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The Dozen: Hokies back on map
September 27, 2017
This week is unique in that two of the best matchups take place on a Friday night, so we should get a few days of treats from the college game. The game features the defending champs battling their third high-profile opponent after their worst showing of the season. Here's the finest that September's final weekend has to offer:
1. Clemson at Virginia Tech: The Tigers have come through in impressive fashion against Auburn and Louisville, dominating defensively despite the presence of two of the better offensive minds in the college game in Gus Malzahn and Bobby Petrino. Clemson shut down Lamar Jackson's chances of winning a Heisman Trophy and snuffed out Jarrett Stidham's before we even got started despite the late summer surge in hype over Auburn's new quarterback. The Hokies don't have a candidate for college football's top individual honor to focus in on, but do have arguably the best defense that Clemson will face to date.
Blacksburg will be at a fever pitch, so a Virginia Tech team that went 57-10 between a decade span of 2003-12 before going 9-10 from '13-'16 will look to try and reclaim that aura of invincibility Lane Stadium once enjoyed. Under new head coach Justin Fuente, the Hokies are 7-1 at home, but unranked Miami has provided their toughest test. This will be a different animal, under the lights on a national stage.
Clemson and Boston College entered the fourth quarter tied at 7 this past weekend before the defending champs put the game away with 27 consecutive points. The Hokies found something in the second half of December's ACC Championship to cut a large deficit to 42-35 and make the final minutes interesting, so they shouldn't be lacking for confidence. Neither QB involved in that game, Deshaun Watson and Jerod Evans, will participate here. Neither of their successors are as accomplished slinging it just yet, but Kelly Bryant has gotten the job done with his legs while Tech's Josh Jackson has the early edge in ACC passing efficiency. This one should hinge on defense, so monitor potential personnel issues in the secondary on both sides. Here's hoping it's as exciting as last week's top matchup, where Penn State survived Iowa on the final play.
2. USC at Washington State: The nightcap to an excellent Friday slate brings us the Pac-12's top matchup in a week where the league has plenty of attractive games. Sam Darnold has thrown more interceptions than anyone expected, but has also put his brilliance on display in leading the Trojans to a perfect 4-0 start. He saved his best for Stanford, which may be an indication that he's having issues with focus. The Western Michigan, Texas and Cal games were all closer than they should've been entering the fourth quarter, but USC made plays when necessary to pull them all out. This will be its second straight road game and first outside of California, so it provides a great setting for Darnold to lock in and keep his team from flirting with disaster. likely spell serious trouble in Pullman.
Keep in mind that there may be rain and temperatures in the 50s to deal with, so the elements could have an impact. The undefeated Cougs are playing their fifth consecutive home game and have a savvy senior QB leading the way in Luke Falk, so conditions are ripe for an upset. Early sharp money came in on the home team. Washington State will have to reverse trends that have seen it lose nine of 10 against USC in addition to a 3-31 against ranked opponents to cash. As recently as 2008, the Cougars were a 42-point underdog against the Trojans and lost 69-0. Head coach Mike Leach beat USC in a weird 10-7 game back in 2013, the lowest-scoring output in a win during his tenure.
Leach has yet to beat a ranked team at home since taking over the program in 2011. Although there are injury concerns along both lines, Southern Cal will have leading rusher Ronald Jones (thigh) and top receiver Deontay Burnett (shoulder) available. Washington State appears to be in good shape.
3. Georgia at Tennessee: Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has long been known as a defensive genius, enjoying tremendous success at Alabama for nearly a decade while also enjoying jobs at other top schools in addition to an NFL stint in Miami. His success in Athens is no fluke. After an 8-5 first season, the verdict was still out on whether he'd be able to get the job done in the head seat, but he's gotten off to a great first month in Year 2. Most encouraging, his defense has gotten the job done in a tough game at Notre Dame and snuffed out Mississippi State last Saturday in a battle of unbeatens, holding them to three points. Opponents are averaging 12.5 for the season.
