While the SEC continues to shake out with the big East Division battle between Georgia and Florida (or is it Florida-Georgia?), things could get a little bumpy on a national level. Seven of the top 10 teams are on the road this week.
With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for this week involving the college football landscape outside of the SEC:
1. Upsets? Ute better believe it – No. 4 Washington travels to No. 17 Utah for a huge Pac-12 showdown of division co-leaders. The undefeated Huskies (7-0) sit atop the North Division with sister school Washington State. Both are 4-0 in conference play. But Washington’s opponents have a combined record of 18-33. Utah (7-1) is sitting in wait for Saturday’s game perched atop the South Division along with Colorado. Both are 4-1 in conference games. Utah is better prepared for this one, having already played a schedule that included BYU, Cal and USC. Look for the more battle-tested Utes to pull the upset at home.
2. Nebraska comes down to earth – Former Oregon State head coach Mike Riley has pumped new life into the Cornhuskers’ program. Heading into Saturday’s game at No. 11 Wisconsin, he has Nebraska ranked No. 7 in the country and leading the Big Ten West. The Cornhuskers are one of just two undefeated teams left in the conference. But the feel-good story hits a bump in the road on Saturday when the Cornhuskers go down for the first time. Wisconsin wears down Nebraska at Camp Randall and hands the Huskers their first loss.
3. Among top 10 teams, one doesn’t belong – So No. 8 and undefeated Baylor is going on the road Saturday to play a Texas team that has more losses than wins (3-4). Easy peasy, right? Wrong. The Bears are going to struggle, and Vegas knows it. A 6-0 Baylor team is just a 3-point favorite to beat a team below the .500-level. What’s wrong with that picture? Baylor is one of three teams without a loss in Big 12 play. After Saturday, Texas will whittle that number down. The Longhorns pull the (mild?) upset.
4. Dalvin Cook keeps Florida State close – The No. 12 Seminoles will try to ground and pound No. 3 Clemson in an attempt to keep its QB, Deshaun Watson, and that high-powered offense off the field. For that to happen, Cook must have a big game. Clemson is only average against the run: seventh in the ACC, yielding an average of 132.4 rushing yards per game. So that plays into the hands of FSU and Cook. Look for the Seminoles’ running back to reach 150 yards in this high-scoring affair at Tallahassee.
5. Michigan exacts payback – There won’t be any last-second miracles this time when bitter rivals Michigan and Michigan State take the field on Saturday. No. 2 Michigan will lean on its defense and make things very difficult for the Spartans (2-5, 0-4 in Big Ten) to even score any points. The Wolverines take out all their frustrations from last year’s crushing defeat. Michigan scores and scores often, winning this game by at least four touchdowns.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
