1) Schweinfurth 7-5 (1-2 upset)
1) Draper 7-5 (1-2 upset)
1) Seeberg 7-5 (0-3 upset)
4) Hoying 6-6 (1-2 upset)
After Ohio State's biggest D-1A blowout since Pitt in 1996 (sorry we're not sorry, Mark May), the Buckeyes are a virtual lock this Saturday against someone named "Bye Week," so we'll turn our attention to FIVE marquee match-ups across the country, from Kansas to Nebraska.
Auburn Tigers @ Kansas State Wildcats
Draper: Kansas State has been limping through the beginning of their schedule. They woke up just enough to stave off my Upset Special two weeks ago, but Auburn's running game should be too much. Nick Marshall keeps running Gus Malzahn's machine rumbling along to steamroll Bill Snyder's team on Bill Snyder Field. Thursday night matchup, but blowout results like most games this coming weekend. Aub: 45--KSU: 23
Hoying: Wow! An SEC team other than Tennessee goes on the road and actually leaves the South! In the last 31 years, Auburn has played 3(!) road games in Union territory (yes, yes, I know, excluding games @ Kentucky): 2008 @ West Virginia, 2002 @ USC, and 2001 @ Syracuse. What else do these games have in common? Auburn lost them all. If we expand our search to nonconference road games in general, the picture remains unchanged: of 5 such games in the last 13 years, the Tigers won zero of them. In a stunning twist, this creates a heavy presumption against the SEC team winning a game, but let's consider these teams on their own merits first. Auburn had a fantastic surprise season that ALMOST nobody at Let's Go Bucks! saw coming, but much of this success was driven by QB Nick Marshall and RB Tre Mason, the only combo in the country to rival Braxton and El Guapo for rushing prowess. Mason may be gone, but his replacement, Cameron Artis-Payne, gashed Arkansas and San Jose State for 6.9 yards/carry. Kansas State needed some 4th quarter magic to take down Iowa State, but they now have dealt with adversity and a hostile road environment, which Auburn has not. KSU QB Jake Waters is a dual-threat QB in the mold of Collin Klein, but he doesn't quite have the talent in and around him to pull off the upset. Aub: 27--KSU: 24
Schweinfurth: It has to be asked...is the the furthest north a SEC team is going to travel this year? I really don't know much about these two teams other than Nick Marshall and Malzahn's beast of an offense. KSU can hang with the Tigers, I'm sure and I believe that they will keep it within one score for most of the game. I still think Auburn is better. Aub: 28--KSU: 17
Seeberg: KSU is a tough team to figure out this season, having crushed a nobody and then sleepwalking against a mediocre Cyclone bunch (that then beat Iowa, woe is the B1G) before holding on late. Auburn has rolled two opponents, and their win over Arkansas looks pretty decent after the Hogs smashed the Ryan Gosling-led Red Raiders. This game is likely to be close for a half or so, but Auburn just has too many weapons to be shut down indefinitely. Aub: 34--KSU: 21
Clemson Tigers @ Florida State Seminoles
Draper: Clemson looks for revenge against the Noles who blasted them in Death Valley last year with their statement win. Sadly for the Tigers, Boyd and Watkins are playing (or benched) on Sundays. FSU has had an extra week to prepare for the Chad Morris weirdness and to seal some of the holes in their team. Winston will be fine (author note: The recent suspension of Jameis for a half--Why you so stupid Jameis?--makes this more interesting but FSU is still the better team. Final score has been adjusted but result doesn't change) and lead another big win on the way to another ACC title. Watch Rashad Greene. He may be a better possession receiver than Kelvin Benjamin. Clemson was serviceable between the hedges but maybe UGA wasn't as special as we thought. Clem: 17--FSU: 34
Hoying: Clemson had a hell of a game against "Bye Week" on Saturday, good enough to move them past Ohio State in the AP rankings. Unfortunately for them, Florida State played the same opponent, so both squads will be equally rested. Clemson pooped the bed against a fading Georgia team back in August and have yet to establish a viable running game. On the other sideline, Florida State will be without frittata Heisman-winning QB Jameis Winston for the first half, but it's not like Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins are going to be stepping in to save Clemson anytime soon. The Noles have looked unremarkable so far this season, but the lack of bed-pooping should continue for at least a few weeks. Clem: 16--FSU: 31
Schweinfurth: Is there anyone in college who is getting less out of an education than Jameis Winston? Look, I'm not saying he's a bad football player, I just think he may give Vince Young a run for his money come Wonderlick time. Even without Jameis, Florida State is loaded on both sides of the ball. Clemson is still reeling from the loss of Boyd and Watkins. This game feels like it could be a bit out of hand by half time, making a full game benching of Winston even more likely. Clem: 14--FSU: 45
Seeberg: This game was pretty cut and dry until In-Famous Jameis got himself benched for a half. Unfortunately for the Tigers, not only is this game @FSU, but their easy dismissal by Georgia wasn't as impressive a loss as most thought it to be after watching the Gamecocks score pretty much at will against the Bulldog D. The Seminoles' offense may be stagnant for a half, but their D will keep it close and Winston will close the door in the second half. Clem: 20--FSU: 31
Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Louisiana State Tigers
Draper: MSU may be undefeated but wins over Southern Miss, UAB, and South Alabama don't really impress. LSU's win over Wisconsin (even with a craptastic QB) easily trumps the Bulldogs'. Add in Death Valley and it's a recipe for disaster. Miles eats grass and poops out the Bulldogs. MSU: 17--LSU: 31
