Saturday Predictions: Week 5

The Mountaineers have lost three straight to the Sooners but
have a strong team coming into this year's game.

Straps yourselves in, folks. This fifth week of college football looks like it'll be the best yet. Thursday night's game features the Miami Hurricanes and the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats are 2-2 and have their backs against the wall in their home stadium. Miami has all the talent they need to beat Cincy, though oftentimes this season the Canes have failed to play a complete game. On Friday, undefeated Memphis plays the South Florida Bulls in Tampa. The Bulls have both home-field-advantage and the advantage of having had an extra week to prepare, although this still may not be enough to down the formidable Tigers.

Come noon Saturday on the east coast, UCF will look to pick up their first win of the season against Tulane. This may be one of the best chances for both teams to notch a victory this year. Missouri and South Carolina are another two teams desperate for another victory. Both teams will be utilizing greenhorn quarterbacks, and may struggle offensively.

The biggest matchup in the early timeslot spotlights two Big 12 contenders, West Virginia and Oklahoma. Both teams have appeared strong this season, although OU is somewhat more battle-tested, West Virginia should have enough firepower to cause trouble for the Sooners. Texas has had a very difficult season, and it could get worse in their upcoming game against TCU. The Horned Frogs far from invincible, but Texas may not have enough to pull an upset.

The Big Ten West will be in focus at noon in two separate games. Minnesota travels to Evanston to take on Northwestern while Iowa plays Wisconsin in Madison. Both home teams are ranked, although their opponents should feel confident about their chances to upset them.

At half past three, Air Force faces Navy in a battle of what are expected to be our best service academies. Florida State heads to Winston-Salem, seeking to extend their conference winning streak to 24 games against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons shouldn't have enough to challenge the Seminoles.

Alabama will be a major challenge for Georgia, but the
Bulldogs can prove the hype right with a win over the Tide.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

In Atlanta, North Carolina plays Georgia Tech, hoping to build momentum by beating a reeling Yellow Jackets team. Down the road in Athens is a huge matchup between two Top 15 teams, Georgia and Alabama. Georgia seeks to make a major statement against their toughest opponent of the year so far; Alabama, on the other hand, is looking to avoid starting conference play 0-2 (something that hasn't happened since 1990, when they dropped a home game followed by a loss at Sanford Stadium). Both teams will seek to impose their will offensively with the ground game, as their quarterbacks are fairly unproven in providing consistent high-level play.

At four, Kansas State and Oklahoma State will kick off in Stillwater, both looking to remain undefeated. Despite their unblemished records, both teams are reasonably flawed. OK State has appeared just slightly more impressive this season, and playing at home they should have the advantage.

About half of Saturday's games will begin at seven or later. The first notable seven o'clock game features Ole Miss and Florida in Gainesville. The Rebels are favored by more than a touchdown on the road, likely due to their impressive list of playmakers and depth on both sides of the ball. The Gators have their own wealth of talented players, though lack experience on the offensive line and depth at linebacker. The Florida offensive line must play to the best of their ability to improve Florida's chance at an upset, while their defense may also need to force big plays of their own. Against Alabama, the Rebel defense won the day by forcing turnovers. They must continue to play well while their offense looks to improve over last week's showing against Vanderbilt.

Tennessee needs a win immediately to salvage hope for this
season. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the SEC's most disappointed teams hope to find a spark when Arkansas plays Tennessee in Knoxville. Both teams saw victory slip away from their grasps in last week's games; a loss here may totally break the spirit of either team (and certainly their fanbases). Three hours west, in Murfreesboro, Vanderbilt faces Middle Tennessee. The Commodores look to avoid losing their second out-of-conference game of the season against a respectable C-USA squad.

Mississippi State and Texas A&M battle for position in the SEC West at half past seven. Neither team has appeared to be the best in the west, but any win in this division is precious. Both teams have prolific passing attacks, but also respectable defenses. The Aggies might be slightly more talented. Later, at eight, Notre Dame plays Clemson in a game of national importance. Despite an unfortunate string of injuries, the Fighting Irish are undefeated. Clemson has won all three of their games although none were especially impressive. The Tigers can improve the perception of their conference with a win over the Irish.

As the night goes on, Oregon looks to bounce back from last week's embarrassing loss with a win over Colorado. The Buffaloes, however, would prefer a win in order to accelerate the rebuilding of their program. Stanford will seek to pick up their first conference home win against Arizona. The Cardinal will try to replicate UCLA's success against the Wildcats.

State of Florida:

• Miami (3-0) over Cincinnati (2-2), 35-21
• Memphis (4-0) over South Florida (1-2), 31-20
• Tulane (1-2) over UCF (0-4), 20-17
• FIU (2-2) over Massachusetts (0-3), 31-27
• 11 Florida State (3-0) over Wake Forest (2-2), 31-14
• 25 Florida (4-0) over 3 Mississippi (4-0), 24-20
• Florida Atlantic (1-3), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• Missouri (3-1) over South Carolina (2-2), 17-14
• 8 Georgia (4-0) over 13 Alabama (3-1), 38-35
• Auburn (2-2) over San José State (2-2), 34-17
• Tennessee (2-2) over Arkansas (1-3), 35-28
• 9 LSU (3-0) over Eastern Michigan (1-3), 45-6
• Vanderbilt (1-3) over Middle Tennessee (2-2), 30-27
• 14 Texas A&M (4-0) over 21 Mississippi State (3-1), 28-24
• Kentucky (3-1) over Eastern Kentucky (2-1), 49-13

Top 25:

