CFW Week 4 Forecast – Monumental Weekend
Pac-12 going out with a bang
This is stacked up to be a monumental weekend in college football. There are several enormous games. And, in case you haven’t noticed, the Pac-12 Conference, in its final season of existence, is going out with a bang.
First the weekend. There are no less than seven games this weekend matching undefeated teams. Five of the seven games pit teams ranked in the Top 25. The marquee of the bunch is No. 6 Ohio State against No. 9 Notre Dame in South Bend. Wow, what a contest the Buckeyes and Irish should be!
Not far behind, but every bit as exciting is No. 19 Colorado at No. 10 Oregon – Shedeur Sanders versus Bo Nix. You just know Neon Deion will have his players primed. And how about No. 7 Penn State hosting No. 24 Iowa? I see a defensive battle looming in State College.
Two more Pac-12 games round out the undefeated Top 25 battles. In Salt Lake City, No. 22 UCLA takes on No. 11 Utah. If that is not enough to keep you fired up, No. 14 Oregon State tangles with No. 21 Washington State in Pullman. D.J. Uiagalelei versus Cameron Ward should provide lots of offensive fireworks.
The final two games matching undefeated teams are No. 2 Michigan hosting unranked, but unbeaten, Rutgers. Are the Scarlet Knights for real? We’re about to find out. Also, No. 35 BYU at No. 31 Kansas. The winner will surely jump into the Top 25.
Those are the games matching undefeated teams. But we’re not finished with the excitement. Not yet at least. There are four monumental games pitting an undefeated team against a one-loss team. Two of these games contain Top 25 teams. No. 15 and undefeated Ole Miss takes on No. 13 and one-loss Alabama in Tuscaloosa. If that doesn’t stir your grits, No. 4 and undefeated Florida State battles No. 23 and one-loss Clemson in Death Valley.
Closing out the weekend’s top games are No. 34 and undefeated Auburn at No. 35 and one-loss Texas A&M, and No. 39 and undefeated UCF at No. 27 and one-loss Kansas State. Enjoy the fun!
Meanwhile, the Pac-12 Conference has been banging its drum. Three weekends into the season, the Pac-12 has blasted to the forefront of the Power Five. No less than eight Pac-12 teams – the most of any conference – are ranked in the Top 25. The eight teams are USC (#5), Washington (#8), Oregon (#10), Utah (#11), Oregon State (#14), Colorado (#19), Washington State (#21) and UCLA (#22). Three teams in the Top 10 and six in the Top 20. All eight of those teams are currently undefeated.
No team in the country has created more excitement than Colorado. Along with Coach Prime, the Buffaloes have dominated the scene, capturing the country’s conversation and attention.
The top two quarterbacks in the country in passing yards are Washington’s Michael Penix, Jr. (1,332 yards) and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders (1,251 yards). Three other Pac-12 quarterbacks are in the Top 20 in passing yards – Washington State’s Cameron Ward, Oregon’s Bo Nix and USC’s Caleb Williams. All five of those quarterbacks have completed better than 72% of their passes. All five are Heisman Trophy candidates.
In most season’s, the Pac-12 has been considered the weakest of the Power Five conferences. Not this year. This year, the Pac-12 is considered to be the strongest overall – the best. And it is all coming in the Pac-12’s final season of competition. Next year, the Pac-12 will be no more. At least, not as we currently know it. Ten of the teams will be competing in other conferences. The Pac-12 may be dying, but it’s going out with a bang. The Conference of Champions!
The outcome of two SEC games this week will be interesting. That’s because the season will be a disappointment and all but over for the losers of Arkansas at LSU and Mississippi State at South Carolina. Likewise for the loser of Boise State at San Diego State.
How will Tennessee respond to its loss at Florida? The Vols host UTSA. The Roadrunners can be feisty.
Maryland puts its undefeated record on the line at Michigan State.
Two longtime Texas rivals hook up this week in what’s generally a fun and exciting game. SMU meets TCU in Fort Worth.
Undefeated Georgia State has a tough assignment at Coastal Carolina, as does undefeated Liberty at FIU. Western Kentucky at Troy and Appalachian State at Wyoming have the potential to be wild and exciting contests. Fasten your seatbelt.
The Top 5 teams in this week’s AP Poll are: 1. Georgia (3-0), 2. Michigan (3-0), 3. Texas (3-0), 4. Florida State (3-0), and 5. USC (3-0). Georgia got 57 of the 63 first-place votes. Michigan got 2, Texas got 3 and Florida State got 1. Duke (3-0) is 18th, Colorado (3-0) is 19th and Florida (2-1) is 25th in the AP Poll.
