Week 7 Predictions

      Welcome to Week 7 of College Football and we've got one of the best slates of games in years! The Huskers are on a BYE this week, but there is so much action set to take place in the world of college football today. I've got a full list of predictions for you, but first is my breakdown of the Huskers' victory at home over Rutgers last week. This is a jam packed post, so read on and enjoy your college football Saturday!

     The Huskers head into the BYE week victorious as they held off the Scarlet Knights last week in Memorial Stadium. It was not an overly exciting game by any means, but the Blackshirts stood strong to help the struggling offense and the Huskers earned a much needed BIG 10 win. I've got my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD breakdown for this game below.

GOOD: The Blackshirts and Brian Buschini. Starting with the Husker defense, the Goal line stand in the third quarter was incredible, and I had a great view of it from Row 6 in South Stadium. The Blackshirts controlled the line of scrimmage after Rutgers ran well early in the game, and they kept a lot of pressure on QB Athan Kaliakmanis as they sacked him 4 times. They still have yet to give up a rushing touchdown this season and locked up one of the best backs in the nation as Kyle Monangai rushed for just 78 yards. They'll need to keep this up as the back half of the schedule becomes very tough for the Huskers. Now to my MVP of the game, Brian Buschini had a day. The newly crowned BIG 10 Special Teams player of the week showed he is one of the toughest guys on this team after getting hit on the first punt of the game and was visibly injured every time he gingerly walked onto the field. Despite being banged up and having a severe lack of protection, he booted 5 punts for 251 yards (50.2 yard average) with 2 downed inside the 20 yard line and an absolute BOMB to flip the field with 4 minutes left after sending it 69 yards to the Rutgers 11. Last but not least, he completed a 30 yard pass on a beautifully designed fake punt. The pass was the best one of anyone on the field all day and Buschini is the only bright spot in a very dark and dismal special teams room.

EXPECTED: Freshman struggles for Dylan Raiola. The Husker offense looked very sluggish on Saturday, and Dylan Raiola showed some struggles you would expect from a true freshman QB. Greg Schiano is a great defensive coach and was disguising a lot of different coverages which seemed to cause a lot of confusion for Raiola. He completed a season low 48.1% of his passes for just 134 yards and 1 pick. Raiola was also sacked 4 times due to the coverage by Rutgers and overall this was not a great game for him. That's going to happen, this offense still has a lot of growing to do before 30 points per game is a consistent mark. There were a few throws I expect Dylan to learn from though, especially the few where he nearly killed his wideouts by throwing them into a defender over the middle. It didn't seem like he was making the reads as quickly as the first few games of the season, and I'm sure the defensive scheme was not easy to decifer. Unfortunately I doubt this will be his only struggle game, but knowing him from his recruitment, he'll take a lot of notes and build from those mistakes quickly.

BAD: Protection and communication. Both offensively and on special teams, the protection of Raiola and Buschini were atrocious. Dylan had his own issues as mentioned above, but he was sacked 4 times and the run game mustered just 2.3 yards per carry. There was no push up front which really limits this offense. On special teams, it was very clear from my vantage point in the stands when and where the Rutgers defender would be blitzing from on the punts in order to block them, yet I saw no one point, talk or communicate in any way to their teammates that he should be blocked. As a coach, lack of communication on the field from your team is one of the most frustrating things to occur. If the Huskers don't learn to communicate better on special teams and the offensive line, struggles will continue.

Week 6 Record: 12 - 5

Overall Record: 73 - 35

Week 7 Predictions:

South Carolina at #7 Alabama

     One of last week's biggest upsets was the mighty Crimson Tide of Bama falling to Vanderbilt. The most unlikely of upsets, but something that you don't want to follow on the schedule. South Carolina got stomped themselves as they mustered just 3 points against the Ole Miss Rebels last week. Now they have to travel to Tuscaloosa to square off a pissed off Alabama? Not ideal, but you've gotta play who is on your schedule. The Gamecocks do have a formidable pass rush though, and Bama gave up a couple sacks to Vandy last week with a solid pass rush. That might be one of the few ways to slow down this offense though, as I expect Alabama to get reset very quickly and bring some firepower on offense. Expect a much better game from Jalen Milroe if he can stay protected. The most important thing for Alabama is to figure out the defensive gaps that have plagued them over the last 6 quarters of football. Since halftime of the Georgia game, Alabama has given up 67 points. I think South Carolina could have some success if Rocket Sanders can break free, but give me the Tide in a bounce back game 31-14.

