It's week 5 of College Football and my favorite show, College Gameday, is here in Lincoln! While I do have to miss the game for my cousin's wedding, I will have the opportunity to work with ESPN and help with the setup and production of Gameday. I'm hoping to meet some great people and learn more about how to reach my dream job of hosting the show. Nonetheless, much like Gameday, I have my own CFB predictions to make, so here's your slate of games for Week 5, enjoy!
Week 4 Prediction Results: 11-2
Overall Prediction Results: 33-18
#12 Penn State at Maryland
A Friday night rivalry game kicks off our weekend as the Nittany Lions take on the Turtles. Maryland disappeared quick after their puzzling loss to Temple a couple of weeks ago, but could rebound in a big way by upsetting Penn State. The Lions edged out Pitt a couple weeks ago, but otherwise haven't been tested. We know both teams can score, but the true question lies with defense. This will be the first time each team has faced a dynamic, high-powered offense in the 2019 season, so we could see some fireworks. Penn State will also be on the road for the first time this year, so look for the crowd to really play a factor on Sophomore QB, Sean Clifford. I haven't done well with my Friday night predictions so far, but I think Penn State might be a hidden gem in 2019 for the BIG 10. The Nittany Lions hold off a late push and beat Maryland 38-30 on the road.
Arizona State at #15 Cal
The PAC-12 after dark is always entertaining, and with teams as evenly matched as Cal and ASU, we could be in for another show. The Sun Devils are coming off a tight loss at home to the Buffalo while the Golden Bears stuffed Ole Miss on the goal line to secure their (somewhat controversial) victory. Statistically, these teams are nearly identical, both scoring in the low-twenties per game and giving up in the mid-teens on defense. There are playmakers on both sides, but the QB battle will likely be the key factor to victory. Both Daniels and Garbers have played well this season, but will be faced with a tough task from the opposing defenses. I think I'll go with Cal in this one, as they were able to shut down Jacob Eason earlier this season and will look to keep the pressure on Daniels. This one should be tight, but the Golden Bears out shine the Sun Devils for a 27-21 victory.
Minnesota at Purdue
The Boilermakers and Gophers open conference play in West Lafayette as they begin their race for the title of "BIG 10 West Surprise Team". With all eyes heavily focused on Wisconsin and potentially Nebraska and Iowa sitting behind the Badgers, Purdue and Minnesota will battle out for the number four spot in the division. Neither team has looked impressive during non-conference play, but BIG 10 games always bring a little more pop to the game. Purdue QB Elijah Sindelar has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards this season, with 369 of those going to the star wideout, Rondale Moore. Purdue's game plan has been (and always will be) to get the ball into the hands of Moore. The dynamic sophomore is nearly impossible to contain, and should have a big game in this one. Minnesota is favored, but Purdue edges them out in this one. Boilermakers 33, Gophers 28.
#18 Virginia at #10 Notre Dame
The Fightin' Irish couldn't overcome Georgia on the road last week, but look to rebound against the eighteenth ranked Cavaliers this weekend back in South Bend. Virginia had to squeeze away from Old Dominion last week, so will need to really step up their game to compete with the Irish. Bryce Perkins, QB for Virginia, is a dynamic dual threat, but struggles with turnovers in the passing game, as he has four picks already this year. He is the team's leading rusher though, so Notre Dame will need to contain him in order to prevent drives from being extended. The Irish have played well under Ian Book, who's competed nearly 62% of his passes for 828 yards, with 8 TDs and just 2 interceptions. He too has shown his dual threat ability and rushed for 145 yards and 2 TDs in 2019. The key factor to watch will be rush defense. Virginia ranks twelfth in the nation, giving up just 75 yards per game on average while the Irish rank 110th giving up 204 yards per game. The ground game will be used to wear down the opposing defense in this one, but I think Notre Dame should take this one at home. Irish win in South Bend 30-17.
#21 USC at #17 Washington
Another intriguing matchup out west features the Trojans and the Huskies. USC knocked off tenth ranked Utah last week, with third string QB Matt Fink leading the way with 3 TDs. Fink may be called on again as Slovis still goes through the concussion protocol, which means the Washington defense is licking their chops. The Huskies have recorded 10 sacks on the season thus far, and will likely bring the heat to pressure whichever young QB is out there into mistakes. On the other side of the ball, I expect Jacob Eason to continue his impressive efficiency shown thus far in 2019, and I believe he'll have a big night. Washington routes USC, attempting to make a statement for the PAC-12, with a 41-21 victory.
Wake Forrest at Boston College
Yes, I know there's no ACC team that really matters in College Football outside of Clemson right now, but this should still be an entertaining one to watch. The Demon Deacons are undefeated in 2019, and bring a high powered offense into Boston to take on the Eagles. Wake averages over 530 yards per game, including more than 200 on the ground. BC gives up nearly 440 on average per game, so there's potential for a lot of yards and points in this one, I would expect a barn-burner. However, they do not have an AJ Dillion on their team, which means they have to worry about stopping the powerful Junior running back for the Eagles. Dillon has been up to his usual dominance, rushing for 468 yards with 6 TDs on the season while averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Wake has been good, but they haven't played a team with this much talent. Boston College wins at home 44-33.
Washington State at #19 Utah
While both teams try to recover from devastating losses to the teams from LA last week, they square off against each other. Utah's stellar defense was torched by the Trojans' third string QB last week, and now they host Washington State QB Anthony Gordon, who just threw for a school record 9 TDs... and lost. There will be plenty of yards and points in this game, as both offenses are loaded with talent. The key factor in a shootout game is turnovers. Wazzu had 6 last week alone and the Utes have only lost the ball twice all season. I think their defense will force some mistakes from Gordon and company yet again, allowing Utah to beat the Cougars at home. Utes 40, Cougars 35.
#5 Ohio State at Nebraska
The Buckeyes roll into Lincoln having played very little competition so far this season, while the Huskers have not looked like the advertised competition they were expected to be. I opened the season predicting Nebraska would finish with an 8-4 record, having the Buckeyes as one of those losses. In order to pull this upset in Memorial Stadium, Nebraska will need to play their best game of the season. Mistakes in a game like this will be amplified more than before, and Ohio State is not a team you want to give extra possessions. Justin Fields has been making his Heisman campaign known, especially after scoring SIX touchdowns in a quarter last week... in a freaking quarter!!! The Buckeye offense has so many weapons, so the Blackshirts will be tested in all directions. JK Dobbins leads the rushing attack with nearly 500 yards, while Fields has yet to throw an interception to his 13 TDs on the season, completing just under 70% of his passes. Adrian Martinez has not looked like the star everyone expected in 2019, but he often plays well in the big games. He'll need to release the ball quicker in this game, especially when Ohio State brings the blitz. Nebraska needs to get the ball to JD Spielman and Wandale Robinson on the edge if they have any hope in this game. There are points and yards to be had in this one, especially because Ohio State has yet to face an offense of this caliber. Unfortunately for Husker fans, the Nebraska offense hasn't lived up to that caliber yet. Under the lights is always fun at Memorial, but I fear my predictions will be true this time around. Ohio State romps the Huskers 52-27.
Now for some Quick Hit Predictions on other games around the nation:
#24 Kansas State at Oklahoma State- The Wildcats travel to Stillwater to take on the Pokes in a battle for third-best in the Big XII. Both teams score in the mid 40s, but the Wildcats' defense is the key factor here. They're averaging just 256 yards given up per game and will look to clamp down on the Pokes. This just seems like a game they'll sneak away with. K-State wins 34-25.
Texas Tech at #6 Oklahoma- After a week off, the Sooners are ready to kick off conference play with the Red Raiders of Tech. Both teams love their fast paced, high powered offense, so we should see plenty of fireworks. However, no fireworks are brighter than the ones from Lincoln Riley's offense and Jalen Hurts. Sooners Boom with a 56-31.
Indiana at #25 Michigan State- Sparty romped Northwestern last weekend, and host the Hoosiers this year. Indiana has looked good outside of their game against Ohio State, but I'm not sure how much of a match they are in this one. This could be one of those games where Michigan State flops, but I like Sparty to win big again. Michigan State 36, Indiana 17.
Northwestern at #8 Wisconsin- The Hunter Johnson experiment has not worked well thus far for Northwestern as the Freshman QB has thrown 4 interceptions compared to just 1 TD. Wisconsin should have no problem rolling in this one. Badgers run away quickly with this one, 49-14.
Thank you for reading my week 5 Predictions. Enjoy your football weekend and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Friday, September 27, 2019
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Week 4 Reflections
Week 4 has come and gone, but not without some chaos! College Football is starting to heat up as we move through September and there were some great games this past weekend. The Huskers came away with a comeback victory on the road at Illinois and some ranked teams fell in a number of surprising games. This post will break down my analysis of the Huskers' victory along with my thoughts from the other happenings around College Football, enjoy!
After nearly two full calendar years, the Huskers have won a game on the road. Nebraska beat Illinois 42-38 in Champaign over the weekend and there was no shortage of fireworks in this game. Adrian Martinez and crew put up nearly 700 yards of offense and took their first lead of the game with just over four minutes to play. The defense did not have their best outing, but were often times back up against the wall due to the four Husker turnovers. To break down this win, I'll have my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories.
GOOD- Wandale Robinson. The star freshman had his break out game against the Illini, racking up 168 total yards and 3 TDs. Robinson played both WR and RB for the Huskers, after Maurice Washington and Dedrick Mills were both banged up a bit late in the game. His versatility really made him a threat all over the field, and this is something I expect the Huskers to utilize a lot moving forward. Wandale was a workhorse for Nebraska, really causing havoc on the edge. This kid is every bit of awesome he was advertised as, and he's going to be a key factor in this offense as the Huskers move into conference play.
EXPECTED- Special Teams struggles. Yes, we've come to know this is the big problem area for the Huskers, but there were a few key moments in this game where this fact was even more apparent. The first would be the issues on kickoffs. Illinois averaged a starting field position of their 40 yard line throughout the game, mostly due to multiple Husker turnovers, but also because of poor kickoffs. The line drive kicks allowed the Illini to return the ball with little pressure as the coverage team still made their way down the field. Nebraska was able to contain Illinois, but future teams will have more dynamic playmakers (*cough* Rondale Moore *cough*) returning the ball, and just a few extra seconds for them is more than enough. Secondly, the struggles on special teams have forced Nebraska to take more chances on fourth down and go for two-point conversions. With three PATs blocked so far this year, I would expect more two-point conversions to be tried by the Huskers. Many fans are quick to blame the kicker for all special teams issues, but I would push some blame to the offensive line. Lane McCallum did miss his lone FG try of the evening, but that was after his made attempt was taken off the board due to a false start penalty. The blocked kicks are a combination of poor blocking and slow timing on the kick, but all around this unit is going to keep the Huskers in hot water throughout the season. I think Frost and company are realizing they're better off with Adrian and the offense on the field once inside the 40 yard line.
BAD- Turnovers and misleading statistics. Knocking the obvious one out of the way early, Nebraska football players need to learn how to hold onto the football. Against Illinois, the Husker offense fumbled four times in their own territory, leading to 21 Illini points. The Huskers are dead last (130th) in the nation in both fumbles (13) and fumbles lost (9) so far in the 2019 season... which is only four games in. The Huskers finished 103rd in the nation last year with 28 total fumbles, losing 11 of them. This is a big issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Under Mike Riley, the Huskers totaled 39 fumbles over the three years, losing 13 of them. Those numbers are staggering in my opinion, and not in a good way.
Now to shift focus, there are a lot of misleading statistics from the Illinois game. Most notably is the final score, 42-38. Again, the Illini scored 21 on short-field turnovers, giving them 17 points without. The stat sheet shows how dominant Nebraska's offense truly was in this game, racking up nearly 700 yards and going 11 of 19 on third down conversions. Turning the tables, Illinois finished with 299 yards, most of them coming on the ground with 221. The Huskers shut down their air attack and held the Orange and Blue to just 1 of 11 on third downs. The defense gave up some big plays early on, but statistically played quite well if you take out the fact that 21 of their points were scored with Illinois starting on the Huskers' side of the 50. Penalties and turnovers (two common issues over Frost's first couple seasons at Nebraska) kept this game close, but with 15 extra minutes of possession and 18 more first downs, Nebraska gave a lot of points to the opposition. So yes, Illinois played Nebraska tight, but only due to the self-inflicted wounds. There's a lot to clean, but this team is really starting to click once they get the chaos out of the way.
