Welcome to Week Seven of The Lowe Down.
Alright, this is the week we finally start to separate the contenders from the pretenders.
Huge matchups abound in the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten and the road to the College Football Playoff should become a little clearer after this week — and in the coming weeks.
There haven’t been a ton of huge upsets so far in college football but every year there’s always a week when the unexpected happens. Is this week that week? We’ll see!
The yearly record is 56-12. To the games we go…
Friday, October 11
No. 20 Virginia (4-1, 2-0 ACC) at Miami (2-3, 0-2 ACC) 7:00 p.m. CT
Backup quarterback N’Kosi Perry will get the nod in place of starter Jarren Williams so Miami will need him, along with the team’s offensive line, to play well if it expects to knock off Virginia. Last week Perry relieved Williams after he was injured in the loss to Virginia Tech and passed for 422 yards and four touchdowns. Perry has the luxury of having talented tailback DeeJay Dallas (409 yards, six TDs) to hand the rock off to, but the Hurricanes’ O-line will need to be on point playing against an athletic Virginia defense, led by linebackers Noah Taylor, Jordan Mack and Charles Snowden, that averages nearly five sacks per game. The Hurricanes salty front seven will also need to contain Cavaliers quarterback Bryce Perkins, who is one the more underrated dual-threat quarterback’s in America.
The Lowe Down: Virginia 31, Miami 27
Colorado (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) at No. 13 Oregon (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12) 9:00 p.m. CT
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown a touchdown pass in 33 consecutive games and look for him to extend that streak against a Colorado defense that’s given up at least 30 points in four out of its first five games. But the Buffaloes high-powered offense could give a strong Ducks’ defense problems due to the play of senior quarterback Steven Montez and a talented group of skill players, led by tailback Alex Fontenot and wideouts Laviska Shenault, K.D. Nixon and Tony Brown. Shenault and Nixon were day-to-day this week at practice but both should be good to go tonight. Also, keep an eye on the trenches. Oregon’s offensive line is really good, but nose tackle Jordan Scott (6-1, 329), linebacker Troy Dye and safety Jevon Holland give the Ducks special players on every level of the defense. And they will play a role in a hard-fought Oregon win.
The Lowe Down: Oregon 31, Colorado 23
Saturday, October 12
No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) vs. No. 11 Texas (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) 11:00 a.m. CT
Offense, offense and more offense. Last year these two combined for 93 points and don’t be surprised if the score is similar this time around. Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts is the ring leader of an offense that’s scoring 53 points an outing. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is spearheading a Longhorn O that’s rolling up 41 points a game. This one will likely come down to who has the ball last, but I’ll roll with the Sooners to pull out a thriller on a late scoring run by Hurts.
The Lowe Down: Oklahoma 48, Texas 41
No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at No. 24 Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1 SEC) 2:30 p.m. CT
If Texas A&M has any shot at pulling the upset, it will have to be able to run the ball, harass Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, limit the Crimson Tide receiving corps’ ability to run after the catch and force a couple of turnovers. Now the first and second part of that equation may be doable considering Alabama’s youth in the front seven and the health of starting center Chris Owens, who is questionable for Saturday’s game. But the Aggies lack of speed and playmaking ability in the defensive secondary is a glaring weakness, which doesn’t bode well squaring off against a Crimson Tide receiving crop that’s elite running after the catch. Texas A&M defensive tackles Bobby Brown and Justin Madubuike could have some success against the interior of the Bama offensive line with Owens out, but barring something unexpected happening, Jimbo Fisher’s team won’t be able to score enough to hang with the Crimson Tide for four quarters.
The Lowe Down: Alabama 38, Texas A&M 17
Florida State (3-2, 2-1 ACC) at No. 2 Clemson (5-0, 3-0 ACC) 2:30 p.m. CT
Scoring points (33.2 per game) hasn’t been a problem for Florida State this season so it has a punchers chance to potentially pull an upset here. Now will that happen? Probably not. But the Seminoles could make this a game if they can move the ball and a force Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has been dealing with a shoulder bruise, to throw an interception or two. Former Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook has taken over as the ‘Noles starting quarterback and is fresh off a career-high 316-yard passing performance in an impressive 31-13 win over NC State. If Hornibrook can sling it through the air and talented tailback Cam Akers can get it going on the ground, FSU has a chance to make this a game.
