Indiana at Iowa: These two teams have split the last four meetings with the Hawkeyes winning the 2008 contest 45-9. Statistically, this game should be close, but the Hawkeyes finally have a game that doesn’t go down to the wire. Iowa 35, Indiana 17.

Georgia at Florida: The last two times Georgia had a week off before the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”, they won the game. Florida has won 16 of the past 19 contests, with the two most recent circled with controversy. Georgia head coach Mark Richt had his team storm the field in the 2007 victory. Urban Meyer, meanwhile, called two late timeouts at the end of last season’s 49-10 destruction of the Dogs. Although it won’t be the same margin as 2008, the Gators march on towards Atlanta. Florida 31, Georgia 20.

Miami at Wake Forest: With Virginia Tech’s loss on Thursday night, the Hurricanes can earn a spot in the ACC Championship Game should Georgia Tech slip up. With ‘Canes RB Javarris James out for the game, Wake QB Riley Skinner will all but assure the Yellow Jackets the Coastal Division title. Wake Forest 20, Miami 17.

Kansas at Texas Tech: If you’re looking for offense on Saturday, this is your game. Kansas QB Todd Reesing and Red Raiders QB Taylor Potts have combined to throw for 30 touchdowns in 2009. Both of these squads need a victory to get back on track heading down the stretch. Kansas 34, Texas Tech 31.

Kansas State at Oklahoma: Bill Snyder’s return to Manhattan, Kansas was met with a great deal of skepticism, but he has delivered unexpected results so far leading the Wildcats to a 5-3 start. Meanwhile the Sooners have officially begun life after Sam Bradford who announced this week he’s heading to the NFL. Although we expect KSU RB Daniel Thomas to have a big game, Sooners QB Landry Jones will make Synder wish he hadn’t returned to the College Football scene. Oklahoma 42, Kansas State 21.

South Carolina at Tennessee: Every coach has exacted their revenge on Vols head coach Lane Kiffin for his offseason remarks. Watching Spurrier’s offense match up with Monte Kiffin’s defense will be intriguing throughout four quarters. After playing several close games, Jonathan Compton and the Tennessee rushing attack finally get over the hump. Tennessee 20, South Carolina 17.

Texas at Oklahoma State: Cowboys WR Dez Bryant is a difference maker. The problem is he won’t be playing in this game as he continues to serve a suspension for lying to the NCAA. The Longhorns clear their biggest remaining regular season hurdle in Stillwater. Texas 38, Oklahoma State 24.

USC at Oregon: Barring a late season collapse, the winner of this game will play in the Rose Bowl, if not the BCS National Championship Game. The loser likely earns a berth to a BCS game as well. Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest places in the country to play, but after being battle tested at Ohio State, Notre Dame and Cal, the Trojans have the moxie to “fight on” for the win. USC 28, Oregon 20.

Bad news: We’re halfway through the College Football season.

Great news: We’re now into the meaty part of the conference schedule, with most of the cupcake games out of the way.  Things will start to heat up as the race for the BCS Bowl Games and National Championship moves into full swing.

Starting tonight, we’ll have some big games on the schedule.  Here’s the college football predictions for the weekend of October 17th.

Pittsburgh at Rutgers (Friday): Five of the eight teams in the Big East have only one loss, including both the Panthers and the Scarlet Knights.  Pitt RBs Dion Lewis and Ray Graham will lead the charge as Coach Wannstedt finally gets his first win against Rutgers after five tries.  Pitt 28, Rutgers 20.

Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas): This game was supposed to be for a berth to the Big XII Championship game and for the rights to face Florida in the BCS National Championship game.  Although Sooners QB Sam Bradford is back, he’s too late to stop the Longhorns train to Pasadena.  Texas 30, Oklahoma 20.

