I hope everyone is ready for some more football! We're lucky enough to have a big game to watch starting on Friday night, which makes for even more football over this weekend as we head into October. These are my big games to watch this weekend, and my keys to victory for each team. Enjoy!
#7 Stanford at #10 Washington
This is our Friday night match-up to watch, and we get to see two top 10 teams square off. I've been excited for this game since the season started because I think it has a big impact on the Playoff picture. Better yet, these two programs are in the same division, so this is a big game when looking for a PAC-12 champion. The Cardinal are coming off of a tough win against UCLA, and have lost a couple players this week due to injury. One of their best deep threats, Francis Owusu, will be out due to the concussion he suffered last week against the Bruins. In addition, Stanford's two starting corner backs, Quenton Meeks and Alijah Holder, will both be out as well. David Shaw's crew has always had good depth, but with Jake Browning already passing for over 900 yards and 14 TDs this season, the secondary took a big hit. Defense will be the name of the game up in Seattle tonight, and my big key to victory for either team is 3rd down. Stanford's offense hasn't been extremely explosive thus far in the season, but they are still completing just under 50% of their third down conversions. Washington's defense has been pretty stout throughout the year, only allowing teams to convert 33% of their third downs. This stat is going to be huge in this game, because if Stanford is able to control the clock, even if they don't score very much, they will keep the ball away from Jake Browning. Stanford's main offensive focus is still going to be getting the ball to Christian McCaffrey, and every team knows that. This means a loaded box and plenty of opportunities downfield for Senior QB Ryan Burns. Burns has made good throws when he needs to, but has yet to really open it up in a game. The Cardinal are only averaging 137 yards passing per game, which won't be enough to beat the Huskies. Look for them to spread the ball around, (I would recommend Michael Rector down the sidelines) in order to create space for McCaffrey.
For Washington, this is THE GAME! There are not too many chances to get the #7 ranked team on your home turf, and be able to gain a step on the division crown on them at the same time. They have the experience, returning 16 total starters from last season including 9 on offense and 2 All-Conference secondary players. Now is the time to make their statement if the Huskies want to compete for a PAC-12 Championship and maybe even a playoff run. They have yet to play much competition this year, and struggled against Arizona last week beating them 35-28 in an overtime game down in Tucson. I'm anxious to see if they can live up to hype for this game. Stanford's defense will pose a big threat to the Huskies dynamic offense. Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin will lead the way, and I expect a good game from this match-up. The Huskies are going to hang tough, but I still think McCaffrey makes the difference, and gashes Washington's defense late in the game, and the Cardinal come away with a 33-28 thriller.
#11 Tennessee at #25 Georgia
Another big stepping stone for the Vols if they want to win the SEC East Division. A road test between the hedges is never easy, but after last week, the Bulldogs have a lot of issues to fix. They gave up over 500 yards of offense to Ole Miss last week. Joshua Dobbs and company will look to match that as they look to go up 2-0 against their top competition in the East. The one bright spot for Georgia is that they only gave up 2/9 third down conversions last week. If they can keep that line again, Tennessee has trouble scoring early in the game, allowing Georgia to keep it close. Jacob Eason will have to play top notch if they want to come away with the upset, but I just can't see it. I'll allow Georgia to play the Vols a little tighter than they did with the Rebels, but Tennessee wins it 42-20.
#8 Wisconsin at #4 Michigan
A very big match-up in the BIG 10 takes place at the Big House. The Badgers continue their tough slate of games as they head to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines. Michigan has the dynamic offense, and Wisconsin has the stout defense. Michigan is only giving up an average of 13.8 points on defense, but they have yet to face a very solid offensive attack. Wisconsin's offensive attack isn't the most impressive, but it's consistent. The Badgers average 37 minutes per game for TOP, which means they have a good chance of keeping the ball away from the Wolverines offense. Alex Hornibrook will have a tough task walking into the Big House, so we'll see how he handles the noise. He played well against MSU last week, passing for 195 yards and 1 TD. I am excited to see how this match-up plays out, and would really enjoy to see a Wisconsin upset. Michigan will be tested in this game, and based on recent events I really don't want to pick against Wisconsin, but I'm going with the home team. I'm not counting out an upset, but I think Michigan gets a late turnover to finish out the game. Wolverines 44, Badgers 33.
Oklahoma at #21 TCU
After a crazy non-conference stint, the Big XII is up for grabs. My two favorites square off in Ft. Worth this weekend, with an interesting season in the balance. The Sonners have seemed to spiral out of control since their opening loss to the Cougars, and are coming off of a BYE week where they either pouted about their beat down at the hands of the Buckeyes, or re-ignited the fire that will get them the Big XII championship. Sadly, based off their play this season, I think the first scenario looms large, and with TCU coming off of a couple of big offensive performances, they could be on a roll that is tough to stop. I'm leaning towards the Horned Frogs in this game, not only because of their cool new helmets, but because of their offense. OU has had trouble against high-powered offenses so far this season, giving up an average of 401 yards per game. TCU is averaging 576 yards per game, so that does not bode well for Boomer Sooner. Oklahoma is also giving up over 31 points per game, with TCU averaging 42.8. I don't always buy into the numbers, and it's hard to imagine Oklahoma starting out 1-3, but I think the wheels have come off of this team. They'll make a bowl game, probably finish 8-4, but I'm sticking with the Horned Frogs in this one. Too much offense for the Sooners. 47-31 TCU wins it and gains a step in the Big XII.
Western Michigan at Central Michigan
You all may be wondering why I keep throwing Western Michigan games into my picks, but I do have a reason. They may not be extremely flashy, but they are a very solid team, and they do not make many mistakes. They have two wins over BIG 10 opponents so far this year, and Senior QB Zach Terrell has nearly 900 yards, ZERO interceptions and 9 TDs on the season (4 of which have gone to his favorite target: Corey Davis). The Broncos have a very balanced attack on offense, averaging 223 through the air and 245 on the ground. That kind of productivity has lead them to a lot of TOP, averaging over 34 minutes per game. I honestly think that they could go undefeated this season looking at the rest of their schedule (Yes, I know it's the MAC, but there are some sneaky teams) and they could sneak into a good looking bowl game. I'm sticking with the Broncos for a 38-21 win.
#3 Louisville at #5 Clemson
The big game of the week takes place in Death Valley up in South Carolina. The two dynamic offenses lead by Heisman caliber QBs square off under the lights in a fantastic top 5 match-up. Clemson has under-impressed so far this season, especially considering most of the competition they've played. Their last two games have been more on par for what we've expected to see from the Tigers, but this is the statement game. Dabo's crew will have to bring it on Saturday if they want to get into the playoff picture for the second year in a row. I have no doubt that points will be scored in this one, especially with Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson running wild. However, the big question is the defense of both teams. Louisville has really impressed me with their defensive power, especially last week when they held Florida State to 284 total yards. You can expect Deshaun Watson to bump that number up, but the Cardinals defense has played extremely fast and puts a lot of pressure on opposing QBs. Clemson struggled to score the first couple weeks in a tough game against Auburn, and then a puzzling scare against Troy, so I think Louisville has a pretty good shot at limiting them. On the Clemson side, their defense has been only a step off of last season. They're only giving up 11 points per game, and 218.5 total yards on average. They have good chance to slow down Lamar Jackson... for a drive, but I don't think anyone can keep this kid from moving the ball. I've bought into Lamar Jackson right now, and I think the Cardinals beat the Tigers at home 42-31.
Illinois at #15 Nebraska
Nebraska's first BIG 10 home game of the season comes against an Illini squad they would love to seek revenge on. Illinois came away with a 14-13 victory after the Husker offense failed to convert a first down to run out the clock. However, one year can make a very big difference, and that proves to be the case yet again. The Fighting Illini have a new Head Coach in Lovie Smith, who I think could cause some damage in the BIG 10 after a couple of years. The new system hasn't proven to work yet as Illinois comes to Lincoln with a 1-2 record, their lone victory coming over Murray State. I honestly don't think the Illini pose too much of a threat, but my one concern is Senior QB Wes Lunt. Lunt has played against the Blackshirts for a couple of years now, and is very calm in the pocket. He's a fairly consistent QB, completing 62% of his passes this season, with 6 TDs and only 1 INT. Wes's scrambling ability is what annoys me as well, because he's one of those tall, slow white QBs that Nebraska cannot tackle (I don't think the Huskers are racist, we just tend to have issues against the white guys). He doesn't scramble often, but when he gets out of the pocket, he still has very good vision and often gets the ball away. I think the Blackshirts need to come in with a similar game play to last week, focusing on containing the QB while letting the pocket break down from within. Illinois doesn't have a deep bench of play-makers apart from Junior wideout Malik Turner, so keeping Lunt in check should take away most of their game. The other big key for the defense is keeping up with Ke'Shawn Vaughn. He causes headaches for any defense because they use him in a number of different looks out of the backfield. Look for #5 to have a lot of check-down passes, which means tackling in space is a MUST for this game.
On the offensive side of the ball, Nebraska is down two starters in WR Alonzo Moore and OL Tanner Farmer. The depth at receiver shouldn't be an issue, and with Senior Corey Whitaker getting his first career start, the Pipeline shouldn't lose much either. I wouldn't be surprised to see some extra rotations up front to keep people fresh though. For the game plan, there isn't much to change. If the Huskers run the ball like they have been, take their deep shots when they're open, and stay away from penalties, there's no reason they cannot put up 40+. I expect Tommy to continue his upward trend, and having a solid run game to lean on as the game wears on. Huskers win homecoming easy 42-17.
I hope you all enjoyed my picks and have a great weekend of football! I'm going to go enjoy the homecoming festivities here at UNL, including getting to hang out with Celebrity Judge for our Jester Competition..... Miss Hannah Huston!! Very excited to interact with her and celebrate the passion that we have here at Nebraska. Also, BTN's Tailgate show is here in Lincoln this weekend, so before I go tour with the recruits, I'll be sure to hit up the set and see if I can get on live TV! Look for me on BTN and GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Friday, September 30, 2016
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Week 4 Reflection
I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed all of the great games that were played! I had a wonderful Saturday relaxing and watching football all day long and then getting to watch the Husker game with a good friend of mine I haven't seen in a while. This post will focus on my reflections on the Huskers' win over the Wildcats, and also how scary Wisconsin is looking after they DEMOLISHED the Spartans 30-6. Enjoy!
My prediction for the Husker game was a 38-20 win for Nebraska. Had the Huskers not fumbled TWICE in the endzone, and left so many points on the field, they probably would've matched my 38 point prediction or even beaten it! Overall it was a very well played game by Nebraska, and I will get to all the positive aspects in a minute, but the big negative point we need to focus on is the dumb turnovers at one of the worst spots on the field. Yes, the whistle probably should've been blown on Ozigbo's goal-line fumble, but nonetheless, YOU CANNOT FUMBLE IT IN THE ENDZONE!!! Newby could've easily lowered his shoulder and rolled over the defender into the endzone, or just waited one more play and push it in from the one yard line. I understand that he's trying to make a play, but you need to be smarter with the ball, especially against a defense like Northwestern which has a number of play-makers waiting to strike. On Ozigbo's fumble, if he's going to be the big, bad back that everyone thinks he is, a goal-line run should never end in anything less than a TD. Granted, the offensive line did not provide much of a push on that play, but Devine's size should almost always guarantee him a couple yards, and he should never drop that ball. Sadly, fumble's weren't the only way the Huskers left points on the field. Tommy left a few throws too high for his open wideouts in the back of the endzone, the two easy ones to Westerkamp were the most painful to watch. I have been impressed with Tommy's development as a passer so far this season, and he's making much better decisions with the ball. He'll need to continue to work on his accuracy as we move farther into conference play, because even tougher defenses loom on the horizon.
Okay, now that we got rid of all the negative points, we'll focus on how well the Huskers played on Saturday. First off, they had the most prolific offense output of the season, totaling 556 yards, including 310 yards rushing. Tommy once again was the focal point of the offense, and I was very impressed with how Langsdorf and Riley used him in the running game. Armstrong came away with a career high 132 rushing yards on just 13 carries! The QB draws have really allowed the rest of the offense to flourish, because teams have to drop down an extra defender into the box just to focus on Tommy. In the passing game, Tommy was able spread the ball around to 9 different targets, causing all sorts of headaches for Northwestern's secondary. There were a couple instances where I got a little nervous when Tommy let it fly, (specifically when he nearly gave Anthony Walker Jr. an easy pick 6 while throwing it over the middle) but his accuracy is improving. With the number of weapons Nebraska has on offense, I expect a lot of defenses to be out of position when trying to figure out who to cover. If the Husker offense keeps up this kind of efficiency throughout the season, they will be tough to stop. The biggest issue again is finishing off each drive with a score and not turning the ball over or stalling around mid-field.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Blackshirts did a very good job of limiting Justin Jackson and keeping the ball out of Solomon Vault's hands. They were burned on a couple plays throughout the game, but held the struggling Wildcat offense in check for the most part. Clayton Thorson's big run was an easy score for them, and before the play started I could clearly see how out of position the linebackers were for that QB run. The other big play was Thorson's lone TD pass over the middle to Austin Carr. From the reaction I saw on TV, it looked like there was some miscommunication between the safeties on who was supposed to pick him up. Other than those two plays, the defense played very well, holding Northwestern to only 388 total yards of offense and only 137 on the ground. The defensive line got good pressure on Thorson and was able to take him down for a couple sacks throughout the game. Two late picks sealed the game and a 4-0 start for the Huskers!