To conclude, the Huskers are now 3-1 under Frost in year two, which is far better than the 0-6 start that plagued this team in 2018. Much of the nation expected more from this team, which is why this team is always under the microscope. They're young, still learning how to run this system effectively and are only a third of the way through the season. Nebraska has a long way to go, but has the talent to hang with any team on their schedule and will be looking to pull some upsets as tough teams come to Lincoln. Not a great performance at Illinois, but more to build on than meets the eye.
Now for some other news and analysis from the happenings of Week 4 in College Football!
- USC is on their 3rd string QB, but apparently they still have Utah's number when playing at home. The Trojans knock off the 10th ranked Utes and the PAC-12 continues to show how difficult conference play is out West.
- Speaking of the PAC-12, if you stayed up late to watch UCLA and Wazzu, you got quite the show! The Bruins secured their first victory of 2019 with an insane comeback victory on the road up in Pullman. Even with Washington State QB Anthony Gordon throwing for a school record 9 TDs, UCLA wouldn't quit after a 49-17 deficit. After forcing 6 turnovers, they come away with a 67-63 victory.
- On Wisconsin! The Badgers rolled over the Wolverines in a game that was never really in doubt. They went 10 quarters before giving up any points in 2019, and Jonathan Taylor looks absolutely unstoppable. This game was also a good indicator of why I stated Michigan will have at least three regular season losses.
- Pitt with one of the biggest upsets of the year thus far in College Football, knocking off the Golden Knights of UCF 35-34. The Panthers were up 21-0 at one point, but had to battle back late to come away with the victory. This is UCF's first regular season loss since 2016.
- Georgia edged out Notre Dame 23-17, but I would expect both of these teams to push for playoff consideration later on in the season. The Irish have a favorable schedule and other than their annual game with the Gators and a road trip to Auburn, the Bulldogs look to be the favorite in the SEC East yet again.
- Justin Fields and the Buckeye offense scored 42 points... IN THE SECOND QUARTER! I've done that on Xbox before, but damn. Those were all 6 of Fields' TDs in the game, and they came in just 15 minutes of game time. As a Husker fan, I am terrified. As a college football fan, I am excited to watch this kid play.
- LSU has offense now? Joe Burrow threw for a school record, 6 TDs against the Commodores on Saturday, and the LSU offense is averaging a national best, 57.8 points per game. Never thought I'd say that. The Tigers still have to get through the SEC West, but if their offense can keep up with the likes of Bama, this year could get interesting down south.
- A couple of sneaky teams are undefeated as we begin to wrap up non-conference play. SMU is 4-0 for the first time since 1984 and have a deadly offense led by Texas-transfer Shane Buechele at QB. While the Golden Bears out West edged out the Rebels of Ole Miss on a controversial play that wasn't reviewed. Nonetheless, these teams will be fun to watch as the season continues.
- Clemson played 111 different people on Saturday. They had nine different running backs with a carry and five QBs take snaps. That's insane. That's probably everyone on their roster who wasn't injured... goodness. ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN?!
Thank you for reading my Week 4 Reflections and be sure to watch for the Week 5 Predictions coming your way later this week! Gameday is coming to Lincoln!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
After nearly two full calendar years, the Huskers have won a game on the road. Nebraska beat Illinois 42-38 in Champaign over the weekend and there was no shortage of fireworks in this game. Adrian Martinez and crew put up nearly 700 yards of offense and took their first lead of the game with just over four minutes to play. The defense did not have their best outing, but were often times back up against the wall due to the four Husker turnovers. To break down this win, I'll have my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories.
GOOD- Wandale Robinson. The star freshman had his break out game against the Illini, racking up 168 total yards and 3 TDs. Robinson played both WR and RB for the Huskers, after Maurice Washington and Dedrick Mills were both banged up a bit late in the game. His versatility really made him a threat all over the field, and this is something I expect the Huskers to utilize a lot moving forward. Wandale was a workhorse for Nebraska, really causing havoc on the edge. This kid is every bit of awesome he was advertised as, and he's going to be a key factor in this offense as the Huskers move into conference play.
EXPECTED- Special Teams struggles. Yes, we've come to know this is the big problem area for the Huskers, but there were a few key moments in this game where this fact was even more apparent. The first would be the issues on kickoffs. Illinois averaged a starting field position of their 40 yard line throughout the game, mostly due to multiple Husker turnovers, but also because of poor kickoffs. The line drive kicks allowed the Illini to return the ball with little pressure as the coverage team still made their way down the field. Nebraska was able to contain Illinois, but future teams will have more dynamic playmakers (*cough* Rondale Moore *cough*) returning the ball, and just a few extra seconds for them is more than enough. Secondly, the struggles on special teams have forced Nebraska to take more chances on fourth down and go for two-point conversions. With three PATs blocked so far this year, I would expect more two-point conversions to be tried by the Huskers. Many fans are quick to blame the kicker for all special teams issues, but I would push some blame to the offensive line. Lane McCallum did miss his lone FG try of the evening, but that was after his made attempt was taken off the board due to a false start penalty. The blocked kicks are a combination of poor blocking and slow timing on the kick, but all around this unit is going to keep the Huskers in hot water throughout the season. I think Frost and company are realizing they're better off with Adrian and the offense on the field once inside the 40 yard line.
BAD- Turnovers and misleading statistics. Knocking the obvious one out of the way early, Nebraska football players need to learn how to hold onto the football. Against Illinois, the Husker offense fumbled four times in their own territory, leading to 21 Illini points. The Huskers are dead last (130th) in the nation in both fumbles (13) and fumbles lost (9) so far in the 2019 season... which is only four games in. The Huskers finished 103rd in the nation last year with 28 total fumbles, losing 11 of them. This is a big issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Under Mike Riley, the Huskers totaled 39 fumbles over the three years, losing 13 of them. Those numbers are staggering in my opinion, and not in a good way.
Now to shift focus, there are a lot of misleading statistics from the Illinois game. Most notably is the final score, 42-38. Again, the Illini scored 21 on short-field turnovers, giving them 17 points without. The stat sheet shows how dominant Nebraska's offense truly was in this game, racking up nearly 700 yards and going 11 of 19 on third down conversions. Turning the tables, Illinois finished with 299 yards, most of them coming on the ground with 221. The Huskers shut down their air attack and held the Orange and Blue to just 1 of 11 on third downs. The defense gave up some big plays early on, but statistically played quite well if you take out the fact that 21 of their points were scored with Illinois starting on the Huskers' side of the 50. Penalties and turnovers (two common issues over Frost's first couple seasons at Nebraska) kept this game close, but with 15 extra minutes of possession and 18 more first downs, Nebraska gave a lot of points to the opposition. So yes, Illinois played Nebraska tight, but only due to the self-inflicted wounds. There's a lot to clean, but this team is really starting to click once they get the chaos out of the way.
To conclude, the Huskers are now 3-1 under Frost in year two, which is far better than the 0-6 start that plagued this team in 2018. Much of the nation expected more from this team, which is why this team is always under the microscope. They're young, still learning how to run this system effectively and are only a third of the way through the season. Nebraska has a long way to go, but has the talent to hang with any team on their schedule and will be looking to pull some upsets as tough teams come to Lincoln. Not a great performance at Illinois, but more to build on than meets the eye.
Now for some other news and analysis from the happenings of Week 4 in College Football!
- USC is on their 3rd string QB, but apparently they still have Utah's number when playing at home. The Trojans knock off the 10th ranked Utes and the PAC-12 continues to show how difficult conference play is out West.
- Speaking of the PAC-12, if you stayed up late to watch UCLA and Wazzu, you got quite the show! The Bruins secured their first victory of 2019 with an insane comeback victory on the road up in Pullman. Even with Washington State QB Anthony Gordon throwing for a school record 9 TDs, UCLA wouldn't quit after a 49-17 deficit. After forcing 6 turnovers, they come away with a 67-63 victory.
- On Wisconsin! The Badgers rolled over the Wolverines in a game that was never really in doubt. They went 10 quarters before giving up any points in 2019, and Jonathan Taylor looks absolutely unstoppable. This game was also a good indicator of why I stated Michigan will have at least three regular season losses.
- Pitt with one of the biggest upsets of the year thus far in College Football, knocking off the Golden Knights of UCF 35-34. The Panthers were up 21-0 at one point, but had to battle back late to come away with the victory. This is UCF's first regular season loss since 2016.
- Georgia edged out Notre Dame 23-17, but I would expect both of these teams to push for playoff consideration later on in the season. The Irish have a favorable schedule and other than their annual game with the Gators and a road trip to Auburn, the Bulldogs look to be the favorite in the SEC East yet again.
- Justin Fields and the Buckeye offense scored 42 points... IN THE SECOND QUARTER! I've done that on Xbox before, but damn. Those were all 6 of Fields' TDs in the game, and they came in just 15 minutes of game time. As a Husker fan, I am terrified. As a college football fan, I am excited to watch this kid play.
- LSU has offense now? Joe Burrow threw for a school record, 6 TDs against the Commodores on Saturday, and the LSU offense is averaging a national best, 57.8 points per game. Never thought I'd say that. The Tigers still have to get through the SEC West, but if their offense can keep up with the likes of Bama, this year could get interesting down south.
- A couple of sneaky teams are undefeated as we begin to wrap up non-conference play. SMU is 4-0 for the first time since 1984 and have a deadly offense led by Texas-transfer Shane Buechele at QB. While the Golden Bears out West edged out the Rebels of Ole Miss on a controversial play that wasn't reviewed. Nonetheless, these teams will be fun to watch as the season continues.
- Clemson played 111 different people on Saturday. They had nine different running backs with a carry and five QBs take snaps. That's insane. That's probably everyone on their roster who wasn't injured... goodness. ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN?!
Thank you for reading my Week 4 Reflections and be sure to watch for the Week 5 Predictions coming your way later this week! Gameday is coming to Lincoln!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Friday, September 20, 2019
Week 4 Predictions
Welcome to Week 4 College Football fans, and get ready for a big weekend! There are a lot of great matchups to watch, and they're even starting tonight, so you get my predictions early yet again. Last week's predictions were much better, so we're headed in the right direction again. There are a lot of games to pick on this weekend, but here are some of the most interesting ones. If you have another game you'd like my thoughts on be sure to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Week 3 Prediction Results: 7-4
Overall Prediction Results: 22-16
#10 Utah at USC
The Utes have cracked the top 10, and are headed down to Southern California to put their ranking to the line. The Trojans haven't lost to the Utes in LA since 1916, but this could be a different story. While the Trojans have been scoring well, their defense has struggled to slow opponents down. They're giving up over 400 yards per game, and with Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss beginning to hit their mid-season stride, the Utes look ready to roll. USC will look to keep the pressure on Huntley as they've recorded 9 sacks already this season. The real question in this game is how USC Freshman QB Kedon Slovis will handle the Utah defense. The Utes are giving up just under 240 yards per game on average and just 9.7 points per game, good enough for 6th in the nation. It should be fun under the lights tonight, but I've got Utah winning the South, and this is a big step in the right direction. Utes win in LA for the first time in over a century 36-17.
#23 Cal at Ole Miss
This is a game that should end up fairly tight in my opinion, and a key defensive stop/play will likely be the deciding factor. The Golden Bears from Berkley are traveling down South to take on the Rebels of Mississippi. A unique PAC-12 and SEC matchup will feature two teams struggling on offense, but stifling opponents on defense. The Bears are giving up just 16.3 points per game and 313 total yards on average. Ole Miss has been tough against the run early in the season, giving up 106 yards per game on the ground. This might not be the most exciting game to watch, but I guarantee there will be some bizarre plays on SportsCenter following this one. I've struggled picking against the Rebels, but I like the style in which Cal plays their game. Golden Bears win 19-13.
#22 Washington at BYU
As usual, the Cougars have been messing up my predictions. They've clawed back to win two come-from-behind games in overtime against Power 5 opponents, and now host the Huskies of Washington. UW knocked them good last year, so this is a bit of a revenge game mixed in. The Cougars love playing teams tight, but I bet the Huskies roll with this one. Jacob Eason has been very impressive so far this season, throwing for nearly 800 yards and 7 TDs with just 1 pick. This will be a statement game for Chris Petersen's squad, fighting to get back into the national spotlight.
Huskies 40, Cougars 20.
