Under the Radar Games: Week 5

Last week, Chip was the one who went to a live game, a triple overtime Hokie win over Marshall.  Virginia Tech is now 2-0 in overtime games in Lane Stadium, and he happened to be present at both (the other being the 2012 opener against Georgia Tech, which I also attended).

This time around, I'll be the one hitting the road.  For the 2nd straight year, I'll be at the VT-GT game, this time in Atlanta at historic Bobby Dodd Stadium.  And although Chip already mentioned it in his Games list, I've got it down as a "national" under-the-radar game of the week.

1. Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech.  As a Hokie, my interest in the game is obvious.  It's no secret that major steps are needed in the Hokie offense if they want to go toe-to-toe with the Yellow Jackets.  The defense remains stellar, however, and should do its part in making this yet another ACC Classic.  For Georgia Tech, a win here would mark the 3rd straight conference win, all over Coastal opponents, make a great case for them to get ranked, and give them a sense of confidence heading into a serious showdown with Miami the following Saturday.

2. Fresno State at Hawaii.  After netting solid, albeit nail-biting, wins over Rutgers and Boise State so far this season, Fresno State is looking like it will be a legitimate contender in the game of BCS Busting.  And Hawaii's pretty bad, so one may see this as a walk-over for the Bulldogs.  But...watch out.  Fresno has a history of beating some significant teams, and then finding a way to lost to inferior conference competition.  This weekend begins the run - can Fresno beat the teams they're supposed to, starting this weekend over in the islands of Hawaii, and find their way to the BCS?

3. Northern Illinois at Purdue.  After nearly losing to an FCS team last Saturday, and Idaho before that, Northern Illinois is NOT going to win favor over Fresno in this year's race to bust the BCS (assuming both continue undefeated), but as long as they do remain unbeaten, two road wins against Big Ten teams will still look impressive once all is said and done.  Purdue has what it takes to rebound and deliver the killing blow to the MAC's busting hopes - and for two reasons.  First, their game against Notre Dame showed that they're on the rise, even if it is a slow and gradual one that misses a bowl game.  Second, Darrell Hazel, head coach of Purdue, was last year's Kent State coach, who got knocked out of BCS contention in its triple overtime loss against NIU (albeit with a different head Huskie).

4. South Carolina at UCF.  The Gamecocks have looked good so far, but not quite as "in it" as they were a year ago.  They travel to Orlando to take on a UCF team that is poised to make a statement - particularly after knocking off Penn State.  South Carolina and the SEC need this one to keep one of its title contenders alive in the national race, while the American could greatly use this win to at least help the cause of UCF or Louisville, should either go 12-0, toward any realistic national title consideration.

5. Arizona at Washington.  A PAC-12 North vs South battle, between two undefeated teams.  The Huskies have the benefit of a strong game against Boise State, while the Wildcats seem to be looking for some respect.  As much credit as the North gets with Oregon and Stanford running the show, it's easy to overlook some talent on the other side.  UCLA is my personal favorite in the South, but Arizona looks to be one of those "tricky" teams that could give the rest of the conference a run for its money.