Shane O Mac’s Games of the Week (Week 5)
So this is it folks!! The cupcake games are finally over and its time for the real games to start! Most of the FBS Teams are playing someone in their conference and I am so juiced for it that I am going to bed right after this so the first Saturday of October can come faster!
It started last night in Stillwater, where the Oklahoma State Cowboys came from behind and beat Texas A&M 38-35 off a last second field goal by Dan Bailey. The Cowboys only had 38 total yards in the final quarter, but 5 turnovers by the Aggies didn’t help their cause (4 INT by Jerrod Johnson). The Big XII Conference is up for grabs and it gets more and more up for grabs week by week. If you would of told me that the teams with undefeated records after the first four weeks would be Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma I would of called you out on three of the five. This conferences is exciting to watch and I am looking forward to see which two teams fight for the right to name themselves Big XII Champions.
Now onto important matters….WEEK 5 MATCHUPS!! It was hard to pick just five games, but here they are.
(22) Penn State (3-1, 0-0) vs. (17) Iowa (3-1, 0-0) – (8pm, ESPN)
The 2010 Big Ten season has officially kicked off this Saturday and this game is one of the headliners, but it has the potential to be a blowout. This primetime battle pits two teams who really don’t like each other. The Hawkeyes are the favorite in this one, a part they rarely have ever played in recent years. This game is full of history. Let’s go back to 2009 in the soggy, wet Beaver Stadium. It was primetime in front of the nation with an unranked Iowa team facing a undefeated Penn State team who on the first play from scrimmage scored a touchdown on a deep pass play. Fast forward to early in the fourth quarter…10-5 Iowa and Penn State couldn’t get anything done on offense. Adrian Clayborn is a name that makes Nittany Lion fans twitch every time they hear it. This is because he was the star in that game where he blocked a punt and rumbled into the endzone to dash any hopes of a undefeated season. So now it’s 2010 and Penn State brings in true freshman Rob Bolden to Kinnick Stadium, a place where the Nittany Lions haven’t won since 1999. The Nittany Lions don’t look solid on either offense or defense, but the defense seems a little bit stronger. A close encounter with Temple last week may have woken this team up because there’s no turning back now. Running Back Evan Royster is also having trouble running the ball with only a measly 297 yards and 1 touchdown to show for it. Penn State’s offense will be pressured by Iowa’s defense all game and watch for Bolden to make mistakes. Iowa’s quarterback Rick Stanzi is one yard away from 1,000 yards and has 9 total touchdowns and makes few mistakes. Iowa clearly has the advantage in the experience category and honestly I don’t see this game close at all. It will be your grandaddy’s Big Ten game with both teams being in the top 10 in points against. And don’t forget, because of the addition of Nebraska into the Big Ten these teams might not play for a while. So, whoever wins this one will have bragging right for at least two years. Iowa wins at home
(21) Texas (3-1, 1-0) vs. (8) Oklahoma (4-0 0-0) – (3:30, ABC)
The Red River Shootout or Rivalry…however you want to call it this one might not be close. I understand that Texas has won four out of five, but this is a different Texas team. This is a Texas team who allowed five turnovers against UCLA last week and got embarrassed at home. This is a Texas team who allows 18 points a game and has been untested. Now here comes the test rolling down into Dallas and the battlefield is the Cotton Bowl. The Oklahoma Sooners bring in Landry Jones who has completed 65% of his passes and has only thrown three interceptions. Garrett Gilbert has only four touchdowns and four interceptions. I honestly think that this game might get out of hand to in the second half and it could be all Sooners. But, deep down inside I think that #8 ranking is a bit high for Oklahoma and with this being a rivalry game, this will get ugly. Both teams know what’s on the line. Texas knows that if they do lose, Mack Brown might be in trouble and the team might not see a January bowl game. Oklahoma knows that if they do win and go 5-0, their next tough test might not come until……well it might never come!! After the 1st week scare against Utah State, the Sooners have been unstoppable and this week will be no different. From what I saw last week in Austin I don’t think the Longhorn players will be able to keep up with the Sooner offense. This will be a shootout, but I like Landry Jones’ and DeMarco Murray. So, the Sooners will win this game.
(11) Wisconsin (4-0 0-0) vs. (24) Michigan State (4-0 0-0) – (3:30, ABC)
The Spartans will be playing this game for Mark Dantonio, their head coach who had a heart attack just hours after the barnburner against Notre Dame. He will be in the skybox in East Lansing. I would call this the co-headliner in the Big Ten this Saturday, but this might blow the other Big Ten game right off the stage. This might be like the Black Sabbath/Van Halen tour in 1978. Most experts say that the opening band, Van Halen blew Sabbath off the stage. So the Spartans/Badgers matchup will be a great game. Which team will break first. Will Kirk Cousins lead the Spartans to their first 5-0 record since 1999 or will the two headed monster that has emerged in Madison reign supreme. John Clay isn’t the only big name running back in Madison. Freshman James White is talented as well and quarterback Scott Tolzien has completed 76% of his passes. Both teams looks similar on both sides of the ball and their schedule has had its ups and downs. The Spartans beat Notre Dame in the last second fake field goal thriller and the Badgers just beat Arizona State. Now they meet in East Lansing and both teams are undefeated. As I always say………….something’s got to give! I like Wisconsin in this one but it will be in double overtime (Yeah, I’m that confident it will be that close)
(9) Stanford (4-0 1-0) vs. (4) Oregon (4-0 1-0) – (8pm, ABC)
Well, if you’re looking for a 10-7 or 9-6 game you have came to the wrong place. If you think Oklahoma and Texas will be the “shootout” you are sadly mistaken. Eugene, Oregon is the site for this huge Pac-10 battle. This might very well be the biggest Pac-10 game in the history of the conference. This isn’t the Oregon-Oregon State game of last year where Rose Bowl implications were on the line, there’s NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP implications on the line here. Andrew Luck leads the Cardinal into this game where both teams are in the top 5 in total points. He has thrown 11 touchdowns compared to two interceptions. Stepfan Taylor leads the running attack while Doug Baldwin has caught three touchdowns. For the Ducks, they have weapons on all sides of the ball. LaMichael James had four touchdowns and has had numerous pretty runs this season. Quarterback Darron Thomas has thrown 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. The main question in this game is if Stanford can stop the passing and running attack of the Ducks. Autzen Stadium will be crazy in this primtime battle. Will Andrew Luck be rattled in this one? We will find out and I can’t wait! This game will be a barnburner as well, but I think that Oregon is just a bit stronger. The Ducks get a big win at home.
(1)Alabama (4-0 1-0) vs. (7) Florida (4-0 2-0) – (8pm, CBS)
On a side note, CBS has gotten some darn good SEC games this year and they have only been on the air for two weeks. On this Saturday they might be sadly disappointed with this primetime game. In my opinion, this game won’t be close. Alabama got their scare last week in Oxford and I don’t think they will get rattled again. John Brantley leads the Gators into Tuscaloosa into very hostile territory. The Gators haven’t looked like the Gators of old this season. In the first game it seemed that they couldn’t get the ball from center correctly but they are 4-0 and 1st in the SEC East. This is a rematch of the huge 1-2 matchup from last year in the SEC Championship and it might not be the last time these two guys play. Greg McElroy and Mark Ingram will show up in this game and won’t look back. Sorry CBS, but this one will be done after the 1st quarter. Tide roll.
Other games to watch:
Florida International (0-3,0-0) at Pitt (1-2, 0-0) (3:30, ESPN3) – Will Pitt ever be where they should have been before the season started?
Washington (1-2 0-0) at (18) USC (4-0, 1-0) (8pm, ESPN2) – Jake Locker was a Heisman candidate at the beginning of the season and hopefully he will show it at the Coliseum this Saturday night.
Navy (2-1) at Air Force (3-1,2-0) (2:30, Versus) – This game has the potential to be a sleeper great game. Both teams have winning records and military bragging rights on the line here. And it’s actually on national television.