The Dawgs are back on the road here, and it's important for true freshman Jake Fromm to continue gaining confidence. The kid looks poised enough to keep the job ahead of the highly regarded Jacob Eason, who is returning from injury soon but unlikely to be handed his gig back given what's transpired to date. Butch Jones' seat is scalding hot after his Vols followed up a loss to Florida on a Hail Mary by barely beating FBS Independent UMass 17-13 in Knoxville. He's expressed displeasure at the way his program is covered, but would be better served finding a way to move the ball. QB Quinten Dormady has struggled, which has many in Knoxville hoping redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano gets a shot. If Tennessee sputters early against an impressive Georgia defense, we could hear loud, scathing boos far more often than we get a choruses of Rocky Top at Neyland Stadium. Jones' Vols spoiled Smart's first home SEC opener on a Hail Mary to WR Jauan Jennings last year.
4. Northwestern at Wisconsin: The undefeated Badgers open conference play coming off the only bye they'll get this season. Alex Hornibrook has been impressive with his decision-making at QB and comes off a record-setting 18-for-19 showing where he racked up 256 yards and four TDs in a rout of BYU. True freshman RB Jonathan Taylor has ascended to the top of the depth chart, running behind an offensive line that has thus far been banged up but is among the nation's best when healthy. Wisconsin has to be taken seriously as a national contender, which makes this matchup compelling since it had lost consecutive games against Northwestern before winning 21-7 last year.
Pat Fitzgerald's Wildcats also had an additional week to prepare and have big plans for the season despite suffering an early loss at Duke. With a homecoming game against Penn State scheduled for next week, Northwestern should be mentally prepared to play its best to begin what is easily its toughest stretch of the season. QB Clayton Thorson threw for 370 yards in his last start while RB Justin Jackson has the school's all-time rushing record within his sights and already has led his teams to a pair of wins over Wisconsin due to his efforts on the ground.
5. Miami at Duke: The Hurricanes trailed Toledo last week, then unleashed a furious rally and ended up winning 52-30. QB Malik Rosier made plays, running back Mark Walton overcame an ankle sprain to run for 204 yards on 11 carries and a program looking to post double-figure wins for the first time since 2003 took another step forward under Mark Richt. This will end up being their road opener despite their original schedule calling for visits to Arkansas State and Florida State. Mother Nature had other ideas for the 'Canes, who return to Durham for the first time since pulling off a miracle comeback win on a last-second lateral-filled kickoff return that ended up providing one of 2015's best finishes.
The Blue Devils are also undefeated and own wins over Northwestern, Baylor and rival North Carolina. With a national Friday night stage, they could really open some eyes and get halfway to matching the school-record for wins (10) before the season's first month is over. QB Daniel Jones had his ups and downs as a freshman but has been sharp with his decision-making and toughness thus far. Linebacker Ben Humphreys, arguably Duke's most polished player, should be out there but was injured on a chop block in last week's win at UNC, limping off the field after the impact. He and backup RB Brittain Brown missed practices but should play. The Blue Devils last beat Miami at home back in 2013.
6. Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: The Red Raiders lost last year's meeting in Stillwater 45-44 when kicker Clayton Hatfield missed an extra point with 1:44 left. Ironically, he's questionable here and would be a notable absence if he can't go since his current backup struggled in Saturday's upset at Houston. Going into last weekend, both of these teams were undefeated and facing tough matchups, but it was Tech that went out on the road and persevered.
Oklahoma State lost at home to TCU, never quite getting the stops they needed after falling behind early. QB Mason Rudolph has thrown 13 touchdown passes and has averaged 383.3 yards per game but was intercepted three times by the Horned Frogs to contribute to the 44-31 loss. He'll be looking to solve a Texas Tech defense that is obviously improved and looks sharp in the defensive backfield.
The Red Raiders have dropped eight straight meetings in this series and have surrendered an average of nearly 58 points per game over the last six losses. QB Nic Shimonek ranks fifth in the nation in passing efficiency, third in passing yards and eighth in TD passes while throwing just one pick. Key linebacker Jordyn Brooks is questionable with a knee injury and would leave huge shoes to fill in this upset bid.
