We just experienced one of the best opening weekends in CFB history! Thursday all the way through Monday truly delivered. It was not the play that stole the show, but the packed stadiums, marching bands, and traditions that were back. From Jump Around at Wisconsin to Enter Sandman at VT, there was a feeling that college football was back.
Saturday’s night showdown turned out to be a defensive lockdown, something the Big 10 gets crapped on for but if it happens with an SEC team it is just really good defense, right. Alabama did come out looking like the best team in the country, something that pains me.
The Big 12 had the best weekend they could hope for, their teams going 9-1 and the news that UC (yay!), BYU, Houston, and Boise State would be applying for membership. As of Friday they were all admitted into the Big 12! These additions should be enough to keep them at a Power 5 status and maintain respect.
The ACC on the other hand had a much tougher opening weekend, going 7-7 with their top teams (Clemson, UNC, Miami) all losing.
Now, let’s get into the weekend preview.
My Playoff Predictions:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. UC
Heisman Watch:
Bryce Young Alabama QB
Desmond Ridder UC QB
Bijon Robinson RB Texas
My Picks for Saturday:
Last week I was 7/11 (64%)
Murray State at UC: UC, who was just admitted to the Big 12, is going to dominate this game. Expect more big numbers from Desmond Ridder, who I believe is a Heisman dark horse.
Pitt at Tennessee: Joe Milton, the Michigan quarterback transfer, looked good in Tennessee’s opener, but they were playing Bowling Green, so who knows how much that means. Pitt historically has a strong offensive line, so Tennessee’s offense will face a steeper challenge this week. I am going to pick the Vols to win in a close game.
Oregon at OSU: Oregon struggled in their opener, with bad qb play and star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux going out with an injury. He is listed as questionable against the Buckeyes, and if out would be a huge loss. It took OSU a half to get settled in against Minnesota, but CJ Stroud took off in the second quarter, and his receivers played great. I expect the Buckeyes to win by at least two touchdowns in their home opener.
Texas A&M at Colorado: Both teams will have freshmen starting as quarterbacks, neither one with much experience. The Aggies and Buffs had good play from their running backs in week 1. I think A&M will be able to take a greater advantage of this because they have a stronger defense. I am predicting Texas A&M to win this game.
Iowa at Iowa State: This in state battle has all the storylines you could hope for. Iowa showed the threat they posed with their stomping of IU, while Iowa State struggled much more than expected of them against Northern Iowa. Iowa State’s star running back Breece Hall didn’t do much in the opener, and I will be interested to see how much Iowa’s defensive line can limit him. I don’t feel confident picking either team because I think it will be such a close game. Since I have to pick one I will take Iowa just because they looked so dominant last week while the Cyclones showed some struggles.
NC State at Mississippi State: NC State is a sneaky good team in the ACC. They blew out South Florida while Mississippi State barely beat Louisiana Tech. Mike Leach’s air raid has not fared well so far, and I think NC State will win this game easily.
Texas at Arkansas: Texas seemed “back” last weekend, but can they continue it against Arkansas? I say yes, Texas was dominant in the air attack and on the ground, and it took a fourth quarter rally from Arkansas to get past Rice. Arkansas has a sell out crowd for the first time in many years, so I think that will help keep the game close in the first half, but I expect the Longhorns to pull away late.
Missouri at Kentucky: This is a battle between two teams who could possibly be vying for that second spot in the SEC East. Kentucky looks like they found their quarterback in Will Levis, who lit up receivers last week. Missouri also has a decent quarterback, sophomore Connor Bazelak, who is helped by running back Tyler Badie, who is a beast. I think this is going to be a super close and interesting game, but Kentucky will win.
Washington at Michigan: After Washington got beat by an FCS team last weekend, this game is looking a lot less competitive. I think Washington is going to struggle, and UM will win pretty easily.
There are not as many great games as last weekend, but upsets can happen at any point, so there is always a reason to watch!
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