#16 Oregon at Stanford
Even with the Cardinal struggling this season, this rivalry in the PAC-12 North always brings a show. The Ducks are looking to jump back into the playoff race, but the only way to do that will be to blow out every opponent. While difficult, with Justin Herbert running the show, it can be done. Oregon is averaging 44 points per game and Herbert already has 11 TDs on the season. One of the most surprising things about the Ducks this year is the defense. They're giving up just 12 points per game and less than 100 yards per game on the ground. I think they're ready to make some statements, and the Farm is a great place to start. Oregon wins 49-21.
#11 Michigan at #13 Wisconsin
Our first major BIG 10 battle takes place up in Madison, WI this weekend as the Wolverines duel with the Badgers. These ferocious rodents have a lot of hype behind each of them, but (other than Army) this will be their first true test of the season. The Badgers have yet to give up a point this fall, and average over 500 yards per game on offense, led by star RB Jonathan Taylor. The Wolverine's defense is tough, but their offense is still struggling to find rhythm. I would expect a lot of ground and pound from both teams in this game. I said Michigan would finish with at least 3 losses at the beginning of the season, and this would be one of them. Camp Randall and the Badgers will be jumping quite a bit at the end of this game. Wisconsin 37, Michigan 23.
#7 Notre Dame at #3 Georgia
Our top 10 matchup of the weekend features the Irish and the Dawgs down in Athens. This will also be the first real test for both teams in the 2019 season, so the inflated statistics don't provide too much guidance for this game. Both defenses are tough, but this game will be decided by the quarterback play. Ian Book and Jake Fromm are two of the best in the nation for a reason, so expect a show on Saturday night. Both have been extremely efficient, especially Fromm who is completing 75% of his passes. This game should be tight for a while, but I think Georgia might pull away late. Bulldogs 33, Irish 21.
Nebraska at Illinois
I'm not going to sugarcoat this one, this is a game Nebraska needs to win. The Huskers have not won on the road since Mike Riley was head coach, and that streak needs to end. The Illini are coming off of a bad loss against Eastern Michigan last week, and will be looking to right the ship against the Huskers. Illinois' defense has been better this year, especially against the run. This game might be tight for a while, and Nebraska will need to fend off a late attack to get this win. Hopefully the Huskers can build off of last week's success and come out strong again on offense. Adrian will have to really get into rhythm with his receivers though, because the Illini will bring a lot of pressure to keep him from scrambling. Nebraska has lost at Illinois before, so Husker fans need to remember it's possible. However, this is a game they should win and will hopefully be a boost heading into the Ohio State game next weekend. Nebraska FINALLY gets a road win and snaps their 8 game losing streak away from Memorial Stadium. Huskers 34, Illini 23.
Now for some quick hit predictions on other interesting games:
Air Force at #20 Boise State- Always a good rivalry out west when the Falcons and the Broncos meet. Air Force just knocked off the Buffalo in Boulder, but the Blue Turf is never a fun place for opposing teams. Ball control is key, but I think Boise edges this one out. Should be close though! Broncos 27, Air Force 21.
Michigan State at Northwestern- A very unique game in the BIG 10 features two teams who are always dangerous in conference play. The Spartans are coming off a devastating loss at home to Arizona State, and the Wildcats are hoping Hunter Johnson will hit his breakout soon. I think Sparty has the edge here, Northwestern keeps it tight with their defense, but the offense isn't quite ready. MSU wins on the road in Evanston 27-14.
South Carolina at Missouri- Outside of Georgia and Florida, the SEC East is fairly irrelevant, but this could be a fun game to watch. Kelly Bryant is starting to hit his stride with the Tigers, and has thrown for nearly 800 yards with 6 TDs and just 2 picks so far this year. Carolina on the other side runs a very balanced attack, averaging around 250 yards both on the ground and through the air per game. Both teams are from Columbia, but only one can win. Mizzou takes it at home 38-28.
West Virginia at Kansas- Much like the SEC East, the rest of the Big XII doesn't really mean much outside of Oklahoma and Texas. However, with the Mad Hatter running the show in Lawrence, the Jayhawks could cause some headaches. Their performance against BC last weekend was a big surprise, and I don't think WVU is ready for it. Rock Chalk as the Jayhawks win 36-21.
Oklahoma State at #12 Texas- Speaking of Texas, they host the undefeated Cowboys this weekend. Spencer Sanders has been slinging it for Mike Gundy and his mullet so far this season, throwing for 622 yards with 7 TDs and 1 interception. However, there's no way Sam Ehlinger loses two in a row at home. Hook 'Em as they say down in Texas, and the Longhorns ROLL 46-28.
Colorado at #24 Arizona State- The Buffs are coming off of back to back overtime games, splitting the two. Arizona State narrowly avoided OT in East Lansing last week, but now have to deal with Steven Montez and his deadly corps of receivers. The Sun Devils' defense has been extremely impressive this season, but they're vulnerable through the air. Montez and Colorado turn it around and the Buffalo walk out with a 30-21 victory.
Thank you for reading my Week 4 Predictions and please be sure to share my post with all of your football loving friends and family! Enjoy the games and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Week 3 Prediction Results: 7-4
Overall Prediction Results: 22-16
#10 Utah at USC
The Utes have cracked the top 10, and are headed down to Southern California to put their ranking to the line. The Trojans haven't lost to the Utes in LA since 1916, but this could be a different story. While the Trojans have been scoring well, their defense has struggled to slow opponents down. They're giving up over 400 yards per game, and with Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss beginning to hit their mid-season stride, the Utes look ready to roll. USC will look to keep the pressure on Huntley as they've recorded 9 sacks already this season. The real question in this game is how USC Freshman QB Kedon Slovis will handle the Utah defense. The Utes are giving up just under 240 yards per game on average and just 9.7 points per game, good enough for 6th in the nation. It should be fun under the lights tonight, but I've got Utah winning the South, and this is a big step in the right direction. Utes win in LA for the first time in over a century 36-17.
#23 Cal at Ole Miss
This is a game that should end up fairly tight in my opinion, and a key defensive stop/play will likely be the deciding factor. The Golden Bears from Berkley are traveling down South to take on the Rebels of Mississippi. A unique PAC-12 and SEC matchup will feature two teams struggling on offense, but stifling opponents on defense. The Bears are giving up just 16.3 points per game and 313 total yards on average. Ole Miss has been tough against the run early in the season, giving up 106 yards per game on the ground. This might not be the most exciting game to watch, but I guarantee there will be some bizarre plays on SportsCenter following this one. I've struggled picking against the Rebels, but I like the style in which Cal plays their game. Golden Bears win 19-13.
#22 Washington at BYU
As usual, the Cougars have been messing up my predictions. They've clawed back to win two come-from-behind games in overtime against Power 5 opponents, and now host the Huskies of Washington. UW knocked them good last year, so this is a bit of a revenge game mixed in. The Cougars love playing teams tight, but I bet the Huskies roll with this one. Jacob Eason has been very impressive so far this season, throwing for nearly 800 yards and 7 TDs with just 1 pick. This will be a statement game for Chris Petersen's squad, fighting to get back into the national spotlight.
Huskies 40, Cougars 20.
#16 Oregon at Stanford
Even with the Cardinal struggling this season, this rivalry in the PAC-12 North always brings a show. The Ducks are looking to jump back into the playoff race, but the only way to do that will be to blow out every opponent. While difficult, with Justin Herbert running the show, it can be done. Oregon is averaging 44 points per game and Herbert already has 11 TDs on the season. One of the most surprising things about the Ducks this year is the defense. They're giving up just 12 points per game and less than 100 yards per game on the ground. I think they're ready to make some statements, and the Farm is a great place to start. Oregon wins 49-21.
#11 Michigan at #13 Wisconsin
Our first major BIG 10 battle takes place up in Madison, WI this weekend as the Wolverines duel with the Badgers. These ferocious rodents have a lot of hype behind each of them, but (other than Army) this will be their first true test of the season. The Badgers have yet to give up a point this fall, and average over 500 yards per game on offense, led by star RB Jonathan Taylor. The Wolverine's defense is tough, but their offense is still struggling to find rhythm. I would expect a lot of ground and pound from both teams in this game. I said Michigan would finish with at least 3 losses at the beginning of the season, and this would be one of them. Camp Randall and the Badgers will be jumping quite a bit at the end of this game. Wisconsin 37, Michigan 23.
#7 Notre Dame at #3 Georgia
Our top 10 matchup of the weekend features the Irish and the Dawgs down in Athens. This will also be the first real test for both teams in the 2019 season, so the inflated statistics don't provide too much guidance for this game. Both defenses are tough, but this game will be decided by the quarterback play. Ian Book and Jake Fromm are two of the best in the nation for a reason, so expect a show on Saturday night. Both have been extremely efficient, especially Fromm who is completing 75% of his passes. This game should be tight for a while, but I think Georgia might pull away late. Bulldogs 33, Irish 21.
Nebraska at Illinois
I'm not going to sugarcoat this one, this is a game Nebraska needs to win. The Huskers have not won on the road since Mike Riley was head coach, and that streak needs to end. The Illini are coming off of a bad loss against Eastern Michigan last week, and will be looking to right the ship against the Huskers. Illinois' defense has been better this year, especially against the run. This game might be tight for a while, and Nebraska will need to fend off a late attack to get this win. Hopefully the Huskers can build off of last week's success and come out strong again on offense. Adrian will have to really get into rhythm with his receivers though, because the Illini will bring a lot of pressure to keep him from scrambling. Nebraska has lost at Illinois before, so Husker fans need to remember it's possible. However, this is a game they should win and will hopefully be a boost heading into the Ohio State game next weekend. Nebraska FINALLY gets a road win and snaps their 8 game losing streak away from Memorial Stadium. Huskers 34, Illini 23.
Now for some quick hit predictions on other interesting games:
Air Force at #20 Boise State- Always a good rivalry out west when the Falcons and the Broncos meet. Air Force just knocked off the Buffalo in Boulder, but the Blue Turf is never a fun place for opposing teams. Ball control is key, but I think Boise edges this one out. Should be close though! Broncos 27, Air Force 21.
Michigan State at Northwestern- A very unique game in the BIG 10 features two teams who are always dangerous in conference play. The Spartans are coming off a devastating loss at home to Arizona State, and the Wildcats are hoping Hunter Johnson will hit his breakout soon. I think Sparty has the edge here, Northwestern keeps it tight with their defense, but the offense isn't quite ready. MSU wins on the road in Evanston 27-14.
South Carolina at Missouri- Outside of Georgia and Florida, the SEC East is fairly irrelevant, but this could be a fun game to watch. Kelly Bryant is starting to hit his stride with the Tigers, and has thrown for nearly 800 yards with 6 TDs and just 2 picks so far this year. Carolina on the other side runs a very balanced attack, averaging around 250 yards both on the ground and through the air per game. Both teams are from Columbia, but only one can win. Mizzou takes it at home 38-28.
West Virginia at Kansas- Much like the SEC East, the rest of the Big XII doesn't really mean much outside of Oklahoma and Texas. However, with the Mad Hatter running the show in Lawrence, the Jayhawks could cause some headaches. Their performance against BC last weekend was a big surprise, and I don't think WVU is ready for it. Rock Chalk as the Jayhawks win 36-21.
Oklahoma State at #12 Texas- Speaking of Texas, they host the undefeated Cowboys this weekend. Spencer Sanders has been slinging it for Mike Gundy and his mullet so far this season, throwing for 622 yards with 7 TDs and 1 interception. However, there's no way Sam Ehlinger loses two in a row at home. Hook 'Em as they say down in Texas, and the Longhorns ROLL 46-28.
Colorado at #24 Arizona State- The Buffs are coming off of back to back overtime games, splitting the two. Arizona State narrowly avoided OT in East Lansing last week, but now have to deal with Steven Montez and his deadly corps of receivers. The Sun Devils' defense has been extremely impressive this season, but they're vulnerable through the air. Montez and Colorado turn it around and the Buffalo walk out with a 30-21 victory.
Thank you for reading my Week 4 Predictions and please be sure to share my post with all of your football loving friends and family! Enjoy the games and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Week 3 Reflections
We're into mid-September and College Football is starting to heat up! There have been some great games thus far, and with more big matchups on the horizon, its only going to get better for us fans. As we look back at the last week of College Football, we have an impressive Husker victory, a couple of crazy highlight plays, and a poor performance week for the BIG 10 in most cases. This post will break down my thoughts on the Huskers' victory over the Huskies of Northern Illinois and some interesting happenings throughout the weekend of CFB. Be sure to share with your football loving friends and enjoy!
