#3 Oklahoma vs. #15 Houston
We get to kick off our Saturday with a fantastic match-up between Big-Game Bobby's Sooners and the Dark Horse Cougars from Houston. This game has two of the best QBs in the nation lining up against each other. Baker Mayfield finished fourth in the Heisman race last year and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, along with All-American Honors. He will be joined in the backfield by star RB Samaje Perine. Perine rushed for almost 1400 yards last season and 16 touchdowns. I expect the Sooners to put up some good points this year, and Mayfield and Perine are going to be the main focus of the offense. On the other side, Houston comes into 2016 after an incredible 13-1 2015 in Tod Herman's first campaign. Greg Ward Jr. is still my Dark Horse Heisman pick and he is the only QB apart from Deshaun Watson (who tore apart OU in the Playoffs last winter) who passed for more than 2000 yards and rushed for more than 1000 yards last season. The Cougars offense should be firing on all cylinders, but Ward will need some help from his friends if they want to pull the upset. The stage is set for the big game, and I would love to see Houston upset Oklahoma, but the key to victory lies in the secondaries. Oklahoma returns three starters from a year ago including two All-Conference players. Houston LOSES three players from their secondary that combined for 135 career starts and combined for 25 picks last year. The Secondary makes this match-up very interesting, and definitely tips it in OU's favor. I'm not discounting the Cougars, and I think this one could be close in the end, but I'm picking the Sooners to win 44-33.
#16 UCLA at Texas A&M
This is an intriguing game because A&M has had a very rough off-season with a number of players transferring to different schools. The Aggies have an experienced group of wideouts and All-American DE Myles Garrett, but I'm not sure that will be enough. Oklahoma Transfer Trevor Knight looks to help the Aggie offense after losing two 5 star QBs over the summer. Knight has a good stock of weapons, we'll see if the experience pays off. UCLA comes in looking to get into the playoff mix, lead by Sophomore QB Josh Rosen. Rosen had a strong Freshman campaign passing for 3670 yards and 23 TDs. Expect their offense to take another step forward in Rosen's second year. The main focus on this game will be defense. Garrett will cause some havoc over four quarters, but he'll need help if they want the upset. UCLA on the other hand should look pretty good. They are returning ten starters from last year's defense including three All-Pac12 players. I expect UCLA to handle this one, but watch for Myles Garrett to get to Rosen a few times. Bruins 38, Aggies 20.
#5 LSU vs. Wisconsin
Gameday kicks us off from Lambeau field in Green Bay, WI. The Tigers and the Badgers are two very historic power run, tough defense, hard-nosed football teams. LSU returns 19 starters from a year ago, including Heisman contender Leonard Fournette who looks to run over, around, and mostly through any one that steps into his path. Fournette had nearly 2000 yards and 22 TDs last season.... as a Sophomore. LSU will rely on him, but need to find some sort of passing game to take off the pressure. Defensively, LSU looks to continue their success from last season as they finished with a top 25 defense. The Badgers finished with the second ranked overall defense last year and return 7 starters (six of them being in their front seven) from last year. On offense, Senior RB Corey Clement looks to return from a sub-par Junior campaign to lead the Badgers offense. The only problem is the Badgers don't tend to have much offense. Apart from an experienced offensive line, the offense doesn't have many weapons. I expect the two defenses to keep this game close, but when Wisconsin isn't able to score, Fournette will. I've got the Tigers over the Badgers in a tight one 21-17.
#18 Georgia vs. #22 North Carolina
I'm really looking forward to this game because Kirby Smart does not have an easy opponent to start his stint as Head Coach of the Dawgs. UNC was very close to knocking off Clemson in the ACC Championship a year ago, and they've replaced their star QB with Junior Mitch Turbisky. Turbisky is known as a better passer than former QB Marquese Williams, and he has a stockpile of talent to throw to. He also has one of the best kept secrets in all of College Football, RB Elijah Hood. Hood is one of my favorite players to watch because he is very tough to take down with the first hit. Look for him to run wild in 2016. Returning 15 starters from a year ago will help the Tar Heels continue to roll through the ACC Coastal Division. Georgia on the other side is headed into a brand new world under Kriby Smart. The Bulldogs have a new coach, but a familiar team as they return 14 starters from a year ago, including their entire secondary. They also return RB Nick Chubb who is back from injury. I anticipate their defense to take a step forward under Smart's coaching, but the offense will be a question. They have the players, but can new OC Jim Chaney get the ball moving? I think this will be a close match-up early in the game, but UNC's experience on offense will pull away in the end. Tar Heels 45, Bulldogs 27.