The Top 5 teams in this week’s Coaches Poll are: 1. Georgia (3-0), 2. Michigan (3-0), 3. Florida State (3-0), 4. Ohio State (3-0), and 5. USC (3-0). Georgia got 62 of the 64 first-place votes. Michigan got 1 and Ohio State got 1. Duke (3-0) is 18th and Colorado (3-0) is 19th in the Coaches Poll. Florida is not ranked.
This week, Georgia hosts UAB and Michigan entertains Rutgers. Florida State visits Clemson and Texas travels to Baylor. USC plays at Arizona State, while Ohio State is on the road at Notre Dame.
In the FCS Coaches Poll, the Top 5 teams are 1. South Dakota State (3-0), 2. North Dakota State (3-0), 3. Montana State (2-1), 4. Sacramento State (3-0), and 5. William & Mary (3-0). South Dakota State received all 25 of the first-place votes. Harvard (1-0) is 25th in the Poll.
He was the head coach of Maine (1985-1986), Dartmouth (1987-1991), Tulane (1992-1996), Stanford (2092-2004) and Dartmouth a second time (2005-2023). Buddy Teevens died on September 19. Teevens, who played quarterback for Dartmouth (1975-1978), was also a running backs and quarterbacks coach at Florida (1999-2000). Then he was the offensive coordinator at Florida in 2001. He coached Dartmouth to five Ivy League titles. While riding a bicycle in St. Augustine, Florida, in March 2023, Teevens was hit by a car. His spinal cord was injured, and he lost his right leg. A native of Pembroke, Massachusetts, Eugene Francis “Buddy” Teevens was 66.
West Virginia is the best state in the country in men’s college soccer. In the latest rankings, Marshall (7-0-0) is No. 1, and West Virginia (6-0-1) is No. 2. The two teams meet on October 18.
Enjoy the monumental Saturday!
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
September 21, 2023
Note: CFW Week 4 Results will be posted Monday morning, September 25.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
Week Four’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Ohio State (3-0) at Notre Dame (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Ind.) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Notre Dame has the better quarterback in Sam Hartman and may have the better running back in Audric Estime. Both have looked good in four games – granted the competition hasn’t been the toughest. NC State was Notre Dame’s best opponent and the Irish beat the Wolfpack by three touchdowns. Ohio State has the better receivers and overall – the best team. The Buckeyes haven’t been tested either. Their best opponent was Indiana. Ohio State beat the Hoosiers by three touchdowns. The Buckeyes have limited opponents to just 6.7 points a game. Hartman and Estime will definitely test the Ohio State defense. But the Buckeyes will have an easier time scoring. The Irish defense has its weak spots. And Brutus exploits them – Ohio State 28, Notre Dame 23.
RUNNER-UP: 2. Colorado (3-0) at Oregon (3-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The excitement may be over for Coach Prime and his Buffaloes. Oregon is heavily favored. But then again, TCU was heavily favored too. We saw what Colorado did to the Frogs. Oregon and Colorado have both played good offense. Although, Colorado is bad in rushing offense. Only averaging 61 yards a game – 129th in the country. Both quarterbacks – Bo Nix and Shedeur Sanders – are listed as Heisman Trophy contenders. Only Oregon has played good defense. Colorado definitely has a problem on defense. The Buffaloes will be without the services of Travis Hunter. The receiver/defensive back is out with an injury. Puddles splashes Coach Prime – Oregon 34, Colorado 26.
RESRT OF THE BEST: 3. Iowa (3-0) at Penn State (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – This game could boil down to being a big defensive battle. Both teams play good defense. Penn State does have the better offense of the two. So, if any offensive breakthroughs come, they will come in favor of the Nitts. Iowa is playing better offense than the Hawkeyes did last year, but that is not saying much. Cade McNamara’s quarterbacking has been a bit of a disappointment so far. Drew Allar is off to a good start quarterbacking the Nitts. Overall, Penn State is the better team. The Hawkeyes are corny – Penn State 24, Iowa 17.
4. UCLA (3-0) at Utah (3-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – UCLA has been somewhat of a surprise. The Bruins are playing good football – offense and defense. Dante Moore has been a surprisingly good quarterback for the Bruins. Utah has been winning games without star quarterback Cam Rising. Rising is still recovering from a knee injury. It is unclear when he will return to the team. Defense has been winning the games for the Utes. They are stable on offense, but defense has been their strong point. Bruins get caught hibernating – Utah 28, UCLA 24.
