fans, something you may underestimate is the sheer hate between the Ducks and the Huskies. Yes, they may have their in-state rivals with the iconic rivalry trophies, but do not overlook the hate here. Coming off an impressive performance against #5 Stanford, Washington was selected to host College Gameday for the first time in school history. Two guarantees: insane energy all day from Husky fans, and a few Washington State flags flying in the background of the set. Washington finds themselves in a situation similar to Northwestern last week - Gameday site hosting a Top-5 perenial power that has dominated the recent series. Oregon is going for a 10th straight victory over Washington! The Ducks look electric on offense again, but have not been truly tested yet. This will be Mariota's chance to solidify his spot in the Top 2 or 3 of the Heisman race. As the main catalyst of the #2 Offense in the nation, Mariota already has 21 touchdowns and hasn't thrown a pick. These are incredible stats when factoring in that he hasn't needed to play a full game yet (Average Score 59-12). Many wondered what the effect on game-management and play-calling the loss of Chip Kelly would have - we will find out Saturday with Mark Helfrich's first ranked game. Washington is loaded with offensive talent, and despite the gains on defense, I do not see UW slowing down Oregon. If anything this will be a classic PAC-12 shootout, with Oregon eventually pulling away... Oregon 46 Washington 37
TEXAS A&M at OLE MISS
Sat., Oct. 12th. 8:30. ESPN. AT Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Finally, Mississippi fans get to see their Rebels again. After traveling to opponents’ stadiums in four of the first five games—and the one home game was against Southeast Missouri State—the Rebels are home in a primetime game against the number nine team in the nation. Johnny Drama will be taking his talents to Oxford (watch out girls!) to win an easy one against a skidding football team. Right? Not quite. One loss was to Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the other was to a better-than-expected Auburn team. QB Bo Wallace has played fine, but should have better production in front of the home crowd, especially on third downs, which was the main problem against Auburn (5-19 conversions). Not to mention, wide receivers Laquon Treadwell and Donte Moncrief could have huge days against a mediocre Texas A&M secondary that allowed 282 yards and three touchdowns to Brandon Allen, the Arkansas QB. Wallace offers a dual threat with a better arm and a better surrounding cast. I’m starting to think this may be a shootout that will go down to the wire. Manziel will perform, there’s no doubt. The Ole Miss defense is above average, but not elite. Manziel shreds elite defenses. Therefore, if my reasoning makes sense, Manziel and company will put up some points on this defense. Can Bo Wallace win a battle of this magnitude? That is the question. If not, he will have a chance next week against Zach Mettenberger. However, I think Wallace, along with Head Coach Hugh Freeze, cash in their biggest win yet…Ole Miss 47 Texas A&M 44
SPECIAL FEATURE:
CLICK HERE for our NEW ARTICLE on Fordham
Undefeated Football in the Bronx: The Rebirth of the Fordham Football Program
Fordham was once a National Powerhouse. The small Jesuit school from the Bronx used to be invited to major bowl games and was one of the most dominant programs of the Pre-WWII era. Led by Vince Lombardi (as a player), Fordham was so popular, they were featured on the first ever televised football game, and had an NFL team named in their honor. 70 years later, dominant football has returned to the Bronx... (More Here)
Undefeated Football in the Bronx: The Rebirth of the Fordham Football Program
Fordham was once a National Powerhouse. The small Jesuit school from the Bronx used to be invited to major bowl games and was one of the most dominant programs of the Pre-WWII era. Led by Vince Lombardi (as a player), Fordham was so popular, they were featured on the first ever televised football game, and had an NFL team named in their honor. 70 years later, dominant football has returned to the Bronx... (More Here)