Game of the Week: (1) Florida at (4) LSU
Remarkably, this is one of only two games between ranked teams happening this Saturday, even with conference play in full swing. But that’s okay, because both are premium SEC match-ups, which are always as exciting as watching Adrian Peterson throw safeties to the sideline.
The drama around this game is at new heights, thanks to the game-time decision regarding Tim Tebow’s concussion recovery. It seems everyone has written off LSU’s chances – even at home, at night – if Tebow does in fact play. But is Florida good enough to win without the man-boy that some think is making a case for the greatest college football player of all time?
Methinks they are, and here’s why: John Brantley (Florida’s back-up QB) isn’t some sort of NFL-style downgraded backup. He’s the real deal. He has his own Wikipedia page, for goodness sake. And I can name him without looking at a depth chart. That’s something that 90 percent of starting FCS quarterbacks can’t boast (not that my ability to name them is at the top of their life goals…but it should be).
Brantley was the 2006 Gatorade National Player of the Year, and could be starting at nearly any other big-name program in the country, perhaps with Tebow- and Sam Bradford-like sophomore year Heisman aspirations. He’s seen action in three games this year, in which he has completed 73.3 percent of his passes for 232 yards and four TDs. His passer rating is 182.29. Though he’s not Tebow, he’ll have the entire defensive unit (and entire back-up defensive unit) that won last year’s national championship backing him up.
I ragged on LSU’s defense last week, and they looked good for the majority of the game (A.J. Green’s touchdown was a display of his athletic prowess, not of weak coverage) but I’m still not sold on the fact that stopping Georgia’s offense for three-and-a-half quarters is worth bragging about. And Florida – with or without Tebow – is better than LSU.
Winner: I like to pick upsets, especially when it’s a 57-vote number one-ranked team, but LSU has quietly (until last week) gotten to its position. The Tigers are probably a top-ten team, yes, but the Gators are too good.
Other Good Stuff:
Michigan at (12) Iowa: If you get a chance to watch the fourth quarter of any Hawkeyes game this year, do it without question. Iowa loves to play to their level of competition (see: one-point win over FBS Northern Iowa and three-point win over Arkansas State), and Michigan loves to take it down to the wire (see: games vs. Notre Dame, Indiana, Michigan State). Tate Forcier has proven to be one of the most watchable players in the game right now. This is probably my favorite game of the week. I expect Iowa to win at home, but not by much. In fact, I won’t be surprised if I’m wrong.
(3) Alabama at (20) Ole Miss: At the beginning of the year, I picked Texas to win the BCS title. I’m sticking by my pick, but they’re probably going to have to beat Alabama (who I think is the best team in the nation right now) to do it. Jevan Snead has looked, um…not good, or at the very least not consistent, so far this year. A surprise considering the hype coming into the year. Alabama’s defense has looked amazing so far. They’ve held opposing passers to a 4 TD-5 INT ratio, a 50 percent completion rate and a sub-100 passer rating. Their run defense is okay, too: they’ve allowed only 2.19 yards per carry, including only one yard on 26 attempts against Florida International. In addition, Greg McElroy has stepped up to be a better passer and leader than most expected. Alabama in Rebel-embarrassing fashion.
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