Last week: 6-2 Overall: 20-12
This week features three top-10 matchups, and the action gets started on Friday with a Pac-12 contest.
Today's game
No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington, 9 p.m. ESPN
These teams are a combined 7-0 and will be fighting for the lead spot in the Pac-12 North and to give the conference a top dog in the College Football Playoff conversation. The Cardinal have been one of the best teams in the Pac-12 since Jim Harbaugh revived that program about a half decade ago, while the Huskies have been trying to get back to the top after being there in the 1990s and early 2000s. Stanford has been much more tested so far, beating all Power Five teams in Kansas State, USC, UCLA, though last week's win at the Bruins was a close call. Washington has had a very easy schedule so far, defeating Rutgers, Portland State, and Idaho, before escaping with an OT win at Arizona last week. This game represents another chance in prime time for Cardinal do-everything running back Christian McCaffrey to shine in his campaign for the Heisman. The player to watch for the Huskies is QB Keith Browning. Though Washington is a 3.5-point favorite, I like Stanford, because thus far in Washington coach Chris Petersen's tenure (8-6 in year one, 7-6 last year), the Huskies have not been able to win these big games, and the schedule has not up to par and the close call last week doesn't give me confidence.
Stanford 23, Washington 20 (clearly picked before it had started haha)
Saturday's games
No. 14 Miami at Georgia Tech, Noon ESPN
The Hurricanes have ran out to a 3-0 record under new coach Mark Richt and laid a smackdown two weeks ago on Appalachian State, a team I picked to spring the upset. They were on bye last week, meaning they've had two weeks to prepare for the Yellow Jackets' spread-option attack. That often hasn't been a good sign for Georgia Tech, which was stifled on offense last week against Clemson. Tech is 3-1, but the wins came against unimpressive foes: Boston College, Mercer, Clemson.
Miami 30, Georgia Tech 24
No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia, 3:30 p.m. CBS
The Volunteers finally got the big win they needed last week, beating Florida for the first time in 11 years. Georgia, meanwhile, has not looked good since defeating North Carolina the first week of the season. The Bulldogs were unimpressive in wins over Missouri and Nicholls State and then were blown out by Ole Miss last week. Tennessee coming into Athens is not what the Bulldogs want to see right now.
Tennessee 38, Georgia 24
North Carolina at No. 12 Florida State, 3:30 p.m. ESPN
Expect lots of scoring. FSU allowed 34 points to Ole Miss, 63 to Louisville, and 35 to South Florida. UNC, meanwhile, gave up 28 in beating James Madison, 23 in downing Illinois, and 36 in defeating Pittsburgh last week on the last play of the game. I see no reason to pick against the Seminoles at home, though.
Florida State 45, North Carolina 33
Wake Forest at N.C. State, 3:30 p.m. TCN
Surprisingly, the Wolfpack are 11-point favorites, which just seems really high for a State team that has been "meh" the past few years against an undefeated, albeit untested, Wake team. The Wolfpack are 2-1 and coming off a bye week and have easy wins over William & Mary and Old Dominion and a close loss against East Carolina on the road. ECU was blown out by Virginia Tech last week. State's resume does not scream "easy win over Wake" to me. The Demon Deacons are 4-0 in their third year under coach Dave Clawson. They went 3-9 in each of his first two seasons at Winston-Salem. The victories, though, are over Tulane, Duke, Delaware, and Indiana. The Hoosiers were undefeated and that game was on the road, and Duke won at Notre Dame last week, so we can't just write off Wake right now. This game will help us see what we are dealing with when it comes to both teams. I'm expecting a close game.
N.C. State 33, Wake Forest 27
No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ABC
Our second top-10 matchup features the impressive Badgers and Wolverines. Wisconsin dominated Michigan State on the road last week, 30-6, a result that really surprised me as I had the Spartans winning by a touchdown. The Badgers are 4-0 with their other wins over LSU, Georgia State (a struggle), and Akron. Michigan, 4-0 as well, has been mostly untested so far, with victories against Hawaii, Central Florida, and Penn State. Only a win over Colorado was somewhat close, and the Buffaloes look to be much improved. The Badgers have not given up more than 17 points yet, and Michigan has not scored fewer than 45 points yet. Wisconsin has turned some heads, but I have to go with Michigan in The Big House.
Michigan 34, Wisconsin 24
No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson, 8 p.m. ABC
What certainly looks like the ACC matchup of the year takes place in prime time in Death Valley, where, even though the Tigers are ranked fifth, they are two-point underdogs. The conference's biggest game has been Clemson-Florida State in recent seasons but the surge of the Cardinals has the nation taking notice, and QB Lamar Jackson has vaulted himself into the top spot for Heisman favorites. He has accounted for 25 touchdowns this season! 25. For perspective, Virginia, even with seven TDs last week, has 15 on the year. The Cavaliers shouldn't feel too bad, though. I don't know what the updated number is, but last week, with Jackson sitting on 18 total touchdowns before the Cardinals' game against Marshall, he had scored more TDs with a rush or pass than 114 Division I teams. Incredible. Clemson has a Heisman contender itself in Deshaun Watson, whose nine TDs look pedestrian by comparison. Louisville has yet to score fewer than 59 points. The Tigers are 4-0 but have had fits and starts, struggling against Auburn and Troy in single-digit victories. Last Thursday, they beat Georgia Tech 26-7 on the road, so they have had a little extra time to get ready for this game. Clemson is going up against a storybook player and season, and while normally, I love picking the Tigers at home in recent seasons, I can't see the Louisville train stopping yet.
Louisville 41, Clemson 31
Virginia at Duke, 12:30 p.m. The CW
After the Wahoos beat Central Michigan for their first win of the season Saturday, I felt pretty good about their chances of winning a second game in a row for the first time since Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 of 2014 (Kent State and Pittsburgh). But then, Duke, which was 1-2, took down Notre Dame in South Bend, one of the more surprising results of the weekend. But maybe it wasn't. The week before, Michigan State went into South Bend and won, 36-28. Then last week, Michigan State lost to Wisconsin at home, 30-6. Notre Dame at 1-3 just isn't looking very good. So where does all that put Duke?
Tough to tell, but chances are this will be a close game. Duke is trying to find its footing after a season-ending Achilles injury to QB Thomas Sirk, and freshman Daniel Jones has been learning on the fly. He's completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 1,090 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Additionally, Duke leading rusher Jela Duncan is out with a leg injury, and safety and return man DeVon Edwards had season-ending surgery after tearing his ACL. But Duke has been able to plug-and-play over the years, so I don't think these are back-breaking injuries for the Blue Devils. It is worth noting, though, that Duncan's replacement, Shaun Wilson, is averaging 3.8 yards per carry, and Duncan is at 5.6. But Wilson did have a kick return for a TD at Notre Dame.
Before the Notre Dame game, Duke had lost to Wake Forest and Northwestern and beaten North
Carolina Central.
The Cavaliers should be feeling confident coming off their first win of the year. They've pretty much put together successive games where they keep looking better and better. From midway through the second quarter through the third quarter last week, they didn't look too good, but the rest of the game was the best they had played all year. The offense put up 569 yards and the defense held the Chippewas to 21 points until the final minute when they scored a TD. The team looks like it is starting to put it together systematically, and they seem to be playing fast and hard for Bronco Mendenhall.
This week, Mendenhall said that one summer when he was BYU's coach, he spent some time at Duke learning about David Cutcliffe's program. Cutcliffe said he enjoyed the visit as well and they seem to be friendly with each other, a departure from former coach Mike London, who seemed to have a contentious relationship with Cutcliffe. Many Virginia fans point to Stanford as a representation of what Virginia should be able to do in football despite high academic standards. The Cardinal, to me, though, is too high a standard. Duke is a better model. Mendenhall said he's been impressed with the way Cutcliffe operates his program. And, you can made snide remarks if you want given how bad Duke was a few years ago, but Cutcliffe has turned the program around and made the Blue Devils competitive each year. Since the beginning of the 2013, Duke is 29-15. It has mostly owned Virginia since a 2008 win, losing only last season and in 2011. And the Blue Devils have maybe turned a corner this year, as evidenced by last week's victory against the Fighting Irish. Virginia has been downtrodden and should look to Duke for how to do a turnaround. We'll find out Saturday if the Cavaliers under Mendenhall can put another feather in their cap and notch their first road win since 2012. If their progression continues, they can get it done. Anything less will probably mean some kind of close loss.
Virginia 35, Duke 31
This week features three top-10 matchups, and the action gets started on Friday with a Pac-12 contest.
Today's game
No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington, 9 p.m. ESPN
These teams are a combined 7-0 and will be fighting for the lead spot in the Pac-12 North and to give the conference a top dog in the College Football Playoff conversation. The Cardinal have been one of the best teams in the Pac-12 since Jim Harbaugh revived that program about a half decade ago, while the Huskies have been trying to get back to the top after being there in the 1990s and early 2000s. Stanford has been much more tested so far, beating all Power Five teams in Kansas State, USC, UCLA, though last week's win at the Bruins was a close call. Washington has had a very easy schedule so far, defeating Rutgers, Portland State, and Idaho, before escaping with an OT win at Arizona last week. This game represents another chance in prime time for Cardinal do-everything running back Christian McCaffrey to shine in his campaign for the Heisman. The player to watch for the Huskies is QB Keith Browning. Though Washington is a 3.5-point favorite, I like Stanford, because thus far in Washington coach Chris Petersen's tenure (8-6 in year one, 7-6 last year), the Huskies have not been able to win these big games, and the schedule has not up to par and the close call last week doesn't give me confidence.
Stanford 23, Washington 20 (clearly picked before it had started haha)
Saturday's games
No. 14 Miami at Georgia Tech, Noon ESPN
The Hurricanes have ran out to a 3-0 record under new coach Mark Richt and laid a smackdown two weeks ago on Appalachian State, a team I picked to spring the upset. They were on bye last week, meaning they've had two weeks to prepare for the Yellow Jackets' spread-option attack. That often hasn't been a good sign for Georgia Tech, which was stifled on offense last week against Clemson. Tech is 3-1, but the wins came against unimpressive foes: Boston College, Mercer, Clemson.
Miami 30, Georgia Tech 24
No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia, 3:30 p.m. CBS
The Volunteers finally got the big win they needed last week, beating Florida for the first time in 11 years. Georgia, meanwhile, has not looked good since defeating North Carolina the first week of the season. The Bulldogs were unimpressive in wins over Missouri and Nicholls State and then were blown out by Ole Miss last week. Tennessee coming into Athens is not what the Bulldogs want to see right now.
Tennessee 38, Georgia 24
North Carolina at No. 12 Florida State, 3:30 p.m. ESPN
Expect lots of scoring. FSU allowed 34 points to Ole Miss, 63 to Louisville, and 35 to South Florida. UNC, meanwhile, gave up 28 in beating James Madison, 23 in downing Illinois, and 36 in defeating Pittsburgh last week on the last play of the game. I see no reason to pick against the Seminoles at home, though.
Florida State 45, North Carolina 33
Wake Forest at N.C. State, 3:30 p.m. TCN
Surprisingly, the Wolfpack are 11-point favorites, which just seems really high for a State team that has been "meh" the past few years against an undefeated, albeit untested, Wake team. The Wolfpack are 2-1 and coming off a bye week and have easy wins over William & Mary and Old Dominion and a close loss against East Carolina on the road. ECU was blown out by Virginia Tech last week. State's resume does not scream "easy win over Wake" to me. The Demon Deacons are 4-0 in their third year under coach Dave Clawson. They went 3-9 in each of his first two seasons at Winston-Salem. The victories, though, are over Tulane, Duke, Delaware, and Indiana. The Hoosiers were undefeated and that game was on the road, and Duke won at Notre Dame last week, so we can't just write off Wake right now. This game will help us see what we are dealing with when it comes to both teams. I'm expecting a close game.
N.C. State 33, Wake Forest 27
No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ABC
Our second top-10 matchup features the impressive Badgers and Wolverines. Wisconsin dominated Michigan State on the road last week, 30-6, a result that really surprised me as I had the Spartans winning by a touchdown. The Badgers are 4-0 with their other wins over LSU, Georgia State (a struggle), and Akron. Michigan, 4-0 as well, has been mostly untested so far, with victories against Hawaii, Central Florida, and Penn State. Only a win over Colorado was somewhat close, and the Buffaloes look to be much improved. The Badgers have not given up more than 17 points yet, and Michigan has not scored fewer than 45 points yet. Wisconsin has turned some heads, but I have to go with Michigan in The Big House.
Michigan 34, Wisconsin 24
No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson, 8 p.m. ABC
What certainly looks like the ACC matchup of the year takes place in prime time in Death Valley, where, even though the Tigers are ranked fifth, they are two-point underdogs. The conference's biggest game has been Clemson-Florida State in recent seasons but the surge of the Cardinals has the nation taking notice, and QB Lamar Jackson has vaulted himself into the top spot for Heisman favorites. He has accounted for 25 touchdowns this season! 25. For perspective, Virginia, even with seven TDs last week, has 15 on the year. The Cavaliers shouldn't feel too bad, though. I don't know what the updated number is, but last week, with Jackson sitting on 18 total touchdowns before the Cardinals' game against Marshall, he had scored more TDs with a rush or pass than 114 Division I teams. Incredible. Clemson has a Heisman contender itself in Deshaun Watson, whose nine TDs look pedestrian by comparison. Louisville has yet to score fewer than 59 points. The Tigers are 4-0 but have had fits and starts, struggling against Auburn and Troy in single-digit victories. Last Thursday, they beat Georgia Tech 26-7 on the road, so they have had a little extra time to get ready for this game. Clemson is going up against a storybook player and season, and while normally, I love picking the Tigers at home in recent seasons, I can't see the Louisville train stopping yet.
Louisville 41, Clemson 31
Virginia at Duke, 12:30 p.m. The CW
After the Wahoos beat Central Michigan for their first win of the season Saturday, I felt pretty good about their chances of winning a second game in a row for the first time since Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 of 2014 (Kent State and Pittsburgh). But then, Duke, which was 1-2, took down Notre Dame in South Bend, one of the more surprising results of the weekend. But maybe it wasn't. The week before, Michigan State went into South Bend and won, 36-28. Then last week, Michigan State lost to Wisconsin at home, 30-6. Notre Dame at 1-3 just isn't looking very good. So where does all that put Duke?
Tough to tell, but chances are this will be a close game. Duke is trying to find its footing after a season-ending Achilles injury to QB Thomas Sirk, and freshman Daniel Jones has been learning on the fly. He's completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 1,090 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Additionally, Duke leading rusher Jela Duncan is out with a leg injury, and safety and return man DeVon Edwards had season-ending surgery after tearing his ACL. But Duke has been able to plug-and-play over the years, so I don't think these are back-breaking injuries for the Blue Devils. It is worth noting, though, that Duncan's replacement, Shaun Wilson, is averaging 3.8 yards per carry, and Duncan is at 5.6. But Wilson did have a kick return for a TD at Notre Dame.
Before the Notre Dame game, Duke had lost to Wake Forest and Northwestern and beaten North
The Cavaliers should be feeling confident coming off their first win of the year. They've pretty much put together successive games where they keep looking better and better. From midway through the second quarter through the third quarter last week, they didn't look too good, but the rest of the game was the best they had played all year. The offense put up 569 yards and the defense held the Chippewas to 21 points until the final minute when they scored a TD. The team looks like it is starting to put it together systematically, and they seem to be playing fast and hard for Bronco Mendenhall.
This week, Mendenhall said that one summer when he was BYU's coach, he spent some time at Duke learning about David Cutcliffe's program. Cutcliffe said he enjoyed the visit as well and they seem to be friendly with each other, a departure from former coach Mike London, who seemed to have a contentious relationship with Cutcliffe. Many Virginia fans point to Stanford as a representation of what Virginia should be able to do in football despite high academic standards. The Cardinal, to me, though, is too high a standard. Duke is a better model. Mendenhall said he's been impressed with the way Cutcliffe operates his program. And, you can made snide remarks if you want given how bad Duke was a few years ago, but Cutcliffe has turned the program around and made the Blue Devils competitive each year. Since the beginning of the 2013, Duke is 29-15. It has mostly owned Virginia since a 2008 win, losing only last season and in 2011. And the Blue Devils have maybe turned a corner this year, as evidenced by last week's victory against the Fighting Irish. Virginia has been downtrodden and should look to Duke for how to do a turnaround. We'll find out Saturday if the Cavaliers under Mendenhall can put another feather in their cap and notch their first road win since 2012. If their progression continues, they can get it done. Anything less will probably mean some kind of close loss.
Virginia 35, Duke 31
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