No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Georgia, 3:30PM ET
Last year, Georgia rolled into Tiger Stadium and laid a 52-38 beat down on LSU as they forced three turnovers and running back Knowshon Moreno (now a Denver Bronco) racked up 163 yards on 21 carries. After an ugly 24-10 loss to Oklahoma State in the opening week of the season, the Bulldogs have rattled off three straight wins and will now face a Tiger team that struggled a bit offensively last week in a narrow 30-26 win over Mississippi State. LSU was outgained 374-263 and only rushed for 30 yards in the victory. The Tigers usually feast on pro-style offenses, so UGA quarterback Joe Cox can’t force throws in attempt to make something happen down field. That said, the Tigers haven’t been tested yet and needed a goal line stand to pull off the win last week. Georgia, on the other hand, has already faced a ranked OK State team and beaten competitive SEC foes South Carolina and Arkansas. The Bulldogs are more battle tested and will overcome a stiff Tiger defense.
Odds: Georgia –3.
Prediction: Georgia 24, LSU 20.

No. 7 USC at No. 24 California, 8:00PM ET
Don’t everyone break your legs jumping off the Cal bandwagon after Oregon smacked the Golden Bears 42-3 last week. Heisman candidate Jahvid Best rushed for only 55 yards in the loss and will face another tough challenge this week against a USC defense that held him to only 30 yards last season. The Trojans have the sixth best defense in the nation and the fifth best scoring defense. They have limited opponents to only 59.5 rushing yards per game and only 95 YPC threw the air. That said, Cal has played USC close over the years and the Trojans have kept things rather conservative offensively with freshman Matt Barkley under center. I see this game being close, although I don’t know if Kevin Riley can beat USC through the air if the Trojans’ front seven takes away Best.
Odds: USC –4.5.
Prediction: USC 20, Cal 17.

Washington at Notre Dame, 3:30PM ET
A week after upsetting USC at home, Washington crashed back to earth last Saturday in a 34-14 loss at Stanford. The Huskies will have issues controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but quarterback Jake Locker could have some success once he rolls out of the pocket and throws on the move. I don’t foresee Washington pulling off an upset, but considering ND quarterback Jimmy Clausen is dealing with a turf toe injury, running back Armando Allen’s ankle isn’t 100% and receiver Michael Floyd is out for the year, the Huskies should keep things close in South Bend.
Odds: Notre Dame –13.
Prediction: Notre Dame 27, Washington 20.

Wisconsin at Minnesota, 12:00PM ET
The Golden Gophers are in a bit of a transition with new coordinators taking over on both sides of the ball, but they’ve steadily improved each week and I think this is the year they finally take back Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Wisconsin’s front four has struggled a bit this season and while Minnesota’s running game hasn’t been great, the Gophers did tally 166 yards on the ground last week in a win over Northwestern. This is the first time the Badgers will go on the road this year and they could struggle playing at the new digs of TCF Bank Stadium. I like the combination of quarterback Adam Weber and receiver Eric Decker to pull off a victory this week for the Gophers.
Odds: Minnesota –3.
Prediction: Minnesota 30, Wisconsin 24.

Season Totals:
Straight up: 5-3
Against the Spread: 2-6

While unranked Minnesota did its best to try and knock off No. 8 California at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, the Golden Gophers eventually fell victim to a 35-21 defeat and another dazzling performance by Bears running back Jahvid Best.

While players like Florida’s Tim Tebow, Texas’ Colt McCoy and before he was injured, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford are receiving more Heisman attention, Best remains the one candidate that nobody seems to be talking about, yet could emerge out of nowhere to win the award in 2009.

Best was outstanding in Cal’s win on Saturday, racking up 131 yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries. While Minnesota did a great job bottling Best up in the second half (he only rushed for 17 yards in the second half, compared to the 114 yards he produced first), his two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for the Bears.

What’s most impressive about Best is his patience. He allows running lanes to appear and once they do, he uses his quickness and explosion to get up field and into open space. And once he does reach open field, he’s virtually impossible to catch unless defenders take the right angles.

Another thing that’s so impressive about Best is that even when he’s bottled up, he still finds ways to gain positive yards. There were several times throughout the game on Saturday where he could have been held for no gain, yet he fell forward for two or three yards to set his team up in a positive situation for the next play. He’s fun to watch and he’s going to give Tebow and McCoy a run for their money in this year’s Heisman race.

I can’t talk about this game without mentioning how impressive Minnesota receiver Eric Decker is. He was the Gophers’ offense today, hauling in eight passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown grab early in the second quarter when he leaped in the air and managed to get one foot down knowing that he would take a hit (and he took a massive hit) was incredible. When he left the game due to an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter, Minnesota QB Adam Weber was completely lost.

If Decker can stay healthy, he’s the type of receiver that pro teams love to place in the slot. He fits that Brandon Stokley, Brian Finneran mold to a T.

Check out our other 2009 college football previews.

Preseason Ranking: No. 12 in AP Top 25; No. 12 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Jahvid Best (RB); Shane Vereen (RB); Kevin Riley (QB); Nyan Boateng (WR); Verran Tucker (WR); Donovan Edwards (OT); Mitchell Schwartz (OT); Mike Mohamed (LB); Tyson Alualu (DE); Syd’Quan Thompson (CB); Marcus Ezeff (S); Darian Hagan (CB); Derrick Hill (DT); Brett Johnson (S); Cameron Jordan (DE); Eddie Young (LB).

Key Losses: Nate Longshore (QB); Alex Mack (C); Noris Malele (G); Cameron Morrah (TE); Worrell Williams (LB); Anthony Felder (LB).

Player to Watch: Jahvid Best, RB.
Best is not only the Bears’ best player, but he’s easily one of the top 5 players in the entire country. Best is coming off a 1,580-yard, 15-touchdown season and he should become a household name this year given his outstanding playmaking ability. He reminds some pundits of Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson given how explosive he is and what he can do in open space. As long as the losses of Alex Mack and Noris Malele along the offensive line don’t hurt his production, Best is set to explode in ’09.

Team Strength: Although they have to replace three of four starters at linebacker, Cal boasts one of the best defenses in the Pac-10. The Bears ranked 14th in the nation in sacks last year and with the return of Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan, Cal should have no trouble getting to the quarterback again this season. The secondary is also loaded, with cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson leading the way and Marcus Ezeff emerging as one of the better safeties in the conference. Cal did lose some talent in Zack Follett, Anthony Felder and Worrell Williams, but this unit is more than ready to compete in ’09.

Potential Weakness: After Best, the rest of the offense is a huge question mark. Kevin Riley completed just over 50 percent of his passes last year and was inconsistent while splitting time with Nate Longshore, who won’t return. As previously noted, the losses of Mack and Malele along the offensive line are a concern, so is the fact that Cal’s receivers weren’t consistent last year. Best is outstanding and a true Heisman candidate, but he can’t carry the weight of the offense squarely on his shoulders. He needs help.

Outlook: Cal’s success revolves around whether or not the offense can step up. Best is outstanding, but the Bears will need better production out of Riley (or Brock Mansion if he unseats Riley) and the wide receiver corps this season if this team is going to be competitive with the likes of USC in the conference. The defense is certainly good enough to give Cal the edge on most Saturdays, but there are just too many question marks surrounding the quarterback, offensive line and wide receivers to think that the Bears will emerge as a title contender or even a conference champion. That said, they’re still a sleeper and it’ll be fun to watch Best compete for the Heisman.