Alabama vs. South Carolina: The past king of the SEC, Steve Spurrier, and the Gamecocks take on the future king of the SEC in Nick Saban’s Tide.  This is a classic trap game for Alabama with Lane Kiffin and the Vols rolling into town next weekend.  It will be close early, but look for QB Greg McElroy to make some key throws down the stretch to separate these two squads.  With this win, RB Mark Ingram will continue to keep his name in the Heisman Trophy conversation.  Alabama 21, South Carolina 17.

USC at Notre Dame: Speaking of the Heisman, can you believe it’s been more than 20 years since anyone from Notre Dame has taken home the disctinction?  It’s true, the last was Tim Brown in 1987.  Although the Irish are winning and Jimmy Clausen is getting some love for the award, you get the sense he needs a big win in order to step ahead of Tebow and McCoy.  He’ll give it his best shot, but it won’t be enough.  USC 31, Notre Dame 17.

Cal at UCLA: When the season opened, the Bears had dreams of playing in the Rose Bowl.  Unfortunately, they were talking about the game played in January, not this matchup with the Bruins.  Cal needs this one to keep the season from being a complete disaster.  They’ll get it.  Cal 24, UCLA 21.

Iowa at Wisconsin: The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde show heads to Madison for a big-time showdown against the Badgers.  Iowa out-hustled the Badgers last season.  In a victory for pride everywhere, Wisconsin ends Iowa’s bid for perfection.  Wisconsin 20, Iowa 16.

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech:  This one is really intriguing.  With a win here, the Jackets create a log jam at the top of the division between themselves, the Hokies and Miami.  If Tyrod Taylor can lead his team to victory, it’s a near guarantee they will reach the ACC Championship Game in Tampa.  Virginia Tech has too much riding on this game to let it slip away.  Virginia Tech 34, Georgia Tech 24.

Arkansas at Florida: The Hogs with QB Ryan Mallett are really firing on all cylinders on offense scoring 48, 44, 41 and 47 points in a 3-2 start to the season.  Unfortunately, they posted only seven points in a 35-7 loss against Alabama.  The Gators defense, led by Brandon Spikes, isn’t quite that good, but close enough.  Florida 31, Arkansas 13.

Missouri at Oklahoma State:  Suspended Cowboys WR Dez Bryant told the NCAA this week he is “very, very sorry.”  Unfortunately, he still isn’t eligible, which is bad because OSU really, really needs him.  Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert gets back on track after a horrendous performance last week against Nebraska.  Missouri 27, Oklahoma State 24.

Kansas at Colorado: The Buffaloes are feeling a little flat after letting a first half lead against Texas eviscerate on the way to a second half beatdown.  Confidence of the Buffs defense is not high after the 38 points they allowed last weekend.  At here comes Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks, who are looking to secure a BCS berth – or more.  When is Reesing going to get more love for the Heisman?  Answer: After they defeat Oklahoma next weekend.  Kansas 41, Colorado 20.

Feel free to leave your comments below and, as always, enjoy the games….

UCLA at Stanford: These two Pac-10 foes are trying to break into the upper echelon of the conference this season. Stanford’s Toby Gerhart and the Cardinals #11 rushing attack will find yards tough to come by against the Bruins and their #9 ranked rushing defense. If injured UCLA QB Kevin Prince were back, I’d got with the boys in blue. Instead, look for a big day from Stanford’s freshman quarterback Andrew Luck. Stanford 24, UCLA 20.

Washington at Notre Dame: This game is a lot more interesting than what it appeared in the pre-season. It’s just a matter of which team will show up. The Fighting Irish won a thrilled last Saturday night, defeating Purdue in the final minute, while Washinton lost at Stanford. Jimmy Clausen says he’ll have to battle through his turf toe for the reaminder of the season. As long as he’s playing, they’ve got a chance. Notre Dame 27, Washington 24.

