The Biggest Husker Fan

     Family, friends and football readers, I must begin this post with an apology. I have falsely claimed the title of the Biggest Husker Fan throughout my life. I've always convinced myself this was the case because I live and breathe Husker football, but I am not the Biggest Husker Fan. That title goes to the woman who taught me how to live and breath Husker football, my amazing mother, Kelli Fernando.

     For those unaware, my beautiful mother passed away on October 24th, 2018 from unexpected medical complications after a successful surgery. She always had and will continue to teach me in her passing. My mom loved to sing, socialize, and most of all, cheer for the Huskers. Mom would let absolutely nothing stand in her way of watching her Huskers, and watching games with her will be one of my most cherished memories in life. My Mother taught me everything about about football and the Huskers. My love and passion for the game stem from hers. I've been watching games with her since I was just 5 months old. Now, you wouldn't think someone so young would be able to pay attention, but Mom had lots of ways to keep me entertained. During the late 90s seasons, I was only a couple years old and would sometimes struggle to pay attention to everything in the game. So, Mom would have to get creative if she wanted to watch the game and keep her young Husker-in-training focused. We made nicknames for all of the star players on the team, and came up with creative actions to honor them with. For example, Matt Davison was dubbed "The Miracle Man", after his Miracle in Missouri catch during the 1997 season. So whenever "The Miracle Man" would catch the ball, Mom and I would put our hands above our head in praise and bow to Davison on TV. Another popular Husker at the time was Running Back Dan Alexander, a.k.a. "Tripod". Alexander got the name "Tripod" because whenever he ran the ball, he always seemed to need to put his hand on the ground to steady himself in order to get more yards. So, whenever "Tripod" carried the ball, Mom and I would run back and forth in front of the TV and put our hands on the ground like Alexander. The greatest nickname belongs to one of my all-time favorite players, Correll Buckhalter, aka "The Train". Buckhalter was a favorite among many Husker fans, because he refused to go down once hit with initial contact. Because of this trait, Mom and I would always run around the living room moving our arms like a Train and saying "Chugga-chugga, Chugga-chugga, CHOO CHOO"! When she took me to get Buckhalter's autograph, she stopped the line for a few minutes to tell him all about dubbing him "The Train" and how he helped spark my passion. She always told me I followed the games really well for someone so young, but I know it was because I simply just loved playing all of those games with her. One of her most famous nicknames came just a few years ago with Ryker Fyfe taking over at QB for the injured Tommy Armstrong. Mom called Fyfe "The Grand Island Gunslinger". No one was more creative or passionate about the players than my Mom.

     Now her fandom didn't stop with simply keeping me interested in the game, it grew as I grew. She instilled in me the passion that she had, growing mine to new heights. I wanted to be a Husker Football player my entire life because of what she taught me. She fully supported me, sending a special text when I tried out as a potential Walk-on my Freshman year. Mom had to be the bravest women on earth to let her 5'7, 100 & nothing pound Freshman in college try to be a Husker, but she supported me in everything I did. Now I realize that I simply just wanted to be a Husker, and I wanted to be like her. We had so many traditions on Gameday, following along with the Huskers every step of the way. Before the game would start, Mom would prep the stereo system with her famous Husker CD. We'd begin by blasting Sirus, by The Alan Parsons Project, throughout the living room to get hyped for the tunnel walk. We'd dance and march to the other songs on the CD until kickoff, and then we were locked in. To this day, and every day to follow, once the ball is snapped, the only thing I can think of is my Mom yelling "GET HIM GET HIM GET HIM GET HIM"!! She was so excited with every snap of the ball and would jump up and down screaming on every play (Nebraska actually did good things on every play back then). My favorite part would always be when Nebraska scored on a big run as she'd be jumping and screaming the whole time the ball carrier ran down the field. Then, following every score, we'd turn on the stereo again and blast Hail Varsity while the commercials ran. Mom would dance around the room and pull our dog Shadow into the celebrations as well. As the song ended, we'd yell "GO BIG RED" as we settled down to watch the game again. I had a special "lucky" plush football when I was young, and I never watched a game without it. Mom and I would play catch during commercials and I would try to juke her out as she tackled me to the couch. As I grew older, my excitement matched hers.

     One very important thing to point out, my Mom's passion for the Huskers did not just stop with encouraging me. Although her husband could never quite figure out the game and her youngest son preferred fossilized bones over a pigskin, Mom would make sure everyone was in red on Gameday. She always made sure everything was Husker and she always helped me to become even more of a Husker. One of my all-time favorite Christmas gifts will always be the Husker uniform set with the #7 (Eric Crouch) Jersey, pants and two Husker helmets. I was so proud to wear that outfit and I know she was proud to see her influence paying off. I've received something Husker for every single Christmas of my life, no lie. She made every effort to help my passion grow, and would constantly garb me in Husker clothing and find posters for my walls. My room at my parents house is completely covered with Husker posters, flags and memorabilia from wall to wall. Mom would also always help me get autographs from the players I adored so much. Little did I know she adored them even more. She was always so star-struck when meeting players with me, but that's just who she was. Why not be excited about this right? I have well over 300 (low guesstimate) autographs around my room from all the Husker greats. I remember when she took me to meet Scott Frost at a local HyVee, explaining to him how big of a Husker fan I was. Or when we joined my aunt and uncle in Omaha to bowl with Husker greats and talked with my all-time favorite Husker, Eric Crouch, all night long. My Mom did everything to make sure absolutely everything I owned had a big red N on it. One of the best stories is how she fought off her own sister in a bidding war at our family reunion silent auction in order to ensure that I got the autographed Tommie Frazier jersey, not my aunt. My mom always helped me decorate my room, and when I moved to the basement she helped make sure every inch was covered in red. Now I was slightly upset when she said I couldn't paint a big N on the wall, but with the pictures below, you can see it wasn't even necessary! From Husker clothes to a telephone that played the fight song, my Mom made sure I could be the biggest Husker fan I wanted to be.

     Every true Husker fan knows you're not supposed to have anything going on during game time on Saturdays in the fall, and my Mom was a true Husker fan. I always thought it was funny when someone would call the house phone while we were watching the game and she'd storm off to the phone (kind of sarcastically, kind of not) and say "don't people know not to call during a Husker game?!" One of those people that called once was one of my Mom's closest friends, Rebecca. In October of 2010, Rebecca got engaged and the first person she wanted to tell was my Mom. Unfortunately for Rebecca, she called during a Husker football game and my Mom said, "Yeah, uh huh, that's nice. I'll call you back later.", as she hung up and continued to watch the game. Now please remember that my mom is the most social and kindhearted woman I've ever known, she loves to talk and will talk all day and all night, as long as it's not during Husker football. Rebecca learned that the hard way, but still shared the news with my Mom after the game.

     Mom was always very superstitious about the games too, and mostly about her husband being a complete jinx for the Huskers. She's tried to teach him football, but he just doesn't understand. Dad often gets Idaho State and Ohio State confused. Anytime he would walk into the room, something bad would often happen to the Huskers and Mom would immediately send him outside to go do a project. In 2004, we brought my childhood friend Isaac Faldmo to his first ever Husker game (he's a BYU fan), and Mom immediately blamed him for Matt Herian's injury early in the second quarter of the game (jokingly of course). She even "banned" her own mother from attending away football games with a fake game pass that said "Do NOT Allow In" after Grandma attended two blowout losses at Wisconsin and in the BIG 10 Championship in 2011 and 2012 respectively. We would cross our fingers during field goals and pray for Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Missouri to lose every week. You can now add Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio State to that list as well! Mom always mocked the Sooners' fight song as well whenever it played, singing "Boomer Sooner" in a fake squeaky voice. She was as fierce of a competitor as any of the guys on the field.

     I always loved going to games with my Mom, and luckily her sister (yes, the one she beat out for the autographed Frazier jersey) had season tickets. When Mom brought me to my first game, it was incredible. When I took her to her last, it was just as special. We've been to so many games over the years, but my favorite will be Homecoming against Rutgers on September 23rd, 2017. I was selected as one of our Homecoming Royalty Candidates at Nebraska and was able to bring my parents to a special luncheon before heading to the stadium for the game. Now Mom wasn't thrilled with the seats we were given (field level behind the Husker bench, only view of the game was on the big screen), but I know she was incredibly proud and happy to be there with me. She was so excited to see me on the big screen, but immediately moved us to the student section by my cousins afterward so she could actually watch the game. Each game with her was special, and it was always fun watching her be one of the loudest and craziest fans. My last game with Mom was the season opener against Colorado. I am so thankful I got to spend at least one last game with her, watching and talking about football all day long. I was bummed the Huskers lost, not really for the team, but mostly for my Mom. I know she loves nothing more than seeing the Huskers win, but she still had a fun time and I had the best time because I was with my Mom. Again, she taught me everything about football when I was starting out. How the game worked, what the rules were, it was very special. I don't know too many people who can bond so strongly over something like football with their Mom, but that's just one of the many reasons on why she was so special. It was difficult being at school, because while I was able to attend every game, I missed watching them with her. However, I always looked forward to our post-game phone calls to discuss our analysis of the team and the issues that needed to be fixed. She was always so excited to hear about how my recruiting tours went, and earlier this season was absolutely thrilled when I shared my play by play broadcasting experience with her. She would always give me constructive critiques on my radio shows, but I always knew she was proud of me. Just over a week ago, days before she passed, we texted as we watched Purdue beat Ohio State. I didn't even need to ask if she was watching, all I had to do was text her saying "I wish I had picked Purdue for the upset". I always knew she was watching football on Saturdays, even after the Huskers were done. We watched every game we could together and she would always be asking how all the other games of the day went for each team. Another great story is when my friends and I were in Lincoln having a watch party for one of the Husker games last season. Dedrick Young completely whiffed on a tackle and I immediately complained to friends on how slow he was. The next thing I know, I received a text from my Mom also complaining how slow he is. My friends were all amazed at the connection we had and the fact that she just knew exactly what to talk about. I think I will miss analyzing the games and plays with her the most. It was always so fun to listen to her suggest teams do a fake punt or field goal just for the hell of it.

