IDAHO AT MSU
Ethan Conley — Ignore all the Dennis Erickson-John L. Smith story lines. Mentor this, student that, blah, blah, blah. Idaho was a 2-9 team in 2005, with no running game and a quarterback who threw more interceptions than touchdowns. Erickson may manage to keep Idaho competitive in the first half, but in the third and fourth quarters the Spartans will use their advantage in depth to blow the game open.
MSU 45, Idaho 14
Steve Highfield — Erickson is a great college coach with a great track record, but the talent he had at Miami and Oregon State was head and shoulders above what he has at Idaho. He'll be able to get more out of Idaho's skill players than past coaches, but he's no magician. On the other side of the ball, Idaho gave up more than 38 points per game last year and MSU averaged almost 34. Not a good combination.
MSU 52, Idaho 17
NO. 9 CAL AT NO. 23 TENNESSEE
EC — This might be the game of the week. Tennessee will have a huge homefield advantage, with 100,000 fans singing "Rocky Top" at every opportunity. But the Golden Bears have a potent offense that features one of the best running backs in the country. It could turn into a track meet.
Cal 45, Tennessee 41
SH — The fans can sing all they want, but it sure didn't seem to help Tennessee too much in 2005, when the team went 3-3 at home, including a loss to Vanderbilt. Cal is an up-and-coming team with loads of offense, while Tennessee took a step back last year. Tennessee's defense is better than most Cal saw in 2005, but the Golden Bears still have too much on offense.
Cal 31, Tennesse 24
NO. 2 NOTRE DAME AT GEORGIA TECH
EC — One of Notre Dame's weakest links (the secondary) will be tested against the best wide receiver in the nation (preseason All-American Calvin Johnson). The Golden Domers simply have too many offensive weapons for the Yellow Jackets' defense to handle. Notre Dame will jump ahead early and never look back.
Notre Dame 41, Georgia Tech 17
SH — This game features two of the best wide receivers in the country in Johnson and Notre Dame's Jeff Samardzija. The only difference is Samardzija has Brady Quinn throwing to him, while Johnson has to rely on someone named Reggie Ball. Georgia Tech could also be intimidated by the fact that they're playing the best team in the history of sports — or so says ESPN.
Notre Dame 42, Georgia Tech 21
NO. 11 FLORIDA STATE AT NO. 12 MIAMI
EC — The 2005 matchup between these intrastate rivals set offensive football back about 50 years, mostly thanks to two young (read: incompetent) quarterbacks. Here's hoping this year's battle is a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but with a tropical storm looming, it could get sloppy again. Look for Florida State to be unfazed by a mild Miami crowd and pull out the win in the fourth quarter.
Florida State 13, Miami 10
SH — Miami coach Larry Coker picked the perfect time to instill some discipline in his program — if you're a Florida State fan. He suspended four players for this game, including the Hurricanes' No. 1 running back and wide receiver. But in a game that could end up being a rainy and windy mess, skill goes out the window. It really comes down to the trenches, where Florida State's offensive line should be much better than Miami's. Florida State will make it two straight over Miami after snapping a six-game losing streak to its rival last year.
Florida State 17, Miami 13