• 1 Ohio State (4-0) over Indiana (4-0), 34-20
• 2 Michigan State (4-0) over Purdue (1-3), 37-20
• 4 TCU (4-0) over Texas (1-3), 45-35
• 5 Baylor (3-0) over Texas Tech (3-1), 52-42
• 12 Clemson (3-0) over 6 Notre Dame (4-0), 33-30
• 7 UCLA (4-0) over Arizona State (2-2), 45-16
• 15 Oklahoma (3-0) over 23 West Virginia (3-0), 45-42
• 16 Northwestern (4-0) over Minnesota (3-1), 23-16
• 18 Stanford (3-1) over Arizona (3-1), 34-13
• 19 Wisconsin (3-1) over Iowa (4-0), 35-31
• 20 Oklahoma State (4-0) over Kansas State (3-0), 37-34
• 22 Michigan (3-1) over Maryland (2-2), 38-14
• 24 California (4-0) over Washington State (2-1), 42-21
• 10 Utah (4-0), BYE
• 17 USC (3-1), BYE

Know Your Opponent: Mississippi

The Gators' first victory over Ole Miss came in 1945 in
Jacksonville. Although Florida won convincingly (26-13), they
wouldn't win another conference game all season. The Seminole

The Rebels from the University of Mississippi travel to Gainesville for their 24th-ever meeting with the Gators this Saturday. The city of Oxford was founded in 1837, named with the intent of attracting an institution of higher education. The University of Mississippi was founded there in 1848, four years after being chartered by the state legislature. Throughout its history, Oxford has remained a small college town. The young university was devastated by the Civil War; the entire student body enlisted in the Confederate Army, forming the University Greys company. Every man was either wounded, killed, or captured during the war (many during the Battle of Gettysburg). The university's campus was used as a hospital before and after Oxford's capture by the Union army. The university enrolled its first female student in 1882 and, three years later, was the first southeastern university to hire female faculty. The nickname "Ole Miss" became attached to the university after student Elma Meek's suggestion was adopted for the name of the yearbook in 1897. Notoriously, Ole Miss was a center for riots during the era of desegregation and civil rights. Today, over 20,000 students are enrolled at the Oxford campus, including about 17,000 undergraduates. Harvard crimson and Yale blue are the school colors of Ole Miss, although gray has long been a component of the Rebels' uniforms.

Ole Miss has enjoyed an enviable history of success on the gridiron. Mississippi first began playing football in 1893 and joined the Southern Conference (SoCon) in 1922, shortly after it was founded. In 1933, Ole Miss left the SoCon to become a charter member of the Southeastern Conference. Known as the "Flood" since 1929 (and before that, the "Red and Blue"), Mississippi officially adopted the "Rebels" nickname in 1936. There is no question as to who was the greatest head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. John H. Vaught coached the Rebels for 25 seasons (1947–1970, 1973) and later became Ole Miss's athletic director. During his tenure, Vaught's Rebels won six SEC titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963) and claimed three national titles (1959, 1960, 1962). No other coach before or after Vaught has ever won a conference or national title at Ole Miss. By the end of his career, Vaught had compiled a 190-61-12 record at Mississippi, making him far-and-away the winningest head coach at the school.

The Rebels play home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium, named after both the legendary coach and Judge William Hemingway, a law professor. The stadium's current capacity exceeds 59,000, with the largest recorded crowd numbering 62,657. The stadium is scheduled to expand by almost 5,000 seats after this season. Traditionally, the Rebels had frequently hosted games at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson and Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis, although this is no longer practiced.

The Gators wouldn't defeat Ole Miss in Gainesville until
1964; Florida upset the national power 30-14 before a stunned
crowd of 47,003 at Florida Field. The Seminole

Of the Rebels' three national titles, none were awarded by the AP, although two (1960 and 1962) were awarded by major polling services. The '59 Rebels went 9-1 in the regular season, dropping just one game to LSU in Baton Rouge. This loss ensured Georgia would be awarded the conference title, although the Rebels won a claim on the national title after avenging themselves in a Sugar Bowl rematch against LSU. The Rebels went 10-0-1 in 1960, going undefeated and tying just once (against LSU). The '62 Rebels went undefeated and untied, winning all ten of their games. Of these three teams, the '59 squad is considered the greatest, outscoring opponents 350 to 21. The '59 Rebels allowed just three touchdowns and no field goals all season. A Rebel has yet to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, although quarterback Archie Manning is nonetheless regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the sport.

Ole Miss has two main rivals. The first is the LSU Tigers, who first met Ole Miss in 1894. The Tigers and the Rebels have played on 103 occasions, with LSU winning 59 games and Ole Miss winning 40 (four contests ended in draws). Both programs were national powers in the 1950s and early '60s, when the rivalry peaked in intensity. Other than a brief hiatus during the Second World War, Ole Miss and LSU have played every year since 1936. The Rebels also have a fierce rivalry with Mississippi State, their in-state rival. The Rebels and the Bulldogs have met 111 times in a series endearingly referred to as the "Egg Bowl" (a name referring the the shape of the trophy). Since first meeting Mississippi State in 1901, Ole Miss has had the edge in the series, leading it 62-43-6 over the Bulldogs (on the field, the record is 60-45-6, but MSU forfeited the '76 and '77 games).

Although both charter members of the SEC, Florida and Ole Miss have only played on an infrequent basis. Since 1926 (the year of their first meeting), the Gators and the Rebels have only played 23 times. Each team has played every other remaining SEC charter member on more occasions. Florida has played former-member Georgia Tech 15 more times than they've played Ole Miss; meanwhile, Ole Miss has played former-member Tulane 48 more times than they've played Florida. Another strange facet of the series is the success of the away team. The Rebels are 6-3-1 in Gainesville (10-4-1 in the state of Florida) against Florida while the Gators are 5-2 in Oxford (6-2 in the state of Mississippi) against Ole Miss.

