NCAA College Football: Week Nine Preview

Happy Halloween!! Here are the games that are personally of great interest to me this week:

USC at Oregon: This is it, the game that will decide the Pac-10 Champion for 2009 and go a long way to helping determine the final BCS rankings as the season moves into it's last quarter. Oregon, after a disastrous early-season loss to Boise State that saw their best running back, LeGarrette Blount, suspended for punching a Boise State player in the aftermath of that first game of the year. Since then, the Ducks have put an end to Utah's win streak, the longest in the building, put the cleaners through Jahvid Best and the Cal Golden Bears, and stifled a decent UCLA team at the Rose Bowl. Now the big game of the year comes. USC are heading to Eugene and Autzen Stadium, the toughest place for a road team to play in the Pac-10.

If Oregon wins, they go to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day (perhaps to play the Hawkeyes of Iowa). Standing in their way is an awfully good USC team, who are flourishing under freshman QB Matt Barkley, who did nothing but engineer scoring drives in the shoot-out vs. Oregon State last week. Despite the loss of 6 starters, the defense is having a good season, despite last week's abboration against the Beavers. They'll need to be good to beat Masoli and a tough Ducks offense. This will be one of the games of the season, during which the Trojans will sneak in a win and escape Autzen Stadium whilst delivering yet more proof that they belong in the chatter surrounding the two berths in the National Championship Game.

Texas at Oklahoma State: The one thing that we all learned as a result of the Red River Rivalry in Dallas two weeks ago is that Texas aren't perhaps as good as we thought they were. Colt McCoy was continually rocked by the Oklahoma defense and there really wasn't much on offense to get excited about. All of that gives Oklahoma State more of a shot than I thought they had this time two weeks ago. Zac Robinson has done a good job directing the OSU offense up and down the field, despite the notable absence of #1 playmaker, Dez Bryant, whose NCAA-mandated suspension stands. It will be tough sledding for the 'Pokes, but they can run with Texas and I think they probably will. Horns by 3.

South Carolina at Tennessee: It's hard to know what Tennessee Volunteers team will turn up to play. They've been impressive against Georgia and (aside from special teams) last week against Alabama, and downright awful in some of their other games. It takes a brave man to take the Vols over the Gamecocks of the HEad Ball Coach Steve Spurrier, but if the Vols that destroyed Georgia and had Alabama dead to rights turn up, then things might get interesting for the 'Cocks. Playing in Tennessee makes it even more interesting. South Carolina are having a pretty good season, but this is a definite trap game. I say they beat the trap and win by 10 in what will be a hard-fought ball game.

Georgia vs. Florida: Normally this game at a neutral stadium in Jacksonville is one of the games of the year, not just amongst the SEC slate, but in all of college football. We all remember the "Gator Stomp" performed by the Bulldogs in 2007 after their 42-30 win...and then, the following year, Tebow and the Gators smacked them down for a revenge win, 49-10, the worst loss in Georgia coach Mark Richt's career.

Unfortunately, won't be the national power vs. national power match-up this year. The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will be a solid Florida win. Georgia have not had the season that many expected they would. New QB Joe Cox is nowhere near as talented as Matt Stafford was, the running game isn't progressing as it needs to, and the 'Dawgs have been woefully up-and-down all season. They run Georgia close and then get blown out by Laine Kiffin's Volunteers. There's no rhyme or reason to this football team.

Florida, on the other hand, are right in the mix for a third national championship under Urban Meyer. You have to assume now, barring some extraordinary results through the last month of the season, that the Gators will face a red-hot but not invincible Alabama team in the SEC Championship Game, the winner most likely heading to Pasadena in early January for the 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game. That's a long way off, though. Florida win this one by at least 3 TDs.

Miami (FL) at Wake Forest: Miami lost in an OT thriller to Clemson last Saturday, thanks to a monster game from Clemson RB CJ Spiller. Now they head into Wake Forest, an environment that is never easy. The Demon Deacons have had an up-and-down season this year, but have mostly gotten good output from their QB, Riley Skinner, who continues to impress, year after year. Miami need this win to keep them in touch with Va Tech and Georgia Tech, who are, to my way of thinking, the best two teams in the ACC thus far. Wake needs it to strengthen their post-season bowl destination. Miami by 14.