#2 Florida State at #10 Louisville
This is a very intriguing match-up between two hot teams with young QBs running the show. Deondre Francois and Lamar Jackson square off in what I expect to be a fairly close game. The Cardinals are only used to playing in the first half, and the Noles really only step up their game in the second half. I think the victory here is going to depend on the ground game. Louisville needs to get Brandon Radcliff going to assist Lamar Jackson. With DeMarcus Walker causing all sorts of havoc with his pass rushing, if Jackson doesn't have help, Florida State will shut down the Cardinals offense. I am also expecting a lot of big plays on both sides. The Seminoles are down one of thier best play-makers on defense with Safety Derwin James out with a knee injury, so look for the Cardinals to go deep attacking FSU's young secondary. I'm always rooting for the upset, and I think that Lamar Jackson can make it happen. This will be their first true test against a quality opponent, so look for Louisville's defense to step up and play well at home. Lamar Jackson out duels Deondre Francois and the Cardinals upset FSU 38-34.
North Dakota State at #13 Iowa
This one is just blind hope for the upset. The Bison would be one of the best teams to do it, especially since they have won five straight games against FBS opponents. Iowa stepped up last week, downing their rivals from Ames 42-3, but once again, I'm waiting until a quality opponent comes to town. NDSU is probably the strongest out of their three non-conference games, but if an FCS team has that title, then Iowa better crush them if they want any meaningful statements to be made. Iowa will continue to consistently move the ball on offense, so the big key in this game is if the Bison can score. They don't have the amazing Carson Wentz at their disposal anymore, so it'll be a tough task. Look for them to keep the ball on the ground and away from Iowa. The Bison may provide a scare, but I'm sure Iowa will squeak away with their W. Hawkeyes 31, Bison 24.
#25 Miami at Appalachain State
This one has upset written all over it! There are honestly only a couple of scenarios I see playing out that could possibly give the Canes a win. I'm not picking the Mountaineers in this game just because they nearly knocked off Tennessee in the opening weekend, I'm picking the because I've had them picked all year as one of the better teams not in a Power 5 Conference. They finished 11-2 last year & are still my pick to win their conference this year. Mountaineers RB Marcus Cox looks to lead the way. He's already rushed for nearly 250 yards and 3 TDs thus far in the season. If they play half as well as they did against the Vols, Brad Kaaya and crew don't stand a chance. We know the offense for both teams will be clicking, but I don't think Kaaya has much help today. Mountaineers take this one in good fashion, 27-17.
#1 Alabama at #19 Ole Miss
Can Ole Miss extend their win streak to 3 games over the mighty Crimson Tide? Being at home & motivation from their poor second half against Florida State should be more than enough to allow them to compete. Chad Kelly is going to need some help from his ground game if they want to pull the third consecutive upset over Saben's head. Kelly performed very well against Alabama last year, throwing for 341 yards and 3 TDs, so we know they're going to air it out and score some points. However, if they don't have a solid ground game to help chew up some clock, the Rebels won't be able to keep pace. I anticipate this game to look a little like Ole Miss's opener against FSU. I think Ole Miss will have success early on and get a couple stops on the tide, but if they don't control the clock, Bama will start to roll in the second half. I have not had the chance to watch the Tide much yet this year apart from highlights, but their freshman QB Jalen Hurts has looked pretty impressive thus far. We'll see if he has similar success to what Deondre Francois had with FSU. Rebels keep it tight early, but the Tide Rolls onto a 35-23 win.
Colorado at #4 Michigan
I don't expect any crazy Hail Marys to happen in this game, but with that being said, Colorado isn't the terrible team it's known for (sorry, inner Husker coming out there). Last year they were very close to a number of upsets, and now they have their Senior QB Sefo Liufau back from an injury late last season. Not contenders by any means, but this Buffalo team is sneaky, and definitely not one that you should overlook. Neither team has really been tested yet, so this could be interesting to watch with all the offense they've showed the past couple weeks. I doubt Jim Harbaugh will lose at home, at least against CU, but look for this one to be much closer than the spread. I'll take the Wolverines with a 38-33 victory.
