When Jameis Winston came to Florida State during the summer, nobody expected the talented freshman from Bessemer, Ala., to have the kind of season that he has had.
Winston has made quite the splash in his first five starts for the Seminoles in 2013. With perhaps his best performance so far this year, he led the ‘Noles last weekend to a 63-0 blowout of then No. 25 Maryland. With Florida State primed for its showdown with No. 3 Clemson Oct. 19 in Death Valley, a win may make Winston a household name.
Florida State reloaded, and it seems that USC is starting from square one. After the embarrassing loss to Arizona State, head coach Lane Kiffin stepped off the team bus and was fired in the parking lot. That seems low, but as it seems now, the road will only become darker and darker for the Trojans.
With a Thursday night game against the mediocre Arizona Wildcats, this game could be comparable to watching paint dry. After what is sure to be an exciting game, the Trojans travel to South Bend, Ind., to face the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. These next two weeks will show if the Trojans will relegate themselves to mediocrity this season.
From Southern California to Oregon we go. The Oregon Ducks have been one of the most consistent teams in the country for the last five years.
This week, they play the upstart Washington Huskies in a battle of Top 25 teams. The Huskies have a capable offense and an even more capable defense.
You heard it here first, the mighty Oregon Ducks are officially on Upset Alert for this week. The flashy uniforms and state-of-the-art facilities won’t be able to help the Ducks this week as they travel to Seattle.
Finally, we come back to the state of Pennsylvania, where the Penn State Nittany Lions face off against the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines. Last week, Penn State lost handly to a talented Indiana Hoosiers team, which surprised many by beating a talented, yet shorthanded, Penn State team.
Michigan, on the other hand, comes off a win against a lackluster Minnesota Gophers team. The difference in this game is going to the Penn State true freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg, the top QB prospect in the 2013 recruiting class. At times this season, Hackenberg has played like a wily veteran, and others he looked like a freshman.
If Hackenberg can create big plays for Penn State, watch for the Lions to get the biggest win of the Bill O’Brien coaching era.
ANDREW KALATA