5. Oregon State (3-0) at Washington State (3-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – What a game this should be – offense, offense, offense. And should we call it the Pac-12 Bowl? The game matches the two remaining members of the Pac-12 Conference. Washington State is led by quarterback Cameron Ward. He has already passed for 990 yards this season. The Cougars don’t have much of a running game. And they don’t have a defense. But they sure can score through the air. On the other side, Oregon State has been playing good offense and defense. On offense, the Beavers are led by quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and running back Damien Martinez. Oregon State was supposed to be good. Washington State is a surprise. But it’s the Cougars who get surprised – Oregon State 33, Washington State 30.
6. BYU (3-0) at Kansas (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – BYU is off to a good start, led by former USC and Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis. The Cougars won a big game on the road at Arkansas last week. They are not all that good on offense and defense, but they aren’t bad either. Kansas is doing well with quarterback Jalen Daniels and running back Devin Neal. The Jayhawks are similar to BYU. They are not great on offense and defense, but they aren’t bad either. Looks like a wild game in Lawrence. Cougars send the Jayhawks on a jaywalk – BYU 34, Kansas 27.
7. Florida State (3-0) at Clemson (2-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – The Tigers have owned the Noles. FSU last beat Clemson in 2014. The Tigers have won seven-straight. At one time – 1992 to 2002 – Florida State won 11-straight games. FSU leads the series 20-15. This appears to be the year of the Noles. Jordan Travis has been a genius at quarterback. But FSU is suspect on defense. After the opening loss to Duke, Clemson has looked sharp. But the Tigers haven’t played anyone. The pressure will be on quarterback Cade Klubnik. He could be the difference – good or bad. It’s bad for the Tigers – Florida State 27, Clemson 23.
8. Ole Miss (3-0) at Alabama (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Next to Colorado, Alabama is the most talked about team in the country. And not for the same reasons Colorado is being talked about. Just the opposite. The Tide lost at home to Texas. The Tide is not ranked in the Top 10. The Tide is playing musical quarterbacks. The Tide is just average on offense and defense. Bama fans are questioning Nick Saban. What’s up? Well, Ole Miss is up. The Magnolias are undefeated. They have a good offense. Not so sure about their defense. As quarterback Jaxson Dart goes, so goes Ole Miss. Dart is the Magnolias leading rusher and passer. Someone said that Lane Kiffin knows more about what’s going on in Tuscaloosa than Nick Saban does. People will still be talking about Alabama after this game. For all the wrong reasons – Ole Miss 30, Alabama 28.
9. UCF (3-0) at Kansas State (2-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – This is UCF’s debut Big 12 Conference game. It comes against a good team – Kansas State – and on the road. The Knights have one of the best offenses in the country. They are also playing good defense. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee may still be out due to his undisclosed injury. K-State stumbled last week. The Wildcats lost to Missouri on a 61-yard field goal as time expired. K-State quarterback Will Howard has had a great season. But now he is injured and may not play. This could be a cliffhanger. The Wildcats have nine lives – Kansas State 27, UCF 26.
10. Auburn (3-0) at Texas A&M (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Auburn is 3-0. But Auburn is an unknown. After this game, Auburn will no longer be an unknown. Texas A&M will tell us what the Tigers have and what they don’t have. Not that A&M is that good, but the Aggies will be a good barometer. A&M quarterback Conner Weigman has had a good season – 909 yards passing. One thing for sure, if Texas A&M loses, it will be curtains for Jimbo Fisher. He can’t survive a second loss this early in the season. Jimbo lives for another day – Texas A&M 24, Auburn 13.
Eleven other interesting and intriguing games to keep an eye on this weekend are: Georgia State (3-0) at Coastal Carolina (2-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN….. Boise State (1-2) at San Diego State (2-2) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:30 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN….. Rutgers (3-0) at Michigan (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN….. and SMU (2-1) at TCU (2-1) – (AAC vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1.
Also, Western Kentucky (2-1) at Troy (1-2) – (C-USA vs. Sun Belt) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU….. Maryland (3-0) at Michigan State (2-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC….. and UTSA (1-2) at Tennessee (2-1) – (AAC vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN.
