Upset Alert! Week 13

Another week of college football is here and thus, another Upset Alert! As always, we’ll look at some of the potential upsets that could shake the college football world to its core this week. With Alabama playing an inferior Auburn squad and with Georgia being a heavy favorite against Georgia Tech, it appears as if those teams are safe and will play each other in the SEC Championship. But the same cannot be said for a couple of other teams in the top five of the BCS rankings this week. Here are the match-ups and my picks. Find out if there will be a big upset this week.

#1 Notre Dame

Let’s be honest. The last two weeks has proved to be unlucky for number one. This week, the Irish have the distinction of being top dog and they have a tough test against USC on the road. Notre Dame is the only undefeated team left in the country, but with the immense pressure now on their shoulders and being only one game away from a berth to the National Championship, can they rise to the occasion and avoid the upset?

USC has the best receiving tandem in the nation in Robert Woods and Marqise Lee , but it will be without its pass thrower, as Matt Barkley was ruled out for this week’s game after leaving last week’s game with an injury. USC still poses a threat with plenty of offensive firepower, but with a new QB and considering it will be up against the nation’s best defense, the threat will be much less significant.

Notre Dame has also been great in close games this year, winning against Pitt and Stanford in overtime. So, if things get tight, give the edge to the Fighting Irish. Since the spread is at 5.5 points in favor of the Irish, odds makers seem to be thinking it will be close. I have to agree with them and say that Notre Dame will narrowly avoid the upset this week and improve to 12-0, sending them to the national title game for the first time in years.

#4 Florida

Like Notre Dame, Florida has escaped upsets in recent weeks, but this week they are pitted against in-state rival and 10th ranked Florida State, a team that could certainly ruin any chance the Gators may have had to get into the title game.

The Gators have relied on a strong running game and defense to win most of their games, but that defense will certainly be tested this week, as it tried to corral the Seminoles, who average 42.9 points per game, good for 7th in the country. Florida State’s defense isn’t too shabby either. The Noles will attempt to hold a team under 100 rushing yards for the sixth time in the last seven games this week.

The biggest reason that the Gators will get chomped this week? Florida State is actually technically the favorite, with an eight-point spread. So, although the Noles beating the Gators is not really an upset, since it would involve a lower ranked team knocking off a higher ranked team and a potential title contender, I’m calling it an upset. And I do think Florida State will get it done, but I also think the Gators will keep things close and cover +8 this week.