Jonathan Lee    AccuScore Analyst
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Week 4 is here, and with it comes some big-time conference match-ups.  The SEC has separated itself as the premier league, and currently has five teams ranked in the top 10.  That won’t last as two top teams battle in what should be an exciting defensive affair.  Another SEC travels West to meet an ASU team looking for some redemption for the Pac-10.  And out on the East Coast, the ACC is already looking to create a pecking order as what looks to be the top four teams in the league square off and take the early lead in the race for the title games.  Should be yet another exciting weekend.

Games to Watch

(6) LSU at (10) Auburn

Auburn won last week by one point even though it scored all five points in the game (via field goal and a safety).  With these two superb defenses going at one another, expect another typical low-scoring SEC defensive game.  Both teams are still breaking in new quarterbacks which should add to the offensive futility.  Whoever wins this match-up will plant itself firmly third in the SEC (perception-wise) behind Florida and Georgia in the early going.  And third in the SEC this season likely means you are a top-5 squad nationally.

(3) Georgia at Arizona State

This would have easily been the game of the week before ASU laid an egg against UNLV, who happened to be a double-digit underdog, last week.  Georgia has not looked like the world-beaters they were pegged to be in the preseason, but they should have more than enough talent to beat the Sun Devils particularly on defense.  Arizona State has an explosive offense led by quarterback Rudy Carpenter, but his offensive line is very questionable.  You saw what happens to team’s with bad offensive lines against Georgia’s defense in last season’s Sugar Bowl.  Carpenter will be running for his life the entire game which will give the Dawgs a big edge in the desert.

(18) Wake Forest at (24) Florida State

The Seminoles have put up points behind quarterback Christian Ponder, but they have played nobody and nobody.  The impressive numbers have been impressive enough for some people though as Florida State is favored by 4.5 in this one.  I find that hard to believe considering how disciplined and well-coached Wake Forest is as a whole, and how inexperienced and unproven the Seminoles are.  AccuScore simulations agree with the spread with the average margin actually being larger at seven points.  I however will believe Florida State is back when I see it proven on the field against a quality opponent.  I’ll take Wake Forest in this one.

Virginia Tech at North Carolina

This is clearly not a vintage Hokie team playing for Frank Beamer.  That means the ACC Coastal division is wide open with no team clearly better than the others.  What’s there to say the Tar Heels aren’t the best of the bunch?  North Carolina routed Rutgers last week impressively on the road, and has two exciting playmakers in Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks.  Virginia Tech took the redshirt off of Tyrod Taylor, and he took virtually all the snaps last week.  That bodes well for the offense, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep the Hokies at the top of the division.

NO HURRICANES

While teams won’t find out exactly how the hurricanes in the past two weeks will affect their seasons, this week looks to be mostly free of bad weather.  Several games had to be rescheduled in the wake of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, and other games were moved to different locations or started earlier to avoid the weather.  Thankfully there are no major storm threats this week.

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