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mejia ncaa
By Tony Mejia
SportsLine.com Staff Writer Weekly predictions of the nation's Division I college football action.
Last week: 45-13 |Season to date: (STRAIGHT UP)144-32 (81.8%)
2004 season record: 469-156 (75.0 %)
Projected Scores
Week 4
Boise State 56 Bowling Green 48
Utah 27 Air Force 20
Florida Atlantic 26 Louisiana-Monroe 17
Iowa State 28 Army 13
California 48 New Mexico State 24
Virginia 48 Duke 6
West Virginia 41 East Carolina 10
Central Michigan 38 Eastern Michigan 36
Western Michigan 27 Temple 24
Kansas State 27 North Texas 13
Ohio 31 Kent State 17
Auburn 45 Western Kentucky 6
Brigham Young 31 TCU 24
Notre Dame 34 Washington 27
Florida International 24 Arkansas State 20
Idaho 45 Hawaii 34
Colorado State 34 Nevada 30
Northern Illinois 16 Akron 14
Central Florida 23 Marshall 20
Louisville 41 South Florida 24
Tulsa 36 Memphis 33
Southern California 44 Oregon 27
Wisconsin 33 Michigan 27
Houston 23 Southern Mississippi 20
Vanderbilt 33 Richmond 14
Texas Tech 80 Indiana State 7
Navy 35 Rice 17
San Diego State 44 San Jose State 27
Southern Methodist 34 Tulane 31
UNLV 37 Utah State 20
South Carolina 27 Troy 17
Texas-El Paso 55 New Mexico 21
Arizona State 45 Oregon State 41
LSU 20 Tennessee 19
Alabama 19 Arkansas 13
Wake Forest 27 Maryland 24
Miami (Fla.) 41 Colorado 10
Michigan State 48 Illinois 31
Minnesota 27 Purdue 23
Mississippi 24 Wyoming 20
Georgia 31 Mississippi State 10
Boston College 24 Clemson 20
North Carolina State 38 North Carolina 6
Ohio State 24 Iowa 17
Florida 52 Kentucky 23
Virginia Tech 27 Georgia Tech 7
Penn State 34 Northwestern 30
Pittsburgh 27 Youngstown State 10
Texas A&M 66 Texas State-San Marcos 0 -
CBS/Harmon Forecast
Game of the Week
*LSU 21, Tennessee 20
LSU will hold off Tennessee in its SEC opener, which will be played in Baton Rouge. The last time the two teams played was in 2001 in Knoxville, which LSU won 26-18.
Week of Sept. 23
Major Colleges - Div. I-A
*Alabama 17 Arkansas 7
Arizona State 23 *Oregon State 17
*Auburn 31 Western Kentucky 6
Boston College 24 *Clemson 21
Bowling Green 35 *Boise State 31
*BYU 21 TCU 13
California 34 *New Mexico State 17
*Central Michigan 31 Eastern Michigan 28
*Colorado State 28 Nevada 26
Florida 34 *Kentucky 17
*Florida Atlantic 24 Louisiana-Monroe 23
Florida International 24 *Arkansas State 21
Georgia 24 *Mississippi State 10
Hawaii 24 *Idaho 10
Iowa State 23 *Army 10
*Kansas State 28 North Texas 21
Kent State 27 *Ohio 16
*Louisville 33 *South Florida 14
*LSU 21 Tennessee 20
*Marshall 28 Central Florida 14
Maryland 23 *Wake Forest 17
*Miami (Fla.) 21 Colorado 17
Michigan State 26 *Illinois 19
*Minnesota 24 Purdue 20
*Navy 28 Rice 10
New Mexico 28 *UTEP 27
*North Carolina State 27 North Carolina 23
Northern Illinois 31 *Akron 15
*Northwestern 28 Penn State 23
Notre Dame 27 *Washington 14
*Ohio State 17 Iowa 14
*Pittsburgh 28 Youngstown State 9
*San Diego State 26 San Jose State 17
*South Carolina 20 Troy 7
Southern California 34 *Oregon 21
Southern Mississippi 24 *Houston 20
*Temple 26 Western Michigan 24
*Texas A&M 38 Texas State-San Marcos 3
*Texas Tech 48 Indiana State 3
*Tulane 27 SMU 19
*Tulsa 23 Memphis 21
UNLV 23 *Utah State 16
*Utah 30 Air Force 21
*Vanderbilt 27 Richmond 7
*Virginia 34 Duke 10
*Virginia Tech 23 Georgia Tech 19
*West Virginia 20 East Carolina 13
*Wisconsin 20 Michigan 17
Wyoming 26 *Mississippi 14Comment
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USAToday.com/eric smith
No. 1 Southern California at No. 24 Oregon, 7 p.m. ET
The weak link for the Trojans is on defense, and the Ducks have the offensive talent to put plenty of points on the board. All that is left for Oregon to pull this monumental upset is the task of slowing down one of the best offenses in college football history. Southern California 41, Oregon 31.
