Badgers focused on Michigan
— -- Michigan at Wisconsin
| GAME TIME: | 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC |
| LAST MEETING: | 1998 -- Michigan 27, Wisconsin 10 |
| SERIES: | Michigan leads 43-10-1 |
Wisconsin's upset loss to Cincinnati last week removed some of this game's luster in terms of the rankings and the pregame hype. But you can attribute last week's loss to Wisconsin looking past Cincinnati toward Michigan. The Badgers were not focused on the goal of that day, to beat Cincinnati, and ended up beating themselves.
Last week I was warning people about criticizing Florida's defense too soon. This week I'm warning people about jumping off the Wisconsin bandwagon too soon and thinking the Badgers are an average team. They still have tremendous talent. Michigan, meanwhile, has been methodically taking care of things, playing typical Michigan football -- solid defense and efficient offense. While not flashy, the Wolverines have shown an ability to score quickly. They have more of a threat at receiver with Marquise Walker and David Terrell.
I'm still uneasy because of the way the quarterback situation is being handled. I prefer that they pick one player, whether it's Tom Brady or Drew Henson. Brady has been elected captain, he led the team to a co-championship last year, and is a very good quarterback. Henson continues to gain confidence the more he plays. Because of that, we will continue to see the Wolverines shuffling the quarterbacks. It will be interesting to see how that affects the dynamics of the team. I think they need to make a decision as soon as possible.
As far as the game is concerned, can Michigan's defense stop Ron Dayne and force the Wisconsin passing game to beat it? And can the Michigan offense deal with a hostile environment by picking up first downs, running Anthony Thomas and throwing the play-action pass to Terrell and Walker?
The key to stopping Dayne is stopping the passing game. If Michigan can stop the passing game, then it makes Dayne ineffective because the Wolverines have no respect for Wisconsin's ability to pass. They can put nine men in the box and stop Dayne. If the Badgers can throw, the Michigan defense will have to play more conservatively. That's when the running lanes open up for Dayne.
Arkansas at Alabama
| GAME TIME: | 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, CBS |
| LAST MEETING: | 1998 -- Arkansas 28, Alabama 6 |
| SERIES: | Alabama leads 5-4 |
Arkansas has a tremendously talented team in terms of skill-position players. Clint Stoerner is back at quarterback and is one of the most experienced in the SEC. What he went through last year really helps him for the future. He is the key to Arkansas' success for the entire year, not just Saturday.
What will be key for Alabama is how the Tide can contain Arkansas' skill players like receiver Anthony Lucas and running back Chrys Chukwuma. To do that, the Tide needs a pass rush on Stoerner. One thing that made Arkansas so good last year was it had a tough, physical, experienced offensive line. This will be a good game to test a new cast of characters. In games against SMU and Louisiana-Monroe, the line has not been as dominant as last year. For the Razorbacks to beat Alabama, the line must play better. Also, look for Arkansas to open up the offense more. The Razorbacks have been a little conservative so far.
For Alabama's offense, it comes down to avoiding mistakes. The Crimson Tide has really hurt itself with mistakes this year. They have one of the best running backs in the SEC, if not the country, in Shaun Alexander. They will give him the football one way or another. He needs 25-30 touches a game because he could do so many things.
I like Alabama over Arkansas because the Tide is playing at home, and there's urgency and redemption after last week's loss to Louisiana Tech and last year's 42-6 defeat to Arkansas. Alabama's athletic defensive front will be more than Arkansas' offensive line can handle. I think the Tide will get pressure on Stoerner, stuff the run, and win a close one.
Southern Mississippi at Texas A&M
| GAME TIME: | 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC (regional) |
| LAST MEETING: | 1998 -- Texas A&M 24, Southern Miss 6 |
| SERIES: | Texas A&M leads 6-0 |
Southern Miss has a great defense. The Golden Eagles gained some confidence after last week's close loss to Nebraska. Southern Miss held Nebraska without a first down for the first 15 minutes and outgained the 'Huskers 293-185. But six turnovers killed them. The Eagles need to protect the ball better this week to have a chance against A&M.
Confidence from the Nebraska game will help Southern Miss prepare for another tough Big 12 team. It will require another stalwart defensive effort to beat the Aggies in College Station. The Eagles will have to stop Dante Hall and the running game of Texas A&M, forcing Randy McCown to throw the ball downfield.
In the last 10 years they have been competitive, the Golden Eagles have been known for upsets, going back to Florida State in 1989. They have a pretty good quarterback in Jeff Kelly, who has a solid receiving target in Todd Pinkston. They will test Texas A&M with their ability to throw the ball downfield. I think the Aggies' athletic defense will make it difficult for Southern Miss to execute its offense.
On the other side, keep an eye on defensive end Adalius Thomas, who is the man on the Southern Miss defense. Look for the Aggies to avoid him at all costs or maybe run underneath him with Hall because of Thomas' speed upfield. A&M's defensive speed and ability to create turnovers should win this game for the Aggies.
Colorado at Washington
| GAME TIME: | 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC (regional) |
| LAST MEETING: | 1996 -- Colorado 33, Washington 21 |
| SERIES: | Colorado leads 5-3-1 |
Rick Neuheisel is going through a tough transition in trying to deal with a lack of big-play ability from his Washington receivers. Marques Tuiasosopo is a talented quarterback, but unfortunately the offense can't click without a deep threat.
Colorado will bring two very good cover cornerbacks in Damen Wheeler and Ben Kelly, look to shut down Washington's short passing game, and blitz Tuiasosopo to negate his scrambling ability and the running game.
I think Colorado will beat Washington. Quarterback Mike Moschetti has been playing well since the Colorado State loss, and the Buffaloes have too many offensive weapons. Their defense is athletic enough to shut down Washington.
USC at Oregon
| GAME TIME: | 10:15 p.m. ET Saturday |
| LAST MEETING: | 1998 -- Oregon 17, USC 13 |
| SERIES: | USC leads 33-12-2 |
The Trojans are quietly off to a decent start. Quarterback Carson Palmer has been very effective in the first couple of games. He will need to have a big day for the Trojans to have any success at all against the Ducks. For USC to win, Palmer will need to deliver the ball to big-play receivers R. Jay Soward and freshman Kareem Kelly. Look for Chad Morton to carry the load for the Trojans on the ground.
Oregon's defense is relatively conservative; the Ducks have a bend-but-don't-break mentality. Their strength is the linebacking crew led by Peter Sirmon. Playing at home will have the Ducks' defense playing at an all-time high.
On offense, it's Akiki who? Oregon is led by quarterback A.J. Feeley, who has thrown for seven touchdowns with only one interception. I loved what I saw from Feeley in his first start against Michigan State. He has great presence in the pocket. Look out for the Oregon tight ends as receivers. And Reuben Droughns appears to have regained the form that made him one of the nation's top backs last year.
I like Oregon playing at home. It has been a frustrating start for the Pac-10, but look for the Ducks to gain the confidence to think they are a legitimate contender, even without Akili Smith.