Tasser’s Take: Conference play gives opportunities for big upsets

Conference play in college football truly begins with a bang this week. There are big games… Conference play in college football truly begins with a bang this week. There are big games galore and — as they always do in college football — upsets are going to happen. According to my “Upset-O-Meter,” these are the best bets for upsets that could screw up conference predictions very early.

No. 16 South Florida @ Pittsburgh

The Bulls — led by athletic quarterback B.J. Daniels — have looked terrific thus far this season, whereas Pitt has been inconsistent, underachieving and looking more lethargic than high-octane. But the Panthers traditionally play the Bulls tough — Pitt’s won the last three in the series — and Daniels has a history of making mistakes. If this is the game the Panthers finally decide to break out on offense and play well — or at all — in the fourth quarter, they just might be able to pull it off on national TV.

Auburn @ No. 10 South Carolina

Without Cam Newton, this is obviousy not the same Auburn team that won the National Championship last season, but South Carolina hasn’t exactly lived up to its billing as No. 10 either. The Gamecocks are 4-0, but with a sputtering offense — something we don’t see very often from a team coached by Steve Spurrier — it’s not an impressive 4-0. SEC football is ultra-competitive, and any team has a realistic shot to win every weekend. Same goes for this game.

No. 3 Alabama @ No. 12 Florida

On paper, the No. 12 team beating the No. 3 team is considered an upset, but I don’t know if this one should even count, especially since Florida is at home. Both teams have been extremely impressive this season and have almost identical playing styles — they run the ball effectively, stuff the opponent’s ground game and successfully get the ball to one of their team’s many talented athletes. And both teams have a ton of athletes. The real question will be whose ground game will prevail: Will the raw power of ’Bama’s Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy reign supreme, or will the one-two punch of pure speed from the Gators’ Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey triumph instead? These four players combined average a ridiculous 7.8 yards per carry. Pick your poison.

UCLA @ No. 6 Stanford

Stanford — behind Heisman front-running quarterback and consensus No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck — has been nothing short of dominant on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals are averaging 46 points per game while giving up only 9, and their defense allows only 36 rushing yards per game. But that defense will also be without its best player, linebacker and pro-prospect Shayne Skov, who suffered a knee injury last week and is out for the rest of the year. UCLA, on the other hand, averages 214 yards per game on the ground, and is 2-2 on the year. This has the slight stench of an upset.

No. 17 Texas @ Iowa State

Texas travels to Ames, Iowa, to face a Cyclones team with a matching 3-0 record. The Longhorns have something to prove after Iowa beat them last year in Austin — a loss head coach Mack Brown called one of the worst in his career. But I’m not sold on the Longhorns’ three-headed monster at quarterback, and Iowa has played good football this season. The Cyclones need to make a strong plea to other conferences sniffing around the Big 12’s leftovers, and beating conference big-dog Texas would be a good way to do it.