The Huskers looked impressive on Saturday evening as they cruised past the NIU Huskies with a 44-8 victory in Memorial Stadium. With easily the best performance of 2019, Nebraska racked up 525 total yards on offense (238 rushing, 287 passing) and held the Huskies to just 74 yards rushing with 11 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. NIU's air raid torched the Blackshirt secondary for 276 yards, but the Huskers did keep the Huskies out of the endzone. The performance was solid, as Nebraska was only faulted for 1 penalty and suffered only 1 turnover on a fumble by RB Dedrick Mills. Check out my full break down of the game with the GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories.
GOOD- The Blackshirts. Nebraska's defense has really impressed me early on in the season, and their performance against Northern Illinois was probably their best yet. While there are still holes to fix, the Blackshirts held Northern Illinois out of the endzone and to just 25% (5/20) on third down conversions. The Huskies averaged just 2.3 yards per carry rushing the ball, and were often times struggling to find any room in the backfield. The secondary did give up nearly 300 through the air, and if NIU could hit the deep ball they would've had at least two TDs over the top, maybe more. As always, screws need to be tightened, but I like how this defense is attacking the ball. Still too many poor/missed tackles for my liking, but the Blackshirts are the strength of this team right now. Very good performance last Saturday.
EXPECTED- Improved offensive performance. Following the catastrophic meltdown at Colorado, and with BIG 10 play looming in front of the Huskers, this was an important game for the offense to step up in. There's still a lot of work to be done for this unit (which will be discussed shortly), but dropping 44 points against a team that usually plays tough against Power 5 competition is impressive on its own. Adrian still doesn't quite look like himself, but finished the game with 257 through the air, 44 on the ground and 3 total TDs. Mills led the rushing attack with 116 yards, and the Huskers totaled 238 on the ground. This unit is still young, and will get better as the season progresses. It's good to see the improvement, and it's even better to see Kanawai Noa catch some passes. The wideout caught his first passes as a Husker, including a beautiful back corner TD. If/when Adrian can get into a rhythm with him, this air attack will do some damage.
BAD- The offense's identity. Yes, I did just give praise for the offensive performance, and was overall impressed. However, after listening to David Pollack on College Gameday along with discussing the topic with some friends, the Huskers do not have much of an identity on offense. While I am someone who enjoys having many different things going on at once, an offense is hard to run that way. From my analysis, Coach Frost and his team are still trying to find their identity. They're running such a large variety of plays, it can be difficult to track which scheme they're in at times. One drive will focus on the ground attack and getting the play makers in space with short swing routes and screens, when the next will feature three straight passes to start the drive, trying to break it open down field. Again, I'm all for variety, but with football it's a dangerous game. I think this offense would be able to settle in more if the system was a bit more focused. There is too much youth to try and through the entire play book at them, so why not break it down and start to specialize in areas while adding tidbits of other pieces. This team is obviously hungry, but you do have to eat in moderation. This is a difficult concept to wrap my own head around, but I believe the Huskers would have a bit more success and settle down if their offensive play calls were more focused.
This was a great confidence boost for Nebraska, and I think the players are starting to really see what their talent will lead them to if they play within Coach Frost's system and focus on the basics. There are still issues on special teams and with tackling, but the team is starting to gel. The offensive line has been much more impressive over the last couple games, but the Jamies injury will be important to watch. They have an important road game against the Fightin' Illini up next, hopefully breaking that 8 game road losing streak!
Other highlights from week 3 in College Football:
- Kansas, where did that come from?! The Jayhawks were 20 point underdogs and trailed early before pulling a 24 point upset on the road. With the Mad-Hatter at the helm, you never know what headaches KU could cause in the Big XII.
- Florida escaped Kentucky, but it came with a big cost losing their QB Franks. Brutal injury.
- UCF making another great case for G5 teams with a statement win against Stanford.
- Virginia survives a scare from the Seminoles and a young fan has started selling Lemonade to buy out Willie Taggart. Things are not good in Tallahassee.
- USC nipped by the Cougars on the road and BYU is building momentum in these tight games.
- I'm still trying to figure out how Mississippi State QB got up after flying like a helicopter...
- The BIG 10 did not represent well over the weekend with Purdue getting thumped by the Frogs at home, Michigan State falling to the Sun Devils after nearly sending it to overtime but missing the re-kick after their penalty, and "Scaryland" not being very scary when facing Temple on the road. Also, Minnesota barely survived Georgia Southern at home.
- Iowa State lost their shot at victory in arguably the most Iowa State way possible.
- Credit to the Citadel for yet again beating a Power 5 team in their home stadium.
Thank you all for reading my reflection post and be sure to watch for my Week 4 Predictions coming out soon. GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
The Huskers looked impressive on Saturday evening as they cruised past the NIU Huskies with a 44-8 victory in Memorial Stadium. With easily the best performance of 2019, Nebraska racked up 525 total yards on offense (238 rushing, 287 passing) and held the Huskies to just 74 yards rushing with 11 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. NIU's air raid torched the Blackshirt secondary for 276 yards, but the Huskers did keep the Huskies out of the endzone. The performance was solid, as Nebraska was only faulted for 1 penalty and suffered only 1 turnover on a fumble by RB Dedrick Mills. Check out my full break down of the game with the GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories.
GOOD- The Blackshirts. Nebraska's defense has really impressed me early on in the season, and their performance against Northern Illinois was probably their best yet. While there are still holes to fix, the Blackshirts held Northern Illinois out of the endzone and to just 25% (5/20) on third down conversions. The Huskies averaged just 2.3 yards per carry rushing the ball, and were often times struggling to find any room in the backfield. The secondary did give up nearly 300 through the air, and if NIU could hit the deep ball they would've had at least two TDs over the top, maybe more. As always, screws need to be tightened, but I like how this defense is attacking the ball. Still too many poor/missed tackles for my liking, but the Blackshirts are the strength of this team right now. Very good performance last Saturday.
EXPECTED- Improved offensive performance. Following the catastrophic meltdown at Colorado, and with BIG 10 play looming in front of the Huskers, this was an important game for the offense to step up in. There's still a lot of work to be done for this unit (which will be discussed shortly), but dropping 44 points against a team that usually plays tough against Power 5 competition is impressive on its own. Adrian still doesn't quite look like himself, but finished the game with 257 through the air, 44 on the ground and 3 total TDs. Mills led the rushing attack with 116 yards, and the Huskers totaled 238 on the ground. This unit is still young, and will get better as the season progresses. It's good to see the improvement, and it's even better to see Kanawai Noa catch some passes. The wideout caught his first passes as a Husker, including a beautiful back corner TD. If/when Adrian can get into a rhythm with him, this air attack will do some damage.
BAD- The offense's identity. Yes, I did just give praise for the offensive performance, and was overall impressed. However, after listening to David Pollack on College Gameday along with discussing the topic with some friends, the Huskers do not have much of an identity on offense. While I am someone who enjoys having many different things going on at once, an offense is hard to run that way. From my analysis, Coach Frost and his team are still trying to find their identity. They're running such a large variety of plays, it can be difficult to track which scheme they're in at times. One drive will focus on the ground attack and getting the play makers in space with short swing routes and screens, when the next will feature three straight passes to start the drive, trying to break it open down field. Again, I'm all for variety, but with football it's a dangerous game. I think this offense would be able to settle in more if the system was a bit more focused. There is too much youth to try and through the entire play book at them, so why not break it down and start to specialize in areas while adding tidbits of other pieces. This team is obviously hungry, but you do have to eat in moderation. This is a difficult concept to wrap my own head around, but I believe the Huskers would have a bit more success and settle down if their offensive play calls were more focused.
This was a great confidence boost for Nebraska, and I think the players are starting to really see what their talent will lead them to if they play within Coach Frost's system and focus on the basics. There are still issues on special teams and with tackling, but the team is starting to gel. The offensive line has been much more impressive over the last couple games, but the Jamies injury will be important to watch. They have an important road game against the Fightin' Illini up next, hopefully breaking that 8 game road losing streak!
Other highlights from week 3 in College Football:
- Kansas, where did that come from?! The Jayhawks were 20 point underdogs and trailed early before pulling a 24 point upset on the road. With the Mad-Hatter at the helm, you never know what headaches KU could cause in the Big XII.
- Florida escaped Kentucky, but it came with a big cost losing their QB Franks. Brutal injury.
- UCF making another great case for G5 teams with a statement win against Stanford.
- Virginia survives a scare from the Seminoles and a young fan has started selling Lemonade to buy out Willie Taggart. Things are not good in Tallahassee.
- USC nipped by the Cougars on the road and BYU is building momentum in these tight games.
- I'm still trying to figure out how Mississippi State QB got up after flying like a helicopter...
- The BIG 10 did not represent well over the weekend with Purdue getting thumped by the Frogs at home, Michigan State falling to the Sun Devils after nearly sending it to overtime but missing the re-kick after their penalty, and "Scaryland" not being very scary when facing Temple on the road. Also, Minnesota barely survived Georgia Southern at home.
- Iowa State lost their shot at victory in arguably the most Iowa State way possible.
- Credit to the Citadel for yet again beating a Power 5 team in their home stadium.
Thank you all for reading my reflection post and be sure to watch for my Week 4 Predictions coming out soon. GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Friday, September 13, 2019
Week 3 Predictions
Week 3 of College Football is upon us and while there may not be a lot of big games slated on this week's schedule, there are some very interesting matchups I think we should all take notice of. College Football can always give us some great entertainment, and this week is no exception. I need a bounce back after last week's poor performance (both for my predictions and the Huskers). Here are all the games I think you should watch for on Saturday, enjoy!
Week 2 Prediction Results: 6-7
Overall Prediction Results: 15-12
Stanford at #17 UCF
The Cardinal jump across the country to take on the Golden Knights of UCF, who are paving their way to another undefeated season. Stanford will have KJ Costello back, which gives them good leadership in a hostile environment. The offense was very lackadaisical with Mills in last week against USC, but the defense is the bigger issue. The Trees gave up nearly 500 yards to the Trojans last week, including 377 through the air. The Knights average 634 yards and 55 points per game on offense. They'll cut down the Trees fairly quickly in this game. UCF beats Stanford 44-21.
#24 USC at BYU
The Trojans looked impressive last week against PAC-12 rival Stanford, and freshman QB, Kedon Slovis, threw for 377 yards and 3 TDs in his first start for the injured JT Daniels. USC needs to cut down on the penalties, but with a 50% third down conversion rate through two games, they could still be in this PAC-12 race. However, a road game up to Provo, UT is never easy, and the Cougars defense will look to put some pressure on the young freshman. I'm anxious to see if this Freshman truly has the goods, and this will be a big test. I like his odds though, and I think USC is moving in the right direction to start this season. Trojans knock the Cougars 37-21.
Arizona State at #18 Michigan State
The Sun Devils stunned the Spartans down in the desert last year, but I'm not sure we'll see the same result this year in East Lansing. Michigan State has looked tough in the early weeks of the season, giving up just 12 points on average through two games. Arizona State no longer has star wideout N'Keal Harry and QB Manny Wilkins, so this will be a very different game. Jayden Daniels has looked good at QB, but he hasn't faced the likes of a Michigan State blitz yet. I think they'll keep the pressure on the young freshman, and Brian Lewerke will continue to improve. He's already thrown for over 500 yards and 4 TDs so far this season. Sparty gets revenge at home with a 34-14 win.
#19 Iowa at Iowa State (Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy)
College Gameday will be in Ames, IA for the first time ever as the Hawkeyes travel to take on their instate rival, the Cyclones. Both teams have looked about as you would expect them to so far this season. Iowa State survived a scare against UNI and had an extra week to prepare for this game. Nate Stanley and the Hawkeyes have been cruising thus far, and their defense looks as good as ever. These games are always weird and often times have some very bizarre moments. Nonetheless, I don't think the Cyclones will win this (no matter how much I want it), even with all the hype. Hawkeyes 26-14.
TCU at Purdue
This is probably one of the more unique games of the day in my opinion. The Horned Frogs are still a mystery this year, but a road trip to West Lafayette should show who they are in a hurry. Purdue bounced back after their early season stumble at Nevada, and this team is about to find their rhythm. Rondale Moore is unstoppable and their defense is giving up just 90 yards per game on the ground. TCU had a lot of injuries last year, so it will be interesting to see their experience shine through. I like the Boilermakers at home in this one, Moore will be just too much for the Frogs to handle. Purdue wins 38-20.