     There are far too many stories to tell about my Mom and the Huskers, but the most important message of them all was her passion. It was so special to see someone get so excited for something they've seen 1,000 times before, but she always knew each game was special. She was such a super fan that she developed a nervous cough right when kickoff started and it often stayed until the final whistle unless the Huskers were dominating. I've never seen anyone so dedicated to anything in their life as my Mother was to her Huskers. She shared that passion with me and I cannot thank her enough for that. She always said she brainwashed me too much, but I know she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved the Huskers just as she loved everyone and everything else in life, with all of her heart. She was the most special person I've ever known, and I'm so thankful I was one of the two lucky enough to call her Mama. I know she's proud of my brother Brian and all of his Dinosaur antics, but I cannot describe how special it is to share this passion with you Mom. I will love you forever, and I will always remember when you first taught me to say GO BIG RED and hold up the #1 sign every Saturday. Thank you so much for teaching me about football, the Huskers and my passion for life. It's hard for me to give up the title of Biggest Husker Fan, but I will do anything for you Mom. You truly are the Biggest Husker Fan, because you taught me how to be the second biggest. I love you Mama, Go Big Red.

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 9 Reflection

     Week 9 definitely threw some curve-balls as we head into the release of the CFB Playoff rankings, but it was a great day of games nonetheless. Nebraska got to open up the play book and the depth chart on their way to a 45-9 route of Bethune Cookman, and a few ranked teams fell to upsets on the road. This post will have my analysis and breakdown of the previous weekend in college football, along with a detailed look at the Huskers' big win against the Wildcats. I also encourage you to watch for a special post coming later this week. It's a must-read and will share the story of where my passion for football and the Huskers truly came from. Thank you for all the support and enjoy!


     Nebraska looked very dominant on Saturday as they cruised to a 45-9 victory over the Wildcats of Bethune Cookman. Now, I completely acknowledge that Bethune Cookman is a FCS team and has no business being on the same field as the Huskers other than the fact of Nebraska needing an extra game. Nonetheless, the Cornhuskers got a lot of reps in for a lot of players, and were able to establish more of the playbook. The defense was challenged at times, but Bethune Cookman destroyed their own opportunities for points more than the Blackshirts. I was happy with the performance, but this team still has a long way to go before they're going to compete in the top spots. With Ohio State up next for Nebraska, There needs to be a lot of confidence carry over for this team heading into next week. Below is my breakdown of the Husker game with my Good, Expected and Bad method.

GOOD- The offense seems to be firing on all cylinders after a sluggish start to the season. Blocking up front is much better and Adrian is throwing the ball nicely to his receivers. There were a few throws I thought he forced, especially early in the 2nd quarter where he threw his lone interception into tight coverage. Other than just a handful of plays, I thought the decision making and execution were very crisp for this team. They seem to be really settling in to how Coach Frost and staff want them to run this offense, and many players are reaping the benefits. Devine Ozigbo has rushed for over 100 yards in 3 straight games now, with 710 yards on the ground this season. He's averaging 7.4 yards per carry and really seems to be enjoying his role as the feature back. Maurice Washington has brought a dynamic change of pace to the ground attack with his 344 yards on the ground, and has become a very dangerous weapon in the passing attack as well. It's clear Coach Frost wants to get his play-makers involved early and often in the game, setting up lots of plays to get Stanley Morgan Jr. and JD Spielman the ball. Both have over 600 receiving yards on the season and could possibly each break the 1,000 yard mark with the way this offense is improving each game. I like what this team is doing, but there's still a long way before they're tearing up defenses on the regular. Do keep in mind this was an FCS team we played, not Alabama. Great performance by the Husker offense.

EXPECTED- Obviously I expected the blowout, but the biggest expectation that was met was the improvement on penalties for the Huskers. Nebraska finished with just 5 penalties for 35 yards, cutting their season average in half. This has been the biggest issue for the team all season long, and it was nice to see some growth. It will be crucial to this team's success later in the year and moving forward. There were a few dumb ones yet again, but progress is the motto for this season. The team looked much cleaner with execution across the board and cutting back on penalties really allowed for the offense to get in rhythm. I'm hoping this is a sign for bigger things and that this trend will continue.

BAD- There is not a lot of bad you can bring up when you win 45-9, but I'm going to ride on the secondary for a bit here. Nebraska has struggled against the pass all season long, ranking 111th in the nation. Defenders have not been able to stick with their assignments and opposing QBs have had feast days against the Blackshirts with their air-attacks. Now, I do want to point out that there were some very great plays by members of the secondary in this game, especially Deontai Williams' interception in the endzone where he high pointed the ball and took it away from the receiver. Defensive lineman Peyton Newell had a nice pick off of a tipped pass as well, but that one kind of fell into his lap. Even with the good plays in mind, I don't think Nebraska should be giving up over 200 passing yards to a back-up QB on an FCS team. No disrespect to the Bethune Cookman program, but it's a simple fact of life, they are not a comparable team to the Cornhuskers. Ohio Stat is next up on the schedule and their offensive attack features one of the most accurate QBs in the nation along with an offensive line that has only given up 12 sacks all season and a group of receivers who all have a chance to play at the next level. The Blackshirt's secondary needs to really step it up during the last third of the season, otherwise Dwayne Haskins and Nate Stanley will look like hall of fame players.

     Overall, I was very happy with the performance of Nebraska on Saturday. Although it was originally supposed to be a BYE week, I'm sure the guys were happy to get another game in and prep for Ohio State. It was also really special to see so many younger players and back-ups get a chance to get in the game. Football is a team game and everyone on the team wants to be out on that field. As a coach, when you get the chance to make that happen, I imagine that's one of the proudest moments you could have. I was also excited to see Noah Vedral get some reps at QB. He was the first ever recruit I gave tour to during my time as a Husker Guide and is a very accomplished individual. His football skills are evident on the field, but he was also a very genuine and good person. He told me it was always his dream to follow in his family's footsteps and play at Nebraska, so I'm very excited to see him accomplish that goal. I'm also very proud of my good friend, Jake Weinmaster, #57 for the Huskers playing linebacker. Jake is one of the nicest guys I've ever met and I'm excited to see him out there making plays. Keep up the good work boys and let's go beat the Buckeyes! GO BIG RED!


Now for some other news and reflections from around College Football:

- I may have spoken too soon on Texas being back...But I still don't think they're far off. Oklahoma State played a fantastic game and WR Tylan Wallace went off for 222 yards and 2 TDs against the Longhorns. They have the chance to bounce back against West Virginia at home this week, but the CFB Playoff might be out of reach now for Texas. Still a lot out there for this team, and a shot at the Big XII title would be a big improvement for Tom Herman in his third year.

- Purdue failed me, but more importantly, Michigan State failed me again. As I've stated before, the Spartans are the most difficult and frustrating team to make predictions on because they show up randomly and win when you really don't want them to. Solid win, but I still want to see Purdue #BoilerUp and cause some more headaches.

- Iowa's Quarterback Nate Stanley really fell flat on the big stage yesterday. I've honestly enjoyed watching this kid over the past couple years, he's a very talented kid. He's nothing amazing at the QB position, and won't be winning any awards, but he's a very solid and consistent player. However, he really stunk it up against the Nittany Lions, completing just 36.7% of his passes and throwing 2 interceptions. Penn State played a great game and is a very solid team, but Iowa's lackluster performance on offense really hurt them. Stanley let a lot of passes hit the ground before they even reached his receivers feet! The weather conditions weren't great, but leaving passes that short is unacceptable at this level. Tough game for the Hawkeyes... not that I'm entirely upset about that ;)

- Northwestern is now the Division leader in the BIG 10 West. Yeah, you heard me right. The Wildcats dominated the Badgers in a 31-17 victory, absolutely suffocating Wisconsin's offense. Alex Hornibrook did not play in this game, but they still have Johnathan Taylor to hand the ball off to, right? Well they did, but the Wildcat defense held him to just 46 yards and Taylor fumbled twice in the game. The most bizarre statistic of the game is the rushing number for Northwestern. Against Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska, the Wildcats racked up 28, 8 and 32 yards on the ground as a team in each game respectively. Now, in the past two weeks, Freshman RB Isaiah Bowser (love the last name) has taken over and accounted for 225 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. Watch out for the Wildcats this year, Notre Dame comes to Evanston this coming week followed by a trip to Iowa City. I had them as a dark horse team to watch for early in the year, and now you see why.

- Georgia looked very much like the Georgia we saw last year when they took on the Gators, especially in the second half where they dropped 23 of their 36 points. Florida has one of the better defenses in the nation, but Jake Fromm picked them apart for 240 yards and 3 TDs through the air. D'Andre Swift added another 104 on the ground and the Gator offense just wasn't quite up to the task of the Bulldog defense. I actually flipped my prediction from Friday night to Saturday morning with this game, but oh well, impressive win by the Dawgs. Georgia takes on Kentucky next which will likely determine who wins the SEC East.

- Arizona State pulled the upset on the Trojans in LA, Cal fended off 15th ranked Washington for a 12-10 victory, and Wazzu put up 17 points in the 4th to beat Stanford by 3 on the Farm. The Pac-12 is a hot mess right now, but it's fun to watch. Oh, and Arizona dropped 44 points on the Ducks in an absolute beat down. This is why this conference will not get a team in the Playoffs, way too crazy.

- Crazy Stat of the Week: 8 ranked teams lost to unranked teams on the road this week.