LSU at Georgia: One of the biggest stories for the Tigers and the Bulldogs have been their defensive coordinators. John Chavis, LSU’s new defensive “chief” has been able to get just enough plays to keep the Bengal Tigers undefeated. Meanwhile, Georgia’s DC, Willie Martinez, has been like a sinking boat that continues to take on water. Fans and the media are in an uproar over the team’s performance. They’ll still be upset with the Bulldogs defensive play come Saturday night, but thankful for the offense. Georgia 37, LSU 31.

Auburn at Tennessee: The two most controversial offseason coaching hires face off in Knoxville with both Lane Kiffin and Gene Chizik heaping high praise onto one another. Can Auburn’s high flying offense outwit Tennessee’s Monte Kiffin? Just barely. Auburn 27, Tennessee 24.

USC at California: It’s been a challenging time on the field at Cal this week, while a challenging week off the field at USC. The Bears, who were exposed by Oregon last Saturday are reeling and don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves with the Trojans and undefeated Bruins next up on the schedule. The Trojans, on the other hand, are dealing with the horrific injury to RB Stafon Johnson. Look for SC to keep the pressure on Cal QB Kevin Riley and put an emotional week behind them. USC 38, Cal 24.

Oklahoma at Miami: The big question for this game is whether or not Sam Bradford will return to play for the Sooners. It won’t matter as the Sooners keep the momentum rolling against the Hurricans. Oklahoma 27, Miami 13.

Central Michigan at Buffalo: No team has fallen as far as Turner Gill’s squad. Gill who was one of the nation’s hottest coaches last season is mired in a 1-3 slump to start the season. Unfortunately, it won’t get any better on Saturday. Central Michigan 45, Buffalo 20.

Texas A&M at Arkansas: The upstart Aggies have been a huge surprise to start 2009. With Baylor QB Robert Griffin out for the season, the door is open for Mike Sherman’s squad to earn their first bowl victory since 2001. First, they’ll have to contend with the nation’s 4th best passing offense. Arkansas 38, Texas A&M 31.

What about you? Who are your picks for the weekend?

This is absolutely my favorite time of year, when all the predictions, dialogue and analysis ends and we get to see it all play out on the field.

Here’s our predictions for a few of this weekend’s games.

#13 Georgia at #9 Oklahoma State. For all the talk about the Cowboys and the raucous environment in Stillwater, keep in mind the Georgia Bulldogs are a team who have been extremely successful on the road under Mark Richt, compiling a 30-4 record during his tenure. Despite losing their starting QB and RB to the NFL Draft, I think Richt will have his team ready, but Zac Robinson and 60,000 strong will be waiting. In a close one, Oklahoma State emerges victorious 24-20.

#20 Brigham Young vs. #3 Oklahoma (Dallas). BYU wants to prove they belong in the BCS discussion. Oklahoma will prove they aren’t ready for prime time just yet. Oklahoma 35, BYU 20.

#5 Alabama vs. #7 Virginia Tech. If Darren Evans were healthy, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick the Hokies. Alabama has to replace their starting quarterback, three offensive linemen and, until Wednesday night, looked like they might be without their top wide receiver, Julio Jones, and starting running back, Mark Ingram until the NCAA ruled they could play. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Frank Beamer and company emerge victorious, but something tells me Alabama is ready for this game. Alabama 24, Virginia Tech 14.

Maryland at #12 California. Last season, Maryland upended the Bears in College Park. This season, Cal welcomes the Terps to the West Coast as they kickoff what they hope will be a BIG season, led by Heisman candidate Jahvid Best. It’s payback by the Bay for Maryland. California 34, Maryland 17.

#11 LSU at Washington. Unlike the past several seasons, LSU is flying far below the radar to begin 2009. New Washington head coach, Steve Sarkisian, will get the Husky program headed back on the right track, just not this season. LSU 34, Washington 13.