Other than their fight song ("Forward Rebels"), the Ole Miss marching band ("The Pride of the South") are well known for their various renditions of the southern classic "Dixie".

Saturday in Review: Week 4

Memphis is undefeated after their first four games for the first
time since 1961. Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

This last week of football was a good one, beginning with Thursday night's game. Memphis beat Cincinnati in a barn-burner, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left. Bearcat quarterback Hayden Moore stepped in after starter Gunner Kiel suffered an injury, going on to throw for a school-record 557 passing yards. However, a late interception in the game's dwindling moments sealed the 53-46 victory for the undefeated Tigers.

The Michigan Wolverines were the first team to score a massive blowout victory on Saturday. The Wolverines utterly dominated the exhausted BYU Cougars squad, moving to 3-1 overall and looking to make an impact in Big Ten play. Duke stifled Georgia Tech before a small crowd in Durham. While Georgia Tech falls from favor in the ACC title race, Duke replaces them as a favorite in the Coastal division.

UCF got the better of South Carolina for a half, but couldn't suppress the Gamecocks from coming back in the second half. Syracuse put up a fight against LSU, but ultimately fell to the Tigers' superior depth. Texas lost their second-consecutive heartbreaker, losing to Oklahoma State on a late field goal. With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, Texas prepared to punt the ball, hoping their defense could force overtime. However, the Longhorn punter shanked the punt badly, setting up the Cowboys' game-winning kick.

Gainesville hosted one of the most exciting games of the season Saturday when the Florida Gators stunned Tennessee with an improbable fourth-quarter comeback. The Gators got on the board first when a 47-yard run by Kelvin Taylor set up a Florida touchdown early in the fourth quarter. However, the Gators wouldn't get much going on offense for the rest of the half. After trading a couple punts, the Volunteers got the ball back on their own 42-yard-line. Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw a backwards-pass to receiver Jauan Jennings, causing the Gator defense to pursue, but Jennings threw the ball back across the field to Dobbs, who went on to run all 58 yards to the endzone. A combination of Dobbs's legs and trick plays accounted for most of Tennessee's offensive success on Saturday. Later, in the second quarter, the Vols converted on 4th and 2 with a halfback pass. This led to the Volunteers' second touchdown, putting them up 14-7. A field goal on their next drive extended their lead to 10. By halftime, Tennessee held a 17-7 advantage over Florida.

This year's game was decided by inches, but the Florida
Gators now possess an 11-game winning streak over
Tennessee; this is now the longest streak by either team in
the rivalry's history. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Vols scored a field goal on the opening drive of the third, going up 20-7. The Gator offense stalled after the kickoff, but got the ball back quickly after a fumble by Dobbs deep in Volunteer territory. However, the Gators failed to pick up the 1st on their first three plays. Florida prepared to kick a field goal before Tennessee called a timeout. Changing their minds, Florida went for it on 4th down and converted, setting up another Taylor touchdown-run and cutting the deficit to six points. Both teams went three-and-out on their next drives before Tennessee got the ball back late in the third. 

The Volunteers proceeded to drive down the field against a worn Gator defense, scoring a touchdown with 10:19 left in the final quarter and going up 27-14. (The Volunteers elected to kick the PAT rather than extend the lead to 14 with a two-point conversion.) But the Gator offense responded, driving 86 yards to score another seven points. Quarterback Will Grier was clutch on this drive, converting on two fourth-and-long scenarios. But time was running out on the Gators, as only 4:09 remained. The Gators chose to kick it deep on the ensuing kickoff, hoping to get a stop on defense. Three conservative running plays later and the Gators were ready to receive the punt. Florida got the ball back on their own 41, poised for a game-winning touchdown drive. But after three plays, they lost four yards, and now faced fourth-and-fourteen from their own 37. Needing a big play, Grier took the snap from shotgun and threw the ball to Antonio Callaway over the middle; Callaway ran right, and, getting a block from Brandon Powell, ran all the way down to the endzone. The Gators went up 28-27 after the PAT, but the game wasn't over, as Joshua Dobbs still had 86 seconds to lead his Vols to field goal-position. Dobbs went on to gash the Gator defense on six plays, getting the ball down to the Gators' 37 with just three seconds on the clock. After a bad snap, the Volunteer kicker missed badly to the right, and the Gators rushed the field. But, alas, Florida had called a timeout before the kick. The Vols lined up for another kick, snapped the ball and... missed it wide right, the ball sailing just inches away from the goalpost. And the Gators won the game, their 11th straight over the Volunteers. The ending was eerily similar to the Volunteers' last victory over the Gators, the difference being that the field goal was missed.

That game was hard to top, but the Texas Tech-TCU game was equally thrilling. As expected, the offenses ran roughshod over their overmatched opponents. A miracle reception by halfback Aaron Green put the Horned Frogs up late in the fourth. A chaotic lateral-filled play by Texas Tech fell short, and TCU escaped with a 55-52 victory. Cal won a close game against Washington, improving their record to 4-0. Texas A&M needed a late rally and Arkansas miscues to beat the Razorbacks in overtime. Receiver Christian Kirk made plays for the Aggies all night, while Drew Morgan did the same for Arkansas in a losing effort.

The city of Los Angeles outscored the state of Arizona 98-44
Saturday night. It appears the power in the Pac-12 has shifted
towards the states of California and Utah.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss struggled more against Vanderbilt than anyone expected, as turnovers helped keep the Commodores competitive. Mississippi State conquered Auburn in a defensive battle, besting the Tigers for the third time in four years. Kentucky triumphed over Mizzou at home as quarterback Patrick Towles completed 22 of 27 passes. The Kentucky defense held the Missouri offense in check for most of the night.