Thank you all so much again for reading my blog and be sure to comment if you have any CFB topics you'd like me to cover! Watch out for my special post tomorrow and please remember there is NO CFB KnowItAll radio show tomorrow, thanks for your understanding.

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando

Week 9 Predictions

     Howdy football fans and welcome to Week 9 of the College Football Season. There are a great slate of games lined up this week and lots of playoff implications and conference title game births on the line. Last week's predictions went fairly well for me, and on the few that I missed, I definitely wasn't upset with the upsets! Read on to see my predictions for this week and be sure to look for a very special post coming this weekend, it's one you'll all want to read. Thank you for all the support and enjoy!

Week 8 Prediction Results: 13-3
Overall Prediction Results: 50-45


#20 Wisconsin at Northwestern

     The Badgers travel to Chicago to take on the sneaky Wildcats of Northwestern. With 2 more ranked opponents ahead on the schedule, Northwestern starts a tough slate as they fight for a birth in the BIG 10 Championship game. The Badgers look to continue bouncing back from the Michigan loss a couple weeks ago and ground and pound with Johnathan Taylor. The Wildcats are extremely one dimensional on offense, giving Wisconsin an easy game plan... BLITZ! Northwestern has thrown the ball 145 times in the past 3 weeks, which is an average of 48.3 passes per game. If Wisconsin brings pressure, an immobile Clayton Thorson will not be very effective. They will get some numbers, and Thorson knows how to be smart with the football, but I think the Badgers have this one. The Wildcats gave up 231 rushing yards alone to Nebraska as a team, and Johnathan Taylor is used to that kind of work load. Look for quite a few misdirection hand offs and run plays to power through in this one. Badgers 30, Northwestern 17.


#9 Florida vs. #7 Georgia (The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party)

     With a top 10 match-up, conference division title rights in play, a possible birth in the CFB Playoffs and having both teams come off of a BYE, I think we're in for a good game here. The Gators are looking to prove why Dan Mullen was the right hire while Kirby Smart and the Dawgs are looking to avenge their loss to the LSU Tigers. Jake Fromm and Feleipe Franks have surprisingly similar numbers so far this season, with both QBs over 1,400 yards passing. Statistically, these teams match-up really well, both give up just over 16 points per game on average while scoring in the mid to upper 30s. This will be a tight, gritty, defensive contest, and I honestly think this is a coin flip. I picked Georgia to go to the Playoffs this year, but I'm not quite sure they're the team any more. Everyone in the East is basically fighting for the right to lose to Bama, but I like Florida in this game. They have forced 18 turnovers so far this season and their defense flies to the ball. Georgia will definitely come out with some edge, but I say the Gators chomp them for revenge from the 42-7 beat down from last year. Florida 33, Georgia 23.


#18 Iowa at #17 Penn State

     This is a very interesting match-up in the BIG 10 as the Hawkeyes travel to Happy Valley to take on Penn State. The Nittany Lions have fallen apart over the last few weeks, losing their last two home games (the first home losses of Trace McSorley's career). Iowa has the 3rd ranked total defense in the nation, giving up just 14.1 points per game and 258 yards on average. Offensively, Nate Stanley has thrown for nearly 1,600 yards with 16 TD, 6 picks and a 61% completion rating. The Hawkeyes use their Tight Ends very effectively in their offense, as T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant lead the team in catches. Penn State gives up over 225 passing yards per game, and I honestly think Nate Stanley will take advantage of that. I'm not sure quite why I'm turning my back on Trace McSorley, but I think Iowa pulls a fast one in Happy Valley today. Penn State's linebackers and secondary players will really struggle keeping up with Fant and Hockenson. Hawkeyes 37, Nittany Lions 24.


#15 Washington at Cal

     This was a game I had circled on the calendar before the year even started, Washington on the road at Cal. The Golden Bears have not lived up to the hype I gave them to start the season, but they are still a dangerous team under any circumstances. Quarterback issues have plagued this team, but RB Patrick Laird is still the primary focus of the offense. He's accounted for more than 700 total yards of offense for the Golden Bears this season along with 8 total TDs. Washington's stout defense will cause some issues for him, as they only give up 15.6 points and 308 yards per game. Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin have picked up the pace over recent weeks, but this one could still be tight. I like the Huskies to hold off the Bears though, they'll pull away late with some hard running by Gaskin and Ahmed. Washington beats Cal 34-20.


#14 Washington State vs #24 Stanford

     Staying with the Pacific Northwest, the Pac-12's best chance at making the CFB Playoffs takes to the road to travel down to the Farm. Wazzu square's off against Stanford as 2 of the conference's top 3 passing attacks square off against each other. The Cougars average 400 yards per game, and the Cardinal average 263. Wazzu will look to take advantage of a Stanford defense that gives up an average of more than 250 passing yards per game. Cougar Quarterback Gardner Minshew and his Mustache has had a phenomenal season thus far, throwing for nearly 2,800 yards with 23 TDs and just 6 picks. The Cardinal have struggled on offense this year, especially without the run game of Bryce Love. The Cougars defense will be looking to keep pressure on K.J. Costello, just as they did with Justin Herbert last week. Wazzu lived in the Ducks' backfield last week as they came away with 3 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and held Oregon to just 58 total rushing yards. I like Wazzu in this one, I'm just not sure Stanford has the right mindset to keep up with the rising Coogs. Always a threat with the Trees on the Farm, but Wazzu wins 40-28.


#6 Texas at Oklahoma State

     The Longhorns have won 6 straight since their opening week loss to Maryland, and look to remain in the driver seat of the Big XII as they travel to Stillwater. The Pokes have lost their last two games, but are coming off a BYE week to prepare for Texas. Taylor Cornelius has thrown for over 2,000 yards with 16 TDs and 8 picks so far this season, helping to lead Oklahoma State to be the 3rd ranked total offense in the conference. They average just under 40 points per game and nearly 500 yards on offense. Texas' defense will definitely have their hands full, but they've got the talent to do it. Only one Freshman starts on defense while the rest are Juniors and Seniors. A very experienced secondary will make the air attack difficult to execute for the pokes. Watch for Safety P.J. Locke III to make a big impact in this one, he's one of the best under-the-radar defenders in the nation in my opinion. Offensively, Texas needs to protect Sam Ehlinger and run the ball with Keaontay Ingram. Ingram is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and the Pokes defense gave up 291 yards on the ground to K-State a couple weeks ago. Texas should be fine in this game and ready for a big showdown with West Virginia in Austin next week. Longhorns win it 37-17, Hook 'em!


Hawai'i at Fresno State

     An underrated rivalry out in the Pacific region takes place as the Rainbow Warriors travel to Fresno State to take on the Bulldogs. Hawai'i has dominated the air attack, averaging 307 yards per game passing. However, their defense has been less than stellar, giving up just under 33 points per game. Fresno State has dominated nearly every aspect of their season, averaging 38 points per game while giving up just 12.6. A close loss on the road at Minnesota early in the year is their only blemish, but this team is quite dangerous. Senior QB Marcus McMaryion has thrown for 1,858 yards and is completing 70.8% of his passes. His efficiency is what's truly driving this Bulldog squad, and I don't think Hawai'i can keep up. This is a rivalry game though, and stuff always gets crazy in a rivalry game. I like Fresno to pull away in this one though, Bulldogs win 40-21.


Bethune Cookman at Nebraska

     There is not a lot of information on Bethune Cookman, but we all know they're just here to get Nebraska another win. They have a talented dual-threat QB in Akevious Williams, so the Blackshirts will have to watch out for him. For the Huskers in this game, it's all about development. This is a great opportunity for the defense to mix in some new schemes and really show what they want to be moving forward. Offensively, I expect Adrian to have another big game and the ground attack to be rolling once again. Nebraska should be able to handle this team and with the confidence from last week's win, I doubt they'll want to keep this one close. I'll have a deeper analysis, but I see this game as a good opportunity for Nebraska to really start fixing issues such as penalties and special teams coverage/blocking. I'm really looking for the defense to step up in this game. Nebraska wins 45-17.


Now for some quick hit predictions on other interesting games this weekend:

Texas Tech at Iowa State- The Red Raiders bring their high-octane offense into Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa to take on the Cyclones. Iowa State knocked off West Virginia just a couple weeks ago with suffocating defense, so we'll see if they can do it again. Brock Purdy has been phenomenal since taking over at QB for the last two games, completing 75% of his passes. The Red Raiders have a solid QB of their own in Alan Bowman, who has over 2,000 yards this year, so I'm expecting a shootout. Texas Tech has been tough to slow down, but Iowa State at home is never something you want to bet against. Cyclones win 37-31.

Purdue at Michigan State- The perfect step back game for the Boilermakers line up as they travel to East Lansing to take on Sparty. Michigan State is definitely not pleased after the loss to Michigan last week, and are always a dangerous team under Dantonio. However, I'm riding high with the Boilermakers right now and David Blough is playing incredible right now. Sparty gives up 275 yards through the air on average, and I think they give up the win to Purdue today. Boilermakers win a big on the road 27-22. Boiler Up!

#21 South Florida at Houston- The Bulls of USF are still undefeated, but they've been squeaking by wins all season long. A road game at Houston is the perfect way to lose that 0 in their loss column. The Cougars are favored by 8 points, and should be able to produce quite a few points against the Bulls defense. This one could get ugly to be honest, Houston 39, USF 24.

Arizona State at USC- A sneaky game in the Pac-12 could cause a huge impact in the South division race. USC is right in the mix, but the Sun Devils have talent all over the field and are more than just upset-minded. USC is good at home, but ASU has been so close in so many games, and I think they change that today. Senior QB Manny Wilkins and Arizona State take a big upset on the road with a 28-26 victory.