Washington at Iowa

     The Huskies just knocked off Michigan as part of the weekend of upsets, but now travel to the heartland as they square up against the Hawkeyes. Washington has been looked past a bit this season after losing to Wazzu and Rutgers early in the year, but both of those were one score games, and Iowa doesn't score many points. They have a powerful rushing attack with Kaleb Johnson, as he averages 7.9 yards per carry and has 10 TDs on the ground this year. Washington did allow 174 rush yards on the ground to Michigan, but much like the Hawkeyes, they are one dimensional, so the rest of the offense should be limited no matter what. Cade McNamara has really struggled this season, and now faces the 3rd best pass defense in the nation. If the Huskies can slow down Johnson enough and force Iowa to pass, this game will go the way of the Huskies. On the offensive side, they have to navigate a difficult Iowa defense. Will Rogers is an experienced QB from SEC territory, and has 1,625 yards with 12 TDs and just 1 pick on the season. Despite the two time zone travel, even for an 11 AM kickoff, give me the Huskies to win on the road. Bet the under with this matchup, but I'll take Washington 20-14.

#1 Texas vs #18 Oklahoma State (Red River Rivalry)

     Longhorn QB Quinn Ewers is back from injury as Texas and Oklahoma square off for their annual Red River Rivalry (SEC Version). Oklahoma's offense has been the struggle this year, but defensively under Brent Venables, they've been very strong. They allow just 16.0 points per game on average and have 18 sacks racked up through just 5 games. Last year in the Red River Rivalry, OU sacked Quinn Ewers 5 times, so expect them to bring lots of pressure again today. Speaking of Ewers, as mentioned, he's cleared to play after missing the last couple of games with an oblique injury. He plugs back into an offense that has been firing on all cylinders this season, averaging over 500 yards per game and 45 points per game. Oklahoma will slow them down and this game gets crazy sometimes, but I'm not sure Jackson Arnold and the very limited receiver room can keep pace all game with Texas who will find the endzone eventually. Give me the Horns in a tough battle as they pull away late for a 30-20 win.

#4 Penn State at USC

     The Nittany Lions make a cross country trip out to the Coliseum to take on the Trojans who are still adjusting to rugged BIG 10 play following a loss to Minnesota. The Gophers made life very difficult for Miller Moss by controlling the line of scrimmage early and deflecting 8 passes while intercepting 2 others. Penn State has not been extremely dominant in terms of scoreboard victories, but they do control the game and it starts up front. This is one of the more dynamic offenses on their schedule though, and I would expect these two QBs to ball out. Miller Moss has a tremendous amount of weapons Ja'Kobi Lane, Zachariah Branch, Kyron Hudson and many more. Penn State's defense has experience, but this amount of weapons will give anyone headaches. Penn State can win this game with Drew Allar commanding the offense. Nick Singleton will pace things in the run game, but not turning the ball over is where Drew Allar excels. He has just 3 interceptions in his career, and needs to keep that stat in similar shape if they want to win on the road. I think Penn State will out physical USC and win 33-24.

Stanford at #11 Notre Dame

     The Trees travel to South Bend as the annual rivalry game against Notre Dame and the Fighting Irish. The Cardinal have been stomped on by Clemson and Virginia Tech in ACC play the last couple of weeks so not great momentum coming into this game. Last year's game on the Farm wasn't particularly close as the Irish won 56-23, but Stanford did win the last battle in South Bend 16-14. I expect Notre Dame to come out running the ball with Riley Leonard and Jeremiyah Love who both average over 6 yards per carry and have combined for 12 TDs so far this season. The Cardinal are strong against the run, ranking 13th in the nation and allowing fewer than 90 yards per game. Should be a fun battle, but give me Notre Dame 28-14.

California at #22 Pitt

     The Golden Bears blew a 25 point lead against Miami at home last week and now travel all the way east to take on a Pitt team with one of the most underrated offenses in the nation. The Panthers currently rank 4th in the nation with 522 yards per game on average and put up 45.6 points per week. The Golden Bears were shredded in the second half and especially the 4th quarter by Cam Ward and the Miami offense. I think this Cal team has a lot of potential and can certainly cause upsets, but this one will be tough on the road. The Cal defense has a lot of takeaways and added a couple more last week against Miami. If Pitt QB Eli Holstein can keep control of the rock, he's got a great weapon in Konata Mumpfield who averages 18.5 yards per catch. Give me Pitt to keep winning and move to 6-0 after a 35-27 home win.

Arizona at #14 BYU

     Much like Pitt, the BYU Cougars are a surprise unbeaten through the first part of the season and are one of the leaders in the Big XII. Arizona comes into LaVell Edwards Stadium following a home loss to Texas Tech. QB Noah Fifita has looked very much out of rhythm this season, and now faces a BYU team ranking 24th in pass defense, allowing just 171 yards per game. Star wideout Tetairoa McMillan is still a handful to deal with, averaging 17.9 yards per catch. He's about the only weapon on a struggling Arizona offense, so look for the Cougars to key on him. Offensively, all eyes will be on BYU QB Jake Retzlaff, who has thrown for more than 1,200 yards with 12 TDs and 5 picks. He's also the leading rusher on the team, so is just a headache all around for opposing teams. This game will be determined on turnovers, so watch for the defenses to be aggressive in the passing game. I like the Cougars at home for a 23-20 victory.

