October 8th has been marked on college football fans’ calendars all summer. This matchup was supposed to be filled with two undefeated teams, lots of emotions, and Nick Saban’s revenge. Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban throwing jabs at each other made this Texas A&M-Alabama game so easy to look forward to.
But here’s the thing about college football: you gotta expect the unexpected. Alabama-Texas A&M has been completely replaced with the upcoming Kansas-TCU game. Yes, you heard that right, a Kansas football game. College gameday will be in Lawrence to watch the undefeated Jayhawks take on the undefeated Horned Frogs. No matter how hard we try, it’s impossible to predict college football, which is what makes it so great.
After surviving a big time upset scare from Missouri (shout out to the Tigers’ for putting up a great fight and a great game), Georgia lost their spot at the top of the throne. But luckily for Greg Sanky, Alabama quickly took their spot.
I believe that Ohio State has shown to be a better team than Alabama, but I understand the argument for both to be the top ranked team. I was a doubter of Clemson, but after wins against Wake Forest (who looks like the second best team in the ACC) and NC State, the Tigers are for real. Michigan faced its first defensive test of the season, and while the offense wasn’t lighting it up; they got by Iowa just fine.
Lane Kiffin has used the transfer portal to create a team that is balanced on both sides of the ball. Ole Miss is a sneaky good team that already has some good wins, and I think they should be ranked higher than USC or Oklahoma State, who do not have the same resume.
Kansas was finally ranked in the top 25, but in my opinion should be a top ten team. You can not tell me that an SEC team with the same resume would not be ranked in the top ten. It’s time to give the Jayhawks some respect.
My Playoff Predictions:
Ohio State
Clemson
Alabama
Georgia
It would not surprise me to see two SEC teams in the Playoffs once again because the other conferences are going to self destruct. The Big 12 is going to beat up on each other, leaving no team undefeated. I don’t trust USC to go undefeated, and Utah already has a loss, knocking the Pac 12 out. If it came down to a one-loss Georgia and a one-loss Michigan, the SEC is getting the nod.
My Predictions for this Week:
(17)TCU at (19)Kansas: If you had told me in August that this was going to be the game of the weekend, I would have laughed in your face. However, Lance Leipold has done the unthinkable and turned Kansas around into a true contender. Their quarterback Jalon Daniels has thrown 11 touchdowns and only one interception. Sonny Dykes has come to TCU and used his air raid approach to get the offense averaging 549.5 yards per game and Max Duggan has a QBR of 90.4; the fourth highest in the country. I think the TCU offense will be too much for Kansas to keep up with and the party is going to come crashing down in Lawrence.
Mizzou at Florida: Missouri is coming off back-to-back heartbreaking losses, so there is a possibility of a letdown game here, especially in an atmosphere like the swamp. Missouri’s defense was able to mostly contain Georgia, excluding some big run plays in the second half, but Anthony Richardson III is much more mobile than Stetson Bennet. Missouri will need to force Richardson to make downfield throws because that is where he tends to struggle. With Brady Cook under center, I do not see Missouri having the ability to win this game, but they should be able to cover the 10.5 point spread. .
(8)Tennessee at (25)LSU: It took a huge second half comeback from LSU to beat Auburn, which is not something the Tigers fans should be feeling good about. Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee offense are absolutely rolling, leading the country in yards per game at 559.3. With their weak passing defense, the Vols know they are getting into a shootout and have the weapons to win it. LSU’s offense struggled against Auburn and quarterback Jayden Daniels called a players only meeting this Monday to try to figure things out. LSU is only ranked because they are in the SEC and I believe Tennessee will not only win but cover the spread as well. The 11 am kickoff could make the first quarter a bit sleepy, but ultimately the Vols should come away with an easy win.
(11)Utah at (18)UCLA:
When was the last time there was a game between two ranked Pac-12 teams that weren’t named USC and Oregon? The conference has made a resurgence, and there are plenty of good teams on the west coast. UCLA and Utah are two of the better defenses in the Pac-12, but they also both have offenses that can put up some points. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson had an outstanding game against Washington, where he threw for 315 yards along with 56 yards on the ground. Cam Rising and the Utah defense are averaging 46 points a game since their Florida loss/ Granted, it has not come against the toughest of competition. I think this game is going to be a fun one, and whoever wins has a clear shot to the Pac-12 title game. Although the Bruins looked great against Washington last weekend, Utah has been building since their Florida loss, and I think the Utes will pick up the win here.
(16)BYU at Notre Dame: The Catholics and Mormons will be heading out to Sin City to see Notre Dame play BYU in Allegiant Stadium. The Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame has not started the way many had hoped, but the Irish have also had to deal with quite a few injuries. The Irish played their best offensive game of the season against UNC, but that also was against one of the worst defenses in college football. The BYU defense is going to give Notre Dame a much tougher time. BYU is likely getting one of their top wide receivers, Puka Nacua, back for the game, which should help their offense. Notre Dame had a week off to prepare for this game, but I don’t think that will help them get a win. BYU is a better team this season and should cover the 3.5 point spread.
Texas A&M at (1)Alabama: This once anticipated game is looking very different than we thought it was going to be, mainly due to Texas A&M’s struggles. Jimbo Fisher refuses to switch to a more explosive offense, and Aggie fans are stuck with him for the foreseeable future; thanks to his $85 million buyout. The Texas A&M defense can control the passing game, but the run game is another story. This does not match up well with the Alabama run game that had touchdowns of 72,76, and 77 yards last week against Arkansas. Even if Bryce Young is still out, Alabama can just hand the ball off and win this game the old fashion way. I am not expecting this to be a close game; Nick Saban will not be shown up by Jimbo Fisher again.
Texas vs Oklahoma: It’s pretty remarkable that this is going to be the first Red River Rivalry since 1998 where neither team is ranked. However, that does not mean this game won’t be the crazy one it usually is. The Cotton Bowl stadium will be split down the middle and should provide a great atmosphere. Quinn Ewers is making his return since he got injured in the Alabama game. If he plays anywhere close to the level he did against the Tide, Texas is in a great position. The Longhorns also will utilize running back Bijon Robinson, who should be able to run all over Oklahoma’s weak defensive line. Oklahoma is likely going to be without starting quarterback Dillion Gabriel, who suffered a concussion against TCU last weekend. Oklahoma’s offense really struggled without him, but regardless if he plays or not, I believe Texas is going to win this game. It will likely be crazy because that’s just what happens when these teams meet up, but I would expect a Longhorn win.
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