7. Mississippi State at Auburn: This would be a lot higher on the list if not for how Georgia dominated last Saturday's battle of Bulldogs, winning 31-3. Mississippi State was coming off a win over LSU and looking like the SEC West's second-best team behind Alabama, which would've set this up as perhaps the top matchup of the day. Auburn did its part, beating Missouri 51-14 to open conference play in style. Besides losing at Clemson, the Tigers haven't been tested much since they faced struggling Georgia Southern and Mercer before wiping the floor with Mizzou in Columbia. Auburn's running backs, Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson, have yet to be healthy at the safe time but are both expected to play. Linebacker Tre' Williams and corner Javaris Davis.
Mississippi State beat Auburn twice behind Dak Prescott, including a 27-19 win at Jordan-Hare in 2015. They were obliterated last year as QB Nick Fitzgerald, leading to the Bulldogs falling behind 35-0 by halftime before ultimately losing 38-14. They'll need WR Malik Dear, one of the team's top playmakers, in place to provide a dynamic weapon, but list him as questionable with a knee injury.
8. Indiana at Penn State: The Hoosiers led Ohio State at halftime in their season opener and hung around into the third quarter, so the Nittany Lions shouldn't expect much of a reprieve after nearly falling at Iowa last weekend. Trace McSorley hit Juwan Johnson with a touchdown pass as time expired to avoid an upset, making sure RB Saquon Barkley's 358 all-purpose yards weren't wasted. Barkley is the Heisman frontrunner at the moment but was held to just 93 yards on 33 carries against IU last season, though he did score a pair of fourth-quarter TDs to help erase a double-digit second-half deficit.
Then-defensive coordinator Tom Allen is the Hoosiers' head coach now and has seen his team outscore Virginia and Georgia Southern by a combined margin of 86-34 since losing to the Buckeyes. Indiana has outscored opponents 62-23 in the first half, so if Penn State suffers any hangover from last Saturday night's emotional win, it should be able to take advantage and make this one interesting. The Hoosiers have captured only one of 20 all-time meetings, prevailing 44-24 in Bloomington in '13.
9. Memphis at UCF: Although USF is the favorite in the American and top the short list of most respected teams among the "Group of Five," these two have already grabbed headlines and have captivated anyone paying attention. The Tigers beat UCLA outright at home and have won five of its last six games, counting wins over Houston and Cincinnati in that mix. The Knights obliterated Maryland last week after a few weeks off due to Hurricane Irma's impact in Orlando.
The originally scheduled date for this matchup (Sept. 9) was a casualty of the storm, which ultimately helped Memphis' cause in its home upset of the Bruins since they were fresher and made winning plays down the stretch as a result. QB Riley Ferguson threw for nearly 3,700 yards and 32 touchdowns last year, but he introduced himself to anyone who didn't already know about him by coming out on top in a duel against future first-round pick Josh Rosen. UCF sophomore McKenzie Milton has bulked up and looks to have a firm grasp on the offense, but it's the defense and running game that will key the program's success this season. Both teams will run into Navy in October, but the winner here has an opportunity to enter the national rankings and continue generating momentum. These programs are on the rise, but UCF comes in healthier despite losing one of its top RBs, Jawon Hamilton, to a broken leg. Memphis has lost nine straight in the series, last winning in 1990.
10. Cal at Oregon: Both teams lost for the first time on Saturday, so even though each looks much improved under their first-year head coaches, the loser here will dig themselves a hole in Pac-12 play. While the Bears were a 17-point home underdog against USC, the Ducks were 10.5-point favorites at Arizona State and fell 37-35 when QB Justin Herbert couldn't find any rhythm on the team's final two drives, sailing passes and missing receivers.
New head coach Justin Wilcox will look to try and confuse Herbert the way he has Ole Miss' Patterson and USC's Darnold already this season. Between him and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, the Bears have a brain trust that might be able to slow down a typically explosive Ducks offense that has nonetheless had a few power outages already this season. To have a shot at an upset, Cal must have QB Ross Bowers (8 INTs) take better care of the ball. Oregon had won seven straight in this series before losing last year's game 52-49 in 2OT.
