Well, this week in college football doesn't contain the same level of mouthwatering matchups as last Saturday. But, there are certainly some games that will impact the national title race, especially for TCU HC Gary Patterson below. Who will take the reins this week to move up the ladder?
Big Kielbasa's Game Of the Week - #10 TCU (6-0) vs. #16 BYU (6-1)
There is only one game this week that pits ranked teams together and its in the Mountain West Conference?? That's right, and these two teams certainly deserve their lofty rankings with the way they have played this season. TCU boasts one of the nation's top 5 defenses, while BYU seems to have recovered from their shocking loss to Florida State. If any one conference has done more to elevate themselves into the BCS discussion on a yearly basis, it's the Mountain West. And if they want that to continue, then TCU needs to win this game. Unfortunately for them, BYU is the better team at home, and will avenge last season's loss to the Horned Frogs. PICK-BYU
Beer Brat's Spotlight Game Of the Week - Oregon St. (4-2) @ #7 USC (5-1)
Our spotlight game once again focuses on the Trojans of USC in the middle of their 3-game stretch that will decide their season. Last week, Matt Barkley really, really came of age by shredding the ND defense in South Bend. This week, the Trojans look to take revenge out on Oregon St. for their upset of USC last season. Both teams have changed a lot since last season, but one thing remains the same, and that's Oregon St. RB Jacquizz Rodgers. Rodgers is 2nd in the Pac 10 in rushing and will certainly be the focal point of the USC defense. A combination of Rodgers, and the sandwiching of this game between road trips to ND and Oregon will make this closer than the experts think. Still, USC takes this one by a field goal. PICK-USC
Chorizo's Upset Of the Week - #24 Kansas (5-1) vs. Oklahoma (3-3)
Speaking of letdowns, even those of us who have no love lost for the Sooners, you've gotta feel for their bad luck this year. First, they lose All-American TE Jermaine Gresham, several offensive lineman, and now Sam Bradford seems to officially be done for the season. Even after the loss of Bradford last Saturday, Oklahoma fought hard to hang in there with Texas for 3 quarters. But, there's only so much adversity an already flawed team can overcome. Going to Lawrence, KS as an 8 point favorite doesn't bode well for them. Kansas will be looking for redemption after their horrid loss at Colorado, so what better way than to beat the Sooners for the first time in 12 years? PICK-Kansas
Andouille's Under the Radar Game - #6 Iowa (7-0) @ Michigan St. (4-3)
Our underrated game of the week is in the Big 10 between Iowa and Michigan St. At first glance of the records, one might consider this an easy game. But, Michigan St. was highly touted coming into the season as a dark horse threat for the Big 10 crown and have really rebounded from some bad losses, winning 3 games in a row. Iowa, though being undefeated, is still looking for respect from the pollsters and the national media. For them to make a serious push, they'll have to hope respect takes care of itself if they keep winning games. A trip to East Lansing won't be easy, but pay attention to see if Iowa comes out ready to go like they did against Michigan and Penn St., or if they come out flat as a pancake. The best bet, they'll be somewhere between a crepe and a waffle, and skate by with a close win. PICK-Iowa
Hot Dog Of The Week - Mark Ingram - RB Alabama
Please Mark, we at RSS are begging you, take charge of this Heisman trophy race once and for all. The lazy, no-account Heisman voters will look for any excuse to hand the Heisman to Tim Tebow on a silver platter. But, you Mark, are the only person who can take it from him. You put the nation on notice with 150 yards and 2 TDs against Va. Tech in the season opener, but your campaign officially sprung to life with 246 yards and a TD last week at South Carolina. Even with another respectable performance this week against Tennessee, you will cement your status as the Heisman front-runner. Your task will be difficult, now that teams will focus their gameplan on stopping you, but, we believe in you...don't let us down, please!
Extra Toppings -
-While their game doesn't merit a spot in the preview, you can bet many eyes will be glued to Columbus this week to watch Terrelle Pryor. TP had the worst game of his career last week and has everyone talking, from his HS coach, to LeBron James. Make no mistake, how he responds this week will shape the rest of his Buckeye career.
-The one reliable piece of info about Pryor this week came from his favorite WR, DeVier Posey, who accurately stated things couldn't get worse for the much maligned QB. One thing Posey failed to mention, things can still get worse for HC Jim Tressell...especially if the Bucks lose at home to lowly Minnesota.
-Without a doubt, the most emotional game of the weekend will be in Morgantown when Connecticut visits West Virginia. It will be tough for UConn to be in any right frame of mind after the heartbreaking murder of CB Jasper Howard, but hopefully, football can be a safe haven for the young men affected by the tragedy. You can bet a lot of people around the nation will be Huskies fans the rest of the season.
-If you're looking for another take on this week's slate, make sure you check out the picks from our friends over at Rumors & Rants
-Also, if you care anything about Ohio Wesleyan or Washington University football, tune in to the link here to watch live, streaming coverage provided by yours truly, the Yoders from RSS. The game will start at 1pm and should be exciting...at least for the fans of these two D3 programs.
-As the rankings unfold, it's becoming more and more clear college football should abandon preseason rankings. Look how long it took Alabama to surpass Florida for the #1 overall ranking. Teams like Iowa, Cincinnati, and TCU face an uphill climb to pass the top 3 BCS teams, even if one of them loses. Wait and post the rankings until at least October to release the 1st rankings...and yes, I know I'm actually agreeing with the BCS model, but I promise I won't do it again.
-On a similar topic, only at Notre Dame can a QB lose the most important game of his career, and actually move up in the Heisman Trophy discussion. Somewhere, Don King is smiling, wonder how he can worm his way into Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday.
Randall's Got His Eye On You... SEC Officials
Needless to say, the state of officiating across all of our sports may be at an all-time low. Mike Scioscia's face says it all about the lousy umpiring in the ALCS and the entire baseball playoffs. The real referees are close to coming back to the NBA, and that may actually be worse news than keeping replacement refs! And finally, after two dubious weeks of decisions (which "coincidentally cost huge underdogs wins over LSU and Florida") an SEC officiating crew has been suspended for this week's games. While it doesn't look like there will be any major upsets in the SEC this week, one more bad call going against an underdog may draw a Senate investigation into SEC officials. I'm sure the SEC wants nothing more than a de facto national semifinal between Alabama and Florida...but hopefully not at the expense of their referees reputation.
That's it for our CFB Preview, but join us tomorrow as Hot Off The Grill returns with our preview of the upcoming NFL week. Also, don't forget about our EPL Picks, as well as the impending return of the Decade Series! Until then, it's bye for now!
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