College Football: Week 3

Got this post written a bit too late to provide a LSU vs. Mississippi State blurb, but it went like I thought it would.  Rarely does MSU play well against better teams.  With that said, there are plenty of games to keep us busy this weekend.  Here are the good ones:

Last Week:  5-3 

Auburn @ Clemson:  Somehow the Auburn version of the Tigers are undefeated.  Won a close one against a ho hum Utah State team and survived against a tough Mississippi State team in week two.  Clemson is undefeated, but games against Troy and Wofford are nothing to write home about.  This game will be a good one, and I think Auburn SOME HOW wins again.

My Pick:  Auburn 33  Clemson 20

Tennessee vs. Florida:  This is a very intriguing game.  Tennessee is 2-0 after wins against Montana and Cincinnati, and the offense is ranked in the top 25 in the nation.  QB Tyler Bray has the Vols fans excited about what he can do with the football and his leadership abilities.  Bray’s 400+ yard, 4 TD performance against the Bearcats has led to big time expectations for the sophomore QB.  The Gators have an offense that statistically is even with the Volunteers, but the defense has been great, giving up just 3 points in two games.  Watch for this one to be back and forth all game, with the athletes from Florida pulling away at the end.

My Pick:  Florida 27  Tennessee 23

Texas @ UCLA:  Last year, this is where the wheels starting falling off for the Longhorns.  Revenge, payback, whatever you want to call it is on the mind for the young Longhorn team.  Garrett Gilbert is gone, and McAsh (McCoy and Ash) is taking over.  The Bruins lost their first game of the season against a high powered Houston team, but rebounded in week two against San Jose State.  This game will be close, but UCLA will be able to stay close with the not so high powered Texas offense.  If the Bruins are able to gain 175+ yards of rushing offense, it could be a long day for Texas.  Defense is the name of the game this time.

My Pick:  Texas 24  UCLA 23

Ohio State @ Miami:  ”The Probation Bowl”.  Nevin Shapiro will definitely be interested in this one and will probably watch from his jail cell.  Is he in jail?  Anyway, Jacory Harris is off suspension and will start for the Hurricanes against an Ohio State team that struggled with Toledo last week.  I think both teams have weaknesses, but Ohio State has less.  Miami lost their opener to a gaudy Maryland team, and hopes it can get a marquee win before their conference schedule really takes off.  The Buckeyes bring in the #10 total defense in the country, which could make a long day for the Hurricanes.

My Pick:  Ohio State 23  Miami 17

Oklahoma @ Florida State:  The BIG one of the week.  I am not a fan of Oklahoma, but they are definitely a good team.  Who knew Landry Jones would turn out to be as good as he is?  I sure didn’t.  Florida State is a team on a mission, knowing this win will vault them into the elite level of programs once again.  Even though Oklahoma has one of the top offenses in the country, I have a feeling this one could be a little more low scoring,….of course, it could be 50-45 type score.  The matchup of the #3 defense (FSU) and the #2 offense (OK) has me all giddy.  EJ Manuel, the Florida State QB is a darkhorse Heisman candidate, and this game could go a long way in winning that award.  I think this one lives up to the hype if Florida State can stay away from dumb mistakes.  Last year, they made them and were dominated.  This is a different year though, and they are at home.  It will be fun, and I am sticking with my pre-season pick.

My Pick:  Florida State 37  Oklahoma 35

Upset Pick of the Week:  Temple 27  Penn State 24:  The Nittany Lions were beat up against Alabama last week, and may not be ready for Temple’s good ground game.

Game Nobody Cares About:  Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College 20   Rochester Community & Technical College  17:  I don’t even know.