College Football Preview: Week Four Brings SEC to Center Stage

As we enter Week Four of the season, I notice that ESPN has started the Tuesday/Wednesday games early this year.  Don't get me wrong—I love football as much as everyone else here.  But I think it has gotten to the point of overexposure when there are games on every night of the week, especially during the baseball pennant races.

I never have minded the Thursday game because that is kind of an appetizer for the weekend to come, and it helps you realize just how close the weekend truly is.

The Friday night games made me mad to begin with.  That is the night to go out and support your local high school team.

But this Tuesday and Wednesday business is just a cherry on top.  Tonight's game features Kansas State and Louisville, two middling BCS programs who are struggling in their efforts to regain past glory.

Interesting, yes, but will I watch it?  Probably not.

If these Tuesday/Wednesday night games do have one positive, it has to be the fact that it gives the non-BCS conferences (outside of the MWC, which has its own television network and no deal with ESPN) some much needed exposure without having to fight for air time with the BCS powers.

On to this week's schedule and previews of the week's premier games.

WEDNESDAY 9/17

Kansas State at Louisville, 8 (ESPN 2)

THURSDAY 9/18

West Virginia at Colorado, 8:30 (ESPN)

FRIDAY 9/19

Baylor at Connecticut, 8 (ESPN 2)

SATURDAY 9/20

East Carolina at NC State, 12 (ESPN)

Iowa at Pittsburgh, 12 (ESPN 2)

Temple at Penn State, 12 (BTN)

Troy at Ohio State, 12 (BTN)

Ohio at Northwestern, 12 (BTN)

Florida Atlantic at Minnesota, 12 (BTN)

Central Michigan at Purdue, 12 (BTN)

UCF at Boston College, 1 (ESPN U)

Akron at Army, 1 (ESPN Classic)

Arizona at UCLA, 3 (FSN)

Florida at Tennessee, 3:30 (CBS)

Notre Dame at Michigan State, 3:30 (ABC/ESPN)

Virginia Tech at North Carolina, 3:30 (ABC/ESPN)

Miami (FL) at Texas A&M, 3:30 (ABC)

Rutgers at Navy, 3:30 (CBS College Sports)

Utah at Air Force, 4 (Versus)

South Florida at Florida International, 5 (ESPN U)

Wake Forest at Florida State, 7 (ESPN 2)

Ball State at Indiana, 7 (BTN)

Rice at Texas, 7 (FSN)

LSU at Auburn, 7:45 (ESPN)

Georgia at Arizona State, 8 (ABC)

TCU at SMU, 8 (CBS College Sports)

Fresno State at Toledo, 8:15 (ESPN U)

Games of the Week

LSU at Auburn

As usual, the Tiger Bowl will go a long way in determining who has the upper hand in the SEC West race, although I am sure Alabama would like to have a say in determining the division winner (I am going to hold off considering them a contender until I see how they play against Georgia next Saturday).

Both LSU and Auburn possess strong defenses, which is nothing out of the ordinary for a couple of annual SEC powers.  But what will decide this game is quarterback play.

Neither team has a signal caller with much experience, let alone against a team as good as what they will be facing Saturday night (although Chris Todd did lead the Auburn Tigers to a high-octane 3-2 win at Mississippi State this past week).  LSU will feature a platoon of Andrew Hatch and Jarrett Lee, while the home Tigers counter with Chris Todd.

Ultimately, whichever quarterback makes the fewest mistakes and manages the game the best will lead his team to victory.

I have to give the edge to Auburn seeing how this game is in Auburn, but I did pick LSU to win the West at the beginning of the season, so I am kind of torn on who will actually take home the victory. 

Florida at Tennessee

It wouldn't be the third Saturday in September without the Vols and Gators squaring off, although this rivalry isn't quite as intense as it was back in the Spurrier days, seeing how the Ol' Ball Coach and Phillip Fulmer didn't exactly see eye-to-eye.  But this game is still huge in the SEC East landscape each and every season.

Adding fuel to the fire this year is a former Gators player who claimed the Vols gave up late in last year's 59-20 Florida win at The Swamp.  If that doesn't motivate Tennessee, I am sure the fact that they were upset at UCLA and weren't overly impressive against UAB will.

The Vols need to come out and play inspired football on Saturday at Neyland, and after reading about their lack of desire late in last year's contest, I am sure they will be pissed off.

But if they want to upset Florida, they need to neutralize Tim Tebow, a healthy Percy Harvin, and Florida's other big playmakers.  It won't be easy.

However, I expect UT to stick around and make this an interesting game behind the rabid fan base in Knoxville. 

Georgia at Arizona State

While the SEC East and West both feature early season showdowns, another conference player will partake in the rare non-conference SEC showcase by traveling to Tempe on Saturday night.

This game probably has lost some luster on the national landscape, seeing how the Sun Devils somehow managed to lose at home to UNLV in Week Three.  But UGA needs a convincing win to prove the voters shouldn't have dropped them from No. 1 in favor of USC after the first week of the season.

Arizona State could use a win to keep their at-large BCS berth hopes alive down the road, assuming they do not upend the Trojans in the Pac-10 race.

The Dawgs can't go marching into what will be an extremely hot game and play uninspired football.  No looking ahead to the 'Bama game.  This is almost like a fifth SEC road game, and the Sun Devil Stadium faithful will make it feel that way.

Expect a close battle for four quarters, but Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and the Georgia defense will be too much for Arizona State.  Hopefully they do win because I am tired of hearing the Pac-10 Kool-Aid drinkers claim their conference is better than the SEC just because Tennessee has lost to Cal and UCLA the past two years. 

Wake Forest at Florida State

The fun is over for the Seminoles as they finally get a team with a pulse visiting Tallahassee after two easy wins over FCS opponents.  Many of the suspended 'Noles players return this week, but probably not enough.

Wake Forest is a very good football team, and at this point in the season, they can claim to be the best the meager ACC has to offer.  At the end of the season, this may turn out to be the game that determines who wins the ACC Atlantic, because favorite Clemson has been largely uninspiring this year.

This will be a litmus test game for Florida State as they try to determine how much they have improved since last season.  The offense looks to be clicking on all cylinders, but I'll reassess that claim after a game or two against real competition. 

West Virginia at Colorado

The Mountaineers have already lost one non-conference game, and for the struggling Big East, they really can't afford another.

Colorado struggled with Eastern Washington two weeks ago, but I think it is still safe to say Dan Hawkins' team is on the rise and will give their Big 12 foes plenty of fits in 2008.

Last season, a huge home win over Oklahoma catapulted them to a bowl game, and I am sure they'd love to move to 3-0 on the year and position themselves well before conference play commences.

Bill Stewart seems to have Pat White throwing a lot more than he did under Rich Rodriguez, and it didn't seem to work too well against ECU.  I really think for the Mountaineers to win this game two-thirds of the way across the country, they need to rediscover the dual threat Pat White that made them so dangerous to begin with. 

Other games that you may want to keep an eye on

Iowa at Pittsburgh

A couple years back, many people were pegging Iowa and Pittsburgh to be programs on the rise.  That may still end up being the case, but Kirk Ferentz and Dave Wannstedt's teams have resorted to mediocrity and could use a solid non-conference win before attacking conference play.

Iowa is 3-0, but their biggest win is over Iowa State, while Big East member Pitt is 1-1 in MAC play after losing to Bowling Green and holding off Buffalo. 

Arizona at UCLA

At the beginning of the season, everyone was saying it was now or never for Mike Stoops in Tucson.  Losing to New Mexico, who lost to Texas A&M, who lost to Arkansas State, won't help matters.  But now the "real" season begins as they visit Westwood to kick off Pac-10 play.

Everyone jumped on the Bruin bandwagon after their upset of Tennessee but quickly jumped off after the 59-0 clubbing at the hands of BYU.

Boise State at Oregon

This game won't be televised outside of the Northwest but is intriguing nonetheless.  Boise State is not getting a whole lot attention in the, as Tim Brando puts it, "flies in the ointment" department in 2008, but this is still a very dangerous team.

Oregon's QB situation took another turn for the worse when Justin Roper sprained his MCL against Purdue (an injury that looked a lot worse than it actually was), so the Ducks have a lot of questions entering this game that need to be answered.  Expect a high-scoring affair. 

Notre Dame at Michigan State

For Irish faithful, manhandling Michigan to move to 2-0 was certainly fulfilling.  For us Irish detractors, seeing Charlie Weis fall and go boom was more than enough to keep us entertained (although I'd never wish harm on anybody, even Weis, this was just too funny not to laugh at).

Their assignment this week will likely be more difficult as they travel to East Lansing and will have to slow down Javon Ringer.  Notre Dame should find a lot out about where they stand, seeing how the Spartans are a dark horse to many in this year's Big Ten race.  

Virginia Tech at North Carolina

Believe it or not, this could be the battle for supremacy in the Coastal Division of the beleaguered ACC.  As proven in their shellacking of Rutgers last Thursday, the Tar Heels have an abundance of big playmakers, led by wideout Brandon Tate, that should end a bowl-less streak that stretches back to 2001.

Going up against a Frank Beamer defense will not be a stroll in the park by any stretch of the imagination, but I like UNC to pull off the upset, considering VT's ongoing offensive issues. 

Utah at Air Force

If the Utes want to crash the BCS festivities, they obviously have to beat mighty rival BYU.  But first things first, as they visit Colorado Springs and a dangerous Falcons team on Saturday.  This may be Utah's toughest road game of 2008, and that's considering the fact they went to Ann Arbor.

The Air Force Academy has never had an overwhelming amount of talent, but Troy Calhoun has continued the tradition of winning started by the now-retired Fisher DeBerry.  They are dangerous.  

Vanderbilt at Ole Miss

For the past several seasons—or in the case of Vandy, 25—these two have been pretty much automatic wins for the powers that be in the SEC (as close as you can get to automatic Ws in the SEC anyways).  Not any longer.

The Rebels and Commodores enter at a combined 5-1, although the schedule makers have been a huge help in getting there.  The only loss was Ole Miss' heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Wake Forest (my game of the year thus far).

If one or both of these teams wants to go bowling this year, they need this one desperately.