Game of the Week - Curator Sam Burnham Arkansas @ Ole Miss I saw a joke last Saturday night about Ole Miss and Arkansas facing each other in “the consolation game” this week. I got a good chuckle out of that but last week puts a bit of incentive on this week for both the Rebels and the Razorbacks. Both of these teams came into last week with the wind in their sails. These teams each played one of the best teams in the nation on the road. Both had similar disappointing results. But neither of these teams really had anything to lose last week. No one was really surprised that Georgia and Alabama both won their games. While the losses were setbacks for two up and coming teams, they still have their realistic goals in reach. The rest of the season begins this week. Ole Miss and Arkansas both need a win. Two straight losses would be a setback. A strong rebound would get the winner back on track. Both of these teams are well coached. Sam Pittman and Lane Kiffin both know what needs to be done. Not only are they both rallying their troops, they will both come into this game with a plan. If you want to see two teams lay it all on the line, this will be a great choice. Game of the Week - Coach Drew Burnham Penn State @ Iowa The front half of this season has given us plenty of excitement. Clemson is unranked, a group of 5 team is in the top 5, and Kentucky and Wake Forest remain among the final unbeatens in the country. Now, for the first time since Minnesota played Wisconsin in 1962, the Big 10 will have a top 5 matchup not featuring Ohio State or Michigan because we have a top 5 showdown in…IOWA CITY? The Hawkeyes have been rolling thus far at the hands of the #2 scoring defense in the Nation allowing only 11 points a game. Both teams have what we thought were quality wins at the time, (Iowa over Iowa State and Penn State over Wisconsin and Auburn) but have since lost some of their shine. Both teams have felt a tight game in the 4thquarter. What will make the difference in this game is a team quality from long ago, an Antique attribute, a dusty trusty. It’s going to come down to the ghost of college football past: Defense. Nobody gets stops anymore. Nobody grinds games out into the 4th quarter. Nobody drags offenses out into the deep water for a good, old fashioned struggle. Nobody but Iowa, that is. This has all the makings of an instant classic. First team to 20 wins. They’ll wave at the children’s hospital to start the 4thquarter and after that someone will make a play to win this one late. Lane said it best. Get your popcorn ready. Game of Interest - Curator Sam Burnham Georgia @ Auburn Every year we hear about “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.” It might seem like a cliche but it matters. No one has to tell either of these teams what this game means. They know. Everyone in two states knows. I’m not brave, delusional, or crazy enough to put Georgia on upset alert. But I’m also not foolish enough to think that Auburn has no chance. They can play spoiler here and with the exception of the Iron Bowl, there’s no week of the year they would rather play that role. I say all that to say this one is going to be better than all the CFB talking heads will admit. This rivalry has a crazy history and I don’t expect this installment to be any different. I think Georgia will win this game but don’t sleep on the Tigers. Upset Alert - Coach Drew Burnham Texas vs Oklahoma The Red River shootout will not have any of the qualities I mentioned in the Iowa vs Penn State game. Sark vs. Lincoln, first one to get a stop wins. Texas has been working to establish themselves under new leadership while Oklahoma has sputtered early this year. The Sooners have won their 4 FBS games against highly average competition by an average of 5 points. Battle Tested? Yes. Do they have the killer instinct and explosiveness that we’ve come to expect from Oklahoma? Not that we’ve seen. There is an odd place where a team feels invincible because they haven’t lost even though they’ve played far below their standard or capability. That’s where Oklahoma is living right now and The Horns haven’t done quite enough to make them think they’re a true threat. A lot of things go out the window in such a big rivalry game, but it doesn’t change the tough time that Boomer is working through. Their program needs a humbling loss to reset and get back to what we’re used to seeing from them and I think Sark is just the man to oblige them and collect his first signature win as a graduate of the Saban Coaches Upgrade program. Curator’s Picks (13-12) Georgia over Auburn Kentucky over LSU Arkansas over Ole Miss Oklahoma over Texas Iowa over Penn State Coach’s Picks (13-12)
Georgia over Auburn Kentucky over LSU Ole Miss over Arkansas Texas over Oklahome Iowa over Penn State
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