Florida at #8 Tennessee

     The Gators and Vols square off in Rocky Top for their annual rivalry. Tennessee is coming off the heels of their loss on the road to Arkansas, and now host a Gators squad they've only beaten twice since 2004. This is a game Tennessee cannot lose, but Florida likely has other plans. They're coming off a solid win against UCF last week and 13 sacks on the season so they still get after QBs. Tennessee has given up 10 sacks this season, and Nico Iamaleava has struggled in the last couple weeks against Oklahoma and Arkansas being sacked 7 times in those two games combined. He's been holding the ball a little bit longer and opposing defenses have taken advantage by applying pressure. This is almost always the game that Tennessee flops in this season, and losing to Florida in this scenario would likely dash their playoff hopes pretty hard. I think they can bounce back from their loss last week, but they need to protect the QB. Give me the Vols with hesitation to win 33-28.

#9 Ole Miss at #13 LSU (Magnolia Bowl)

     Ole Miss and LSU meet for a classic SEC rivalry under the lights in Death Valley. Last year's game was a 55-49 shootout between Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels. Daniels is lighting up NFL scoreboards now, but Dart has one more shot at the Tigers. LSU is coming off a BYE week though, and has been able to watch a lot of film from Ole Miss the last couple weeks. The Rebels bounced back quick from their stumble against Kentucky, playing a much faster pace game against South Carolina. I expect another shootout as Garret Nussmeier has taken the offensive lead for the Tigers and has 15 TDs with just 4 picks so far. Whichever defense can force turnovers wins this game. This is a tough pick, but it's almost impossible to win as a road team in Death Valley at night. Give me the Tigers at home in a thriller 37-35 victory.

#11 Iowa State at West Virginia

     The Cyclones travel to Coal Country as the Mountaineers will wear a special blackout jersey to honor the coal miners. Iowa State has very quietly formed one of the most balanced teams you'll see in College Football. They have just under 1,000 rush yards on the season, just over 1,200 passing yards and score an average of 31.2 points per game. Defensively, they do struggle against the run which favors West Virginia, but rank 5th in pass defense while also allowing just 10 points per game. West Virginia has bounced back from early season blunders by smacking Oklahoma State 38-14 last week. Both of these teams sit at 2-0 in Big XII Conference play, so a win tonight will be a big boost for the potential Playoff BYE with the conference crown. The Mountaineers will be ruckus tonight and I expect a defensive slug fest as they look to get pressure on Rocco Becht. Oddly enough, Becht's father is a West Virginia football legend and will be honored at tonight's game. His son will be honored after the game though, and I think Becht leads this team to a Big XII win under the lights. Give me the Cyclones to win 24-20.

#18 Kansas State at Colorado

     The Buffs are coming off a BYE and now host one of the best rushing teams in the nation. We saw Colorado out physical UCF a couple of weeks ago, but K-State is a different beast. Avery Johnson may struggle at times in the passing game, but his ability to break games open with his legs is unmatched. The key in this game will be if K-State can limit the big plays from Colorado. The Wildcats typically dominate time of possession, but this year rank in the mid-90s, just a couple of spots ahead of Colorado. If they can keep the ball out of the hands of Shedeur Sanders, they have a good chance to grind out this game. However, Travis Hunter is an absolute ball hawk on defense, and will look to force turnovers. I trust K-State to be the more consistent team, so I'll pick the Wildcats to win 27-21 on the road. This could easily fall in favor of the Buffs though.

#2 Ohio State at #3 Oregon

     Gameday is set up in Eugene as the Buckeyes and Ducks square off as BIG 10 foes for the first time. Ohio State has not been tested much this season, but Oregon's defense will change that narrative very quickly. Dan Lanning's crew allows just 17.0 points per game and love to create havoc in the backfield by racking up 16 sacks through the season thus far. Ohio State has every weapon imaginable on their offense, but the most dangerous in my opinion is true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith. He's racked up 453 yards on just 23 catches for an average 19.7 yards per catch with 6 TDs. Most of the time he needs just 1 hand to catch these passes and Oregon will have all their hands full with him. Offensively, Oregon has been a bit off pace at times, but their steady hand as been Junior RB Jordan James. He averages 6.3 yards per carry for the Ducks and could be the game breaker for the Ducks' offense. Ohio State has a lot of speed everywhere on the field, but the best way to slow that down is to chew clock with the run game. If Oregon can get James running well early, this could be a long day for the Buckeyes. I like this Oregon team a lot, but they've had struggles in these big games if you look back to when they played Washington last season. Give me the Buckeyes to give them a proper BIG 10 welcome with a 34-28 victory.

