What to watch, Week 9: Is Utah the scariest team in the Pac-12 South?
In every season there’s a weekend that looks like a dud and ends up being fantastic.
This could be that weekend.
While there aren’t a lot of games between ranked opponents, there are several possibilities for home upsets by unranked foes.
Here’s what to watch in Week 9:
Game of the week:
No. 20 USC at No. 19 Utah, 10 p.m. ET
If you’re looking for a typical high-scoring Pac-12 game, this probably won’t be it. USC’s running game, which has four consecutive 200-yard games, will face a stout Utah defense, which is second best in the conference against the run. The Utes have only allowed three rushing touchdowns all season and just 2.8 yards per carry. So a lot of the Trojans’ offensive pressure will be on quarterback Cody Kessler, who broke a school record with seven passing touchdowns last week, but will face a much tougher test this week. The Utes also lead the country with 33 sacks and have seven interceptions in the past four games. On the flip side, Utah’s offense has become a bit one-dimensional with the stellar play of running back Devontae Booker, but it will need either Kendall Thompson or Travis Wilson to play well at quarterback.
Game to watch:
No. 1 Mississippi State at Kentucky, 3:30 p.m. ET
Kentucky kind of spoiled this game by tanking against LSU last week, but there’s still a little intrigue because it’s a nationally-televised game and because Mississippi State is playing as the No. 1 team for the first time ever. The Bulldogs have done a stellar job of playing well against teams ranked in the top-10, but how will they fare against a team with significantly less fanfare? No one expects Mississippi to lose this game, but that’s exactly why it’s worth tuning in just in case.
Also check out…
No. 3 Ole Miss at No. 24 LSU, 7:15 p.m. ET
Playing the Ole Miss defense is not a good prospect for a team that has some uncertainty at quarterback. The Rebels are allowing just 10.6 points per game, which leads the FBS, and have almost as many defensive touchdowns (4) as they’ve allowed (6). Last week, it allowed Tennessee zero rushing yards. There’s no doubt LSU is playing better, but beating Florida and Kentucky aren’t even close to trying to beat the No. 3 team in the country. Because this game is at LSU at night there’s a little bit of upset alert, but Ole Miss should handle the Tigers fairly easily.
Don’t waste your time with:
Michigan at No. 8 Michigan State, 3:30 p.m. ET
Remember when Michigan used to dominate this series? Yeah, hasn’t been like that in awhile as Michigan State has won five of the past six meetings. The Spartans have been dominant this season, especially in Big Ten play, while Michigan has struggled in every facet of the game all year. Michigan State has come out fast against a lot of teams this year, dominated in the first half and it should be more of the same in this one. Michigan doesn’t have the horses to keep up with the Spartans.
Keep an eye on:
Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
White is quickly becoming a household name after piling up 100-yard games and abusing defenses. He has more than 100 yards receiving in every game this season, which is a school record. Oklahoma State’s pass defense is one of the worst in the country and White should be able to abuse it, further making his case for a spot in New York for the Heisman ceremony.
Upset alert:
No. 4 Alabama (-17) at Tennessee, 7:30 p.m. ET
For the second consecutive week, there aren’t many options for upset alerts and this one probably won’t be an upset either. However, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Tennessee cover this line, especially at home. The crowd is going to be motivated because of the return of former coach Lane Kiffin and that should spur on the Vols even if they are at a pretty severe competitive disadvantage.
– – – – – – –
Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