Overall a good showing for the team, I just hope they're ready for the schedule ahead. The trip to Madison looks more intimidating by the week, and following that with a trip to Columbus will not be easy. The Badgers still have a pretty tough slate of games coming up with a trip to the Big House this week, followed by Ohio State at home, Iowa on the road, and then the showdown with the Huskers. However, after thier performance against Michigan State, I am considering them as a serious threat to compete for not only a BIG 10 Championship, but possibly even a playoff spot. I still see thier offense as a work in progress, but now that they've settled on Alex Hornibrook at QB, they will focus on improving each game. Their defense seems to be scoring plenty for thier team though, and when you only give up an average of 11 points per game, you're going to win a lot. The match-up this weekend against the Wolverines will show a lot because the Badgers have yet to face an offense as high-powered as Jim Harbaugh's. I'm so excited conference play has begun, and cannot wait for more great games this weekend! We have three games between top 10 teams this weekend, and since Stanford and Washington play on Friday night, I will have my game predictions up on Friday afternoon! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
My prediction for the Husker game was a 38-20 win for Nebraska. Had the Huskers not fumbled TWICE in the endzone, and left so many points on the field, they probably would've matched my 38 point prediction or even beaten it! Overall it was a very well played game by Nebraska, and I will get to all the positive aspects in a minute, but the big negative point we need to focus on is the dumb turnovers at one of the worst spots on the field. Yes, the whistle probably should've been blown on Ozigbo's goal-line fumble, but nonetheless, YOU CANNOT FUMBLE IT IN THE ENDZONE!!! Newby could've easily lowered his shoulder and rolled over the defender into the endzone, or just waited one more play and push it in from the one yard line. I understand that he's trying to make a play, but you need to be smarter with the ball, especially against a defense like Northwestern which has a number of play-makers waiting to strike. On Ozigbo's fumble, if he's going to be the big, bad back that everyone thinks he is, a goal-line run should never end in anything less than a TD. Granted, the offensive line did not provide much of a push on that play, but Devine's size should almost always guarantee him a couple yards, and he should never drop that ball. Sadly, fumble's weren't the only way the Huskers left points on the field. Tommy left a few throws too high for his open wideouts in the back of the endzone, the two easy ones to Westerkamp were the most painful to watch. I have been impressed with Tommy's development as a passer so far this season, and he's making much better decisions with the ball. He'll need to continue to work on his accuracy as we move farther into conference play, because even tougher defenses loom on the horizon.
Okay, now that we got rid of all the negative points, we'll focus on how well the Huskers played on Saturday. First off, they had the most prolific offense output of the season, totaling 556 yards, including 310 yards rushing. Tommy once again was the focal point of the offense, and I was very impressed with how Langsdorf and Riley used him in the running game. Armstrong came away with a career high 132 rushing yards on just 13 carries! The QB draws have really allowed the rest of the offense to flourish, because teams have to drop down an extra defender into the box just to focus on Tommy. In the passing game, Tommy was able spread the ball around to 9 different targets, causing all sorts of headaches for Northwestern's secondary. There were a couple instances where I got a little nervous when Tommy let it fly, (specifically when he nearly gave Anthony Walker Jr. an easy pick 6 while throwing it over the middle) but his accuracy is improving. With the number of weapons Nebraska has on offense, I expect a lot of defenses to be out of position when trying to figure out who to cover. If the Husker offense keeps up this kind of efficiency throughout the season, they will be tough to stop. The biggest issue again is finishing off each drive with a score and not turning the ball over or stalling around mid-field.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Blackshirts did a very good job of limiting Justin Jackson and keeping the ball out of Solomon Vault's hands. They were burned on a couple plays throughout the game, but held the struggling Wildcat offense in check for the most part. Clayton Thorson's big run was an easy score for them, and before the play started I could clearly see how out of position the linebackers were for that QB run. The other big play was Thorson's lone TD pass over the middle to Austin Carr. From the reaction I saw on TV, it looked like there was some miscommunication between the safeties on who was supposed to pick him up. Other than those two plays, the defense played very well, holding Northwestern to only 388 total yards of offense and only 137 on the ground. The defensive line got good pressure on Thorson and was able to take him down for a couple sacks throughout the game. Two late picks sealed the game and a 4-0 start for the Huskers!
Overall a good showing for the team, I just hope they're ready for the schedule ahead. The trip to Madison looks more intimidating by the week, and following that with a trip to Columbus will not be easy. The Badgers still have a pretty tough slate of games coming up with a trip to the Big House this week, followed by Ohio State at home, Iowa on the road, and then the showdown with the Huskers. However, after thier performance against Michigan State, I am considering them as a serious threat to compete for not only a BIG 10 Championship, but possibly even a playoff spot. I still see thier offense as a work in progress, but now that they've settled on Alex Hornibrook at QB, they will focus on improving each game. Their defense seems to be scoring plenty for thier team though, and when you only give up an average of 11 points per game, you're going to win a lot. The match-up this weekend against the Wolverines will show a lot because the Badgers have yet to face an offense as high-powered as Jim Harbaugh's. I'm so excited conference play has begun, and cannot wait for more great games this weekend! We have three games between top 10 teams this weekend, and since Stanford and Washington play on Friday night, I will have my game predictions up on Friday afternoon! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Week 4 Predictions
Another weekend of College Football is upon us! We have another great slate of games this weekend, and the most exciting part is that Conference play opens up this week for most teams, specifically in the BIG 10 which is going to 9 conference games per year now. Here are my big game picks for the weekend, enjoy!
#12 Georgia at #23 Ole Miss
This is an interesting match-up for two teams that are looking to keep pace in their respective divisions. The Rebels are off to a puzzling 1-2 start on their season after a couple of close losses to Florida State and Alabama. If they want any hope of winning the SEC West Division (with some help) this is a must win game to avoid dropping to 1-3 and 0-2 in conference. Even with the game at home, a win against the Bulldogs will not come easy. Georgia is averaging 185 yards on the ground per game, which helps them chew up a lot of clock. However, they're only scoring 29 points per game, and that's been against some decent, but not great competition. The Rebels on the other hand, are averaging 38 points per game, but have had trouble finishing out in the 4th quarter. We'll see who out-duels the other at QB, Chad Kelly or Jacob Eason? My bet is on Chad Kelly in this one, I don't think Eason has enough composure to finish out the fourth in Oxford! Rebels win a tough one 34-27.
#11 Wisconsin at #8 Michigan State
This will be a fantastic game to watch, and in my opinion, should be where Gameday went this week. Two heavyweight BIG 10 Powers look to gain a step up on the rest of their division. At the beginning of the season, I picked Michigan State to win the East, but I didn't think they'd beat the Irish (quite soundly I might add) and I did not even consider Wisconsin a major threat in the West because of how brutal their schedule was. Well, both teams have surprised me this season, especially the Badgers. They have a tough slate of games ahead of them though. Tyler O'Connor has fairly good numbers with over 400 yards and only 2 picks for the Spartans. However, this game will depend on the defense. These are two of the toughest defenses not only in the BIG 10, but in the nation. This will be a true, grind-it-out grudge match with the ground game. Sparty is ranked 8th in rush defense, while the Badgers are ranked 13th. So controlling the clock and keeping 3rd down manageable will be very important in this match-up. Nothing better than BIG 10 football! I'm going to give the edge to the Spartans in this one, because they're at home and they're more consistent in my opinion. But don't count the Badgers out of the race in the West, they have a very tough schedule, but very good potential to make a run! Sparty beats Bucky 27-17.
#19 Florida at #14 Tennessee
Another chapter in this great rivalry is about to take place down in Knoxville. The Gators are looking for 12 straight against the Vols, which is hardly a rivalry when you have a skid like that. All they hype surrounding Tennessee really points to this game. If the Vols want to win the East and be seriously considered after their slow start, this is a must win game for Butch Jones and crew. Joshua Dobbs will have a tough time against a very fast, very versatile Gator defense, but I still expect them to put up points. On the other side, Florida loses QB Luke Del Rio for a few weeks to injury, so the Gators offense could struggle early on. You can never really predict what will happen in a rivalry game, but I think the Vols will turn it around and take one from the Gators. Look for Florida to keep it close early, but I think Dobbs will finish it out in the fourth. Tennessee 31, Florida 20.
Georgia Southern at Western Michigan
This is probably a game that isn't very high on many people's list, but I think it will be a good game to watch. These are two of the more underrated teams in the country, and they're both looking to stay undefeated. Georgia Southern is the top rushing team in the nation, but I think the balance of Western Michigan will prove stronger. Plus the Broncos are only giving up an average of 77.3 yards per game on the ground. That's a big reason why Western Michigan has two wins over BIG 10 opponents this season already. Broncos win a thriller 34-30.
Penn State at #4 Michigan
Another good match-up in the BIG 10 takes place up in Ann Arbor. Most people aren't going to give the Nittany Lions much of a chance, but when you have on of the best RBs in the conference in Saquon Barkley, you're never out of a game. The Wolverines' toughest game so far this year was last week against Colorado, which isn't the most impressive non-conference opponent. I'm anxious to see how both of these teams open up conference play. If Penn State is going to have a shot of winning at the Big House, they need to run, and run well. If they can win the Time of Possession battle, Penn State could come away with the upset. They will need a couple key stops on defense, but keeping Barkley going and keeping the ball AWAY from Michigan's offense is very important. I think the Nittany Lions will make it tough early on, but fall too far behind to keep thier rushing attack up. This will also be a true test for Michigan's defense, who have played well against mediocre opponents so far. Michigan 44, Penn State 21.
#7 Stanford at UCLA
Christian McCaffrey looks to add another big game to his Heisman campaign as they travel down to L.A. to take on the Bruins. UCLA hasn't quite started the season as they planned, especially with Josh Rosen throwing 4 interceptions in 3 games. Neither team has scored a lot this season, both only averaging around 27 points per game, so defense will be the focus. We all know that McCaffrey will be all over the field and UCLA's main focus should be stopping him, but watch out for The Trees' speedy and talented wideout, Michael Rector. He's always a deep threat on the outside, and Head Coach David Shaw loves to use him in misdirection jet sweeps when teams focus in on McCaffrey. Stanford has a huge match-up with Washington next week in the North division, so that could be on their minds, but that's really the Bruins only chance. Offensively, they move the ball, but cannot score. Plus thier pass protection is a big reason why Rosen has struggled, they give up a lot of pressure. Stanford's defense is always tough, and I think the Bruins will struggle (like thier Rival Trojans did) to move the ball. Stanford stays focused and unbeaten 33-17.
#17 Arkansas vs. #10 Texas A&M
The Razorbacks stroll into this Prime Time game with an unbeaten record and a chance to compete for the SEC East division on thier mind. They're not rushing as well as they have used to, but defense has been the name of the game. Just a couple weeks ago they knocked off the Horned Frogs in Ft. Worth. That game became a shoot out towards the end, but the Hogs are giving up only 98 yards on the ground per game. For A&M, their offense has been improving, and Trevor Knight has looked pretty solid with 830 yards passing 5 TDs and 2 picks so far this year. The Aggies defense will have to really step up if they want to take down the Hogs though. These two teams have been known for thier defenses, with good reason, but I think a shootout takes place down in Arlington. Lots of pass rush to pressure the QBs, but I think Arkansas comes away with the W. Austin Allen is more accurate than Trevor Knight, and turnovers cost the Aggies. Razorbacks win it 40-33. Maybe a third straight overtime game??
#20 Nebraska at Northwestern
This is one of the most underrated Rivalries in the BIG 10 conference. Year in and year out, these two games produce some of the best games to watch. Northwestern has not played well this year, and I expected them to make a run at a conference title. Starting 1-2 has definitely pissed with Wildcats off, and there's no better team for them to seek vengeance on than our Huskers. Northwestern's defense has proven to be as tough as last year, only giving up an average of 14 points per game. Sadly for the purple faithful, they only average 17 points per game on offense and have not been able to move the ball well against mediocre opponents. Justin Jackson and Solomon Vault are two very deadly weapons for the Wildcats, but Sophomore QB Clayton Thorson has struggled to get them the ball. He's only completing 49% of his passes so far this year, which will be helpful for Nebraska's secondary. The Blackshirts have stepped up and played well so far this season, but heading into conference play, they'll need to rise to another level. Freedom and Ross will be needed to provide pressure against a young and struggling offensive line. If we can keep pressure on Thorson, our secondary will be able to get a couple of takeaways and keep the ball away from Jackson and Vault. On offense, Nebraska needs to keep a balanced attack. Northwestern's defense is very well coached, and they have tremendous speed. Tommy's run threat will be key in keeping the middle of the field open. Look for the Huskers to throw it deep with a healthy receiving corps as well. I consider this a rivalry game, and I will never say Northwestern is a guaranteed win. Nebraska will have to come out sharp, if they want the victory. I see a tough match-up tonight, but the Huskers will take over the fourth quarter and finish the game out. Nebraska wins it 38-20.
