An early look at Texas-West Virginia and this week’s biggest games
The Texas Longhorns are in search of a bounce back win this week following Saturday’s road loss to Texas Tech. Their problems are fixable, but now Texas must realize they can lose on any given Saturday and prepare accordingly.
Steve Sarkisian and company went with Hudson Card at quarterback last week, assuming they would be able to overwhelm the Red Raiders with talent disparity. While Card did not lose the game for Texas, the Longhorns clearly could have used a boost at quarterback.
One would imagine Ewers would earn the start this week, especially given the possibility of rust in his first game back. The Longhorns’ next opponent after West Virginia is looking for a bounce back win of their own.
The Oklahoma Sooners fell to the Kansas State Wildcats in Week 4. The Wildcats put up 41 points on the road after losing 17-10 to Tulane at home.
Let’s look at an early preview of this weekend’s best games.
No. 18 Washington at UCLA
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If you’re anywhere near Los Angeles this weekend, this matchup at the Rose Bowl might be worth the price of admission. UCLA (4-0) is a home underdog to Washington (4-0) for Friday night’s contest. Michael Penix already has the Huskies rolling with 1,388 passing yards. Penix has 12 touchdowns and only one interception on the season. The winner figures to challenge USC for the conference title in the Pac-12 this year.
No. 8 Kentucky at No. 11 Ole Miss
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Two unheralded programs meet in a game that has significant implications for each team’s bowl placement. The winner remains alive for a New Years Six bowl this season. Ole Miss (4-0) has outperformed expectations, while Kentucky (4-0) is proving they are more than just a defensive team. NFL hopeful Will Levis leads the Kentucky offense with 10 touchdown passes and 1,185 yards on the season.
No. 16 Oklahoma at TCU
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Oklahoma (3-1) is certainly the big story here, having lost to the only good opponent on their schedule to date. The Kansas State team that scored 41 points in Norman could only muster 10 points at home against Tulane the week prior. They face TCU (3-0), who comes off a big road win over their rival SMU. The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 14 in points per game, No. 27 in pass offense and No. 21 in rush offense nationally. The Oklahoma defense will have their hands full this week.
Texas Tech at Kansas State
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The two teams responsible for the biggest upsets in Week 4 take the field on Saturday. Texas Tech (3-1) and Kansas State (3-1) played like Big 12 title contenders over the weekend and will look to follow up with another great performance. The Red Raiders will need to contain Adrian Martinez and Deuce Vaughn in the run game, while Kansas State will have a tough task stopping Tech’s intermediate passing game.
Oregon State at No. 13 Utah
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Oregon State (3-1) suffered its first loss against USC last week, but their season is far from over. Utah (3-1) is looking to right their own ship after a road loss to Florida in Week 1.
No. 2 Alabama at No. 19 Arkansas
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Alabama (4-0) travels to face Arkansas (3-1) for the SEC’s featured game this week. Arkansas comes off a loss to Texas A&M in Arlington. Raheim Sanders leads the Arkansas offense with 508 rushing yards on 83 carries. The Razorbacks may need to find offense elsewhere to move the ball on Alabama’s defense.
No. 7 Oklahoma State at No. 14 Baylor
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Baylor (3-1) plays host to Oklahoma State (3-0) after a dominant win against Iowa State last week. The Bears have looked strong since their road loss to BYU. They’ll face one of the most consistent performers in the Big 12, Oklahoma State. With road trips to Oklahoma and Texas looming for the Bears, they’ll need to get a win this week.
West Virginia at Texas
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Texas faces a pivotal game on Saturday. They will deal with plenty of distractions, including their loss to Texas Tech and an upcoming battle with Oklahoma. Pete Kwiatkowski and Terry Joseph will need to employ better coverages than they used against Texas Tech. Otherwise you’ll see West Virginia have similar success.
No. 10 NC State at No. 5 Clemson
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Clemson (4-0) narrowly defeated Wake Forest in overtime last week. They’ll play host to NC State (4-0) who defeated Clemson early last year. DJ Uiagalelei started to live up to his recruiting ranking last week, making huge plays against Wake Forest. He will look to elevate his team in their biggest conference game to this point.
