College football preview - week four

This is the last week before conference play heats up and two of the local schools have important, and difficult, match-ups.

Missouri at Nevada (Friday night): Line – MU by 7. Prediction – MU by 14. Yeah, this game’s on the road and on national TV but don’t expect a Missouri flop. Bowling Green’s upset bid two weeks ago woke up this Missouri team and I don’t expect Gabbert and crew to lay an egg in Reno.

Southern Mississippi at Kansas: Line – KU by 14. Prediction – Kansas by 14. This game is the toughest non-conference opponent for the Jayhawks this season--Southern Miss came back to beat Virginia last week and is 3-0. And now Kansas has had to deal with the distraction of this week's rumbles between the football and basketball teams. This game could be close before KU pulls away.

Tennessee Tech at Kansas State: No line. Prediction – Kansas State by 20. This opponent is the right one for KSU at this point in the season. The Cats had some decent moments last week on the road at UCLA. Let’s see if they can build on the positives.

Texas Tech at Houston: Line – Houston by 1. Prediction – Texas Tech by 10. Okay, the Cougars beat Oklahoma State in Stillwater. But, I can’t see them beating two Big 12 South opponents, even playing Tech at home.

Army at Iowa State: Line – Iowa State by 9. Prediction – ISU by 14.

Louisiana-Lafayette at Nebraska: Line – Nebraska by 28. Prediction – NU by 27. The Huskers lost a heartbreaker last week in Blacksburg, VA—a game where the Black Shirts could not contain Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor’s late game scramble for the winning TD pass. NU will rebound big this week in Lincoln.

UTEP at Texas: Line – UT by 35.5. Prediction – Texas by 40. This was supposed to be a pretty good UTEP team. Thus far, they haven’t shown it.

UAB at Texas A&M: Line - A&M by 14.5. Prediction – A&M by 17.

Arkansas at Alabama: Line – Alabama by 17.5. Prediction – Bama by 17. Arkansas gave up a ton of points last week against Georgia. It won’t be that type of offensive blitz this week but Alabama should win handily and claim the status of best team in the SEC West.

California at Oregon: Line – Cal by 5.5 Prediction – Oregon by 3. This is perhaps the most intriguing match-up of the weekend. Oregon, after a first game meltdown, seems to have found itself and is playing at home. In the unpredictable Pac 10, I see this as an upset.

South Florida at Florida State: Line – FSU by 14. Prediction – FSU by 20. It’s sad that South Florida senior QB Matt Grothe’s career is over after last week’s injury.

North Carolina at Georgia Tech: Line – Georgia Tech by 2.5. Prediction – GT by 3.

Notre Dame at Purdue: Line – Notre Dame by 7. Prediction – ND by 10.

Iowa at Penn State: Line – Penn State by 9.5. Prediction – Penn State by 14.