College Football 2011: Previews and Picks for the Most Important Week 5 Matchups

As we enter October, it’s time to start really separating college football’s contenders from pretenders.

We’ve got some great conference clashes on tap for Week 5 but sadly, the two marquee games of the weekend—Alabama at Florida and Nebraska at Wisconsinjust so happen to be scheduled at the same time on Saturday night.

My sympathy goes out to those of you who have yet to invest in a DVR.

We’ve got some terrific matchups this weekend that are surely going to shake up the polls and have an effect on the different conference races.

It should be another great Saturday of action.

Here’s a look at my picks for this week’s biggest games.

Alabama at Florida

Pick: Alabama

The Will Muschamp era has gotten off to a strong start, but Muschamp and his Florida team are about to face their biggest test of the season so far when the Gators host No. 3 Alabama.

The Tide defense is absolutely loaded this year and they’ve got plenty of playmakers to slow down Florida’s speedy duo of Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.

You do have to worry about QB A.J. McCarron handling the noise at The Swamp. Luckily for McCarron, he has the option of simply turning around and handing the ball off to Trent Richardson.

Until this Alabama team shows signs of weakness, you just can’t pick against the Tide, even on the road in a tough environment.

Nebraska at Wisconsin

Pick: Nebraska

Wisconsin will welcome Nebraska to the Big Ten this weekend when the two meet under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night.

Wisconsin has looked superb against weak competition and the offense has been unstoppable, but the Badgers haven’t faced a defense with the type of talent that the Cornshuskers have.

Nebraska has the kind of defensive line that can go toe-to-toe with Wisconsin’s monstrous front five.

This one should be a great, hard-nosed battle between two of the best teams the Big Ten has to offer.

These two squads look pretty equal on paper and this one’s tough to call but I’m siding with QB Taylor Martinez and Nebraska.

Clemson at Virginia Tech

Pick: Virginia Tech

I love what Clemson’s been doing over the last few weeks and it’s clear that they were one of the most overlooked teams coming into the season.

Asking the Tigers to go into Blacksburg and beat a talented, well-coached Virginia Tech team is a difficult proposition, though, especially since they exerted so much energy over the last two weeks. 

The Hokies will have their hands full trying to slow down Clemson’s speedy playmakers RB Andre Ellington, TE Dwayne Allen and WR Sammy Watkins, but defensive coordinator Bud Foster always seems to figure out a way to get the job done.

Make sure to tune into this one because it could be a preview of the ACC championship game.

Texas A&M vs. Arkansas

Pick: Texas A&M

These two teams know each other well from their days in the old Southwest Conference and they’ll have a chance to keep their rivalry going in the SEC starting next year. 

Arkansas has come out on top the past two years, but Texas A&M looks to have the stronger team this season. 

With the way these two offenses are built, we should expect a high-scoring shootout at Cowboys Stadium.

Both squads are reeling after losses last weekend, but I trust Ryan Tannehill more than I trust Tyler Wilson right now.

Auburn at South Carolina

Pick: South Carolina

We’ve come to learn that this certainly isn’t the same Auburn team we saw win a national championship last season.

The Tigers are young and inexperienced in all of the wrong places (quarterback, offensive line and the secondary) and they’re going to have a hard time trying to keep up with a talented South Carolina squad that hasn’t played up to its potential yet.

The running back battle between friendly foes Marcus Lattimore and Michael Dyer should be fun to watch, but in the end, it’s hard to see Auburn hanging around if the Gamecocks play at the top of their game.

Baylor at Kansas State

Pick: Baylor

Surprisingly, Kansas State has the No. 1 defense in the Big 12 and the Wildcats are riding high after taking down Miami last weekend. However, they better be prepared for QB Robert Griffin III and the high-octane Baylor offense.

Griffin has been one of the stars of the early part of the season and he’s absolutely torn through every defense that’s tried to slow him down, throwing for 962 yards and 13 TDs in just three games.

As they proved against Miami, the Wildcats won’t be a pushover, though.

I think Kansas State can make a game out of this one and actually keep the scoring reasonable but it’s hard to bet against Griffin with the roll he’s on.

Northwestern at Illinois

Pick: Illinois

Northwestern will be amped up now that QB Dan Persa is returning but Persa better be careful because the Illinois defensive front seven can be dangerous.

The Illini have been one of the surprises of September and they’ve moved their way into the 24th position in the polls.

QB Nathan Scheelhaase is one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks in the country and he’s a great athlete that can make big plays.

It will be good to see Persa come back for this one, but I’m giving the edge to the home team.

Michigan State at Ohio State

Pick: Michigan State

Although he only completed five passes, Ohio State QB Braxton Miller showed some glimpses of his enormous potential in the first start of his career last week. However, it remains to be seen how the young freshman is going to react the first time he walks up to the line of scrimmage and sees big defensive tackle Jerel Worthy staring right back at him.

Michigan State is still one of the hardest teams to figure out, but it’s obvious that the Spartans have the type of talent to go into The Shoe and win.

If the backfield duo of Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell gets going early, it’s going to be a long day for the Buckeyes.

Texas at Iowa State

Pick: Texas

Texas will be looking for payback in this one, and while Iowa State has had a strong start to the season, the Longhorns should be able to get it.

QB Case McCoy has proven to be a much better option than Garrett Gilbert and with him and David Ash behind center, the Longhorns offense appears like it’s finally clicking.

Iowa State has succeeded with a tough, grind it out approach so far, but the fact is the Cyclones just don’t have the offense to keep up with Texas.