Quick Hit Predictions:

#10 Clemson at Wake Forest - Tigers continue to roll 38-10.

Purdue at #23 Illinois - Boilerdown and down bad, Illini 35, Boilermakers 10.

Cincy at UCF - Turnovers for UCF let Cincy win 27-21 on the road.

Syracuse at NC State - Kyle McCord has a very big night, 'Cuse win 40-21.

Louisville at Virginia - Cards are spiraling and Virginia is playing very solid defense. Cavs 28-20.

Washington State at Fresno State - Both teams off a BYE, Coogs bounce back first. 31-23 Wazzu.

Wisconsin at Rutgers - Rutgers needs to run the ball, otherwise they lose. I'll take them at home because I still don't trust Wisconsin. Scarlet Knights 23, Badgers 17.

Thanks for reading my Week 7 Predictions and enjoy this wonderful day of College Football!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 6 Predictions

      Welcome to Week 6 of College Football as we turn the calendar to October! This is where some of the best football is played in my opinion, as the season is in full swing, we've got full slates of conference matchups and some fantastic fall weather. I'll have all the predictions you need following my breakdown and reflections of the Huskers' win at Purdue. As usual, I will use my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD breakdown for the game. Lots to get to this week, so let's dive in!

     The Huskers looked like two completely different teams during the first half and second half against Purdue last week. Luckily the second half team understood how to play football as they ended up winning 28-10 in their first road test of the season. I've got my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD breakdown from what I saw last week.

GOOD - Between the 20s offense. The Huskers racked up 418 total yards with 25 first downs in this game, driving the ball down the field very easily for a majority of the game. The run game didn't get quite as much traction as I was hoping, but still had plenty of open lanes and averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Jacory Barney Jr. also gets a shoutout in this category as the leading rusher and his incredible speed that gets him around the edge. Love how the coaches are starting to work him into the offense, he will be a big time weapon for the Husker offense. Now they just need to score once they get into the Redzone.

EXPECTED - A slow start. The Huskers haven't really had issues with slow starts yet this season, but old habits die hard as the 1st half ended in a 0-0 tie with multiple missed and blocked field goals. The most frustrating part of the slow start is when you can feel it coming. Watching the first couple drives just made my stomach sink because I knew this game was not going to look pretty. Hopefully the Huskers can start with more of a spark today.

BAD - Kicking and the BIG 10 Referees. First of all, I'm not one to complain about officials often, but this is the second time in the first half of the season I've made comments on this blog about officiating issues. I don't think I've ever seen a game with as many flags as Nebraska and Purdue had. While many of the Pass Interference calls were warranted, many were not, especially the offensive pass interference that took a TD off the board. There was only 1 BIG 10 game that had fewer than 10 penalties over the weekend and with 24 flags thrown in the Nebraska/Purdue game, it just gets excessive. Combining the many flags with a HORRENDOUS special teams unit, headaches ensue. I can't be convinced that in today's world of NIL with college football, it can't be more than $30-40k to get a decent division 1 kicker. I'm not sure how this unit could look any more out of sorts, but then you add in issues from the snapper and we're at a point where I never want to attempt a kick again. 4th and 2 or 4th and 20, just go for it. If the ball is outside of the 10 yard line, the Huskers should never kick.

Week 5 Results: 11 - 3

Overall Results: 61 - 30

Week 6 Predictions:

#9 Missouri at #25 Texas A&M

     The Tigers are on the road against the Aggies who are starting to find their footing under Mike Elko. Mizzou hasn't had a difficult schedule, but were tested against Boston College, and Vandy took them to double OT. The Tigers need to start playing like a top 10 team if the SEC Championship and the Playoffs are on their list, this would be a good week to start. One of the most ULTIMATE trash talks I've ever seen ahead of a game has taken place with A&M defender Will Lee III left an Aggies blanket in the hotel for Mizzou wideout Theo Wease Jr., saying to get use to the blanket because it would be real today.  Missouri has not been as dynamic on offense as we've expected from their passing attack this year, but that should change with motivation like this blanket stunt. I'm anxious to see this battle in the secondary, but give me the now extra motivated Tigers to win 30-27.

SMU at #22 Louisville

     The Cards are coming of their first loss of the season to Notre Dame and the Ponies are coming off a monster win on the road at Florida State. Now the Seminoles aren't the team of last year, but SMU SMACKED them, and are building a lot of momentum behind Sophomore QB Kevin Jennings. He's thrown for 733 yards and 6 TDs with just 1 pick. He's taken over the starting spot from Preston Stone, and Senior RB Brashard Smith has been pacing the run game with 509 yards, 7 TDs and 7.3 yards per carry. If they can get balance on offense early in this game, Louisville could be in trouble. The Cardinals had opportunities in South Bend last week, but couldn't quite get in gear to finish drives. Multiple turnovers really hurt their efficiency, and the Mustangs are +7 in the turnover category this season. I think this game will be a bit of a shootout as QB Tyler Shough slings it for Jeff Brohm's offense. He's thrown just 1 pick all year to 11 TDs and is the focal point as the Cards don't run much. I expect a lot of points, but give me SMU to win on the road. Turnovers tell a big story and SMU is a different team with Kevin Jennings running the show. This should be a fun one and I like the upset with SMU winning 37-33.