The UCLA Bruins crushed the Arizona Wildcats, winning 56-30 in the desert. Northwestern held off Ball State to preserve their undefeated season. Oregon suffered their worst loss since 2003 last Saturday, falling victim to the Utah Utes. The 62-20 defeat reduces the Ducks' record to 2-2, effectively obliterating their playoff hopes. Following the Pac-12's theme of blowouts, USC dominated Arizona State in Sun Devil Stadium.

State of Florida:

• South Carolina (2-2) over UCF (0-4), 20-13 31-14
• Louisiana Tech (2-2) over FIU (2-2), 35-17 27-17
• Florida (4-0) over Tennessee (2-2), 17-10 28-27
• Florida Atlantic (1-3) over Charlotte (2-2), 28-21 17-7
• 10 Florida State (3-0), BYE
• Miami (3-0), BYE
• South Florida (1-2), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• 7 Georgia (4-0) over Southern (2-2), 70-3 48-6
• 8 LSU (3-0) over Syracuse (3-1), 38-13 34-24
• 12 Alabama (3-1) over Louisiana-Monroe (1-2), 49-9 34-0
• 14 Texas A&M (4-0) over Arkansas (1-3), 42-17 28-21 (OT)
• 3 Mississippi (4-0) over Vanderbilt (1-3), 38-6 27-16
• Mississippi State (3-1) over Auburn (2-2), 31-17 17-9
• Kentucky (3-1) over 25 Missouri (3-1), 24-17 21-13

Top 25:

• 1 Ohio State (4-0) over Western Michigan (1-3), 38-14 38-12
• 2 Michigan State (4-0) over Central Michigan (1-3), 38-24 30-10
• Texas Tech (3-1) over 3 TCU (4-0), 52-45 55-52
• 5 Baylor (3-0) over Rice (2-2), 52-28 70-17
• 6 Notre Dame (4-0) over Massachusetts (0-3), 38-13 62-27
• 9 UCLA (4-0) over 16 Arizona (3-1), 31-24 56-30
• 13 Oregon (2-2) over 18 Utah (4-0), 31-27 62-20
• 17 Northwestern (4-0) over Ball State (2-2), 27-10 24-19
• 19 USC (3-1) over Arizona State (2-2), 38-34 42-14
• 20 Georgia Tech (2-2) over Duke (3-1), 35-28 34-20
• 21 Stanford (3-1) over Oregon State (2-2), 31-21 42-24
• Michigan (3-1) over 22 BYU (2-2), 35-31 31-0
• 22 Wisconsin (3-1) over Hawaii (2-2), 31-7 28-0
• Texas (1-3) over 24 Oklahoma State (4-0), 42-35 30-27
• 11 Clemson (3-0), BYE
• 15 Oklahoma (3-0), BYE

Week 4 Record: 21-4 (84%)

Season Record: 95-19 (83%)

Saturday Predictions: Week 4

Virginia's had a difficult beginning to 2015 but could leave
out-of-conference play on a high note with a home win over
Boise State. Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

We've completed the first quarter of the college football regular season, and are now entering the heart of conference play. Cincinnati meets Memphis in the first game of the week tomorrow night. The Tigers have rolled through three impressive victories to start the season and look to win their first conference game of the season against the Bearcats. On Friday, watch to see who wins an intriguing game between Boise State and Virginia. The Broncos travel to Charlottesville after starting the season 2-1; against FBS teams, Boise State struggled to beat Washington and lost a close game to BYU. The Cavaliers are 1-2, having played a rather difficult schedule and dropping games to UCLA and Notre Dame. Like Boise State against BYU, Virginia lost to Notre Dame on a last-minute Hail Mary. Virginia barely held off William & Mary last Saturday. The game is important for the Mountain West Conference, whose teams have had sparing successes this season, and Virginia head coach Mike London, who has only had one winning season since being hired in 2010.

We start off Saturday with a game between BYU and Michigan. The Cougars have played close against every opponent this season, while Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is leading the Wolverines in his first home game against a competitive team. Also at noon, UCF goes on the road against South Carolina. Both teams have started their seasons in extremely disappointing fashion; a loss here would provide small relief to one team and extend the misery of the other.

By the time we get to 3:30, Oklahoma State and Texas will be ready to kick off in Austin. Texas's sorrows have been well-publicized this season, but should still prove to be the Cowboys' toughest test this season. Meanwhile, the Florida Gators will go to battle against the Tennessee Volunteers, both looking for a big early-season win in the SEC East. The Gators have won 10 games consecutively against the Vols, though it hasn't always been easy. Tennessee's offense should be able to challenge Florida's talented defense, while Florida's offense has to find some way to move the ball against a Tennessee defense that has likewise had inconsistency.

Texas Tech was embarrassed by TCU last year, surrendering
82 points to the Frogs. They'll look for a massive
improvement this year against a battered defense.
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Later in the afternoon, TCU travels to Lubbock to face the Red Raiders. One would expect Texas Tech to be at a great disadvantage, however, the Horned Frogs are suffering from a string of injuries and arrests to their defensive unit. In this case, the home team might be able to keep up with TCU and their talented quarterback. A few minutes after this game starts, Cal and Washington meet in Seattle. Both teams are looking to turn the corner and challenge Stanford and Oregon in the Pac-12 North. They both need this win to look like contenders in their division.

A couple of the SEC's more interesting games kick off at night. Auburn's season is under threat of becoming a disaster. The Tigers host Mississippi State and have a chance to right the ship before it gets out of control. Kentucky may be emotionally scarred from last week's near-miss against the Gators, but must pull themselves together as they play the Missouri Tigers at home. Missouri's defensive line should cause havoc against the Kentucky offense, although Mizzou's offense has yet to prove any competency themselves.

