Zach Anderson

The college football season is well underway as the pretenders are starting to fall by the wayside. On Sept. 26, the University of Iowa upset Penn State University for the second year in a row. This week, four one-loss teams will face off to see who will see their dream at a national championship live on and whose hopes will be crushed.

No. 7 USC vs. No. 24 Cal

The University of California comes off an embarrassing 42-3 loss to Oregon. Heisman hopeful Jahvid Best was held to 62 yards rushing in the loss. Matt Barkley, whose bruised left shoulder left him unable to play in USC’s loss to Washington, was under center again for the Trojans against Washington State when he threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-6 victory.

Pick: Whoever wins this game will be the Pac-10 Conference front-runner and should have a good shot at the Rose Bowl at the end of the season. I think Cal will show up this week and give USC a fight and pull off the upset.

No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 17 Miami

Miami got rolled 31-7 against Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium on Sept. 26. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris, usually calm and collected in the pocket, was held to 150 yards passing and had one interception and a crucial fumble that led to a touchdown. Oklahoma hasn’t lost since the opening weekend when quarterback Sam Bradford went down with a sprained shoulder; Bradford is seeking clearance to play. Landry Jones filled in at quarterback against Tulsa on Sept. 19, throwing for six touchdowns.

Pick: If Bradford plays, there should be no way the Hurricanes win. If his injury affects his throws or he can’t play, this game could be a lot closer that Oklahoma wants it to be. Oklahoma should have the talent to win this one by a couple scores with or without Bradford.