ESPN Insider College Plays

[wayne1218]

FSU/NC

NORTH CAROLINA at
No. 11 FLORIDA STATE

Tallahasse, Fla.
Doak Campbell Stadium
Noon ET - ESPN2

When North Carolina has the ball: North Carolina offensive coordinator Gary
Tranquill believes in running the football to set up the pass. Though he has
tried to implement that strategy, it's not easy when the team consistently gets
behind early and is forced to throw the ball to get back in games. While
Tranquill will want to get running backs Ronnie McGill and Jacque Lewis going on
the ground and also will try to sprinkle in some options and draws for athletic
QB Darian Durant, the odds of him being able to keep his play-calling balanced
are long. Durant has the athleticism to create a lot of second-chance
opportunities and has the arm to make Florida State pay for a breakdown in its
secondary, but his poor accuracy, combined with marginal talent at wide receiver
will make for a lot of big-play opportunities for S Pat Watkins and CB Antonio
Cromartie, who have combined for four interceptions already this season.
When Florida State has the ball: The story of this game is obviously the injury
to Florida State QB Chris Rix, which opens the door for sophomore Wyatt Sexton
to make his first collegiate start. Rix is one of the most-maligned quarterbacks
in the nation, and Sexton also played well in his brief stint against Clemson
last week, but don't think for a minute this is a potential blessing in disguise
for the 'Noles. If Sexton was consistent or talented enough to handle the
starting role, he would have put up a tougher fight in the spring and summer.
Sexton is simply a bridge-the-gap solution until Rix returns. In fact, the
'Noles plan on freshmen Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford competing for the job in
2005, which tells you how little they think of Sexton. Regardless, FSU should be
able to absolutely run the ball down North Carolina's throat. The 'Noles
offensive line is getting healthier, and it is beginning to look like the
dominant unit it was tabbed to be in the preseason. Against a Tar Heel defense
that is allowing an average of 231.5 yards per game on the ground (including 299
by Virginia), look for RBs Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington to run wild.
Bottom line: Sexton won't turn any heads with his physical abilities in his
first start for the 'Noles, but FSU is superior to UNC in almost every other
facet of the game. Booker and Washington should have huge games rushing, and the
FSU defense is athletic and fast enough to bottle up QB Durant and create
several turnovers when Durant is at his least effective – inside the pocket. If
it's an upset you're searching for, don't bother looking here.

Prediction: Florida State 37, North Carolina 9

[wayne1218]

Fresno St/La Tech

No. 17 FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS at
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS

Ruston, La.
Joe Aillet Stadium
7:00 ET

When Fresno State has the ball: RB Bryson Sumlin doesn't provide Fresno with the
same explosiveness that Dwayne Wright did before his injury, but he is still a
reliable back. Sumlin and Wendell Mathis, who averaged 8.2 yards per carry --
albeit against Portland State -- in the team's last game, will carry the load
for Fresno on the ground. Tech has had an excruciatingly tough time stopping the
run, which is why Fresno is likely to come out with a heavy emphasis on the
ground game. When Fresno starts to see Louisiana Tech crowd the line, coach Pat
Hill will let QB Paul Pinegar take some shots downfield to his two favorite
targets, Jermaine Jamison and Joe Fernandez.
When Louisiana Tech has the ball: Matt Kubik will start at QB for Louisiana Tech
because of the arm injury Donald Allen suffered in the first quarter of the
Bulldogs' 42-17 loss at Tennessee last week. Tech had more problems in that game
than just the QB position, but when Allen was in the game, La. Tech was beating
Tennessee 14-7. From the second quarter on, Tennessee outscored Tech 35-3. Kubik
is a capable passer, but his interceptions (three in just 47 attempts) killed
the team last week. Led by James Sanders (3) and Richard Marshall (2), Fresno
already has eight interceptions after just three games. If Kubik doesn't do a
better job of protecting the football, there's no way RB Ryan Moats, who already
has rushed for 692 yards in four games (including 97 on 21 carries against
Tennessee), will get untracked.
Bottom line: While coach Jack Bicknell's team is not nearly as good as some of
his recent squads, he still has enough of a running game with Moats and enough
experienced talent on defense to give the Bulldogs a scare if they don't show up
to play. Fresno's showdown at Boise State is two weeks away, and it has had a
bye week to concentrate on getting ready for this game, so that shouldn't be the
case. While Fresno could have some trouble defending Moats, that won't be enough
for Louisiana Tech to stay in this game, especially with Kubik filling in for
Allen. Big plays on defense will lead to a lot of opportunities for Pinegar and
the Fresno offense to capitalize in what should be a lopsided road win.

Prediction: Fresno State 34, Louisiana Tech 17

[wayne1218]

Michigan/Indiana

No. 18 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES at
INDIANA HOOSIERS

Bloomington, Ind.
Memorial Stadium
3:30 p.m. ET - ABC

When Michigan has the ball: The Wolverines seemed to turn the corner a little
bit as a football team last week. They still have concerns at QB with true
freshman Chad Henne, which will limit their ability to maximize their talent at
wide receiver -- Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant and Steve Breaston. However, they
took some more chances downfield and gave their receivers -- particularly
Edwards, who finished with six catches for 150 yards -- more opportunities to
make plays in the air. Lloyd Carr always will be a conservative coach by nature,
but as long as the team continues to take some of those chances downfield
against Indiana on Saturday, it will be much more difficult to defend. The
Hoosiers are experienced on defense and are doing a good job of creating
turnovers (7 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries) to overcome their other
weaknesses. However, their inability to stop the run eventually will create
major problems. The Wolverines have struggled to replace Chris Perry (Bengals)
but should have a strong afternoon behind an offensive line that is much bigger
and stronger than the defensive front of Indiana, which is giving up 222 yards
per game on the ground.
When Indiana has the ball: The Hoosiers employ a run-first philosophy on
offense. They are conservative and take very few chances, but they emphasize
protecting the football and controlling the clock. Their offensive line is
underrated as a run-blocking group, and RB B.J. Green-Ellis has done a solid
job, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. The problem this week, however, is that
Michigan has the deepest defensive line and the most athletic corps of
linebackers the Hoosiers have faced. That front seven will make it extremely
difficult to run on a consistent basis, and if SS Ernest Shazor is allowed to
get into the mix as an eighth man in the box, running will become nearly
impossible. Furthermore, if QB Matt LoVecchio is forced to throw from behind in
this game, it could make for a long afternoon against a Michigan defense that
already has 11 interceptions, led by Markus Curry's three.
Bottom line: Big plays on defense and from return specialist Lance Bennett, who
had a punt and kickoff return for touchdowns in last week's win over Michigan
State, have kept the Hoosiers in games. While they could capitalize on Henne's
inexperience, it won't be enough to even the playing field. The Wolverines will
exploit the Hoosiers for their inability to stop the run. Then, when they catch
the Hoosiers cheating their safeties up near the line, Edwards, Avant and
Breaston will make them pay. The Wolverine defense seems to be rounding into
shape and should make life miserable for LoVecchio in what could be the
Wolverines' most lopsided win of the season.

Prediction: Michigan 37, Indiana 14

[wayne1218]

Penn St/Minn.

PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS at
No. 19 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

Minneapolis
Metrodome
8:00 p.m. ET - ESPN GamePlan

When Penn State has the ball: Losing Michael Robinson (concussion) for at least
this game absolutely kills Penn State. Not only was he the team's most explosive
receiver, but he also was quickly becoming a more reliable quarterback than Zack
Mills. The problem now is that Mills will have to play with an injured
non-throwing shoulder and will be without the receiver that drew the most
attention. The Nittany Lions will try to spread Minnesota out with some
multireceiver sets to create better running opportunities for RBs Tony Hunt and
Austin Scott, but without Robinson at one receiver spot the Golden Gophers
really only need to respect WR Gerald Smith, the only Lions' receiver with more
than 10 receptions. Turnovers (14 in four games) have been the Nittany Lions'
biggest problem. Without Robinson to throw to and to rely on as a means to
complement Mills, the Golden Gophers should add to that problem on Saturday.
When Minnesota has the ball: The Golden Gophers are known for their explosive
running game, headlined by RBs Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney, who have
combined for an outrageous 1,040 yards in four games. However, it has been the
ability of first-year starting quarterback Cupito to exploit defenses for
overloading against the run that has made the biggest difference. If Cupito
(57.9 completion percentage, 782 yards, 7 TDs, 0 INTs) can continue to exploit
those vulnerable matchups, the Golden Gophers will beat Penn State handily. The
Nittany Lions lack a pure pass rusher up front and typically play a lot of
cover-2 schemes in the secondary. However, when teams are able to run the ball
like Minnesota should be able to, the Lions are forced to get more aggressive
with their safeties. While CBs Alan Zemaitis and Anwar Phillips are solid in
coverage, they can be exploited if tested vertically by the speed of WRs Jared
Ellerson and Ernest Wheelwright.
Bottom line: The Nittany Lions were exposed last week for their inability to
stop the run defensively. In losing Robinson, they also took several steps
backwards on offense. Without a legitimate vertical threat to throw to or the
change-up Robinson provided as a running quarterback, the Lions are extremely
stale on offense. If Mills continues to throw the ball up for grabs, the Gophers
will run away with this game, as their one-two punch of Barber and Maroney will
set up some big-play opportunities for Cupito and the passing game.

Prediction: Minnesota 30, Penn State 16

[wayne1218]

Ill/Wisc.

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI at
No. 20 WISCONSIN BADGERS

Madison, Wisc.
Camp Randall Stadium
2:00 p.m. ET - ESPN Broadband

When Illinois has the ball: QB John Beutjer has played extremely well,
completing 64.9 percent of his passes and throwing for 5 TDs and 0 INTs. The
problem he will have in this game, however, is the pass rush will be
insufferable. Making matters worse, No. 2 WR Ade Adeyemo was lost for the season
with a leg injury last week. The Badgers front four is as good as any unit in
the nation. DTs Anttaj Hawthorne and Jason Jefferson will suffocate RB E.B.
Halsey, while DE Erasmus James, who knocked both Penn State quarterbacks out of
last week's game, will constantly be in Beutjer's face.
When Wisconsin has the ball: The Badgers' offensive game plan is simple --
utilize the size, strength and experience of the offensive line to establish a
strong running game that will wear the opponent down and limit the potential for
mistakes from QB John Stocco. With Anthony Davis returning, the Badgers should
be much more effective utilizing that game plan. There is no telling how many
snaps Davis will be good for, but after the Badgers had to turn to FB Matt
Bernstein as their primary ballcarrier because of a multitude of injuries at the
position last week, they will take what they can get from Davis. In just his
first season as a starter, Stocco has done a nice job of limiting his mistakes
with just three interceptions in four games, but he certainly leaves a lot to be
desired in terms of his accuracy and consistency as a passer (48.4 percent).
Bottom line: The Badgers are a much better all-around football team than the
Illini, but they simply lack the offensive firepower to blow opponents out. They
will smother the Illinois offense and could even prevent it from scoring an
offensive touchdown. The return of Davis should allow the Badgers to wear
Illinois' undersized and overmatched defensive front down as the game
progresses. However, because of their inability to strike quickly, the final
score won't be as lopsided as the overall talent difference indicates.

Prediction: Wisconsin 20, Illinois 9

[wayne1218]

Smu/Boise St

SMU MUSTANGS at
No. 21 BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Boise, Idaho
Bronco Stadium
8:00 p.m. ET

When SMU has the ball: The Mustangs employ a run-heavy offensive scheme designed
to protect the football and control the clock. RB Foy Munlin carries the
majority of the load, but the Mustangs will utilize several different backs to
keep everyone fresh. QB Tony Eckert is a caretaker who doesn't make a lot of
mistakes, but he also lacks the arm strength and the receivers to get into a
shootout with Boise, which is exactly what the Broncos will be looking to create
with their eight-man fronts on defense. If the Broncos, who rank sixth in the
nation in rushing defense (65 yards per game), can keep the Mustangs' running
game in check, it will make for a long night.
When Boise State has the ball: QB Jared Zabransky still will be too erratic as a
passer at times and must cut down on the interceptions and missed throws that
have limited this offense a bit. But overall the team has to be extremely happy
with the first-year starters' progression. His ability to run and create
second-chance opportunities gives this offense an element that makes it very
difficult to game plan for. The SMU defense lacks the athletes to match up
one-on-one against Boise WRs Drisan James, T.J. Acree and Lawrence Bady, which
means they'll have to play a lot of soft coverages and back off the blitz. If
Zabransky can get hot and pick apart the SMU zone defense, Boise could score its
most points of the season.
Bottom line: SMU is coming off its first win since Nov. 23, 2002, but it better
savor the feeling, because the trip to Boise isn't going to be a pretty one.
Boise doesn't play Fresno State for another two weeks, so this won't be a
look-ahead game. The Broncos are always relentless on the Smurf Turf, and coach
Dan Hawkins will be looking to fine tune his offense to make sure it's running
on all cylinders after stumbling a bit against BYU last week.

Prediction: Boise State 49, SMU 10

[wayne1218]

Ecu/Louisville

EAST CAROLINA PIRATES at
No. 22 LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Louisville, Ky.
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
3:00 p.m. ET

When East Carolina has the ball: Louisville is known for its offensive
firepower, but its defense deserves equal credit for the strong start this
season. DE Marcus Jones has been relentless as a pass rusher; SLB Brandon
Johnson has been stout against the run and a playmaker in coverage; and Antoine
Harris has been a reliable cover corner in the secondary. East Carolina will try
to slow things down with a heavy emphasis on the run. RBs Marvin Townes, Chris
Johnson and Art Brown have combined for 302 yards this season. However, if
Louisville isn't challenged by the passing game early on, it could make for
tough sledding for those backs. An early interception from QB James Pinkney
(four picks already this year) could open up the floodgates.
When Louisville has the ball: The Cardinals are operating at full speed
offensively right now, which is not good for an ECU defense that is allowing an
average of 37 points per game. QB Stefan LeFors has been extremely accurate as
Louisville's triggerman, and WR J.R. Russell has used his size to become one of
the conference's elite vertical playmakers. That connection also has helped
loosen things up for RBs Michael Bush, Eric Shelton and Lionel Gates, who have
rushed for 509 yards in three games.
Bottom line: The Cardinals have a trip to Miami on the horizon, but that game is
12 days away, so they shouldn't be looking ahead too much. ECU simply lacks the
talent on defense to keep up against a balanced Louisville offensive attack that
will force it to play honest. Furthermore, the Cardinals' defense, which has
recorded shutouts in two of its first three games, is one of the more underrated
units in the nation and should have its way against an ECU offense that is
struggling to find an identity.

Prediction: Louisville 37, East Carolina 6

[wayne1218]

Iowa St/Okla St

IOWA STATE at
No. 24 OKLAHOMA STATE

Stillwater, Okla.
Boone Pickens Stadium
8:00 p.m. ET

When Iowa State has the ball: The Cyclones are running the football almost twice
as much as they are throwing it. They will try to stick with that methodology on
Saturday to control the clock and the field, but it's not going to be easy
without the threat of a vertical passing game. RBs Stevie Hicks and Tyease
Thompson have combined for 278 rushing yards, but neither is averaging four
yards per carry. Against an Oklahoma State defense anchored by LB Paul Duren and
DC Darrent Williams that will be geared up to stop the run with an extra safety
-- likely SS Vernon Grant -- in the box on most first and second downs, the
pressure will be on the two-quarterback rotation of freshman Bret Meyer and
Austin Flynn to beat the Cowboys in the air.
When Oklahoma State has the ball: RB Vernand Morency has carried the Oklahoma
State offense so far with 561 rushing yards on 76 attempts. The Cowboys will
look for Morency to do the same on Saturday against an Iowa State run defense
that ranks 11th nationally, giving up 79.3 yards per game on the ground. The big
key for Oklahoma State is to avoid third-and-long situations, as QB Donovan
Woods has completed just 40.7 percent of his attempts.
Bottom line: This game could be closer than some think. The Cowboys have gotten
off to a 3-0 start on the strength of their running game and defense. While they
should keep Iowa State's offense in check, getting the ground game going won't
be easy, as the Cyclones are much improved vs. the run. Eventually, the Cowboys
will wear the Cyclones down, but not before Dan McCarney's squad gives them a
scare in Stillwater.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 29, Iowa State 14

[wayne1218]

ASU/Oregon

No. 25 ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS at
OREGON DUCKS

Eugene, Ore.
Autzen Stadium
10:15 p.m. ET - TBS

When Arizona State has the ball: On paper, this matchup is heavily weighted in
Arizona State's favor. Its offense is firing on all cylinders within coach Dirk
Koetter's spread attack, and QB Andrew Walter looks as sharp and confident as
ever. WRs Derek Hagan and Terry Richardson will create a lot of matchup problems
for the Oregon secondary, and the Sun Devils also can balance the attack with
solid sophomore RB Loren Wade. However, while the Oregon defense has looked
putrid at times, it always has been a unit that has played tough at home. If the
Sun Devils don't silence the crowd early, Walter could have a very difficult
time dealing with the crowd noise with an offense that requires him to audible a
lot at the line of scrimmage.
When Oregon has the ball: Arizona State's offense is stealing the spotlight with
the team moving into the Top 25, but don't underestimate the play of the
defense. Arizona State has given up an average of just 12.8 points in its first
four games. The unit has received outstanding play from the likes of DE Emmanuel
Franklin and LBs Jamar Williams and Dale Robinson. Emmanuel was the Pac-10
defensive Player of the Week last week, and Robinson, a JUCO transfer, has been
all over the field with 39 total tackles; he also leads the unit with 7.5
tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. While the Oregon offense has the potential to be
balanced, it simply lacks the elite playmakers it used to have when it was
putting up big numbers on a weekly basis. QB Kellen Clemens is too inconsistent;
Demetrious Williams is solid but lacks great deep speed and doesn't have
complementary help; and RB Terrence Whitehead doesn't create a lot of running
room on his own. Oregon will move the ball because of the balance of this group,
but its inability to strike quickly will hurt in what projects as a
shootout-type game.
Bottom line: Arizona State could be in for a tougher challenge than it thinks in
this game. The Ducks lack elite playmakers on offense, and the Sun Devil defense
has been impressive, but Oregon does have enough experience and balance on
offense to move the football in this game. On the flip side, while the Sun Devil
offense is by far the better unit in that matchup, the Oregon defense
historically plays above its means at home. Eventually the talent of Arizona
State and the experience of Walter will take over, but Clemens & Co. will make
them work for it.

Prediction: Arizona State 30, Oregon 27

[wayne1218]

These are Podolsky's picks for Saturday

By Rich Podolsky
Special to ESPN Insider

What a beautiful Saturday this is going to be. Call it Upset Saturday, a
beautiful day to visit the lovely state of Oregon. First fly north to Corvallis
and watch Oregon State shock Cal. Have a couple of celebratory cocktails, then
scoot down to Eugene and become part of the greatest home-field advantage in
America. Saturday night you'll see the Oregon Ducks being rude hosts to Arizona
State.
Yes, it looks like a wonderful weekend for upsets, as we also like Notre Dame
and Georgia Tech to knock Purdue and Miami off their lofty perches.

Saturday

Georgia Tech +14 over Miami: This is Georgia Tech's biggest home game of the
year. It's probably the reason they let down at North Carolina two weeks ago
after upsetting Clemson. Yellow Jackets coach Chan Gailey knows how to get a
team up for a big game.
Last September, then-No. 19 Auburn walked out of Atlanta with a 17-3 loss. The
following week, Tech just missed upsetting Florida State, losing 14-13 in
Tallahassee. If they do upset the Hurricanes this week they might have to do it
without their best running back, P.J. Daniels, who bruised his quad vs. North
Carolina. Gailey listed him as "doubtful" but said he still could practice and
play.
Miami looks as strong as ever on defense and as dull as ever on offense. If Tech
can keep Miami's defense and special teams from scoring, it has a shot to make this one more than just interesting.

The pick: Georgia Tech (Best bet).


Notre Dame +2½ over Purdue: The Irish, all of a sudden, are on a roll. Brady
Quinn is looking like a pretty versatile quarterback. While Michigan State and
Washington aren't the cream of the crop, they did provide the Irish with a
needed jolt of confidence. Now hated Purdue comes to town. For the first time
this season the Boilermakers looked vulnerable at Illinois last week, missing
tackles and yielding big passing plays. Of course their great QB Kyle Orton was
able to make up for those errors, and then some. But can he do it in South Bend
at a stadium in which Purdue has lost in its last 13 visits? It's a streak that
dates back 30 years, to Nixon's resignation in 1974. That's a lot of history to overcome.

The pick: Notre Dame, especially as an underdog at home.


Oregon State +7 over Cal: This is a huge game for the Beavers. With Washington,
Arizona and Washington State to follow, it could be the start of putting the
season back on track. Last week they were unlucky to lose at Arizona State. Two
fumbles cost them 14 sure points in a game they lost by 13. I have a feeling the
team that showed up against LSU will show up here against Cal. Sure Cal has an
explosive attack, but the Bears have been off for two weeks and should be rusty.
They also have next week's game circled against USC. They couldn't beat Oregon
State last year at their place, and I don't think they'll beat them here.

The pick: Oregon State in an upset (Best bet).


Oregon -2½ over Arizona State: Oregon makes a habit of winning these types of
games at home. I can't say this is great Oregon team, or even a very good one.
Heck, when you lose your home opener to Indiana, being "very good" goes out the
window. But the Ducks actually looked respectable in losing by 24 at Oklahoma,
and now Arizona State comes to town, fresh from crushing Iowa and stopping
Oregon State the last two weeks. Their quarterback, Andrew Walter, has gone from
forgotten to Heisman contender. But these are the same guys who ran it up
(59-14) on Oregon last year, throwing deep late in the game, and the Ducks are
still talking about it.
Last year Oregon upset Michigan at home and also defeated Stanford, Cal and
Oregon State – all at home. It's quite a place. The stands practically are on
top of the players. The fans can see the sweat on the players' forearms. It's
not a fun place to visit, especially at night, and even more so if your
healthiest running back is playing with a broken forearm, like the Sun Devils'
Hakim Hill is (ASU is without RBs Randy Hill and Loren Wade). Oregon will pile it on if it gets the chance.

The pick: Oregon. We hate to give the points, but we will.


Cincinnati -1 over UAB: The Bearcats got back on track with a sharp running game
against East Carolina in a game that wasn't as close as the final score. Cincy
is especially tough at home, as evidenced by their decimation of Miami of Ohio
earlier this month. And while Cincy's running game is its strength it happens to
be UAB's weakness. Last Saturday the latter won a big Conference USA game on its
home field against rival Memphis, scoring in the final minute in an emotionally
exhausting 35-28 victory. We don't think they can bring that kind of charge with
them after such a big game. But beware, UAB played very well on the road last
year, winning at Memphis and South Florida while losing by only three at both Georgia and TCU.

The pick: Cincinnati.


La. Tech +14 vs. Fresno State: If you recall the comments we made last year, La.
Tech is one of those places that "you can't get there from here." So we're sure
Fresno State will enjoy the long bus ride after the long flight. It's also a
tough place to win. As good as Boise was last year, the Broncos only beat La.
Tech 43-37. The year before La. Tech upset Oklahoma State at home.
Now we all know how amazing Fresno looked taking Washington and Kansas State
apart on the road. But we also now know just how bad those teams are this year,
which may lower your rating of Fresno a notch. Last year this was a low-scoring
affair with Fresno holding serve at home 16-6. For some reason Fresno only
scored 20 points on offense against Portland State last week in what had to be a
breather, while La. Tech looked sharp for a half, taking a 14-7 lead at
Tennessee before giving in to gravity.
La. Tech backup QB Matt Kubik was 17 of 30 for 258 yards and a touchdown against
the Vols, so we're not concerned that he might start this week due to Donald
Allen's injury. Fresno will have three defensive line starters returning. What
this comes down to is a big conference game on the road for Fresno. Louisiana
Tech is one of the toughest places to win, but winning on the road is what Fresno does best.

The pick: With Fresno getting four starters back it's now too close to call. We'll pass.



Passing thoughts

Georgia gets Danny Ware back, their freshman phenom, but it will be their
defense that will win it or lose it against LSU. Don't know that I'd want to
give points vs. the national champion making its last stand. … Alabama might be
home, but with a shaky QB it better find a way to score if it wants to turn back
South Carolina. … Arkansas State, which nearly upset Memphis and has a great
running game, is an 18 point underdog at Mississippi, a team that can't defend
the run. Watch out. … West Virginia has made a living beating Virginia Tech the
last two years, but don't expect the Mountaineers to sack Tech's Bryan Randall
10 times like N.C. State did last week. In their three games against I-A
opponents (E. Carolina, UCF and Maryland) the Mounties have but one sack. … If
Northwestern quarterback Brett Basanez can't go this week against Ohio State,
four touchdowns wouldn't be enough points to interest me in the Wildcats –
especially after four tough games in a row. … UTEP might be in for a more
spirited effort than it thought Saturday night against New Mexico State, as the
Sun Belt Conference has designated this as a conference game for the Aggies even
though UTEP is in the WAC. … Iowa State is underrated and might have the defense
to hang with Oklahoma State, especially since the Cowboys lack a passing game. …
Even though it looks like Zack Mills will be back this week for Penn State,
could you possibly take the Lions on the road against a Minnesota team they lost
to at home last year? This could get ugly. … It's time for Kansas State to show
up this year. Another loss this week at Texas A&M and everyone will forget how
great they were last year. Since K-State has no passing game, it seems unlikely
to take advantage of A&M's weak pass defense, allowing the Aggies to concentrate
on Mr. Sproles. Could this game be that simple?