PENN STATE at INDIANA
Line: Penn State by 7 1/2.
Angle: What to make of these Nittany Lions? Off the field there is turmoil, headed by the arrest of RB Austin Scott on rape charges. Penn State’s defense should keep it in every game, but the offense remains inconsistent. QB Anthony Morelli is showing signs of improvement, but he shrinks in road games. Indiana has shown great improvement under first-year coach Bill Lynch, who took over the program after Terry Hoeppner lost his battle with cancer. The Hoosiers building new facilities but that won’t help this week. Penn State’s superior depth and defense prevail.
Eyes on: Penn State LB Dan Connor; Indiana WR James Hardy.
PREDICTION: Penn State 23, Indiana 14.
MICHIGAN STATE at OHIO STATE
Line: Ohio State 17.
Angle: Ohio State has redefined rebuilding. Despite losing a ton of talent to the NFL, the Buckeyes have relied on a terrific defense to alleviate pressure on a young offense. The schedule has included one big test, which the Buckeyes passed with a win at Washington. Michigan State is going to become a player in the Big Ten under coach Mark Dantonio. For now Dantonio’s insistence on aggressive play and the Spartans’ preparation will keep them competitive against conventional offenses. Ohio State keeps it straightforward with first-year starting QB Todd Boeckman. If the Spartans can run, they can scare the nation’s No. 1 team at home.
Eyes on: Michigan State RB Javon Ringer; Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis.
PREDICTION: Ohio State 24, Michigan State 20.
USC at NOTRE DAME
Line: USC by 17.
Angle: Take III: Charlie Weis goes to QB Evan Sharpley over prized recruit Jimmy Clausen. Demetrius Jones, who started Notre Dame’s first game, has since left South Bend. The Fighting Irish are playing better on defense and the offensive line has toughened. The defense has played at a high level, but withers after too much time on the field. USC bounced back from its shocking home loss to Stanford with a narrow victory over Arizona. This game truly is a gamble. If QB John David Booty, who has been throwing in practice, plays, the Trojans will begin a second half surge at Notre Dame’s expense. If the raw Mark Sanchez is forced to go, Notre Dame should cover. Despite its 1-6 record, Notre Dame has played hard each week. The Irish are due for a letdown and USC will pounce.
Eyes on: USC PR/RB Joe McKnight; Notre Dame S Tom Zbikowski.
PREDICTION: USC 33, Notre Dame 10.
MICHIGAN at ILLINOIS
Line: Michigan by 2 1/2.
Angle: The Wolverines are surging, but surely they know they can’t ever overcome the start of the season. Surely the Big Ten doesn’t want Michigan to win the league. Illinois seems to be the team of the future in the Big Ten. Coach Ron Zook has done exactly what he did at Florida: He’s been a dynamic recruiter and a questionable game-day strategist. The Illinis’ Juice Williams is exactly the kind of mobile quarterback who can give the Wolverines fits. This will come down to Michigan’s big and tough offensive line leaning on the smaller Illinois defensive line. Illinois needs at least one cheap TD (kickoff return; fumble return) to pull the upset.
Eyes on: Michigan WR Mario Manningham; Illinois CB Vontae Davis.
PREDICTION: Michigan 27, Illinois 26.
AUBURN at LSU
Line: LSU by 10 1/2.
Angle: Auburn is one of the SEC’s most dangerous road teams, already having gone into Florida and Arkansas and coming away with wins. This team has been fearless the last few years and there’s no reason to think Auburn will be intimidated by LSU’s insane home crowd. LSU is coming off a gut-wrenching overtime loss at Kentucky and it will be intriguing to see how it responds. LSU remains the one-loss team with the best chance of playing for the national title. If it focuses on that, LSU wins. But if LSU remains in a state of shock, it’ll be out of the BCS race in October. Important game for LSU coach Les Miles who must prove he can get his team to bounce back.
Eyes on: Auburn DE Quentin Groves; LSU DT Glenn Dorsey.
PREDICTION: LSU 28, Auburn 20.
Last week 3-2; Overall 20-15.