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 11 Tennessee, 7:45 p.m.
You think Phil Fulmer upset some people in the SEC office or are back-to-back games at Florida and LSU to open the conference season just a coincidence? LSU 24, Tennessee 16.
No. 4 Virginia Tech vs. No. 15 Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m.
With or without Reggie Ball, the Yellow Jackets weren't going to win this game. But you'd like to see these teams meet at full strength to gauge how good the Hokies are. Virginia Tech 28, Georgia Tech 13.
No. 5 Florida at Kentucky, 3:30 p.m.
Nobody in college football could use a win as much as Wildcats coach Rich Brooks. He will have to settle at best for a moral victory. Florida 31, Kentucky 17.
No. 6 Georgia at Mississippi State, 9 p.m.
The good news for Mississippi State is that the team is 2-1. The bad news? This battle of Bulldogs starts a stretch of three straight games against top-10 opponents. Georgia 31, Mississippi State 17.
No. 8 Louisville at South Florida, 6:45 p.m.
Cardinals take advantage of a nice opportunity to make a bang in their Big East debut. Louisville 45, South Florida 20.
No. 9 Ohio State vs. No. 21 Iowa, noon
An early elimination game in the Big Ten for two teams already with one non-conference blemish. The Buckeyes were much more impressive in their loss against Texas and will benefit from playing inside the Horseshoe. Ohio State 21, Iowa 10.
No. 10 Purdue at Minnesota, noon
As usual, the Gophers have cruised through an easy pre-Big Ten schedule. The first test comes against the now-balanced Boilermakers, winners of six straight in the series. It is time for Glen Mason's squad to break through behind Laurence Maroney and the nation's top rushing attack. Minnesota 30, Purdue 28.
No. 12 Miami (Fla.) vs. Colorado, noon
Finally a home game for the Hurricanes after two tough road games in the ACC. The Buffaloes typically play to the level of their competition, so don't be surprised to see this game decided in the fourth quarter. Miami (Fla.) 24, Colorado 16.
No. 13 Michigan at No. 24 Wisconsin, 6 p.m.
Barry Alvarez deserves one more signature win before he hangs up his whistle at the end of the year. He hasn't beaten the Wolverines since 1994. Time for that drought to end. Wisconsin 20, Michigan 17.
No. 14 California at New Mexico State, 10 p.m. (Friday)
Still waiting for an indication of whether the Golden Bears are actually worthy of their ranking? It won't happen this week. California 41, New Mexico State 13.
No. 16 Texas Tech vs. Indiana State, 7 p.m.
See the above entry on California. But at least we have come to expect that the Red Raiders will avoid any and all competition before Big 12 play. Texas Tech 55, Indiana State 7.
No. 17 Arizona State at Oregon State, 10 p.m.
The Beavers gave up 63 points to Louisville last week. There is a chance the high-powered Sun Devils get into that neighborhood this Saturday. Arizona State 44, Oregon State 30.
No. 18 Notre Dame at Washington, 3:30 p.m.
Much of the media's attention will be focused on the storyline of Ty Willingham facing his former team. Notre Dame will be focused on finding a punching bag to take out its frustrations after losing to Michigan State in overtime. Notre Dame 33, Washington 17.
