College Football Week 3 Preview

I know at least one head coach in college football didn't pay attention in history class. Somebody missed Theodore Roosevelt's speech about speaking softly and carrying a big stick.

As Saturday quickly approaches, Lane Kiffin is wishing his feet were a few sizes smaller so they will be easier to get out of his mouth after the Gators get finished pounding the Vols. Lane Kiffin's mouth/ego has written some big checks that his team simply won't be able to cash. I'm sure you've read the quotes 50 times by now, that's probably about 1,000 times less than every Gator football player who has seen the quotes plastered all over the bulletin boards and locker rooms in Gainesville since Kiffin opened his mouth. You can bet the Gators have had this Saturday circled on their calendars for a long time now. I wonder how long it has been since Tennessee was a 28.5 point underdog? I also wonder how much lower the line would have been if Kiffin didn't rattle the giant's cage? Apparently Urban Meyer's vengeance is good for a 10 point swing on the line.

This week features several games where ranked opponents play tough, unranked teams. If the season's trend continues, we will most likely see a few upsets. Thursday night's matchup between Georgia Tech and Miami will provide a frontrunner for the ACC's Coastal division, and most likely produce the favorite to win the conference. Friday night's game between Boise State and Fresno State is a very important game on the national scene, as Fresno represents one of the few remaining teams on Boise State's schedule which could beat the Broncos and prevent them from being a BCS buster once again.

With a 1-1 overall record, UGA is sitting at the top of the SEC East. That status will be greatly challenged this weekend with the dawgs head to Fayetteville to play Arkansas. Caleb King's return should bolster the Georgia offense, but injuries continue to plague the Bulldogs. Georgia continues to lose players seemingly on a weekly basis, making success in the Southeastern Conference an extremely tall task. Along with injuries, Georgia is facing one of the tougher schedules in the nation this year. Every game is critical for the dawgs, and Saturday's contest against the Razorbacks will be a huge test.

Perhaps it is the lack of a marquee game in week 3, but ESPN is really trying to make us care about Texas Tech vs. Texas game. Yes, we all remember the last minute Crabtree touchdown. Yes, we remember the national relevance of the game last year. No, we don't care at all this year. The head Pirate even said that Texas Tech is just another game on Texas' schedule, not a huge game this year. Texas should win this one, big, at home.

While there are no games on the slate for week 3 which should make or break anyone's season, there should be more than enough entertainment. I find it hilarious that the entire nation is not talking about whether the Vols can beat the Gators, but IF the Gators are going to cover the 28.5 points. If Urban has the ball with a 28 point lead with two minutes left, I'm betting he burns those timeouts, a la the Georgia game last year, in attempts to really rub it in Kiffin's face. I, for one, really hope it happens.

Never has a guy with so little success as a coach talked so much trash, especially to a guy who has had so much success as a coach. People say Urban Meyer is one of the bigger jerks in college football. Really? I don't remember him calling out any other teams or coaches in public. I don't remember him sending his entire team out on the field after a touchdown for a classless celebration. I don't remember him being condescending to any other coaches, fans or media (looking at you Mr. Saban). I DO remember Urban Meyer's teams getting it done on the field when it matters, where business in college football is meant to be settled (unless we're talking about the BCS selection process, in which case I need about 30 more pages to discuss that one). The Gators will cover the spread, but only if Meyer wants to. If he is smart, he will get up by 20 and rest the starters. However, the backups may still be able to go for the jugular in this one. I know I'll be watching to end to see if the Gators can pull it off.

Now for the Auburn folk that so lovingly follow the blog- the West Virginia game will be very telling for what kind of team Auburn really has. While most people agree that Auburn's chances of being a nationally relevant team during this rebuilding year are slim, the Auburn Family would love to see a win this week. A loss really won't mean anything for the season, as the Tigers main focus should be on winning some conference games and proving that their new offense can, in fact, succeed in the SEC. Slowing down Noel Devine should be the main objective for Ted Roof's defense. Devine ran all over Auburn last year in Morgantown. The Tiger running attack has been the foundation for success on offense for Gus Malzahn. These teams have both been putting on a show offensively this year. The team that runs the ball and controls the clock the best will be the winner in the one.

How about some picks? Here's what I'll be keeping an eye on this weekend (predicted winners in bold):

GA Tech @ Miami

Boise St @ Fresno St

East Carolina @ UNC

Boston College @ Clemson

USC @ Washington

Nebraska @ VA Tech

Utah @ Oregon

Arizona @ Iowa

Texas Tech @ Texas

Louisville @ Kentucky

Tennessee @ Florida

Louisiana-Lafayette @ LSU

Miss State @ Vanderbilt

SE Louisiana @ Ole Miss

West Virginia @ Auburn

North Texas @ Alabama

Florida Atlantic @ South Carolina

Georgia @ Arkansas

Happy watching.