I hope you all enjoyed my picks for this week, and have a fantastic, football filled Saturday! I'm excited to see all the alternate uniforms from various teams today, especially Nebraska's Icy White & Chrome uniforms. They will look fantastic for about the 5 minutes from the tunnel to kickoff, but then the turf of Northwestern will destroy them! I'm ready for a great game nonetheless! GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
#12 Georgia at #23 Ole Miss
This is an interesting match-up for two teams that are looking to keep pace in their respective divisions. The Rebels are off to a puzzling 1-2 start on their season after a couple of close losses to Florida State and Alabama. If they want any hope of winning the SEC West Division (with some help) this is a must win game to avoid dropping to 1-3 and 0-2 in conference. Even with the game at home, a win against the Bulldogs will not come easy. Georgia is averaging 185 yards on the ground per game, which helps them chew up a lot of clock. However, they're only scoring 29 points per game, and that's been against some decent, but not great competition. The Rebels on the other hand, are averaging 38 points per game, but have had trouble finishing out in the 4th quarter. We'll see who out-duels the other at QB, Chad Kelly or Jacob Eason? My bet is on Chad Kelly in this one, I don't think Eason has enough composure to finish out the fourth in Oxford! Rebels win a tough one 34-27.
#11 Wisconsin at #8 Michigan State
This will be a fantastic game to watch, and in my opinion, should be where Gameday went this week. Two heavyweight BIG 10 Powers look to gain a step up on the rest of their division. At the beginning of the season, I picked Michigan State to win the East, but I didn't think they'd beat the Irish (quite soundly I might add) and I did not even consider Wisconsin a major threat in the West because of how brutal their schedule was. Well, both teams have surprised me this season, especially the Badgers. They have a tough slate of games ahead of them though. Tyler O'Connor has fairly good numbers with over 400 yards and only 2 picks for the Spartans. However, this game will depend on the defense. These are two of the toughest defenses not only in the BIG 10, but in the nation. This will be a true, grind-it-out grudge match with the ground game. Sparty is ranked 8th in rush defense, while the Badgers are ranked 13th. So controlling the clock and keeping 3rd down manageable will be very important in this match-up. Nothing better than BIG 10 football! I'm going to give the edge to the Spartans in this one, because they're at home and they're more consistent in my opinion. But don't count the Badgers out of the race in the West, they have a very tough schedule, but very good potential to make a run! Sparty beats Bucky 27-17.
#19 Florida at #14 Tennessee
Another chapter in this great rivalry is about to take place down in Knoxville. The Gators are looking for 12 straight against the Vols, which is hardly a rivalry when you have a skid like that. All they hype surrounding Tennessee really points to this game. If the Vols want to win the East and be seriously considered after their slow start, this is a must win game for Butch Jones and crew. Joshua Dobbs will have a tough time against a very fast, very versatile Gator defense, but I still expect them to put up points. On the other side, Florida loses QB Luke Del Rio for a few weeks to injury, so the Gators offense could struggle early on. You can never really predict what will happen in a rivalry game, but I think the Vols will turn it around and take one from the Gators. Look for Florida to keep it close early, but I think Dobbs will finish it out in the fourth. Tennessee 31, Florida 20.
Georgia Southern at Western Michigan
This is probably a game that isn't very high on many people's list, but I think it will be a good game to watch. These are two of the more underrated teams in the country, and they're both looking to stay undefeated. Georgia Southern is the top rushing team in the nation, but I think the balance of Western Michigan will prove stronger. Plus the Broncos are only giving up an average of 77.3 yards per game on the ground. That's a big reason why Western Michigan has two wins over BIG 10 opponents this season already. Broncos win a thriller 34-30.
Penn State at #4 Michigan
Another good match-up in the BIG 10 takes place up in Ann Arbor. Most people aren't going to give the Nittany Lions much of a chance, but when you have on of the best RBs in the conference in Saquon Barkley, you're never out of a game. The Wolverines' toughest game so far this year was last week against Colorado, which isn't the most impressive non-conference opponent. I'm anxious to see how both of these teams open up conference play. If Penn State is going to have a shot of winning at the Big House, they need to run, and run well. If they can win the Time of Possession battle, Penn State could come away with the upset. They will need a couple key stops on defense, but keeping Barkley going and keeping the ball AWAY from Michigan's offense is very important. I think the Nittany Lions will make it tough early on, but fall too far behind to keep thier rushing attack up. This will also be a true test for Michigan's defense, who have played well against mediocre opponents so far. Michigan 44, Penn State 21.
#7 Stanford at UCLA
Christian McCaffrey looks to add another big game to his Heisman campaign as they travel down to L.A. to take on the Bruins. UCLA hasn't quite started the season as they planned, especially with Josh Rosen throwing 4 interceptions in 3 games. Neither team has scored a lot this season, both only averaging around 27 points per game, so defense will be the focus. We all know that McCaffrey will be all over the field and UCLA's main focus should be stopping him, but watch out for The Trees' speedy and talented wideout, Michael Rector. He's always a deep threat on the outside, and Head Coach David Shaw loves to use him in misdirection jet sweeps when teams focus in on McCaffrey. Stanford has a huge match-up with Washington next week in the North division, so that could be on their minds, but that's really the Bruins only chance. Offensively, they move the ball, but cannot score. Plus thier pass protection is a big reason why Rosen has struggled, they give up a lot of pressure. Stanford's defense is always tough, and I think the Bruins will struggle (like thier Rival Trojans did) to move the ball. Stanford stays focused and unbeaten 33-17.
#17 Arkansas vs. #10 Texas A&M
The Razorbacks stroll into this Prime Time game with an unbeaten record and a chance to compete for the SEC East division on thier mind. They're not rushing as well as they have used to, but defense has been the name of the game. Just a couple weeks ago they knocked off the Horned Frogs in Ft. Worth. That game became a shoot out towards the end, but the Hogs are giving up only 98 yards on the ground per game. For A&M, their offense has been improving, and Trevor Knight has looked pretty solid with 830 yards passing 5 TDs and 2 picks so far this year. The Aggies defense will have to really step up if they want to take down the Hogs though. These two teams have been known for thier defenses, with good reason, but I think a shootout takes place down in Arlington. Lots of pass rush to pressure the QBs, but I think Arkansas comes away with the W. Austin Allen is more accurate than Trevor Knight, and turnovers cost the Aggies. Razorbacks win it 40-33. Maybe a third straight overtime game??
#20 Nebraska at Northwestern
This is one of the most underrated Rivalries in the BIG 10 conference. Year in and year out, these two games produce some of the best games to watch. Northwestern has not played well this year, and I expected them to make a run at a conference title. Starting 1-2 has definitely pissed with Wildcats off, and there's no better team for them to seek vengeance on than our Huskers. Northwestern's defense has proven to be as tough as last year, only giving up an average of 14 points per game. Sadly for the purple faithful, they only average 17 points per game on offense and have not been able to move the ball well against mediocre opponents. Justin Jackson and Solomon Vault are two very deadly weapons for the Wildcats, but Sophomore QB Clayton Thorson has struggled to get them the ball. He's only completing 49% of his passes so far this year, which will be helpful for Nebraska's secondary. The Blackshirts have stepped up and played well so far this season, but heading into conference play, they'll need to rise to another level. Freedom and Ross will be needed to provide pressure against a young and struggling offensive line. If we can keep pressure on Thorson, our secondary will be able to get a couple of takeaways and keep the ball away from Jackson and Vault. On offense, Nebraska needs to keep a balanced attack. Northwestern's defense is very well coached, and they have tremendous speed. Tommy's run threat will be key in keeping the middle of the field open. Look for the Huskers to throw it deep with a healthy receiving corps as well. I consider this a rivalry game, and I will never say Northwestern is a guaranteed win. Nebraska will have to come out sharp, if they want the victory. I see a tough match-up tonight, but the Huskers will take over the fourth quarter and finish the game out. Nebraska wins it 38-20.
I hope you all enjoyed my picks for this week, and have a fantastic, football filled Saturday! I'm excited to see all the alternate uniforms from various teams today, especially Nebraska's Icy White & Chrome uniforms. They will look fantastic for about the 5 minutes from the tunnel to kickoff, but then the turf of Northwestern will destroy them! I'm ready for a great game nonetheless! GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Week 3 Reflection
Hey everyone, sorry for the late post, I've been extremely busy in the first half of this week! This post will have my reflections on the Huskers' big win against Oregon as well as my concerns with the growing epidemic of players dropping the ball before the goal line on sure touchdowns! Enjoy reading!
Nebraska's big match-up with the Ducks lived up to the hype! I had such a blast at the game and Memorial Stadium was rocking!! The Huskers played really well and were able to come away with a thrilling 35-32 victory. This was definitely the most balanced game the Huskers have played this season, especially considering the Huskers rushed for 228 yards and threw for 200. Both Tommy and Ozigbo had 95 yards rushing a piece and a TD. Obviously, everyone remembers Tommy's fantastic 34 yard run to give Nebraska the lead at the end of the game, but his toughness is what impressed me. Obvious cramping issues as well as a few hard hits caused him to leave the game for a bit late in the 3rd Quarter. I was very nervous with him on the sidelines and knew that we needed him if we wanted to win. I know Husker Nation was very excited to see him come back into the game and lead us to a fantastic 4th Quarter victory. Overall, the offense played really well throughout the game. I said all week that we needed to average 10 points per quarter if we wanted to win, and Langsdorf was able to stick pretty close to that. There were a few drives that concerned me, especially because we were moving so well. The first was late in the 2nd Quarter where Nebraska was driving straight down the field by running the ball right down Oregon's throat with Newby, Ozigbo & Tommy. However, once we got into the redzone, we tried a backwards pass to RB Mikale Wilbon, who fumbled, leading to an Oregon TD on the next play. I am a big fan of Mikale & he's a good friend and is very talented, but there's no reason to interrupt the rhythm of your offense by giving the ball to Mikale when Ozigbo & Newby have driven you down the field. There's a reason they are the top two backs for the Huskers, so we need to feed them. I understand wanting to give guys breaks and other guys touches, but when you have a chance to tie the game heading into half time, you don't mess with the system. You can work him into the game at other times. The other drive that frustrated me was late in the 3rd Quarter and into the 4th. Again, Nebraska was grinding the ball on the ground, chewing up a ton of yards and a ton of clock. Ozigbo was averaging around 6 yards per carry on that drive. But then, once we cross into Duck territory, Langsdorf dials up three straight plays to drop back and pass. When you can wear a team down by just running all the way down the field, you don't take a break to pass for a play or two. That once again ruins the rhythm and puts you behind the chains. Once again, I understand the need to spread the ball around and keep it balanced, but you don't need to fix something that isn't broken. Sometimes Football is as simple as running the exact same play over and over until they stop it. To me, it was pretty clear Oregon couldn't stop it!
There's not too many negative things you can say about a win, but I just know that you cannot waste productive drives like that against teams like Wisconsin or Ohio State. Oregon is a very talented team, but they are very young. They only had 5 returning starters on defense from a year ago, and 4 of them are in the secondary. Their front seven has not played many games together, and that's a big reason why our run game was so successful. If Nebraska truly wants to make a run at a BIG 10 Championship or anything else this year, they need to finish out those long drives and not stall once they reach their opponents 40.
On the Defensive side of the ball, the Blackshirts really stepped up their game. I can definitely tell that the players are really understanding Banker's system now and know where they're supposed to be on each play. The amount of yardage doesn't necessarily reflect how well the defense played on Saturday, but anyone would give up yards compared to points any day. The run defense was not as impressive as I thought they'd be, but Oregon is a very good rushing team, and they love taking the edge with lots of jet sweeps and read options. Tackling was an issue that seemed to hurt the Huskers multiple times throughout the game. I'm sure that will be a big emphasis this weekend at Northwestern. It was tough to see, because it really looked like we had guys pinned on the sidelines and were ready to finish the play, but if you don't wrap hard, the play-makers are going to break free.
