Overall: 28-14; last week: 6-3
Red River Rivalry: Texas vs. No. 11 Oklahoma in Dallas, Noon ABC
Oklahoma lost at TCU last week in a close game and Texas only scored seven points in a loss to Baylor. Texas' only wins this season are over North Texas and Kansas. Charlie Strong might get the Longhorns going eventually, but it could take awhile. Will the Texas big wigs give him awhile, though? So far this season, he's more known for kicking several players off the team than for any positive on-field exploits.
Oklahoma 31, Texas 17
No. 13 Georgia at No. 23 Missouri, Noon CBS
That was the sound of all the bettors switching and putting their money on Missouri's side of the table. Georgia RB Todd Gurley, the presumed Heisman frontrunner at this point of the season, was suspended indefinitely on Thursday for a possible violation of NCAA rules. Gurley has nearly 800 yards rushing. This is obviously a huge loss for the Bulldogs. Georgia will have to turn to freshman Nick Chubb in the backfield as its primary ball carrier. The Tigers rebounded nicely from a loss vs. Indiana two weeks ago by downing South Carolina on the road last week.
Missouri 24, Georgia 20
Duke at No. 22 Georgia Tech, 12:30 p.m. ACC Network
This is a huge game in the ACC Coastal Division. Last year's division champion, the Blue Devils, lost in their first ACC game against Miami two weeks ago and was off last week. The Yellow Jackets beat Miami last week and also already has a win over Virginia Tech. They are the clear frontrunner in the Coastal if they can take care of business against the Blue Devils (yes, even with Virginia undefeated in the ACC because UVa has to go to Atlanta in November). This matchup got a little juicier this week when Duke coach David Cutcliffe said it is hard for Georgia Tech to get high-end offensive players because of the rigid spread-option system of coach Paul Johnson. Johnson basically said that Cutcliffe should worry about his own problems and that the Jackets have done just fine against the Devils. He's right. Duke has not beaten Georgia Tech since 2003 and the Jackets have scored at least 30 points every season since 2009 (and the 2008 game was a 27-0 shutout win for GT). Even last year with Duke's renaissance, GT won, 38-14. I like Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech 38, Duke 21
Louisville at Clemson, 3:30 p.m. ESPNU
This is a big game for the ACC Atlantic Division. The winner establishes itself as the clear second-best team in the division after Florida State. Each team has one conference loss, Louisville to Virginia and Clemson to Florida State. The Cardinals' only loss overall, actually, has been to the Cavaliers but they haven't played particularly well this season. Meanwhile, the Tigers have taken off on offense since inserting Deshaun Watson at QB, scoring 50 and then 41 points the past two weeks.
Clemson 31, Louisville 23
Game of the week: No. 2 Auburn at No. 3 Mississippi State, 3:30 p.m. CBS
Tons of excitement for this one, and why not? Auburn slaughtered LSU last week and Mississippi State picked up a huge win over Texas A&M at home. The Bulldogs are hosting back-to-back big home games and this time they are facing the SEC champions from a year ago. I think the Tigers are easily the best team the Bulldogs have faced. Both of these squads easily got past LSU. Both quarterbacks, Dak Prescott for MSU and Nick Marshall for Auburn, have turned into stars. Hopefully, we are looking at an all-time classic. If Mississippi State wins this contest, watch out. I think it would then roll into Nov. 15 undefeated with a matchup at Alabama. Also notable, if MSU wins and Ole Miss wins later in the evening, both schools from Mississippi would be the class of the SEC West and undefeated while the two Alabama schools would have at least one loss each. I think Auburn is just better and will just barely get it done in a tough environment.
Auburn 34, Mississippi State 31
Looking to rebound: No. 12 Oregon at No. 18 UCLA, 3:30 p.m. FOX
Both of these teams, which had playoff aspirations at the beginning of the season, are coming off disappointing home losses, the Bruins by a 30-28 score against Utah and the Ducks against Arizona, 31-24. The shine is starting to wear off Oregon a bit I think, ever since Chip Kelly took the job with the NFL's Eagles. Oregon is still a good team, but I think it is slowly falling out of the elite with Mark Helfrich as head coach. The Bruins have never quite lived up to their top-10 preseason ranking, playing less-than-stellar games against Virginia, Memphis, and Texas before finally turning things around and blowing out then-No. 15-ranked Arizona State, 62-27, two weeks ago. I believe that the Ducks lost to a better team last week than the Bruins did and at the moment, the Ducks are the better team and they will find a way to pick up a road victory.
Oregon 35, UCLA 32
No. 9 TCU at No. 5 Baylor, 3:30 p.m. ABC/ESPN2
This is Red River Rivalry Saturday as you saw earlier with OU and Texas. Funny to think that it is not the biggest college football game in Texas on Saturday. This is. The Horned Frogs knocked off the undefeated Sooners last week in Fort Worth, 37-33, showing they are for real. Baylor has yet to be tested, cruising in victories over SMU, Northwestern State, Buffalo, Iowa State, and Texas. I'm going on a limb and taking another road team because I think TCU is more tested and I don't trust Baylor yet or that defense, which looked improved last year until getting into the meat of its schedule. So I'm waiting on the Bears to prove me wrong this season.
TCU 37, Baylor 35
No. 3 Ole Miss at No. 14 Texas A&M, 9 p.m. ESPN
Ok, make that a fourth straight road team I am taking in a top-25 matchup. I feel the most confident about this one, though. A&M is good, but the Aggies defense once again leaves something to be desired. The Rebels defense, meanwhile, has been very solid, allowing just 10.2 points per game, second in the nation. It will get in Aggie QB Kenny Hill's face and fluster the sophomore. I think this will be a good game, but I feel pretty good about picking Ole Miss.
Ole Miss 30, Texas A&M 24
Red River Rivalry: Texas vs. No. 11 Oklahoma in Dallas, Noon ABC
Oklahoma lost at TCU last week in a close game and Texas only scored seven points in a loss to Baylor. Texas' only wins this season are over North Texas and Kansas. Charlie Strong might get the Longhorns going eventually, but it could take awhile. Will the Texas big wigs give him awhile, though? So far this season, he's more known for kicking several players off the team than for any positive on-field exploits.
Oklahoma 31, Texas 17
No. 13 Georgia at No. 23 Missouri, Noon CBS
That was the sound of all the bettors switching and putting their money on Missouri's side of the table. Georgia RB Todd Gurley, the presumed Heisman frontrunner at this point of the season, was suspended indefinitely on Thursday for a possible violation of NCAA rules. Gurley has nearly 800 yards rushing. This is obviously a huge loss for the Bulldogs. Georgia will have to turn to freshman Nick Chubb in the backfield as its primary ball carrier. The Tigers rebounded nicely from a loss vs. Indiana two weeks ago by downing South Carolina on the road last week.
Missouri 24, Georgia 20
Duke at No. 22 Georgia Tech, 12:30 p.m. ACC Network
This is a huge game in the ACC Coastal Division. Last year's division champion, the Blue Devils, lost in their first ACC game against Miami two weeks ago and was off last week. The Yellow Jackets beat Miami last week and also already has a win over Virginia Tech. They are the clear frontrunner in the Coastal if they can take care of business against the Blue Devils (yes, even with Virginia undefeated in the ACC because UVa has to go to Atlanta in November). This matchup got a little juicier this week when Duke coach David Cutcliffe said it is hard for Georgia Tech to get high-end offensive players because of the rigid spread-option system of coach Paul Johnson. Johnson basically said that Cutcliffe should worry about his own problems and that the Jackets have done just fine against the Devils. He's right. Duke has not beaten Georgia Tech since 2003 and the Jackets have scored at least 30 points every season since 2009 (and the 2008 game was a 27-0 shutout win for GT). Even last year with Duke's renaissance, GT won, 38-14. I like Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech 38, Duke 21
Louisville at Clemson, 3:30 p.m. ESPNU
This is a big game for the ACC Atlantic Division. The winner establishes itself as the clear second-best team in the division after Florida State. Each team has one conference loss, Louisville to Virginia and Clemson to Florida State. The Cardinals' only loss overall, actually, has been to the Cavaliers but they haven't played particularly well this season. Meanwhile, the Tigers have taken off on offense since inserting Deshaun Watson at QB, scoring 50 and then 41 points the past two weeks.
Clemson 31, Louisville 23
Game of the week: No. 2 Auburn at No. 3 Mississippi State, 3:30 p.m. CBS
Tons of excitement for this one, and why not? Auburn slaughtered LSU last week and Mississippi State picked up a huge win over Texas A&M at home. The Bulldogs are hosting back-to-back big home games and this time they are facing the SEC champions from a year ago. I think the Tigers are easily the best team the Bulldogs have faced. Both of these squads easily got past LSU. Both quarterbacks, Dak Prescott for MSU and Nick Marshall for Auburn, have turned into stars. Hopefully, we are looking at an all-time classic. If Mississippi State wins this contest, watch out. I think it would then roll into Nov. 15 undefeated with a matchup at Alabama. Also notable, if MSU wins and Ole Miss wins later in the evening, both schools from Mississippi would be the class of the SEC West and undefeated while the two Alabama schools would have at least one loss each. I think Auburn is just better and will just barely get it done in a tough environment.
Auburn 34, Mississippi State 31
Looking to rebound: No. 12 Oregon at No. 18 UCLA, 3:30 p.m. FOX
Both of these teams, which had playoff aspirations at the beginning of the season, are coming off disappointing home losses, the Bruins by a 30-28 score against Utah and the Ducks against Arizona, 31-24. The shine is starting to wear off Oregon a bit I think, ever since Chip Kelly took the job with the NFL's Eagles. Oregon is still a good team, but I think it is slowly falling out of the elite with Mark Helfrich as head coach. The Bruins have never quite lived up to their top-10 preseason ranking, playing less-than-stellar games against Virginia, Memphis, and Texas before finally turning things around and blowing out then-No. 15-ranked Arizona State, 62-27, two weeks ago. I believe that the Ducks lost to a better team last week than the Bruins did and at the moment, the Ducks are the better team and they will find a way to pick up a road victory.
Oregon 35, UCLA 32
No. 9 TCU at No. 5 Baylor, 3:30 p.m. ABC/ESPN2
This is Red River Rivalry Saturday as you saw earlier with OU and Texas. Funny to think that it is not the biggest college football game in Texas on Saturday. This is. The Horned Frogs knocked off the undefeated Sooners last week in Fort Worth, 37-33, showing they are for real. Baylor has yet to be tested, cruising in victories over SMU, Northwestern State, Buffalo, Iowa State, and Texas. I'm going on a limb and taking another road team because I think TCU is more tested and I don't trust Baylor yet or that defense, which looked improved last year until getting into the meat of its schedule. So I'm waiting on the Bears to prove me wrong this season.
TCU 37, Baylor 35
No. 3 Ole Miss at No. 14 Texas A&M, 9 p.m. ESPN
Ok, make that a fourth straight road team I am taking in a top-25 matchup. I feel the most confident about this one, though. A&M is good, but the Aggies defense once again leaves something to be desired. The Rebels defense, meanwhile, has been very solid, allowing just 10.2 points per game, second in the nation. It will get in Aggie QB Kenny Hill's face and fluster the sophomore. I think this will be a good game, but I feel pretty good about picking Ole Miss.
Ole Miss 30, Texas A&M 24
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