Northern Illinois at Nebraska
Nebraska is looking to bounce back with a night game in Memorial Stadium, and the Huskies of NIU are the target. They won this game two years ago in Lincoln, so there's some extra motivation for the Huskers in this one. I expect to see Adrian improve from his second half in Colorado and use his legs to spark the run game. They will need to spread the field, as the Huskies run defense is difficult to move against. Look for Wandale Robinson and Maurice Washington to be used on the edges a lot. NIU QB Ross Bowers is completing 64.5% of his passes and has thrown for over 520 yards so far this season. They like to keep games tight, and they could do that again here. The secondary will be tested yet again, and the lack of safety play could hurt Nebraska at times. I expect the Blackshirts to show up big again, and after a few key turnovers, Nebraska will walk away with a 28-17 victory. Special teams will be key in this one, so Nebraska needs to be careful.
Now for some quick hit predictions from other games around the nation:
#1 Clemson at Syracuse- The Tigers are rolling and Syracuse is not as strong as we once believed. It's in the dome, but Clemson saw what Maryland did and their offense plans to do the same. Tigers roll 45-17.
Florida State at #25 Virginia- The Seminoles can get back on track with an upset victory on the road, but their defense needs to make the trip. They're giving up over 500 yards per game and 40 points on average. The Cavaliers are led by dual-threat QB Bryce Perkins and he's ready to feast. UVA wins and the 'Noles fall deeper into the hole, 42-20.
#9 Florida at Kentucky- The Wildcats upset the Gators in Gainesville last year, and they're hungry for more. Unfortunately, Benny Snell and Josh Allen are gone. The Gators defense will be ready for Terry Wilson, and I like Feleipe Franks to have a big game. Gators chomp the Wildcats 36-21.
Texas Tech at Arizona- PAC-12 after dark could light up the scoreboard in this one. Texas Tech and Arizona love to put up points, so I expect a shootout in this one. Every time I pick Kevin Sumlin, he lets me down. So let's go with Matt Wells and the Red Raiders. Texas Tech 52, Arizona 41.
Hawai'i at #23 Washington- The Huskies lost a close one on the road to Cal last weekend, and will look to rebound against Hawai'i at home. The Rainbow Warriors have a high-powered offense led by Cole McDonald, and the Huskies defense will be tested, but Jacob Eason and the offense should bounce back. Washington wins at home 35-17.
Thanks for reading all of my Week 3 predictions and enjoy the games! GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Arizona State at #18 Michigan State
The Sun Devils stunned the Spartans down in the desert last year, but I'm not sure we'll see the same result this year in East Lansing. Michigan State has looked tough in the early weeks of the season, giving up just 12 points on average through two games. Arizona State no longer has star wideout N'Keal Harry and QB Manny Wilkins, so this will be a very different game. Jayden Daniels has looked good at QB, but he hasn't faced the likes of a Michigan State blitz yet. I think they'll keep the pressure on the young freshman, and Brian Lewerke will continue to improve. He's already thrown for over 500 yards and 4 TDs so far this season. Sparty gets revenge at home with a 34-14 win.
#19 Iowa at Iowa State (Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy)
College Gameday will be in Ames, IA for the first time ever as the Hawkeyes travel to take on their instate rival, the Cyclones. Both teams have looked about as you would expect them to so far this season. Iowa State survived a scare against UNI and had an extra week to prepare for this game. Nate Stanley and the Hawkeyes have been cruising thus far, and their defense looks as good as ever. These games are always weird and often times have some very bizarre moments. Nonetheless, I don't think the Cyclones will win this (no matter how much I want it), even with all the hype. Hawkeyes 26-14.
TCU at Purdue
This is probably one of the more unique games of the day in my opinion. The Horned Frogs are still a mystery this year, but a road trip to West Lafayette should show who they are in a hurry. Purdue bounced back after their early season stumble at Nevada, and this team is about to find their rhythm. Rondale Moore is unstoppable and their defense is giving up just 90 yards per game on the ground. TCU had a lot of injuries last year, so it will be interesting to see their experience shine through. I like the Boilermakers at home in this one, Moore will be just too much for the Frogs to handle. Purdue wins 38-20.
Northern Illinois at Nebraska
Nebraska is looking to bounce back with a night game in Memorial Stadium, and the Huskies of NIU are the target. They won this game two years ago in Lincoln, so there's some extra motivation for the Huskers in this one. I expect to see Adrian improve from his second half in Colorado and use his legs to spark the run game. They will need to spread the field, as the Huskies run defense is difficult to move against. Look for Wandale Robinson and Maurice Washington to be used on the edges a lot. NIU QB Ross Bowers is completing 64.5% of his passes and has thrown for over 520 yards so far this season. They like to keep games tight, and they could do that again here. The secondary will be tested yet again, and the lack of safety play could hurt Nebraska at times. I expect the Blackshirts to show up big again, and after a few key turnovers, Nebraska will walk away with a 28-17 victory. Special teams will be key in this one, so Nebraska needs to be careful.
Now for some quick hit predictions from other games around the nation:
#1 Clemson at Syracuse- The Tigers are rolling and Syracuse is not as strong as we once believed. It's in the dome, but Clemson saw what Maryland did and their offense plans to do the same. Tigers roll 45-17.
Florida State at #25 Virginia- The Seminoles can get back on track with an upset victory on the road, but their defense needs to make the trip. They're giving up over 500 yards per game and 40 points on average. The Cavaliers are led by dual-threat QB Bryce Perkins and he's ready to feast. UVA wins and the 'Noles fall deeper into the hole, 42-20.
#9 Florida at Kentucky- The Wildcats upset the Gators in Gainesville last year, and they're hungry for more. Unfortunately, Benny Snell and Josh Allen are gone. The Gators defense will be ready for Terry Wilson, and I like Feleipe Franks to have a big game. Gators chomp the Wildcats 36-21.
Texas Tech at Arizona- PAC-12 after dark could light up the scoreboard in this one. Texas Tech and Arizona love to put up points, so I expect a shootout in this one. Every time I pick Kevin Sumlin, he lets me down. So let's go with Matt Wells and the Red Raiders. Texas Tech 52, Arizona 41.
Hawai'i at #23 Washington- The Huskies lost a close one on the road to Cal last weekend, and will look to rebound against Hawai'i at home. The Rainbow Warriors have a high-powered offense led by Cole McDonald, and the Huskies defense will be tested, but Jacob Eason and the offense should bounce back. Washington wins at home 35-17.
Thanks for reading all of my Week 3 predictions and enjoy the games! GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Week 2 Reflections
Well football fans, this last weekend was not kind to me. Both of my Fantasy Football teams laid an egg and the Huskers completely died during the second half against the Buffaloes. While not a fun weekend for my personal football followings, there were still some exciting games and a lot of big statements made for an interesting weekend of football. This post will have my breakdown and analysis of the Huskers' game against Colorado along with some highlight points all college football fans should take not on from the weekend. Thank you for all the support and be sure to share my blog and podcast episodes with all of your friends. Enjoy!
'Twas a tale of two halves for the Huskers on Saturday, and not a tale anyone in red wants to hear repeated. After starting hot with a 17-0 lead in the first half, Nebraska fizzled into nothing as they ended up losing 34-31 in Overtime in Boulder, CO. The Huskers' offensive attack was as dynamic in the first half as it was anemic in the second half. The defense held strong for most of the game, but were worn out by the end of it, opening the doors for 5th-year Senior QB, Steven Montez and his loaded crew of wideouts to go to work. Once the game reached Overtime, it was all but decided. Nebraska looked completely unprepared for the extended period. Let's get this over with and move into my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD break down of the Huskers' 34-31 loss to Colorado.
GOOD- The first half. This one is kind of obvious, but other than a couple of stupid penalties, the Huskers looked like a team that would not be denied in the first half of last Saturday's game. Adrian Martinez looked comfortable in the pocket and no one touched him as he completed 9 of 9 passes for 180 yards and a beautiful deep ball TD to JD Spielman. The Huskers were spreading the ball around well and Adrian was able to run out in space. Colorado's defense didn't have an answer for the Huskers' attack. Speaking of defense, the Blackshirts pitched a shutout in the first half against a team that dropped 52 in the opening week. Lamar Jackson came up with a beautiful interception and the defense was all over Steven Montez. The Buffaloes could not get the ball moving and Nebraska had all the momentum heading into the second half. This was one of the better halves of football I've seen from the Huskers in a long time. If they can start playing like this for longer periods throughout the season, this team has a very high ceiling to reach. There are glimpses of what Frost says this team will be, but you play four quarters for a reason.
EXPECTED- Colorado offense got their yards and points. When you have a 5th year Senior QB and NFL caliber wideouts, you're going to score in every game. At one point or another, you knew Steven Montez, Laviska Shenault Jr. and K.D. Nixon would get their air raid going. The Blackshirts held them off until late in the third quarter, but with the Husker offense going three and out so quickly on every drive, they lost steam late in the game. The third quarter is what really turned the game, because Nebraska became very conservative offensively on offense and did not adjust well to the Buffaloes defensive pressure. I credit Colorado for sticking with their game plan to lull the Huskers down with underneath slants and screens only to blow the top off with deep balls past the safeties. Montez has been a starter for four years now, his 375 yards and 2 TDs should surprise no one. The Blackshirts did well to hold him in check for nearly 3 quarters, but if their offense can't help them out, their efforts will break down at some point. Colorado is a dangerous team and with Mel Tucker at the helm, they'll cause some havoc in the PAC-12 this year. I expected Colorado to move the ball and put up some points, which is what they did, unfortunately for Husker fans it all came in the fourth quarter.
BAD- Coaching adjustments. Yes, the second half is a big contender for my BAD category, but I believe this game was lost due to the lack of adjustments and game strategy from Scott Frost and his staff. Full disclaimer, I am still all for Frost and his staff. I do believe they will build this team up to compete at very high levels and they will be a force to be reckoned with in coming years. However, this loss falls on his shoulders. Starting with the timeout before Nebraska even ran a play in the third quarter, the team looked completely lost in the second half. As mentioned earlier, I feel Nebraska became too conservative with their offensive play calls and that ultimately led to their inability to move the ball. I do credit Colorado for changing their defense and getting more pressure on Martinez, but Frost and crew did not counter those adjustments. My biggest issue was the ground game. It was clear that Maurice Washington was the X factor, and that the only yards to be gained on the ground were outside of the tackles. However, the Huskers tried to run up the middle, where there is very little room due to the inexperience of the interior offensive line. They were stuffed on every attempt and that resulted in quick, unproductive drives. On top of that, Martinez was very out of sync. Part of that was the pressure, but that's when you need to move the pocket. If you have a mobile QB, use his ability to your advantage and keep him away from pressure to give him a shot at high percentage throws. Martinez started hot, but was still overthrowing receivers and missing wide open targets. My last point on the BAD category is overtime. It was clear from the get go that Frost did not have an offensive attack ready to take on the Buffs in OT. For an offensive minded coach, this concerns me. The first two play calls (side handoffs in either direction) were not set up well and gained no yardage. A low snap on 3rd and 10 resulted in Martinez being sacked and with 4th and 14 looming, Frost decided to send out his back-up (x2) Kicker to attempt a 48-yarder and send it to double OT. In my humble, lazy-boy chair opinion, this was the wrong decision. Armstrong had only attempted one kick since high school, and that was earlier in the game. Nebraska practically conceded to Colorado's victory at that point and I think they would've had a better shot to win with Adrian and the offense on the field. Frost's comments on the situation after the game stated he "didn't have a play call for 4th and 14", which is concerning on another level. Again, this team is young, there were plenty of mistakes all around, but this is a bad way to lose. Nebraska looked ready to dominate this game all the way through, but couldn't adjust in game and that ultimately falls on the coaching. I have no doubt it will improve, but I was not impressed with this one.
We'll see how Nebraska answers back against Northern Illinois this weekend. This is a game they should win, but the Huskies won two years ago in Memorial Stadium, and gave Utah a fight on the road last week. Should be a fun one under the lights!
Now for some quick thoughts on the rest of the CFB world from week 2!
- LSU is looking very dangerous with Joe Burrow behind center. The Tigers have a dynamic offense for once, and their defense is always one to be weary of. They could make a playoff push if they can get by the Tide.
- Texas, even though they lost, played a great game. Oklahoma is still a step above in my opinion, but they will be tested by this Longhorn squad, probably even more than last year.