#12 Kentucky at Missouri- The Wildcats are underdogs as they travel to take on the Tigers of Missouri. Drew Lock has been torching defenses and padding stat sheets all season long, but Kentucky has a defense that not many people want to mess with. Josh Allen will look to keep up the pressure on Drew Lock, and I'm still rolling with the boi Benny Snell. Wildcats with a solid win on the road 33-21.

#16 Texas A&M at Mississippi State- The Aggies roll into Starkville with a very quiet 5-2 record with their only losses to the top two teams in the nation. Mississippi State always has upset potential, but the Aggies defense will be able to slow down the one-dimensional ground attack of the Bulldogs. If you make Nick Fitzgerald throw the ball, you usually win the game as the defense. Aggies win 35-20.

#22 NC State at Syracuse- The Wolfpack were bitten, chewed up and spit out quite quickly by the Clemson Tigers last week, so we'll see how they bounce back today. Syracuse is not a team to overlook, especially at home. Two Senior QBs will square off in this game, so experience plays a big factor. I don't think NC State is as good as advertised though, so I'm taking the Orange. Syracuse 32, NC State 23.

Thank you for reading all my Gameday predictions and be sure to watch for my special post later this weekend. Also, there will be no CFB KnowItAll radio show on Monday 10/29, thank you for your understanding. Happy Gameday and GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando

Week 8 Reflections

     THE HUSKERS WON!!! THE HUSKERS FREAKING WON!!! Hello football readers and I hope your weekend was as exciting as the Huskers' win over the Gophers. A beautiful day in Lincoln ended with Nebraska's first win under Scott Frost as the Huskers racked up 53 points. This post will have all of my reflections and analysis of the game along with all the other big news around a crazy weekend in College Football. Thanks for all your support and enjoy!


     After so many close, heartbreaking losses, the Huskers drop-kicked the Golden Gophers with a 53-28 victory on Saturday afternoon. Adrian Martinez was absolutely phenomenal in this game and the Husker offense followed suit. The Blackshirts even showed up for a while, holding the Gophers to just 5/14 on 3rd down. They nearly gave away all the momentum to open up the second half when the Gophers pulled to within 6, but played very well to close out the game. Special teams and dumb penalties are still an issue, but I know Husker Nation will take the win nonetheless. Below I'll break down the game with my Good, Expected and Bad analysis.

GOOD- Adrian Martinez and the Husker offense. After gaining steam over recent weeks, you knew this offense was in for a big day soon. I'll be honest, I definitely did not expect 53 points, but that was really special to watch. Everything was clicking as the Huskers racked up 659 total yards, averaging 9 yards per play. Martinez was extremely efficient, completing 86.2 % of his passes for 276 yards and 3 TDs. The 86.2% completion rating broke a Nebraska school record for single game completion percentage with a minimum of 20 attempts that stood for 44 years until Saturday. However, it was the 3-headed rushing monster that truly dominated in this game. Martinez, Ozigbo and Washington all went over the century mark as the Huskers racked up 383 yards on the ground. Ozigbo lead the way with 152 and had two long TD runs of 40 and 59 yards. The O-line was opening up holes all over the place and Martinez's scrambling ability left the Golden Gophers defense in pieces. This is definitely the offense Scott Frost promised, and I cannot wait to see it at full strength. This is just the 7th game in folks, they're only going to get better and Martinez will be a great weapon for the Huskers as he moves throughout his career. The best and most impressive drive of the game was at the beginning of the 4th quarter after Nebraska had just stopped Minnesota on 4th and Goal. The Huskers took over at their own 3 yard line and proceeded to drive all the way down the field to the Minnesota 15 before kicking a Field Goal. This drive was 14 plays long, covered 82 yards and took 7 minutes off the clock. This shows that Frost's offense, even with the high-octane tempo, can slow down and work the clock. This was an incredible performance by the Huskers' offense and I'm excited to see what they do in upcoming weeks.

EXPECTED- Honestly, I expected the win. I expected this team to come out and play like they wanted it more than anything else and I was not disappointed. This team has been beaten in every possible way over the last couple seasons and they really needed to get this monkey off their back. This win will give them a special piece of confidence that has been missing and I know they'll have a few more by the end of the season. I expected this to be a closer game, but I'm happy they broke that expectation. The defense really impressed me and I think the nation got to see what direction this team is truly headed in. Great win Huskers, this one is special.

BAD- I pick on them every week, but the Special Teams unit is atrocious. Most of the penalties came on Special Teams yet again and poor tackling allowed a couple of big returns that could've swung the game. Punting seemed to regress in this game, even when the wind was at their backs. I'm not sure what the issues are, but this unit is a legitimate mess and needs to be fixed ASAP. Returners look like they've been told just to fair catch the ball to limit penalties and it still doesn't work. Nebraska looks like they'll have an offense to keep up with anyone, but that's not here yet. Special Teams can flip momentum quicker than any other aspect of the game, and field position is crucial when games are tight. I want to see some serious changes in how this unit is run.

     Now, I acknowledge that Minnesota isn't the best team out there, but a win is a win and this team really needed one. Besides, the best part about this win is that Nebraska has taken back the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy! There's a long ways to go before this team is playing like this against the likes of Michigan, Wisconsin or Ohio State, but they're on their way. Great win by the Huskers!

Now for some other highlight news from elsewhere around College Football:

- Purdue upset Ohio State for their first victory against a top 5 team since 1999. The Boilermakers were absolutely lights out, dominating the Buckeyes in a 49-20 route. Having watched this team in person and calling the game on radio, this is a very talented team. I knew they were dangerous heading into this season and there's more to come. The best part of the weekend was seeing the interview with Purdue fan Tyler Trent who is battling terminal cancer. He was able to watch this game in person and it was a very special night for him. This is what sports are truly made for, Boiler Up.

- Jim Harbaugh and Michigan finally get a big win over a rival as they beat Sparty 21-7. The scuffles before the game led to some chippy antics on the field, but the Wolverines remain perfect in conference play with another strong defensive performance.

- Wazzu up in the Palouse knocked off the Ducks in a great game under the lights. Senior QB Gardner Minshew torched Oregon's defense, but the Cougars' defense is what I was impressed by. Wazzu is now the only hope for the Pac-12 to get a team in the playoffs. Also, the Gameday crowd in Pullman was incredible. I was getting excited about it just sitting on my couch, kudos Coogs.

- LSU looked impressive against their second straight group of Bulldogs. They have a BYE week next as we look ahead to the showdown with Bama. We'll see how their defense holds up against the kid who has 25 TDs, 0 picks and has yet to play a single snap in the 4th quarter. Also, the Tigers strength coach is scary, he headbutted a player with a helmet multiple times without one on himself and ended up with a huge cut on his head... and he was smiling.

- The Pac-12 South is an absolute mess, but even UCLA has a shot at the division crown. This will be interesting to watch during the second half of the season. As I stated in my preseason predictions post, watch out for the Utes!

- The weirdest finish to a game you will ever see happened when Old Dominion took on the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky. Old Dominion's only win coming into this game was the upset against Virginia Tech. Well with under a minute left, they drove down the field and tied the game with 8 seconds left. Overtime seemed imminent, but the Hilltoppers had 8 seconds left. They moved down the field best they could, but their drive was stopped by an incomplete pass as time expired. However, there was roughing the passer call on the play, leading the first untimed down of the game. WKU decided to line up for a long field goal into the win and left it short by about 12 yards. Going to overtime now right? WRONG! Old Dominion had 12 men on the field which leads to untimed down #2 for the Hilltoppers. They move closer and try another field goal, but ODU put a man back to receive it after seeing how short the other kick was. The return man fielded the kick and nearly pulled off a Kick 6 until being pushed out of bounds. Now overtime... right? Wrong again, as the return man was pushed out of bounds, there was a personal foul face mask and a 3rd untimed down was awarded, this time to the Monarchs. They used it for their own field goal opportunities and won 37-34 after being down 34-27 with less than a minute left. Crazy finish, go look it up.

Thank you all for reading my reflections post on Week 8 of College Football and click below to listen to the latest recording of my radio show, CFB KnowItAll. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando

Week 8 Predictions

     Week 7 brought absolute chaos to much of the CFB landscape, and I expect much of the same in Week 8. We've got two ranked vs. ranked games in both Death Valleys, along with multiple top 25 teams on the road. I finally got back to .500 coming into last week with my predictions, but that was quickly demolished by the madness of Week 7. We'll see if I can fair better in the second half of the season. Thanks for reading all of my Gameday predictions!

Week 7 Prediction Results: 4-9
Overall Prediction Results: 37-42


Maryland at #19 Iowa

     The Hawkeyes are ranked for the first time this season and they look to keep pace in the BIG 10 West as the Terrapins of Maryland come to Iowa City. The Terps are coming off of their win against Rutgers, and will be looking to break through the 5th best defense in the nation. The Hawkeyes only give up 282 yards per game on average and 16.5 points. The key factor to watch in this game will be Maryland's rushing attack against Iowa's front seven. Running Back Ty Johnson leads the Terps attack that averages nearly 250 yards per game on the ground. The Hawkeyes defense only gives up 81.5 on the ground however, so I'm anxious to see how this pans out. The Terps have surprised a lot of people this season, owning a 4-2 (2-1 BIG 10) record without Head Coach DJ Durkin and all of the off-field issues. Nonetheless, they are a talented football team and will likely hang around with the Hawkeyes for a while in this one. With a big road trip to Penn State looming just one week away, this is a potential trap game for the Hawks. They don't typically fall victim to those often, and with Nate Stanley and his bottomless list of Tight Ends to throw to, I doubt they'll have many issues today. Terps will put up some points, but Iowa is looking very strong this year. Hawkeyes win this one at home 37-21.