Hoying: After trailing Wisconsin 24-7, LSU has scored 108 unanswered points in this young season. The Tigers have looked great, but the SEC West appears to be the buzzsaw that everyone expected, going 18-0 against external opponents so far. The winner of this game finds themselves on Auburn's lap in the driver's seat toward the SEC championship. LSU struggled against the Wisconsin running game until they figured out that the Badgers couldn't throw. In contrast, MSU has shown great balance. Were this game in Starkville, I would be tempted to pick the upset, but Death Valley is a death sentence. MSU: 24--LSU: 31
Schweinfurth: Mississippi State is that one team that can rise up and pull the upset every now and again. Unfortunately, LSU is pretty good and at home. I'm with Hoying, I want to call the upset but Death Valley will prevail. MSU: 10--LSU: 28
Seeberg: I would REALLY like to see this game played in Starkville instead of Death Valley. Dan Mullen is doing a remarkable job in what is, as ESPN constantly reminds us, easily the best division in all of college football. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, so is the Mad Hatter which, by the way, is the name of a new burger joint here in Greensboro, NC that is REALLY good. I won't be dining there on Saturday, but the Mad Hatter's grass smoothies will get them to another win. MSU: 13--LSU: 24
Florida Gators @ Alabama Crimson Tide
Draper: What year is this? Is it 2008? No? Ok. Tebow is commentating and not playing harder than any quarterback has ever played before. Bama is at home to make things worse. I watched some of the UF/UK debacle on the SEC Network (I thought ESPN was already a thing?) which raises the concern in Gainsville exponentially. Sure, there's a chance UK is improving, but to seriously threaten the Gators in the Swamp? Now Muschamp goes to Bama to take his medicine. Just close your eyes and think of a better place. Papa Saban won't be gentle. UF: 10--Bama: 38
Hoying: After an awful 4-8 campaign last season, Florida...is still bad. With the return of Tennessee and the rise of Missouri, coupled with a schedule that includes Alabama AND LSU from the West, the Gators are going to have a heck of a time getting to .500, especially after losing a practically free win in week 1. Alabama looks fine, the game is in Tuscaloosa, nothing more to say. UF: 6--Bama: 27
Schweinfurth: This game can be summed up by one thing Will Muschamp's job. IF the Gators win, he may earn another year. Unfortunately for him, Nick Saban has an
Seeberg: Amazingly, there is a significant amount of good news for the Gators heading into Crimson Tide territory on Saturday. They're 2-0, their defense is looking quite stout under defensive-minded Will Muschamp, and they aren't in the SEC West. The bad news: Kentucky nearly pulled out a win against them in The Swamp, they have to play a couple teams from the SEC West, and Tim Tebow is too busy plugging T-Mobile to play QB. Reality, the form of Nick Saban's perfectly coiffed 'do, will set in quickly and coast late. UF: 10--Bama: 34
Miami Hurricanes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Draper: So many games and so little that matter. The Huskers finally looked competent last week. Jim Delaney needs that to continue. Miami has been 'eh' like Nebraska but the game in Lincoln should hopefully tip the scales (expecially since the weather seems to be breaking early. Perhaps this is more of a heart over head pick, but I'm going with the Huskers. Ameer Abdullah is a talented back that should be the Xfactor. Let's just hope Miami doesn't cause another opponent to have a "heart attack". UM: 17--Neb: 23
Hoying: Is this finally the year of Miami's triumphant return? Since the giant was slain in the desert by Ohio State on January 3, 2003, the Hurricanes have had exactly 1 10-win season. The comeback train might need to wait another year for its arrival, since the Canes got smacked by Louisville in week 1, but this year has shown that you don't have to be a juggernaut to knock off a B1G team, even on the road. Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah has been a bright point for the conference and an early favorite for MVP, and QB Tommy Armstrong is a terrific dual threat, but the Huskers looked tremendously mediocre against 1-AA McNeese State. If the Lackshirts can limit the Miami deep ball, Nebraska should be able to keep the playoff train rolling. UM: 27--Neb: 35
Schweinfurth: This is a bit of a nostalgia game to me. Miami has fallen on some rough times of late, but Nebraska hasn't exactly been blowing people's doors off either. Miami is just bad and Nebraska has Ameer Abdullah. Look for Abdullah to run for 125+ and Bo's cat to run for food. UM: 17--NEB: 28
Seeberg: If you had told anyone in college football 20 years ago that a 3-0 Nebraska team would just barely have squeaked into the rankings, they'd say you're crazy and that's a top 5 team easily. Today? I can't believe they're ranked at all after it took a Herculean effort by Ameer Abdullah to stave off Steve McNair's alma mater (sounds better than "middling I-AA McNeese State). The Hurricanes looked pretty lousy in their first away game, an 18-point loss at Louisville who was subsequently beaten at Virginia. Neither team is anywhere close to the level that their history would suggest, but the Cornhuskers offense is the best unit that will take the field, and they will eventually win the day. UM: 24--Neb: 38
Upset Special
Draper: Iowa over Pitt
Hoying: Utah over Michigan
Schweinfurth: West Virginia over Oklahoma
Seeberg: Central Michigan over Kansas
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