- "Maryland is Scaryland" A quote from my roommate Nate and it couldn't be more accurate. 2 weeks, 142 points. Fear the Turtle.
- Justin Fields & Jalen Hurts are unstoppable at this point with all of the weapons around them in their respective offenses. Ohio State and Oklahoma are big playoff contenders in my opinion.
- Army had a heartbreaking loss up in Ann Arbor, but it helps my case for Michigan not being very good. I still see them with at least 3 losses this year.
- I may have spoke too soon on USC, Freshman QB Kedon Slovis looked impressive in his debut.
- Cal with a very sneaky win against Washington. The PAC-12 will need a lot of help to get a team into Playoff contention.
- I'm glad I'm not on Rocky Top... lots of concerns at Tennessee after blowing the BYU game in the last few seconds. Kudos to the Cougars on the road.
- The same concern is going on in Florida State after a 1 point victory against Louisiana Monroe.
I hope you all enjoyed my Week 2 Reflections and be sure to listen to the newest episode of my CFB Podcast, The 2nd String, I do with my roommate Nate Muhlbach. Be sure to follow us on Spotify so you can stay up to date with all the CFB news and analysis. Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
'Twas a tale of two halves for the Huskers on Saturday, and not a tale anyone in red wants to hear repeated. After starting hot with a 17-0 lead in the first half, Nebraska fizzled into nothing as they ended up losing 34-31 in Overtime in Boulder, CO. The Huskers' offensive attack was as dynamic in the first half as it was anemic in the second half. The defense held strong for most of the game, but were worn out by the end of it, opening the doors for 5th-year Senior QB, Steven Montez and his loaded crew of wideouts to go to work. Once the game reached Overtime, it was all but decided. Nebraska looked completely unprepared for the extended period. Let's get this over with and move into my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD break down of the Huskers' 34-31 loss to Colorado.
GOOD- The first half. This one is kind of obvious, but other than a couple of stupid penalties, the Huskers looked like a team that would not be denied in the first half of last Saturday's game. Adrian Martinez looked comfortable in the pocket and no one touched him as he completed 9 of 9 passes for 180 yards and a beautiful deep ball TD to JD Spielman. The Huskers were spreading the ball around well and Adrian was able to run out in space. Colorado's defense didn't have an answer for the Huskers' attack. Speaking of defense, the Blackshirts pitched a shutout in the first half against a team that dropped 52 in the opening week. Lamar Jackson came up with a beautiful interception and the defense was all over Steven Montez. The Buffaloes could not get the ball moving and Nebraska had all the momentum heading into the second half. This was one of the better halves of football I've seen from the Huskers in a long time. If they can start playing like this for longer periods throughout the season, this team has a very high ceiling to reach. There are glimpses of what Frost says this team will be, but you play four quarters for a reason.
EXPECTED- Colorado offense got their yards and points. When you have a 5th year Senior QB and NFL caliber wideouts, you're going to score in every game. At one point or another, you knew Steven Montez, Laviska Shenault Jr. and K.D. Nixon would get their air raid going. The Blackshirts held them off until late in the third quarter, but with the Husker offense going three and out so quickly on every drive, they lost steam late in the game. The third quarter is what really turned the game, because Nebraska became very conservative offensively on offense and did not adjust well to the Buffaloes defensive pressure. I credit Colorado for sticking with their game plan to lull the Huskers down with underneath slants and screens only to blow the top off with deep balls past the safeties. Montez has been a starter for four years now, his 375 yards and 2 TDs should surprise no one. The Blackshirts did well to hold him in check for nearly 3 quarters, but if their offense can't help them out, their efforts will break down at some point. Colorado is a dangerous team and with Mel Tucker at the helm, they'll cause some havoc in the PAC-12 this year. I expected Colorado to move the ball and put up some points, which is what they did, unfortunately for Husker fans it all came in the fourth quarter.
BAD- Coaching adjustments. Yes, the second half is a big contender for my BAD category, but I believe this game was lost due to the lack of adjustments and game strategy from Scott Frost and his staff. Full disclaimer, I am still all for Frost and his staff. I do believe they will build this team up to compete at very high levels and they will be a force to be reckoned with in coming years. However, this loss falls on his shoulders. Starting with the timeout before Nebraska even ran a play in the third quarter, the team looked completely lost in the second half. As mentioned earlier, I feel Nebraska became too conservative with their offensive play calls and that ultimately led to their inability to move the ball. I do credit Colorado for changing their defense and getting more pressure on Martinez, but Frost and crew did not counter those adjustments. My biggest issue was the ground game. It was clear that Maurice Washington was the X factor, and that the only yards to be gained on the ground were outside of the tackles. However, the Huskers tried to run up the middle, where there is very little room due to the inexperience of the interior offensive line. They were stuffed on every attempt and that resulted in quick, unproductive drives. On top of that, Martinez was very out of sync. Part of that was the pressure, but that's when you need to move the pocket. If you have a mobile QB, use his ability to your advantage and keep him away from pressure to give him a shot at high percentage throws. Martinez started hot, but was still overthrowing receivers and missing wide open targets. My last point on the BAD category is overtime. It was clear from the get go that Frost did not have an offensive attack ready to take on the Buffs in OT. For an offensive minded coach, this concerns me. The first two play calls (side handoffs in either direction) were not set up well and gained no yardage. A low snap on 3rd and 10 resulted in Martinez being sacked and with 4th and 14 looming, Frost decided to send out his back-up (x2) Kicker to attempt a 48-yarder and send it to double OT. In my humble, lazy-boy chair opinion, this was the wrong decision. Armstrong had only attempted one kick since high school, and that was earlier in the game. Nebraska practically conceded to Colorado's victory at that point and I think they would've had a better shot to win with Adrian and the offense on the field. Frost's comments on the situation after the game stated he "didn't have a play call for 4th and 14", which is concerning on another level. Again, this team is young, there were plenty of mistakes all around, but this is a bad way to lose. Nebraska looked ready to dominate this game all the way through, but couldn't adjust in game and that ultimately falls on the coaching. I have no doubt it will improve, but I was not impressed with this one.
We'll see how Nebraska answers back against Northern Illinois this weekend. This is a game they should win, but the Huskies won two years ago in Memorial Stadium, and gave Utah a fight on the road last week. Should be a fun one under the lights!
Now for some quick thoughts on the rest of the CFB world from week 2!
- LSU is looking very dangerous with Joe Burrow behind center. The Tigers have a dynamic offense for once, and their defense is always one to be weary of. They could make a playoff push if they can get by the Tide.
- Texas, even though they lost, played a great game. Oklahoma is still a step above in my opinion, but they will be tested by this Longhorn squad, probably even more than last year.
- "Maryland is Scaryland" A quote from my roommate Nate and it couldn't be more accurate. 2 weeks, 142 points. Fear the Turtle.
- Justin Fields & Jalen Hurts are unstoppable at this point with all of the weapons around them in their respective offenses. Ohio State and Oklahoma are big playoff contenders in my opinion.
- Army had a heartbreaking loss up in Ann Arbor, but it helps my case for Michigan not being very good. I still see them with at least 3 losses this year.
- I may have spoke too soon on USC, Freshman QB Kedon Slovis looked impressive in his debut.
- Cal with a very sneaky win against Washington. The PAC-12 will need a lot of help to get a team into Playoff contention.
- I'm glad I'm not on Rocky Top... lots of concerns at Tennessee after blowing the BYU game in the last few seconds. Kudos to the Cougars on the road.
- The same concern is going on in Florida State after a 1 point victory against Louisiana Monroe.
I hope you all enjoyed my Week 2 Reflections and be sure to listen to the newest episode of my CFB Podcast, The 2nd String, I do with my roommate Nate Muhlbach. Be sure to follow us on Spotify so you can stay up to date with all the CFB news and analysis. Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Friday, September 6, 2019
Week 2 Predictions
It's week 2 college football fans and we've got some juicy match-ups to watch this Saturday! Non-conference games always bring something interesting to the table, and we should see some top 15 shakeups after this weekend. This post will have my predictions on all the big games of the weekend and some quick hit predictions on other intriguing match-ups. Be sure to comment with other games you'd like me to look at.
Week 1 Prediction Results: 8-4
Overall Prediction Results: 9-5
#21 Syracuse at Maryland
The first real test for each of these teams will renew an old ACC rivalry between the Terrapins and the Orange. Two young QBs square off with Tommy DeVito and Justin Jackson. DeVito did not look impressive in the season opener, throwing for just 176 and two interceptions. Jackson faired a bit better, throwing for just under 250 yards with 4 TDs. However, neither team were challenged much, so this game should be much more telling. Maryland playing at home gives them a big advantage, and Jackson is a talented dual-threat. Syracuse has a tough defense, returning seven players from last year. They're the ACC's best chance to knock off the Tigers, but they need to make sure not to look ahead to Clemson next week. Maryland beating a ranked team would be a big statement win for the program and for the BIG 10. However, I like Dino Babers a lot and I believe he'll have this team ready and focused. The Orange win a grinder on the road, 30-28.
BYU at Tennessee
This game doesn't look to be the most appealing after both teams started their respective seasons with a loss last week, but I like this match-up a lot. The Cougars defense was hanging around with Utah's high-caliber offense for a while, but lost steam as their offense started turning the ball over. Their pass defense held strong throughout the game, as BYU gave up just 106 yards through the air. That will be put the test against Tennessee QB, Jarrett Guarantano, who threw for 311 yards with 2 TDs and 1 pick last week. This game would be a big win for both teams to get back on track, but the Vols probably need it more. After losing to Sun Belt bottom dweller Georgia State at home last week, this should be a game they're fired up for. Both teams have experience and bring a lot of talent back from 2018, but I'll go with the home team in this one. They should be a bit happier on Rocky Top this weekend after Tennessee wins 30-20. Sorry Cougar friends!
Nevada at #16 Oregon
The Ducks blew another fourth quarter lead against Auburn last week and their Playoff hopes took a major hit. They should get back on track against Nevada in Autzen Stadium this week, but don't knock the Wolfpack too quickly. They beat Purdue by putting up a 27 point second half, giving up just 7 to the Boilermakers. Their defense was hurt early, but settled down nicely in the second half. Justin Herbert should be able to handle Nevada's defense, but Oregon lost steam as the game moved into its later stages. I don't think the Wolfpack will win this, but don't be surprised it if they cut into the 24.5 spread a bit. Ducks fly at home 45-24.
Miami at North Carolina
The Canes have had two weeks to sit on that Florida loss and I bet they'll have some frustrations to take out on the Tar Heels. Mac Brown's squad pulled off a big win against South Carolina in his (second) debut at UNC. The Heels' QB Sam Howell threw for nearly 250 and 2 TDs. He'll be facing a very aggressive defense with the Hurricanes, and I think linebackers Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney will bring some heat in this one. Miami brings their own Hurricane to Carolina and they get the 31-17 victory.
#23 Stanford at USC
The Cardinal held off the pesky Wildcats of Northwestern on the Farm last week, but now have to travel to the Coliseum to take on the Trojans of USC. They won't have to face off against JT Daniels though, as he suffered a torn ACL in the opener against Fresno State last week. The Trojans are still favored at home, but if Stanford's defense plays anything like last week, I don't see USC walking away with a win. Running the ball with Junior Vave Malepeai will be their best bet, but the Trees only allowed 93 yards on the ground last week. These games are usually tight, but I think Stanford squeaks by. Trees 27, Trojans 21.
#12 Texas A&M at #1 Clemson
This is one of my most anticipated match-ups of the non-conference schedules over the first few weeks. The Aggies nearly knocked off the Tigers at Kyle Field last season, but now have to travel to Death Valley (north) to take on the defending champs. Kellen Mond and Trevor Lawrence should put on quite a show, but the key factor in this game is one of my Heisman favorites, RB Travis Etienne. He only had 44 yards in last year's game, but should get more touches this time around now that Lawrence isn't splitting time with Kelly Bryant at QB. If the Tigers can get his ground attack established, they'll be able to keep Kellen Mond off the field. Jimbo Fisher knows how to pick apart Clemson's stout defense better than anyone. This should be a great game and could be tight toward the end. I still think Clemson has the edge, and being at home gives them an extra step. Tigers outlast the Aggies behind a great performance by Etienne with a 37-24 victory.