A huge matchup of Pac-12 South unbeatens is scheduled between UCLA and Arizona. The Bruins have been battle-tested early this season while the Wildcats have gotten by a soft schedule with relative ease. The Bruins are also expected to have an advantage in talent, although home-field-advantage should play in favor of Arizona. Oregon and Utah begin play just a few minutes later; the Ducks look like they have the Pac-12's best offense while Utah appears to have one of the best defenses in the conference. The Utes would like to avenge last year's loss, but that's easier said than done in Eugene.

Finally, USC plays Arizona State in Tempe. After an unexpected loss to Stanford, USC can hardly afford to drop another conference game against the Sun Devils. ASU, on the other hand, could pick up a big win in their conference opener at the beginning of a difficult stretch of games.

State of Florida:

• South Carolina (1-2) over UCF (0-3), 20-13
• Louisiana Tech (1-2) over FIU (2-1), 35-17
• Florida (3-0) over Tennessee (2-1), 17-10
• Florida Atlantic (0-3) over Charlotte (2-1), 28-21
• 10 Florida State (3-0), BYE
• Miami (3-0), BYE
• South Florida (1-2), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• 7 Georgia (3-0) over Southern (2-1), 70-3
• 8 LSU (2-0) over Syracuse (3-0), 38-13
• 12 Alabama (2-1) over Louisiana-Monroe (1-1), 49-9
• 14 Texas A&M (3-0) over Arkansas (1-2), 42-17
• 3 Mississippi (3-0) over Vanderbilt (1-2), 38-6
• Mississippi State (2-1) over Auburn (2-1), 31-17
• Kentucky (2-1) over 25 Missouri (3-0), 24-17

Top 25:

• 1 Ohio State (3-0) over Western Michigan (1-2), 38-14
• 2 Michigan State (3-0) over Central Michigan (1-2), 38-24
• Texas Tech (3-0) over 3 TCU (3-0), 52-45
• 5 Baylor (2-0) over Rice (2-1), 52-28
• 6 Notre Dame (3-0) over Massachusetts (0-2), 38-13
• 9 UCLA (3-0) over 16 Arizona (3-0), 31-24
• 13 Oregon (2-1) over 18 Utah (3-0), 31-27
• 17 Northwestern (3-0) over Ball State (2-1), 27-10
• 19 USC (2-1) over Arizona State (2-1), 38-34
• 20 Georgia Tech (2-1) over Duke (2-1), 35-28
• 21 Stanford (2-1) over Oregon State (2-1), 31-21
• Michigan (2-1) over 22 BYU (2-1), 35-31
• 22 Wisconsin (2-1) over Hawaii (2-1), 31-7
• Texas (1-2) over 24 Oklahoma State (3-0), 42-35
• 11 Clemson (3-0), BYE
• 15 Oklahoma (3-0), BYE

Know Your Opponent: Tennessee

A Tennessee graduate, Bob Woodruff, was the first Florida
coach to defeat the Volunteers. His successor, Ray Graves,
was also a Vol in his college days. Doug Dickey was a player
under Woodruff before becoming head coach at Tennessee.
Dickey left Tennessee in 1969 to replace Graves at Florida;
after leaving the Gators, he returned as athletic director for
Tennessee. Steve Spurrier grew up a Tennessee fan before
being recruited by Graves to Florida (and later becoming their
head coach). The Seminole

This Saturday the Gators play their second SEC East opponent, the Volunteers from the University of Tennessee. Blount College, the predecessor of the University of Tennessee, was founded in Knoxville in 1794. A new charter was written and the school was re-established as East Tennessee College in 1807. The small, struggling school's only teacher, Samuel Carrick, died just two years later and the school was shuttered until 1820. As the population of Tennessee boomed, the school required a new campus to expand. In 1828, the college moved to its current site at Barbara Hill. The institution became East Tennessee University in 1840. It was finally renamed the "University of Tennessee" after the Civil War, in 1879. The university now enrolls over 27,000 students, including over 21,000 undergrads. Tennessee’s school colors are orange and white.

The Tennessee Volunteers have a long and successful tradition of playing football. The University of Tennessee’s football program began in 1891 and derives its nickname from its state’s moniker, “the volunteer state”, a legacy from the Tennessean volunteer militias that served in the War of 1812 and later the Mexican-American War. Tennessee was a founding member of the Southern Conference in 1921 and was later a charter member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933. The man undoubtedly most responsible for Tennessee's success was Robert Neyland. A graduate from West Point, Neyland took two breaks from coaching to serve in the Army. During his first stint (1926–1934), the Volunteers won two Southern Conference championships and went an incredible 61-2-5 overall. After returning from a tour in Panama, Neyland coached for another five years (1936–1940), claiming three conference and two national titles along the way. Neyland served in Southeast Asia during the Second World War, but returned to UT in 1946. Before retiring as head coach and becoming Tennessee's athletic director in 1952, Neyland coached the Vols to another pair of SEC and national championships. Neyland finished his coaching career 173-31-12, with seven conference titles and claims on four national titles. The Vols have won a total 13 SEC titles, second all-time behind Alabama’s 24. Tennessee’s first SEC title was won in 1938 while their most recent championship was in 1998.

The Volunteers play home games in the colossal Neyland Stadium, which can seat in excess of 102,000 fans. Only Michigan Stadium, Beaver Stadium, Kyle Field, and Ohio Stadium exceed Neyland Stadium in capacity. The largest crowd to witness a Tennessee home game numbered 109,061 and saw the Volunteers defeat the Florida Gators 30-28.

The University of Tennessee claims six national titles, although only four (1938, 1950, 1951, and 1998) were granted by major polls and only two (1951 and 1998) were awarded by the AP. Tennessee has never produced a Heisman winner, although alums Johnny Majors and Peyton Manning are among the most famous runners-up for the award. The 1998 squad finished with a perfect 13-0 record, defeated Florida State 23-16 in the Fiesta Bowl, and secured the inaugural BCS national championship.