No. 19 Virginia vs. Duke, 3:30 p.m.
Al Groh got a lot of attention for quoting Risky Business after the Cavaliers' win at Syracuse. Duke has a Tom Cruise-inspired movie theme for this week. Mission: Impossible. Virginia 38, Duke 10.
No. 20 Alabama vs. Arkansas, 12:30 p.m.
With visions of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush still in their heads, the Razorbacks go back on the road to face the Crimson Tide, who quietly made a statement by dismantling South Carolina. Maybe now the rumors of Mike Shula being in trouble will be put to rest. Alabama 35, Arkansas 16.
No. 22 Michigan State at Illinois, noon
The emotional high of an upset win at Notre Dame and next week's game against Michigan puts the Spartans in a tough sandwich spot against the dangerous Illini. Michigan State 31, Illinois 28.
No. 25 Boston College at Clemson, noon
There were concerns if Clemson had enough energy left to keep up with Miami last week. Sixty minutes and three overtimes later, another tough opponent comes to face the fatigued Tigers in Death Valley. The winner still has hope of keeping pace with Florida State in the Atlantic Division. The loser starts looking at minor bowl destinations. Clemson 21, Boston College 17.
Last week's record: 19-2 (13-5-1)
This season's record: 49-9 (29-23-1)Comment
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THanks BB! And GL!Comment
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Foxsports/fearless predictions
In the Spotlight
No. 15 Georgia Tech at No. 4 Virginia Tech — Saturday at 10:15 p.m. ET
Line:
VT -11
With Miami and Virginia ahead for each team, the winner here won't necessarily be in the driver's seat for the Coastal Division title, but it'll be in the mix. Few teams have been more impressive so far than these two with Georgia Tech overcoming the Auburn home crowd on opening day, and the loss of starting QB Reggie Ball just before last week's win over UConn game with a scary bout of viral meningitis.
After overcoming adversity, now the Yellow Jackets have to deal with the brutal Virginia Tech defense that has designs on carrying the team to Pasadena. Yeah, the Hokies have only played Duke and Ohio over the last two weeks, but outscoring them 90-0 is still impressive.
Georgia Tech showed a knack for rising to the occasion in the opener against Auburn, but the offense isn't going to click as well against the Hokies as it did against the Tigers. Vick will have a lousy game, but he'll play better than Bennett and will make two plays late, one on a run and one on a pass, that'll turn out to be just enough to push the game out of reach.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 23 ... Georgia Tech 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Game of the Week
No. 10 Tennessee at No. 3 LSU — Saturday at 7:45 p.m. ET
Line:
LSU -7
Tennessee can go from being a major national title contender to an SEC also ran in the span of eight days unless it comes up with an upset win in Death Valley. Has there ever been a tougher, more hostile back-to-back road trip than at Florida followed up by at LSU? Tennessee will have to overcome the jacked up home-opener crowd as well as the rested Tigers to get back in the SEC race after losing 16-7 last week in the Swamp.
LSU has had the strangest of seasons with the Katrina tragedy followed up by a nasty road trip against a top 15-caliber Arizona State team. LSU is good enough to win the national title, but with all of the outside distractions, as well as the SEC schedule, every week is going to bring something different. The team had better be rested, because with the switch of the season-opener against North Texas moved to November 29th, the Tigers don't get a break until December.
If you liked last week's Tennessee - Florida game, you'll love this week's LSU battle. It'll be another defensive struggle with each team looking to spring the one big play to change the momentum. At home, with the emotion of the game, LSU will come through late.
Prediction: LSU 17 ... Tennessee 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 22 Iowa State at Army
Friday at 8 p.m. ET
Line:
ISU -17
Iowa State has had two weeks off to bask in the glow of the dominant 23-3 win over Iowa, and now it looks to tune up against Army before divining into Big 12 play with a huge game at Nebraska next week. The Cyclones might be 2-0, but the offense wasn't all that sharp needing a little more pop in all areas. Army will try to make a good showing on national TV after not doing much in the losses to Boston College and Baylor to open up the season. The program could use a shot in the arm after losing seven straight.
