We’re nearing the halfway point of the 2013 college football season and there are still 16 unbeaten teams in the AP Top 25. Barring upsets, that number should gradually diminish over the next few weeks as various conference battles take place. Likely, Alabama will go 6-0 once it is done with Kentucky this Sat., but there are a few games where first losses might be absorbed.
Rutgers at Louisville — The former Big East Conference is now the American Athletic Conference and this Thurs. eve. tilt promises to be one of the best the AAC will serve up this season. The Cardinals are a 19-point favorite at home against the Scarlet Knights, a team that did everything, but throw away a 55 to 52 barn burner with Southern Methodist on Sat. That game drained Rutgers, while No. 7 Louisville had an easy time with the Temple Owls. Teddy Bridgewater is a Heisman hopeful with 1,562 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. He should add to that number vastly tonight and strengthen his Heisman credentials.
Missouri at Georgia — No. 25 Missouri travels to Georgia to take on the No. 7 Bulldogs, the latter the highest ranking one-loss team in the nation. Both teams have high powered offenses and it may take 50 points for someone to win. Georgia QB Aaron Murphy has paced the Bulldogs this year and is himself a Heisman hopeful. Not on anyone’s list is Tigers’ quarterback, James Franklin, who has thrown for more than 1,400 yards and 13 touchdowns so far this season. Hmmm….
Oregon at Washington— No. 16 Washington came up short against No. 5 Stanford on the road last week. This week they’ll host No. 2 Oregon, a team averaging nearly 60 points per game. The Ducks’ quarterback, Marcus Mariota, is currently on top of the Heisman hopeful watch list and he’ll have to be stopped if the Huskies are to have a chance of pulling an upset. Mariota has passed for 14 touchdowns and run for another seven through just five games this season.
Oklahoma at Texas — The Red River Rivalry takes place this Saturday, pitting the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners against the unranked Texas Longhorns. Typically when these teams play, both are highly ranked and the winner goes on to grab the Big 12 title. Texas is unbeaten in conference play, but it has two losses and simply does not strike the fear in opponents that it once did. Still, the Sooners would be stupid to take their rivals lightly and could find themselves slapped down if they do.
Michigan at Penn State — Penn State isn’t scaring its opponents, losing both to Central Florida and Indiana this season. But, its game against No. 18 Michigan is in Happy Valley and an upset could be in the making. Besides a stellar win against Notre Dame on Sept. 7, the Wolverines schooled Minnesota last Saturday, for their most complete game of the season. If the Nittany Lions hang tough, they just may hang the first loss on Michigan this season.
Football Notes
Two weeks after shutting down West Virginia, Maryland was destroyed by Florida State, 63 to 0. They’ll catch a break this weekend when they host Virginia, a team that hasn’t looked good since opening the season with a surprise win over BYU. Speaking of BYU, the Cougars host Georgia Tech this Sat. evening. The Cougars are currently one of seven FBS independent schools and have managed to piece together a decent schedule nonetheless.
See Also — College Football: Now the Real Season Begins!
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