This week we have Steen Kirby, John Bava and Yesh Ginsburg previewing college football’s biggest Saturday games including Florida vs Georgia in Jacksonville, and USC vs Oregon in the PAC-12.
Virginia Tech at #16 Notre Dame (Saturday in Notre Dame, IN)
Line: Notre Dame by 17.5
John: There are a few factors that make Virginia Tech the team to ride within this weekend’s clash with Notre Dame. Not only did they have a bye last week. They come into South Bend on a three-game winning streak. And then there’s the possibility of the Irish coming out flat after last week’s blowout loss to Michigan ended their CFP hopes. But the Hokies’ defense is highly suspect as they’ve given up at least 35 points in four of their seven games. And their two wins in ACC play came by an average of just 4.5 points. Look for the Blue and Gold to get back to winning ways. Notre Dame 41, Virginia Tech 17
Yesh: Notre Dame is a good and angry team coming off a rough loss where the Irish got embarrassed. Virginia Tech has a better record than their team actually is. I think Notre Dame should enforce its will early and run away with this. Notre Dame 45, Virginia Tech 17
Steen: It’s appropriate for ND to be favored but this line seems high. After getting boatraced by Michigan last week the Irish may be reeling, and their season is in danger of going up in smoke. Virginia Tech has recovered well from a nightmare start to their season to win their last three and at 5-2 overall (2-2 in the ACC) they have every chance to emerge as the winners of the ACC Coastal division by season’s end. With more to play for I expect VT will put up a spirited effort and come up just short in South Bend, largely because their defense is still poor. Notre Dame 38, Virginia Tech 31
#6 Florida vs #8 Georgia (Saturday in Jacksonville, FL)
Line: Georgia by 6.5
John: These two fierce SEC East rivals renew hostilities in Jacksonville in a game that will likely determine who represents the division in the conference title game. Expect a physical game between two of the nation’s top defenses. What should put Georgia over the top is their bruising run game led by D’Andre Swift who’s one of two SEC running backs averaging over 100 yards per game. Still, the Gators should keep it close. Georgia 20, Florida 17
Yesh: I have no idea what to make of this game. Georgia is certainly more talented, but the Bulldogs haven’t played well in over a month. They now face a Florida team with a stout defense, which can frustrate their out-of-rhythm offense. Florida probably can’t get much done on offense itself, so this should be a tight, close game. Georgia 23, Florida 20
Steen: Neither team can afford to lose this game, adding even more pressure on what is the biggest rivalry game of the year for both teams. With the offense sputtering, if Kirby Smart loses to rivals Florida, who are also defensively sound but lacking on offense, he’s going to face real pressure. Dan Mullen can meanwhile show his coaching talent by pulling off an upset win here. I’ve lost confidence in Georgia and expect the Gators to pull this off. Florida 21, Georgia 17
#15 SMU at #24 Memphis (Saturday in
Line: Memphis by 6
John: SMU is in territory they haven’t probed since the “Pony Express” days prior to the program being hit with the death penalty. The Mustangs find themselves 7-0 for the first time since 1982 and have a chance to solidify their status as the favorite to represent the Group of Five schools in a New Year’s Six bowl with a win over Memphis. This matchup between two ranked teams is receiving enhanced coverage with ESPN’s College Gameday coming to town. Texas transfer Shane Buechele has been a revelation at quarterback for SMU. But he’s not expected to have his favorite target, Reggie Roberson, for this game due to injury. For that reason, they’re on upset alert this weekend. Memphis 34, SMU 29
Yesh: I am not at all sold on SMU this year. Shane Buechele is really good, and the offense is strong, but they haven’t yet faced a defense anywhere near as good as Memphis’ yet this year. The Tigers will be amped up for this game and come out firing. SMU doesn’t stay undefeated any longer. Memphis 45, SMU 24
Steen: The Pony Express has had some close calls on the road to being undefeated so far this season. Memphis a good team and they are at home in this key American conference matchup. A loss for SMU here would throw the Power 5 NY 6 bowl spot into flux, while if SMU keeps winning it’s their spot to lose. This is a tough game to pick but SMU should survive another scare. SMU 38, Memphis 35
UAB at Tennesssee
Line: Tennessee by 12.5
John: This is one of the more intriguing non-conference matchups on Saturday. UAB comes into Knoxville on a roll, with their six wins coming by a combined 17.7 points. They face a Tennessee side who’s done a great job recovering after dropping their first two games to Georgia State and BYU. That much is evident considering they’ve won two SEC games and dominated South Carolina last week. Look for the Vols to force a lot of mistakes out of Blazer quarterback Tyler Johnston. His 10 interceptions are most among C-USA signal callers and Tennessee is one of three SEC squads who’ve tallied double-digit picks at this point in the season. Tennessee 31, UAB 17
Yesh: UAB might only have one loss, but the Blazers aren’t as good this year as they were last year. Tennessee also is better than their record indicates, especially when they have a healthy quarterback. The Volunteers should win this easily. Tennessee 41, UAB 14
Steen: UAB could win this game, however Tennessee has recovered from their miserable start and will almost certainly not overlook a G5 again this year after the shocking loss to Georgia State at Neyland. It’s still an amazing feat that UAB is in this position not far removed from the shuttering of their football program. Tennessee 31, UAB 20
#7 Oregon at USC
Line: Oregon by 4.5
John: Oregon is essentially the Pac-12’s last remaining hope when it comes to making the CFP. But they have to run the table and the next challenge is knocking off USC at the Coliseum. The Trojans have plenty of motivation to pull off the upset as they’re currently the front-runner in the South division which means a Rose Bowl berth is still possible. The NFL scouts will undoubtedly have their eyes on Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert. But don’t sleep on Kedon Slovis who’s done well filling in for the injured JT Daniels. He comes into this game completing 72.3 percent of his passes which ranks sixth nationally. The upset bug nearly bit Oregon against Washington State last week, which hints they might be vulnerable in LA. USC 27, Oregon 23
Yesh: USC is a very talented and very underrated team. Oregon is very talented and somewhat underrated. The Ducks are better overall, but are sometimes less consistent. Still, this is Oregon’s biggest game since 2014. I don’t think the Ducks will come out flat here. Oregon 35, USC 27
Steen: All of USC’s losses have been competitive this season, and this is a tough task for Oregon. The Ducks do look like the pick of the litter in the PAC-12 though, their only loss came late against Auburn in a non-conference game, and they should be the conference favorites at this point.
Florida vs Georgia Main Photo: JACKSONVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 27: A general view of the stadium during the game between the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs on October 27, 2018 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