Also, Liberty (3-0) at FIU (3-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….. Arkansas (2-1) at LSU (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN….. Appalachian State (2-1) at Wyoming (2-1) – (Sun Belt vs. MWC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….. and Mississippi State (2-1) at South Carolina (1-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Texas Tech (1-2) at West Virginia (2-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – WVU got through Pennsylvania (Penn State, Duquesne and Pitt) with a 2-1 record. Now, it’s the first of three-straight games against Texas teams – Texas Tech, TCU and Houston. How ironic. If the Mounties can go 2-1 against the Texas teams, they will be 4-2 halfway through the season. Not Bad. But first things first – Texas Tech. WVU is plain average on offense and defense. Nothing stands out. Texas Tech is off to a bad start – 1-2. The Red Raiders offense is better than their defense. It could be a nail biter in Morgantown. Mounties wreck Tech – West Virginia 27, Texas Tech 25.
Charlotte (1-2) at Florida (2-1) – (AAC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ After the big win over Tennessee last week, the Gators deserve a break. They will get more than a break this week. Charlotte is pretty bad. Yes, appropriate to the name, Charlotte plays like a girls’ team. It will be powder puff football in The Swamp on Saturday. Charlotte is one of the worst teams in the country on offense and even worse on defense. Billy Napier can play everybody. Albert makes sweet Charlotte hush, hush – Florida 49, Charlotte 10.
Louisiana Tech (2-2) at Nebraska (1-2) – (C-USA vs. Big Ten) – 3 :30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – After Saturday, the Huskers will be 2-2. Louisiana Tech is a softie. But that’s okay. The Huskers need to build their confidence before starting a steady diet of Big Ten competition. Nebraska is playing good defense. There are few problems on that side of the ball. Nebraska is 3rd in the country in rush defense – only giving up 43.6 yards a game. It’s the Nebraska offense that is a work in progress. And work has begun there. Jeff Simms was replaced at quarterback last week by Heinrich Haarberg. That in itself was progress. Herbie sends the Bulldogs to the pound – Nebraska 42, Louisiana Tech 9.
Duke (3-0) at Connecticut (0-3) – (ACC vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – This is Duke’s last cupcake before the Dookies settle into a steady diet of ACC teams. UConn is off to an awful start – worse than anticipated. Two of the Huskies’ three losses are to Georgia State and FIU. Head coach Jim Mora seems to have taken a step backward – two steps. UConn’s offense and defense are among the very worst in the country. Duke has a good offense led by quarterback Riley Leonard. And, amazingly, the Dookies have one of the best defenses in the country. The Dookies muzzle the Huskies – Duke 35, Connecticut 10.
UAB (1-2) at Georgia (3-0) – (AAC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – The only thing good you can say about UAB is the quarterback play of Jacob Zeno. Zeno has passed for 956 yards. Everything else about UAB is pretty bad, especially the defense. Georgia is doing well under quarterback Carson Beck. However, the running game has been weak. The Dawg’s defense is giving up just 8 points a game. It’s going to be a long day for the Blazers. Uga slays a dragon – Georgia 52, UAB 14.
Texas (3-0) at Baylor (1-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Not sure what Baylor team will show up against Texas. In general, the Bears have not looked good. But they almost, and should have, beaten Utah. Baylor got its act together in that game. Texas is off to a great start, including the win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Horns did go to sleep but woke up late against Wyoming. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is playing well. Texas should beat Baylor, but something tells me the Bears could give the Horns a battle. Bevo does some skinning – Texas 33, Baylor 14.
Wisconsin (2-1) at Purdue (1-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – So far, it looks like Wisconsin is not as good as the Badgers were supposed to be, and Purdue is worse than the Boilers were supposed to be. That could make for a sloppy game. Wisconsin has had good balance on offense – running and passing. Transfer quarterback Tanner Mordecai has been decent – 703 yards passing. Both schools are under first-year coaches. And like Wisconsin, Purdue has a transfer quarterback too – Hudson Card. These teams are still trying to find themselves. The Badgers find the goodies in West Lafayette – Wisconsin 28, Purdue 23.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Butler (2-1) at Stetson (2-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
Miami (3-0) at Temple (2-1) – (ACC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
Florida Atlantic (1-2) at Illinois (1-2) – (AAC vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN….
Rice (2-1) at South Florida (1-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….
Liberty (3-0) at FIU (3-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
Alabama State (1-1) at Florida A&M (2-1) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
Bethune-Cookman (1-2) at Jackson State (2-2) – SWAC vs. SWAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
West Georgia (2-1) at West Florida (2-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
Quotes of the Week
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Deion Sanders. First, he’s a great person, and he’s done a great job of marketing the program to create a lot of national interest,” Alabama coach Nick Saban.
Touchdown Tom
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