Top Ten College Football Games of Week Five

We are one-third of the way through our beloved college football season. Both instate programs are undefeated and face unique challenges this weekend. The SEC and Big 10, I mean 12, I mean Legends & Leaders (has conference realignment confused you?) take center stage this weekend with primetime match-ups. Here are this Spurspective’s picks:

1. Alabama@Florida: This game has so many storylines that I don’t know where to begin. Teacher (Nick Saban) versus Pupil (Will Muschamp) as Muschamp coached under Saban at LSU and in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. Last year in Tuscaloosa BAMA just manhandled Florida and provided a blueprint to the rest of the SEC on how to beat the Gators. I like the herd of pachyderms to escape the Swamp with a couple of hides Saturday night.
Prediction: Roll Tide over Florida 27-16.

2. Nebraska@Wisconsin: Nebraska makes its inaugural debut in Big 10 Conference play by visiting Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers. The Cornshuckers hope their black shirts defense can slow down N.C. State, I mean Wisconsin senior QB Russell Wilson. Neither team has been tested up to this point. Maybe Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini placed a phone call to TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson and asked to borrow his Rose Bowl defense for the trip to Madison, Wisconsin.
Prediction: Cheese beats Corn, Badgers 38-20

3. Clemson@Virginia Tech: Chad Morris, I mean Dabo Swinney leads the Tajh-Tigers up to Blacksburg to face a ho-hum defending ACC Champion Virginia Tech squad. The ACC Championship Trophy is post-marked for Clemson, sCUm fans have already made their BCS Championship Game reservations in New Orleans, a bronze bust of Chad Morris is already on reserve and Tajh Boyd is now a shoe-in for the Heisman Trophy.
Prediction: Gobble, gobble Hokies 37-17

4. Baylor@Kansas State: Huh? Why Big 12 leftovers so high? One name: Robert Griffin III or RG3. Baylor is a high-octane offense with little regard for defense while the ageless wonder Bill Snyder is trying to resurrect the Wildcats program again! These two Big 12 afterthoughts might not be prevalent in conference expansion talks but Baylor QB RG3 is worth a few minutes of your television viewing time.
Prediction: Kansas State claws Baylor Bears 51-48

5. Texas A&M/Arkansas: Old Southwest Conference foes square off in a 21st century SEC soon-to-be conference tilt. A&M lost a one-point heartbreaker at home last Saturday to Oklahoma State while the Hawgs got roasted in Tuscaloosa. Texas A&M would like to show its future SEC brethren a statement game in the house that Jerry built (Dallas Cowboys Stadium).
Prediction: 12th man 41-30 over Jerry Jones U.

6. Air Force@Navy: Veer Option or triple option fans get out your leather helmets because we’re going old school offense in this game. This game might take less than two hours since the forward pass is foreign to both teams. The race for the Commander’s Cup begins today!
Prediction: I’ll go sea over air; 35-21.

7. Auburn@South Carolina: Thank goodness there is no sign of any NCAA investigators at this game, oh wait it is Auburn and South Carolina? I guess the geniuses in Indianapolis can get a two-for-one “benefit” at the gate for this game, right? Instead of a pre-halftime sideline interview, we’ll have sideline interrogations.
Prediction: I’ll raise your $57k by $200k and call your bluff Gamecocks; Sir Big Spur 34-27 over Spirit, War Eagle!

8. Mississippi State@Georgia: The battle of the Bulldogs. I wonder if the officials will chalk the field with flea powder. Georgia tries to make it back-to-back wins over the Magnolia State. Dan Mullen would like to leave a lasting impression on UGA administration should Georgia decide to end the Mark Richt era.
Prediction: Bulldogs win 34-30; oops I mean hairy flea bags win 34-30, I mean UGA wins 34-30.

9. SMU@TCU: It’s the alphabet soup bowl. Spin the wheel please! I’ll buy a “U” please, Vanna.
Prediction: TCU solves the run-n-shoot puzzle and beats SMU 44-39.

10. Northwestern@Illinois: The Land of Lincoln battle heads 150 miles south of Chicago to the corn fields of Champagne, Illinois. The Northwestern brainiacs will try and outsmart their academically-challenged Big 10 comrades to the South. If this was a debate, hands down I go with the boys from Evanston, but unfortunately it’s not the size of your brain that determines the winner on a football field but the size & speed of your “jimmy’s & joe’s”.
Prediction: Chief Illini will need no smoke signals to beat the Wildcats; Illinois wins 41-24.

My next blog will be Monday afternoon when Spurspective reviews the USC/Auburn game and fast forwards to South Carolina/Kentucky game.

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