#9 Oklahoma at TCU

     After a week to think about their loss to Texas, the Sooners find themselves back in the driver seat of the Big XII after Iowa State's upset win against West Virginia last week. Kyler Murray looks to continue his Heisman campaign against the Horned Frogs who have lost 3 of their last 4 games. TCU is always an upset potential team, but this game presents a very tall task. Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray has been absolutely stellar this season, accounting for 26 total TDs thus far, and challenging Tua Tagovailoa for the highest QB rating in the nation. This kid became my new Heisman favorite after watching him in the Red River Rivalry against Texas. Even in the loss, Murray accounted for 396 total yards and 5 TDs in that game. TCU has played better recently, but still have too much youth and inexperience to remain competitive in the conference. Shawn Robinson has 8 interceptions on the season thus far, and teams have been able to take wideout, KaVonte Turpin, out of the picture too often, suffocating the Frogs' offense. Even though OU's defense is not very strong, TCU has too much trouble getting the ball to their play-makers, and Oklahoma has too much firepower to keep up with. Sooners 48, Horned Frogs 30.


#6 Michigan at #24 Michigan State

     The Battle for Bragging rights in the state of Michigan takes place in East Lansing this year as the 6th ranked Wolverines take on the 24th ranked Spartans. The primary story-line here (as it has been for the last couple seasons) is that Jim Harbaugh can't beat the rivals. Harbaugh is just 1-5 against "Little Brother" Sparty and arch enemy Buckeyes, creating some rifts throughout the Michigan fan base. Sparty is coming off a big win in Happy Valley against Penn State, but as I've mentioned multiple times, you never know which Michigan State team will show up. Dantonio is never someone to count out in a game though. Sparty also brings the nation's top ranked rush defense into this game, giving up just 62.3 yards per game on average. The Wolverines run a very balanced attack on offense, averaging 207 through the air and 217 on the ground. For State, QB Brian Lewerke is a big play-maker, but has thrown 7 picks already this year and has been sacked 14 times. Michigan's pass rush is so aggressive, I'd be surprised if he's able to get the ball off most of the time. The Spartans have excellent receivers, so we'll see how many points they can put up. This should be a true BIG 10, grind-it-out grudge match. I would be surprised if this one turned out to be as lopsided as the Wisconsin game was last week, but you just never know with these teams. I like Michigan in this game, and I think they have potential to be the BIG 10 rep in the College Football Playoffs. Sparty puts up a good fight, but Harbaugh gets a much needed win against one of his rivals and Michigan breaks their 17-road game losing streak to ranked teams. Wolverines 28, Spartans 21.


Colorado at #15 Washington

     Well, after the Huskies' overtime loss to the Ducks last week, it's highly unlikely the Pac-12 gets a team into the playoffs this year. Oregon has an outside chance, but will need some help with teams ahead of them losing. As for the Huskies, they head home to take on the Buffaloes from Colorado, fresh off their first loss of the season at the hands of USC. The South division is still up for grabs, and Colorado will look to get back on track today against the Huskies. Washington's offense finally showed up a bit last week, racking up 437 total yards, but a missed Field Goal at the end of regulation sent the game to overtime, where the Ducks finished them off. The Huskies still have one of the most formidable defenses in the nation, but CU's offense isn't anything to overlook. They struggled against the Trojans last week, but the Buffs average nearly 35 points per game and over 450 total yards on average. Laviska Shenault Jr. is one of the best receivers in the nation, averaging 130 yards per game. Steven Montez might have some opportunities to pick apart Washington's defense, much like Justin Herbert did last week. Colorado is a dangerous team, but I doubt Chris Petersen would let his squad lose two conference games in a row this year. I say Washington fights off the Buffs in a bounce back game with a 24-21 victory.


#16 NC State at #3 Clemson

     The biggest ranked game of the week takes place in Death Valley as two unbeaten teams in the ACC square off for control of the Atlantic Division. The Tigers and the Wolfpack are lead by two tough defenses and dynamic QBs. Ryan Finely, the veteran, has thrown for more than 1,600 yards so far this season with a 10:3 TD to INT ratio. It seems as though he's been QB for NC State since 2010. The Wolfpack hasn't played a very difficult schedule so far this season, especially since their game against West Virginia was canceled due to Hurricane Florence. It's hard to know truly how good they are, but they've always played Clemson tough year in and year out. Speaking of the Tigers, they have the 3rd ranked total defense in the nation and will be looking to flex their muscles in a big match-up. They're giving up just 14.5 points per game and 261 yards per game on average, and have recorded 20 sacks on the season through 6 games. Ryan Finely will need to make sure his protection is sound if he wants to do any damage in this game, because Clemson will be bringing the heat. On the other side of the ball, stud Freshman QB, Trevor Lawrence, has taken the reigns for the Tigers. Lawrence has helped boost the efficiency of this offense, which is averaging 42.2 points per game in 2018. The best kept secret of the Clemson attack is their rushing game with Travis Etienne. He's racked up 761 yards and 11 TDs on just 83 carries this season, resulting in a stunning, 9.2 yard per carry average. With all the hype and focus on Trevor Lawrence and the formidable defense, Etienne has quietly become the 6th leading rusher in the nation and should probably start being considered as a Heisman dark horse in my opinion. NC State only gives up an average of 107 yards on the ground each game, but I think Etienne will take care of that in no time. He'll have a big game in this one and lead Clemson to victory, seriously, don't lose sight of the Clemson RB when it comes to Heisman voting later this season! Clemson takes care of business 36-17.


#22 Mississippi State at #5 LSU

     The Bayou Bengals continue their gauntlet of ranked teams as West Division foe Mississippi State comes to Death Valley. LSU absolutely dominated the Bulldogs of the East last week when they upset Georgia 36-16. They forced four turnovers against UGA and finished with a +7 margin in time of possession. Tiger QB Joe Burrow even had two rushing scores on the day. Mississippi State is coming off of their BYE week, so they'll be well rested for this showdown. Two weeks ago they knocked off Auburn 23-9, so you know this is going to be a tough, rugged, defensive game. Both offensive attacks are fairly balanced, but State does lean a little more on the run, especially with dual-threat QB Nick Fitzgerald. He leads the Bulldogs squad with 513 yards and 7 TDs on the ground. The Tigers have their own ground attack with RB Nick Brossette. Brossette averages just under 5 yards per carry and has 9 TDs on the season. It should be fun to watch these ground attacks run against the respective brick wall-like defenses each team possesses. LSU is always difficult to trust, but I like the Tigers at home in this one. That will set up a nice SEC West Division Title showdown with Bama in a couple weeks. Tigers beat their second squad of Bulldogs 24-13.


#2 Ohio State at Purdue

     The Boilermakers start their gauntlet of a second half schedule with the first of 4 ranked teams over the next 5 games, and who better than the #2 Buckeyes. Purdue has been solid this season, but some early slip-ups on the year has them with a 3-3 record. They're still alive in BIG 10 play with a 2-1 record however, and have the offense to give any defense headaches. Having watched and called a game for this team in person, it was easy to see how talented they truly are. Senior QB David Blough has been incredible this season, completing 68.4% of his passes and throwing for nearly 1,700 yards. He's only thrown 2 picks this year as well. Running Back DJ Knox and freshman standout Rondale Moore are the two best weapons of their high-powered offense, and Head Coach Matt Brohm will look to get them the ball in space. One secret weapon Purdue possesses is their Tight End, Brycen Hopkins. He torched the Huskers for over 100 yards receiving and is a reliable target that Purdue likes to sneak out on wheel routes. Ohio State's defense could be pressured a little bit in this game, especially after Minnesota hung around with them last week. As they head into their BYE week, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Buckeyes with a lackluster performance yet again. Their schedule doesn't demand much attention right now and they're more than talented enough to win this game without playing their best. With that being said, I'm sure Dwayne Haskins will continue his video game-like season. He's already thrown for more than 2,300 yards and 28 TDs on the year, so expect more of that against a Purdue secondary that gives up nearly 270 yards per game through the air on average. Purdue will put up some points, but Ohio State will definitely put up more. No trap game for the Buckeyes today, they win on the road 44-33.


#12 Oregon at #25 Washington State

     The Ducks are coming off a major win against rival Washington, but now travel to Pullman, where College Gameday has set up shop, to take on the Cougars. Washington State is a very quiet 5-1 this season and Mike Leach is never a coach to count out of a game. The air-raid attack of the Cougars racks up over 400 yards per game on average, and their offense ranks 1st in the conference. Senior QB, Gardner Minshew, has 2,422 yards through the air this year and is completing nearly 69% of his passes. He owns a 19:4 TD to INT ratio and has only missed 400+ passing yards in just two games this season. Oregon's defense gives up an average of 239 yards per game, so that will definitely be tested tonight. Statistically, these teams are remarkably similar. Oregon averages 43 points per game while the Cougars average 41.8. The Ducks give up 24.8 points per game compared to 23.8 for Wazzu. Two great QBs with endless amounts of weapons to throw to and two offensive-minded coaches who love to rack up yards and points. The big question will be on defense in this game. Wazzu ranks second in the Pac-12 in total defense and have recorded 18 sacks on the season. The Ducks will have a tough time putting up their usual numbers in this game, and coming off of a big win a week ago, there could be a bit of a drop off up in Pullman. This is a tough pick and it'd be pretty crazy to see the upset. I was always burned when I put my faith in Wazzu, and I sill believe the Pac-12 will be left out of the playoffs no matter what. This one should be close, but I'll take the Ducks. I'm excited to see what happens in this game, but Oregon wins it 47-43.


