Saturday Forecast: Week 6
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by The Beast
1. Purdue will play Ohio State really, really tough
During Ohio State's 2002 championship season, the Buckeyes were nearly upset by Purdue in West Lafayette. The undefeated Boilermakers will once again try to shatter the Buckeyes's national championship hopes. What makes them so dangerous is the fact that their offense ranks first in the Big Ten, averaging nearly 50 points and 500 yards per game. Led by senior quarterback Curtis Painter, the Boilermakers have the ability to score on any play at any time. While Ohio State does have the conference's top defense, it is after all, a Big Ten defense. As seen with Michigan earlier this season, Big Ten defenses have difficulties stopping teams that run the spread offense and have more speed. Because of this "mismatch," expect the Boilermakers to be in this game up until the final whistle blows.
2. Virginia Tech is going to get Whacked
Virginia Tech has underachieved all season long in addition to having numerous offensive difficulties. This weekend they travel to Death Valley to face an angry Clemson Tigers team that just lost last week to Georgia Tech. Expect the Tigers to unleash their offensive weapons in Quarterback Cullen Harper and the terrific running back duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. The Hokies have been awful this season and expect this game to be a blowout where Tiger fans celebrate all day long.
3. Joe McKnight will show you what the hype has been all about
LSU fans have been quick to point to the fact that USC's Joe McKnight has yet to live up to the high expectations that he garnered as a high school senior, but that will change this Saturday against Stanford. Outside of starting tailback Chauncy Washington, most of the Trojan backfield will be out due to injuries. Therefore the McKnight should get more carries against a weak Stanford defense. Due to more carries, especially in garbage time, watch for the Louisiana native to total over 150 yards of offense.
Must Win Game for...
Wisconsin. So far this season, the Badgers have looked average in close victories over UNLV, the Citadel, Iowa, and Michigan State. Many pundits, especially SI's Stewart Mandel, are beginning to wonder if Wisconsin is deserving of their top ten status. If the Badgers truly believe that they are national title contenders then they better start playing a lot better.
Player Who Must Step Up...
Colt McCoy. Unlike last year were he was the Big XII Offensive Freshman of the year, Colt McCoy has had his struggles in 2007. So far this season, the Texas quarterback has failed to meet expectations. His poor play has led to narrow victories over Arkansas State and Central Florida. The inconsistent performances finally caught up to McCoy and the Longhorns as they lost by twenty points at home to Kansas State. If the Longhorns wish to win the Big XII south then they must start getting some consistency out of McCoy.
Upset of the Week
Notre Dame over UCLA Each week this year, the Irish have improved and last Saturday they actually outscored Purdue in the second half. Does that mean they can beat UCLA in Pasadena? Yes, a win is possible due to the Karl Dorrell factor. Dorrell is by far America's best at single-handily blowing games to inferior opponents (see the 44-6 loss to winless Utah). With Notre Dame improving each week, expect the Bruins to overlook the Irish and throw away the game in the fourth quarter.
Game of the Week
(1) LSU v. (9) Florida This game lost a little luster after Florida's loss to Auburn last weekend. However, this is still a highly anticipated showdown between two top ten teams in addition to being possible preview of the SEC Championship. Most people have pegged the Tigers to win this one but Florida still stands a chance for a few reasons. However, in the end LSU is just much better than the Gators. So far this season, Urban Meyer has relied way too much on Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. Expect LSU's defense to take away these two main threats. On the other side of the ball, LSU should be able to take advantage of Florida's weak secondary. Look for the Tigers to win this one, but Florida will be competitive for a while.
Picks
- (5) Wisconsin (+2.5) over Illinois: Look for the Badgers to show why they are a top ten team.
- (2) USC (-40.0) over Stanford: Forty points is a lot, but Stanford is really bad.
- (19) Texas (+11.0) over Oklahoma: Weird things happen in rivalry games and Texas should finally put things together.
- (21) Rutgers (-3.5) over (20) Cincinnati: The Scarlet Knights will bounce back after an embarrassing loss to Maryland last week.
- Tennessee (+1.0) over Georgia: Things have been tough for the Volunteers this year but expect Erik Ainge to carry the team to a home victory over Georgia.
Last week: 4-1
This Year: 22-4