Florida defeated Tennessee 31-17 on the last occasion the
Vols visited Gainesville; the Florida defense proved too much
for the Volunteers to overcome while Tyler Murphy played
well in his collegiate debut. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Traditionally, Tennessee's most important rival is Alabama. The Vols first met the Tide in 1901 (a 6-6 tie) and have met every year since 1928 (barring the war year of 1943). No other SEC team has won more games or championships than Alabama or Tennessee. No team has defeated Alabama more times than Tennessee and no team has defeated Tennessee more times than Alabama. Although Alabama has now won each of the last eight games in the series, Tennessee had won 10 of the previous 12. Before that, Alabama had won 19 of the last 24. Thus, despite the general competitiveness between the two schools, the rivalry has been dominated by streaks since the early 1970s. The Crimson Tide currently leads the series with 51 wins to Tennessee's 38 (seven competitions have resulted in draws). Although Kentucky and Vanderbilt both consider Tennessee a primary rival, this animosity is not fully reciprocated due to Tennessee's historical dominance of those two schools. Tennessee first met Kentucky in 1893 and leads the series 77-24-9. The Volunteers lead Vanderbilt in their series 74-30-5 since first playing in 1892.

Florida and Tennessee first played one another in football in 1916, although the conference rivalry has only been played on an annual basis since 1990. The Gators and Vols have played a total of 44 games; Florida has won 25 of those games, while Tennessee has won 19. Tennessee won the first 10 games of the series and didn’t lose to the Gators until 1954. Since that year, the Gators have held a 25-9 advantage in total wins-losses. In addition, the Gators have not lost to the Vols since 2004. The rivalry peaked in intensity in the 1990s and early 2000s, when both teams dominated the SEC East division. Usually played early in the SEC season, the Florida-Tennessee game was critical for either team to win the conference championship. Because of this, many modern Tennessee fans consider Florida to be their main rival.

Although the Pride of the Southland Band (Tennessee's marching band) and UT's fans are well known for playing and singing a cover of the Osborne Brothers' "Rocky Top" as a school song, their actual fight song is "Down the Field".

Saturday in Review: Week 3

Missouri has hardly impressed anyone by this point in the
season. Yet, last year was much the same and the Tigers went
on to win the SEC East. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

After our third weekend, the season is starting to take new shape. Preseason favorites have been defeated and new favorites have emerged. On Thursday, Clemson held off Louisville to remain undefeated. The Cardinals will likely pick up their first win of the season next Saturday, against Samford. The Florida State offense couldn't get much going Friday night, but it did enough to win as the Seminole defense scored a touchdown while shutting out Boston College.

South Florida fell to Maryland on Saturday, proving incapable of preventing big plays by the Terrapin passing game. Five turnovers plagued Florida Atlantic in their loss to Buffalo. North Carolina suddenly look like potential ACC contenders after their blowout win over Illinois. The game between Missouri and Connecticut was thoroughly bizarre. Heavily-favored Mizzou won 9-6 (at home) without either team scoring a field goal; the game ended with a botched fake field goal by UConn.

Northwestern silenced their doubters (myself included) with a solid road win over Duke. The Wildcats look prepared to challenge for the Big Ten West title. After two impressive victories, Temple barely got by Massachusetts, needing a late field goal to get ahead of the home team.

Ohio State was given more trouble by Northern Illinois than most expected, scratching by with a 20-13 win over the Huskies. The top-ranked team suffered through poor quarterback play and hardly looked invincible. Of course, the Buckeyes ran into trouble repeatedly in the regular season last year before turning up their game in the postseason. The Navy sunk the Pirates of East Carolina, easily winning their first conference game in program history.

Leonard Fournette has emerged as our early-season Heisman
favorite. The running back ran for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns
on 19 carries against Auburn. Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame triumphed over Georgia Tech by playing great defense and running the ball. The Irish have a challenging schedule, but look to be competitive in every game. Down south, the Miami Hurricanes looked as though they'd blow away the Nebraska Cornhuskers. However, a fantastic fourth-quarter comeback sent the game into overtime, were the Huskers threw a pick and lost.

In Baton Rouge, LSU squashed the Auburn Tigers under the cleats of Leonard Fournette. In a similar performance, Georgia crushed South Carolina with great performances by halfback Nick Chubb and quarterback Greyson Lambert. Improbably, Lambert completed 24 of his 25 pass attempts.

It's a worse-case scenario in Orlando, where UCF hasn't won a game this season. The Knights' last loss was their worst, a 16-15 upset against Furman. After this loss, UCF is facing the prospect of their first winless season since 2004. FIU put away NC Central after a slow start defensively.

After many had predicted them the lose, the Florida Gators and their defense held off the Kentucky yet again. An interception by Vernon Hargreaves set up the Gators' first touchdown, but the Wildcats responded with a field goal. The Gators had a field goal blocked in the second quarter, but drove down the field late in the half for a touchdown, putting them up 14-3.

After halftime, the Gators drove down the field once again, looking to put the game out of reach. However, quarterback Will Grier threw a bad pass into the endzone and was intercepted. Kentucky scored another three points on the following drive, shortly after the beginning of the fourth. The Gator offense couldn't get anything going, and soon the Wildcats kicked another field goal, cutting the Gator lead to five. But the Gator defense wouldn't break, consistently pressuring quarterback Patrick Towles and stopping the run. The Florida defense sealed their 29th consecutive victory over Kentucky after Towles was intercepted by Quincy Wilson on the Cats' final drive.

One missed PAT was the difference between Cal and Texas
on Saturday evening. Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

One of the week's most exciting competitions was held between California and Texas. The Golden Bears barely hung on to win after a wild Longhorn comeback was undercut by a shanked PAT. Despite the heartbreaking finale, Texas fans can look forward to freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard, who delivered a heroic performance in defeat. Both Heard and Cal quarterback Jared Goff set school records in the game.