Prediction: Iowa State 31 ... Army 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 13 Cal at New Mexico State
Friday at 10 p.m. ET
Line:
Cal -30
It's New Mexico State's first chance to show what it can do on national TV in the new Hal Mumme era, while this might be one of the first chances most fans get to watch Cal. The Bears have had an inconsistent start to the season thanks to a slew of injuries, but they're still 3-0 with a final chance to get everything working right before facing Arizona to kick off the meat of the Pac 10 race. New Mexico State, to put it nicely, is in a transition phase getting whacked hard in its first three games. This might not be a win, but it's a good chance measuring stick.
Prediction: California 40 ... N.M. State 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 11 Purdue at Minnesota
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
Minn -4
Purdue - Minnesota might not have the sex appeal of Iowa - Ohio State, and it might not have the national interest of Michigan - Wisconsin, but this showdown is every bit as important to the Big Ten race. With Michigan and Ohio State off the schedule, there are few true landmines for Purdue; this is one of them. Joe Tiller's bunch hasn't exploded out of the gate with a sluggish win over Akron followed up by a good road win at Arizona. The Boilermakers are climbing up the rankings, but there's still a wait-and-see attitude about how good the team really is. The same can be said for a Minnesota team that blew out Tulsa, Colorado State and Florida Atlantic by a combined score of 143 to 41. Considering how close Colorado State came to beating Colorado and Tulsa's performance at Oklahoma, the Gophers should probably be getting a little more national love. That'll come with a win.
Prediction: Minnesota 27 ... Purdue 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 21 Iowa at No. 8 Ohio State
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
OSU -7
It's redemption time for the two Big Ten powerhouses in what might turn out to be an elimination game in the conference race. Iowa is looking for its groove as it still tries to rebound from an ugly 23-3 loss at Iowa State, even after a 45-21 win over Northern Iowa; a win in Columbus would restore the luster. This is a talented Hawkeye team with more balance on offense than last year, and enough playmakers on defense to win the Big Ten title. But can the offense handle a big-time defense? Can the team handle playing on the road after failing so badly in its first attempt? Ohio State got its Texas hangover game out of the way beating San Diego State 27-6, but it could use the win over the Hawkeyes to kickstart its bid to get back in the Rose Bowl picture. This will be a defensive battle with few offensive highlights. Ohio State's defense is better than Iowa's defense.
Prediction: Ohio State 23 ... Iowa 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 17 Michigan State at Illinois
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
MSU -10
O.K. Michigan State, here's where you have to prove that you're not your old, flaky self. Last year, the Spartans destroyed unbeaten Wisconsin only to lose the following week 37-13 to a lousy Penn State team. That's the most glaring example of the team's overall inconsistency, but things might be different this year with a more experienced, stronger team than John L. Smith had in his previous two seasons. Illinois still has a long way to go to challenge for the Big Ten title, but it's much better this year under Ron Zook with more explosiveness on offense. There will be plenty of big plays, and lots of offense.
Prediction: Michigan State 34 ... Illinois 24
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Colorado at No. 12 Miami (FL)
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
Miami -14
As if Miami didn't have a tough enough start to the season battling with Florida State and Clemson, now it gets a 2-0 Colorado team looking to get on the national map. A few breaks one way or the other could've made the Canes 2-0, or 0-2, but they're still in the national title hunt and still thinking ACC title as long as the offensive line starts to come around in a hurry. Colorado won a last-second nail-biter over Colorado State followed up by a 39-0 laugher over New Mexico State. Gary Barnett's team is flying way under the radar, but that can change in a huge hurry with a win in the Orange Bowl.
Prediction: Miami 31 ... Colorado 16
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Arkansas at No. 20 Alabama
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
'Bama -15
Arkansas needs to turn its season around with a win, while Alabama has gone from SEC West sleeper to becoming one of the league's hot teams after a dominating 37-14 road win at South Carolina. The Tide looked a bit sluggish in the opening two wins over MTSU and Southern Miss, and then it came up with the "wow" performance in Columbia. With the showdown against Florida ahead, the Tide can't let up against the wounded Hogs. If losing to Vanderbilt wasn't bad enough, Arkansas got embarrassed by USC in a 70-17 loss that looked even worse than the final score would indicate. All bowl hopes are likely crushed with a loss this week. Arkansas is a much better team that it looked over the last few weeks, but it's not going to get healthier here.
