After last week’s stellar slate of football games, it’s a battle of the unbeatens in Knoxville as the Crimson Tide rolls on in, but do they roll through? It feels like all eyes in college football are wondering the same thing. Everyone has their favorite team, and many will say that they don’t care about Bama, but, deep down… you know that, whether No. 1 or No. 2, Alabama is the team to beat, and a lot of folks wonder if they can be knocked off the pedestal.
Most of the Top 25 match-ups this week look really competitive, but it’s a Big 10 match-up in Ann Arbor that warrants special attention. Penn State travels to take on Michigan, and that one could be exciting. Then you’ve got Oklahoma State up against TCU, Utah taking on USC, and NC State squaring up against Syracuse.
Absolutely electric.
No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee
The biggest question going into today was Bryce Young’s condition. An injury to his throwing shoulder had him listed as questionable as late as yesterday evening, but Albama has decided that Young will start against the Volunteers. Tennessee is at home, and they have something to prove. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, isn’t infallible. Just tough as hell. Young is a stellar quarterback while he’s in and you can’t just underestimate what he’ll do. But Tennessee is the No. 1 team in total offense, and their star quarterback, Hendon Hooker, has yet to throw an interception. Alabama cannot slow down on offense, or Tennessee will come out ahead. Simple as that.
No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU
Another battle of the unbeaten, and this one is a battle at the line of scrimmage. TCU has one of the best performing offensive attacks out there, and they’re No. 2 in the country in total offense, but their offensive line is inconsistent. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has one of the best defensive lines you can find, and they will be physical. If they can take advantage of TCU’s offensive line, then the Cowboys walk out with the win.
No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan
Michigan and Penn State both her their biggest tests today, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Michigan’s run game is just dominant, but Penn State’s ability to stop the run has been stellar. The problem is, Penn State doesn’t quite have the arsenal to match Michigan’s, so they will have to grind this one out to stay in the game. Empty possessions have to be kept to a minimum if you want to stop the Wolverines.
No. 15 NC State at No. 18 Syracuse
Two ranked ACC opponents, each in the toughest part of their season. NC State quarterback Devin Leary is questionable, which is something the Wolfpack really didn’t need. He is the cornerstone of that offense, and Syracuse isn’t going to take any sort of pity on them, with an attempt to shut down the offense and go come away 6-0, which apparently hasn’t happened in decades.
No. 7 USC at No. 20 Utah
Utah’s season has not gone the way they wanted it to, and the blame is squarely on their defense. They know what to do on the offensive side of the ball (though they are shaky at times), but their defense has not been able to lock it down, which is visible in their two losses on the season. The Trojans, meanwhile, have a stellar defense and are quite capable on offense. Utah fought their way back into the rankings after an opening week loss, but this particular test may be took much.
LSU at Florida
Tough one for me, personally. I love LSU and would love to see them succeed. But they’re in Game 7 of a program turnaround and after an absolutely awful Week 6, there are possibly even more questions now than there were after the lousy season opener. The Tigers have one thing they lacked before Coach Brian Kelly came down to Baton Rouge: Hope. But that may not be enough against the rebuilding Florida Gators. Their head coach, Billy Napier, used to coach just down the road from LSU at Louisiana-Lafayette, and when he went to Florida, he brought some of those players with him. They may never admit it, but there will be a certain satisfaction in beating the school everyone used to overlook them for. But, just like the Tigers, consistency has been a weekness.
Top 25 Schedule
No. 1 Georgia vs. Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Clemson at Florida State, 7:30 p.m.
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 10 Penn State, 12 p.m.
No. 7 USC at No. 20 Utah, 8 p.m.
No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 Ole Miss vs. Auburn, 12 p.m.
No. 15 NC State at No. 18 Syracuse, 3:30 p.m.
No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.
No. 19 Kansas at Oklahoma, 12 p.m.
No. 22 Texas vs. Iowa State, 12 p.m.
No. 24 Illinois vs. Minnesota, 12 p.m.
No. 25 James Madison at Georgia Southern, 4 p.m.