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| Wednesday, October 9 Plenty of big games to discuss By Lee Corso Special to ESPN.com |
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Do you think Florida State has a chance against Miami this weekend? What will the Seminoles need to do to win that game?
To win this game Florida State has to play better on defense, and the best way to defend the Hurricanes is to keep the ball away from Ken Doresy and keep the offense on the sideline. The FSU defense is not good enough to stop Miami, so ball-control offense, limiting the mistakes and winning in the kicking game with returner Leon Washington will be big for the Seminoles.
Lee, can Tennessee's overtime win against Arkansas become a confidence booster for the Vols? Is that the kind of game that can define a season for a team after a mediocore start?
And...
Do you think the NCAA needs to do something about the amount of OTs that can be played in a game? Will the six OTs affect Arkansas and Tennessee on this week Saturday?
I don't think any one game turns a season around, but the fact that Tennessee won that game the way it did will be encouraging. But on the flip side, an overtime game like that takes a lot out of a team both mentally and physically and will give Georgia an advantage against the Vols this week. There is a huge impact, but I don't think there is any way the overtime procedure could be changed. The rule is good as is and every once in a while there will be a game like Arkansas-Tennessee, but it doesn't happen a lot, so I like the current format.
What the keys to the Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas this weekend?
Defense and the kicking game are the keys for both teams. Both are strong on defense, and I think the team that forces the most turnovers will win the game. Also watch for a big play on special teams to change the game.
Lee, now that Georgia has shown it is "man enough" to beat a formidable opponent like Alabama, do you think the Bulldogs will be able to back up their high ranking against Tennessee and Florida in the coming weeks?
Tennessee is an inconsistent team, so I like Georgia's chances against the Vols. And I would think since Steve Spurrier is gone the Bulldogs have a chance in Jacksonville against the Gators. The regular-season finale against Auburn is the toughest remaining game for Georgia, but I'm not sure there is any team left on the schedule that can beat UGA.
Erik R., Midlothian, Va. I think this game will be a tremendous defensive struggle. Both teams play great defense and if Boston College can control the line of scrimmage, run some ball-control plays and every once in a while throw it long, the Eagles have a good chance to win. This will be one of the toughest games Virginia Tech plays before the Miami game. I think BC can slow down the Hokies game -- it can't be completely stopped -- and beat them by keeping the ball away from the offense.
Can Penn State stop Michigan at home?
Michigan Stadium is not as tough a place to play as Camp Randall Stadium, where Penn State beat Wisconsin last week, and the Lions absolutely have a chance to win in the Big House. There are more people but not as much noise at Michigan, and if PSU can win in Madison it can definitely win in Ann Arbor.
I am concerned. For a while it seemed the loss to Michigan might be the only setback for the Huskies all year, but losing to California in Seattle sent a shockwave through the Husky community. Is there any hope of winning the Pac-10 title now?
Well, the Huskies have only one loss in the Pac-10 so far and they have a lot of games to play, so it's not over for them yet. I don't think there will be an undefeated team in that conference this year, but Washington State has the best chance because its tough games are all at home. For Washington, though, it would be helpful if the running game got going to give them some balance with Cody Pickett throwing the ball. And don't forget that Kyle Boller threw five touchdown passes and California torched that UW defense for a lot of points. Hello!!
After gaining steam with a 34-10 trouncing of Mississippi State last week, do you think South Carolina has a good chance against Kentucky this weekend, even though the 'Cats have had a full week off to prepare for this game? Does the winner of this game a have a good chance of winning the SEC?
The biggest key for South Carolina against MSU was the ability to run the ball, and if the Gamecocks can run and keep the ball away from Jared Lorenzen and the Kentucky offense they have a chance. But the Wildcats aren't pushovers anymore. It's too early to say, though, if either team has a chance in the SEC beause they have so many games left against conference opponents.
Missouri took Oklahoma to the wire last weekend and Bowling Green smoked the Tigers earlier this year. How is an undefeated BGSU team not ranked in the top 25?
I don't know why the Falcons aren't in the national polls. They're certainly in my top 25. Not only did they beat Missouri and Kansas from the Big 12, they hung 70 points on Ohio last week. This is a terrific team and I guarantee you no one from the big conferences wants to play Bowling Green in a bowl game. .
Coach, with the emergence of Robert Hodge at quarterback and the win over Kansas State, is Colorado the favorite to win the Big 12 North?
I picked the Buffaloes to win the Big 12 North before the season and like the saying goes, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Lee Corso is an analyst for ESPN College GameDay. His "Lee-Mail" column appears every Wednesday. |
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