#12 Ole Miss at South Carolina

     The Rebels are coming off their first loss of the season after running into a brick wall against Kentucky. The Wildcats completely shut down Ole Miss's dynamic offense and held them to just 17 points after they were averaging 55 points in the first few weeks of the season. Jaxson Dart did not look comfortable in the pocket as he was sacked 4 times. South Carolina has a very formidable defensive line, so this could go sideways very quickly for Dart and the offense if they don't protect better up front. Through just 4 games, the Gamecocks average 3.5 sacks per contest and are coming off a BYE week to be fresh in this one. Combined with a true road test for Ole Miss, they need to play at their best if they want out unscathed. I personally was shocked at the struggles of Ole Miss last week, and a couple weeks ago, I was impressed by the fight of South Carolina against LSU despite falling short with a missed field goal. If the Gamecocks can get pressure and knock Dart around, this game could get mucky. Give me Ole Miss to bounce back, but I am nervous about this pick. Rebels 31, Gamecocks 24.

Iowa at #3 Ohio State

     The Buckeyes host the Hawkeyes for a BIG 10 showdown at the Horseshoe. Iowa has always been a team to randomly upset top 10 teams in this setting, but Ohio State doesn't want that to be them again. The Hawkeyes defense isn't quite as dominant as we've seen in years pass, but they are not easy to move on and are one of two teams that have yet to give up a rushing touchdown this season. Ohio State lives off their big plays, so long, grind it out drives have not been much of a focus this year. As the calendar shifts to October, the Buckeyes offense will be tested much more in BIG 10 conference play. This is where Will Howard needs to earn his NIL money and distribute the ball well to his playmakers. Defenses need to focus on making his life difficult because there are too many weapons to shut down on this offense each play. Speaking of weapons, the Hawkeyes really only have one, but Kaleb Johnson is a good one. If you haven't watched him, take advantage of the chance today. He's averaging 8.4 yards per carry with 9 TDs. He'll likely have a tougher day against the Buckeye defense, but is going to be one of the few bright spots for them. Buckeyes win comfortably 34-14.

#11 USC at Minnesota

     The Trojans start off their BIG 10 career by hopping from Michigan, to hosting Wisconsin at home and then back on the road to Minnesota. The Gophers fell just short (with the help of a horrible offsides call with their onside kick) of finishing a comeback win against Michigan, but likely found some momentum in that second half comeback. USC needed a second half comeback to beat Wisconsin at home, and questions are starting to bubble about if they can handle the grind of a BIG 10 slate. Minnesota will try to slow down this game and keep pressure on Miller Moss as they've seen him struggle in the last few week with extra blitz packages from Michigan and Wisconsin. Offensively, the Gophers need to feed star wideout Daniel Jackson. He's the most dynamic player on this team, and with the ball in his hands, good things happen. I still don't have a full read on these teams, but I think USC will out-talent the Gophers by the end of this one. Fight On as the Trojans win 28-13.

#15 Clemson at Florida State

     At the start of the season, this was a game where College Gameday expected to be, but after a very rough start to the season, Florida State just wants to get to next year and forget everything about 2024. The Tigers are on an absolute heater and have dropped 40+ in every game since getting stomped by Georgia to open the year. This is another chance for Clemson to flex all their muscles and put up another big number on the scoreboard. They're the best team in the ACC and have playoff opportunities ahead, I think they're ready to roll and I would expect a lot of points as their offense starts to click under Cade Klubnik. He's thrown for 12 TDs so far this season, and I would expect a few more to be added today. Tigers win big on the road, 45-17.

#10 Michigan at Washington

     A rematch of last year's National Championship game is set in Seattle as Michigan hits the road for a BIG 10 showdown with Washington. The Wolverines have yet to leave home this season, so an away game against the team you beat in the National Championship is a tough task after spending more than a month at the Big House. Washington is not the team of last year, but their defense is still a tough match. The rank 27th in opponent 3rd down conversions allowing just 30.1% of them to be converted. Michigan loves to run the ball, but that's about all they do with Alex Orji at QB. They need to find some more diversity in their offense if they want to compete in the BIG 10 the rest of the season. Washington racked up 521 yards of offense on Rutgers last week, but a few mistakes cost them the game. I think they make a statement at home and Jedd Fisch gets his first big win as the Huskies' coach. Dubs get revenge for the National Championship and win 23-20 at home.

