Week 4 Preview

Week 4 started out with a great game between Memphis and Cincinnati. The two teams went back and forth all night with Memphis coming out on top thanks to a game-clinching interception at the end of the game. Let’s hope the rest of the weekend is as exciting.

Notable Games
9UCLA at 16Arizona UCLA had an extremely close call last week, beating BYU 24-23. They start off their Pac12 games this week and have a tough task ahead of them. Arizona is coming off a huge 77-13 win over Northern Arizona and is looking to get a big home win. UCLA QB Josh Rosen needs to have a big game and play like a veteran rather than a true freshman. The biggest concern I have about UCLA is their scoring ability. Arizona has shown they can score a lot of points, will UCLA be able to match them, especially with Myles Jack now out for the season. I am picking UCLA.

18Utah at 13Oregon Oregon hasn’t had the greatest defense this season, but when your offense scores 60+ points, you don’t need the country’s greatest defense. Utah has been good this season, but I don’t think they will be able to hang with Oregon very long. Don’t count out the Utes though. They have to potential to pull an upset or at least make it close. But in the end I think the Ducks will be too much for Utah to handle. I am picking Oregon.

14Texas A&M vs Arkansas (Arlington) Arkansas needs this win. They are coming off two losses to teams outside of the SEC, which is both good and bad. Good because they have a chance to turn it around without being in a hole in conference play, bad because they have to go at least .500 in conference play to be bowl eligible. Texas A&M has been very impressive so far this season. Their defense is greatly improved from last season and both of their QBs are mobile and playmakers. If they get out of the pocket and into Arkansas’ secondary, it will be a long game for the Hogs. The Razorbacks lost another WR to injury last week, so the RBs and TEs will need to step up. Brandon Allen also needs to have a better game throwing the ball. He has been very inconsistent in the last two games. Arkansas isn’t out of it yet, but they really need a win in this game.

19USC at Arizona State USC will be looking to bounce back after their loss to Stanford. Arizona State is hoping to prove that they still belong in the conversation and in the top 25. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, USC has been known for its strong offense, much like Texas A&M. This has the potential to be an extremely high scoring game. I think USC will end up winning the game, but I expect it to be a close one that is probably decided by a defensive or special teams score. This game will tell us a lot about how USC will respond to hardships this season. I am picking USC.

24Oklahoma State at Texas Texas was a PAT away from forcing California into overtime last week. The Longhorns scored what all expected to be the game tying TD with 1:11 left to play in regulation, but the PAT was wide right leaving Texas down 1 point. I haven’t really had the chance to watch Oklahoma State this season, but I think Texas needs and wants this win more. I am picking Texas.

Tennessee at Florida This was a difficult game for me to pick. Both of these teams have been back and forth this season. Florida had a close call against Kentucky last week, winning 14-9. Tennessee had a big win over Western Carolina after their 2OT loss to Oklahoma. This is Tennessee’s SEC opener and will set the bar for the rest of their season. This is a big game in the SEC East race. I think Tennessee will outscore Florida, but it will be a close game. I am picking Tennessee.

Mississippi State at Auburn Auburn has been extremely underwhelming this season. Auburn was dominated by LSU and Leonard Fournette last week. Mississippi State came close to taking down LSU and has a chance to beat the other Tigers of the West. But I think the fact that Auburn is the home team in this game will be the difference. Jordan-Hare is an amazing venue for college football and they now have a huge video board. The Tigers have made a change at QB and I think that will help them. I think this is a very close game and will come down to a defensive or special teams play. I am picking Auburn.

Top 25
Western Michigan at 1Ohio State
Central Michigan at 2Michigan State
Vanderbilt at 3Ole Miss
3TCU at Texas Tech
Rice at 5Baylor
Massachusetts at 6Notre Dame
Southern at 7Georgia
8LSU at Syracuse
ULM at 12Alabama
Ball State at 17Northwestern
20Georgia Tech at Duke
21Stanford 42 Oregon State 24 (Fri)
Hawaii at 22Wisconsin
22BYU at Michigan
25Missouri at Kentucky

Other Games
Memphis 53 Cincinnati 46 (Thurs)
UCF at South Carolina
Arkansas State at Toledo
California at Washington