#6 LSU at #9 Texas
The warm-up games are done, so now it's time for these heavy hitters to step in the ring against each other. Texas and LSU are two dark horse picks for many CFB experts to win their conferences. The Horns have Ehlinger and the Tigers have Burrow. Both QBs look improved from a year ago and both are the core of their offensive attacks. Ehlinger has some top notch receivers on the outside to go against LSU's scary secondary. The Tigers will look to pressure Ehlinger and make him throw on the run. They'll have to be wary of his scrambling, and his ability to find more yards after contact. On the flip side, Burrow will try to torch a Longhorn secondary which gave up 340 yards through the air to Louisiana Tech last week. Oddly enough, LSU's passing attack could be their strength in 2019, and it should be on display in this game. I like how Ehlinger plays, and being in Austin will be a very tough atmosphere for the Tigers to face (expected temperature is 104 degrees). This is a tough pick because it feels like a game where both teams will let me down if I pick them, but dominate if I don't. Let's go with the Horns... unfortunately, I think they're pretty close to being back. Texas 28, LSU 25.
#25 Nebraska at Colorado
At the beginning of the season, I did not have this as one of the Huskers' losses (it was a toss up against the Northwestern game). After last week I'm a bit more concerned as the boys from Lincoln travel out to Boulder to take on the (former) rival Buffalo. There's a lot of hype and emotion around this game, so it will be difficult for both teams to set all that aside and just play ball. The fans will be rowdy and the stadium will be electric. However, at the end of the day, this is a game won on the field and there should be a good show. Buffs QB Steven Montez threw for 350 yards and 3 TDs against the Blackshirts last season, with 177 of those going to star wideout Laviska Shenault Jr. The Huskers' secondary will be tested again as CU will look to stretch the field. Defensively, tackling will be very important in this one. On the other side, Nebraska needs to get into a rhythm early. Last week's anemic performance on offense should serve as a strong motivator for Adrian Martinez and company, but the Buffs will be ready to bring the heat. I expect Nebraska to step it up in this game, but they'll have to play smart. Colorado did not have a single penalty in their opening game and put 52 points up on the board. Nebraska's offense should be able to move the ball, but finishing in the red-zone will be key in this game. The Colorado Rivalry was always one of my mom's most hated and favorite ones at the same time. This game last year was our final one together in Memorial Stadium before she passed. I know she'll be with me to watch this one, and I know Nebraska is going to win. Ralphie-skin rugs for everyone as the Huskers make a statement in Boulder. Nebraska 36, Colorado 28.
Now for some quick hit picks for other games around the nation!
Cincinnati at #5 Ohio State- The Bearcats face a tough one as the head to the Horseshoe, but they've got Luke Fickell at the helm. QB Desmond Ridder should do some damage to the Buckeyes young defense, but they don't have the talent to keep up with Justin Fields. Buckeyes pull away for a 38-17 victory.
West Virginia at Missouri- This probably isn't the game on top of everyone's list, but I'm curious to see how the Tigers respond with WVU coming to Columbia. Kelly Bryant looked strong in his Missouri debut, but couldn't pull out the win out west against the Cowboys. The Mountaineers may cause headaches early, but the Tigers should win this one easily. Missouri 40, WVU 20.
Vanderbilt at Purdue- Setting aside the color combinations, these two teams always remind me of each other. They'll often times have an under the radar break out player and both are lead by very smart coaches. Vandy had a rough 2019 season welcome by opening with Georgia, and Purdue gave up 27 points in the second half to lose on a last second field goal. They both need a win, but only one can have it. I like Purdue at home in this one, and they're still a team to watch out for in the BIG 10. Purdue 30, Vanderbilt 17. Boiler Up!
Arkansas at Ole Miss- A completely irrelevant SEC West game, but still an interesting match-up for week 2. The Hogs won just two games all of last season, but only fell to the Rebels by 4. Ole Miss couldn't get their offense on track in the opener against Memphis, and were stifled to just 173 total yards and 10 points. I'm not entirely sure why, but I like the Hogs in this one. Pigs win a head-scratcher 27-21.
Western Michigan at #19 Michigan State- Sparty handled Tulsa well and dominated the line of scrimmage. They racked up 6 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, causing the Golden Hurricanes to finish with -73 yards rushing. They could be looking ahead to their rematch with Arizona State from last year, and that's when a team like Western Michigan can get annoying. Mark Dantonio always seems to have one of those early, overlooking games, and this could be it. The Broncos won't win it, but don't be surprised if they're on SportsCenter for making it close! Sparty survives 28-17.
Thank you for reading my Week 2 Predictions and be sure to share this post with your other CFB loving friends and family. Now, let's all hate on CU together and say GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Week 1 Prediction Results: 8-4
Overall Prediction Results: 9-5
#21 Syracuse at Maryland
The first real test for each of these teams will renew an old ACC rivalry between the Terrapins and the Orange. Two young QBs square off with Tommy DeVito and Justin Jackson. DeVito did not look impressive in the season opener, throwing for just 176 and two interceptions. Jackson faired a bit better, throwing for just under 250 yards with 4 TDs. However, neither team were challenged much, so this game should be much more telling. Maryland playing at home gives them a big advantage, and Jackson is a talented dual-threat. Syracuse has a tough defense, returning seven players from last year. They're the ACC's best chance to knock off the Tigers, but they need to make sure not to look ahead to Clemson next week. Maryland beating a ranked team would be a big statement win for the program and for the BIG 10. However, I like Dino Babers a lot and I believe he'll have this team ready and focused. The Orange win a grinder on the road, 30-28.
BYU at Tennessee
This game doesn't look to be the most appealing after both teams started their respective seasons with a loss last week, but I like this match-up a lot. The Cougars defense was hanging around with Utah's high-caliber offense for a while, but lost steam as their offense started turning the ball over. Their pass defense held strong throughout the game, as BYU gave up just 106 yards through the air. That will be put the test against Tennessee QB, Jarrett Guarantano, who threw for 311 yards with 2 TDs and 1 pick last week. This game would be a big win for both teams to get back on track, but the Vols probably need it more. After losing to Sun Belt bottom dweller Georgia State at home last week, this should be a game they're fired up for. Both teams have experience and bring a lot of talent back from 2018, but I'll go with the home team in this one. They should be a bit happier on Rocky Top this weekend after Tennessee wins 30-20. Sorry Cougar friends!
Nevada at #16 Oregon
The Ducks blew another fourth quarter lead against Auburn last week and their Playoff hopes took a major hit. They should get back on track against Nevada in Autzen Stadium this week, but don't knock the Wolfpack too quickly. They beat Purdue by putting up a 27 point second half, giving up just 7 to the Boilermakers. Their defense was hurt early, but settled down nicely in the second half. Justin Herbert should be able to handle Nevada's defense, but Oregon lost steam as the game moved into its later stages. I don't think the Wolfpack will win this, but don't be surprised it if they cut into the 24.5 spread a bit. Ducks fly at home 45-24.
Miami at North Carolina
The Canes have had two weeks to sit on that Florida loss and I bet they'll have some frustrations to take out on the Tar Heels. Mac Brown's squad pulled off a big win against South Carolina in his (second) debut at UNC. The Heels' QB Sam Howell threw for nearly 250 and 2 TDs. He'll be facing a very aggressive defense with the Hurricanes, and I think linebackers Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney will bring some heat in this one. Miami brings their own Hurricane to Carolina and they get the 31-17 victory.
#23 Stanford at USC
The Cardinal held off the pesky Wildcats of Northwestern on the Farm last week, but now have to travel to the Coliseum to take on the Trojans of USC. They won't have to face off against JT Daniels though, as he suffered a torn ACL in the opener against Fresno State last week. The Trojans are still favored at home, but if Stanford's defense plays anything like last week, I don't see USC walking away with a win. Running the ball with Junior Vave Malepeai will be their best bet, but the Trees only allowed 93 yards on the ground last week. These games are usually tight, but I think Stanford squeaks by. Trees 27, Trojans 21.
#12 Texas A&M at #1 Clemson
This is one of my most anticipated match-ups of the non-conference schedules over the first few weeks. The Aggies nearly knocked off the Tigers at Kyle Field last season, but now have to travel to Death Valley (north) to take on the defending champs. Kellen Mond and Trevor Lawrence should put on quite a show, but the key factor in this game is one of my Heisman favorites, RB Travis Etienne. He only had 44 yards in last year's game, but should get more touches this time around now that Lawrence isn't splitting time with Kelly Bryant at QB. If the Tigers can get his ground attack established, they'll be able to keep Kellen Mond off the field. Jimbo Fisher knows how to pick apart Clemson's stout defense better than anyone. This should be a great game and could be tight toward the end. I still think Clemson has the edge, and being at home gives them an extra step. Tigers outlast the Aggies behind a great performance by Etienne with a 37-24 victory.
#6 LSU at #9 Texas
The warm-up games are done, so now it's time for these heavy hitters to step in the ring against each other. Texas and LSU are two dark horse picks for many CFB experts to win their conferences. The Horns have Ehlinger and the Tigers have Burrow. Both QBs look improved from a year ago and both are the core of their offensive attacks. Ehlinger has some top notch receivers on the outside to go against LSU's scary secondary. The Tigers will look to pressure Ehlinger and make him throw on the run. They'll have to be wary of his scrambling, and his ability to find more yards after contact. On the flip side, Burrow will try to torch a Longhorn secondary which gave up 340 yards through the air to Louisiana Tech last week. Oddly enough, LSU's passing attack could be their strength in 2019, and it should be on display in this game. I like how Ehlinger plays, and being in Austin will be a very tough atmosphere for the Tigers to face (expected temperature is 104 degrees). This is a tough pick because it feels like a game where both teams will let me down if I pick them, but dominate if I don't. Let's go with the Horns... unfortunately, I think they're pretty close to being back. Texas 28, LSU 25.
#25 Nebraska at Colorado
At the beginning of the season, I did not have this as one of the Huskers' losses (it was a toss up against the Northwestern game). After last week I'm a bit more concerned as the boys from Lincoln travel out to Boulder to take on the (former) rival Buffalo. There's a lot of hype and emotion around this game, so it will be difficult for both teams to set all that aside and just play ball. The fans will be rowdy and the stadium will be electric. However, at the end of the day, this is a game won on the field and there should be a good show. Buffs QB Steven Montez threw for 350 yards and 3 TDs against the Blackshirts last season, with 177 of those going to star wideout Laviska Shenault Jr. The Huskers' secondary will be tested again as CU will look to stretch the field. Defensively, tackling will be very important in this one. On the other side, Nebraska needs to get into a rhythm early. Last week's anemic performance on offense should serve as a strong motivator for Adrian Martinez and company, but the Buffs will be ready to bring the heat. I expect Nebraska to step it up in this game, but they'll have to play smart. Colorado did not have a single penalty in their opening game and put 52 points up on the board. Nebraska's offense should be able to move the ball, but finishing in the red-zone will be key in this game. The Colorado Rivalry was always one of my mom's most hated and favorite ones at the same time. This game last year was our final one together in Memorial Stadium before she passed. I know she'll be with me to watch this one, and I know Nebraska is going to win. Ralphie-skin rugs for everyone as the Huskers make a statement in Boulder. Nebraska 36, Colorado 28.
Now for some quick hit picks for other games around the nation!
Cincinnati at #5 Ohio State- The Bearcats face a tough one as the head to the Horseshoe, but they've got Luke Fickell at the helm. QB Desmond Ridder should do some damage to the Buckeyes young defense, but they don't have the talent to keep up with Justin Fields. Buckeyes pull away for a 38-17 victory.
West Virginia at Missouri- This probably isn't the game on top of everyone's list, but I'm curious to see how the Tigers respond with WVU coming to Columbia. Kelly Bryant looked strong in his Missouri debut, but couldn't pull out the win out west against the Cowboys. The Mountaineers may cause headaches early, but the Tigers should win this one easily. Missouri 40, WVU 20.
Vanderbilt at Purdue- Setting aside the color combinations, these two teams always remind me of each other. They'll often times have an under the radar break out player and both are lead by very smart coaches. Vandy had a rough 2019 season welcome by opening with Georgia, and Purdue gave up 27 points in the second half to lose on a last second field goal. They both need a win, but only one can have it. I like Purdue at home in this one, and they're still a team to watch out for in the BIG 10. Purdue 30, Vanderbilt 17. Boiler Up!
Arkansas at Ole Miss- A completely irrelevant SEC West game, but still an interesting match-up for week 2. The Hogs won just two games all of last season, but only fell to the Rebels by 4. Ole Miss couldn't get their offense on track in the opener against Memphis, and were stifled to just 173 total yards and 10 points. I'm not entirely sure why, but I like the Hogs in this one. Pigs win a head-scratcher 27-21.
