College Football Predictions Week 4: 25 Hunches for This Week's Games
College football fans, what is up!
I can't believe that we're already reaching our fourth week of the season. Already there have been some major story lines and some big games before some of the conference schedules have even started. Who would have thought that?
One of them was Jacksonville State's upset of Ole Miss. Say what?
It's games like that that make us love college football, and make us sit in front of the television a lot longer on Saturdays than on NFL Sundays.
We're going to shake things up this week, as I was afraid some of you were starting to get a little bored with what I had been doing.
We're going to talk about the normal potential shockers, the game I will probably sleep through (if, in fact, a network would actually pick up the game in question), and I'll hand out my first-ever "helmet stickers," right along with the boys from ESPN.
Now, I don't want to take the thunder away from Mark May, Lou Holtz, and Rece Davis, but I think we need to recognize more players than those just on the East Coast.
We'll also debut our guest picker for the week and, while I won't give you any hints as to who it is, I will say he is an SEC fan and did pick four games out of the SEC schedule this week.
With all that being said, because I know you're slobbering waiting to get started, let's get to the 25 hunches, questions, and predictions, along with a few guest picks, for Week 4 of the college football season.
Battle of The Beaten
1 of 25
UNLV and New Mexico.
Two teams that are a combined 0-6 and have played non-conference schedules that would make Fresno State proud.
Only problem is, their opponents were vastly superior to what these two schools brought to the table. In more ways than one.
The two schools have been outscored by a combined 289-69, or roughly by an average score of 48-23.
They will do battle on Saturday with both teams looking for their first win. With neither having much of a defense, and New Mexico being the worse of the two, this game may have a combined 70 points before this is all said and done.
At least UNLV has been scoring more points than New Mexico so far. Since they're at home, the Rebels should run away with this.
Battle Of Dallas and Fort Worth
2 of 25
While this isn't exactly a Texas battle most people in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex would look forward to, it is a battle between two schools on both sides of it.
Representing the Dallas side are the upstart SMU Mustangs, with head coach June Jones. The Mustangs have won two of their first three games, with their only loss coming on the road in an eight-point loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock, 35-27.
They won their next two over Alabama-Birmingham and Washington State, before hosting this Saturday's game against the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs.
Speaking of which, the Horned Frogs are 3-0 so far this season, with wins against Oregon State, Tennessee Tech, and Baylor. Not exactly opponents that jump out at you, but TCU has dominated two of those three games, and has outscored all three opponents by a combined score of 137-38, or an average score of 46-13.
While SMU is on their way up, and could crack the Top 25 within the next year or two, TCU is still the better team. If the Horned Frogs expect to come in and make the Mustangs bow, they're sorely mistaken.
TCU leaves Dallas still the big dog in the Metroplex.
UCLA Was Impressive (Key Word: "Was")
3 of 25
I have to admit, the UCLA Bruins showed me a little bit of fight that they hadn't shown through their first two games.
Sure, it was Houston they beat, and sure, they were at home, but it's a start, right?
While the Bruins are riding high, they have to travel to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns, who are coming off a win in Lubbock over Texas Tech.
The Bruins will be ready to go, but Bevo doesn't like bears.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Will The Real Kansas Jayhawks Please Stand Up?
4 of 25
I'm still waiting to see the real Kansas Jayhawks football team. I'm not sure which one is real and which one is fake.
North Dakota State and Southern Miss. Two games the Jayhawks had no business losing but lost anyway.
That being said, they came up with a more-than-inspired win at home over Georgia Tech. But that makes me wonder if Georgia Tech wasn't nearly as good as some thought.
They play another lesser non-conference team this Saturday against New Mexico State, but they get to do so at home.
So, which team will show up? Not sure it matters, the Aggies aren't that good. Though I had that same thought about North Dakota State. Go figure.
Battle Of The Bulldogs
5 of 25
After a blowout win over Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgia has dropped their last two against South Carolina and Arkansas, though they put up solid fights in both of them.
As for Mississippi State, they also opened with a win over Memphis before dropping their next two against Auburn and LSU.
These two 1-2 teams will meet in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, where one team will pick up their second win of the season and keep their bowl-game hopes alive.
While there will be a prediction in this game, it will come later on down the line, so stay tuned.
Tennessee Finds a Team They Can Beat
6 of 25
The Tennessee Volunteers did look good in their opening game against Tennessee-Martin, but I guess anybody would look good against them.
Their next two games came against top-10 opponents that the Vols just couldn't stack up against. Oregon and Florida both outscored the Vols by a combined score of 79-30, but the Gators had a rougher time with them than did Oregon.
