Been very tight on time recently, so we're only previewing four games this weekend. This is probably the best slate of top-end games of the year to date.
(6) Penn State AT Wisconsin - The Badgers come off a tough loss against Ohio State, and Penn State comes off a ragged win. I think there's real potential for an upset here in this one, but this is also JoePa's best team this decade. Gonna be a close one in Camp Randall. Wisconsin 29, Penn State 24.
(17) Oklahoma State AT (3) Missouri - This will be a shootout. Both teams average about 50 points per game. Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin will lead the Tigers to victory at home. Mizzou 49, Oklahoma State 37.
(5) Texas vs. (1) Oklahoma, at the Cotton Bowl - This will be another classic Red River Shootout. Look for Texas to play well, pushing Oklahoma to its maximum. Oklahoma is the most complete team in the nation, with no holes on defense or offense, plus a fantastic QB in Sam Bradford. Colt McCoy will make or break his legacy at Texas in this one. If the Longhorns get a positive result, we'll be looking at a very interesting Big-12 for the remainder of this year. But I just don't see it here. Oklahoma has too many weapons and too few holes. Sooners 30, Longhorns 21.
GAME OF THE WEEK - (4) LSU AT (11) Florida - The Tigers head into the Swamp to take on Tim Tebow and the Gators. At the beginning of the year, I'd have said that home field virtually guaranteed a Gator victory in this one. Ricky Jean-Francios made some interesting, questionable comments this week that, while they were adequately explained, should fire up the Gators. Expect Florida's first complete game of the season. However, if anyone can go into the Swamp and win this year, I expect it to be LSU. A punishing defense and the most ridiculous running back stable in college football this year give LSU all the tools to beat the Gators, even with the home field cutting against them. Two keys to this game: (1) How does Jarrett Lee react to the high-pressure environment? While he has little experience in these type of games, he did lead LSU to victory, coming from behind at Auburn. (2) Will we see the 2007 or 2008 version of Tim Tebow? Against this defense, it would be more likely that we see the '08 Tebow, making some bad throws and questionable decisions. Ultimately, this one will be a grinding battle between two titans. As of now, I have seen much more strength from LSU than I have from Florida. But will this overcome the home field advantage? The riverboat gambler Les Miles will likely decide the winner and loser of this game with another crazy decision late in the game. Miles has an amazing track record to date with it, and I'm not picking against him here. LSU goes into the Swamp and wins on some crazy 4th down/onside kick/trick play/insane decision by Miles. LSU 23, Florida 21.
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