11. Ole Miss at Alabama: The Rebels have handed the Crimson Tide half of their four losses over the last three seasons, a fact that can't be erased even if the NCAA chooses to do just that and take away those victories due to the scandals that ultimately lost Hugh Freeze his job. Interim head coach Matt Luke comes off both his first bye week and first loss, getting blown away in the second half in Berkeley. The 27-16 loss came in part because of the loss of top receiver AJ Brown and starting center Sean Rawlings, whose absence disrupted all chemistry up front, creating problems for QB Shea Patterson on the road. Both his security blanket and his top offensive lineman have practiced this week and are expected back for this one, which is a prerequisite to have any success as a four-touchdown underdog in Tuscaloosa.
'Bama crushed previously unbeaten Vanderbilt 59-0 in Nashville, outgaining the Commodores 677-88 while rushing or nearly 500 yards. The Crimson Tide held the ball for nearly 43 minutes and played flawless ball a week after committing their first turnover in a sloppy win over Colorado State. After impressively handling Florida State to open the season, the Tide had looked rather ordinary in beating Fresno State and CSU, but took no prisoners in their first true road game, taking a huge step forward. 'Bama lost in '14 and '15 before surviving last season's game 48-43 after falling behind 24-3. Trust that Nick Saban has reminded them of all of this on an endless loop over this past week.
12. Arizona State at Stanford: Bryce Love has eliminated all concern that the Cardinal running game would be unable to replicate Christian McCaffrey's production. He's already run for 787 yards and five scores through four games, averaging 10.8 yards per carry. He's broken off a run of 50 or more yards in six straight games and should make life easier on likely new starting QB K.J. Costello, who provided a spark in Saturday's 58-34 win over UCLA. Head coach David Shaw hasn't committed to naming a starter yet, but even if veteran Keller Chryst remains under center, it's inevitable that Costello will get snaps and ultimately take over. The Sun Devils will try to build off their upset of Oregon, but have lost 10 of 12 true road games under Todd Graham, with the wins coming at UCLA and most recently, UT-San Antonio. ASU won the last meeting back in '14, snapping a four-game series losing streak.
Others: Iowa at Michigan State, Florida State at Wake Forest, Colorado at UCLA, South Carolina at Texas A&M, Northern Illinois at San Diego State, Vanderbilt at Florida, North Carolina at Georgia Tech, Maryland at Minnesota, Baylor at Kansas State, Air Force at New Mexico.
September 27, 2017
This week is unique in that two of the best matchups take place on a Friday night, so we should get a few days of treats from the college game. The game features the defending champs battling their third high-profile opponent after their worst showing of the season. Here's the finest that September's final weekend has to offer:
1. Clemson at Virginia Tech: The Tigers have come through in impressive fashion against Auburn and Louisville, dominating defensively despite the presence of two of the better offensive minds in the college game in Gus Malzahn and Bobby Petrino. Clemson shut down Lamar Jackson's chances of winning a Heisman Trophy and snuffed out Jarrett Stidham's before we even got started despite the late summer surge in hype over Auburn's new quarterback. The Hokies don't have a candidate for college football's top individual honor to focus in on, but do have arguably the best defense that Clemson will face to date.
Blacksburg will be at a fever pitch, so a Virginia Tech team that went 57-10 between a decade span of 2003-12 before going 9-10 from '13-'16 will look to try and reclaim that aura of invincibility Lane Stadium once enjoyed. Under new head coach Justin Fuente, the Hokies are 7-1 at home, but unranked Miami has provided their toughest test. This will be a different animal, under the lights on a national stage.
Clemson and Boston College entered the fourth quarter tied at 7 this past weekend before the defending champs put the game away with 27 consecutive points. The Hokies found something in the second half of December's ACC Championship to cut a large deficit to 42-35 and make the final minutes interesting, so they shouldn't be lacking for confidence. Neither QB involved in that game, Deshaun Watson and Jerod Evans, will participate here. Neither of their successors are as accomplished slinging it just yet, but Kelly Bryant has gotten the job done with his legs while Tech's Josh Jackson has the early edge in ACC passing efficiency. This one should hinge on defense, so monitor potential personnel issues in the secondary on both sides. Here's hoping it's as exciting as last week's top matchup, where Penn State survived Iowa on the final play.
