Washington among many ranked teams on upset alert in college football this week
We are about a week away from all teams being in the heart of conference play and over a month a way from the first College Football Playoff rankings from being released.
Like last week, we’ll be seeing a large group of ranked teams go on the road (nine in total), and now schools like Washington, Michigan and Notre Dame are tasked with proving some doubters wrong despite their collective records.
This weekend is all about survival, and here are five games that feature tough road tests.
No. 10 Utah at USC
6 p.m. on ESPN
I think it would be a lazy narrative to call this game, “Helton’s last stand,” but Friday’s game against Utah is a proving ground of sorts for USC head coach Clay Helton.
Under Helton, USC is 6-5 in games following a loss since his first full season starting in 2016. To hold off angry alumni, keyboard warriors and a skeptical media, USC needs to bounce back and in the biggest way.
It’s not like the Trojans are depleted at the skill positions, plus they have a quarterback in Kedon Slovis who can make good throws despite his inexperience. USC faces a Utah team that doesn’t tend to have self-inflicted mistakes and plays sound football. Give me a model of consistency over a team trying to seek it.
Pick: Utah 35-20
No. 11 Michigan at No. 13 Wisconsin
9 a.m. on Fox
Michigan’s 24-21 overtime victory two weeks ago might’ve served as a wake-up call to a program that entered the 2019 season with high hopes for the College Football Playoff.
Will the Badgers put those hopes to sleep?
Since Jim Harbuagh arrived in 2015, the Michigan Wolverines are 1-4 vs. ranked opponents on the road. Wisconsin isn’t exactly the place you want to take a team on the road, especially if you’re fighting for a playoff spot. Michigan’s defense will be fine, but can the Michigan offense be productive enough to win with a now healthy Shea Patterson?
Pick: Wisconsin 18-16
No. 22 Washington at BYU
12:30 p.m. on ABC
If Washington had any hopes to reach the playoff, there were two early games they needed to win to give themselves a shot entering the heart of conference play. One was Cal, and we all know how that went. The other one is this week at BYU. Now, no matter BYU’s record, they are always a tough out and especially at home.
If the Huskies from the season opener and last week vs. Hawaii show up, then I really like Washington’s chances. All that being said, BYU is at home, and in what will be a grind-out game, BYU outlasts the Huskies in the closing moments of the game.
Pick: BYU 24-21
No. 8 Auburn at No. 17 Texas A&M
12:30 p.m. on CBS
Both Texas A&M and Auburn are in hot pursuit of Alabama and LSU in the SEC West, which makes this game a must-win for both schools.
The news of this week’s “non-story” story involving Gus Malzahn and his future at Auburn with former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops as a possible replacement is nothing new. It seems like the Auburn brass is looking to fire Gus. A&M is a tough team to play on the road, but I wouldn’t put it past Auburn to make this dramatic heading into the late moments of the game.
Pick: Texas A&M 28-23
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 3 Georgia
5 p.m. on CBS
Tell me if you’ve heard this before, “Notre Dame falls short in a big game.”
For the last decade, Notre Dame has failed to be the team that can consistently win big games. Home, on the road or at a neutral site, the struggle for the Irish playing Top 5 opponents is astounding going back even further. Since 2005, Notre Dame is 1-10 against Top 5 opponents. Not exactly what you want to hear heading to No. 3 Georgia this Saturday. Expect the Bulldogs to roll in this one.
Pick: Georgia 42-17
This story was originally published September 18, 2019 at 3:28 PM.