#8 Mississippi at Memphis. This has traditionally been a close game for both teams early in the season. Memphis last won 10-6 in 2004, with four of the past five contests being decided by a touchdown or less. Look for Houston Nutt’s Rebels to make a statement against the Tigers that they are ready for big things in 2009. Ole Miss 38, Memphis 17.

Cincinnati at Rutgers. Has any game between two unranked teams meant so much at the beginning of the season? Both are expected to contend for the Big East Championship and a berth in, likely, the AllState Sugar Bowl. Greg Schiano will ride the home crowd to victory on Labor Day. Rutgers 23, Cincinnati 20.

Miami (FL) at #18 Florida State. Remember when this game was dubbed “The Game of the Century” every season? Here’s how far it has fallen…..tickets were still available to this game from the ticket office this week. Either way, this one is still big for FSU and “The U”. Whichever coach, Bobby Bowden or Randy Shannon, is dealt the loss will begin to hear the drumbeat for change. I believe the drumbeats of victory sound for the Seminoles. Florida State 24, Miami Hurricanes 17.

Enjoy the opening weekend of the 2009 College Football season!

Recently, I talked about some teams who are utilizing the 12th game to their advantage by scheduling some non-conference marquee matchups.

But what games – in and out of conference – will have the biggest impact on the perception of the national media, the BCS standings and who plays for the BCS National Championship this season?

Here’s the MrBCS.com Top 10 College Football games for 2009.

September 3rd: Oregon at Boise State. It won’t take long for it to feel like mid-season with these two BCS contenders facing off on opening night. Last year in Eugene, the Ducks fell to Boise State in what some Oregon players called “an embarassment.” They get to do somethig about it on Thursday night. Boise State can, and likely will, make the BCS as an at-large without this win. Oregon will not. This one is huge for the Ducks.

September 5th: Virginia Tech vs. Alabama (Atlanta). Last year, Alabama used this game with Clemson to get their season off to a fast start, eventually running their record to 12-0. The Hokies, who lost their starting running back Darren Evans, will look to do the same and can clear their most significant hurdle between them and the BCS Championship game by emerging victorious at the Georgia Dome.

September 12th: USC at Ohio State. Will it be rout #2 for the Trojans or redemption for the Buckeyes? The winner of this one takes a big, big step in the polls and BCS rankings with a victory in Columbus.

October 3rd: USC at Cal. Will USC’s championship dominance come to an end or will another Pac-10 power emerge in 2009? This game couldn’t come at a worse time for the Bears who will be coming off an emotional road game at Oregon the week before.

October 10th: Florida at LSU. The last time these two teams played in Baton Rouge, the Bengal Tigers won by converting an amazing 5 of 5 fourth downs, all in the 4th quarter. Look for LSU to provide the biggest road test for the Gators in 2009. This one is not for the faint of heart.

October 10th: Alabama at Ole Miss. Houston Nutt always had his teams at Arkansas playing their best when their backs were up against the wall. How will the Rebels fare in their biggest test of the season? The winner of this game will likely play for the SEC Championship.

October 17th: Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas). Don’t plan anything on this Saturday. The 2009 Red River Rivalry will be one for the ages. In addition to two top five teams facing off, this one is juiced by the bad blood following the Longhorns exclusion from the Big XII and BCS title game despite having defeated the Sooners 45-35 in 2008. You won’t want to miss this one.

October 31st: USC at Oregon. If the Trojans survive the trip to Berkeley against Cal, this is their last stop between an undefeated season and a shot at the BCS National Championship.

November 7th: Ohio State at Penn State. The belief here is that the undefeated Nittany Lions will be facing a one-loss Buckeyes squad. This should be Joe Paterno’s biggest challenge to another undefeated season. Should the Buckeyes win, look for the Rose Bowl to deal either USC or Ohio State to another BCS game to avoid a rematch of September 12th.

November 28th: Oklahoma State at Oklahoma. Just when you think the Sooners have wrapped up the (fill in the blank here) the OSU Cowboys seem to disrupt the party. If Oklahoma State can defeat the Georgia Bulldogs on opening weekend, they could be in line for a BCS at-large berth -or more – with a victory here.