Iowa kicker Marshall Koehn hit a 57-yarder to beat Pitt as time expired. Stanford upset USC in Los Angeles, shaking up perceptions of a few teams. Not only does Stanford look far more formidable now, but so does Northwestern, who defeated the Cardinal in their season opener and remain undefeated.

For the first time in history, the Ole Miss Rebels scored their second consecutive victory over Alabama. The game lived up to expectations, as the Crimson Tide kept coming back despite a bevy of turnovers. Missing a star receiver like Amari Cooper, quarterback Jake Coker was frustrated by the Rebel secondary and pass rush. The Rebels made some spectacular plays to build up big leads, only to have Alabama climb back in it. In the end, Ole Miss came out of Tuscaloosa with a 43-37 victory. Now Ole Miss is the team to beat in the SEC West, although Alabama and LSU are sure to remain contenders.

In the week's final thriller, UCLA held off BYU and their late-game magic to win, 24-23. UCLA, Utah, and Arizona all remain undefeated in the Pac-12 South, while Cal is the only northern team to remain unblemished.

State of Florida:

• 9 Florida State (3-0) over Boston College (2-1), 37-30 14-0
• Florida Atlantic (0-3) over Buffalo (2-1), 27-24 33-15
• South Florida (1-2) over Maryland (2-1), 17-13 35-17
• Nebraska (1-2) over Miami (3-0), 34-27 36-33 (OT)
• FIU (2-1) over North Carolina Central (1-2), 38-6 39-14
• UCF (0-3) over Furman (1-2), 31-10 16-15
• Florida (3-0) over Kentucky (2-1), 27-20 14-9

Southeastern Conference:

• 22 Missouri (3-0) over Connecticut (2-1), 34-10 9-6
• 17 Texas A&M (3-0) over Nevada (1-2), 38-13 44-27
• 13 LSU (2-0) over 18 Auburn (2-1), 45-17 45-21
• Mississippi State (2-1) over Northwestern State (0-3), 58-7 62-13
• Vanderbilt (1-2) over Austin Peay (0-3), 45-6 47-7
• 7 Georgia (3-0) over South Carolina (1-2), 31-28 52-20
• Arkansas (1-2) over Texas Tech (3-0), 38-35 35-24
• Tennessee (2-1) over Western Carolina (1-2), 52-3 55-10
• 2 Alabama (2-1) over 15 Mississippi (3-0), 37-31 43-37

Top 25:

• 1 Ohio State (3-0) over Northern Illinois (2-1), 45-14 20-13
• 3 TCU (3-0) over SMU (1-2), 31-10 56-37
• 4 Michigan State (3-0) over Air Force (2-1), 38-17 35-21
• 6 USC (2-1) over Stanford (2-1), 28-14 41-31
• 14 Georgia Tech (2-1) over 8 Notre Dame (3-0), 37-20 30-22
• 10 UCLA (3-0) over 19 BYU (2-1), 27-17 24-23
• 11 Clemson (3-0) over Louisville (0-3), 38-24 20-17
• 12 Oregon (2-1) over Georgia State (1-2), 77-14 61-28
• 16 Oklahoma (3-0) over Tulsa (2-1), 44-21 52-38
• 20 Arizona (3-0) over Northern Arizona (2-1), 52-17 77-13
• 21 Utah (3-0) over Fresno State (1-2), 24-7 45-24
• Duke (2-1) over 23 Northwestern (3-0), 20-17 19-10
• 24 Wisconsin (2-1) over Troy (1-2), 45-21 28-3
• 25 Oklahoma State (3-0) over UTSA (0-3), 31-20 69-14
• 5 Baylor (2-0), BYE

Week 3 Record: 21-9 (70%)

Season Record: 74-15 (83%)

Saturday Predictions: Week 3

Clemson must play on the road after only four days of rest;
their opponents have their backs against the wall and won't let
the Tigers leave Louisville with an easy win.
Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

This week's football begins tonight at 7:30 when Clemson kicks off against Louisville. The Cardinals have had a rough start, losing close games against Auburn and Houston. Meanwhile, the Tigers have outscored two overmatched Carolinian teams (Wofford and Appalachian State) 90 to 20. Despite their opponent's 0-2 record, a visit to Louisville should still be the toughest test for Clemson this season. Friday night's first game is also between two ACC schools. Florida State takes their biennial trip to New England to face Boston College. BC was originally scheduled to play New Mexico State this season; however, due to conference re-alignment, that game was cancelled and replaced with a game against Howard. Consequently, the Eagles have only played against FCS competition this season (they opened against Maine) and have outscored their opponents 100-3. FSU's had a solid start to the season even if they've struggled somewhat in the first half. However, expect FSU's short week and long trip to play to Boston College's advantage. The Eagles might not have enough to win, but should be able to keep the game close for some time.

Action begins at noon this Saturday when South Florida kicks off against Maryland. The Bulls are 1-1, but have reason to be optimistic after playing close against Florida State for a little more than one half. Maryland was blown out last week by Bowling Green, shocking many, but still have plenty of Big Ten talent. If the Bull defense keeps this game close, USF has a good chance at stealing a win from the Terrapins. Looking for their first win of the season, Florida Atlantic hosts Buffalo in Boca Raton. Not a program prone to good luck, FAU will have a tough but possible challenge to earn their first win of the season.

Also at midday, Illinois takes on North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Illini have struggled greatly for the better part of the last decade, but appear to be improving over the last few seasons. An out-of-conference win would be a big step for Illinois, but UNC won't make it easy. The Tar Heels need this home victory before entering what could be a difficult conference schedule. Down the road in Durham, at half past the hour, Duke begins their game against now-ranked Northwestern. Both teams are undefeated and have looked better than expected to start the year. Home-field advantage may be what decides this match-up.

Are the Yellow Jackets playoff contenders? They could make
a statement this week in South Bend.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the week's premier games start at 3:30. Georgia Tech plays Notre Dame for the 35th time, looking to pick up just their seventh win all-time against the Irish. Notre Dame hopes their new quarterback can stand up to what may be the ACC's best team. The Yellow Jackets can step into the national conversation with a win over a top-10 team on the road. Simultaneously, the Auburn Tigers visit the LSU Tigers in a battle of SEC West hopefuls. Auburn looks vulnerable after a close call against Jacksonville State, but can regain their reputation quickly with a good outing against LSU. LSU will look to affirm their legitimacy with a dominant win at home. Auburn can improve their chances if they find some way to limit LSU's potent ground attack.

Miami hosts Nebraska Saturday afternoon, seeking their first statement win of the year. Miami's talent hasn't often translated to on-field success in recent years; they must play a good game to beat Nebraska. A few hours later, South Carolina plays Georgia in Athens. Although the Gamecocks have won four of the series' last five, they are bigger underdogs this year than usual. The Cocks need to limit Georgia's rushing attack to have any hope at pulling the upset.

UCF hasn't looked very good this season, but should still win easily against Furman (who look to be their weakest remaining opponent). FIU should also handle their opponent, North Carolina Central, with little difficulty. Texas Tech and Arkansas resume their border-rivalry when the clock strikes seven. Texas Tech's offense has been hard to stop (against admittedly weak competition), though their defense has looked mediocre. Mediocre also describes Arkansas's performance against Toledo last week. If Arkansas can convert in the redzone, they should hold off the Red Raiders.

The Gators escaped with a win last week but have an
even tougher challenge ahead of them in Lexington.
Gator Country/David Bowie

Eastwards in the SEC, Florida and Kentucky play an important early-season conference game. Kentucky has survived two consecutive second-half comebacks from Louisiana-Lafayette and South Carolina. Florida's crushed what may be the worst FBS team (New Mexico State) and was lucky to win against East Carolina (though they should have won more convincingly). An improved Kentucky team is poised to end Florida's long winning streak against them, although Florida has all they need to beat the Wildcats yet again. Victory could come more easily to the Gators if only one quarterback plays as a true starter (though who that quarterback is may not be known); the dual-quarterback system the Gators have previously utilized rarely works well against the best competition.

Two teams named after our nation's largest states meet for the sixth time in history Saturday night. A hopeful California team visits a Texas team in peril of another disappointing season. For what its worth, the Longhorns have the home field advantage, but must find some way to move the ball consistently in order to keep up with the Golden Bears. Cal is seeking their first win ever against Texas. Later that night, Ole Miss travels to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide of Alabama. Last year, Alabama's only regular season loss was to the Rebels and this year they're looking at another tremendous hurdle. Ole Miss leads the nation in scoring offense but haven't faced an opponent anywhere near the level of Alabama. All signs point to another epic clash of SEC West powers between the two border-rivals.

As the clock creeps towards midnight on the East Coast, UCLA and BYU will go to battle in Pasadena. BYU has won two consecutive games on last minute Hail Marys. UCLA's looked every bit the West Coast power that they're suspected to be. The Bruins should get revenge for 2008, the year of their last meeting against the Cougars (a 59-0 beat-down in Provo).

State of Florida:

• 9 Florida State (2-0) over Boston College (2-0), 37-30
• Florida Atlantic (0-2) over Buffalo (1-1), 27-24
• South Florida (1-1) over Maryland (1-1), 17-13
• Nebraska (1-1) over Miami (2-0), 34-27
• FIU (1-1) over North Carolina Central (1-1), 38-6
• UCF (0-2) over Furman (0-2), 31-10
• Florida (2-0) over Kentucky (2-0), 27-20

Southeastern Conference:

• 22 Missouri (2-0) over Connecticut (2-0), 34-10
• 17 Texas A&M (2-0) over Nevada (1-1), 38-13
• 13 LSU (1-0) over 18 Auburn (2-0), 45-17
• Mississippi State (1-1) over Northwestern State (0-2), 58-7
• Vanderbilt (0-2) over Austin Peay (0-2), 45-6
• 7 Georgia (2-0) over South Carolina (1-1), 31-28
• Arkansas (1-1) over Texas Tech (2-0), 38-35
• Tennessee (1-1) over Western Carolina (1-1), 52-3
• 2 Alabama (2-0) over 15 Mississippi (2-0), 37-31

Top 25:

• 1 Ohio State (2-0) over Northern Illinois (2-0), 45-14
• 3 TCU (2-0) over SMU (1-1), 31-10
• 4 Michigan State (2-0) over Air Force (2-0), 38-17
• 6 USC (2-0) over Stanford (1-1), 28-14
• 14 Georgia Tech (2-0) over 8 Notre Dame (2-0), 37-20
• 10 UCLA (2-0) over 19 BYU (2-0), 27-17
• 11 Clemson (2-0) over Louisville (0-2), 38-24
• 12 Oregon (1-1) over Georgia State (1-1), 77-14
• 16 Oklahoma (2-0) over Tulsa (2-0), 44-21
• 20 Arizona (2-0) over Northern Arizona (2-0), 52-17
• 21 Utah (2-0) over Fresno State (1-1), 24-7
• Duke (2-0) over 23 Northwestern (2-0), 20-17
• 24 Wisconsin (1-1) over Troy (1-1), 45-21
• 25 Oklahoma State (2-0) over UTSA (0-2), 31-20
• 5 Baylor (2-0), BYE