#20 USC vs. #1 Alabama
A great Prime-Time game under the lights in Arlington. The tide look to roll into another great season, but they'll have to replace Heisman RB Derrick Henry, and a majority of their defense. They do return their entire secondary from a year ago, and I doubt the rest of their defense will be very far behind them on talent. The game plan never changes for Bama, so it's all on the Trojan's side to cause problems. The Trojans have lots of talent, and they are returning everyone on their offense except their QB. So, Junior Max Browne will get the start, and has more weapons than he'll know what to do with, so look for USC to score some points. Defense is the question because Calvin Ridley looks to be the focal point of the Tide's offensive attack. USC does return thier secondary, but lost most of thier front seven, so causing pressure could be tough. Both teams are full of talent, so it's hard to pick a winner, especially with the neutral site. I would love to see an upset, but I'm not convinced that USC is the real deal yet. I'm taking the tide in a close one 30-24.
#2 Clemson at Auburn
Deshaun Watson. That's really all I think I need to say about this game. Auburn returns six starters on defense, but that defense gave up over 400 yards per games last year. They might be able to score a couple times, but I would be surprised if Clemson struggled in this game. Their offense shouldn't have any problems finding the endzone, and this should be a good game to get experience for a young defense. I've got Dabo's Tigers winning this game 52-21.
#10 Notre Dame at Texas (Sunday)
Texas looks to get back into the power houses of College Football, but they're still struggling to get play-makers on offense. Their defense returns eight starters from a year ago, but I don't think that will be enough to stop DeShone Kizer. Notre Dame has plenty to replace only returning nine starters total from a year ago, but Kizer's experience and play-making ability lead me to believe that the Irish should have no problem with the Horns. Texas might cause some issues early, but I think Notre Dame will take this one 38-14.
#11 Ole Miss vs. #4 Florida State (Monday)
Another great match-up between top 15 teams. The Rebels look to continue thier success from last year, but may have thier eyes set on an SEC Championship before their likely NCAA punishments arrive. Chad Kelly was a transfer last season, and accounted for over 4500 yards and 41 TDs. He's lost a few weapons, but still returns a couple of his top targets. Look for the Rebels to attack the FSU secondary in this game. On the defensive side of the ball, Ole Miss will have some issues. They've lost half of thier starters from a year ago, and are set to take on one of the top RBs in the nation in Dalvin Cook. The Seminoles return thier entire offense from a year ago (QB Sean MaGuire out with injury) so I expect them to move the ball fairly well against the LandSharks. This one will be more of an offenseive shootout in my opinion, but I'm going with the 'Noles. FSU 41, Ole Miss 35.
Fresno State at Nebraska
Easily my most anticipated game of the weekend, Nebraska opens our season with the Bulldogs from the West Coast. This should be a good game to see what Nebraska is capable of, and to get some experience for a very young defense. Fresno State is breaking in three new coordinators, so all aspects of thier game will be a mystery. I'm anxious to see what they try against the Blackshirts tonight. For Nebraska, injuries, suspensions, the tragic loss of a teammate, and a season full of close losses from a year ago have fueled the fire for the 2016 Huskers. Talking with some of my friends on the team, there's one main theme that I can see: HUNGRY! The system is in it's second year, the offense is loaded with experienced play-makers, and all they want to do is win. I don't expect the offense to have many issues tonight, and hopefully the 4th year of QB Tommy Armstrong is better than all three previous combined. He has the talent to lead one of the top offenses in the nation, we'll see if his decision making can bring home the execution. Speaking of decision making, I will be looking very closely at the coaching calls throughout the game. Last year there were a number of puzzling play-calls and clock management issues by the coaching staff. Hopefully they've gotten those fixed. Finally, the Blackshirts. Somehow, the Linebackers are the deepest and most experienced group on the defensive side of the ball, so look for them to lead this squad. Pass rush and secondary are the two big questions. Very young, very talented, but very poor last season. Look for Freedom Akinmoladun to lead the defensive line and get to the QB off the edge. In the secondary, there will be a lot of young talent sprinkled in, so hopefully they can get up to game speed quickly! I'll always be picking my Huskers and giving the reasons why they can win, and today, that's the offense. They will be far too much for Fresno State, and I'm very excited for our 2016 squad! Huskers win this game 38-17.
I hope you all enjoyed my picks for this week and are ready for some football!! I'm very excited to announce that I will again be working with Husker Football as a tour guide for recruits on game days. Nebraska has an incredible group of recruits visiting for this first game, including a number of 5 star prospects. I cannot wait to meet them and show them all why There is NO Place Like Nebraska! GO BIG RED!!!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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