Week 5 Upset Alert

Most of the non-conference games have come to an end and the conference slate will be in full swing in week 5.  We take one step closer to finding out who are the real national title contenders and which teams have been over rated.  There really aren’t any marquee games this week, but there are a few that I can see the favorite struggle.

Stanford @ Washington 9:00 pm Thursday

I keep thinking Washington is going to be a team to cause problems in the Pac12 this season, and I was interested to see how they would fare against LSU in week 2.  They traveled across the country and got pummeled like most do against LSU or Alabama.  They were no match for the physical play of the Tiger’s defense and the Washington defense was too under-sized to match up against the battering ram of LSU.  I think they will fare better on Thursday night against the Cardinal.  Yes, the Stanford defense looks to top the conference, but I think Washington has enough speed to score some points. 

Tennessee @ Georgia 3:30pm Saturday

Well the Volunteers blew a big opportunity to move into a contender role in the SEC East when they blew the game against Florida.  The test is much tougher this time around, but a win would mean nearly the same thing.  It will be interesting to see how Tyler Bray handles the pressure from Jarvis Jones and company.  If he get enough time in this game, I think he will be able to find his talented receivers down the field.  Murray will look to have a big game through the air as well.  I think it will be tough to win between the hedges, but Tennessee could make things more interesting than expected.

Wisconsin @ Nebraska 8:00pm Saturday

I have been very critical of the Badgers so far this season, but none of their struggles matter in the non-conference.  They have the talent to go undefeated through this terrible B1G.  Nebraska looks like the current top pick to represent the conference in the Rose Bowl, but the Husker defense has been a major disappointment so far.  They really struggle against the run, and Wisconsin happens to be pretty good in that department.  Yes, Wisconsin has had offensive line issues and Montee Ball might not play in this game.  The Badger defense is still the best Nebraska has faced this year, and they likely will not be rattled in the surroundings.  I think Martinez will fall back on some bad habits under pressure, and the Badger line backing unit will be able to slow down the high speed rushing attack.  I am looking for Wisconsin to make a big statement in the opening weekend of conference play.

Oregon State @ Arizona 10:00pm Saturday

The Beavers are coming off of a hard fought win against UCLA last weekend, but they could run into a bit of a trap game this week when they head to Tucson to take on the Wildcats.  I don’t think the RichRod led offense will be slowed to a stop in this one.  They should be able to put up some points against the decent defense.  Also, Oregon State’s offense will not offer nearly as tough a test as the Ducks last weekend.  I also think Oregon State is one of those over-rated teams right now.