Finally, the pass defense (one of the worst in the nation last season) was fantastic on Saturday! The Blackshirts snapped Oregon's 82 game streak with at least 1 passing TD, and they only allowed Prukop to complete 60.8% of his passes. Coming into the game he was completing over 68%, so that's a solid drop. A big factor in that was the pass rush. Ross & Freedom were constantly getting into the backfield causing Prukop to move around in the pocket. It looked like he had some happy feet to begin with, but breaking down the pocket definitely helped the secondary stick with their wideouts. You could tell that the crowd definitely played a factor as Oregon had a couple of communication errors throughout the game. Penalties definitely killed the Ducks as they had 13 for 126 yards. Nebraska had 7, which is still concerning, but there are definitely improvements being made in the football program.
My last topic for the post is the insanity of players dropping the ball before crossing the goal line while running in for a Touchdown. Dalvin Cook from FSU dropped the ball as he ran for the endzone in week one. Clemson's Ray-Ray McCloud dropped the ball at the 1 yard line as he ran into the endzone in week two as well. But the worst is that there were TWO incidents in week 3, only one of which was noticed and called on by the officiating crew. In the Oklahoma-Ohio State showdown, OU return man Joe Mixon got away with one as the officials failed to review his 97 yard Kick return. Had they looked at the film, they would've clearly seen that Mixon dropped the ball before crossing the goal line. Then, later in the evening, Cal RB Vic Enwere dropped the ball at the 1 yard line as he trotted into the endzone against Texas. That TD would've put the Golden Bears up 57-43 with just over a minute left, more or less sealing the game. However, that one was reviewed and saw that the TD was not valid. A Texas player did pick up the ball, but since there was no "immediate recovery", the officials gave the ball to Cal and let them run out the clock. I honestly don't understand how and why this is happening. JUST RUN THE BALL ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ENDZONE!! It's not hard and all the camera-men sit behind the endzone, so you can even get your picture WITH THE BALL once you get to the back. I just laugh every time it happens, but I also pray none of my fellow Huskers are ever stupid enough to do that! Thanks for reading & GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Nebraska's big match-up with the Ducks lived up to the hype! I had such a blast at the game and Memorial Stadium was rocking!! The Huskers played really well and were able to come away with a thrilling 35-32 victory. This was definitely the most balanced game the Huskers have played this season, especially considering the Huskers rushed for 228 yards and threw for 200. Both Tommy and Ozigbo had 95 yards rushing a piece and a TD. Obviously, everyone remembers Tommy's fantastic 34 yard run to give Nebraska the lead at the end of the game, but his toughness is what impressed me. Obvious cramping issues as well as a few hard hits caused him to leave the game for a bit late in the 3rd Quarter. I was very nervous with him on the sidelines and knew that we needed him if we wanted to win. I know Husker Nation was very excited to see him come back into the game and lead us to a fantastic 4th Quarter victory. Overall, the offense played really well throughout the game. I said all week that we needed to average 10 points per quarter if we wanted to win, and Langsdorf was able to stick pretty close to that. There were a few drives that concerned me, especially because we were moving so well. The first was late in the 2nd Quarter where Nebraska was driving straight down the field by running the ball right down Oregon's throat with Newby, Ozigbo & Tommy. However, once we got into the redzone, we tried a backwards pass to RB Mikale Wilbon, who fumbled, leading to an Oregon TD on the next play. I am a big fan of Mikale & he's a good friend and is very talented, but there's no reason to interrupt the rhythm of your offense by giving the ball to Mikale when Ozigbo & Newby have driven you down the field. There's a reason they are the top two backs for the Huskers, so we need to feed them. I understand wanting to give guys breaks and other guys touches, but when you have a chance to tie the game heading into half time, you don't mess with the system. You can work him into the game at other times. The other drive that frustrated me was late in the 3rd Quarter and into the 4th. Again, Nebraska was grinding the ball on the ground, chewing up a ton of yards and a ton of clock. Ozigbo was averaging around 6 yards per carry on that drive. But then, once we cross into Duck territory, Langsdorf dials up three straight plays to drop back and pass. When you can wear a team down by just running all the way down the field, you don't take a break to pass for a play or two. That once again ruins the rhythm and puts you behind the chains. Once again, I understand the need to spread the ball around and keep it balanced, but you don't need to fix something that isn't broken. Sometimes Football is as simple as running the exact same play over and over until they stop it. To me, it was pretty clear Oregon couldn't stop it!
There's not too many negative things you can say about a win, but I just know that you cannot waste productive drives like that against teams like Wisconsin or Ohio State. Oregon is a very talented team, but they are very young. They only had 5 returning starters on defense from a year ago, and 4 of them are in the secondary. Their front seven has not played many games together, and that's a big reason why our run game was so successful. If Nebraska truly wants to make a run at a BIG 10 Championship or anything else this year, they need to finish out those long drives and not stall once they reach their opponents 40.
On the Defensive side of the ball, the Blackshirts really stepped up their game. I can definitely tell that the players are really understanding Banker's system now and know where they're supposed to be on each play. The amount of yardage doesn't necessarily reflect how well the defense played on Saturday, but anyone would give up yards compared to points any day. The run defense was not as impressive as I thought they'd be, but Oregon is a very good rushing team, and they love taking the edge with lots of jet sweeps and read options. Tackling was an issue that seemed to hurt the Huskers multiple times throughout the game. I'm sure that will be a big emphasis this weekend at Northwestern. It was tough to see, because it really looked like we had guys pinned on the sidelines and were ready to finish the play, but if you don't wrap hard, the play-makers are going to break free.
Finally, the pass defense (one of the worst in the nation last season) was fantastic on Saturday! The Blackshirts snapped Oregon's 82 game streak with at least 1 passing TD, and they only allowed Prukop to complete 60.8% of his passes. Coming into the game he was completing over 68%, so that's a solid drop. A big factor in that was the pass rush. Ross & Freedom were constantly getting into the backfield causing Prukop to move around in the pocket. It looked like he had some happy feet to begin with, but breaking down the pocket definitely helped the secondary stick with their wideouts. You could tell that the crowd definitely played a factor as Oregon had a couple of communication errors throughout the game. Penalties definitely killed the Ducks as they had 13 for 126 yards. Nebraska had 7, which is still concerning, but there are definitely improvements being made in the football program.
My last topic for the post is the insanity of players dropping the ball before crossing the goal line while running in for a Touchdown. Dalvin Cook from FSU dropped the ball as he ran for the endzone in week one. Clemson's Ray-Ray McCloud dropped the ball at the 1 yard line as he ran into the endzone in week two as well. But the worst is that there were TWO incidents in week 3, only one of which was noticed and called on by the officiating crew. In the Oklahoma-Ohio State showdown, OU return man Joe Mixon got away with one as the officials failed to review his 97 yard Kick return. Had they looked at the film, they would've clearly seen that Mixon dropped the ball before crossing the goal line. Then, later in the evening, Cal RB Vic Enwere dropped the ball at the 1 yard line as he trotted into the endzone against Texas. That TD would've put the Golden Bears up 57-43 with just over a minute left, more or less sealing the game. However, that one was reviewed and saw that the TD was not valid. A Texas player did pick up the ball, but since there was no "immediate recovery", the officials gave the ball to Cal and let them run out the clock. I honestly don't understand how and why this is happening. JUST RUN THE BALL ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ENDZONE!! It's not hard and all the camera-men sit behind the endzone, so you can even get your picture WITH THE BALL once you get to the back. I just laugh every time it happens, but I also pray none of my fellow Huskers are ever stupid enough to do that! Thanks for reading & GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Week 3 Predictions
Hey football fans, I hope you're all ready for a great weekend of football! There are so many big match-ups this week, and I cannot wait to see how they turn out. Of course, the Nebraska-Oregon game will be my main focus of the day, but definitely look for some good games and possible upsets this week too! Nebraska also has a lot of recruits coming for the Oregon game, so I'll be pretty busy tomorrow before the game. Anyways, here are my picks for this weeks big games, enjoy!
#2 Florida State at #10 Louisville
This is a very intriguing match-up between two hot teams with young QBs running the show. Deondre Francois and Lamar Jackson square off in what I expect to be a fairly close game. The Cardinals are only used to playing in the first half, and the Noles really only step up their game in the second half. I think the victory here is going to depend on the ground game. Louisville needs to get Brandon Radcliff going to assist Lamar Jackson. With DeMarcus Walker causing all sorts of havoc with his pass rushing, if Jackson doesn't have help, Florida State will shut down the Cardinals offense. I am also expecting a lot of big plays on both sides. The Seminoles are down one of thier best play-makers on defense with Safety Derwin James out with a knee injury, so look for the Cardinals to go deep attacking FSU's young secondary. I'm always rooting for the upset, and I think that Lamar Jackson can make it happen. This will be their first true test against a quality opponent, so look for Louisville's defense to step up and play well at home. Lamar Jackson out duels Deondre Francois and the Cardinals upset FSU 38-34.
North Dakota State at #13 Iowa
This one is just blind hope for the upset. The Bison would be one of the best teams to do it, especially since they have won five straight games against FBS opponents. Iowa stepped up last week, downing their rivals from Ames 42-3, but once again, I'm waiting until a quality opponent comes to town. NDSU is probably the strongest out of their three non-conference games, but if an FCS team has that title, then Iowa better crush them if they want any meaningful statements to be made. Iowa will continue to consistently move the ball on offense, so the big key in this game is if the Bison can score. They don't have the amazing Carson Wentz at their disposal anymore, so it'll be a tough task. Look for them to keep the ball on the ground and away from Iowa. The Bison may provide a scare, but I'm sure Iowa will squeak away with their W. Hawkeyes 31, Bison 24.
#2 Florida State at #10 Louisville
This is a very intriguing match-up between two hot teams with young QBs running the show. Deondre Francois and Lamar Jackson square off in what I expect to be a fairly close game. The Cardinals are only used to playing in the first half, and the Noles really only step up their game in the second half. I think the victory here is going to depend on the ground game. Louisville needs to get Brandon Radcliff going to assist Lamar Jackson. With DeMarcus Walker causing all sorts of havoc with his pass rushing, if Jackson doesn't have help, Florida State will shut down the Cardinals offense. I am also expecting a lot of big plays on both sides. The Seminoles are down one of thier best play-makers on defense with Safety Derwin James out with a knee injury, so look for the Cardinals to go deep attacking FSU's young secondary. I'm always rooting for the upset, and I think that Lamar Jackson can make it happen. This will be their first true test against a quality opponent, so look for Louisville's defense to step up and play well at home. Lamar Jackson out duels Deondre Francois and the Cardinals upset FSU 38-34.
North Dakota State at #13 Iowa
This one is just blind hope for the upset. The Bison would be one of the best teams to do it, especially since they have won five straight games against FBS opponents. Iowa stepped up last week, downing their rivals from Ames 42-3, but once again, I'm waiting until a quality opponent comes to town. NDSU is probably the strongest out of their three non-conference games, but if an FCS team has that title, then Iowa better crush them if they want any meaningful statements to be made. Iowa will continue to consistently move the ball on offense, so the big key in this game is if the Bison can score. They don't have the amazing Carson Wentz at their disposal anymore, so it'll be a tough task. Look for them to keep the ball on the ground and away from Iowa. The Bison may provide a scare, but I'm sure Iowa will squeak away with their W. Hawkeyes 31, Bison 24.
#25 Miami at Appalachain State
This one has upset written all over it! There are honestly only a couple of scenarios I see playing out that could possibly give the Canes a win. I'm not picking the Mountaineers in this game just because they nearly knocked off Tennessee in the opening weekend, I'm picking the because I've had them picked all year as one of the better teams not in a Power 5 Conference. They finished 11-2 last year & are still my pick to win their conference this year. Mountaineers RB Marcus Cox looks to lead the way. He's already rushed for nearly 250 yards and 3 TDs thus far in the season. If they play half as well as they did against the Vols, Brad Kaaya and crew don't stand a chance. We know the offense for both teams will be clicking, but I don't think Kaaya has much help today. Mountaineers take this one in good fashion, 27-17.
#1 Alabama at #19 Ole Miss
Can Ole Miss extend their win streak to 3 games over the mighty Crimson Tide? Being at home & motivation from their poor second half against Florida State should be more than enough to allow them to compete. Chad Kelly is going to need some help from his ground game if they want to pull the third consecutive upset over Saben's head. Kelly performed very well against Alabama last year, throwing for 341 yards and 3 TDs, so we know they're going to air it out and score some points. However, if they don't have a solid ground game to help chew up some clock, the Rebels won't be able to keep pace. I anticipate this game to look a little like Ole Miss's opener against FSU. I think Ole Miss will have success early on and get a couple stops on the tide, but if they don't control the clock, Bama will start to roll in the second half. I have not had the chance to watch the Tide much yet this year apart from highlights, but their freshman QB Jalen Hurts has looked pretty impressive thus far. We'll see if he has similar success to what Deondre Francois had with FSU. Rebels keep it tight early, but the Tide Rolls onto a 35-23 win.
