Great Slate of Football Games Over The Weekend

Florida State @ Clemson

Tajh Boyd
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This is the game of the weekend. Florida State (#5 in the AP Poll/#5 in the USA Today Poll) goes to Death Valley to meet another top five team, Clemson (#3/#4). This game has national impact. The winner will immediately become a challenger for the BCS Championship, while the other will be out of contention. Both teams have superstar quarterbacks. Clemson's signal caller is senior Tajh Boyd. Boyd has been a high-level quarterback in his first two years as the starter, but this year he has taken it to another level. His maturity shows in his ratio of touchdowns to interceptions. He has fifteen passing touchdowns compared to two picks. The Seminoles quarterback, Jameis Winston is a redshirt freshman and he has been outstanding. He has a completion percentage of about 73%, 17 passing touchdowns, and a passer rating of about 214. The key to this game will be the defense. Who will be able to quiet the opposing quarterback for at least a few possessions. This game will be a shootout and will come down to the wire. In the end, Clemson will pull out the win in the end.

UCLA @ Stanford

After Stanford (#13/#13) was upset the 4-3 Utah Utes, the balance shifted in the PAC-12. They became the third highest ranked team in country, falling behind 6-0 Oregon (#2/#2) and 5-0 UCLA (#9/#10), their opponent this week. UCLA's success has been centered around their good defense and quarterback Brett Hundley. Hundley is a very good quarterback and that is evident by last weeks game against Cal. He threw for 410 yards, three touchdowns, and completed 75.6% of his passes. For Stanford, quarterback Kevin Hogan struggled against Utah last week and Washington the week before. Hogan needs to put those two games behind him. If his struggles get in his head, it is going to be another long game for the junior QB. After a devastating loss last week, Stanford will be rejuvenated by the home fans and will take home the W against the Bruins.

Auburn @ Texas A&M

Nick Marshall
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After an awful season last year, the Auburn Tigers (#24/NR) are 5-1 and have returned to the top 25. This week, they face Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M (#7/#7). This is a big game for the Tigers. They beat a top 25 team in Ole Miss, but they lost to a top ten team, LSU. This game will show us where the Tigers rank in big time college football. If they win, when it's all said and done they may be a top 15 team. If they lose, they are a barely a top 25 team. For Auburn to win, quarterback Nick Marshal needs to be on his game. In their loss to LSU, the running game was working, with Tre Mason having a great game. Marshall, however, completed just over 50% of his passes and threw two picks. He needs to be a better play maker for Auburn to have a chance. For Texas A&M, the defense needs to the stop the run game and Johnny Football needs to be Johnny Football. I am not sure if the Auburn defense can stop Manziel and the the Aggie offense. Because of that, I am pick the Aggies to win by at least ten points.

Sam Houston State @ McNeese State

This is the FCS matchup of the week and it is a good one. Sam Houston State is number two in the FCS, while McNeese State is number eight. Both teams are 5-1, are 1-0 in conference, and are in the Southland Conference. Sam Houston State's only loss was to FBS school Texas A&M. the Cowboys lost to Northern Iowa. The Bearcats' offense is based around it's run game. Three of their four leading rushers average 7.0 yards per carry. Their main running back, Timot Flanders, already has nine touchdowns and 849 rushing yards. McNeese is more passing oriented, but running back Marcus Wiltz is coming off a great week and is having an excellent season. The Bearcats' are the better team, and they will beat the Cowboys. 

Cincinnati @ Detroit

This week, there are only two games where both teams have winning record. One is Denver-Indy. The other is surprising. It is not Houston-Kansas City, or Baltimore-Pittsburgh. No, its the Bengals against the Lions. The Lions have been a surprise team so far. They are currently tied for the lead in the NFC North with a 4-2 record. Their offense has been good, even with Calvin Johnson struggling with injury. Reggie Bush is running the ball very well, giving the offense a whole new dimension. On defense, they have been very good, led by LB DeAndre Levy who is having a career year. The Bengals are also 4-2 and are also in the led of their division the AFC North. Two of their wins have been against Green Bay and New England, both high quality teams. The Lions have surprised so far, and they will shock Cincinnati. 

Denver @ Indianapolis

Jim Irsay
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Not only is this a match-up between Super Bowl contenders, but it is also the return of Peyton Manning to Indy. There will be a ceremony for Manning before the game, but the comments flying around make it a little awkward. Colts owner Jim Irsay made some comments this week that "dis" Manning. He said that they have changed how they run the team with Andrew Luck as QB so they can win more then one Super Bowl. He also said that he loved the "Star Wars" numbers Manning put up, but those numbers didn't matter in the post season and they would not advance. He later apologized, but the damage was done. Instead of their being a happy and light atmosphere, it will be cold and awkward. The key to the game is going to the Colts defense. The Broncos are firing on all cylinders and for the Colts to have a chance to win will be if their defense comes up clutch. This is going to be a good game; however, Denver is unstoppable right now. The Colts will put up a fight, but Denver will improve to 7-0.