Guest Post: 2012 College Football Week 4 Marquee Matchups

Week three of the college football season saw several shocking upsets that changed the scope of the college football season. Most notably was USC’s loss at Stanford, derailing the Trojans’ bid for a national championship. Number ten Michigan State also lost 20-3 at home to Notre Dame last week, possibly signaling the return of the Fighting Irish to national relevance. Week four figures to be another exciting week of college football with several big time matchups on the schedule for this Saturday. Here is a look at some of the more compelling games on this week’s slate. #18 Michigan Wolverines at #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish – The Wolverines and Fighting Irish played one of the more memorable college football games last season. The lead changed three times in the final two minutes of play with the Michigan Wolverines eventually coming out on top by a final score of 35-31 in the first ever night game in Ann Arbor. This season the venue changes to Notre Dame Stadium where the game will be played under the lights for the second time in a row. Notre Dame is coming off an impressive 20-3 road victory over the Michigan State Spartans last week, and would love nothing more than to beat their longtime rival Michigan and dish out some payback for last year. ND is 3-0 for the first time since 2002, and looking to further cement itself in the national landscape of college football for 2012. Michigan will rely on versatile quarterback Denard Robinson in this game as he has been much of the Michigan offense this season. The defense for the Wolverines will also have to step up and limit freshman quarterback Everett Golson if Michigan hopes to win this game on the road. #15 Kansas State at #6 Oklahoma Sooners – The Kansas State Wildcats will travel to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Oklahoma Sooners in a Big 12 showdown on Saturday night. Kansas State will enter the game with revenge on their mind after losing to Oklahoma last season by a score of 58-17. Kansas State had big hopes last season and was ranked number ten in the country when they lost at home to Oklahoma. This season the Wildcats also have high hopes and enter the game ranked fifteenth in the country. Kansas State boasts one of the best rushing attacks in the nation and averages 251.7 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Collin Klein has 210 rushing yards on the year and is a key component to the Wildcats’ red zone offense. Running back John Hubert averages 6.9 yards per carry and is a steady back in the Kansas State offense. The Oklahoma Sooners rely more on the passing game and senior quarterback Landry Jones. In last season’s contest, Jones threw for a school record 505 yards and 5 TDs. Even though head coach Bob Stoops has tried to remind his players this is a new year, much of Kansas State’s secondary remains unchanged from a year ago, which could spell disaster for the Wildcats on the road this week. #10 Clemson Tigers at #4 Florida State Seminoles – The marquee game of the week is between the Clemson Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles. This key Atlantic Division ACC showdown could very well determine which team represents the division in the ACC title game. Florida State and Clemson are the two best teams in the Atlantic Division and should have no problem beating the rest of their ACC opponents down the stretch. Florida State dismantled Wake Forest last week 52-0, showing that they have what it takes to blow out FBS opponents as well as FCS opponents. Quarterback EJ Manuel has been spectacular so far this season, throwing for 525 yards with 6 TDs and just one interception. If he continues to play the way he has been playing, the Seminoles will be difficult to beat this year. The Clemson Tigers will once again rely on star wide receiver Sammy Watkins to have a huge impact in this week’s game. Last season, Watkins caught seven passes for a total of 141 yards and 2 TDs against the Seminoles. While it is unlikely he will repeat that type of performance again this year, Watkins remains a key player for the Tigers as they look to spring the upset on the road in Tallahassee, Florida. #22 Arizona at #3 Oregon – With USC’s stunning loss at Stanford last week, the door has been open for all the other teams in the South Division of the Pac-12. The Arizona Wildcats will look to capitalize on this opportunity by beating the Oregon Ducks on the road and staying one game up on the USC Trojans. However, this will be a difficult challenge as Oregon appears to be one of the best teams in the country. The Oregon Ducks enter this game ranked 5th nationally in points per game, averaging 54 points through three games. Freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota seems to have a sound grasp of the offense, and has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Oregon will take a step up in competition now that the Pac-12 schedule is under way when they play the Arizona Wildcats. New head coach Rich Rodriguez seems to be enjoying a smoother transition at Arizona than he did at the University of Michigan. Arizona is poised to win its fourth straight game and has scored over fifty points in each of its last two games. With the Wildcats giving up an average of 382 total yards per game, they will have to score early and often to hang with the Oregon Ducks this Saturday night. By Don Phan - Just another sports enthusiast.