Top 5 Games Week 1 Breakdown
#6 Oregon vs. #3 LSU in Irving, Texas
This is a fantastic week one matchup between two teams in the top 6. Expect LSU to be reeling a bit from the loss of star quarterback Jordan Jefferson and linebacker Joshua Johns. Luckily for the Tigers they have a credible backup quarterback in Jarrett Lee. He is not much of a scrambler, but he has thrown 18 touchdowns as a backup and played a key roll in wins over Alabama and Florida last season.
We all know about Oregon’s offensive power with LaMichael James and Darron Thomas, but let us not forget about backup running back and return man, Kenjon Barner. He will certainly have an impact as a 10-carry, change-of-pace back and explosive returner. Expect to see linebacker Casey Matthews blitzing Lee on a regular basis in an attempt to rattle the first time starter.
In the end, LSU will rely enough on their stout defensive unit to gain a lead and keep it. A loss in week one for Oregon does not eliminate the chances of a National Championship berth, but a mid-season win against Stanford will become that much more dire.
#19 Georgia vs. #5 Boise State
Boise State might be used to this by now. After battling highly ranked Virginia Tech in their week one game in 2010, Boise knows what is at stake in this game. A win versus a ranked SEC opponent would do wonders for their BCS standings later in the year. A loss, however, would assure them of no BCS game to speak of. Week one, the stakes could not be higher.
For Georgia, things stack up a little differently. They are not quite on that top tier of their conference like they used to be. What this game really means, out of the gate, is to tell the rest of the country how good UGA can be this season. A close loss or a win would show their SEC brethren that they are coming to play this season and battle for the conference crown. Since its been a few years, roughly the maturation of one recruiting class, since Mark Richt has had the Bulldogs competing at the top of the South Eastern Conference, a hard-fought non-conference win to start the year would do wonders for their confidence.
Northwestern at Boston College
Northwestern and Boston College square off in what is the best Big Ten game this week. The game pits two middle of the road teams in their respective conferences. However, both teams come from a power conference and this Big 10/ACC clash should be a great game. Northwestern is looking to get on track by beating Boston College. Heisman hopeful Dan Persa will lead the Wildcats into this showdown. I think Persa will help his hype in this clash by playing great and leading Northwestern over Boston College. Northwestern edges Boston College 31-27.
UCLA at Houston
UCLA is coming off a disappointing 2010 (4-8) and Head Coach Rick Neuheisel is on the hot seat. They return eight starters on defense, although Rahim Moore and Akeem Ayers both signed contracts in the NFL. The offense will rely heavily on running back Johnathan Franklin who rushed for 1,127 yards last season and can carry the ball 20+ times if necessary.
Houston will pass, pass, and then pass some more. Case Keenum is an early season Heisman Trophy candidate and will be looking to break the all-time NCAA passing yards record in his sixth (granted two redshirt seasons) and final year. Wide receiver Patrick Edwards will be Keenum’s main target and should see lots of action against an untested UCLA defense.
UCLA will struggle to defend the Cougars and we should expect to see Keenum throw for over 350 yards in this contest. Technically a Houston win would be considered an upset, but considering the imbalances between the UCLA defensive backs and Houston’s passing attack, there should be no surprises. Defensively, UCLA will try to attack Houston’s offensive line early and often to get at Keenum and disrupt his flow, with limited success.
South Florida at #25 Notre Dame
South Florida is an up and coming program. They have many good athletes on both sides of the ball, which could cause problems for Notre Dame. Running backs Demetris Murray, Darrell Scott and the explosive B.J. Daniels could be extremely dangerous and hard to stop. If South Florida can use their three headed rushing attack to full force they will be extremely difficult to defend. They could really shorten the game with their rushing attack which is how an upset can brew. This could be a very interesting game.
