-Originally published 10/7/20-
The best week of college football yet. Four Top-25 matchups with at least a couple that should be really competitive. The Red River Rivalry game will be a shootout and we have potential for several upsets with the matchups provided. There will be several good games between non-ranked teams too. Louisville/Georgia Tech on Friday night should be good between the young Yellow Jackets and the Cards that have had a rough start to the season. Pittsburgh/Boston College and Kansas State/TCU Saturday afternoon should be good games. Saturday night Mississippi State’s offense will be unleased against Kentucky’s defense and Marshalls excellent true freshman QB will take on Western Kentucky.
#4 Florida (2-0) @ #21 Texas A&M – Noon, ESPN
Texas A&M took a beating last week against Alabama and unfortunately, due to the Covid schedule change, added Florida to the schedule and will be lined up for another. The Gators defense is giving up too many points (29.5) to inferior offenses but the offense is averaging 44.5 points and 495 ypg. Kyle Trask looks like an NFL QB and TE Kyle Pitts (12 Rec, 227 Yds, 6 Tds) is his favorite target. Texas A&M’s QB Kellen Mond doesn’t look much better, despite being a 3-year starter, the offensive line doesn’t look great and the defense did little to slow Alabama last week. This season could go into a tailspin quick for the Aggies.
Florida 48 Texas A&M 24
#19 Virginia Tech (2-0) @ #8 North Carolina – Noon, ABC
North Carolina’s offense has looked sluggish so far this season. QB Sam Howell has 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and 520 yards passing on 65% completion percentage. The Tar Heels have 19 penalties on the season so far and a -3 turnover differential. The defense has racked up 10 sacks in 2 games and is giving up 14 ppg. The defense is dragging the offense right now.
QB Braxton Burmeister was 9/25 for 163 Yds, 1 Td, 1 Int through the air for the Hokies against Duke last week. He did contribute 54 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground towards VT’s 324 yards rushing and 4 running touchdowns but the quarterback positions is concerning. The Hokies defense looks pretty good logging 13 sacks and 3 interceptions the past two weeks. It’s hard to pick against the Tar Heels that held Boston College to 40 yards rushing and 2.1 yards-per-attempt last week knowing that VT would like to keep it on the ground. This could be another close one or this could be the game the Tar Heels finally explode offensively.
Virginia Tech 17 North Carolina 24
#22 Texas @ Oklahoma – Noon, Fox
The 116th Red River Rivery game, first played in 1900, could result in a pair of 2-2 teams by the time mid-afternoon rolls around. Neither team will be able to stop each other defensively with is terribly upsetting. Oklahoma made tremendous strides in 2019 to improve the defense and the Longhorns were supposed to rely on the defense as a point of strength in winning the Big-12 this season. Texas is averaging 517.7 ypg while Oklahoma is averaging 513 ypg. Spence Rattler is currently posting arguably better numbers (977 Yds, 73.4%, 10 Td, 4 Int, 187.3 QBR) than veteran Sam Ehlinger (924 Yds, 63.3%, 14, 2 Int, 173.2 QBR), but the run game for Texas is better (495 Yds, 5.2 Ypc from key contributors) than the Sooners (300 Yds, 3.0 ypc from key contributors) and Spencer Rattler doesn’t add anything on the ground. I expect the Longhorns to break Oklahoma’s 2 game win streak.
Texas 63 Oklahoma 53
Coastal Carolina (3-0) @ #23 Louisiana (3-0) – Noon, ESPN2
A battle of unbeaten powers in the Sun Belt. The Coastal Carolina….umm….Chanticleers? Whatever that is, they field a real QB in Grayson McCall (728 Yds, 9 Tds, 1 Int, 66.7%) a real running game with a collection of backs and McCall (139 Rush/Yds, 2 Tds) contributes. The offensive line has only given up one sack this year. Defensively, they logged 14 sacks, 4 Ints, and 3 FF with 2 recoveries. Louisiana upset Iowa State thanks to two special teams touchdowns and has survived Georgia State in OT and Georgia Southern thanks to a 53-yard field goal. The QB play and defensive play is looking less impressive for the Ragin Cajun and the….Chanticleers are the superior team coming into this matchup.
Coastal Carolina…Chanticleers 24 Louisiana 10
#14 Tennessee (2-0) @ #3 Georgia (2-0) -3:30pm, CBS
Georgia looks like the found their QB unless JT Daniels looks great in practice. Georgia pounded Auburn last weekend and Stetson Bennet (former walk-on) looks like he’s should have secured the starting job for now. He didn’t light in up against the Tigers (17/28, 240 Yds, 1 Td) but he looked good guiding the Bulldogs down the field against a good Auburn defense. Georgia’s defense looked dominate holding Auburn to 216 total yards and 6 for 15 on 3rd down. I don’t believe in Tennessee. When you hear “the offensive line looks great” as the strength of the team, it’s questionable. QB Jarrett Guarantano (say that 5 times fast) it’s on the level of the SEC elite (449 Yd, 2 Td, 61.1%) although that isn’t Georgia right now, and the defense has looked fine against weak offenses in Missouri and South Carolina. The offensive will run behind Ty Chandler (32 Att, 176 Yds, 5.5 Avg, 1 Td) and Eric Gray (28 Att, 145 Yds, 5.2 Avg, 2 Td) but I don’t think they’ll move the ball much against the Bulldogs
Tennessee 13 Georgia 31
UTSA (3-1) # #15 BYU (3-0) – 3:30, ESPN2
Sincere McCormick leads the NCAA in rushing yards (527 Yds, 5.9 Avg, 4 Tds) and ITSA is rushing for over 200 ypg. The defense has been solid, but the Roadrunners have been flattening much weaker competition. QB Zach Wilson (949 Yds, 6 Tds, 1 Int, 84.5%) for BYU is playing himself onto NFL draft boards. The run game is great. The defense is great. BYU to the playoffs.
UTSA 7 BYU 35
Texas Tech (1-2) @ #24 Iowa State (2-1) – 3:30pm, ABC
Who knows what will happen in the Big-12. Especially if Oklahoma wins the RRR earlier in the afternoon leaving OU and Texas at 2-2 apiece. The Cyclones have looked much better in wins over TCU and Oklahoma than the opening loss to Louisiana. QB Brock Purdy (610 Yds, 2 Td, 1 Int, 56.1%) isn’t looking like a NFL prospect anymore and RB Breece Hall (66 Att, 396 Yds, 6 ypc, 6 Td) is carrying the offense. It’s the defense that’s carrying the team. Texas tech just isn’t very good. They almost beat Texas, but they’re on their 2nd QB. This just isn’t a good team, but they’re always a threat to pass for 500 yards.
Texas Tech 21 Iowa State 24
Arkansas (1-1) @ #13 Auburn (1-1) – 4pm, SECN
Arkansas broke its 20-SEC-game losing streak when they beak Mississippi last week. Transfer QB Feleipe Franks (20/28, 212 Yds, 2 TDs) gives the Razerbacks a competent QB under center, but the win was just as much an implosion by MSU QB K.J. Costello. Bo Nix and the Auburn Tigers will get a chance to rebound here.
Arkansas 10 Auburn 24
#2 Alabama (2-0) @ Ole Miss (1-1) – 6pm, ESPN
Ole Miss is giving up 600 yards per game. Worst in football. Alabama just finished embarrassing Texas A&M, re-establishing themselves as the top dog in the SEC. Matt Corral (715 Yds, 7 Td, 1 Int, 76.7%) is electric for the Rebel’s offense, but this should get out of hand quickly. We should get a Bryce Young slightly at QB for the tide. The true freshman has been highly recruited for years and was seen in the fourth quarter of the opener against Missouri.
Alabama 56 Ole Miss 24
#7 Miami (3-0) @ #1 Clemson (3-0) – 7:30pm, ABC
The game of the week. D’Eriq King and Trevor Lawrence. The Clemson Tigers aren’t blowing people out, but they never do. They’re averaging over 4 sacks-per-game. Travis Etienne (243 Yds, 6.2 Avg, 2 Tds) has picked up right where he left off on the offensive side of the ball. The Hurricanes defense has really picked up. They’re giving up 19.3 ppg getting after quarterbacks and forcing turnovers. The offense has opened up, scoring 43 ppg behind King. Workhouse Cam’ron Harris (311 Yds, 8.2 Avg, 5 Td) is currently outshining Etienne. Neither QB has thrown an interception yet this season. I would love to be able to say confidently the ‘Canes will win here, I think it’s close to a toss-up, but I think the experience Tigers pull through.
Miami 28 Clemson 31
Florida State (1-2) @ #5 Notre Dame (2-0) – 7:30pm, NBC
Ian Book hasn’t looked very good to start the year for the Fighting Irish. The offense has leaned more on the trio of running backs and brutal run game. Florida State is just dreadful. They struggled to pick up their first game of the season against Jacksonville State last weekend. The Irish will have real issues if that can’t pick up a win here.
Florida State 20 Notre Dame 35
Missouri (0-2) @ #17 LSU (1-1) – 9:00pm, ESPN
LSU found a remedy in Vanderbilt last week. They destroyed the Commodores and have another struggling opponent this week. Missouri can’t score, can’t stop anyone and can’t find a QB. Myles Brennan looked better las week and the defense is good. LSU will be a team to key on eye on as they get better every week.
Missouri 10 LSU 35
