#3 Georgia @ #16 Ole Miss
Following Tuesday’s reveal of the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, Ole Miss has a clear opportunity to make its way into the 12-team field. Despite having two losses, the Rebels would certainly vault into the mix if they knock off No. 3 Georgia. Lane Kiffin’s team has lost two games by three points but is coming off one of its best showings of the year — a 63-31 win at Arkansas. Georgia is a slight favorite, although the play of QB Carson Beck should be of concern for the perennial contenders. This game feels like one that will come down to the wire…
Prediction: 34-33, Ole Miss
#20 Colorado @ Texas Tech
Deion Sanders and his program fell apart last season after receiving a ton of hype. In Year 2, Sanders and the Buffaloes are an improved group and are starting to turn some heads. An early loss to Nebraska appeared to be a troubling sign of things to come, but Colorado is 5-1 since that loss — with its lone loss coming against Kansas State, 31-28. Coming off a Bye, Colorado has had plenty of time to prepare for a good Texas Tech team. The Red Raiders are 6-3 and knocked off then-undefeated Iowa State on the road last week. Tech will not be scared of the Buffaloes, but the No. 20 team will be a bit too much for Tech to handle.
Prediction: 35-27, Colorado
#11 Alabama @ #15 LSU
Alabama has dominated this matchup as of late — 11-2 since 2012 — but this figures to be another close contest. Both teams enter the game with two losses and the knowledge that a third loss would likely mean missing the College Football Playoff. The Tide are 2-2 since their big win over Georgia, while LSU saw its six-game winning streak come to an end its last time on the field (a 38-23 loss at Texas A&M). Playing under the lights at Death Valley, LSU will effectively end Alabama’s title hopes Saturday night.
Prediction: 27-24, LSU
Michigan @ # 8 Indiana
Indiana has just two wins against Michigan since 1968…but this is a new year and the Hoosiers are a better team than the Wolverines. Indiana is tied atop the Big Ten with No. 1 Oregon and has trailed once all season. After going down 10-0 last week against Michigan State, Indiana rattled off 47 straight points. All nine victories have come by 14 points or more. Meanwhile, Michigan is 5-4 overall and has lost three of its last four games. As long as the pressure of playing the defending champion doesn’t get to the Hoosiers, they will roll to a 10th win.
Prediction: 38-20, IndianaÂ
#23 Clemson @ Virginia Tech
Entering last week’s home game against Louisville, Clemson had won six in a row and climbed to No. 11 in the AP Poll. The Tigers appeared to have found their stride and looked like the main challenger to Miami in the ACC. Well, Dabo Swinney’s group laid an egg and lost by 12 after trailing by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter. On the other side of this week’s battle, Virginia Tech is also coming off of a tough loss — a 38-31 overtime defeat at Syracuse. The Hokies had won three in a row before the loss in OT, however. Tech has the advantage of playing at home and it may catch a Clemson team that hasn’t gotten over its big loss to Louisville.
Prediction: 24-20, Virginia Tech