Texas Tech at Arizona

     One of the things I love about the PAC-12 teams coming over to the Big XII are matchups like this one. I like this game a lot because we should see a lot of points, but two teams that just run a lot of tempo and diversity on offense. The Red Raiders have not looked great defensively this season and many folks wrote them off after losing to Wazzu on the road, but they're 2-0 in conference play and scoring almost at will with an average of 41.6 points per game which is good for 16th best in the nation. Arizona is coming off a big time win over Utah on the road, knocking off the former #10 team. Star wideout Tetairoa McMillan has been a bit quiet since his 4 TD game against New Mexico, but I think he finds the endzone in a big shootout today. A classic southwest shootout and don't be surprised to see the Red Raiders getting spicy in this game. Give me Arizona at home, I like them to make an extra play or two and win this barn burner in the desert 48-42. Bear Down!

#8 Miami at Cal

     The Canes travel to Cal in what is the longest distance for a game separate of Hawaii this season. College Gameday is in Berkley for the first time as the Golden Bears get ready for their ACC conference opener. Fernando Mendoza, QB for Cal is going to have an extra weapon today as star RB Jaydn Ott is back to 100% according to Head Coach Justin Wilcox. Ott rushed for more than 1,300 yards and racked up 12 TDs last season, so Miami will have to know where he's lining up at all times because he's a great pass catcher out of the backfield as well. The Canes barely escaped last week after the Virginia Tech Hail Mary was overturned to an incomplete pass after a controversial review. Cam Ward has played like a Heisman caliber player this season, throwing for nearly 1,800 yards with 18 TDs, 4 picks and another 2 TDs on the ground. He'll be up against a Cal defense that ranks 23rd in the nation for total defense and ranks 1st with 10 interceptions on the year. Coming off a crazy game with Virginia Tech and traveling to the opposite side of the country is no easy task, especially since this game kicks off at 7:30 PM Pacific time which is 10:30 PM Eastern time. The Golden Bears fell just short against the Seminoles, but could give Miami some headaches tonight. I'll go with Cam Ward and the Canes to get things done, but I'm all in for the Cal upset tonight. Miami 30, California 24.

Rutgers at Nebraska

     The Huskers have their Homecoming celebration as undefeated Rutgers comes into Lincoln ready to roll. The Huskers are undefeated all time against Rutgers and played them for their homecoming game back in 2017 when I was on the Royalty Court for UNL. These aren't even close to the same teams though, and Kyle Monangai leads a rushing attack that was best in the conference a year ago. So far this season he's racked up 589 yards with 6 TDs on the ground. Nebraska is the other team along with Iowa that has yet to give up a rushing touchdown this season, so the ground game will be a fun battle between Monangai and the Blackshirts. The Huskers struggled against Purdue in the first half last week, especially on special teams. This is a game that will be decided by who can finish drives, because there won't be many of them. Rutgers averages nearly 34 minutes for time of possession per game, which ranks 9th in the country. Dylan Raiola and crew need to make the most of their opportunities as they did well driving the ball last week, but struggled to finish in the redzone. This will be a classic BIG 10 matchup and I think the first team to 20 wins the game. Huskers need to convert drives into points, preferably touchdowns because they cannot kick. Huskers finish today and win 23-21.

Quick Hit Predictions:

Boston College at Virgina - The Eagles have played in back to back close games against non-conference opponents and now travel to a conference opponent coming off a BYE. I want BC to continue rolling, but this is a tough ask. I'll take the Cavaliers with a surprise win, but I'll be rooting for BC. Cavs win 23-21.

Baylor at #16 Iowa State - The Cyclones haven't played a difficult schedule yet this year, but have clobbered everyone but Iowa. Baylor has been so close so many times this year, but can't quite get over the hump. Maybe later this year, but not today. Cyclones win 31-17.

Pitt at North Carolina - The Tar Heels blew a 20-0 lead over Duke last week and had 70 hung on them from James Madison two weeks ago. Pitt is undefeated and coming off a BYE they're looking to start conference play with a big win. Give me the Panthers over the Tar Heels 30-24.

Purdue at Wisconsin - The Boilermakers have fired OC Graham Harrell and will lean on Offensive Analyst Jason Simmons to call the plays. Wisconsin is trying to figure out their identity as well with a backup QB in the lineup and giving up an 11 point lead in the second half to lose at USC last week. I'll take the Badgers at home, but this game could be a toss up in all honesty. Wisconsin 24, Purdue 17.

UCF at Florida - This game could really be the make or break for Billy Napier. UCF is coming off a loss to Colorado where they got pushed around. I think Florida could do similar things oddly enough, and despite winning in the Swamp as a Hog, I don't think KJ Jefferson will be winning today. Gators chomp UCF 33-21.

West Virginia at Oklahoma State - The Pokes may have fallen out of the BIG XII race with back to back conference losses, but a third one would certainly do it. I told y'all at the beginning of the season though that West Virginia would have a tough year, and I do think the Pokes bounce back with this one. Not pretty, but a win is a win. Oklahoma State takes it 27-23.