Colorado at #4 Michigan
I don't expect any crazy Hail Marys to happen in this game, but with that being said, Colorado isn't the terrible team it's known for (sorry, inner Husker coming out there). Last year they were very close to a number of upsets, and now they have their Senior QB Sefo Liufau back from an injury late last season. Not contenders by any means, but this Buffalo team is sneaky, and definitely not one that you should overlook. Neither team has really been tested yet, so this could be interesting to watch with all the offense they've showed the past couple weeks. I doubt Jim Harbaugh will lose at home, at least against CU, but look for this one to be much closer than the spread. I'll take the Wolverines with a 38-33 victory.
Mississippi State at #20 LSU
The Bulldogs rebounded last week with a solid 27-14 win over South Carolina, but a trip to Death Valley proves to be much more difficult. Both of these teams have a tough time finding their offense, especially when it comes to the passing game. LSU needs to get Fournette going to take pressure off of thier horrendous QB issues. State's best chance to win is making them pass. Not easy, but so far, Leonard Fournette has not done much damage this season, partly due to his injury, but partly due to the defensive scheme from Wisconsin. If Mississippi State can hold down the run game and force LSU to pass, they have a good shot at winning this game. LSU doesn't lose many at home, and I don't think this one will be very different, but look for a tight game. One too many turnovers for the Bulldogs and LSU wins at home 21-16.
Pitt at Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are looking to rebound after an INSANE Hail Mary that shouldn't have even happened last week. The Central Michigan upset is still fresh in thier minds, and they would love to right the script against a 2-0 Pitt Squad. The Panthers on the other hand, coming off of a big win against their rival Penn State, look to continue through their non-conference games un-beaten. The key to this game is going to be OK State's passing attack. We know Pitt can run the ball and stop the run, but stopping the pass has been more difficult. They've given up an average of 225 yards through the air, and that's mostly to a mediocre Penn State passing attack. The Cowboys have averaged 270 yards passing through the air, so look for them to find success going deep. Pitt needs to limit the big plays if they want to walk out of Boone-Pickens with a win. I think they do it, and the Pokes are too rattled by last weeks Hail Mary. Panthers win it behind two interceptions 28-20.
#17 Texas A&M at Auburn
Over recent years, offense has been the main strength of these teams. That hasn't changed much as A&M averages 554 yards of offense so far this year and Auburn averages 484. However, even with all the offensive firepower, defense is the key to this match up. In the Aggies opener against UCLA, they put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times throughout that game. Auburn held Clemson and Deshaun Watson to only 19 points. Both defenses have been very impressive against the run too. Aggies have only given up an average of 78.5 yards rushing per game while the Tigers have given up 108.5 yards. This will make teams rely on the passing attack, which is where I give the edge to A&M. I have two reasons for this, 1. Trevor Knight & 2. Pass Rush. As I mentioned, the Aggies put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times. That pressure is difficult for any team to handle, especially without a ground game. Texas A&M wins the sack total, and wins the game 42-27.
#12 Michigan State at #18 Notre Dame
Another great rivalry is being renewed tonight in South Bend. The Spartans and the Irish clash again in a match-up with big post season implications. The Irish need to rebound with a key win after their upset loss to Texas in week 1. The Spartans have not looked very impressive yet this year, but only have one game under their belt, and are coming off of a BYE week. We all know that anything can happen in a rivalry game, so this is gonna be a fun one to watch. Defense will definitely decide this one, especially because I don't see Michigan State scoring many points. They will look to shut down the Irish's run game and make Kizer beat them with his arm. I think Notre Dame has enough weapons to hold the Spartans off, and a night game at home is a great way to rebound. Look for Mark Dantonio to get tricky, but I've got the Irish 28-17.
#3 Ohio State at #14 Oklahoma
Two of the biggest names in College Football clash with two of the most dynamic QBs in the nation. J.T. Barrett looks to lead the explosive Buckeyes into Norman and come a way with a victory. Back-up Sooner QB had only good things to say about his teammate Baker Mayfield, saying that he will tear apart the Buckeye defense. I expect a lot of offense between these two teams, and definitely a lot of points. The main focus of this game will be OU's offense. Based off of the Houston game, Ohio State shouldn't have to many issues moving the ball. But can the Sooners move the ball? I think they'll be able to move the ball early in the game, but watch for Baker's decision making on passes. Ohio State's secondary is one of the most athletic, ball-hawking secondaries in the nation. If they get a pick or two on Mayfield, Oklahoma's day and Playoff hopes are done. I think this one will be high scoring, but look for the Buckeyes to pull away with a 45-31 victory. Big Game Bobby can't quite edge out Urban Meyer.
USC at #7 Stanford
Lots of talent for the Trojans, but lots of yards and points put up by Alabama in the opener down in Dallas. I was not able to watch the game, but after seeing the highlights of that 52-6 beat down, I could tell they gave up. If USC wants to win any important games this year, giving up is not an option. They have too much talent to lose all thier big games this year. Speaking of talent, let's not forget to mention one of the best player in the nation in my opinion, Mr. Christian McCaffrey. He is an absolute machine for the Trees, and I expect another great performance from him tonight. On the road up at the Farm, there aren't too many games won, especially when Stanford's rush defense hasn't given up over 100 yards in quite some time. Dating back to the Rose Bowl, they only gave up 48 rushing yards against Iowa, and in week 1 they only gave up 92 to K-State. I think their defense is too much for the Trojans, and McCaffrey brings the Cardinal to a 35-17 win.
#22 Oregon at Nebraska
Here's the pick you've all been waiting for! Nebraska's big home game of the season kicks off at 2:30 against the Mighty Ducks of Oregon... ok, just the Ducks. They hype for this game has had campus buzzing all week long. I'm excited to see it live and I'm even more excited to see us win. Here are my keys to victory for Nebraska!
My first key to victory is first down, on both sides of the ball but specifically on defense. Oregon's offense relies so much on timing and short distances in the middle downs of thier drives, so limiting thier gains on first down is very important. They will try to use a lot of jet sweeps and outside screens to get to the edge and out in space. Linebackers and Safeties are my key positions this week because they will need to hit the edges hard to knock Oregon off thier track. Virginia did a fabulous job early in the game of really hitting up the edges and knocking the jet sweeps back for a loss. On offense, Nebraska needs to stay ahead of the chains. Keeping third down manageable is the most important asset to any football team. A steady run game will be very helpful for Nebraska, and with the Duck's young front 7, there's great potential for a lot of rushing yards today for Nebraska.
My second key is two players Tommy & Royce. Good Tommy = Husker Win, Bad Tommy = Oregon Win. Pretty simple and familiar equation for Nebraska. Both offenses will move the ball and score points, but Tommy and Nebraska CANNOT fall off during the 2nd & 3rd Quarters. I think Nebraska needs to average roughly 10 points per Quarter if they want to come out with this one. Having the ground game will be important because that allows Tommy to use his legs as well. He still throws into very small windows without going through all of his progressions though, so I don't want more than 30 passes. That will work against Fresno & Wyoming, but Oregon and BIG 10 teams will be a step faster and they will pick those passes off. For Royce, its going to be up to Nebraska's front 7 to hold him down. Most people think of speed with Oregon, which they do have, but when I see Royce Freeman, all I see is power. The 230 lb. Junior lives between the tackles and that's what allows Oregon to utilize thier jet sweep. Since he is so effective in the middle, defenses cheat inside and load the box. That's when Oregon goes outside and up and around for a TD. Nebraska's run defense has been impressive under Coach Riley, so we'll see how they contain Freeman.
My final key to victory is the turnover battle. Nebraska has won their last 17 games when they win the turnover battle. When they lose the turnover battle, their record is unspeakable. So far the Huskers are +7 in the turnover margin so far this year. This is a great opportunity to really test Nebraska's secondary. Dakota Prukop has completed 68.8% of his passes so far this year, so getting an interception will be tough. Luckily the Huskers got to practice that 5 times last game!
My final thoughts on this game are on the atmosphere. Memorial Stadium will be rockin' today, especially since this is the 350th consecutive sellout. There's a reason that this is the toughest place to play in the BIG 10 and one of the toughest in the nation. We'll see how the Ducks handle the noise in the Sea of Red! Look for me on the sidelines in the North East corner of the field. Huskers go Duck hunting and win a big one at home in a shoot out! Nebraska 48, Oregon 38. GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Mississippi State at #20 LSU
The Bulldogs rebounded last week with a solid 27-14 win over South Carolina, but a trip to Death Valley proves to be much more difficult. Both of these teams have a tough time finding their offense, especially when it comes to the passing game. LSU needs to get Fournette going to take pressure off of thier horrendous QB issues. State's best chance to win is making them pass. Not easy, but so far, Leonard Fournette has not done much damage this season, partly due to his injury, but partly due to the defensive scheme from Wisconsin. If Mississippi State can hold down the run game and force LSU to pass, they have a good shot at winning this game. LSU doesn't lose many at home, and I don't think this one will be very different, but look for a tight game. One too many turnovers for the Bulldogs and LSU wins at home 21-16.
Pitt at Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are looking to rebound after an INSANE Hail Mary that shouldn't have even happened last week. The Central Michigan upset is still fresh in thier minds, and they would love to right the script against a 2-0 Pitt Squad. The Panthers on the other hand, coming off of a big win against their rival Penn State, look to continue through their non-conference games un-beaten. The key to this game is going to be OK State's passing attack. We know Pitt can run the ball and stop the run, but stopping the pass has been more difficult. They've given up an average of 225 yards through the air, and that's mostly to a mediocre Penn State passing attack. The Cowboys have averaged 270 yards passing through the air, so look for them to find success going deep. Pitt needs to limit the big plays if they want to walk out of Boone-Pickens with a win. I think they do it, and the Pokes are too rattled by last weeks Hail Mary. Panthers win it behind two interceptions 28-20.
#17 Texas A&M at Auburn
Over recent years, offense has been the main strength of these teams. That hasn't changed much as A&M averages 554 yards of offense so far this year and Auburn averages 484. However, even with all the offensive firepower, defense is the key to this match up. In the Aggies opener against UCLA, they put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times throughout that game. Auburn held Clemson and Deshaun Watson to only 19 points. Both defenses have been very impressive against the run too. Aggies have only given up an average of 78.5 yards rushing per game while the Tigers have given up 108.5 yards. This will make teams rely on the passing attack, which is where I give the edge to A&M. I have two reasons for this, 1. Trevor Knight & 2. Pass Rush. As I mentioned, the Aggies put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times. That pressure is difficult for any team to handle, especially without a ground game. Texas A&M wins the sack total, and wins the game 42-27.
#12 Michigan State at #18 Notre Dame
Another great rivalry is being renewed tonight in South Bend. The Spartans and the Irish clash again in a match-up with big post season implications. The Irish need to rebound with a key win after their upset loss to Texas in week 1. The Spartans have not looked very impressive yet this year, but only have one game under their belt, and are coming off of a BYE week. We all know that anything can happen in a rivalry game, so this is gonna be a fun one to watch. Defense will definitely decide this one, especially because I don't see Michigan State scoring many points. They will look to shut down the Irish's run game and make Kizer beat them with his arm. I think Notre Dame has enough weapons to hold the Spartans off, and a night game at home is a great way to rebound. Look for Mark Dantonio to get tricky, but I've got the Irish 28-17.
#3 Ohio State at #14 Oklahoma
Two of the biggest names in College Football clash with two of the most dynamic QBs in the nation. J.T. Barrett looks to lead the explosive Buckeyes into Norman and come a way with a victory. Back-up Sooner QB had only good things to say about his teammate Baker Mayfield, saying that he will tear apart the Buckeye defense. I expect a lot of offense between these two teams, and definitely a lot of points. The main focus of this game will be OU's offense. Based off of the Houston game, Ohio State shouldn't have to many issues moving the ball. But can the Sooners move the ball? I think they'll be able to move the ball early in the game, but watch for Baker's decision making on passes. Ohio State's secondary is one of the most athletic, ball-hawking secondaries in the nation. If they get a pick or two on Mayfield, Oklahoma's day and Playoff hopes are done. I think this one will be high scoring, but look for the Buckeyes to pull away with a 45-31 victory. Big Game Bobby can't quite edge out Urban Meyer.
USC at #7 Stanford
Lots of talent for the Trojans, but lots of yards and points put up by Alabama in the opener down in Dallas. I was not able to watch the game, but after seeing the highlights of that 52-6 beat down, I could tell they gave up. If USC wants to win any important games this year, giving up is not an option. They have too much talent to lose all thier big games this year. Speaking of talent, let's not forget to mention one of the best player in the nation in my opinion, Mr. Christian McCaffrey. He is an absolute machine for the Trees, and I expect another great performance from him tonight. On the road up at the Farm, there aren't too many games won, especially when Stanford's rush defense hasn't given up over 100 yards in quite some time. Dating back to the Rose Bowl, they only gave up 48 rushing yards against Iowa, and in week 1 they only gave up 92 to K-State. I think their defense is too much for the Trojans, and McCaffrey brings the Cardinal to a 35-17 win.
