By The Pigskin Prognosticator, PubClub.com’s College Football Analyst
After some breathtaking moments in Lexington, Eugene, Las Vegas and Tuscaloosa to start the season, college football takes a breather in Week 4.
Still, there are anxious moments for some programs and fans. They are circling the Gators in Gainesville, gathering the tribe in Tallahassee and are breaking out the batons in Baton Rouge. Yet in Austin they are partying while on Rocky Top they are drinking that good ‘ol “Mountain Dew.” And apparently the schedule makers still have little respect for the old Pac-12 as both USC and UCLA play marquee road games at the same time.
Now onto the games. All times Pacific because The Prognosticator lives on the West Coast.
Marshall at Ohio State (9 a.m., FOX)
What, Brutus, Bowling Green wasn’t available? Oh, right, Texas A&M is playing the low-flying Falcons this weekend. Miami of Ohio? Wait, Notre Dame has the Swoop the Redhawk in its Weak 4 grasp. This ridiculously easy schedule continues for another two weeks until the Nuts play Oregon. And then the only teams with a legitimate crack at them are Nebraska and Penn State. And nether of those seems capable of taking down the Bucks. Winner: Ohio State
N.C. State at Clemson (9 a.m., ESPN)
The Wolves didn’t pack much bite into their recent game with Tennessee and while they face a less ferocious team in the South Carolina Felines, they still don’t have enough offense to cause panic in Death Valley. Winner: Clemson
USC At Michigan (12:30 p.m., CBS)
The wounded Wolverines are looking to the Big House to provide some shelter from the invading army from the West Coast in a matchup that is more suited to the palm trees of Pasadena than the of aspens of Ann Arbor. After being walloped by the Texas cattle drive two week ago, the Weasels could steal all the signs Troy has in its arsenal and it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Only mistakes and turnovers from the visitors can save Big Blue. Winner: USC
UCLA at LSU (12:30 p.m., ABC)
The Brian Kelly bashers were about to let Mike VII out of his cage to chase down the former Domer coach until a boneheaded South Carolina penalty bailed out the Bengals last week in Columbia. This week, the Felines host the battered Bruins from the West Coast in what they presume will be a feast. However, the visiting Trampolines have a history of bouncing back up after bad defeats and traditionally tend get up for big non-conference games on the road. Winner: UCLA
Miami at South Florida (4 p.m., ESPN)
The Hurricanes, who have been blowing as a Cat 5 this young season, will find out if the misnamed school (it’s in Tampa) is for real or it’s all Bull, well, you know what. The Sires that took the Crimson Tide deep into the fourth quarter will either subdue the Canes when they make landfall or get blown away in the process. Winner: South Florida
Tennessee at Oklahoma (4:30 p.m., ABC)
The Boomers hope thier “can do” attitude will carry them to victory in their introduction into the SEC. But it’s not like they are facing a bunch of tumbleweeds that they can just sweep off the plains. Their former quarterback brings in an offense that can light up a scoreboard in a dust storm. The Venables may be vulnerable but they do have the stopping power to make the visitors try and remember who their punter is on occasion. But that won’t be enough in the end. Winner: Tennessee
Georgia and Alabama: Idle until next week’s clash of the titans in Tuscaloosa.
The Pigskin Prognosticator has covered college football for several years from coast to coast and was the beat writer for Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and South Carolina for daily newspapers.
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