USC at Utah

     Sticking with the Pac-12, we move to the South Division as the Utes take on the Trojans. As I've mentioned multiple times this season, the South is completely up for grabs in the Pac-12, and two of the front runners will be squaring off in Salt Lake City tonight. USC is coming off a big win against Colorado, but now have to face the top ranked defense in the conference in Utah. The Utes give up just 16 points and 300 yards per game on average. They rank 9th in total defense in the nation and USC's young offense could have some troubles tonight. JT Daniels has been improving, but is still a true freshman. USC's offense only averages 25.7 points per game, and Utah has scored 40+ in back to back games. Utah's QB Tyler Huntley is a big play-maker for the Utes, and his dual-threat ability opens up a lot of different looks on offense. I really like the Utes in this game and I think they're going to win and fight their way back into the South Division crown conversation. Utah wins a big one out West 34-20.


Minnesota at Nebraska (Battle for the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy)

     The greatest trophy in the history of the world is on the line as Minnesota and Nebraska face off in Lincoln this afternoon. Based on a twitter war between a the Fake Bo Pelini account and Minnesota's Goldie Gopher, the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy was created for the rivalry between Nebraska and Minnesota. The Gophers hung around with Ohio State on the road last week, and now head to Nebraska to take on the 0-6 Cornhuskers. It's obvious the Huskers are well past due for a win, and last week is a perfect example why. The Huskers gave up a 10 point lead with 3 minutes left to eventually lose in overtime. The offense is really starting to move the ball well, and Adrian Martinez is one of only two QBs in the nation to average 225 passing yards and 50 rushing yards per game. The other QB is Kyler Murray of Oklahoma. The Huskers' offense has been extremely balanced over recent weeks, and they average 440.5 total yards per game. Minnesota has a tough run defense, giving up just 121.5 per game on the ground, but Devine Ozigbo will look to put up another stellar performance. Defense is the big question for the Huskers in this game, as they rank second to last in the conference. They made some good stops against Wisconsin and Northwestern over the last two weeks, but could not step up when it counted. Minnesota is lead by their own freshman QB, Zack Annexstad, who has struggled this year, completing just 52.7% of his passes and owning a 8:7 TD to INT ratio. I think Nebraska will step up their pressure on defense and really cause havoc for the Gopher offense. This is the day Husker fans. Nebraska gets the first win of the Scott Frost era with a 38-33 victory over the Gophers. GO BIG RED!


Now for some Quick Hit Predictions on other interesting games around the nation:

#20 Cincinnati at Temple- The undefeated Bearcats travel to Temple to take on the Owls. Don't knock the 3-3 Owls too quickly, since Sophmomore QB, Anthony Russo, has taken over, the Owls offense has come alive. This is a tough road game for Cincy, and I like the upset here. Russo has a big game and Temple upsets Cincy 31-27.

#1 Alabama at Tennessee- The Tide role in to Knoxville to take on the rival Volunteers. Jeremy Pruitt left Bama to take the job at Tennessee and has done fairly well this season. The Vols knocked off Auburn last week and can put up some points. Bama will have no issues today, but the 30 point spread is a bit too much for someone who coached at Bama just last season. The Tide Roll 49-30.

#18 Penn State at Indiana- The Nittany Lions season has imploded yet again in the past few weeks with back to back losses to Ohio State and Michigan State for the second year in a row. Indiana is a tough team at home and can hang around with teams. I think Penn State will be extra motivated today and Miles Sanders will have a big game. Nittany Lions 34, Hoosiers 14.

Vanderbilt at #14 Kentucky- The Wildcats have had two weeks to sit with their overtime loss, so I feel bad for Vandy. They gave up a big lead against Florida last week at home in a heated game, and now have to deal with Benny Snell on the ground and Josh Allen with the Wildcat defense. Kentucky is still very much alive in the SEC, and they'll prove it today. Wildcats win it 34-20.

North Texas at UAB- This might not be the most attractive game to most, but coming out of C-USA we have an interesting match-up in the state of Alabama. The Blazers are 5-1 this season with a defense that gives up just 14.2 points per game. North Texas averages just under 40 points per game, so welcome to the classic Buzzsaw vs. Rock game. Mason Fine of the Mean Green owns a 16:1 TD to INT ratio and half of those TDs have been thrown to Rico Bussey Jr. UAB could have a difficult time slowing him down and I think North Texas pulls off the upset on the road. This one is going to be tight, but I've got the Mean Green winning 34-30.

Thanks for reading my Gameday Predictions post and I hope you all have a wonderful College Football Saturday. Be sure to tune into my radio show on Monday night at 7 pm Central on KRNU2 online and get ready for a big celebration in Lincoln and GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando

Week 7 Reflections

     Just when I thought it was impossible for Nebraska to find another way to lose, they found one of the most painful ones. Week 7 proved to be chaotic all across the College Football landscape, but especially for the now 0-6 Cornhuskers. Nebraska is now on a 10 game losing streak stemming from last year and off to their worst start in program history. This is just one of the many headlines from last Saturday, and this post will cover all the big headlines! Thanks for the support and read on below to see my reflections on Nebraska and the rest of CFB from Week 7.


     Nebraska let victory slip through their grasp, falling in overtime to Northwestern 34-31. This is Nebraska's first loss to the Wildcats in Evanston and with a 10-point lead with around 3 minutes left in the game, everything looked to be in place for the first Husker win of the season. However, nothing is over in College Football until its over, and Northwestern has orchestrated numerous comebacks under Pat Fitzgerald before. I was very impressed with the Wildcat's play throughout the game, especially since they are completely one-dimensional on offense with the loss of RB Jeremy Larkin a few weeks ago. Clayton Thorson finished his 4-year torching of the Blackshirts with a 455 yard, 3 TD, 2 INT performance including a game-tying, 99-yard drive to send it to overtime. Nebraska seemingly had no answer for the Thorson-Nagel duo which racked up 220 yards through the air, 2 TDs and multiple 4th down conversions. A severe lack of pass rush gave Thorson far too much time in the pocket, allowing him to find his open receivers. Offensively, the Huskers played well for most of the game. Another balanced attack finished with 482 total yards and the Huskers even won time of possession by 7 seconds! My detailed breakdown of the game will cover my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD areas below.

GOOD- Nebraska overall played a great game, apart from the last 3 minutes of regulation. The Huskers offense racked up 482 yards of total offense (231 rushing, 251 passing), lead by another stellar performance by Devine Ozigbo. Ziggy finished with 159 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. Holes were open all over the field and Nebraska's offense looked like one Coach Frost would be proud of. Martinez didn't have the best game, giving up the fumble for a TD, but his two picks were off of a dropped pass and the Hail Mary heave to the endzone in overtime. I think he needed to be used in the ground game a bit more, especially late in the game, but he still racked up 288 yards on his own. This offense has been really starting to click as of late and will continue as time moves on. Receivers are starting to get more separation and breaking out some big plays while the ground game has picked up. Defensively, this was one of our better games for a while, especially in the third quarter where we held Northwestern scoreless. The Blackshirts also forced five punts and picked off Thorson twice. Still a long ways to go, but things are picking up for the defense.

EXPECTED- Clayton Thorson having yet another big day against the Blackshirts. As I alluded to in my predictions post, Thorson has had substantial success in his four years against the Huskers. He's now 3-1 against Nebraska and has accounted for 1,124 passing yards with 5 TDs and 6 picks. They may not seem like the greatest numbers, but that's nearly 300 passing yards per game on average and he's now engineered back to back 4th quarter comebacks to eventually win the game in overtime. I'm not sure if he's looking at an NFL career, he'd have a lot of work to do before he becomes a top tier QB, but his collegiate career has been very fun to watch. I was impressed with his performance in Lincoln his freshman year, and he's gotten better each year since. The Wildcats will have a lot to replace with his leadership being gone next year, but as a Husker fan I'm excited for Thorson to be done throwing the ball against the Huskers!

BAD- The players' execution and staff's coaching during the last two drives of regulation (Nebraska's offensive series and Northwestern's final drive). Starting with the Huskers, a simple first down was needed to end this game. Nebraska took over in plus field position at the Northwestern 47 with 2:21 left on the clock. After three horribly conservative run plays gaining 3 yards and taking of  just 16 seconds, the Huskers were forced to punt. Nebraska had been running the ball so well all game long, but went absolutely no where on the three rushes that mattered most. They were very simple plays to read, down blocks for the line and a hand off to Ozigbo allowed Northwestern's stout defense penetrate the line of scrimmage and quickly blow up the plays. I think Adrian's rushing ability should be utilized in a game-breaking situation like that, so I was quite upset with the play-calling. Now onto the 99-yard drive by the Wildcats, you just can't let that happen. Northwestern took over with just under 2 minutes left at their own 1-yard line thanks to an incredible punt by Isaac Armstrong. It doesn't mean much, but this is about the time when ESPN's game predictor had Nebraska with more than a 98% chance to win the game. Clayton Thorson had other ideas however. After yet another dumb penalty by the defense, the Wildcats were quickly out of the hole and on the move. The Huskers finished the game with a season-best 9 penalties!! Northwestern finished with just 1. Anyways, as the drive progressed and the Wildcats started moving the ball, it was clear the defense did not know what to do. After a 32-yard pass to Flynn Nagel, Northwestern had the ball at the Nebraska 32 with 20 seconds left. This is a crucial point in the drive because the Wildcats immediately ran to the line and threw the ball to Tight End Bennett Skowronek for a 27-yard gain down to the Huskers' 5. The Blackshirts were caught off-guard by the tempo (which Northwestern had done a few times throughout the game) and were not set on defense. After Nagel's 32-yard catch, I really think Coach Frost should've taken a time out to slow down the drive and settle his defense. Nebraska finished regulation with two timeouts left and I think a pause there would've been very helpful. It wouldn't have saved Northwestern any time either because Nagel had gone out of bounds after his catch. This is a bang-bang scenario and tough to manage, but Frost needs to watch for that, especially with a defense that has struggled this much all season. Obviously there's a lot of fault to the players when you give up a 99-yard drive in the final 2 minutes, but a timeout to settle this team could've made for a different ending in my opinion. It wasn't just the players who lost this game for Nebraska.

