Predictions: Week 4

West Virginia @ Colorado (+3)

Hmmm... I gotta say, the Mountaineers haven't looked all that good this year. Then again, the Buffs haven't been so hot themselves. Both have scheduled some decently tough non-conf opponents, so props to both of them for that, and both have had two weeks to prepare for this game (which I hope translates into entertaining football). I still believe in Pat White though.

The Call: West Virginia by 10
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Baylor (+13) @ Connecticut

Two more similar teams - both are over .500, but neither have beaten anybody any good. Can the Bears pull off the upset and continue the Big12's winning ways? Round 3 of the BigEast vs Big12 this weekend...

The Call: Connecticut by 14
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Mississippi State @ Georgia Tech (-8)

The Yellow Jackets stumbled a bit last week vs the Hokies, but generally they're still sound. The Bulldogs were half of that ugly duo that put up a 3-2 score last week and haven't really played anyone else. But Croom's boys usually win at least one game a season that you don't really expect them to...

The Call: Mississippi State by 4
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Iowa (-1) @ Pittsburgh

The Panthers were supposed to ascend to the top of the Big East this year, and while it remains to be seen if they can, a lot of people wrote them off after losing to BG. The Hawkeyes are 3-0 against pathetic competition and haven't really proved much of anything. Tough call... whatddya say, gut?

The Call: Pittsburgh by 7
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Alabama @ Arkansas (+9.5)

The Tide are still riding the wave of their victory over Clemson, while the Hogs have looked like a building about to collapse against decidedly inferior opponents. And with the rescheduling of Texas to next week, they now have an absolutely brutal four week stretch coming up. Things aren't going to start well.

The Call: Alabama by 17
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Buffalo @ Missouri (-33.5)

Everyone knows that the Tigers are looking great this year - they're gonna score (a lot), and they're gonna win. But the Bulls can put points on the board too, and they're still flying after that last-second win versus Temple. Missouri jumps to a big early lead, but Buffalo puts up some 2nd half points to make it respectable.

The Call: Missouri wins, but Buffalo covers the spread
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Notre Dame (+9) @ Michigan State

Can the Irish beat the big Michigan teams two weeks in a row? The Spartans have rebounded nicely from an opening weekend loss to Cal (I'll bet they feel worse about that one after last weekend), but their opponents haven't been all that great. This is usually a solid matchup though - if the Irish can capitalize on mistakes like they did last week, they have a chance.

The Call: Michigan State by 14
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Virginia Tech @ North Carolina (-3)

What, are the Beamer Boys looking that bad that they have to GET points now? From North Carolina? C'mon, people. One game against a down Rutgers team does not a Tar Heel juggernaut make.

The Call: Virginia Tech by 7
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Boise State @ Oregon (-10.5)

It seems like these two would have met at some point before now, no? If not on the field, then at least on a kindergarden color chart. Right now, I think the Ducks' QB situation is way too shaky to be giving up double-digit points to the Broncos. I predict a squeaker.

The Call: Oregon wins, but Boise State covers the spread
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Florida (-7.5) @ Tennessee

Really? Only 7.5? With Harvin back? I know Neyland Stadium is a great home-field advantage, but it's not worth 10+ points.

The Call: Florida by 21
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Miami (-3.5) @ Texas A&M

Hmmm... a tricky one. The Hurricanes lost to Florida, while the Aggies lost to Arkansas State at home. The Hurricanes beat Charleston Southern, while the Aggies lost to Arkansas State at home. The Hurricanes play in the weak ACC, while the Aggies lost to Arkansas State at home.

The Call: Miami by 7
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Utah (-8) @ Air Force

Well, according to my achievement rankings, these two have achieved more than any other team so far this season. Well done, boys. But one of you is gonna drop. The Utes won at Michigan, a feat that's not looking so upsetty nowadays, while the Falcons haven't really beaten anybody of note (though they have played two road games). It's a bit of a tossup, but I don't think we'll need the gut on this one.

The Call: Utah by 10
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Wake Forest (+4) @ Florida State

I'm leaning toward the Demon Deacons in this one, mainly because they've actually beaten two non-cupcakes. (Plus they seem to have the Seminoles number as of late...)

The Call: Wake Forest by 7
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Vanderbilt (+7) @ Mississippi

I'm sold on Vandy as a the-team-not-to-be-overlooked this year. Of course, that really only pertains to the heavies in the SEC (that's not you, Rebels).

The Call: Vanderbilt by 10
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LSU (-2.5) @ Auburn

I'm not convinced that the (Auburn)Tigers' offense actually played last week. Were they even at the stadium? At the same time, the (LSU)Tigers have put up 41 points in two games against cupcakes, but I'm not so sure of them either.

The Call: LSU by 7 (and there are no more than 3 offensive TD's in the game)
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Georgia (-7) @ Arizona State

I think I'm seeing a pattern here. While the USC Trojans usually have unreasonably high spreads to cover, the Dawgs usually have unreasonably low spreads. We'll see how that plays out the rest of the year. As far as the game goes, I don't think that their first major road game in a long time will bother the Dawgs too much - once they're on the field, they know what to do. The Sun Devils are going to need to play a lot better than they did last week to stand a chance.

The Call: Georgia by 17
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