The Lowe Down: Clemson 34, Florida State 27
Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) at No. 22 Baylor (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) 3:00 p.m. CT
Behind the play of quarterback Charlie Brewer, talented runner John Lovett, pass-catching force Denzel Mims and a strong offensive line, Baylor is scoring close to 40 a game. But their defense, which is allowing 15 an outing, is a big reason why the Bears are 5-0. Defensive tackles James Lynch (8.5 tackles for loss) and Bravvion Roy and linebacker Clay Johnston are the stars of the unit. But safety Chris Miller leads a secondary that’s quietly one of the Big 12’s best. That unit will need to be on its toes opposing Texas Tech quarterback Jett Duffey and a big, strong receiving corps that’s led by T.J. Vasher (6-6, 190). Baylor will be without starting left tackle Connor Galvin in this matchup so it will be interesting to see how the Bears adjust offensively to a Texas Tech team that can really get after the passer.
The Lowe Down: Baylor 30, Texas Tech 26
No. 10 Penn State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at No. 17 Iowa (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) 6:30 p.m. CT
Iowa’s offense was stuck in neutral in a 10-3 loss to Michigan last week but it will need to wake up against a young, talented Penn State team that’s playing with a lot of confidence. Sophomore dual-threat Sean Clifford has been a pleasant surprise at quarterback for the Nittany Lions. He’s passed for 1,443 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 200 yards and two scores through five games. True freshman tailback Noah Cain, who is fresh off his first career 100-yard rushing game, is another youngster that’s playing well. So is electrifying sophomore wideout KJ Hamler, who is averaging 20.7 yards per catch. The Hawkeyes are always tough at home, but right now the Nittany Lions have the mojo working and that’s why I’ll roll with them here.
The Lowe Down: Penn State 23, Iowa 17
No. 7 Florida (6-0, 3-0 SEC) at No. 5 LSU (5-0, 1-0 SEC) 7:00 p.m. CT
Florida got a huge win over Auburn last week and enters this week’s matchup with LSU with a lot of confidence despite being almost a two-touchdown underdog. The healthy of quarterback Kyle Trask is up in the air after he injured his knee last week. But all indications point to him being the Gators starter Saturday night in Death Valley. And even if he re-injures the knee against the Tigers, Emory Jones (5 of 7 passing) proved he’s capable of running the offense just fine in the team’s win over Gus Malzahn’s Tigers. Regardless, this game will likely come down to Florida playing good defense and controlling the clock on offense. LSU’s offense leads the nation in scoring and is second in passing offense and quarterback Joe Burrow has been the man that makes it all go. But if the Gators, who rank fifth in the country in sacks, can pressure Burrow and make LSU’s O earn everything it gets, then Dan Mullen’s bunch should be in the game in the fourth quarter. And keep an eye on Florida’s secondary, which is one of the nation’s best, against LSU’s wideouts. CJ Henderson is a great man-to-man cover corner and he’ll likely match up with Justin Jefferson, who has 30 catches for 547 yards and seven scores already for the Tigers.
The Lowe Down: LSU 30, Florida 23
In other Saturday games:
South Carolina 20 at No. 3 Georgia 38
Mississippi State 30 at Tennessee 26
No. 16 Michigan 44 at Illinois 24
No. 23 Memphis 20 at Temple 23 ****Upset Special
Michigan State 13 at No. 8 Wisconsin 20
Washington State 17 at No. 18 Arizona State 30
No. 25 Cincinnati 30 at Houston 22
UAB 33 at UTSA 17
Ole Miss 24 at Missouri 29
Louisville 27 at No. 19 Wake Forest 37
No. 15 Utah 37 at Oregon State 27
Hawaii 23 at No. 22 Boise State 59
