This week in the glorious game of college football, the are many Top 25 teams that seem to have 'cupcake' competition. Games pitting top 25 squads against teams that already have 1 or 2 key losses seem to overwhelm the day.
But what many seem to not realize, is that this weekend is loaded with 'trap games', which is played before or after a tough or rival opponent. Better teams have a tendency to look past an opponent preparing for the following week's game, or have a letdown after beating a tough or rival opponent. As there are obviously more important games next week, I would bet that a good many of the best teams in football are not fully preparing for their lesser opponents this week. As the old maxim goes, they are counting their chickens before they hatch.
Trap games are what college football junkies, like myself, 'feed' off of. It is exhilarating to watch the top dog go down to the underdog. That is why I have found four Top 25 teams that should be on 'upset' alert for Saturday
Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
As a true Hokie fan, I hate to say that they should be on upset watch, but I must state the facts. Tom Savage and his Pitt Panthers are going to give Tech a game on Saturday in Blacksburg. First of all, Virginia Tech's offense has been quite inconsistent recently. One game, quarterback Logan Thomas will throw for 300 yards and no interceptions, and the next for 200, and a couple of turnovers. The Hokies may be 5-1 right now, but they could easily be 3-3 due to the boneheaded mistakes of Thomas, pulling out squeakers vs. Marshall, and East Carolina. Secondly, history seems to be on Pittsburgh's side recently. For whatever reason, Pitt has been a thorn in Virginia Tech’s side the past four meetings, mainly while the two programs were members of the Big East. We all remember how last year, the 0-2 Panthers thwacked the 2-0 Hokies, sending the Hokies on a major downward spiral. This year marks the first time they’ll play as members of the ACC’s Coastal Division, and another Pitt win would put the Panthers squarely in the conversation to win the division with Miami and Virginia Tech. Watch for this game to be an emotional one, and close to the end. I will be watching.
Oregon Ducks vs. Washington Huskies
By looking at the stats, one might think that the Washington Huskies DID score the huge upset in Palo Alto last week to beat the Stanford Cardinal. That, sadly, did not happen, but the kids from Seattle did prove that they certainly are a powerhouse in college football right now. They will now be fired up to take on their dreaded rival, the Oregon Ducks. Seattle is going to be rocking at 4:00 on Saturday to watch their prized duo lead the offense: Quarterback Keith Price and Running Back Bishop Sankey. Those two are torching the Pac 12, and Tony Washington & Co. at Oregon need to be ready to go to war. This game should be a showcase of two offensive juggernauts, and I predict both teams will score above 35. I say Washington pulls out a huge victory, ending Oregon's hopes for a National Championship year.
Stanford Cardinal vs. Utah Utes
Laugh at me all you want here, but I believe the kids in Salt Lake City will give the 5th ranked Cardinal a really tough matchup, especially if Utes quarterback Travis Wilson has a bounce back game. Wilson threw 6 interceptions last game, the most by any quarterback in the college football season. But here's the catch. Utah almost won that game, against a potential Top 10 team in the UCLA Bruins. The Washington Huskies showed the country last week how many 'glitches' Stanford actually has, and star wide receiver Dres Anderson and the Utes will be looking to take advantage of them in the big SLC. Utah will be fired up to the brim, as they have been looking to pull off a statement win in the Pac 12 for a while now. This will be their biggest opportunity yet.
Missouri Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. The Missouri Tigers are coming into Athens undefeated. Some say that they haven't played any tough teams yet, but I will dispute that. In their last game, Mizzou torched Jordan Matthews and his Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville. Yes, you read that right. Mizzou won 51-28 IN NASHVILLE. The Tigers seem to have a duo of stars at both the skill positions; Henry Josey and Russell Hansbrough at running back, and Dorial Green-Beckham and L'Damian Washington at wide receiver. Quarterback James Franklin is having an exceptionally impressive year, with 1407 yards, 13 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions so far. Georgia, on the other hand, is in a state of semi-panic right now, with injuries piling up daily. In their close win over the Tennessee Volunteers last week, Georgia lost key players for the season, including running back Keith Marshall and wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley. Star receiver Michael Bennett will be out for a while as well. One can only hope that quarterback Aaron Murray can quickly find a good relationship with some of the lesser receivers. I think Missouri will shock Georgia tomorrow, and actually by a substantial margin: 32-21.
College football is certainly getting more exciting every week, and I hope everyone finds enjoyment out of every game tomorrow.
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