Sports The college football season appears to be like to be to be flying by already, merely?
Right here we’re, in Week 4, and now we own already bought some gargantuan video games on faucet.
It be basically attributable to convention realignment, but tranquil.
In addition, USC will salvage its Abundant Ten debut this Saturday, as it faces Michigan within the gigantic dwelling.
Let’s salvage into my picks for this week.
(All situations ET)
Saturday, Sept. 21
Utah @ Oklahoma Instruct (4 p.m., FOX and FOX Sports actions app )
You is no longer going to search out an even bigger fan of the Utah program who did no longer serve than me. I lined Utah for six seasons on Pac-12 radio with a co-host who performed for the Utes.
I in actual fact bask in everything head coach Kyle Whittingham’s program has change into: complicated, physical, gritty and a nervousness within the ass for every crew it performs.
With that being acknowledged, we must focus on the elephant within the room.
Utah has no longer obtained a huge avenue sport for the explanation that Utes beat 17th-ranked Arizona Instruct in 2019. That Sun Devil crew completed decrease than .500 in convention play for the remainder of that season.
Quarterback Cam Rising’s home and avenue obtain-loss myth drives the point home even additional.
He’s 13-0 when starting a sport at home; he’s 7-6 when starting a sport on the avenue or at a neutral situation. There are two Rose Bowl losses within the six total, with Rising no longer being ready to attain these video games. There are two avenue losses to ranked teams, in conjunction with Oregon and UCLA in 2022. There’s the Florida loss that will also be pinned on a downhearted defensive efficiency and a gradual Rising interception as Utah regarded to take the lead.
The final avenue loss used to be at Oregon Instruct in 2021.
CFB Week 4 Abundant Six: Utah @ Oklahoma Instruct and more It be complicated to near up with concrete causes why Utah has struggled on the avenue in contrast to at home. The Utes manufacture the things one would be pleased are fundamental on the avenue. They are glowing within the trenches and play supreme defense. Rising throws a tad more interceptions, but it surely’s nothing peer-popping.
The motive I be pleased Utah struggles on the avenue is its inability to generate explosive passing performs, which is one thing you’ll need against a quality opponent in a avenue setting. Rising has only nine touchdown passes in his six avenue losses. Having fun with the dink and dunk sport on offense takes too long and leaves you susceptible to constructing errors on offense.
Utah would possibly perchance uncover a destroy with Oklahoma Instruct’s defense, even though. The Pokes own allowed the third-most performs of 10 yards or more by way of three weeks of the season. They are 125th in performs allowed over 20 yards.
My point is that this Pokes defense will be had, but Utah has no longer proven the flexibility over the years to be constant in throwing down the discipline.
I own afflicted about the Utes’ scramble defense as they’ve had more defensive linemen and linebackers breeze to the NFL. It factual hasn’t been as supreme, and on paper, Oklahoma Instruct wants so to scramble the ball. Then again, it has been a downhearted rushing squad up to now this season. Ollie Gordon is averaging only 3.5 yards per strive in contrast to 6.1 final season. It’s an venture for the Pokes, and it’s complicated to know whether or no longer they’re going to factual breeze inspire to rushing the ball nicely this weekend.
That being acknowledged, I must take the aspects with Oklahoma Instruct in this sport with Utah’s song myth of playing far from home with Rising as the quarterback. It’s no longer a little sample measurement either.
PICK: Oklahoma Instruct (+1.5) to lose by fewer than 1.5 aspects, or obtain outright
Lincoln Riley talks USC-Michigan, Miller Moss’ construction USC @ Michigan (3:30 p.m., CBS)
How does the announcing breeze? Fool me as soon as, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Properly, I must feel no shame because I’m going inspire to Michigan this weekend after the Wolverines did no longer quilt against Texas or Arkansas Instruct of their final two video games.
Michigan is the merely aspect, even though it’s gruesome. The Wolverines benched Davis Warren in prefer of Alex Orji because Warren couldn’t stop throwing the ball to the diverse crew. Whereas Orji couldn’t be the passer that Warren used to be presupposed to be, this does no longer mean the offense obtained’t be ready to aim with Orji taking on.
Michigan would possibly perchance turn its offense into an RPO, QB-scramble and play-action pass squad. USC’s scramble defense has no longer been challenged this season, and Michigan has the bulk upfront to perchance salvage this sport gruesome by running the ball.
The Trojan offense has been crushing it with Miller Moss by way of two video games, and it is off a bye.
SC will own one thing for Michigan, and if the Trojans starting up swiftly, it would possibly perchance be over for the Wolverines because they manufacture no longer own the flexibility to near inspire from a whimsical deficit.
Then again, I’m undecided USC is ready to face a Michigan defense that’s this physical.
That physicality stricken USC final season, and with out circus performs, I don’t know if SC can circulation the ball that nicely against UM.
In the kill — and right here is one in every of the toughest aspects about handicapping a sport — you desire to take into legend the sentiments of faculty football gamers.
Everyone is “out” on Michigan after getting blown out by Texas and narrowly beating Arkansas Instruct. This is the time to amass in on Michigan. The Wolverines tranquil own proficient gamers and a coaching workers that tranquil knows the design to educate. I bask in Michigan to quilt.
PICK: Michigan (+5.5) to lose by fewer than 5.5 aspects, or obtain outright
USC vs. Michigan: Joel Klatt, Matt Leinart destroy down Abundant Ten showdown UCLA @ LSU (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+)
Generally, discovering a legitimate recede is factual as supreme as discovering a legitimate handicap.
I’ve pale UCLA of their first two video games and with out concerns lined, and I’m going inspire to the nicely for a third straight UCLA sport.
UCLA is in shambles, and that will also be hanging it in a neatly mannered way. It beat Hawaii 16-13 in Week 1, then had a bye in Week 2 and came out of the bye to lose 41-13 to Indiana in a sport that wasn’t as shut as the score indicates. Indiana dominated the Bruins all over the assign the discipline.
Snappy-forward to Tuesday and a UCLA cornerback reported to the media that coaches had to prevent notice for the explanation that energy used to be too low. Wednesday brought experiences that UCLA will be with out its supreme and most senior defensive player in Jay Toia at form out. Vibes are disagreeable and with a original coaching workers and a lack of feeble gamers, it’s no longer improving any time rapidly. Now UCLA travels to Baton Rouge to play LSU. The excessive temperature for Saturday is 89 levels.
The Bruins are going to wilt over 60 minutes playing against LSU.
I do know the counterpoint to my wager will be “but LSU’s defense …” Are Hawaii and Indiana better on defense than LSU? UCLA’s offense is 116th in aspects per power after two video games and whereas LSU has had its concerns, I don’t be pleased UCLA can exploit any of them. LSU is greater, faster and stronger.
I bask in LSU to dominate this sport.
PICK: LSU (-24) to acquire by greater than 24 aspects
Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports actions. He performed eight seasons within the NFL for five diverse teams. He started at merely form out for the University of Oregon for three seasons and used to be a 2d-crew All-Pac-12 different his senior yr. Alter to him on Twitter @ GeoffSchwartz .
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