2. USC at Washington State: The nightcap to an excellent Friday slate brings us the Pac-12's top matchup in a week where the league has plenty of attractive games. Sam Darnold has thrown more interceptions than anyone expected, but has also put his brilliance on display in leading the Trojans to a perfect 4-0 start. He saved his best for Stanford, which may be an indication that he's having issues with focus. The Western Michigan, Texas and Cal games were all closer than they should've been entering the fourth quarter, but USC made plays when necessary to pull them all out. This will be its second straight road game and first outside of California, so it provides a great setting for Darnold to lock in and keep his team from flirting with disaster. likely spell serious trouble in Pullman.
Keep in mind that there may be rain and temperatures in the 50s to deal with, so the elements could have an impact. The undefeated Cougs are playing their fifth consecutive home game and have a savvy senior QB leading the way in Luke Falk, so conditions are ripe for an upset. Early sharp money came in on the home team. Washington State will have to reverse trends that have seen it lose nine of 10 against USC in addition to a 3-31 against ranked opponents to cash. As recently as 2008, the Cougars were a 42-point underdog against the Trojans and lost 69-0. Head coach Mike Leach beat USC in a weird 10-7 game back in 2013, the lowest-scoring output in a win during his tenure.
Leach has yet to beat a ranked team at home since taking over the program in 2011. Although there are injury concerns along both lines, Southern Cal will have leading rusher Ronald Jones (thigh) and top receiver Deontay Burnett (shoulder) available. Washington State appears to be in good shape.
3. Georgia at Tennessee: Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has long been known as a defensive genius, enjoying tremendous success at Alabama for nearly a decade while also enjoying jobs at other top schools in addition to an NFL stint in Miami. His success in Athens is no fluke. After an 8-5 first season, the verdict was still out on whether he'd be able to get the job done in the head seat, but he's gotten off to a great first month in Year 2. Most encouraging, his defense has gotten the job done in a tough game at Notre Dame and snuffed out Mississippi State last Saturday in a battle of unbeatens, holding them to three points. Opponents are averaging 12.5 for the season.
The Dawgs are back on the road here, and it's important for true freshman Jake Fromm to continue gaining confidence. The kid looks poised enough to keep the job ahead of the highly regarded Jacob Eason, who is returning from injury soon but unlikely to be handed his gig back given what's transpired to date. Butch Jones' seat is scalding hot after his Vols followed up a loss to Florida on a Hail Mary by barely beating FBS Independent UMass 17-13 in Knoxville. He's expressed displeasure at the way his program is covered, but would be better served finding a way to move the ball. QB Quinten Dormady has struggled, which has many in Knoxville hoping redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano gets a shot. If Tennessee sputters early against an impressive Georgia defense, we could hear loud, scathing boos far more often than we get a choruses of Rocky Top at Neyland Stadium. Jones' Vols spoiled Smart's first home SEC opener on a Hail Mary to WR Jauan Jennings last year.
4. Northwestern at Wisconsin: The undefeated Badgers open conference play coming off the only bye they'll get this season. Alex Hornibrook has been impressive with his decision-making at QB and comes off a record-setting 18-for-19 showing where he racked up 256 yards and four TDs in a rout of BYU. True freshman RB Jonathan Taylor has ascended to the top of the depth chart, running behind an offensive line that has thus far been banged up but is among the nation's best when healthy. Wisconsin has to be taken seriously as a national contender, which makes this matchup compelling since it had lost consecutive games against Northwestern before winning 21-7 last year.
Pat Fitzgerald's Wildcats also had an additional week to prepare and have big plans for the season despite suffering an early loss at Duke. With a homecoming game against Penn State scheduled for next week, Northwestern should be mentally prepared to play its best to begin what is easily its toughest stretch of the season. QB Clayton Thorson threw for 370 yards in his last start while RB Justin Jackson has the school's all-time rushing record within his sights and already has led his teams to a pair of wins over Wisconsin due to his efforts on the ground.
5. Miami at Duke: The Hurricanes trailed Toledo last week, then unleashed a furious rally and ended up winning 52-30. QB Malik Rosier made plays, running back Mark Walton overcame an ankle sprain to run for 204 yards on 11 carries and a program looking to post double-figure wins for the first time since 2003 took another step forward under Mark Richt. This will end up being their road opener despite their original schedule calling for visits to Arkansas State and Florida State. Mother Nature had other ideas for the 'Canes, who return to Durham for the first time since pulling off a miracle comeback win on a last-second lateral-filled kickoff return that ended up providing one of 2015's best finishes.
The Blue Devils are also undefeated and own wins over Northwestern, Baylor and rival North Carolina. With a national Friday night stage, they could really open some eyes and get halfway to matching the school-record for wins (10) before the season's first month is over. QB Daniel Jones had his ups and downs as a freshman but has been sharp with his decision-making and toughness thus far. Linebacker Ben Humphreys, arguably Duke's most polished player, should be out there but was injured on a chop block in last week's win at UNC, limping off the field after the impact. He and backup RB Brittain Brown missed practices but should play. The Blue Devils last beat Miami at home back in 2013.
6. Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: The Red Raiders lost last year's meeting in Stillwater 45-44 when kicker Clayton Hatfield missed an extra point with 1:44 left. Ironically, he's questionable here and would be a notable absence if he can't go since his current backup struggled in Saturday's upset at Houston. Going into last weekend, both of these teams were undefeated and facing tough matchups, but it was Tech that went out on the road and persevered.
Oklahoma State lost at home to TCU, never quite getting the stops they needed after falling behind early. QB Mason Rudolph has thrown 13 touchdown passes and has averaged 383.3 yards per game but was intercepted three times by the Horned Frogs to contribute to the 44-31 loss. He'll be looking to solve a Texas Tech defense that is obviously improved and looks sharp in the defensive backfield.
The Red Raiders have dropped eight straight meetings in this series and have surrendered an average of nearly 58 points per game over the last six losses. QB Nic Shimonek ranks fifth in the nation in passing efficiency, third in passing yards and eighth in TD passes while throwing just one pick. Key linebacker Jordyn Brooks is questionable with a knee injury and would leave huge shoes to fill in this upset bid.
7. Mississippi State at Auburn: This would be a lot higher on the list if not for how Georgia dominated last Saturday's battle of Bulldogs, winning 31-3. Mississippi State was coming off a win over LSU and looking like the SEC West's second-best team behind Alabama, which would've set this up as perhaps the top matchup of the day. Auburn did its part, beating Missouri 51-14 to open conference play in style. Besides losing at Clemson, the Tigers haven't been tested much since they faced struggling Georgia Southern and Mercer before wiping the floor with Mizzou in Columbia. Auburn's running backs, Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson, have yet to be healthy at the safe time but are both expected to play. Linebacker Tre' Williams and corner Javaris Davis.
Mississippi State beat Auburn twice behind Dak Prescott, including a 27-19 win at Jordan-Hare in 2015. They were obliterated last year as QB Nick Fitzgerald, leading to the Bulldogs falling behind 35-0 by halftime before ultimately losing 38-14. They'll need WR Malik Dear, one of the team's top playmakers, in place to provide a dynamic weapon, but list him as questionable with a knee injury.
8. Indiana at Penn State: The Hoosiers led Ohio State at halftime in their season opener and hung around into the third quarter, so the Nittany Lions shouldn't expect much of a reprieve after nearly falling at Iowa last weekend. Trace McSorley hit Juwan Johnson with a touchdown pass as time expired to avoid an upset, making sure RB Saquon Barkley's 358 all-purpose yards weren't wasted. Barkley is the Heisman frontrunner at the moment but was held to just 93 yards on 33 carries against IU last season, though he did score a pair of fourth-quarter TDs to help erase a double-digit second-half deficit.
Then-defensive coordinator Tom Allen is the Hoosiers' head coach now and has seen his team outscore Virginia and Georgia Southern by a combined margin of 86-34 since losing to the Buckeyes. Indiana has outscored opponents 62-23 in the first half, so if Penn State suffers any hangover from last Saturday night's emotional win, it should be able to take advantage and make this one interesting. The Hoosiers have captured only one of 20 all-time meetings, prevailing 44-24 in Bloomington in '13.
9. Memphis at UCF: Although USF is the favorite in the American and top the short list of most respected teams among the "Group of Five," these two have already grabbed headlines and have captivated anyone paying attention. The Tigers beat UCLA outright at home and have won five of its last six games, counting wins over Houston and Cincinnati in that mix. The Knights obliterated Maryland last week after a few weeks off due to Hurricane Irma's impact in Orlando.
The originally scheduled date for this matchup (Sept. 9) was a casualty of the storm, which ultimately helped Memphis' cause in its home upset of the Bruins since they were fresher and made winning plays down the stretch as a result. QB Riley Ferguson threw for nearly 3,700 yards and 32 touchdowns last year, but he introduced himself to anyone who didn't already know about him by coming out on top in a duel against future first-round pick Josh Rosen. UCF sophomore McKenzie Milton has bulked up and looks to have a firm grasp on the offense, but it's the defense and running game that will key the program's success this season. Both teams will run into Navy in October, but the winner here has an opportunity to enter the national rankings and continue generating momentum. These programs are on the rise, but UCF comes in healthier despite losing one of its top RBs, Jawon Hamilton, to a broken leg. Memphis has lost nine straight in the series, last winning in 1990.
10. Cal at Oregon: Both teams lost for the first time on Saturday, so even though each looks much improved under their first-year head coaches, the loser here will dig themselves a hole in Pac-12 play. While the Bears were a 17-point home underdog against USC, the Ducks were 10.5-point favorites at Arizona State and fell 37-35 when QB Justin Herbert couldn't find any rhythm on the team's final two drives, sailing passes and missing receivers.
New head coach Justin Wilcox will look to try and confuse Herbert the way he has Ole Miss' Patterson and USC's Darnold already this season. Between him and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, the Bears have a brain trust that might be able to slow down a typically explosive Ducks offense that has nonetheless had a few power outages already this season. To have a shot at an upset, Cal must have QB Ross Bowers (8 INTs) take better care of the ball. Oregon had won seven straight in this series before losing last year's game 52-49 in 2OT.
11. Ole Miss at Alabama: The Rebels have handed the Crimson Tide half of their four losses over the last three seasons, a fact that can't be erased even if the NCAA chooses to do just that and take away those victories due to the scandals that ultimately lost Hugh Freeze his job. Interim head coach Matt Luke comes off both his first bye week and first loss, getting blown away in the second half in Berkeley. The 27-16 loss came in part because of the loss of top receiver AJ Brown and starting center Sean Rawlings, whose absence disrupted all chemistry up front, creating problems for QB Shea Patterson on the road. Both his security blanket and his top offensive lineman have practiced this week and are expected back for this one, which is a prerequisite to have any success as a four-touchdown underdog in Tuscaloosa.
'Bama crushed previously unbeaten Vanderbilt 59-0 in Nashville, outgaining the Commodores 677-88 while rushing or nearly 500 yards. The Crimson Tide held the ball for nearly 43 minutes and played flawless ball a week after committing their first turnover in a sloppy win over Colorado State. After impressively handling Florida State to open the season, the Tide had looked rather ordinary in beating Fresno State and CSU, but took no prisoners in their first true road game, taking a huge step forward. 'Bama lost in '14 and '15 before surviving last season's game 48-43 after falling behind 24-3. Trust that Nick Saban has reminded them of all of this on an endless loop over this past week.
12. Arizona State at Stanford: Bryce Love has eliminated all concern that the Cardinal running game would be unable to replicate Christian McCaffrey's production. He's already run for 787 yards and five scores through four games, averaging 10.8 yards per carry. He's broken off a run of 50 or more yards in six straight games and should make life easier on likely new starting QB K.J. Costello, who provided a spark in Saturday's 58-34 win over UCLA. Head coach David Shaw hasn't committed to naming a starter yet, but even if veteran Keller Chryst remains under center, it's inevitable that Costello will get snaps and ultimately take over. The Sun Devils will try to build off their upset of Oregon, but have lost 10 of 12 true road games under Todd Graham, with the wins coming at UCLA and most recently, UT-San Antonio. ASU won the last meeting back in '14, snapping a four-game series losing streak.
Others: Iowa at Michigan State, Florida State at Wake Forest, Colorado at UCLA, South Carolina at Texas A&M, Northern Illinois at San Diego State, Vanderbilt at Florida, North Carolina at Georgia Tech, Maryland at Minnesota, Baylor at Kansas State, Air Force at New Mexico.
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