This Saturday, Tennessee gets a reprieve as they welcome Alabama-Birmingham for what should be a convincing and somewhat momentum-building win.
Washington State Gets Close, But Not Close Enough
7 of 25
The Washington State Cougars came away with a tough-fought loss last weekend against SMU. They won't have it any easier when they return home to face the 20th-ranked USC Trojans.
While USC is unbeaten, it hasn't been an easy road for them, and it's just a matter of time before they're exposed.
Unfortunately, though the Cougars may put up a fight for a while, the Trojans are just that much better.
Houston's Offense Will Suffer Without Case Keenum
8 of 25
Houston's offense couldn't get going against UCLA. They took an even bigger hit when they lost their star quarterback, Case Keenum, to a season-ending knee injury on Saturday.
Without him, Houston's offense will suffer. He was the one who every defense game-planned for, he was the guy who every defensive coordinator feared to face.
Their defense won't scare anyone, and now that the Cougars are down to their third-string quarterback, the rest of the season looks bleak at best.
Will There Be a Sooner Letdown in Cincinnati?
9 of 25
The Oklahoma Sooners have had a few interesting games this season.
In their opening week, they barely got by Utah State at home, scoring a seven-point win over the Aggies.
In their third game, just this past Saturday, the Air Force Falcons and their triple option gave the Sooners trouble, but Oklahoma ended up sneaking away with a three-point win.
Between those games was a beatdown of then-19th-ranked Florida State, 47-17.
The Sooners will head to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face a Bearcat team that has underachieved in 2010. This is a game that Oklahoma should win easily, but Cincinnati is a tough team to beat at home.
Though this will be close, the Sooners have found ways to win before. So why should it change now?
Wisconsin Couldn't Have It Any Easier
10 of 25
After a tough-fought win over Arizona State, a game the Badgers could have easily lost, Wisconsin will have another non-conference game against Austin Peay.
It's a game the fans will enjoy. A lot of points, a lot of screaming, and a lot of big plays. Everything a fan could ask for, right?
Arizona Continues Desert Dominance
11 of 25
After Arizona faced Toledo and The Citadel, people wondered just how "for real" the Wildcats were before they faced off against the ninth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes.
Arizona proved just how for real they were as they knocked off Iowa, 34-27. Now, most wonder if they could challenge for the top spot in the Pac-10.
They will remain at home and welcome a Cal Bears team that's coming off a lopsided loss to Nevada last week.
The Wildcats should give their fans a reason to cheer all night long in this one.
Will Fresno State Crack The Top 25 With a Win Over Ole Miss?
12 of 25
This season, Fresno State picked up what looked like a big win over Cincinnati in convincing fashion, after having lost an eight-point decision last season.
They followed that up with an even more convincing win over Utah State, who they've had trouble with in the past, especially on the road.
Now, they have what could be their toughest test outside of Boise State as they travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on the Ole Miss Rebels.
When I made my predictions of each game on Fresno State's schedule, this was a game that I didn't expect the Bulldogs to go in and win. I mean, come on, it's the almighty SEC, right?
Well, maybe not so much anymore.
The Rebels have dropped games to both Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt. Something that most wouldn't even have thought would happen.
Now, the Bulldogs come in with momentum and look to make a huge splash. If they do, and if they win, is that win good enough to slide into the Top 25?
Over/Under On The Number Of Touchdowns Scored by Taylor Martinez
13 of 25
Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez may have put himself in the Heisman conversation with his performance against the Washington Huskies this past Saturday.
Martinez had a touchdown through the air and added three more on the ground on 137 yards rushing.
With the Huskers back at home and facing South Dakota State, putting up big numbers might be that much easier for the quarterback.
I'll set the over/under at six. Thoughts?
Thrilla in Manilla...err...Boise
14 of 25
Boise State will return to their home field, the Smurf Turf, to face the Oregon State Beavers, and to welcome the ESPN College GameDay crew to Boise for the very first time.
The Broncos are coming off a blowout win in Laramie, Wyo., over the Cowboys. They are looking for a similar result in front of their home fans in their home opener on Saturday.
Make no mistake, Boise will be rocking and their fans will be out in full force, especially with ESPN's attention squarely on their team and their city.
While Oregon State thinks they're ready, the Broncos have been almost impossible to beat at home. I don't expect that to stop this time around.
Oregon Continues Their Dominant Performances
15 of 25
The Oregon Ducks have left a trail of destruction in their wake. While most would say they haven't faced decent competition, they did travel to Knoxville, Tenn., and knocked off the Volunteers.