#22 Oregon at Nebraska
Here's the pick you've all been waiting for! Nebraska's big home game of the season kicks off at 2:30 against the Mighty Ducks of Oregon... ok, just the Ducks. They hype for this game has had campus buzzing all week long. I'm excited to see it live and I'm even more excited to see us win. Here are my keys to victory for Nebraska!
My first key to victory is first down, on both sides of the ball but specifically on defense. Oregon's offense relies so much on timing and short distances in the middle downs of thier drives, so limiting thier gains on first down is very important. They will try to use a lot of jet sweeps and outside screens to get to the edge and out in space. Linebackers and Safeties are my key positions this week because they will need to hit the edges hard to knock Oregon off thier track. Virginia did a fabulous job early in the game of really hitting up the edges and knocking the jet sweeps back for a loss. On offense, Nebraska needs to stay ahead of the chains. Keeping third down manageable is the most important asset to any football team. A steady run game will be very helpful for Nebraska, and with the Duck's young front 7, there's great potential for a lot of rushing yards today for Nebraska.
My second key is two players Tommy & Royce. Good Tommy = Husker Win, Bad Tommy = Oregon Win. Pretty simple and familiar equation for Nebraska. Both offenses will move the ball and score points, but Tommy and Nebraska CANNOT fall off during the 2nd & 3rd Quarters. I think Nebraska needs to average roughly 10 points per Quarter if they want to come out with this one. Having the ground game will be important because that allows Tommy to use his legs as well. He still throws into very small windows without going through all of his progressions though, so I don't want more than 30 passes. That will work against Fresno & Wyoming, but Oregon and BIG 10 teams will be a step faster and they will pick those passes off. For Royce, its going to be up to Nebraska's front 7 to hold him down. Most people think of speed with Oregon, which they do have, but when I see Royce Freeman, all I see is power. The 230 lb. Junior lives between the tackles and that's what allows Oregon to utilize thier jet sweep. Since he is so effective in the middle, defenses cheat inside and load the box. That's when Oregon goes outside and up and around for a TD. Nebraska's run defense has been impressive under Coach Riley, so we'll see how they contain Freeman.
My final key to victory is the turnover battle. Nebraska has won their last 17 games when they win the turnover battle. When they lose the turnover battle, their record is unspeakable. So far the Huskers are +7 in the turnover margin so far this year. This is a great opportunity to really test Nebraska's secondary. Dakota Prukop has completed 68.8% of his passes so far this year, so getting an interception will be tough. Luckily the Huskers got to practice that 5 times last game!
My final thoughts on this game are on the atmosphere. Memorial Stadium will be rockin' today, especially since this is the 350th consecutive sellout. There's a reason that this is the toughest place to play in the BIG 10 and one of the toughest in the nation. We'll see how the Ducks handle the noise in the Sea of Red! Look for me on the sidelines in the North East corner of the field. Huskers go Duck hunting and win a big one at home in a shoot out! Nebraska 48, Oregon 38. GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Monday, September 12, 2016
Week 2 Reflection
I hope everyone had another great weekend of football! There were lots of great games this past weekend, including a couple of big upsets. This post will have my opinions on Nebraska's 52-17 victory over Wyoming, as well as a couple of thoughts on some other games around the nation. Enjoy!
Nebraska once again has a monster fourth quarter to pull away from the Cowboys and finish with a lopsided win. The Huskers have now outscored their two opponents 50-0 in the fourth quarter this season. However, the Huskers have struggled during the middle part of the game, which has allowed both Fresno State, and then Wyoming this past weekend, to stick around. Sophomore QB Josh Allen really played well during the first half of the game, but I think he got a little rattled towards the end as he finished with 5 interceptions. I think he has a bright future under Craig Bohl.
Offensively, the Huskers had a very strong outing, especially through the air. Tommy threw for 377 yards and 3 TDs, including his 57th career TD making him the all-time leader in touchdown passes in Husker history! Since Wyoming was loading the box so much, Nebraska relied heavily on the passing attack. The run game only managed 138 yards, but with 412 yards passing, the Huskers finished with an impressive 550 total yards. Headed into the Oregon game, I would like to see the offense balance back out and only have Tommy throw 20-25 passes instead of 34. However, there are not too many complaints when you score 52 points, I just hope they can consistently move the ball for four quarters instead of starting hot, going dormant for quarters two & three, and then unleashing havoc in the fourth. Just unleash havoc all game and score 80+! I would also like to send a quick shout out Alonzo Moore, because he has been tearing it up so far this year! Keep it up bro!!
On the defensive side of the ball, there is improvement, but there's still a long ways to go. If the Blackshirts are not able to pressure Fresno State or Wyoming QBs, then Ducks QB Dakota Prukop will tear them apart. The defensive line is doing a great job against the run, but there is hardly any pressure on opposing QBs. That's a big part of the reason why our secondary struggles at times. Wyoming ended up throwing 5 interceptions, but early on in the game, they were hitting a lot of passes to very open receivers. Our secondary has been in much better positions this year, which has allowed them to make plays on the ball, so I was very happy to see them come away with five picks last game. The defense will really have to play well to keep pace with Oregon. Nebraska's Linebacker corps has been phenomenal throughout the first two games, but Oregon will be their biggest test. If they can keep contain on the edges, Nebraska has a great shot at beating Oregon. Our strong run defense has been very promising, especially with so much youth on the defense. Another strong showing from the Blackshirts against Wyoming, let's hope they can keep Oregon scoreless in the fourth as well!
Around the nation, there weren't too many big games to watch, but there were a lot of little teams to watch upset/nearly upset a lot of big teams. Clemson and Georgia survive narrow victories while TCU was upset at home in OT by Arkansas! The most shocking of upsets was definitely Central Michigan's insane Hail Mary against Oklahoma State. Even more insane is that the play shouldn't have even happened, and the officiating crew from the game has been suspended for a few games. Another crazy week is in the books, and we've had plenty of teams not look like themselves. I think week 3 could provide some interesting upsets! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Nebraska once again has a monster fourth quarter to pull away from the Cowboys and finish with a lopsided win. The Huskers have now outscored their two opponents 50-0 in the fourth quarter this season. However, the Huskers have struggled during the middle part of the game, which has allowed both Fresno State, and then Wyoming this past weekend, to stick around. Sophomore QB Josh Allen really played well during the first half of the game, but I think he got a little rattled towards the end as he finished with 5 interceptions. I think he has a bright future under Craig Bohl.
Offensively, the Huskers had a very strong outing, especially through the air. Tommy threw for 377 yards and 3 TDs, including his 57th career TD making him the all-time leader in touchdown passes in Husker history! Since Wyoming was loading the box so much, Nebraska relied heavily on the passing attack. The run game only managed 138 yards, but with 412 yards passing, the Huskers finished with an impressive 550 total yards. Headed into the Oregon game, I would like to see the offense balance back out and only have Tommy throw 20-25 passes instead of 34. However, there are not too many complaints when you score 52 points, I just hope they can consistently move the ball for four quarters instead of starting hot, going dormant for quarters two & three, and then unleashing havoc in the fourth. Just unleash havoc all game and score 80+! I would also like to send a quick shout out Alonzo Moore, because he has been tearing it up so far this year! Keep it up bro!!
On the defensive side of the ball, there is improvement, but there's still a long ways to go. If the Blackshirts are not able to pressure Fresno State or Wyoming QBs, then Ducks QB Dakota Prukop will tear them apart. The defensive line is doing a great job against the run, but there is hardly any pressure on opposing QBs. That's a big part of the reason why our secondary struggles at times. Wyoming ended up throwing 5 interceptions, but early on in the game, they were hitting a lot of passes to very open receivers. Our secondary has been in much better positions this year, which has allowed them to make plays on the ball, so I was very happy to see them come away with five picks last game. The defense will really have to play well to keep pace with Oregon. Nebraska's Linebacker corps has been phenomenal throughout the first two games, but Oregon will be their biggest test. If they can keep contain on the edges, Nebraska has a great shot at beating Oregon. Our strong run defense has been very promising, especially with so much youth on the defense. Another strong showing from the Blackshirts against Wyoming, let's hope they can keep Oregon scoreless in the fourth as well!
Around the nation, there weren't too many big games to watch, but there were a lot of little teams to watch upset/nearly upset a lot of big teams. Clemson and Georgia survive narrow victories while TCU was upset at home in OT by Arkansas! The most shocking of upsets was definitely Central Michigan's insane Hail Mary against Oklahoma State. Even more insane is that the play shouldn't have even happened, and the officiating crew from the game has been suspended for a few games. Another crazy week is in the books, and we've had plenty of teams not look like themselves. I think week 3 could provide some interesting upsets! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Friday, September 9, 2016
Week 2 Predictions
I hope everyone is ready for another great week of College Football. Not a whole lot of big match-ups this week, but there are some great rivalry games! We all know there's nothing better than a rivalry game, because anything can happen. I'm posting my predictions tonight since Nebraska has an 11 a.m. game and I am needed at 8 a.m. to give tours to the recruits. Enjoy and GO BIG RED!
Penn State at Pitt
I am very upset that this is an 11 a.m. game. I really wanted to see this historic rivalry renewed after a 16 year pause. I know this game will be played with a lot of emotion, especially with both teams coming off of solid wins in week one. This game is going to be a tough, hard fought, close finish. I think both teams have a decent shot at knocking off the other. Pitt should have a decent ground attack with James Conner picking up speed, especially since Penn State's defensive line is so young. However, the Nittany Lions will also bring a strong offensive attack, mostly lead by RB Saquon Barkely. Neither team has a very impressive passing attack, so look for them to grind it out and control the clock. I'm going to take Penn State in this one, I think thier offense is just a little more powerful than the Panthers. Nittany Lions 27, Panthers 24.
Georgia Southern at South Alabama
I know this game probably isn't very high on any watch lists, but I think this is an interesting match up. South Alabama came away with a very impressive upset over Mississippi State last week, proving they won't be a slouch in the Sun Belt this year. Georgia Southern didn't have many issues with Savannah State last week as they shut out the Tigers 54-0 while racking up 420 rushing yards in the process. South Alabama should put up more of a fight, especially after racking up 379 total yards on the Bulldogs last week. The Jaguars look to avenge the 55-17 beat down they suffered last season, and since they're playing at home, there could be some upset vibes going on. I think a win like the upset last week motivates South Alabama, and they're going to pull another upset on Georgia Southern this week! Jaguars 37, Eagles 35.
Arkansas at #15 TCU
Neither one of these teams looked very impressive in their openers as they both had to squeak out wins against lesser teams. Arkansas was held to only 106 yards rushing by Louisiana Tech, and it took TCU a 4th quarter rally to hold off the Jackrabbits from South Dakota State. I anticipate the Razorbacks will have a little more offensive success against TCU as most teams in the Big 12 lack a very good defense. The Horned Frogs gave up 461 yards a week ago, but used thier speed to finish out the game strong. I have a feeling that's how this game will play out too. Arkansas will hang around and probably impose thier will early on, but Kenny Hill's ability to make plays outside of the pocket and hit the long ball are not to be over looked. Another big 4th quarter and the Horned Frogs walk away 2-0. TCU wins this one 44-31.
Iowa State at #16 Iowa
This probably won't be a very sensational game to watch, but the rivalry factor always makes it interesting. ISU Head Coach Matt Campbell's opening game was ruined with an upset by the Panthers of UNI. The Cyclones certainly don't want to go 0-2 against the football teams in the state of Iowa, so look for some extra effort against their rivals. As much as I would love to see a Cyclone upset, it won't happen. Iowa is too consistent to slip up against Iowa State. I doubt thier win will be very impressive, but they will capitalize on the Cyclone's mistakes and come away with another mediocre victory. I'm sorry to my Hawkeye friends, but I won't really be impressed with a victory unless they out-right dominate the Cyclones. Iowa 31, Iowa State 20.
BYU at Utah
The Battle for the Beehive Boot picks up again as the Cougars travel up North to take on the rival Utes. BYU came away with a narrow, 18-16 victory against Arizona last week, and looks to keep momentum going as they head up to Salt Lake City. Utah looked good in thier opener against Southern Utah, but nothing too impressive against thier FCS foes. Rivalry games like this always turn out to be a good one, so look for some highlights after this one is over. Taysom Hill looks to lead the Cougars to a successful year in his last go around, and two big road wins to start would be an impressive start. Usually I'd give the edge to the home team, but I think Utah has too much to replace on offense to keep up with BYU this year. Cougars win the Beehive Boot 33-28.
