Welcome to Week Three of The Lowe Down.
Man, that Michigan State crow was mighty tasty. It was even tastier after fellow Big Ten members Michigan (who I also picked to win last week; ha!) and Ohio State fell at the hands of Notre Dame and Virginia Tech respectively.
Hey, I’ll admit it. I thought Michigan State had the goods to enter Eugene and beat the Ducks. And although it didn’t happen, I still think the Spartans have a good football team.
Look, there have been a lot of teams that have entered Autzen Stadium over the years and had their fannies handed to them. Oregon plays extremely well on its home turf, and Michigan State has nothing to be ashamed of. The Spartans stood toe to toe with the Ducks in a tough environment, but some uncharacteristic mistakes (costly interceptions) did them in. It’s a good learning experience for Mark Dantonio’s team and it will only help them as the season moves along.
What won’t help Michigan State, though, is the lack of good teams in its conference. The Spartans should run the table from here on out, but their strength of schedule may not be up to par against a one-loss SEC team at the end of the year. Only time will tell how it all plays out, but I expect the Spartans to at least be in the playoff conversation by season’s end.
Last week’s record was 17-6, bringing the yearly record to 35-9. To the games we go …
@MattLowe777
Thursday, September 11
Houston (1-1) at No. 25 BYU (2-0) 8:00 p.m. CT
Last week I made the mistake of thinking Texas would play well at home and upset the slightly favored Cougars — after being embarrassed last year — but that was way off the mark. Not only did BYU beat the Longhorns, they throttled Charlie Strong’s team 41-7 behind one of the best quarterbacks in America — Taysom Hill (181 yards passing; 99 yards rushing and three touchdowns) — and a smothering defense. Hill is a bruising runner who can punish defenders, but BYU needs to keep its potential Heisman hopeful healthy for the entire season. With the 6-2, 221-pound junior running the show on offense, BYU has a great shot at finishing the year undefeated. Without him it will be a lot tougher.
The Lowe Down: Houston 20, BYU 45
In other Thursday games:
La. Tech 27, North Texas 37
Friday, September 12
No. 8 Baylor (2-0) at Buffalo (1-1) 7:00 p.m. CT
The Baylor offense took a hit when it was announced that wideout Levi Norwood would be out for at least three weeks due to a wrist injury, but that won’t matter here. Buffalo is no match for the Bears and this game could get out of hand rather quickly. Expect to see a lot of backup quarterback Seth Russell, who passed for five TDs in the Bears’ win over Northwestern State, with Bryce Petty (back) still banged up. Russell, a sophomore, is a playmaker who has a bright future ahead of him.
The Lowe Down: Baylor 70, Buffalo 17
In other Friday games:
Toledo 24, Cincinnati 38
Saturday, September 13
UCF (0-1) at No. 20 Missouri (2-0) 11:00 p.m. CT
Before the season began I really felt like Missouri wasn’t getting its just due. After it played for the SEC title in only its second year in the league, Gary Pinkel’s club wasn’t even being mentioned as a contender in a wide open East division. But that may begin to change when the Tigers run over another opponent. Granted, Mizzou hasn’t played anyone of note yet, but this has been a good football program for a long time now. Since 2007, the Tigers have a record of 67-28. And with dynamic quarterback Maty Mauk leading the way, the Tigers are being way undervalued as a potential repeat division title contender.
The Lowe Down: UCF 17, Missouri 38
Arkansas (1-1) at Texas Tech (2-0) 2:30 p.m. CT
After seeing the Razorbacks play against Auburn, I’m sold on Arkansas ability to move the football on the ground behind dynamic tailbacks Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins and a big offensive line. I’m not sold on Texas Tech’s ability to stop the run considering I watched a two-win UTEP team from a year ago gash the Red Raiders for 277 yards rushing last Thursday night. What does that equate to? A mild upset for the Razorbacks.
The Lowe Down: Arkansas 38, Texas Tech 34
No. 6 Georgia (1-0) at No. 24 South Carolina (1-1) 2:30 p.m. CT
Two words: Todd Gurley. For South Carolina to have any chance in this game, it must limit Gurley’s production. Look, he’s too good of a player to be completely shut down, especially in this matchup, but if the Gamecocks can slow him — and the powerful Georgia running game, which also features talented true freshman Nick Chubb — then Steve Spurrier’s team could have a chance. But it’s a small one. Georgia rolls.
The Lowe Down: Georgia 38, South Carolina 28
UCLA (2-0) at Texas (1-1) 7:00 p.m. CT
There was a lot of chatter about UCLA being the team to beat in the Pac-12 before the season began. But unless the Bruins find a defense, that won’t happen. In fact, if UCLA doesn’t significantly improve on D, it could lose three or four games. Will that happen here? Doubt it. But this game could get interesting if Texas can find the end zone a couple of times.
The Lowe Down: UCLA 33, Texas 23
Tennessee (2-0) at Oklahoma (2-0) 7:00 p.m. CT
If you’re a Tennessee fan, you have to like the way your team has looked so far in Year Two of the Butch Jones era. Despite losing their entire starting offensive and defensive lines, the Vols have played at a high level during the first two games. But playing on the road against Oklahoma will be a major challenge for this young Tennessee squad. The Sooners, led by quarterback Trevor Knight, defensive end Charles Tapper and linebacker Eric Striker, are a veteran team that features an explosive offense and a defense that can really get after the quarterback. How well the Vols protect quarterback Justin Worley will be critical in this contest. Worley is a good player, but he can’t make plays while on his back. If the new Vols’ O-line can hold up, I think Jones’ squad is playing well enough to hang with the Sooners.
The Lowe Down: Tennessee 24, Oklahoma 34
In other Saturday games:
Kent State 17, No. 22 Ohio State 34
East Carolina 20, No. 17 Virginia Tech 37
No. 21 Louisville 24, Virginia 20
Wyoming 17, No. 2 Oregon 65
Lafayette 17, No. 14 Ole Miss 38
Mississippi State 48, South Alabama 24
Southern Miss 0, No. 3 Alabama 55
UL-Monroe 13, No. 10 LSU 45
Kentucky 17, Florida 31
No. 9 USC 28, Boston College 13
No. 16 Arizona State 55, Colorado 20