Mississippi State at #20 LSU
The Bulldogs rebounded last week with a solid 27-14 win over South Carolina, but a trip to Death Valley proves to be much more difficult. Both of these teams have a tough time finding their offense, especially when it comes to the passing game. LSU needs to get Fournette going to take pressure off of thier horrendous QB issues. State's best chance to win is making them pass. Not easy, but so far, Leonard Fournette has not done much damage this season, partly due to his injury, but partly due to the defensive scheme from Wisconsin. If Mississippi State can hold down the run game and force LSU to pass, they have a good shot at winning this game. LSU doesn't lose many at home, and I don't think this one will be very different, but look for a tight game. One too many turnovers for the Bulldogs and LSU wins at home 21-16.
Pitt at Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are looking to rebound after an INSANE Hail Mary that shouldn't have even happened last week. The Central Michigan upset is still fresh in thier minds, and they would love to right the script against a 2-0 Pitt Squad. The Panthers on the other hand, coming off of a big win against their rival Penn State, look to continue through their non-conference games un-beaten. The key to this game is going to be OK State's passing attack. We know Pitt can run the ball and stop the run, but stopping the pass has been more difficult. They've given up an average of 225 yards through the air, and that's mostly to a mediocre Penn State passing attack. The Cowboys have averaged 270 yards passing through the air, so look for them to find success going deep. Pitt needs to limit the big plays if they want to walk out of Boone-Pickens with a win. I think they do it, and the Pokes are too rattled by last weeks Hail Mary. Panthers win it behind two interceptions 28-20.
#17 Texas A&M at Auburn
Over recent years, offense has been the main strength of these teams. That hasn't changed much as A&M averages 554 yards of offense so far this year and Auburn averages 484. However, even with all the offensive firepower, defense is the key to this match up. In the Aggies opener against UCLA, they put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times throughout that game. Auburn held Clemson and Deshaun Watson to only 19 points. Both defenses have been very impressive against the run too. Aggies have only given up an average of 78.5 yards rushing per game while the Tigers have given up 108.5 yards. This will make teams rely on the passing attack, which is where I give the edge to A&M. I have two reasons for this, 1. Trevor Knight & 2. Pass Rush. As I mentioned, the Aggies put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times. That pressure is difficult for any team to handle, especially without a ground game. Texas A&M wins the sack total, and wins the game 42-27.
#12 Michigan State at #18 Notre Dame
Another great rivalry is being renewed tonight in South Bend. The Spartans and the Irish clash again in a match-up with big post season implications. The Irish need to rebound with a key win after their upset loss to Texas in week 1. The Spartans have not looked very impressive yet this year, but only have one game under their belt, and are coming off of a BYE week. We all know that anything can happen in a rivalry game, so this is gonna be a fun one to watch. Defense will definitely decide this one, especially because I don't see Michigan State scoring many points. They will look to shut down the Irish's run game and make Kizer beat them with his arm. I think Notre Dame has enough weapons to hold the Spartans off, and a night game at home is a great way to rebound. Look for Mark Dantonio to get tricky, but I've got the Irish 28-17.
#3 Ohio State at #14 Oklahoma
Two of the biggest names in College Football clash with two of the most dynamic QBs in the nation. J.T. Barrett looks to lead the explosive Buckeyes into Norman and come a way with a victory. Back-up Sooner QB had only good things to say about his teammate Baker Mayfield, saying that he will tear apart the Buckeye defense. I expect a lot of offense between these two teams, and definitely a lot of points. The main focus of this game will be OU's offense. Based off of the Houston game, Ohio State shouldn't have to many issues moving the ball. But can the Sooners move the ball? I think they'll be able to move the ball early in the game, but watch for Baker's decision making on passes. Ohio State's secondary is one of the most athletic, ball-hawking secondaries in the nation. If they get a pick or two on Mayfield, Oklahoma's day and Playoff hopes are done. I think this one will be high scoring, but look for the Buckeyes to pull away with a 45-31 victory. Big Game Bobby can't quite edge out Urban Meyer.
USC at #7 Stanford
Lots of talent for the Trojans, but lots of yards and points put up by Alabama in the opener down in Dallas. I was not able to watch the game, but after seeing the highlights of that 52-6 beat down, I could tell they gave up. If USC wants to win any important games this year, giving up is not an option. They have too much talent to lose all thier big games this year. Speaking of talent, let's not forget to mention one of the best player in the nation in my opinion, Mr. Christian McCaffrey. He is an absolute machine for the Trees, and I expect another great performance from him tonight. On the road up at the Farm, there aren't too many games won, especially when Stanford's rush defense hasn't given up over 100 yards in quite some time. Dating back to the Rose Bowl, they only gave up 48 rushing yards against Iowa, and in week 1 they only gave up 92 to K-State. I think their defense is too much for the Trojans, and McCaffrey brings the Cardinal to a 35-17 win.
