Revenge on Florida's mind for showdown with Alabama
Head coach Urban Meyer of the Florida Gators waits to take the field with his team before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. Credit: Getty/Andy Lyons
We're four weeks into the college football season. Now the fun begins.
The non-conference matchups are mostly done and now it's time to focus on the huge conference games.
This weekend will provide plenty of those.
Consider Saturday's slate of games to be the start of separating the contenders and pretenders for the BCS national title.
Top-ranked Alabama, which showed a lot of heart and guts by rallying from 13 points down on the road to beat Arkansas last week, welcomes No. 7 Florida to Tuscaloosa on Saturday night (Ch. 2, 8 p.m.). Alabama has an 18-game winning streak.
Alabama beat Florida, 32-13, in last season's SEC title game, ending Tim Tebow's quest for a final national title shot. The Crimson Tide went on to beat Texas in the national title game.
"I just remember going there and not playing the best that we could," Florida senior safety Ahmad Black said on Monday. "Alabama going out and beating us left a sour taste in my mouth, not only that they beat us, but we went out there and didn't play the best that we could."
This year's game also has high stakes. The winner stays on path for a spot in the national title game. The loser isn't eliminated, but will need some help to get back into the national title game race. But it's also possible that these two teams will meet again in two months to decide the SEC title.
Florida's offense has struggled this season. But the Gators got some swagger back last Saturday as freshman Trey Burton scored six touchdowns in a 48-14 win over Kentucky.
Meanwhile, there's a huge showdown in the Pac-10 on Saturday. No. 9 Stanford travels to No. 4 Oregon (Ch. 7, 8 p.m.).
Oregon has been unstoppable on offense this season, averaging 58 points per game. In fact, the Ducks' 42-31 win over Arizona State last week was the fewest points Oregon has scored in a game all season.
Stanford has also been very impressive. Stanford's defense is allowing only 13.8 points per game. Remember, this is the same team that shut out UCLA, 35-0, earlier in the season. That's the same UCLA team that beat Texas, 34-12, last week. The Cardinal also held Notre Dame's high-powered offense to 14 points in a 37-14 win at South Bend last week.
The winner has the inside track on claiming the Pac-10 title.
Oklahoma, No. 8 in the country, plays No. 21 Texas in the Red River Rivalry (3:30 p.m., Ch. 7/ESPN) on Saturday. The game will be played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The Longhorns' stunning home loss to UCLA takes some of the luster away from this always highly anticipated game. But the Sooners haven't looked great, either. Oklahoma destroyed Florida State by 30 points, but struggled to beat Utah State and Air Force. The Sooners had to rally to beat Cincinnati on the road last week.
The winner of this game takes control in the Big 12 South and has a likely date against No. 6 Nebraska for the conference title.
Other noteworthy games on Saturday:
No. 16 Miami (Fla.) at Clemson (noon, ESPN2): Miami shook off the loss at Ohio State with a very impressive 31-3 win on the road against Pittsburgh last Thursday. Clemson lost a heartbreaker at Auburn last week. In the wide-open ACC, any conference win is a good one.
No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 24 Michigan State (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN): Both teams are unbeaten as the Big Ten schedule opens. Wisconsin has played some close games but has a strong rushing attack with John Clay leading the way. The Spartans will get coach Mark Dantonio back (he'll watch from the press box). An interesting game that should answer some key questions: Is Wisconsin a legitimate top 10 team and Big Ten contender? Is Michigan State's 4-0 start a sign of things to come as the Spartans try to position themselves for a Big Ten title run?
Virginia Tech at No. 23 North Carolina State (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN): Virginia Tech has won two straight after losing games to Boise State and FCS member James Madison. The Hokies looked good last week, going on the road and shutting out Boston College. North Carolina State is off to a 4-0 start with Russell Wilson, probably the best quarterback in the ACC, playing very well. Are the Wolfpack for real? We'll find out Saturday.
No. 22 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa (8:05 p.m., ESPN): Iowa has pulled off two straight upsets against the Nittany Lions. Can Penn State pull the upset this season? Well, it depends on how well a shaky offensive line can handle perhaps the best defensive line in the country. Iowa would like nothing better than to put a ton of pressure on true freshman quarterback Rob Bolden.
