Trent's Touchdown: Six Games To Watch in Week Seven

The strangest thing about last weekend’s games was the lack of a major upset. Yet, we did get a nice little shake-up in the polls—but more on that later.

This week's slate of games features at least one game all times that looks fun to watch, unlike last week’s snooze-fest. They can’t all be winners.

Anyway, on to the Touchdown.

1) No. 20 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas (in Dallas)—12:00 on ABC

The one game everyone has been waiting to watch since both Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy decided to come back for another year. Last year, on my honeymoon, I won some nice scratch betting on Texas, but this year I’m not in a place with legalized sports gambling, nor do I have that much confidence in Texas.

Last year, Texas was a flawed team but had big-play capability when it was needed. The problem this year is the Longhorns almost seem to want to win with a degree of difficulty. It’s almost like McCoy needs a reason to get into that game.

Texas-Colorado should have been a cakewalk, but it drew me in because it was so close. McCoy didn’t seem to get into the game until he realized his team was trailing, and then he decided to light it up. You know, that’s fine against Colorado or Texas Tech, but you can’t pull that crap against Oklahoma.

As much as I don’t like Oklahoma, I have to say it is a scary good team that lost two road games against two underrated teams. While Bradford is still coming back from injury, the Sooners will need to rely on their defense, one of the best in the country. If McCoy gets off to another slow start, Oklahoma will make him pay.

The problem that Oklahoma has is that Mack Brown will have whipped his team up into a frenzy by the time this one starts. Texas won’t start slow, and the 'Horns will have their eyes firmly set on their opponent. Texas wins, but as always, it’s entertaining and close.

2) No. 6 USC at No. 25 Notre Dame—3:30 on NBC

I may have made a joke last week about Notre Dame vs. the Bye week, but this game has real potential. This is probably the first time I’ve been truly excited about this rivalry since the Brady Quinn-Matt Leinart duel in which Reggie Bush pushed Leinart into the end zone at the end to win it for USC.

Notre Dame has been weird this year. I mean, they are 4-1, but they could easily be 5-0 or 1-4, as they’ve shown signs of either being a top-flight program or last year's putrid mess...all in the same game.

Jimmy Clausen is finally showing signs of why he was a highly-ranked prospect coming out of high school. The problem, as always, is the defense. While the unit will get the lucky pick in key places, it is not exactly consistent.

As for USC, the stumble against Washington is the only blemish on the team's record (which includes the thriller in Columbus). The Trojan defense is one of the best in the nation, and a team needs to take its shots when it has the chance.

What I’m going to say here is going to make many USC fans scream, if only for the fact that they know I’m right: USC's Achilles’ heel is its offense.

Don’t get me wrong—I think Damian Williams is one of the best receivers in the country, and Joe McKnight is scary when he’s carrying the ball.

But I don’t trust Matt Barkley, I just don’t. He starts off too slow, he makes freshman mistakes, and he’s too cookie cutter for me.

In a shocker, Notre Dame wins this game. They win it like they always do, by falling ass-backwards into a game-clinching interception during a USC drive that could give the Trojans the victory.

3) No. 4 Virginia Tech at No. 19 Georgia Tech—6:00 on ESPN2

Well, this is the last hurdle between Virginia Tech and the Orange Bowl, because no other team in the ACC has the ability to challenge Virginia Tech in the slightest way. I’ve really come around on VT.

Georgia Tech was a lot of people’s trendy pick to end VT’s dominance of the Coastal Division, with good reason. The triple option offense that turned people’s heads last year was back and still had the run threat of Jonathan Dwyer. However, as Clemson and Miami proved, if you can take away the run, the offense sputters with Josh Nesbitt at the helm.

If there is any defense that can stifle the GT running game, it is VT. The VT defense is fast and nasty. Once the ball is in the offense’s hands, VT and Tyrod Taylor know how to find the end zone. The GT defense won’t be able to keep up with Taylor or the Hokie running game.

Georgia Tech isn’t the type of team to give up, so the Jackets won’t pack it in while VT is kicking its teeth down their throats. I expect this one to be well in hand soon after halftime.

4) No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama—7:45 on ESPN

Everything tells me this is going to be a blowout. Everything I’ve seen from both of these teams tells me that Alabama should have this won by the time the coin flip ends.

However, if watching college football all these years has taught me anything, it’s that anything can happen in the wacky SEC.

The defenses for both Alabama and South Carolina are disgustingly good. They both made Jevan Snead look unfit to play QB for a Pop Warner team. They both capitalize on mistakes and can stop both the run and pass. This game won’t come down to the defenses.

It comes down to the offenses. Greg McElroy is a better game manager for Alabama. Plus, to be honest, Mark Ingram is a freak of nature at running back. I think the only defense that has a chance of stopping him would be the Florida defense. Alabama will use him to pound it down the throats of the SC defense and then open it up for the play action pass.

South Carolina will keep it close for a time, but in the end, Alabama wins and makes it look a lot easier than it actually was.

I will say this now: I think Alabama is the only team that can go undefeated.

5) Texas Tech at No. 15 Nebraska—3:30 on ABC

Even a year later, I still have a soft spot for the magical run by Texas Tech—you know, before the wheels came flying off against Oklahoma and Ole Miss. This game is definitely going to be interesting.

The main problem Nebraska will face on Saturday is moving the ball. The Cornhuskers need to get a consistent and methodical performance from their offense. It will keep the high-powered Tech offense off the field, gain confidence for Zac Lee, and will let Nebraska set the tempo of the game. Nebraska has the best defense in the Big 12, so expect it to actually stop the Tech offense every once in a while.

However, that is easier said than done, as Tech is near the best in the country in most every team offensive category. It looks as if Steven Sheffield will start at QB as Taylor Potts may be unavailable due to a concussion. Don’t worry, Tech fans; Sheffield proved last week that he can throw it all over the field just like Potts.

To win, Nebraska is going to need to shut down the Tech offense more times than I think is possible. Nebraska can’t let this thing become a shootout, because you can’t out-duel the Red Raiders. Texas Tech goes into Lincoln and pulls out the victory, but it's close.

6) UAB at Mississippi—7:00 on ESPN360

I put the over/under on the number of interceptions thrown by Jevan Snead in this game at three, while Mel Kiper decides that maybe he doesn’t need video of Snead for NFL draft coverage this year.

7) Extra Point

If I wanted to, every week I could make the extra point a scathing review of the horrible poll system. However, I try to minimize it to a few times a year. Welcome to the first installment of the year.

Now, I like Alabama, I truly do. I think the Tide are a better team than Texas. However, since Texas has been ranked ahead of Alabama all year and since both teams won on Saturday, shouldn’t that mean the status quo is in effect? Have we gone back to the days when teams have to get style points to wow the pollsters?

Listen, I was as shocked as everyone that Texas had issues with Colorado, but they still won the game. Did Texas need to utterly humiliate Colorado to stay at No. 2? How many points would the Longhorns have had to win by to keep their position in the polls?

Do we start using the point spread as a barometer? Seriously, that’s only relevant to degenerate gamblers as it is a byproduct of the gambling community.

Are we going to hit a point where Texas is blowing out Baylor, but Mack Brown keeps McCoy out there because the pollsters don’t feel that’s enough? When are pollsters going to wake up and realize that the win is the most important thing, not how you got there or in what style you did it?

That all said, Alabama definitely belongs at No. 2. Roll Tide!

As a programming note, there will be no Touchdown next week. I’ll be in Puerto Rico for a wedding.