Virginia Tech vs. #17 Tennessee
The first ever College Football game to be played in a NASCAR stadium... I hope the fans all bring binoculars! I'm sorry, but I can't even imagine how hard it will be to see the game from the grandstands in this setting. Nonetheless, we still have two teams playing football, and the two teams provide us with an interesting match-up. Justin Fuente leads the Hokies in thier first real challenge after the Frank Beamer era. Tennessee is coming off a near devastating (and hilarious) upset at the hands of Appalachian State. They've all "moved on" and are now focused on bouncing back against the Hokies. Joshua Dobbs and Jalen Hurd look to power the Vols offense that really struggled a week ago. The Hokies defense is known for thier strategic blitzes and speed off the edge, so I'm interested to see how it continues under Fuente's leadership. After last week, I'm sure Tennessee will mess up this season, but I think they'll be motivated enough to take this one. Offense gets back on track, and I don't think the Hokies can keep up with the scoring. Vols win it 38-21.
Wyoming at Nebraska
The Cowboys ride into Lincoln on a high note after upsetting Northern Illinois in a 3OT thriller last weekend. However, thier task against the Huskers will be much tougher. Nebraska looks to balance out thier offense a little more from last game after running the ball for around 80% of the game. I anticipate Nebraska to take more shots downfield and to roll Tommy out on some bootlegs. I think the heavy focus on the running game will be very helpful for the Huskers to start using play-action. I expect the offense to have another impressive outing, but hopefully it's consistent throughout the entire game instead of just a couple of quarters. The defensive side is where most of my concerns lie. Wyoming has a very efficient offense with a very balanced attack. Sophomore QB Josh Allen and RB Brian Hill look to lead the Cowboys against a young Blackshirts defense that is still trying to find its groove. The Linebackers should keep the run game at bay (Nebraska only gave up 31 rushing yards to Fresno State), but the defensive line and secondary are my issue spots. The front four took a hit this week as DT Mick Stoltenberg will undergo a knee scope and miss this weeks game. That means red-shirt freshman Carlos Davis will get his first start in Mick's place. An already young and thin defensive line just got younger and thinner for this game. They held thier own against the run last week, but Wyoming will attack them with a number of different looks. With all that being said, the passing game is my biggest worry for our defense. The defensive line failed to put a lot of pressure on Fresno State's QBs last week, causing our struggling secondary to stay in coverage much longer than needed. The front four will really need to step up thier pressure throughout the year if our secondary is going to improve. I think the Cowboys will cause some headaches early on, but once the defense settles in, I don't think they'll have too many issues. Look for more outside blitzes from the safeties and corners to throw off Josh Allen. Huskers win 45-21.
I hope you all enjoyed my picks for this weekend! Let me know if there's any other games you'd like me to analyze. I also want to send a shout-out to former Husker FB Andy Janovich who scored a TD on his very first NFL carry last night while also DESTROYING top rated NFL linebackers with his blocks! GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Penn State at Pitt
I am very upset that this is an 11 a.m. game. I really wanted to see this historic rivalry renewed after a 16 year pause. I know this game will be played with a lot of emotion, especially with both teams coming off of solid wins in week one. This game is going to be a tough, hard fought, close finish. I think both teams have a decent shot at knocking off the other. Pitt should have a decent ground attack with James Conner picking up speed, especially since Penn State's defensive line is so young. However, the Nittany Lions will also bring a strong offensive attack, mostly lead by RB Saquon Barkely. Neither team has a very impressive passing attack, so look for them to grind it out and control the clock. I'm going to take Penn State in this one, I think thier offense is just a little more powerful than the Panthers. Nittany Lions 27, Panthers 24.
Georgia Southern at South Alabama
I know this game probably isn't very high on any watch lists, but I think this is an interesting match up. South Alabama came away with a very impressive upset over Mississippi State last week, proving they won't be a slouch in the Sun Belt this year. Georgia Southern didn't have many issues with Savannah State last week as they shut out the Tigers 54-0 while racking up 420 rushing yards in the process. South Alabama should put up more of a fight, especially after racking up 379 total yards on the Bulldogs last week. The Jaguars look to avenge the 55-17 beat down they suffered last season, and since they're playing at home, there could be some upset vibes going on. I think a win like the upset last week motivates South Alabama, and they're going to pull another upset on Georgia Southern this week! Jaguars 37, Eagles 35.
Arkansas at #15 TCU
Neither one of these teams looked very impressive in their openers as they both had to squeak out wins against lesser teams. Arkansas was held to only 106 yards rushing by Louisiana Tech, and it took TCU a 4th quarter rally to hold off the Jackrabbits from South Dakota State. I anticipate the Razorbacks will have a little more offensive success against TCU as most teams in the Big 12 lack a very good defense. The Horned Frogs gave up 461 yards a week ago, but used thier speed to finish out the game strong. I have a feeling that's how this game will play out too. Arkansas will hang around and probably impose thier will early on, but Kenny Hill's ability to make plays outside of the pocket and hit the long ball are not to be over looked. Another big 4th quarter and the Horned Frogs walk away 2-0. TCU wins this one 44-31.
Iowa State at #16 Iowa
This probably won't be a very sensational game to watch, but the rivalry factor always makes it interesting. ISU Head Coach Matt Campbell's opening game was ruined with an upset by the Panthers of UNI. The Cyclones certainly don't want to go 0-2 against the football teams in the state of Iowa, so look for some extra effort against their rivals. As much as I would love to see a Cyclone upset, it won't happen. Iowa is too consistent to slip up against Iowa State. I doubt thier win will be very impressive, but they will capitalize on the Cyclone's mistakes and come away with another mediocre victory. I'm sorry to my Hawkeye friends, but I won't really be impressed with a victory unless they out-right dominate the Cyclones. Iowa 31, Iowa State 20.
BYU at Utah
The Battle for the Beehive Boot picks up again as the Cougars travel up North to take on the rival Utes. BYU came away with a narrow, 18-16 victory against Arizona last week, and looks to keep momentum going as they head up to Salt Lake City. Utah looked good in thier opener against Southern Utah, but nothing too impressive against thier FCS foes. Rivalry games like this always turn out to be a good one, so look for some highlights after this one is over. Taysom Hill looks to lead the Cougars to a successful year in his last go around, and two big road wins to start would be an impressive start. Usually I'd give the edge to the home team, but I think Utah has too much to replace on offense to keep up with BYU this year. Cougars win the Beehive Boot 33-28.
Virginia Tech vs. #17 Tennessee
The first ever College Football game to be played in a NASCAR stadium... I hope the fans all bring binoculars! I'm sorry, but I can't even imagine how hard it will be to see the game from the grandstands in this setting. Nonetheless, we still have two teams playing football, and the two teams provide us with an interesting match-up. Justin Fuente leads the Hokies in thier first real challenge after the Frank Beamer era. Tennessee is coming off a near devastating (and hilarious) upset at the hands of Appalachian State. They've all "moved on" and are now focused on bouncing back against the Hokies. Joshua Dobbs and Jalen Hurd look to power the Vols offense that really struggled a week ago. The Hokies defense is known for thier strategic blitzes and speed off the edge, so I'm interested to see how it continues under Fuente's leadership. After last week, I'm sure Tennessee will mess up this season, but I think they'll be motivated enough to take this one. Offense gets back on track, and I don't think the Hokies can keep up with the scoring. Vols win it 38-21.
Wyoming at Nebraska
The Cowboys ride into Lincoln on a high note after upsetting Northern Illinois in a 3OT thriller last weekend. However, thier task against the Huskers will be much tougher. Nebraska looks to balance out thier offense a little more from last game after running the ball for around 80% of the game. I anticipate Nebraska to take more shots downfield and to roll Tommy out on some bootlegs. I think the heavy focus on the running game will be very helpful for the Huskers to start using play-action. I expect the offense to have another impressive outing, but hopefully it's consistent throughout the entire game instead of just a couple of quarters. The defensive side is where most of my concerns lie. Wyoming has a very efficient offense with a very balanced attack. Sophomore QB Josh Allen and RB Brian Hill look to lead the Cowboys against a young Blackshirts defense that is still trying to find its groove. The Linebackers should keep the run game at bay (Nebraska only gave up 31 rushing yards to Fresno State), but the defensive line and secondary are my issue spots. The front four took a hit this week as DT Mick Stoltenberg will undergo a knee scope and miss this weeks game. That means red-shirt freshman Carlos Davis will get his first start in Mick's place. An already young and thin defensive line just got younger and thinner for this game. They held thier own against the run last week, but Wyoming will attack them with a number of different looks. With all that being said, the passing game is my biggest worry for our defense. The defensive line failed to put a lot of pressure on Fresno State's QBs last week, causing our struggling secondary to stay in coverage much longer than needed. The front four will really need to step up thier pressure throughout the year if our secondary is going to improve. I think the Cowboys will cause some headaches early on, but once the defense settles in, I don't think they'll have too many issues. Look for more outside blitzes from the safeties and corners to throw off Josh Allen. Huskers win 45-21.
I hope you all enjoyed my picks for this weekend! Let me know if there's any other games you'd like me to analyze. I also want to send a shout-out to former Husker FB Andy Janovich who scored a TD on his very first NFL carry last night while also DESTROYING top rated NFL linebackers with his blocks! GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Monday, September 5, 2016
Week 1 Reflection
What a great first weekend in College Football! We had a number of upsets, overtime games, and a few thrillers. This post will have my reflections on the Husker game, as well as my thoughts on a few of the other teams around the nation from what I saw this weekend. Enjoy!
There's not too many things you can complain about when you win 43-10 in your opener! The Huskers looked pretty good, a little stale during the second and third quarters, but were very consistent throughout the entire game, especially in the run game. Nebraska finished with 292 on the ground and 5 rushing TDs. Eight different Huskers carried the ball, lead by Devine Ozigbo who finished with 103 yards. I was very happy to see a heavy emphasis on the run game, and that the coaching staff did not switch out of their game plan when it stalled for a few drives. I think a little more creativity will be needed against Oregon and during conference play, but this was a good game to show that we can move the ball and to get a young offensive line experience on where there blocks should be lined up. Tommy looked very good running the ball, but still concerned me with his passing on a few plays. He only dropped back 10 times, so there isn't a very large sample size, but with only a 50% completion rating against a very sub-par secondary isn't exactly what I was hoping for. I noticed that he still tends to lock into one man and not go through all of his progressions. If he takes more time in the pocket, I think he'll see that he has some other open wideouts around the field. He also threw into heavy coverage a number of times, so progressing through his reads would be very helpful.
On the defensive side of the ball, the linebackers were all over the field. I expected them to be the strength of the Blackshirts, and I was very impressed with their penetration in the gaps, how well they wrapped up hard, and how well they played in coverage over the middle. As for the rest of the defense, they looked like the talented, but inexperienced group I pegged them to be. Starting up front, the defensive line really got a great push and were a big part in holding Fresno State to only 31 yards rushing. However, they were not getting any pressure on Fresno State's QB. I didn't expect them to be in the backfield every play, but the pocket seemed to hold for too long throughout most of the game. That put a lot of pressure on a young secondary that was already without thier Senior leader. I was very impressed with the play of Aaron Williams at Safety, but he does need to save his celebrations for the sidelines! Kalu and Jones seemed to be out of position on a number of simple, underneath routes. I could tell fairly early in the game that the Bulldogs would not be throwing deep very much, so I'm not sure why the coaching staff had our DBs playing off so far from the ball. This left the underneath throws to be very open. The swing passes out to the side were very painful to watch because Nebraska did not have anyone within 10 yards of the receiver. Secondary play will be another huge focus this season, but it starts up front with pressure from the defensive line. Overall, a solid start for the Huskers, especially holding the Bulldogs out of the endzone late in the game.
My final word on the Husker game is on the humbling punt formation with only 10 players lined up. It's rare for a punter to have that powerful of an impact on a team, let alone the fan base of that team, but that is truly one moment that I will never forget. I want to personally thank the Fresno State program for thier support in our loss and honoring Sam with SF stickers of their own and for declining the penalty. There are moments that are bigger than football, and for them to respect that moment was very kind and honorable. I know Sam will be with our program this fall, and I look forward to our team honoring him throughout the year.
