Saturday Predictions: Week 5

The Gators are resting this week, so all the predictions here are impartial. Last week, I called three upsets. As it turns out, there were only two (among the games I selected), but I didn't pick either of them. This week, I'm doing the same: three upsets. Maybe I'll get one but I'm not at all confident in any of them.

This week's only match-up between ranked teams will be in
Tempe. The Sun Devils will have to play without their star
quarterback on Thursday. Credit: Matt York/Associated Press

The first upset to look for is #15 Arizona State over #11 UCLA Thursday night. Now if history tells you anything, it's that Arizona State is the Clemson of the West. They have a long history of under-performing, losing big games, and breaking the hearts of their fanbase. But sometimes everybody will catch a break, including the Sun Devils. This series is tied with 10 wins apiece since 1990 and ASU won last year in Pasadena. So far this season, the Sun Devils have played three over-matched opponents and won with some degree of ease. UCLA, on the other hand, has struggled far more than expected. They played closer than expected against some admittedly decent opposition, Virginia and Texas, but also just scraped by against Memphis. One big problem for both teams: their star quarterbacks have been injured. While Arizona State's will be out for this game, UCLA's may play (whether he'll be full strength is yet to be seen). I'm not confident, but I do believe the Bruins' luck just may run out in the desert.

Next, I'm looking again to the Pac-12 and for the Washington Huskies to upset Stanford in Seattle. If this match-up is anything like those of the past two years, it should be a close game. Last time these teams met in Seattle, the Huskies prevailed 31-28. Now, the Huskies did looked pretty shaky after their first two games this season (they beat Hawaii by just one point and pesky Eastern Washington by just seven). But after two blowouts, they managed to become 4-0 and should be pretty confident. But Stanford is a good team, the best Washington has faced. Yet, I'm not confident they'll have the ability to pull away from a probably inferior UW team on the road. The Huskies will keep it close and in the end, get the win at home. Maybe. I think.

The last upset I'm looking for is Florida Atlantic over UTSA. This battle-of-the-birds might be the toughest one to predict. The Roadrunners have had an extra week off to prepare for this one and have actually looked pretty respectable this season considering their 1-2 record. They also have a national championship-winning coach in Larry Coker. But they'll be travelling from their comfy home in the Alamodome to play the Owls in Boca Raton. The Owls were outscored 96-7 in their first two game... but this is understandable considering their opposition (Nebraska and Alabama). They then proceeded to obliterate Tulsa and lose a heart-breaker to Wyoming in Laramie. We'll see if the scrappy Owls can win again in South Florida.

Elsewhere, look to see how Florida State faces the challenge of NC State in Raleigh. This is the first game of the season the Seminoles will be playing in front of a hostile crowd. The Noles are heavy favorites, but have yet to beat the spread this season. They struggled last week but will be improved with the return of starting-quarterback Jameis Winston. They also must overcome a certain Raleigh magic that has plagued the Seminoles for over a decade. The Noles and the Wolfpack have played annually since 1992. Since 1998, the Noles lead the series only 9-7*, making it one of the most closely contested annual series for FSU during the last 17 years. In Raleigh, the Pack have also won the last two games and five of the last eight against Florida State. But like the #1-Noles, the Wolfpack have not been particularly impressive in any game (other than a 49-17 rout of the South Florida Bulls in Tampa).

State of Florida:

• #19 Wisconsin (2-1) over South Florida (2-2), 34-10
• UAB (2-1) over FIU (1-3), 38-7
• #1 Florida State (3-0) over NC State (4-0), 31-24
• Florida Atlantic (1-3) over UTSA (1-2), 28-24 (UPSET)
• Miami (2-2) over Duke (4-0), 34-31
• Florida (2-1), BYE
• UCF (1-2), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• #12 Georgia (2-1) over Tennessee (2-1), 42-20
• Kentucky (2-1) over Vanderbilt (1-3), 31-14
• #6 Texas A&M (4-0) over Arkansas (3-1), 38-28
• #5 Auburn (3-0) over Louisiana Tech (2-2), 52-17
• #13 South Carolina (3-1) over Missouri (3-1), 34-24
• #10 Mississippi (3-0) over Memphis (2-1), 42-21
• #17 LSU (3-1) over New Mexico State (2-2), 45-10
• #3 Alabama (4-0), BYE
• #14 Mississippi State (4-0), BYE

Top 25:

• #7 Baylor (3-0) over Iowa State (1-2), 41-24
• #8 Notre Dame (3-0) over Syracuse (2-1), 38-17
• #9 Michigan State (2-1) over Wyoming (3-1), 45-14
• #15 Arizona State (3-0) over #11 UCLA (3-0), 31-24 (UPSET)
• Washington (4-0) over #16 Stanford (2-1), 21-17 (UPSET)
• #18 USC (2-1) over Oregon State (3-0), 38-21
• #21 Nebraska (4-0) over Illinois (3-1), 45-31
• #22 Ohio State (2-1) over Cincinnati (2-0), 31-21
• #24 Oklahoma State (2-1) over Texas Tech (2-1), 42-24
• #25 Kansas State (2-1) over UTEP (2-1), 45-20
• #2 Oregon (4-0), BYE
• #4 Oklahoma (4-0), BYE
• #20 BYU, BYE
• #23 East Carolina, BYE

*this figure include the 2007 Florida State victory, which was officially vacated