Prediction: Alabama 30 ... Arkansas 16
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 5 Florida at Kentucky
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Florida -22.5
Florida is the toast of the SEC after getting past Tennessee 16-7 in last week's defensive slugfest. Now Urban Meyer's boys have to show they can win on the road after starting out the season with three straight home games. With the road trip to Alabama looming next week, the Gators have to learn how to win away from the Swamp and have to get this game out of the way quickly so they can focus on the bigger fish. Kentucky came up with a total clunker against a lousy Indiana team last week in a 38-14 loss. However, an upset win this week could turn everything around. A good season is still possible, but the Wildcats have to find a way to win this week, and then when that doesn't happen, avoid going into the tank like they did last year.
Prediction: Florida 38 ... Kentucky 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Duke at No. 23 Virginia
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
UVA -24.5
Virginia squeaked past Syracuse last Saturday needing a last-second field goal set up by a big run from QB Marques Hagans. The Cavs haven't been overly impressive so far this year hurt by injuries to key players and overall inconsistency, but they hope Duke will be the cure. This week's visit from Duke should mark the return of Virginia feature back Wali Lundy, who's been sidelined since the first quarter of the opener with a sprained foot. The Blue Devils received a much-needed injection of confidence with last week's lopsided win over VMI. This is Virginia's last gimme until the first week of November. Happy Homecoming. The way the Duke offense has been playing, if it breaks double digits on a good Cavalier defense, it'll qualify as a moral victory.
Prediction: Virginia 41... Duke 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 16 Notre Dame at Washington
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
ND -14
From the moment Ty Willingham was hired at Washington, this game has been circled. Will Willingham be able to show up his old employer to gain some sort of closure on his tenure with Notre Dame, or is this when Charlie Weis shows off just how much better off the program is now? Obviously, Willingham knows all the players he's going against and will know all of their tendencies and weaknesses, but this looks like a different group of players playing much better offensively than they ever did under the old regime. Forgetting about what's at stake for both coaches, Notre Dame needs a bounceback performance after losing the home opener to Michigan State in a thriller. Washington wants to try to build on the momentum of the 34-6 win over Idaho.
Prediction: Notre Dame 34 ... Washington 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 14 Michigan at Wisconsin
Saturday at 6 p.m. ET
Line:
Mich. -2.5
Coming off a rough 16-5 win at North Carolina, this is the win Wisconsin needs to get into the top 25 and earn national attention and show it deserves to be considered in the Big Ten race. For Michigan, this would be a good road win that not only would ease the pain of the recent Notre Dame loss, but might be necessary with a tough road date at Michigan State the following week. Wisconsin will get burned deep at least three times and will give up over 300 passing yards, but it'll come through late with a two long drives, and two key sacks, to come up with the hard-fought win.
Prediction: Wisconsin 23 ... Michigan 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 9 Louisville at South Florida
Saturday at 6:45 p.m. ET
Line:
L'Ville -20.5
After a too-close-for-comfort opener with Kentucky, Louisville is trendy again. The Cards ran circles around Oregon State, winning 63-27, and legitimizing their Top 10 poll position. The Brian Brohm-led offense is explosive, unpredictable and capable of being slowed down by only Mother Nature. After opening with a loss to Penn State, South Florida has gotten over .500 with wins over a pair of in-state cupcakes, Florida A&M and Central Florida. Home run hitter Andre Hall ran for more than 150 yards in both games and ranks No. 9 in the country in rushing.
Prediction: Louisville 41 ... South Florida 21
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 1 USC at No. 24 Oregon
Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
Line:
USC -21.5
Everyone's looking for the potential stumbling block for the USC juggernaut. With the frenzy that is Autzen Stadium, the history of beating good teams, and the talent on offense to hang with most of the nation's best offenses, Oregon is the chic pick to end USC's 24-game winning streak. This is a 3-0 Duck squad that's hoping to not just pull off the big upset, but to also become the lead dog in the Pac 10 race. USC has been better than anyone could've expected outscoring Hawaii and Arkansas by a combined score of 133 to 34; it could've been a lot worse. Everything is working for the offensive machine, but it could get a tremendous test before what could be the real challenge to winning streak coming next week at Arizona State. This is the first time the teams have faced each other since 2002.
Prediction: USC 45 ... Oregon 31
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Indiana St. at No. 19 Texas Tech
Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
Line:
No Line
Oh the humanity. After obliterating Sam Houston State 80-21, the nation's number one offense might hit the century mark against a horrible Indiana State team. The Sycamores are on a nine-game losing streak coming off a 27-15 loss to Murray State. Texas Tech will get one final scrimmage before hosting Kansas and diving into Big 12 play next week. It's no surprise that Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges is leading the Big 12 in passing efficiency with 890 yards and nine touchdowns, and it shouldn't be a shocker that backup Graham Harrell is third in the league completing 21 of 25 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown. In only two games, Texas Tech quarterback have combined to complete 77 of 100 passes for 1,168 yards and ten touchdowns without an interception.
Prediction: Texas Tech 84 ... Indiana State 0
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 7 Georgia at Mississippi St.
Saturday at 9 p.m. ET
Line:
UGA -15
Georgia goes on the road for the first time this year facing a Mississippi State team looking to make a big statement after beating Tulane 21-14. The Bulldogs, the Georgia version, haven't been sharp over the past two weeks despite coming up with wins, and hope this to be the game for everything to come together before going to Tennessee in two weeks. MSU has a brutal SEC schedule to start off losing to Auburn 28-0 two weeks ago and getting LSU and Florida after the Georgia game. With things lightening up down the stretch, an upset win sometime over the next three weeks could mean a bowl game.
Prediction: Georgia 27 ... Mississippi State 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 18 Arizona St. at Oregon St.
Saturday at 10 p.m. ET
Line:
ASU -7
Arizona State is getting loads of respect after lighting up the NFL-talent loaded LSU defense like a Christmas tree, as well as Temple and Northwestern, but it has to prove it can win on the road, and keep its focus, with a showdown against USC on the horizon. Oregon State has to be a bit concerned after getting obliterated by Louisville in a 63-24 laugher, but all can be forgiven with a win over the loaded Sun Devils and a 1-0 Pac 10 record. It's the nation's No. 3 passing offense (ASU) vs. the nation's No. 5 passing attack. Have fun. OSU won't be anything more than a speedbump for the red-hot Sun Devils.
Prediction: Arizona St. 34 ... Oregon St. 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTraxComment
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Good luck this weekend BB!!
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Si.com
No. 10 Tennessee (1-1) at No. 3 LSU (1-0)
Did the Vols learn anything from their pilgrimage to Gainesville last Saturday? Hopefully, they learned that Gerald Riggs Jr. is their meal ticket no matter who is taking the snaps. The Bayou Bengals have emotion and everyone outside of Knoxville on their side -- and, should they win, they'll have the most impressive 2-0 record in the country.
LSU 24, Tennessee 22
7 p.m., ET (ABC)
Preview No. 1 USC (2-0) at No. 24 Oregon (3-0)
Matt Leinart, beard or no beard, reminds me more and more of Vincent Chase in Entourage. He's got youth, looks, fame, his homies and he's not so dumb as to turn down the lead role in Aquaman. I mean, you'd have to be an idiot. Does this mean that Reggie Bush is Turtle?
USC 45, Oregon 21
3:30 p.m, ET (ABC)
Preview No. 15 Georgia Tech (3-0) at No. 4 Virginia Tech (3-0)
The Hokies have pitched consecutive shutouts -- true, they were against Duke and Ohio -- and in Aaron Rouse and Jimmy Williams Virginia Tech has some of the most physical defensive backs in the nation. Here's an early prediction -- and it's not fair -- but Va. Tech may be this year's Auburn. If USC and Texas win out, the Hokies, who could easily go undefeated, may miss out a trip to Pasadena come January.
Virginia Tech 38, Georgia Tech 27
Noon ET (ABC)
Preview No. 21 Iowa (2-1) at No. 8 Ohio St. (2-1)
The Green Day memorial Wake Me Up When September Ends game for the loser, who will enter October with two losses. This Big Ten clash in Columbus is an informal NFL Linebacker Combine, as the Buckeyes' A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter and the Hawkeyes' Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge strut their stuff. A copy of American Idiot for the Hawkeyes, please.
Ohio State 31, Iowa 17
Noon ET (ESPN)
Preview No. 11 Purdue (2-0) at Minnesota (3-0)
It's Shakeout Saturday in the Big Ten, as its six top schools (we didn't forget you, Indiana; we're just not sold yet) face off. If you think of this trio of games as Charlie's Angels -- and who can help but do that? -- then the Boilermakers at Golden Gophers is Sabrina. At first glance, the least attractive, but, well, OK it's still the least attractive, but you could do much worse.
Minnesota 33, Purdue 31
Noon ET (ABC)
Preview Colorado (2-0) at No. 12 Miami (Fla.) (1-1)
The Buffaloes go from their Rocky Mountain high all the way to sea level, and the Hurricanes will bring them down to earth. Miami returner Devin Hester, who returned four punts or kickoffs for touchdowns last season, is due for a breakout game.
Miami 24, Colorado 13
5 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Preview No. 14 Michigan (2-1) at Wisconsin (3-0)
Lloyd Carr is 7-6 in September road games and three of those wins came at Illinois. Then again, Carr is 6-0 against the Badgers. If the Wolverines cannot stop the rushing attack of Brian Calhoun following 6-foot-2, 266-pound fullback Matt Bernstein, then the Cheeseheads will pull off the mild upset in Mad-town.
Wisconsin 29, Michigan 27
3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Preview No. 16 Notre Dame (2-1) at Washington (1-2)
The last time Ty Willingham faced his former team (Notre Dame at Stanford in '03) he was on the fat end of a 57-7 butchering. Now those same Irish who ran up the score with Willingham that day will oppose him in Seattle. The "Ty Bowl" may not be pretty.
Notre Dame 49, Washington 17
10 p.m. ET (TBS)
Preview No. 18 Arizona St. (2-1) at Oregon St. (2-1)
Top-ranked USC, with two of the three Heisman front-runners, rolled up 736 yards of total offense last Saturday ... which was only second-best in the Pac-10. The Sun Devils, with a quarterback whose name you may not know (Sam Keller), gained 773 yards while crushing Northwestern, 52-21.
Arizona State 41, Oregon State 27
2:30 p.m. (PPV) Western Kentucky (2-0) at Auburn (2-1)
The Hilltoppers strut into Jordan-Hare Stadium with the top ranking in I-AA. Tailback Lerron Moore is averaging 150 yards per game, but the Tigers have outscored their last two opponents 91-3 following a season-opening loss.
Auburn 55, Western Kentucky 7Comment
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Thesportingnews.com
Tennessee 20, LSU 17: Note: This game has been moved to Monday because of Hurricane Rita. The Vols' defense will hold on until quarterback Erik Ainge breaks out of his sophomore slump.
Clemson 27, Boston College 24: Until the Tigers' offense finishes drives, there will be plenty of last-minute games.
Miami 24, Colorado 14: The passing game will be fluid once the Canes consistently protect quarterback Kyle Wright.
Ohio State 17, Iowa 16: Why is this so confusing? Get Ted Ginn 10 to 15 touches per game.
Notre Dame 34, Washington 17: Apparently, Tyrone Willingham knows the Irish personnel. I mean, he does, right?
Michigan 23, Wisconsin 17: I'm not comfortable with Wolverines quarterback Chad Henne; I'm less thrilled with the Badgers defenseComment
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Mike & THe Maddog:
M: Ga Tech, Minny, Oregon, Nwest
MD: Kentucky, Virginia, IllinoisComment
It's always noon somewhere! 
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