One final point to consider. If there are more than two undefeated teams (Florida, Penn State, USC and Texas/Oklahoma), who will be shut out? MrBCS.com believes the storyline of the Gators will be too much to ignore, especially given their current poll position. As for their opponent? Look for it to be the Texas Longhorns (provided they are undefeated) or the USC Trojans. If multiple undefeated teams exist again this season, it should really get the momentum recharged for a playoff and plus one plan.

What do you think? Is there a game you’re especially excited about this season?

When you have the top three vote getters from the previous year’s Heisman balloting as well as two Heisman trophy winners all returning, it’s pretty easy to project where the 2009 winner will come from. That’s what we have this season with 2007 Heisman winner, Tim Tebow, 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, Sam Bradford and last year’s runner up, Colt McCoy all coming back for another year of College Football.

To put into perspective how dominant these three were in the balloting last season, they garnered more than 90% of all votes and Tim Tebow, who received the most first place votes, finished third.

Is it a forgone conclusion one of these three will win? Absolutely not. That’s the beauty of college football. With that in mind, here’s five guys who could be holding the most prestigious award in college football on December 12th.

Jevan Snead, QB, Mississippi. Remember, this is the QB who originally committed to Florida and then was neck and neck with Colt McCoy for the starting job when he was a freshman. Ole Miss is the only team in the SEC West who hasn’t made it to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. With a light road schedule (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU all come to Oxford), the Rebels could piece together a big season and get to the conference championship game. If that happens, expect Snead to get plenty of press. Should they defeat Florida, expect him to finish in the top two at the ceremony in New York.

Eric Berry, Safety, Tennessee. My sister-in-law (a UT alum) still talks about 1997 and what a travesty it was when Michigan’s Charles Woodson won the Heisman trophy instead of Peyton Manning. Berry is the best player on defense in the SEC – and perhaps the best in the country. The Vols have launched a full press campaign touting Berry’s candidacy, but the question remains whether he can make enough big plays to capture the attention of the country or if he’ll be lost in a mediocre campaign for the Vols.

Jahvid Best, RB, California. The question of whether or not Jahvid Best will win the Heisman comes down to two dates, September 26th and October 3rd. On those Saturdays, he plays at Oregon and hosts USC, respectively. When you haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since the 50′s and your current league champion has won the Pac-10 title eight straight seasons, history isn’t on your side. One thing that is? The Bears close the season at Stanford and at Washington, so big numbers should be plentiful. Although he led the league in rushing last season, Best was at his worst against big time opponents – averaging 45 yards/game. He’ll need a big season – and two big games – to make the final field for the Heisman.

Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State. Last season against USC, Pryor showed us all what he could do once he relieved Todd Boeckman. He provided a spark for the Buckeyes and never relinquished the starting job last season. With that 35-3 pasting by the Trojans fresh in our minds, Pryor could catapult the Buckeyes into the BCS National Championship mix – and him into the Heisman conversation – with a win against USC on September 12th. Should they win against USC, the only other hurdle between them and the title game is November 7th at Penn State.

Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State. Passing for more than 3,000 yards, rushing for 560 more and accounting for 33 touchdowns would be a great season anywhere, unless you happen to be in the Big XII South. Robinson has helped attract a great deal of talent to Stillwater and all the pieces are in place for a run at the conference championship. The Cowboys get the Longhorns at home on October 31st (the end of a brutal four game stretch for Texas which has them playing Colorado, Oklahoma in Dallas and at Missouri in the previous three weeks), and could catch Mack Brown and company at just the right time. Robinson also gets to compete head to head with two of the Big 3 returning Heisman candidates – the only player on this list with that opportunity. Combine that with a showcase game week one against SEC power Georgia, and Robinson could win more than just the Big XII South this season.