College Football Predictions Week 5: 3 Upset Specials

We are officially at the first day and Saturday in October, and there are a few ranked teams that have some tough games today.

Are the Nebraska Cornhuskers ready for the limelight against a dominating Wisconsin Badgers team? Also, the Texas A&M Aggies were once in the Top Ten, so are they officially done after today, and are the Fighting Ron Zooks for real in the Big Ten?

There are several upsets that are likely to happen, but I pick out three teams that I will be looking to fall just short in Saturday's action.

Northwestern over Illinois

Dan Persa makes his first appearance in the 2011 college football season, and the hope for 'Cat faithful is that he can pick up right where he left off last season.

He was torching the Big Ten in total offense and was actually ranked 8th overall in total offense last season, averaging 310 yards per game.

If Persa can pick up right where he left off without much rust, these Northwestern Wildcats can knock off the Illinois Fighting Illini.

By the way, is Illinois really the 24th best team in the nation? I doubt it, especially since they are accustomed to being home for the holidays—though Nathan Scheelhaase took this team bowling last season.

If Illinois is going to avoid an upset this afternoon, they need to continue to dominate the line of scrimmage, since they bring a physical presence that we have not seen since their Rose Bowl run back in 2007.

Arkansas over Texas A&M

While most are discrediting Bobby Petrino's Razorbacks, I look at this game with SEC against Big 12 talent today.

The SEC has owned the Aggies in recent memory, and it has not even been close.

Hence the ownage.

The key to me is if Jake Bequette can make any impact at all, then I will be going with the Razorbacks going away.

Even without him, I have to go with the team from the better conference, the SEC. In neutral field games, the Aggies have struggled mightily—getting outscored by 76 points against their last four SEC opponents (Arkansas twice, Georgia and LSU).

Plus, A&M comes into this game with their own injuries. Safety Steven Campbell will not play, and star corner Coryell Judie is questionable as well. If the Razorbacks can take advantage of their star receivers, I would not be shocked one bit if they hang 35-plus on the Aggies' defense.

Look for Arkansas to come away with a close victory in Jerry's Place with Mr. Jones (whose alma mater is Arkansas) watching from the press boxes, most likely.

Nebraska over Wisconsin

Big Jared Crick is large and in charge, and he is back for a Blackshirts defense that has been anything but.

However, is this Badgers team overrated? They have played the Little Sisters of the Poor the entire month of September, and you can bank on the Huskers showing up as an aggressive team—being that this is their very first game in the Big Ten.

The game may be played at Camp Randall in a night game, but Taylor Martinez plays well under the lights against upper-echelon talent (see Oklahoma State last year). He and his running back teammate Rex Burkhead are arguably the best duo in the entire nation!

They are averaging a combined 210 rushing yards per game, which may be too tough to stop for a Badgers run defense that I am not digging right now.

Sure, they are ranked 22nd in the nation, allowing only 89 yards a game, but they have not run into the speed that Nebraska brings to the table. 

This game will be won in the trenches, and everybody just assumes that the Badgers offensive line will dominate the Huskers front, but Crick and company can wreak some of their own havoc on the opposition. 

Plus, on the perimeter, look for Martinez to take some early chances against a Badgers secondary that has some question marks with the loss to their starting corner Devin Smith.

"On Wisconsin" could be a depressing sight to watch if the Huskers come into this game flying high right out of the gates. I expect Russell Wilson to rally this team from behind, but this is Nebraska's night to shine and knock off the Badgers from their BCS Title aspirations.