Top Week 5 College Football Games:
(8) Alabama at (3) Georgia
Both teams had critical road games in week four, and both made statements. Alabama ran all over Arkansas winning by 35 points. The Crimson Tide have had lots of success running the ball so far this season. A key factor in this game will be if Alabama can run the ball against the aggressive Georgia defense. Georgia rolled on offense this past week at Arizona State. Sophomore Knowshon Moreno rushed for 149, and Mathew Stafford passed for 285 yards. While on defense, the Bulldogs blitzed often and sacked Arizona State Quarterback Rudy Carpenter four times. If the Bulldogs play this week as well as they did against Arizona State, they should have no problem against the Crimson Tide.
Pick: Georgia over Alabama
(22) Illinois at (12) Penn State
With the inconsistency of Ohio State, the Big Ten is up for grabs. Penn State has played well on both sides of the ball in their first four games, but this is their first true test considering their weak schedule played. Illinois comes into this game with an offense that continues to put up points. After their disappointing loss to Missouri, the Fighting Illini have bounced back with wins over Eastern Illinois and Louisiana-Lafayette. With both teams in the top 15 scoring offenses in the nation, this looks to be a shootout.
Pick: Illinois over Penn State
(9) Wisconsin at Michigan
This game may not look like a good game on paper but it has multiple storylines behind it. Wisconsin now seems to be the favorite in the Big Ten with Ohio State's disappointing start. Wisconsin comes off an impressive road win against Fresno State. In past years, Wisconsin has had successful seasons, but they have been tainted with critical conference losses on the road. From the Michigan standpoint, what can go wrong this season has gone wrong. In week three, Michigan practically handed Notre Dame the game on a silver platter. Michigan's six turnovers led to three Notre Dame touchdowns. Michigan's offense showed lots of improvement against Notre Dame. It will be interesting to see if Michigan's offense can continue to improve against a solid Wisconsin defense.
Pick: Michigan over Wisconsin
NFL WEEK FOUR
This has been an interesting start to the NFL season. Many teams expected to contend in the playoffs have been a massive disappointment. In the NFL, it is very hard to rebound from a bad start and make the playoffs. Week Four usually dictates whether teams should start scouting for the NFL Draft or keep hopes alive for the playoffs.
Week Four's Top Games:
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
After Chicago's impressive opening victory at Indianapolis, they have dropped two games in which they led. Losing two games in a row put the Bears in a position where they have to win in order to keep any hopes for the playoffs alive. The much maligned quarterback Donovan McNabb continues to play well. He started off strong against the solid Steelers defense, completing his first fourteen passes. Look for the Eagles to blitz often and pressure Bears quarterback Kyle Orton into making mistakes.
Pick: Eagles over Bears
Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers come off a comeback victory in which they trailed the Bears by ten in the fourth quarter. With the NFC South wide open, a victory over the Packers may place the Buccaneers as the favorites in the NFC South. Expect the Buccaneers to disrupt the rhythm between Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his receivers, as they will blitz often. The key for the Packers will be to protect Aaron Rodgers and make sure he has sufficient amount of time to connect with his receivers.
Pick: Buccaneers over Packers
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys-Redskins rivalry is arguably the best rivalry in the NFL. In week one, the Redskins offense seemed to be dysfunctional, but since then the Redskins offense has made a vast improvement. The Jason Campbell to Santana Moss connection has been an integral reason for the Redskins improvement on offense. The Redskins should continue to have offensive success against the Cowboys. With multiple teams off to fast starts in the NFC East, the Cowboys have unexpected competition for the division title. It is plain and simple: the Cowboys defense needs to step up and play more consistently. If the Cowboys defense allows opposing offenses to put up points like the Eagles did against them in week two, then the Cowboys are vulnerable.
Pick: Cowboys over Redskins
