Week 3 college predictions
We're going to try something new this week and continue through the rest of the regular season and bowl games. I'm going to pick a handful of games each week, including every local game and a few select national games. I'll keep track of the my record from week to week and we'll tally up the numbers at the end of the season.
Ohio State at USC -- I suspect Ohio State running back Beanie Wells, who is nursing a toe injury, will not be 100 percent for the game. And I suspect Terrelle Pryor will not be a major part of the game plan. If that's the case, the USC defense will shut down the Buckeyes offense, which had their share of problems solving the Ohio University defense. Many believe the Buckeyes were looking ahead and that was the reason they looked so bad against Ohio. There could be some merit to that. I think the Buckeyes will keep it close for a while, but the Trojans win, 41-21.
Kansas at South Florida -- Mark Mangino has turned Kansas into a legitimate national power and he has done it with the diminutive Todd Reesing lead the way. Reesing was great last season and has picked up where he left off, going 69 for 90 for 668 yards and six TDS in the first two games. South Florida had a near meltdown in the final minutes against Central Florida and had to pull out that game in overtime. The Bulls have the home-field advantage, but I like the Jayhawks to win a close one, 27-24.
Penn State at Syracuse -- The Greg Robinson Watch is officially on in Syracuse after the orange lost to Akron last week. Penn State, despite its many off-field issues, was dominant last week against Oregon State. Syracuse will play with some pride early, but Penn State will pull away in the second half. Final score 45-20.
UCLA at BYU -- UCLA had two weeks to prepare for this game after its big upset of Tennessee in the opener, and BYU wasn't so impressive winning at Washington last week. Actually, the Cougars were lucky they didn't have to go to overtime against the Huskies after that terrible call by the officials. But this game is at BYU and UCLA still has some issues at quarterback. I'll go with the Cougars at home, 35-21.
Michigan at Notre Dame -- The Fighting Irish looked a lot like they did last year in their opener against San Diego State, and that's not a good sign. Then again, Michigan hasn't exactly been impressive in the first two games under Rich Rodriguez. I have absolutely no reason to think the Wolverines have what it takes to go win this game on the road, but I'll go out on a limb: Michigan 28, Notre Dame 26.
Wisconsin at Fresno State -- Fresno State went cross-country and beat Rutgers in the opener and has had plenty of time to prepare for this game. The Badgers have taken care of business in their first two games, but haven't been overly impressive. If Fresno State wants any shot at earning a BCS bid the Bulldogs need to win this game, so I'll take the home team, 17-16.