Some people call it an upset. Others call it a look ahead game. However you want to describe it. A loss is a loss.
Every week in college football, teams who are supposed to win easily are either beaten straight up, or find themselves in a close scoring contest. Let's take a look at which teams need to come ready to play on Saturday. Unfortunately Hokie fans, Virginia Tech is first on the list.
Without further ado here are the teams who I believe are on upset alert, and my selections on which favorites will lose outright.
Virginia Tech @ East Carolina: This game is a classic look ahead spot for Virginia Tech. The Hokies are coming off a big win on the road at Purdue and now have to travel to East Carolina and play back to back away games just before opening conference play. East Carolina has been a downright thorn in the side of Frank Beamer. The last three meetings have all been decided by seven points or less. Last year's loss in Blacksburg was the toughest to swallow. Virginia Tech was on a high after their big win in Columbus and the Pirates came in and stole a victory. East Carolina is not the same team from a year ago, but that doesn't mean they are horrible. The Pirates are still dangerous and are capable of being competitive in any game. Ruffin McNeil is an offensive guru and he will throw everything at Bud Foster and his defense. Don't let East Carolina's performance last week fool you. The Pirates have won four straight against ACC opponents. Will they make it five?
Southern Mississippi @ Nebraska: This would be a monumental upset if the Huskers were to lose to Southern Mississippi. Nebraska has beaten the Golden Eagles by an average of 36 points its last two meetings. However, something just doesn't feel right about this game to me. Nebraska seemed to finally click on offense last week against Miami, but it was too late. Mike Riley is a good coach, but I think the first year for everyone in a new place can be a rough one. You have to deal with new schemes, new strategy, and new players. What do you get when you mix all that together? The answer is another mediocre season for Big Red. Southern Miss is a much improved team than in previous years. Todd Monken will have his his kids ready to play. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00am in Lincoln and it's also homecoming week. With all those distractions going on, look for the Golden Eagles to keep the game closer than expected. Maybe even leave with a victory.
No. 14 Texas A&M @ Arkansas: If you turned on the T.V. this week or listened to sports radio you would have heard how Bret Bielema and his Arkansas Razorbacks are failing to live up to the hype. Once ranked 18th in the country, the Hogs are now the forgotten team in the SEC. Since Bielema called out Ohio State for their weak schedule, Arkansas has lost to both Toledo and Texas Tech at home. All those reasons are why I expect the Razorbacks to keep this game close. The Hogs backs are against the wall and Texas A&M is coming in with all the love. Kevin Sumlin and his crew are the new "it" pick to win the SEC West. Arkansas will come to Dallas looking to avenge last year's overtime defeat. This game won't be decided until late in the fourth quarter.
Guaranteed upsets that will happen
No. 24 Oklahoma State @ Texas: Charlie Strong and his Texas Longhorns need a win badly. After last week's heartbreaking loss to California, the Longhorns need a victory to gain some confidence. What better than against a top 25 ranked team. Texas hasn't lost its Big 12 opener since 2007 and will come into this game highly motivated with all the negative chatter going around. Oklahoma State has also yet to be battle tested. Yes, the Cowboys are undefeated, but that has come against teams like Central Michigan, Central Arkansas, and UTSA. There is no point in filtering through the Cowboys stats because it has come against inferior opponents. Strong has yet to earn a signature win since his time in Austin and this will quiet some of the noise if his team can pull off the upset. I am calling my shot on this one. Texas will beat Oklahoma State.
No. 3 TCU @ Texas Tech: My oh my, TCU sure has fallen from the good graces of the college football media compared to a year ago. Gone is the Cinderella story of a small program and all that's left is the arrogance of head coach Gary Patterson. Earlier this week, a couple of Patterson's players were arrested for supposedly beating up another student and stealing his Keystone Light. A disgusting beer, but that is a story for another day. The TCU head coach went on a rant defending one of the players who were involved. On top of all that, TCU has been less than impressive on the field this season. The defense has had to replace eight defensive starters in just three games. That's a problem you don't want to have with an upcoming matchup against Texas Tech's high powered offense. The Horned Frogs have also faced off against weaker opponents in every game. Teams like Minnesota, Stephen F. Austin, and SMU. Texas Tech's schedule isn't much better, but they are coming off a huge win at Arkansas last week. The Red Raiders surpised everyone and actually ran the ball. They racked up over 150 yards on the ground. Kliff Kingsbury came into this season with a warm seat, and fans in Lubbock want to see more consistency from their team. I must be in love with teams from Texas this week because once again I am calling my shot. Texas Tech will knock off the 3rd ranked team in the nation.