WEST VIRGINIA at RUTGERS
Line: West Virginia by 6.
Angle: This should be a great chess match between Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez, who cut his teeth on the offensive side of the ball, and Rutgers’ Greg Schiano, who worked his way up on the defensive side. The Mountaineers (6-1, 1-1 Big East) are No. 7 in the BCS standings, and have the right schedule and the luxury of not playing a league title game to get them to the BCS Championship game. The Scarlet Knights (5-2, 1-1) are one of four Big East teams with one loss (Connecticut is undefeated). The Scarlet Knights can win the league, but not with a second conference loss. Two of the nation’s premier running backs will be on display.
Eyes on: West Virginia RB Steve Slaton; Rutgers RB Ray Rice.
PREDICTION: West Virginia 31, Rutgers 24.
USC at OREGON
Line: Oregon by 3.
Angle: All Pac-10 roads are supposed to go through Los Angeles, not Eugene, Ore., but the Ducks have been the most impressive team in the conference. Their only loss was a 31-24 setback to California. Since then, Oregon (6-1, 3-1 Pac-10) has won its prior two games by scoring 108 points. Forget Air Bellotti: Oregon has run for more than 300 yards in four games. Quarterback Dennis Dixon gives the Ducks another dimension. USC (6-1, 3-1) has been building momentum since a shocking home loss to Stanford. Yet, despite the most talent west of LSU, the Trojans have yet to establish an identity. Are they an offensive team or a defensive one? Are they are running team or a passing one? Can they win without a healthy John David Booty (broken finger)?
Eyes on: USC RB/PR Joe McKnight; Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart.
PREDICTION: Oregon 31, USC 30.
FLORIDA vs. GEORGIA (in Jacksonville)
Line: Florida by 9.
Angle: Things have gotten so nasty in the ultra- competitive SEC that this rivalry has lost a little luster. It’s still one of the best, with half the stadium clad in orange and blue and the other in red and black. Florida (5-2, 3-2 SEC) is the best two-loss team in the nation and perhaps the only one not out of the national title picture. Gators QB Tim Tebow has emerged as a leading Heisman Trophy candidate and you can bet the Dawgs (5-2, 3-2) will have a scope on him. Georgia has had roller-coaster season, winning in OT at Alabama and getting blown out at Tennessee. It is a huge game in the SEC East, where no team has more than three wins or three losses in league play.
Eyes on: Florida WR Percy Harvin; Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno.
PREDICTION: Florida 30, Georgia 24.
OHIO STATE at PENN STATE
Line: Ohio State by 4.
Angle: It figures to be a classic Big Ten battle between two fundamentally sound, physical programs that play it close to the vest in these kinds of games. Ohio State (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) comes in as the nation’s top-ranked team and No. 1 in the BCS standings. The Buckeyes’ last regular-season loss was in 2005 at Beaver Stadium. This Ohio State team is similar to the 2003 unit.
Eyes on: Ohio State LB Jim Laurinaitis; Penn State LB Dan Connor.
PREDICTION: Penn State 17, Ohio St. 13.
CALIFORNIA at ARIZONA STATE
Line: Arizona State by 3.
Angle: If we had told you going into the season that there would be one Pac-10 team that was undefeated going into the last weekend in October, how many guesses would it have taken before Arizona State (7-0, 4-0 Pac-10) came to mind? The Sun Devils have done it with defense (fourth in scoring) and by playing the softest portion of the league schedule at the outset. Cal (5-2, 2-2), which has lost two straight, begins a stretch of five tough games for the Sun Devils, culminating with the in-state showdown against Arizona. Cal has great speed and talent, but when the going got tough against UCLA, the Bears hibernated.
Eyes on: Cal WR/PR DeSean Jackson; Arizona State WR/KR Rudy Burgess.
PREDICTION: Arizona State 37, California 31.
Last week 3-2; Overall 23-17.