22 Jan 11 College Football Week 4 Picks and Predictions

Brian A. Westerholt/Getty ImagesEach Monday morning, Whatifsports.com's NCAA college football simulation engine will provide you with game predictions for every D-I FBS game that upcoming week.The college football simulation engine generates detailed information for each game, including the home team's chances of winning (Home Win%) and the average points scored for both teams.Make sure to share the college football information you gained here with your friends by either checking out our NCAA football widgets on the WhatIf To Go page or clicking on the social networking share bar at the top and bottom of this article.Check out our 2010 College Football Season-to-Date page to follow our accuracy and for Locks and Upsets of the Week.The statistical inputs to the thousands of college football Houston Texans jersey
simulations are based on rigorous analysis of each team's roster, depth charts, and statistically-based player rankings. Roster modifications are made in cases of injury or suspension, and those players are removed from their teams' game simulations for that week.Game of the Week: Arkansas (10) vs. Alabama (1)With the first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns select...Ryan Mallett, quarterback, University of Arkansas.Woo Pig Sooie.It's hard to avoid placing the cart before the horse in college football. Heck, America was ready to crown Denard Robinson the Heisman Trophy winner after Week 2 before he ran into that FCS juggernaut Massachusetts last Saturday.Coincidentally, it was also the Wolverines who saw Mallett and his 6'7" frame walk out of the Big House following the arrival of Rich Rodriguez and his spread offense.After sitting out the 2008 campaign, Mallett made Bobby Petrino's second year in Fayetteville a bit easier. The former backup to Chad Henne racked up stats hefty enough to rank him in the top 10 in most passing categories. He possessed a QB rating of 152.5 and tossed 30 touchdowns his redshirt sophomore season.That was just an appetizer of what was to come this season. Although Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe aren't the definition of college football excellence, the Razorbacks caught the attention of many with their win over Georgia on the road last weekend. Mallett's NFL stock continued to soar as he threw for 380 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions against the Dawgs.With the Razorbacks now ranked 10th in our weekly power rankings, Mallett will try to lead Arkansas to the biggest win in the Petrino era by beating top-ranked Alabama on Saturday.The Tide didn't miss a beat with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram watching from the sidelines in Weeks 1 and 2. Backup bulldozer Trent Richardson picked up the slack and proved he has the talents to lead this team to another BCS win.Well, Ingram returned this week against Duke. Let's just say the knee looks fine.It took Ingram three plays to rush for over 100 yards against the Blue Devils. He later scored two touchdowns on rushes of one and 17 yards.Not a bad first quarter.Now the 3-0 Tide faces its second challenge in three weeks. Alabama controlled the tempo in their game against Penn State and dominated on both sides of the ball. They'll need more of the same to survive this SEC test and the uber pass-happy Razorbacks.Using our college football simulation engine, we simulated Arkansas versus Alabama 101 times. In the end, the Crimson Tide won over 79 percent of the time by an average score of 37-30. Taking a closer look at the box score, the Tide does its damage on the ground (5.1 ypc), while Mallett focuses his efforts on the passing game (342 yards pass/game).College Football Week 4Matchup Win% Avg ScoreFlorida International Golden Panthers5.011@ Maryland Terrapins95.038Virginia Military Keydets5.07@ Virginia Cavaliers95.044North Carolina State Wolfpack7.922@ Georgia Tech Yellow Indianapolis Colts jersey
Jackets92.141Wake Forest Demon Deacons9.921@ Florida State Seminoles90.141Army Black Knights20.816@ Duke Blue Devils79.229Virginia Tech Hokies77.231@ Boston College Eagles22.821Western Kentucky Hilltoppers5.011@ South Florida Bulls95.045Colgate Raiders5.07@ Syracuse Orange95.054Buffalo Bulls6.913@ Connecticut Huskies93.136Miami (FL) Hurricanes34.726@ Pittsburgh Panthers65.334Oklahoma Sooners73.335@ Cincinnati Bearcats26.729North Carolina Tar Heels80.224@ Rutgers Scarlet Knights19.815Ball State Cardinals5.07@ Iowa Hawkeyes95.044Northern Colorado Bears5.09@ Michigan State Spartans95.060Eastern Michigan Eagles5.05@ Ohio State Buckeyes95.058Austin Peay Governors5.06@ Wisconsin Badgers95.065Bowling Green Falcons7.916@ Michigan Wolverines92.138Central Michigan Chippewas19.817@ Northwestern Wildcats80.229Toledo Rockets23.819@ Purdue Boilermakers76.231Temple Owls28.720@ Penn State Nittany Lions71.329Akron Zips35.620@ Indiana Hoosiers64.428Northern Illinois Huskies70.326@ Minnesota Golden Gophers29.721California Golden Bears38.628@ Arizona Wildcats61.432Oregon Ducks92.133@ Arizona State Sun Devils7.913USC Trojans95.039@ Washington State Cougars5.016Kentucky Wildcats8.916@ Florida Gators91.138UAB Blazers9.919@ Tennessee Volunteers90.136South Carolina Gamecocks31.723@ Auburn Tigers68.333West Virginia Mountaineers49.524@ LSU Tigers50.525Fresno State Bulldogs55.433@ Mississippi Rebels44.632Georgia Bulldogs78.233@ Mississippi State Bulldogs21.823Alabama Crimson Tide79.237@ Arkansas Razorbacks20.830Charleston Southern Buccaneers5.06@ Hawaii Warriors95.055Oregon State Beavers24.832@ Boise State Broncos75.242Southern Miss Golden Eagles66.333@ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs33.730Stanford Cardinal62.438@ Notre Dame Fighting Irish37.634New Mexico State Aggies5.011@ Kansas Jayhawks95.035South Dakota State Jackrabbits5.04@ Nebraska Cornhuskers95.061Northern Iowa Panthers5.09@ Iowa State Cyclones95.044Miami (OH) RedHawks5.09@ Missouri Tigers95.043UCLA Bruins10.912@ Texas Longhorns89.131UCF Knights43.622@ Kansas State Wildcats56.427Central Arkansas Bears5.09@ Tulsa Golden Hurricane95.036Tulane Green Wave5.922@ Houston Cougars94.144Memphis Tigers21.821@ UTEP Miners78.234Ohio Bobcats61.425@ Marshall Thundering Herd38.621Baylor Bears87.133@ Rice Owls12.921TCU Horned Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
Frogs95.041@ Southern Methodist Mustangs5.024San Jose State Spartans5.08@ Utah Utes95.044New Mexico Lobos34.719@ UNLV Rebels65.327Utah State Aggies55.426@ San Diego State Aztecs44.625Nevada Wolf Pack63.435@ Brigham Young Cougars36.631Air Force Falcons84.231@ Wyoming Cowboys15.819Idaho Vandals94.141@ Colorado State Rams5.923Southeastern Louisiana Lions5.09@ Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks95.046Arkansas State Red Wolves6.919@ Troy Trojans93.138North Texas Mean Green26.726@ Florida Atlantic Owls73.334Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders86.129@ Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns13.915