Western Michigan at #19 Michigan State- Sparty handled Tulsa well and dominated the line of scrimmage. They racked up 6 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, causing the Golden Hurricanes to finish with -73 yards rushing. They could be looking ahead to their rematch with Arizona State from last year, and that's when a team like Western Michigan can get annoying. Mark Dantonio always seems to have one of those early, overlooking games, and this could be it. The Broncos won't win it, but don't be surprised if they're on SportsCenter for making it close! Sparty survives 28-17.
Thank you for reading my Week 2 Predictions and be sure to share this post with your other CFB loving friends and family. Now, let's all hate on CU together and say GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Week 1 Reflections
Alright Husker and College Football fans, here are my reflections from Week 1. I apologize for the delay, on top of being busy over the long weekend, I also needed some time to calm my thoughts about the Huskers' performance last Saturday. It's only been one game and there's still plenty of time for this team to improve. I knew there would still be growing pains for this team, but I think we all expected a better performance than we saw. The Huskers did win though, and that's something everyone around Nebraska should be happy about. This post will break down my thoughts on the Huskers' win over South Alabama and some of my thoughts from the other games this past weekend. Be sure to comment if there's any topics you'd like me to give my thoughts on. Enjoy!
The Huskers are undefeated for the first time in two years!! After a sluggish 35-21 victory over the Jaguars of South Alabama, Husker fans will likely be slowing down the amount of Kool-Aid they pour down their gullet. With so much hype heading into the season opener, it's hard not to be at least mildly disappointed in Nebraska's performance. Overall, I just thought it was very flat, especially on offense. I like to break down my reflection into three categories: Good, Expected and Bad.
GOOD- The defensive scheme and play calling. The Blackshirts were easily the highlight of Saturday, and are the primary reason for the Huskers' victory. They racked up 5 turnovers, 4 sacks, 9 tackles for loss and 2 defensive TDs. After three different coordinators in three years, the defensive unit can finally settle into Erik Chinander's system in year two. I really enjoyed the blitz packages he dialed up throughout the game, bringing pressure from unique areas to confuse South Alabama's Quarterback and pass protection. The sacks and forced fumbles by Lamar Jackson and Cam Taylor were the result of perfect play calling. Tackling is still an issue for most of the team and coverage was spotty at times, but overall the defense took a step forward from last season. The secondary made some great plays on the ball, specifically Eric Lee with his two interceptions. It's been a while since I've been able to say this, but the defense could be the strength of our team for most of this season. Still lots of improvements to be made, but the defense was by far the best part of Saturday's game.
EXPECTED- The struggles on offense. Okay no, I did not foresee Adrian Martinez playing the worst game of his (young) career, but separate of him, I did not expect a ton of fireworks from this unit. The interior of the offensive line poses the biggest problems, and Cam Jurgens' skills at center were very concerning. I know Cam personally and even helped with some of his recruiting visits, he's a great kid. However, he's been injured the past two seasons and has not played a lot of football recently. He'll need to get his snaps down if the offense wants to find any rhythm. Speaking of rhythm, I don't know what happened with Adrian on Saturday, but that was not our Heisman-potential QB we know and love. I wouldn't expect too many performances like that from him. Lastly, jumping back to the struggles on the O-line, the run game is not going to be good for a while. Adrian and the backs also looked a step off too, so there's a lot of work to be done. Frost wasn't very aggressive or creative with the play calls, especially in the run game, so that was a contributing factor as well. All of the offensive issues center on one big thing, the youth. This is an inexperienced unit overall and they have a lot of chemistry to build before they become the force to be reckoned with that Husker nation is expecting. There could be some off-beat games ahead for them.
BAD- The Special Teams and Tackling. I feel like these are my most common talking points for what was "bad" in the Huskers' performance, but they're still not fixed. Starting with tackling, if the name isn't Mohammed Barry or Cam Taylor, I was not impressed. There were too many missed tackles and that will cost us once Justin Fields, Jonathan Taylor and Rondale Moore line up on the other side of the ball. This has been an issue at Nebraska for years and it needs to be solved quickly. Now, shifting our focus to the Special Teams unit, I do want to credit them for not having any penalties on punt or kick returns and for assisting JD Spielman in his punt return for a TD early in the third quarter. However, both JD and Wandale Robinson muffed a punt and kickoff respectively. If they are supposed to be our most talented athletes, they need to make sure the ball is secure first. In the Kicking department, I really hope Barrett Pickering is healthy soon. Other than PATs, I don't trust Jorgensen enough right now to go with a FG attempt over a 4th down attempt. Then there's punting. Issac Armstrong had some fantastic rolls on his punts, but those won't happen all the time. Special Teams could be in for a long season.
Again, I do want to remind everyone (and myself) that Nebraska did win and that is always a step in the right direction. Colorado on the road looks to be a bit tougher after this past weekend, especially since they put up 52 points on rival CSU. The secondary will be tested early and often as Steven Montez and Laviska Shenault Jr. look to give an encore of last year's 350+ yard air raid on the Blackshirts. Boulder will be a nasty atmosphere, but I'm anxious to see how well the Buff's plan to keep Husker fans out really holds up. Time to make some Ralphie skin rugs! #HateCUWeek
Now for some quick thoughts from elsewhere around College Football.
- Clemson looks to be quite unstoppable, but they've got a tough match-up this weekend with Jimbo Fisher, Kellen Mond and the Aggies coming to Death Valley. Trevor Lawrence will need to be sharp, but I think Travis Etienne is who they need to lean on. Can you say HEISMAN??
- Johnathan Taylor is a monster and On Wisconsin... that's about all I have to say here.
- Justin Fields, Joe Burrow and Jacob Eason all looked phenomenal in their opening games. This is truly the year of the Quarterback in College Football.
- Boise State with an impressive win on the road in Tallahassee. Another star QB in the making with Hank Bachmeir, but their defense shutting out the Seminoles in the second half is what really turned that game. Willie Taggart could be in hot water early as he starts his second season with FSU 0-1.
- Wyoming with a big win over Missouri. The Tigers did not see that one coming at all.
- Iowa State surviving Triple OT with Northern Iowa shows the gap in competition in the Big XII.
- Oregon played a great game, especially on defense, but still can't hold the lead. Impressive comeback by Auburn, but I wonder what Justin Herbert was thinking about after the game. They'll need to run the table to have any shot at the Playoffs now.
- JT Daniels' injury looked bad and losing him for the season is even worse for USC. You can probably count them out of the PAC-12 South race.
- Baker who? Kyler who? Jalen Hurts + Lincoln Riley offense = Ridiculousness. Watch out for Oklahoma this year, Anderson is back and healthy at RB, their defense will improve under the new coordinator and Hurts will be a Heisman finalist.
Thank you for reading my reflections for the opening week of college football! Be sure to check for my week 2 predictions before the games and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
The Huskers are undefeated for the first time in two years!! After a sluggish 35-21 victory over the Jaguars of South Alabama, Husker fans will likely be slowing down the amount of Kool-Aid they pour down their gullet. With so much hype heading into the season opener, it's hard not to be at least mildly disappointed in Nebraska's performance. Overall, I just thought it was very flat, especially on offense. I like to break down my reflection into three categories: Good, Expected and Bad.
GOOD- The defensive scheme and play calling. The Blackshirts were easily the highlight of Saturday, and are the primary reason for the Huskers' victory. They racked up 5 turnovers, 4 sacks, 9 tackles for loss and 2 defensive TDs. After three different coordinators in three years, the defensive unit can finally settle into Erik Chinander's system in year two. I really enjoyed the blitz packages he dialed up throughout the game, bringing pressure from unique areas to confuse South Alabama's Quarterback and pass protection. The sacks and forced fumbles by Lamar Jackson and Cam Taylor were the result of perfect play calling. Tackling is still an issue for most of the team and coverage was spotty at times, but overall the defense took a step forward from last season. The secondary made some great plays on the ball, specifically Eric Lee with his two interceptions. It's been a while since I've been able to say this, but the defense could be the strength of our team for most of this season. Still lots of improvements to be made, but the defense was by far the best part of Saturday's game.
EXPECTED- The struggles on offense. Okay no, I did not foresee Adrian Martinez playing the worst game of his (young) career, but separate of him, I did not expect a ton of fireworks from this unit. The interior of the offensive line poses the biggest problems, and Cam Jurgens' skills at center were very concerning. I know Cam personally and even helped with some of his recruiting visits, he's a great kid. However, he's been injured the past two seasons and has not played a lot of football recently. He'll need to get his snaps down if the offense wants to find any rhythm. Speaking of rhythm, I don't know what happened with Adrian on Saturday, but that was not our Heisman-potential QB we know and love. I wouldn't expect too many performances like that from him. Lastly, jumping back to the struggles on the O-line, the run game is not going to be good for a while. Adrian and the backs also looked a step off too, so there's a lot of work to be done. Frost wasn't very aggressive or creative with the play calls, especially in the run game, so that was a contributing factor as well. All of the offensive issues center on one big thing, the youth. This is an inexperienced unit overall and they have a lot of chemistry to build before they become the force to be reckoned with that Husker nation is expecting. There could be some off-beat games ahead for them.
BAD- The Special Teams and Tackling. I feel like these are my most common talking points for what was "bad" in the Huskers' performance, but they're still not fixed. Starting with tackling, if the name isn't Mohammed Barry or Cam Taylor, I was not impressed. There were too many missed tackles and that will cost us once Justin Fields, Jonathan Taylor and Rondale Moore line up on the other side of the ball. This has been an issue at Nebraska for years and it needs to be solved quickly. Now, shifting our focus to the Special Teams unit, I do want to credit them for not having any penalties on punt or kick returns and for assisting JD Spielman in his punt return for a TD early in the third quarter. However, both JD and Wandale Robinson muffed a punt and kickoff respectively. If they are supposed to be our most talented athletes, they need to make sure the ball is secure first. In the Kicking department, I really hope Barrett Pickering is healthy soon. Other than PATs, I don't trust Jorgensen enough right now to go with a FG attempt over a 4th down attempt. Then there's punting. Issac Armstrong had some fantastic rolls on his punts, but those won't happen all the time. Special Teams could be in for a long season.
Again, I do want to remind everyone (and myself) that Nebraska did win and that is always a step in the right direction. Colorado on the road looks to be a bit tougher after this past weekend, especially since they put up 52 points on rival CSU. The secondary will be tested early and often as Steven Montez and Laviska Shenault Jr. look to give an encore of last year's 350+ yard air raid on the Blackshirts. Boulder will be a nasty atmosphere, but I'm anxious to see how well the Buff's plan to keep Husker fans out really holds up. Time to make some Ralphie skin rugs! #HateCUWeek
Now for some quick thoughts from elsewhere around College Football.
- Clemson looks to be quite unstoppable, but they've got a tough match-up this weekend with Jimbo Fisher, Kellen Mond and the Aggies coming to Death Valley. Trevor Lawrence will need to be sharp, but I think Travis Etienne is who they need to lean on. Can you say HEISMAN??
- Johnathan Taylor is a monster and On Wisconsin... that's about all I have to say here.
- Justin Fields, Joe Burrow and Jacob Eason all looked phenomenal in their opening games. This is truly the year of the Quarterback in College Football.
- Boise State with an impressive win on the road in Tallahassee. Another star QB in the making with Hank Bachmeir, but their defense shutting out the Seminoles in the second half is what really turned that game. Willie Taggart could be in hot water early as he starts his second season with FSU 0-1.
- Wyoming with a big win over Missouri. The Tigers did not see that one coming at all.
- Iowa State surviving Triple OT with Northern Iowa shows the gap in competition in the Big XII.
- Oregon played a great game, especially on defense, but still can't hold the lead. Impressive comeback by Auburn, but I wonder what Justin Herbert was thinking about after the game. They'll need to run the table to have any shot at the Playoffs now.
- JT Daniels' injury looked bad and losing him for the season is even worse for USC. You can probably count them out of the PAC-12 South race.
- Baker who? Kyler who? Jalen Hurts + Lincoln Riley offense = Ridiculousness. Watch out for Oklahoma this year, Anderson is back and healthy at RB, their defense will improve under the new coordinator and Hurts will be a Heisman finalist.
Thank you for reading my reflections for the opening week of college football! Be sure to check for my week 2 predictions before the games and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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