#4 Tennessee at Arkansas - An easy trap game for the Vols as both Florida and Alabama lie waiting in the next couple weeks, but the real question is if Arkansas can finish the job? They've had opportunities to be 5-0, but slipped last week against A&M and gave the game away on the road at Okalhoma State. Vols stay safe 30-21.

The Perfect Parlay:

1. Indiana -13.5 against Northwestern. The Hoosiers look to go 6-0 with a 3-0 start in conference, and their offense does not care what time that clock says, they're going to score. Combined with Northwestern's lack of offensive attack, I like Indiana winning by 2 or more TDs.

2. Alabama -23 over Vandy. This is an easy hangover game for Alabama after the wild one against Georgia a week ago, but I think weth their poor performance in the second half, Kalen DeBoer will have this team worked and ready to go. Beware Vandy, the Crimson Tide aren't taking it easy in this one.

3. Clemson -14.5 over Florida State. The Seminoles have looked absolutely AWFUL this season and now are rolling out a backup QB sine DJ Uiagalelei is out with an injury. Clemson has been ROLLING teams and I think they win by a lot more than just 15.

Thanks for reading my Week 6 Predictions and enjoy your College Football Saturday. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 5 Predictions

      Welcome to Week 5 of College Football! We've got a fantastic slate of games this week including the much anticipated Georgia and Bama showdown. Before we get to all the games, I've finally collected all my thoughts on the Huskers' home loss to Illinois, so I'll break down that game with my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories below. Hopefully they can turn things around quick. Read on and enjoy your College Football Weekend!

     The Huskers fell to Illinois in Overtime last Friday night at Memorial Stadium as they hosted their 400th consecutive sellout crowd. Despite another great performance from Dylan Raiola, the Nebraska offense faltered late and wound up with a 3rd and 42 during the Overtime period. This breakdown will highlight the GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD things I took away from the game.

GOOD - John Bullock and Huskers' third down efficiency. Starting with the offense, I am excited about the increased efficiency on third down. The Huskers went 8/15 (53.3%) on third down against the Illini, and currently rank 18th in the nation with a 50.9% conversion rate on the season. This is the Huskers' highest ranking and conversion rate since ranking 33rd in 2016 with a conversion rate of 43.9%. This stat will certainly help the Huskers win games this season if they can keep it at or near the current level. Another factor in winning games is the fantastic play of John Bullock. The Senior Linebacker is one of the Blackshirts you probably don't list off when you talk about players you know off the top of your head from this defense, but he will be a household name by the end of the year. He currently leads the team in tackles with 25 and has 2 sacks to his name this year with 3 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble. He was all over the field against Illinois and is very fun to watch. The defense as a whole struggled on the night, but I loved the game play I saw from John Bullock. Watch #5 on the Husker Defense this week and just enjoy some great football plays.

EXPECTED - A tough game and more Husker Special Teams trouble. You can expand the conference all you want, the old BIG 10 West matchups will still result in a rugged, grind-it-out game. Illinois always has tough teams, and they played very hard in this one. Lots of hustle to the ball, especially to shut down the Huskers run game, and fabulous downfield blocking to open up space for their own. Illinois will give a lot of teams headaches this season and the Huskers need to be prepared for four full quarters of football with the rest of their BIG 10 games. Combine that with the constant issue of not having a competent special teams unit or a kicker that's useful beyond an extra point, and you're looking at some rough games ahead. I don't know how the Huskers haven't found a kicker since I was in College with Drew Brown, but this is absurd. Special Teams continues to lose games for this program, and will continue to until a kicker is found and return blocking is set up better. There has to be a kicker in the portal somewhere.

BAD - Luke Altmeyer and the Husker Overtime. When I reference Luke Altmeyer in this category, I mean it in the context of him being a BAD MAN for opposing defenses. He was absolutely stellar against the Blackshirts (much to my dismay) and has been very impressive all season long. Altmeyer finished the game with a 21/27 mark on passes for 215 yards and 4 TDs. He found 9 different receivers and picked apart the Husker secondary. Opposing teams need to put pressure on him if they don't want a similar fate to my Huskers. Speaking of fate, it must be fated that the Huskers will completely forget how to play football in Overtime. As mentioned before, this was a grind it out game, but overtime really went array quickly. The Blackshirts were gashed on the opening play and scored on the following. Then the Husker offense nearly went all the way back to the opposite 25 yard line as they continue the trend of rough overtime games. In the last decade the huskers still have yet to score a point, move the chains for a first time or even amass positive yards following the end of regulation. Would love to see this trend break sooner rather than later.