As for the rest of College Football.... What. A. WEEKEND!! I was very happy to see the Houston and Wisconsin upsets. I couldn't bring myself to pick them, but I'll definitely be reconsidering my future picks! Georgia really impressed me as well, I did not think that Nick Chubb would be that big of a factor so soon after his knee injury last season, but he honestly looks a step or two faster from a year ago. My biggest concern is Alabama. They look almost as scary as thier running back Bo Scarbrough. If you haven't seen a picture of him, hide your kids and do a quick search on Google. I honestly don't know how you could have a back bigger than Derrick Henry, but Bo is just a Monster. I'm a little nervous that Nick Saban said they didn't play thier best football in the 52-6 thrashing they gave to the Trojans. Texas pulled out the stunner on Notre Dame and Florida State had an incredible comeback performance against Ole Miss. This was a great opening weekend in College Football, and I cannot wait for more! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
There's not too many things you can complain about when you win 43-10 in your opener! The Huskers looked pretty good, a little stale during the second and third quarters, but were very consistent throughout the entire game, especially in the run game. Nebraska finished with 292 on the ground and 5 rushing TDs. Eight different Huskers carried the ball, lead by Devine Ozigbo who finished with 103 yards. I was very happy to see a heavy emphasis on the run game, and that the coaching staff did not switch out of their game plan when it stalled for a few drives. I think a little more creativity will be needed against Oregon and during conference play, but this was a good game to show that we can move the ball and to get a young offensive line experience on where there blocks should be lined up. Tommy looked very good running the ball, but still concerned me with his passing on a few plays. He only dropped back 10 times, so there isn't a very large sample size, but with only a 50% completion rating against a very sub-par secondary isn't exactly what I was hoping for. I noticed that he still tends to lock into one man and not go through all of his progressions. If he takes more time in the pocket, I think he'll see that he has some other open wideouts around the field. He also threw into heavy coverage a number of times, so progressing through his reads would be very helpful.
On the defensive side of the ball, the linebackers were all over the field. I expected them to be the strength of the Blackshirts, and I was very impressed with their penetration in the gaps, how well they wrapped up hard, and how well they played in coverage over the middle. As for the rest of the defense, they looked like the talented, but inexperienced group I pegged them to be. Starting up front, the defensive line really got a great push and were a big part in holding Fresno State to only 31 yards rushing. However, they were not getting any pressure on Fresno State's QB. I didn't expect them to be in the backfield every play, but the pocket seemed to hold for too long throughout most of the game. That put a lot of pressure on a young secondary that was already without thier Senior leader. I was very impressed with the play of Aaron Williams at Safety, but he does need to save his celebrations for the sidelines! Kalu and Jones seemed to be out of position on a number of simple, underneath routes. I could tell fairly early in the game that the Bulldogs would not be throwing deep very much, so I'm not sure why the coaching staff had our DBs playing off so far from the ball. This left the underneath throws to be very open. The swing passes out to the side were very painful to watch because Nebraska did not have anyone within 10 yards of the receiver. Secondary play will be another huge focus this season, but it starts up front with pressure from the defensive line. Overall, a solid start for the Huskers, especially holding the Bulldogs out of the endzone late in the game.
My final word on the Husker game is on the humbling punt formation with only 10 players lined up. It's rare for a punter to have that powerful of an impact on a team, let alone the fan base of that team, but that is truly one moment that I will never forget. I want to personally thank the Fresno State program for thier support in our loss and honoring Sam with SF stickers of their own and for declining the penalty. There are moments that are bigger than football, and for them to respect that moment was very kind and honorable. I know Sam will be with our program this fall, and I look forward to our team honoring him throughout the year.
As for the rest of College Football.... What. A. WEEKEND!! I was very happy to see the Houston and Wisconsin upsets. I couldn't bring myself to pick them, but I'll definitely be reconsidering my future picks! Georgia really impressed me as well, I did not think that Nick Chubb would be that big of a factor so soon after his knee injury last season, but he honestly looks a step or two faster from a year ago. My biggest concern is Alabama. They look almost as scary as thier running back Bo Scarbrough. If you haven't seen a picture of him, hide your kids and do a quick search on Google. I honestly don't know how you could have a back bigger than Derrick Henry, but Bo is just a Monster. I'm a little nervous that Nick Saban said they didn't play thier best football in the 52-6 thrashing they gave to the Trojans. Texas pulled out the stunner on Notre Dame and Florida State had an incredible comeback performance against Ole Miss. This was a great opening weekend in College Football, and I cannot wait for more! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Week 1 Predictions
Get up, IT'S GAMEDAY!!! College Football is back, and there is nothing better than Saturday's in the fall. I hope everyone is ready for a spectacular first weekend of football. These are my picks on the big games for week one, ENJOY!!!
#3 Oklahoma vs. #15 Houston
We get to kick off our Saturday with a fantastic match-up between Big-Game Bobby's Sooners and the Dark Horse Cougars from Houston. This game has two of the best QBs in the nation lining up against each other. Baker Mayfield finished fourth in the Heisman race last year and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, along with All-American Honors. He will be joined in the backfield by star RB Samaje Perine. Perine rushed for almost 1400 yards last season and 16 touchdowns. I expect the Sooners to put up some good points this year, and Mayfield and Perine are going to be the main focus of the offense. On the other side, Houston comes into 2016 after an incredible 13-1 2015 in Tod Herman's first campaign. Greg Ward Jr. is still my Dark Horse Heisman pick and he is the only QB apart from Deshaun Watson (who tore apart OU in the Playoffs last winter) who passed for more than 2000 yards and rushed for more than 1000 yards last season. The Cougars offense should be firing on all cylinders, but Ward will need some help from his friends if they want to pull the upset. The stage is set for the big game, and I would love to see Houston upset Oklahoma, but the key to victory lies in the secondaries. Oklahoma returns three starters from a year ago including two All-Conference players. Houston LOSES three players from their secondary that combined for 135 career starts and combined for 25 picks last year. The Secondary makes this match-up very interesting, and definitely tips it in OU's favor. I'm not discounting the Cougars, and I think this one could be close in the end, but I'm picking the Sooners to win 44-33.
#16 UCLA at Texas A&M
This is an intriguing game because A&M has had a very rough off-season with a number of players transferring to different schools. The Aggies have an experienced group of wideouts and All-American DE Myles Garrett, but I'm not sure that will be enough. Oklahoma Transfer Trevor Knight looks to help the Aggie offense after losing two 5 star QBs over the summer. Knight has a good stock of weapons, we'll see if the experience pays off. UCLA comes in looking to get into the playoff mix, lead by Sophomore QB Josh Rosen. Rosen had a strong Freshman campaign passing for 3670 yards and 23 TDs. Expect their offense to take another step forward in Rosen's second year. The main focus on this game will be defense. Garrett will cause some havoc over four quarters, but he'll need help if they want the upset. UCLA on the other hand should look pretty good. They are returning ten starters from last year's defense including three All-Pac12 players. I expect UCLA to handle this one, but watch for Myles Garrett to get to Rosen a few times. Bruins 38, Aggies 20.
#5 LSU vs. Wisconsin
Gameday kicks us off from Lambeau field in Green Bay, WI. The Tigers and the Badgers are two very historic power run, tough defense, hard-nosed football teams. LSU returns 19 starters from a year ago, including Heisman contender Leonard Fournette who looks to run over, around, and mostly through any one that steps into his path. Fournette had nearly 2000 yards and 22 TDs last season.... as a Sophomore. LSU will rely on him, but need to find some sort of passing game to take off the pressure. Defensively, LSU looks to continue their success from last season as they finished with a top 25 defense. The Badgers finished with the second ranked overall defense last year and return 7 starters (six of them being in their front seven) from last year. On offense, Senior RB Corey Clement looks to return from a sub-par Junior campaign to lead the Badgers offense. The only problem is the Badgers don't tend to have much offense. Apart from an experienced offensive line, the offense doesn't have many weapons. I expect the two defenses to keep this game close, but when Wisconsin isn't able to score, Fournette will. I've got the Tigers over the Badgers in a tight one 21-17.
#18 Georgia vs. #22 North Carolina
I'm really looking forward to this game because Kirby Smart does not have an easy opponent to start his stint as Head Coach of the Dawgs. UNC was very close to knocking off Clemson in the ACC Championship a year ago, and they've replaced their star QB with Junior Mitch Turbisky. Turbisky is known as a better passer than former QB Marquese Williams, and he has a stockpile of talent to throw to. He also has one of the best kept secrets in all of College Football, RB Elijah Hood. Hood is one of my favorite players to watch because he is very tough to take down with the first hit. Look for him to run wild in 2016. Returning 15 starters from a year ago will help the Tar Heels continue to roll through the ACC Coastal Division. Georgia on the other side is headed into a brand new world under Kriby Smart. The Bulldogs have a new coach, but a familiar team as they return 14 starters from a year ago, including their entire secondary. They also return RB Nick Chubb who is back from injury. I anticipate their defense to take a step forward under Smart's coaching, but the offense will be a question. They have the players, but can new OC Jim Chaney get the ball moving? I think this will be a close match-up early in the game, but UNC's experience on offense will pull away in the end. Tar Heels 45, Bulldogs 27.
#20 USC vs. #1 Alabama
A great Prime-Time game under the lights in Arlington. The tide look to roll into another great season, but they'll have to replace Heisman RB Derrick Henry, and a majority of their defense. They do return their entire secondary from a year ago, and I doubt the rest of their defense will be very far behind them on talent. The game plan never changes for Bama, so it's all on the Trojan's side to cause problems. The Trojans have lots of talent, and they are returning everyone on their offense except their QB. So, Junior Max Browne will get the start, and has more weapons than he'll know what to do with, so look for USC to score some points. Defense is the question because Calvin Ridley looks to be the focal point of the Tide's offensive attack. USC does return thier secondary, but lost most of thier front seven, so causing pressure could be tough. Both teams are full of talent, so it's hard to pick a winner, especially with the neutral site. I would love to see an upset, but I'm not convinced that USC is the real deal yet. I'm taking the tide in a close one 30-24.
#2 Clemson at Auburn
Deshaun Watson. That's really all I think I need to say about this game. Auburn returns six starters on defense, but that defense gave up over 400 yards per games last year. They might be able to score a couple times, but I would be surprised if Clemson struggled in this game. Their offense shouldn't have any problems finding the endzone, and this should be a good game to get experience for a young defense. I've got Dabo's Tigers winning this game 52-21.
#10 Notre Dame at Texas (Sunday)
Texas looks to get back into the power houses of College Football, but they're still struggling to get play-makers on offense. Their defense returns eight starters from a year ago, but I don't think that will be enough to stop DeShone Kizer. Notre Dame has plenty to replace only returning nine starters total from a year ago, but Kizer's experience and play-making ability lead me to believe that the Irish should have no problem with the Horns. Texas might cause some issues early, but I think Notre Dame will take this one 38-14.
#11 Ole Miss vs. #4 Florida State (Monday)
Another great match-up between top 15 teams. The Rebels look to continue thier success from last year, but may have thier eyes set on an SEC Championship before their likely NCAA punishments arrive. Chad Kelly was a transfer last season, and accounted for over 4500 yards and 41 TDs. He's lost a few weapons, but still returns a couple of his top targets. Look for the Rebels to attack the FSU secondary in this game. On the defensive side of the ball, Ole Miss will have some issues. They've lost half of thier starters from a year ago, and are set to take on one of the top RBs in the nation in Dalvin Cook. The Seminoles return thier entire offense from a year ago (QB Sean MaGuire out with injury) so I expect them to move the ball fairly well against the LandSharks. This one will be more of an offenseive shootout in my opinion, but I'm going with the 'Noles. FSU 41, Ole Miss 35.
Fresno State at Nebraska
Easily my most anticipated game of the weekend, Nebraska opens our season with the Bulldogs from the West Coast. This should be a good game to see what Nebraska is capable of, and to get some experience for a very young defense. Fresno State is breaking in three new coordinators, so all aspects of thier game will be a mystery. I'm anxious to see what they try against the Blackshirts tonight. For Nebraska, injuries, suspensions, the tragic loss of a teammate, and a season full of close losses from a year ago have fueled the fire for the 2016 Huskers. Talking with some of my friends on the team, there's one main theme that I can see: HUNGRY! The system is in it's second year, the offense is loaded with experienced play-makers, and all they want to do is win. I don't expect the offense to have many issues tonight, and hopefully the 4th year of QB Tommy Armstrong is better than all three previous combined. He has the talent to lead one of the top offenses in the nation, we'll see if his decision making can bring home the execution. Speaking of decision making, I will be looking very closely at the coaching calls throughout the game. Last year there were a number of puzzling play-calls and clock management issues by the coaching staff. Hopefully they've gotten those fixed. Finally, the Blackshirts. Somehow, the Linebackers are the deepest and most experienced group on the defensive side of the ball, so look for them to lead this squad. Pass rush and secondary are the two big questions. Very young, very talented, but very poor last season. Look for Freedom Akinmoladun to lead the defensive line and get to the QB off the edge. In the secondary, there will be a lot of young talent sprinkled in, so hopefully they can get up to game speed quickly! I'll always be picking my Huskers and giving the reasons why they can win, and today, that's the offense. They will be far too much for Fresno State, and I'm very excited for our 2016 squad! Huskers win this game 38-17.
I hope you all enjoyed my picks for this week and are ready for some football!! I'm very excited to announce that I will again be working with Husker Football as a tour guide for recruits on game days. Nebraska has an incredible group of recruits visiting for this first game, including a number of 5 star prospects. I cannot wait to meet them and show them all why There is NO Place Like Nebraska! GO BIG RED!!!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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