     Nebraska played well, but continue to shoot themselves in the foot too many times to end up with a victory. Minnesota hung around with Ohio State until the end in the Horseshoe last week, so you never know what they'll bring to Lincoln this week. I'm anxious to see how the Huskers respond after knowing they definitely should've had that game.


Now for some other news around College Football from Week 7:

- There were 7 different top 25 teams to lose on Saturday (some to other ranked teams), but a handful of other top teams were nearly knocked off as well. The chaos is just beginning folks.

- LSU and Michigan State are absolutely the worst teams to make predictions on in my humbled opinion. The moment I put my faith in them, they lay an egg. The moment I feel like they won't show up, they knock off top 10 teams.

- Penn State's season has been blown up by Ohio State and Michigan State for the second year in a row. The Nittany Lions seemed to have lost their edge since the 4th quarter of the Ohio State game.

- Michigan looks very tough. They have a lot of potential to be challenging the Buckeyes for the BIG 10 East crown later this season.

- The SEC East is completely up for grabs after Georgia's loss. Florida almost fell to their trap game with some very heated competition from the Commodores and Kentucky is looking to bounce back after their BYE week. The fight for the right to lose to Bama should be a good one.

- Iowa State, always impressive with their upsets. West Virginia, you let me down again.

- Don't sleep on Oregon in the Pac-12. Probably won't make the playoffs, but they're in the driver seat for the North Title.

- UCF narrowly escapes Memphis with a win to keep their win-streak alive. Great game but close call.

Thank you all for reading my reflections post! I hope you're all having a fantastic week and are gearing up for Week 8! Predictions will be up on Saturday morning, GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando

Week 7 Predictions

     Week 7 in College Football is upon us and as we trudge through October, the stakes are getting higher each week. There are still a lot of one-loss teams in the Hunt for the playoffs, while the undefeated look to remain that way as conferences tighten up. This post will have all of my predictions on the interesting games of the week. There are a few potential upsets and some juicy, top 25 match-ups. I hope you all have as much fun watching football this weekend as I will, enjoy the predictions!

Week 6 Prediction Results: 8-4
Overall Prediction Results: 33-33


#14 Florida at Vanderbilt

     The Gators are coming off of a major upset against LSU at home and have a big SEC East showdown with rival Georgia in 2 weeks. Headed into a BYE week, this is the perfect trap game for the Commodores to pull off a major upset. Vandy is a stingy team with a talented, experienced QB. They've struggled to keep up with teams since the Notre Dame loss, but this team is more than capable of an upset. After the Kentucky loss, Florida was more or less written off from Playoff and SEC contention. They've risen from the dead with big wins at Mississippi State and home against LSU in the past two weeks. The Gators offense hasn't been anything extraordinary this season, but Feleipe Franks has managed his game well, throwing for 1,122 yards with 13 TDs compared to just 4 picks so far this year. The true strength of the Gators is with their defense. They give up only 14.8 points per game and are second in the nation with a +11 turnover margin. This defense flies to the ball and puts a lot of pressure on opposing QBs with a variety of pressure packages. Dan Mullen should have this team ready to go, and I think they show up with a strong performance headed into their BYE week. The Gators haven't lost in Nashville since 1988, so there's some history on the line too. Might not be a flashy win, but Gators take care of business up in Nashville with a 30-14 victory. GATOR CHOMP!


#2 Georgia at #13 LSU

     Staying with the SEC, there's a top 15 match-up taking place on the Bayou. LSU hosts the Bulldogs of Georgia as they look to bounce back from a road loss to the Gators. I tried to trust the Tigers, I thought they had proven their offense had taken a step forward under transfer QB Joe Burrow. I was wrong. Burrow completed less than 54% of his passes against the Gators and threw 2 interceptions, including the game clinching pick-6. Georgia's defense ranks 12th in takeaways (+6) and 6th in total defense, so I expect similar numbers from Burrow. The key to watch is LSU's defense against Jake Fromm and a dynamic Georgia offense. The Dawgs average just under 43 points per game and have an extremely balanced attack rushing for 245 on average and throwing for 240. They have so many weapons on their offense, including back-up QB Justin Fields. Fields has had opportunities to be used in this offense along with Fromm, and that QB-duo could cause headaches for a stout Tiger defense. Both QB's bring a change of pace, especially with Fields' rushing ability. Look for the use of both QBs in order to come out of Death Valley alive. Jake Fromm is still QB 1, but utilizing Fields on certain plays could really stretch out the LSU defense. Look for a steady dose of Elijah Holyfield too. I think the Dawgs keep rolling and take care of business on the road. Tough atmosphere, but Georgia wins 30-17.


#7 Washington at #17 Oregon

     Out to the Pacific Northwest, the Pac-12 North division title is likely up for grabs between Oregon and Washington. Stanford is still in the mix, but after a beat down loss to Utah last week, the Cardinal have a lot to fix before they roll through the rest of their conference schedule. As for the Ducks, their overtime loss to the Trees could more or less be erased with a victory at home against the Huskies. Senior Justin Herbert is arguably the top QB for next year's draft, and he'll be faced with his toughest challenge yet. The Huskies give up only 13.7 points per game and just over 300 yards on average. They rank 12th in total defense in the nation and will be looking to slow down the speedy Oregon attack. The Ducks average more than 500 yards on offense per game, so it's a bit of a "speeding car vs. a brick wall" type of scenario in this match-up. Oregon is always tough at home and probably should've had the upset against the Cardinal earlier this season. This is a very difficult prediction to make because Oregon has showed the upset potential, and Autzen Stadium is never a good place for top ranked teams to play. The Ducks are also coming off of a BYE week, giving them extra time to prepare. The Huskies need this win to stay in the hunt for the CFB Playoffs, and I picked them to win the North this year. This one will be a really great game to watch, but I've got the Huskies edging out the Ducks. Their experience will pay dividends in this crucial road game, and with a nearly 4 difference on time of possession, I think that could make the difference. Last time Browning was in Eugene, he gave the Ducks the famous "point" as the Huskies put up 70 on them. Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin show why they are still one of the best duo's in CFB and Washington fights off the Ducks for a 27-25 victory.


Duke at Georgia Tech

     The Blue Devils have disappeared since their loss to the Hokies after starting off the season 4-0, but they now travel to Atlanta to take on the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech. As always, Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets are going to run the triple option and run it well. They lead the nation with 373 yards per game on the ground and dominate time of possession with more than 32 minutes. The Blue Devils are coming off a BYE week following their loss, so you know they'll be ready to play. They give up just 123 yards per game on the ground, so we'll see how they handle the triple option. The best strategy against a team like Georgia Tech is to keep the ball out of their hands. I expect Duke to try and establish a ground game of their own, and try to keep it out of the hands of Georgia Tech. This is a tough road game for the Blue Devils and I'm just not sure they have the offense to keep up with Georgia Tech's pace. I'm taking the Yellow Jackets in this one as they win 45-28. Duke fooled us early, but they're still a basketball school.


#15 Wisconsin at #12 Michigan

     A top 15 match-up in the BIG 10 has huge conference implications and possibly even some playoff effects. The 1-loss Badgers take on their mammalian cousin, the 1-loss Wolverines. With early losses in the season, both of these teams have strong cases for CFB Playoff contention if they win out. Wisconsin has a bit of a cushion having already beaten Iowa, giving them a 2 game lead in the division with the tiebreaker, but Michigan could put a chink in that armor with a win tonight. The Wolverines are trying to keep pace with Ohio State as they move into the meat of their schedule. Michigan hosts Wisconsin this week, travel to rival Michigan State next week and then have a BYE before hosting Penn State. If they want any chance at winning the division and possibly making the playoffs, they can only afford 1 slip up (BIG 10 title contention in mind) at most during that stretch. This is an interesting match-up because it throws one of the nation's best rushing attacks against the nation's top defense. This will be a hard-nosed, grind-it-out game. Michigan's defense gives up just 230 yards per game, so Wisconsin will need to get creative in order to spring Johnathan Taylor. Honestly though, for the Badgers to win this game, Alex Hornibrook needs to have the game of his life. Wisconsin's O-line is one of the best in the business, hands down, but Michigan's pass rush is tops as well. They will put a lot of pressure on Hornibrook, who typically is not the most accurate QB to begin with. I'm not sure he's going to be enough in this one, but I really don't want to trust Harbaugh to get a "big win", because that probably won't work out. Ugh, I'll trust my gut I suppose. Michigan wins this one with big defensive plays 24-20.


#19 Colorado at USC

     Battle for control of the Pac-12 South Division will take place as the Buffs take on the Trojans in the Colosseum. Utah still may have something to say about the South Division title later this year, but as of right now, USC and the Buffs have the inside track. Colorado is in the toughest part of their schedule as they follow their trip to LA with a trip to Seattle. However, focusing on this game first will be crucial, because USC's defense is hungry for an upset. They've played better in recent games, but the Buffs offense is one of the best in the nation. They rank 18th in total offense in the nation and average nearly 500 yards of offense. The Buff's passing attack is led by the QB-WR duo of Steven Montez and Laviska Shenault Jr. Montez has thrown for over 1,400 yards with 11 TDs and 2 picks. He's also completing a national-best 75.2% of his passes. Shenault Jr. leads the nation with 141.6 yards per game and 6 TDs receiving. The Trojans will have their hands full with him as they give up an average of 218 yards per game through the air. I really like how well Colorado is playing this year and I think they'll take care of business this week. USC has some growing pains to go through with JT Daniels, and won't quite have enough to pull off the win today. They're favored at home, but I think Colorado will win this one. Buffaloes 35, Trojans 23.