Week 4 Record: 12 - 11

Overall Record: 50 - 27

Week 5 Predictions:

Maryland at Indiana

The Terps and the Hoosiers square off for a BIG 10 battle in Bloomington, Indiana. The Terps had a stumble against Michigan State a couple of weeks ago, but Indiana has yet to stumble this season. New Head Coach Curt Cignetti has brought new life to this program and the Hoosiers have rolled over everyone in their way thus far. Their BIG 10 foes won't be as easy, but transfer QB Kurtis Rourke doesn't seem to mind the challenge. He's accounted for over 1,000 pass yards with 8 TDs and 0 picks. He's completing 75.5% of his passes and is leading the 11th ranked Total Offense. Maryland's QB Billy Edwards Jr. has 8 TDs as well with 2 picks to go along with his 1,155 yards passing. This might be closer than some of the other Hoosier games we've seen, but I like them to win 35-24 at home.

#20 Oklahoma State at #23 Kansas State

     Both the Pokes and the Wildcats got kicked from teams in Utah last week as they come into this game looking to bounce back. Oklahoma State has been a little flat this season, especially with such an experienced offense. Alan Bowman was benched at one point last week against Utah, and Ollie Gordon has less than 300 yards rushing this season. Kansas State has their own problems on offense as they've been unable to pass the ball with Avery Johnson. The run game has been effective, but after last week's blowout loss to BYU there's still a lot that needs to be figured out. I really don't know how each of these teams will respond, but I suppose I'll take the home team who runs the ball. K-State 27, Oklahoma State 21.

#15 Louisville at #16 Notre Dame

     The Cardinals travel to South Bend as the Irish look to notch a quality win in their season. Louisville won this game a year ago 33-20, and they've been beating up on everyone on their schedule thus far. They haven't played much competition this year, but their offense looks as deadly as ever under 2nd year coach Jeff Brohm. The Irish have looked strong since their loss to Northern Illinois, especially in the ground game with Jeremiyah Love rushing for 7.4 yards per carry. Their defense should slow down the Cardinals in this game, but can Riley Leonard do enough to get their offense moving? This is a tricky game to predict without knowing much about Louisville against tougher competition, so I'll give the nod to Notre Dame wanting to get revenge from last year. Irish win 28-26.

Washington State at #25 Boise State

     The Broncos are looking to claim the G5 Playoff bid while the Cougars are looking to get an at large bid. QB John Mateer for Wazzu has been fun to watch this season, and will look to continue his success in this game, building on his 1,102 yards with 11 TDs and 4 picks. The key factor in this game is Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty who averages 10.5 yards per carry and has 9 TDs on the year thus far. He's going to run wild all season, including this game. Broncos win 34-24.

#19 Illinois at #9 Penn State

     The Fighting Illini are unbeaten and looking for another road upset as they travel to Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions. Penn State looked a bit shaky a couple weeks ago against Bowling Green, but bounced back with a 56-0 win against Kent State last week. Their defense will need to pressure Luke Altmeyer as he has been picking teams apart this season. The Nittany Lions are solid on defense and the offense is starting to click more and more. I like them to win at home, but don't be surprised if Illinois keeps this close. Penn State 31, Illinois 21.

#2 Georgia at #4 Alabama

     One of the most anticipated matchups of the year sets the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa for a duel with the Tide. This rematch of last year's SEC Championship (along with many others) will give the winner a big leg up in race back to that championship game. Georgia has looked solid apart from their Kentucky game, but their defense is really going to be tested with Alabama's high-powered offense. The Dawgs have good weapons on offense, but I think Alabama's explosive plays will be the difference-maker in this game. Georgia can't keep up with a too many big plays from the Tide, so give me Alabama with a 30-24 victory.

Nebraska at Purdue

     The Huskers have their first road game of the season as they travel to West Lafayette to take on the Boilermakers. This is an intriguing matchup after the Huskers' first loss of the season, so I'm anxious to see how they respond. Purdue has struggled this year, especially against the run, ranking 132nd in the nation. The Huskers need to establish the run early and keep it consistent all game to help Dylan Raiola. Offensively, the Boilermakers haven't been able to spread it to their receivers much, but Hudson Card is a very capable Quarterback. Ramping up the pressure from the last game will be crucial to winning this game. Huskers run the ball well and win 31-17.

Quick Hit Predictions:

Florida State at SMU - Seminoles 28, Ponies 24.

Arizona at #11 Utah - Utes 30, Wildcats 20.

Fresno State at UNLV - Rebels 23, Bulldogs 21.

Kentucky at #6 Ole Miss - Rebels 40, Wildcats 17.

Minnesota at #12 Michigan - Wolverines 23, Golden Gophers 13.

Arkansas vs #24 Texas A&M - Aggies 24, Hogs 21.

#3 Ohio State at Michigan State - Buckeyes 38, Spartans 17.

Thanks for reading my Week 5 Predictions. Enjoy your College Football Saturday and GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando