Weekly Preview: Georgia-LSU, UCF-Memphis, Washington-Oregon Among Top Games

October 10, 2018 by Dave Congrove

The college football week continues on Thursday night with a Big 12 showdown in Ft. Worth when Texas Tech visits TCU as a 4.47-point underdog. One game is already in the books as Appalachian State put a 35-9 thumping on Arkansas State in Jonesboro on Tuesday.

The top teams will try to avoid the upset bug which last week bit 11 of the top 25 members of the Congrove Computer Rankings.

Games to watch this week include a pair of SEC showdowns involving two of the top five teams. Alabama, ranked 2nd by the computer, goes for its 23rd straight home win against No. 28 Missouri. Meanwhile, No. 5 Georgia visits No. 14 LSU. Both Tiger teams lost last week with Missouri snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in a 37-35 fall-from-ahead loss at South Carolina, and LSU getting throttled 27-19 at Florida. The computer likes 'Bama by 14.58 which is well under the 4-TD spread. It also favors Georgia under the spread at 4.50 points.

Another team of Tigers, Memphis, hosts UCF on Saturday. The visiting Knights are looking to keep their winning streak intact which is at 18 games and counting. Though both teams have recently been dominating their respective side of the CUSA ledger, UCF hasn't lost to Memphis since 1990 and the computer favors the Knights by 2.25 points to improve to 12-1 all-time in the series.

While we're on the theme of Tigers, Auburn hopes to rebound from a 23-9 loss at Mississippi State when it hosts Tennessee as a huge 27.43-point computer choice.

As for the Clemson Tigers, Dabo Swinney's bunch is idle this week.

The computer's top-ranked team, Ohio State, gets a 28.46 point nod at home over Minnesota, and 4th-ranked Notre Dame is a 28.33-point pick over Pittsburgh in South Bend.

Other games to watch include undefeated Colorado (5-0) at USC, and West Virginia (5-0) at Iowa State. The computer takes the home team in both of those contests as it favors the Trojans over the Buffs by 20.33, and the Cyclones to upset the Mountaineers by 4.75.

North Carolina State, which is also unbeaten at 5-0, has a bye week.

This week's slate also sends Wisconsin to Michigan, and Michigan State to Penn State.

The Badgers have won 3 of the last 4, and 5 of the last 8, over the Wolverines. But the computer takes Michigan by 8.35 points in the "Big House" on Saturday.

Michigan State has dominated Penn State with 4 wins in the last 5 meetings, but the Nittany Lions are projected to win in Happy Valley by 7.22.

In other games, Nebraska keeps searching for its first win of the season as the Cornhuskers (0-5) visit Northwestern as an inflated 25.60-point underdog. And Washington takes on Oregon in a PAC-12 North showdown with the visiting Huskies given a 12.28-point computer advantage over the Ducks.

FBS vs. FCS

There is just one game in this category this week as South Alabama hosts Alabama State. FBS teams are 92-7 (.929) vs. the FCS this season, and 1,311-124 (.914) since 2003.

Here are all of the FCS victories over FBS teams, so far, in 2018:

August 30: UC Davis 44, San Jose State 31
September 1: Villanova 19, Temple 17
September 1: Northern Arizona 30, UTEP 10
September 1: Nicholls State 26, Kansas 23 (OT)
September 2: North Carolina A&T 28, East Carolina 23
September 8: Maine 31, Western Kentucky 28
September 22: Illinois State 35, Colorado State 19

Streaks

UCF - Won 18 straight overall (FBS longest), Won 11 straight conference games including AAC title last year (FBS longest). Visits Memphis on Saturday.

Alabama - Won 22 straight home games (FBS longest). Hosts Missouri on Saturday.

Oklahoma - Won 17 straight true road games (FBS longest). Idle this week.

UTEP - Lost 18 straight overall (FBS longest). Idle this week.

Kansas - Lost 13 straight conference games (FBS longest). Idle this week.

Oregon State - Lost 22 straight road games (FBS longest). Idle this week.