They will face a tough test this weekend as they travel to the Arizona desert to face the Sun Devils of Arizona State, who almost sneaked out of Camp Randall Stadium with a win last weekend.
The Devils will be tough at home, but the way Oregon is playing, I don't see the results changing.
Mountaineers Go Hunting in The Bayou
16 of 25
In what could be one of the best games of the weekend, the West Virginia Mountaineers will travel to Baton Rouge, La., to take on the LSU Tigers. The hunt will be on.
The Mountaineers are not a team to be taken lightly; but neither are the Tigers, especially at home and in front of their home crowd.
I won't make a prediction here, that comes later with our guest predictor. So stay tuned.
Over/Under on How Many Times GameDay Uses The Term "Smurf Turf"
17 of 25
College GameDay will make its first-ever appearance on the campus of Boise State University for the Boise State vs. Oregon State game on Saturday.
So, you know that they'll talk about the blue turf that Boise has in their stadium. Only question is, how many times will they mention the phrase "smurf turf?"
I'll set the over/under at four.
"Wake Me When It's Over" Game Of The Week
18 of 25
Army against North Texas held the award last week, and it lived up to its name as Army took an easy 24-0 win over the Mean Green.
This week, the "Wake Me When it's Over" game of the week goes to Colgate at Syracuse.
The One Potential Upset Of The Weekend
19 of 25
OK, this is going to be a game that everyone will have their eye on. The Arkansas Razorbacks and quarterback Ryan Mallett will be in the comfortable confines of their home stadium and their home fans to face defending Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram.
Both teams are ranked in the top 10. Arkansas sits at the 10th spot, while Alabama is the top-ranked team in the country and the defending national champions.
Arkansas has the home-field and home-crowd advantage. That alone should be good enough to pick them to win, but that pick is coming up. Stay tuned.
Guest Picker Of The Week
20 of 25
I've teased it more than a few times already through this slide show, so it's time to reveal who the debut guest picker is.
Rob Bowen is a former Major League catcher for the San Diego Padres, along with the Oakland A's, Minnesota Twins, and the Chicago Cubs. He grew up in Bedford, Texas, and currently resides in the Atlanta area.
He's a big SEC fan and admits to rooting for LSU.
With that being said, here are our head-to-head picks for Week 4 of the college football season.
Georgia at Mississippi State
21 of 25
Rob Bowen: I'll take Mississippi State; Georgia doesn't look good enough this year. Mississippi State, 14-3.
Todd: As much of a fight as Georgia put up at home against Arkansas last weekend, they're on the road against a solid Mississippi State team. Mississippi State, 24-21.
South Carolina at Auburn
22 of 25
Rob Bowen: I'll take Auburn 13-7 over South Carolina.
Todd: As Lee Corso would say, "not so fast my friend!" Auburn has won their last two games by a combined six points. I like South Carolina, 27-17, over Auburn.
West Virginia at LSU
23 of 25
Rob Bowen: West Virginia is a good football team and they're playing well this year, but LSU is tough to beat at home. I like the Tigers, 24-11.
Todd: While I agree that LSU is tough to beat at home, I'm not sold on them just yet. They barely knocked off a depleted North Carolina squad on the road a few weeks ago. I'm going with West Virginia, 31-21.
Alabama at Arkansas
24 of 25
Rob Bowen: I like Alabama, 21-7.
Todd: As much as I want to take Alabama because they are the defending national champions, Arkansas will have the advantage playing at home. I think this is Arkansas' year to knock off the reigning champs. Arkansas upsets Alabama, 17-14.
Debut of The Weekly Helmet Stickers
25 of 25
This is the first week that I've done this but I'm hoping to make it a regular thing.
As a lot of us have seen on ESPN, Lou Holtz, Mark May, and Rece Davis hang out helmet stickers at the end of the night. So I plan to do the same, only predicting a few guys who will have performances worthy of a helmet sticker before the games even take place.
Sticker #1: Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick. Against Cal, he threw for 181 yards, ran for another 148, and had five touchdowns. Look for him to have another big Saturday against BYU.
Sticker #2: Oregon RB LaMichael James. Although he's just a sophomore, he has a ton of potential. I think he's just scratched the surface of his capability. The Ducks are on the road against Arizona State, but I think James will have a big game.
Sticker #3: Texas DL Eddie Jones. The Longhorns will be back home to face UCLA, and that will mean big opportunities for the defensive line to pick up a few sacks in this game. Look for Jones to pick up at least two against the Bruins.
Sticker #4: Maryland LB Alex Wujciak. He leads the nation in tackles (39) and will have ample opportunity to up that number against Florida International. He's going to have a big game defensively for the Terrapins.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