#6 West Virginia at Iowa State

     A blackout game in Ames is set as the #6 Mountaineers roll into town. Iowa State is coming off the heels of a big win on the road at Oklahoma State where 3rd-string QB, Brock Purdy, came in to throw for 318 yards, rush for 84 and account for 5 total TDs. Those Cyclone 3rd-stringers are absolute ballers I guess! Will Grier of West Virginia is a baller too, but he threw three redzone picks last week...against Kansas! To be fair, the Jayhawks actually rank 1st in the nation in turnover margin, but for a Heisman hopeful, that's not a performance you can afford to have too often. Iowa State is always upset-minded, but I think WVU will be ready to bounce back this week. The Cyclones do give up nearly 230 passing yards per game though, so Grier and company will have a lot of opportunities downfield. I'm sticking with the Mountaineers in this game, but they need to start stepping it up as their schedule gets tougher. WVU 39, ISU 20.


Nebraska at Northwestern

     The Huskers travel to Northwestern to take on the rival Wildcats in the Battle of the NUs. This is always one of my favorite games of the year because these two teams are always fighting until the end. Last year's showdown went to Overtime and I expect another close one today. The Wildcats are coming off their best game of the year having knocked off Sparty on the road 29-19. Nebraska is trying to avoid their worst start in school history as Scott Frost is still looking for his first win. Once this team gets a victory, things will start to change very quickly in my opinion. Northwestern will have a heavy focus on the passing game as Clayton Thorson will be looking to torch the horrendous Blackshirt secondary. Thorson is completing nearly 63% of his passes and often plays quite well against the Huskers. The biggest issue is his ability to scramble out of the pocket. While not the best runner, Nebraska often makes him look like he was born for it. In the last 3 meetings, Thorson has 178 total rushing yards against the Huskers and 4 TDs on the ground. Nebraska will need to get pressure on him to ensure he doesn't make back-breaking conversions with his legs. David Blough hurt the Huskers on the ground earlier this season. For the Huskers, the offense flows through Adrian Martinez. Northwestern has a very experienced defense, especially with their linebackers and secondary. Martinez will be an important weapon in this game as Frost will look to spread the ball around yet again. I've really liked how the Nebraska offense has played in recent weeks, and I think this game will be a big step forward! Martinez leads Nebraska to their first victory of the season and the Huskers stay perfect in Evanston. Nebraska 26, Northwestern 24. GO BIG RED!


Now for some quick hit predictions for some other interesting games:

Iowa at Indiana- The Hawkeyes take their 4th ranked defense in the nation to Bloomington to square off against the Hoosiers. Indiana put up 20 on the first half against Ohio State last week, but Iowa's defense might not even allow that. Peyton Ramsey for Indiana will have some success early on, but I don't think it will last. Even though I hate to admit it, this Hawkeyes team plays some really good football. Nate Stanley has a big game and Iowa takes care of business on the road. Hawkeyes 30, Hoosiers 17.

Michigan State at #8 Penn State- Sticking with the BIG 10, we look to Happy Valley as the Nittany Lions host Sparty. It's hard to know which Michigan State team will show up, but you always need to be ready to play when they come to town. Sparty has won 4 out of the last 5 against Penn State. I don't think Trace McSorely could possibly lose two home games in a season, let alone a career, so I'm going with the Nittany Lions. McSorely could still be invited to NYC for the Heisman Ceremony. PSU 37, MSU 21.

#22 Texas A&M at South Carolina- Both teams are coming off of big wins last week as A&M knocked off my bandwagon team, the Kentucky Wildcats in Overtime and South Carolina beat Missouri on a last second field goal (I'm perfectly okay with that one). Ranked teams on the road are never in a good spot, but I think A&M has what it takes. They'll get enough pressure on Jake Bentley in this game to make the difference. Kellen Mond could struggle a bit, but Trayveon Williams and the Aggie ground game will get the victory. Aggies beat the Gamecocks 38-33.

UCLA at Cal- The Bruins travel to Berkeley to take on the Golden Bears. Cal is coming off back to back losses to Oregon and Arizona while Chip Kelly and the Bruins are still looking for their first win. I said Cal was my dark horse for upsets in the Pac-12 this season, but that hasn't quite panned out yet. If they can keep the turnovers to a minimum today, they should get back on track. UCLA has to wait one more week for their victory. Golden Bears beat the Bruins 30-20.

Hawai'i at BYU- The Cougars stout defense has disappeared over the past two weeks as they've given up 35 points to Washington and 45 points to Utah State. Tanner Mangum has been under constant pressure, and missing Squally Canada has really hurt their run game. The Rainbow Warriors are a very quiet 6-1 out in the middle of the Pacific, and Cole McDonald has 2,100 passing yards to go along with his 24:2 TD to INT ratio. Hawai'i and BYU are big rivals, so this should be a fun game to watch, but I like the Rainbow Warriors in this one. BYU's struggles continue at home and Hawai'i wins 40-28.

Thank you for reading my Gameday predictions and enjoy your Saturday of College Football! Be sure to let me know if you have any comments or questions and GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando

Week 6 Reflections

     Sorry for the late reflection post this week football fans, but as break approaches I've had a lot of assignments to take care of first! Nonetheless, this is my reflection post on last weekend in College Football and will focus on the Huskers performance up in Madison along with some other news around the College Football world. Let me know if you have any questions or comments and be sure to share the link with anyone who might be interested in reading! Thank you and enjoy!


     The Huskers fell 41-24 up in Madison to the Badgers, but there were a lot of positives to take away from this game. Adrian Martinez has gone for over 400 yards of total yards of offense for the second game in a row now, and JD Spielman set a Nebraska record by hauling in 209 receiving yards. The offense definitely had it moments in this game, but once again, dumb penalties and an atrocious defensive performance led to the Husker's demise. I'll break it all down with my Good, Expected and Bad categories below.

GOOD: Offensive production and performance in this game was one of the best we've seen all season. Yes, they only ended with 24 points, but racking up 518 yards on Wisconsin is not an easy task. As I mentioned above, Martinez has now accounted for more than 400 yards by himself in each of the past two games and Spielman broke a Husker receiving record with 209 passing yards. Martinez also had the most passing yards by a Freshman QB at Nebraska, completing 57% of his passes for 384 yards and 2 TDs. Wisconsin was being stretched all around the field with the Husker's passing attack and couldn't cover Spielman if their life depended on it. Stanley also had a solid game catching 8 passes for 93 yards. The run game was MIA, but with Martinez throwing the ball 42 times, it's clear Frost wasn't going to try the Badger's Linebackers up the middle very often. Nebraska only ran the ball 24 times, with only 10 of those carries being split evenly between Ozigbo and Washington. Personally, I think both of these backs need to have more carries in the future, and there needs to be more balance on offense, but that's nit-picky. Nebraska played well and hopefully the offense can keep it up this week against a tough Wildcat defense.

EXPECTED: Johnathan Taylor and the Wisconsin rushing attack dominating the pace of the game and ultimately taking over. The Badgers racked up 370 rushing yards in the game and had a +11 minute difference in time of possession. Taylor finished with 224 yards and 3 TDs on the ground, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. The man was literally dragging Husker defenders behind him as he churned out yards. In addition to Taylor, back-up running backs Taiwan Deal and Garrett Groshek also gashed the Blackshirt defense for 74 and 73 yards respectively. Deal finished with an average of 7.4 yards per carry and Groshek averaged 8.1. Nebraska does not have a lot of depth on defense, but giving up nearly 10 yards a run to not one, not two, but THREE different running backs?! The front seven of the defense has really regressed from their opening week performance against the Buffaloes, and with more talented teams on the way, they'll need to get a push soon.

BAD: Dumb penalties and mistakes are still the issue holding this team from competing and even winning a game. Nebraska finished the game up in Madison with 10 penalties for 100 yards, double the Badgers who were at 5 for 50 yards. Nebraska has been in double digit penalties in every single game this year. This team will not get over the hump and win a game if this is not fixed. I've addressed this issue every single week, but if this isn't fixed soon, the team will continue to lose. Make them run more in practice, start holding guys more accountable for the penalties they commit, do something! I'm not sure exactly what the solution is, but it needs to be found ASAP.

     Overall, Wisconsin dominated a majority of the game, as expected. But holding them to two redzone field goals is a big step. Staying competitive and being down only 10 early in the third quarter after an opening half TD is a big step. This team is starting to turn the corner (especially on offense) and will start getting some victories soon. Not just because of the competition level, but simply because things are starting to click. Hopefully Frost can start mending this team together now that the guys (hopefully all of them) who don't want to be here are gone. I have full faith in this team and in this staff, but there's still a long ways to go.

Now here's some other news around College Football from last week:

- Are Texas and Florida back? After stellar performances and wins against top 10 teams, both of these teams have a shot at making some waves, not only in their conference, but potentially even the playoff picture. These are two teams to watch for the rest of the season and definitely in 2019.

- The Florida game is just another reason why I can never trust LSU. I don't know why I even try. Tigers are the best tricksters in College Football.

- Kyler Murray is insanely fast. That sprint down the sideline late in the Red River Rivalry was incredible. It looked like he had a video game turbo boost! Even in the loss, Murray racked up nearly 400 yards and 4 TDs. His Heisman campaign shouldn't be hurt much because this dude is a freak.

- Kentucky couldn't quite make it out of Aggieland with a victory, but the OT loss proves this team is legit. Proves A&M can hang too. I think Kentucky should've ran the ball with Snell more, as he only had 13 carries, but I don't take anything away from Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. Great game and still a lot out there for both teams.

- Alabama is the only trustworthy team in the SEC East. Auburn was just upset by Mississippi State 23-9, so the division already belongs to Bama.

- Notre Dame put a big statement win on the table against the Hokies, but they'll need some help to get into the playoff race down the road.

Thank you again for reading my reflection post and be sure to watch for my Gameday predictions for Week 7 on Saturday morning! Keep grinding through your week and GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando