Stopping Kenny Hill will be a tough task for Arkansas. (Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports)
Welcome to Week Five of The Lowe Down.
As the nation watched Clemson botch a chance to knock off Jameis Winston-less Florida State in the waning moments of a game dominated by Dabo Swinney’s Tigers last weekend, I thought about a word that we all know too well: karma. Sure, I’ll admit that I was pulling for ol’ Dabo and his bunch to pull the upset —and I’m fairly certain that I wasn’t the only one in the country doing so — but it had to be a thrill for backup Sean Maguire and the rest of his teammates get a win without Winston on the field.
We all know Winston’s rap sheet. And we all know what kind of talent he is. But winning a big game without last year’s Heisman winner had to be a big mental boost to the FSU team.
Look, everyone knows about Winston and the things he’s done. But just because he acts the way he does, it doesn’t mean the entire Seminole team acts the same way. And just because there’s a small percentage of NFL players that commit domestic violence acts (which are the ones we hear about) it doesn’t mean the entire league is made up of individuals that commit those same acts. There are so many college and NFL players out there that do the right things every day. So let’s don’t forget the overwhelming majority of those guys when it comes to the sports we love.
As for Winston, I honestly hope the young man can get it together. But I’ll also say this: karma works in mysterious ways. And it could be Winston’s adversary when much bigger things are on the line down the road.
Last week’s record was 16-5, bringing the yearly record to 65-20. To the games we go …
@MattLowe777
Saturday, September 27
Tennessee (2-1) at No. 12 Georgia (2-1) 11:00 p.m. CT ESPN
The Vols have had two weeks to gear up for the Bulldogs so expect a few new wrinkles from Butch Jones and his staff on offense and defense. Tennessee moved the ball fairly well against Oklahoma last game, but an inability to convert in the red zone cost the Vols on a couple of occasions. That can ill-afford to happen here if Jones’ team wants to upset a Georgia squad that can score in a hurry but has deficiencies in the secondary.
The Lowe Down: Tennessee 23, Georgia 35
No. 1 Florida State (3-0) at NC State (4-0) 2:30 p.m. CT ABC/ESPN2
NC State has always been a thorn in the side of Florida State (last team to beat the ‘Noles), but pulling an upset here seems like a tall task, especially with Jameis Winston back running the show on offense. Despite his off-field antics, Winston remains one of the premier players in college football and the NC State defense has its work cut out for it. The Wolfpack have opened the season with four straight wins, but those wins have come against tough guys Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, South Florida and Presbyterian. If NC State has any hopes of keeping this one close, quarterback Jacoby Brissett (yes, he used to be at Florida) will have to have the game of his life, as will the Wolfpack defense, which is led by pass-rushing ace Art Norman and Juston Burris, a good cover corner.
The Lowe Down: Florida State 37, NC State 17
Arkansas (3-1) vs. No. 6 Texas A&M (4-0) (Arlington, Texas ) 2:30 p.m. CT CBS
Texas A&M grabbed the nation’s attention when it stormed into Columbia and whipped South Carolina to open the college football season. But since then the Aggies haven’t played anyone worth a flip and that may come into play here. Arkansas has improved with each passing game after it gave Auburn a good run for nearly four quarters in the season opener, and the Razorbacks potent rushing attack, led by a big offensive line and talented tailbacks Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, could give the Aggie defense fits. Texas A&M’s offense is as explosive as any in America and it will score on Bret Bielema’s team. But how well it stops the Hogs rushing attack will go a long way in determining the outcome of this key SEC West matchup.
The Lowe Down: Texas A&M 45, Arkansas 38
La. Tech (2-2) at No. 5 Auburn (3-0) 3:00 p.m. CT SEC NETWORK
I’ll have to admit, I was surprised how well Kansas State performed against Auburn last Thursday night. Some of that can be attributed to how well-prepared — K-State’s defense see the read-option every day in practice — the Wildcats were against Auburn’s offense, but some of that can also be attributed to the Tigers lack of execution. Gus Malzahn harped all week long on how well his team responded in practice this week, so expect a good showing from the Tigers before a critical SEC West showdown with LSU.
The Lowe Down: La. Tech 17, Auburn 55
No. 16 Stanford (3-1) vs. Washington (4-0) (Seattle) FOX
If Stanford wants to repeat as Pac-12 champions it will have to get better on offense. Period. The Cardinal is allowing just 4.3 points and 204.3 yards per game to ranks as the nation’s top defense, but quarterback Kevin Hogan and the rest of his offensive mates need to work on fishing drives (57.1 percent in the red zone) if Stanford wants to remain among the conference’s elite teams. This is the first big-time Pac-12 game for new Washington coach Chris Peterson so expect him to pull out all the stops to get his first league win. Dual-threat quarterback Cyler Miles is a talented athlete that could give the Stanford defense fits with his feet, but how well he does throwing the rock will be crucial if the Huskies want to upset the touchdown-favorite Cardinal.
The Lowe Down: Stanford 20, Washington 17
Missouri (3-1) at No. 13 South Carolina (3-1) 6:00 p.m. CT ESPN
I was beginning to think Missouri could be a competitor in the wide-open SEC East race, but a stunning loss to Indiana quelled that train of thought rather quickly. Now the Tigers must go on the road and play a South Carolina that team beat them 27-24 at home in double-overtime a year ago. If Mizzou expects to have any chance it must play better against the run on defense. In the loss to the Hoosiers, the Tigers gave up 241 yards on the ground. That doesn’t bode well squaring off against a South Carolina offense that features a big, physical offensive line and stud tailbacks Mike Davis and Brandon Wilds, two powerful runners with good speed.
The Lowe Down: Missouri 26, South Carolina 36
For my picks against the spread in college click here.
For my picks against the spread in the NFL click here.
In other Saturday games:
Wyoming 10, No. 9 Michigan State 48
Vanderbilt 13, Kentucky 31
UTEP 17, No. 25 Kansas State 48
Iowa 26, Purdue 19
South Florida 17, No 19 Wisconsin 55
Maryland 35, Indiana 42
Minnesota 27, Michigan 13
Cincinnati 17, No. 22 Ohio State 38
North Carolina 23, Clemson 24
No. 8 Notre Dame 38, Syracuse 16
No. 7 Baylor 63, Iowa State 23
Illinois 14, No. 21 Nebraska 55
Oregon State 17, No. 18 USC 30
