Get up everyone, IT'S GAMEDAY! We have a fantastic slate of games lined up for us to watch this Saturday. Thursday started us off with Stanford absolutely ripping apart the Bruins of UCLA. If anyone missed that game, there is a link to below to one of the most amazing catches I have ever seen, and that's about all you need to know from that game. Then last night, Utah State upset number 21 Boise State 52-26! The Aggies came away with 7 turnovers, the most in a college football game in the last 10 years. Crazy games have set us up for a crazy weekend in College Football! Here's my picks for this week's games.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/16/449192834/watch-stanford-wide-receiver-makes-catch-of-the-year
1. 17 Iowa at 20 Northwestern
Big game in the West Division of the BIG 10. Iowa is undefeated for the first time since 2009, and have only given up 1 rushing touchdown all season. Northwestern has a tough defense of their own, but after the beat down they took in Ann Arbor last week, one has to question how many pieces they have picked up. I think that this will be a close game, and turnovers are going to be key. The Hawkeyes are banged up a bit after losing their best D-lineman for the rest of the year. QB CJ Bethard is expected to play, but I wouldn't be surprised if he needs to come out later in the game. If Northwestern wants to compete in the West this year, this is a must win game, or Iowa will have a cakewalk to the BIG 10 Title game. Freshman QB Clayton Thorson should have a much easier time playing at home. I think that Northwestern's defense is hungry after last week and will have a good crowd behind them, even with the early kickoff. Iowa will need to prove themselves in this game, but I've got Northwestern winning just to make the Division race interesting. Wildcats 24, Hawkeyes 17.
2. 11 Ole Miss at Memphis
Some of you might wonder why I picked this game, but trust me, this one could get interesting. Memphis remains as one of the few unbeaten teams this year, and they have the nation's 7th best scoring offense along with the 12th best passing attack. They have not quite played the level of competition that Ole Miss has, but they can cause trouble. In my opinion, this could be a trap game for Ole Miss. They cruised to an easy 52-3 win against New Mexico State last week, and they have a showdown with unbeaten Texas A&M coming up next week. No one would expect a simple trip to Memphis would cause problems right? Wrong! I've got the Tigers edging out the Rebels in this one. Memphis QB Paxton Lynch has yet to throw a pick this season. He's facing a disrupting "Landshark" defense, but I think that Lynch and the Tigers will sneak up at the end and take it! Tigers 47, Rebels 42.
3. 10 Alabama at 9 Texas A&M
This one sets up to be a pretty interesting match-up. A&M has looked very good this season, especially at home. Bama is never a team to try and walk over though. They play better than anyone on the road, losing only 2 road games since 2011. The Tide have figured out their offensive struggles and look to roll their way back into title conversation. I don't believe that the Aggies will be able to keep up with the powerful offense of the Tide. Bama rolls again 45-17.
4. 7 Michigan State at 12 Michigan
Big Brother vs. Little Brother. Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Spartans vs. Wolverines. This rivalry has big implications this year. Michigan looks to take control of "Little Brother" in a series that has shifted toward the Spartans who have won 6 out of the last 7. Michigan State has not looked the best this year however. Although undefeated, they've had to survive two late comebacks against two of the BIG 10's worst teams. Purdue and Rutgers both hung around and nearly upset the Spartans over the past two weeks. On the other side, Michigan has recorded 3 straight shut-outs. I think the boys in blue are going to make a statement to the nation today. Michigan knocks "Little Brother" down today 24-13.
5. 8 Florida at 6 LSU
The Gators took a big hit in the beginning of this week losing their starting QB Will Grier for the rest of the year. Backup Treon Harris has a tough task walking into one of the most formidable venues in College Football. Death Valley will be rocking tonight, making it very difficult for the Gator offense to get moving. On the other side, the Gators have one of the best defenses in the nation. However, they have not met the young man by the name of Leonard Fournette. This kid runs over, around and through all opposing defenses. Fournette runs over the Gators and the Tigers win 35-17.
6. USC at 14 Notre Dame
Always a classic rivalry game to watch down in South Bend. The Trojans are coming off of a tough week and probably just want to get on the field and forget about it. After losing to Washington last Thursday, head coach Steve Sarkisian was fired on Monday and then checked into a rehab facility. Since 2007, Notre Dame is 2-4 in games played after their annual Navy game. Lots of emotions in this one, it could be close, but I have the Irish winning at home 35-21.
7. Penn State at 1 Ohio State
Ohio State will be reppin' all black uniforms as they take on the Nittany Lions in the Horseshoe tonight. Penn State has played very well since their opening loss at Temple, but this is their first road test of the season since that loss. It's never easy to get a win in the Horseshoe for opposing teams, but Ohio State has not looked up to par this season. They have struggled in a majority of the games they have played, especially on offense. Penn State has a very tough defense which is anchored by Senior DT Carl Nassib. Carl leads the nation in sacks, and has been a terror for offensive lines. Penn State will play well today, Christian Hackenberg has a 7:2 TD to INT ratio. If their defense can step up to the big stage, they have a very good chance to pull of the upset against a puzzled Buckeye team. Pressure on Cardale Jones will be key to success for the Nittany Lions. I think that Penn State will really come out fighting in this game and make a statement. They will finally knock number 1 off the top with a close 28-24 win against the Buckeyes.
8. Arizona State at 4 Utah
Can the Utes continue their early season success? This is a tough question to answer because we don't know which Sun Devil's team will show up to Salt Lake City. In ASU's two losses, they've had 6 total turnovers. In their four wins on the year, they have turned it over 6 times as well. ASU has already played their devil-like roll upsetting UCLA at home a couple weeks ago, but this will be a tougher task. The Utes have played very tough against opposing QBs. Last week, they recorded 5 interceptions against stud Cal QB Jared Goff. Plus, on offense, they have one of the top running backs in the nation in Devontae Booker. This kid has been running well all season with 665 yards and 6 TDs. He's also leading the teams in receptions and receiving yards. This is a key player to watch in this match-up. If ASU can shut him down they have a chance. However, I have the Utes in playoff contention still, and they'll win this one 40-35.
9. Nebraska at Minnesota
This BIG 10 match-up has arguably the best trophy in College Football. The Huskers and the Gophers are not only playing for a conference win, but for The $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy. If you have not heard of this trophy or the story behind it, LOOK IT UP! It's by far the best story behind a trophy you will ever hear/read. Now for the game, it's a toss up. It really depends on which teams show up. Nebraska has struggled to close out games, but Minnesota has struggled to even show up to games this year. For the Huskers, pressure on the QB, moving the ball on offense, and finishing drives are key to a sure victory. The Huskers need to put together a whole game if they want to stop this 2-game losing streak to the Gophers. Look for the Huskers to use the ground game against a weak Gopher defense. I've got my Huskers in this one, 38-23.
Hope everyone has a fantastic Saturday! Comment if you have any picks of your own, GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
No comments:
Post a Comment