NCAA Football Week 4 Preview
Big Conference Showdowns Highlight the September 26th Schedule.
It's happening again. 2009 is showing shades of the wild and crazy 2007 season.
The college football world saw some of the biggest upsets in Division I history during the 2007 season with Appalachian State stunning Michigan in week one, the ECU Pirates stealing the Hawaii Bowl booty over Boise State, and of course, USC losing to Stanford, which cost the Trojans a National Title bid.
But, watch out, 2009 is looking to upset the 2007 season of upsets and take the crown.
It's only week 4 of the college football season and the AP 25 poll has seen serious face lifts so far, especially in the top five, however, the key spot to look at is number three.
First it was Oklahoma in week 1, and then in week 3 it was the Washington Huskies who provided the upset to Pete Carroll's USC Trojans. USC fell, yet again, to an unranked Pac-10 team for the fourth straight season (all four loses came when USC was within the top three).
The ACC, Pac-10 and SEC all have key conference battles that will highlight September 26th. Could another number three ranked team fall, or will the upsets be somewhere else in the AP 25 for week 4?
College Football Games of the Week for September 26th, 2009
Bronze Pick: Arkansas Razorbacks at. No.3 Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama (3-0) has come out of the gate blazing and are trying to make a strong statement in 2009. Nick Saban has his Crimson Tide slotted in the No.3 position, and are looking to move up, not down in week 4 when SEC rivals Arkansas (1-1) comes into Tuscaloosa.
This will be Alabama's first taste at SEC competition this season, and a chance for the Crimson Tide to shine on both sides of the ball.
Their offense, lead by junior QB Greg McElroy, sophomore WR Julio Jones, and RB Mark Ingram has been potent in all three games this season as they are averaging 42.5 points per game and showing no signs of missing departed John Parker Wilson and Glen Coffee.
As for the Tide's defense, well, they've been shutting opponents down and getting stronger as the season goes on. A big defensive hold against Arkansas will only boost this defense and prepare them for their big game against division rivals Ole. Miss.
Since Arkansas' entrance into the SEC in 1992, the regular season record between the Razorbacks and Crimson Tide is tied 8-8 due to a vacated 2007 win that would have given Alabama the 9-8 edge.
Don't count on that curse of the No. 3 spot to continue in week 4. Take the Tide to drown the 'Backs in this one.
Silver Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes at. No.5 Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State (3-0) take a crack at their first Big Ten game of 2009 against Iowa, as the Nittany Lions have their eyes on a National Championship bid. Their walk in the park schedule for the first three weeks is over, and now they face the red hot Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) who are looking to break into the AP 25.
Penn State has been solid all around and doesn't look like they're going to get scorched by the Hawkeyes this week. Nittany Lions' QB Daryll Clark has been showing Heisman candidate potential with his consistency in passing, and team leadership.
Count on Paterno and Clark to use their 2008 loss to the Hawkeyes as motivation this week. The 24-23 upset last season by Iowa cost Penn State their chances at a National Championship bid; a loss they want to avenge badly in 2009.
Beaver Stadium could possibly be one of the top three toughest places to play in college football, and the crowd will be loud in this one, so the edge definitely goes to Penn State.
Look for the Nittany Lions defense to maul Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi all afternoon, and shut the Hawkeyes down. Chalk up another Penn State win here.
Gold Pick: No.9 Miami Hurricanes at. No. 11 Virginia Tech Hokies
The big ACC battle of the season appears on the week 4 schedule and it could very well play a huge part in the structure of the final conference standings.
The Miami Hurricanes are gunning for a third straight win of the season, and defeating Virginia Tech would give the Hurricanes three key ACC wins, and a possible National Championship bid, granted they keep up their winning ways.
But, before they can even think about Pasadena they must shut down the surging Virginia Tech Hokies.
Virginia Tech (2-1) are coming off a huge last minute 16-15 win against Nebraska on September 19th, and an upset over their Coastal division rivals Miami this week could help boost their pursuit of the ACC title.
The key to this ACC battle will come down to who has the better defense. Remember, defense wins championships. Virginia Tech plays their best defense at home considering they've held teams to an average of 12.5 points per game. This could definitely pose a problem for the Hurricanes' offensive storm.
Miami is 17-9 all-time against Virginia Tech, and won their last meeting in 2008 16-14.
Upset Pick of the Week
No.6 Cal Golden Bears at. Oregon Ducks
Look for another upset this week by the Oregon Ducks. Autzen Stadium is just too much for opponents, and Oregon is surging.
The Cal Golden Bears RB Jahvid Best has shown a lot of potential to run away with the Heisman trophy this season, but this will be the game where he runs into a wall.
Yes, the Golden Bears are 3-0 this season, and has a three game win streak against Oregon, but, their 35-21 win at Minnesota on September 19th wasn't that impressive.
The Ducks are all about streak breaking. They smashed Utah's 16 game winning streak in week 3, and will have no problem breaking Cal's three game winning streak against them in week 4.
Ducks fly away with another upset this week, thanks to the crowd at Autzen Stadium.
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