#22 Oregon at Nebraska
Here's the pick you've all been waiting for! Nebraska's big home game of the season kicks off at 2:30 against the Mighty Ducks of Oregon... ok, just the Ducks. They hype for this game has had campus buzzing all week long. I'm excited to see it live and I'm even more excited to see us win. Here are my keys to victory for Nebraska!
My first key to victory is first down, on both sides of the ball but specifically on defense. Oregon's offense relies so much on timing and short distances in the middle downs of thier drives, so limiting thier gains on first down is very important. They will try to use a lot of jet sweeps and outside screens to get to the edge and out in space. Linebackers and Safeties are my key positions this week because they will need to hit the edges hard to knock Oregon off thier track. Virginia did a fabulous job early in the game of really hitting up the edges and knocking the jet sweeps back for a loss. On offense, Nebraska needs to stay ahead of the chains. Keeping third down manageable is the most important asset to any football team. A steady run game will be very helpful for Nebraska, and with the Duck's young front 7, there's great potential for a lot of rushing yards today for Nebraska.
My second key is two players Tommy & Royce. Good Tommy = Husker Win, Bad Tommy = Oregon Win. Pretty simple and familiar equation for Nebraska. Both offenses will move the ball and score points, but Tommy and Nebraska CANNOT fall off during the 2nd & 3rd Quarters. I think Nebraska needs to average roughly 10 points per Quarter if they want to come out with this one. Having the ground game will be important because that allows Tommy to use his legs as well. He still throws into very small windows without going through all of his progressions though, so I don't want more than 30 passes. That will work against Fresno & Wyoming, but Oregon and BIG 10 teams will be a step faster and they will pick those passes off. For Royce, its going to be up to Nebraska's front 7 to hold him down. Most people think of speed with Oregon, which they do have, but when I see Royce Freeman, all I see is power. The 230 lb. Junior lives between the tackles and that's what allows Oregon to utilize thier jet sweep. Since he is so effective in the middle, defenses cheat inside and load the box. That's when Oregon goes outside and up and around for a TD. Nebraska's run defense has been impressive under Coach Riley, so we'll see how they contain Freeman.
My final key to victory is the turnover battle. Nebraska has won their last 17 games when they win the turnover battle. When they lose the turnover battle, their record is unspeakable. So far the Huskers are +7 in the turnover margin so far this year. This is a great opportunity to really test Nebraska's secondary. Dakota Prukop has completed 68.8% of his passes so far this year, so getting an interception will be tough. Luckily the Huskers got to practice that 5 times last game!
My final thoughts on this game are on the atmosphere. Memorial Stadium will be rockin' today, especially since this is the 350th consecutive sellout. There's a reason that this is the toughest place to play in the BIG 10 and one of the toughest in the nation. We'll see how the Ducks handle the noise in the Sea of Red! Look for me on the sidelines in the North East corner of the field. Huskers go Duck hunting and win a big one at home in a shoot out! Nebraska 48, Oregon 38. GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
Mississippi State at #20 LSU
The Bulldogs rebounded last week with a solid 27-14 win over South Carolina, but a trip to Death Valley proves to be much more difficult. Both of these teams have a tough time finding their offense, especially when it comes to the passing game. LSU needs to get Fournette going to take pressure off of thier horrendous QB issues. State's best chance to win is making them pass. Not easy, but so far, Leonard Fournette has not done much damage this season, partly due to his injury, but partly due to the defensive scheme from Wisconsin. If Mississippi State can hold down the run game and force LSU to pass, they have a good shot at winning this game. LSU doesn't lose many at home, and I don't think this one will be very different, but look for a tight game. One too many turnovers for the Bulldogs and LSU wins at home 21-16.
Pitt at Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are looking to rebound after an INSANE Hail Mary that shouldn't have even happened last week. The Central Michigan upset is still fresh in thier minds, and they would love to right the script against a 2-0 Pitt Squad. The Panthers on the other hand, coming off of a big win against their rival Penn State, look to continue through their non-conference games un-beaten. The key to this game is going to be OK State's passing attack. We know Pitt can run the ball and stop the run, but stopping the pass has been more difficult. They've given up an average of 225 yards through the air, and that's mostly to a mediocre Penn State passing attack. The Cowboys have averaged 270 yards passing through the air, so look for them to find success going deep. Pitt needs to limit the big plays if they want to walk out of Boone-Pickens with a win. I think they do it, and the Pokes are too rattled by last weeks Hail Mary. Panthers win it behind two interceptions 28-20.
#17 Texas A&M at Auburn
Over recent years, offense has been the main strength of these teams. That hasn't changed much as A&M averages 554 yards of offense so far this year and Auburn averages 484. However, even with all the offensive firepower, defense is the key to this match up. In the Aggies opener against UCLA, they put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times throughout that game. Auburn held Clemson and Deshaun Watson to only 19 points. Both defenses have been very impressive against the run too. Aggies have only given up an average of 78.5 yards rushing per game while the Tigers have given up 108.5 yards. This will make teams rely on the passing attack, which is where I give the edge to A&M. I have two reasons for this, 1. Trevor Knight & 2. Pass Rush. As I mentioned, the Aggies put Josh Rosen on the ground 21 times. That pressure is difficult for any team to handle, especially without a ground game. Texas A&M wins the sack total, and wins the game 42-27.
#12 Michigan State at #18 Notre Dame
Another great rivalry is being renewed tonight in South Bend. The Spartans and the Irish clash again in a match-up with big post season implications. The Irish need to rebound with a key win after their upset loss to Texas in week 1. The Spartans have not looked very impressive yet this year, but only have one game under their belt, and are coming off of a BYE week. We all know that anything can happen in a rivalry game, so this is gonna be a fun one to watch. Defense will definitely decide this one, especially because I don't see Michigan State scoring many points. They will look to shut down the Irish's run game and make Kizer beat them with his arm. I think Notre Dame has enough weapons to hold the Spartans off, and a night game at home is a great way to rebound. Look for Mark Dantonio to get tricky, but I've got the Irish 28-17.
#3 Ohio State at #14 Oklahoma
Two of the biggest names in College Football clash with two of the most dynamic QBs in the nation. J.T. Barrett looks to lead the explosive Buckeyes into Norman and come a way with a victory. Back-up Sooner QB had only good things to say about his teammate Baker Mayfield, saying that he will tear apart the Buckeye defense. I expect a lot of offense between these two teams, and definitely a lot of points. The main focus of this game will be OU's offense. Based off of the Houston game, Ohio State shouldn't have to many issues moving the ball. But can the Sooners move the ball? I think they'll be able to move the ball early in the game, but watch for Baker's decision making on passes. Ohio State's secondary is one of the most athletic, ball-hawking secondaries in the nation. If they get a pick or two on Mayfield, Oklahoma's day and Playoff hopes are done. I think this one will be high scoring, but look for the Buckeyes to pull away with a 45-31 victory. Big Game Bobby can't quite edge out Urban Meyer.
USC at #7 Stanford
Lots of talent for the Trojans, but lots of yards and points put up by Alabama in the opener down in Dallas. I was not able to watch the game, but after seeing the highlights of that 52-6 beat down, I could tell they gave up. If USC wants to win any important games this year, giving up is not an option. They have too much talent to lose all thier big games this year. Speaking of talent, let's not forget to mention one of the best player in the nation in my opinion, Mr. Christian McCaffrey. He is an absolute machine for the Trees, and I expect another great performance from him tonight. On the road up at the Farm, there aren't too many games won, especially when Stanford's rush defense hasn't given up over 100 yards in quite some time. Dating back to the Rose Bowl, they only gave up 48 rushing yards against Iowa, and in week 1 they only gave up 92 to K-State. I think their defense is too much for the Trojans, and McCaffrey brings the Cardinal to a 35-17 win.
#22 Oregon at Nebraska
Here's the pick you've all been waiting for! Nebraska's big home game of the season kicks off at 2:30 against the Mighty Ducks of Oregon... ok, just the Ducks. They hype for this game has had campus buzzing all week long. I'm excited to see it live and I'm even more excited to see us win. Here are my keys to victory for Nebraska!
My first key to victory is first down, on both sides of the ball but specifically on defense. Oregon's offense relies so much on timing and short distances in the middle downs of thier drives, so limiting thier gains on first down is very important. They will try to use a lot of jet sweeps and outside screens to get to the edge and out in space. Linebackers and Safeties are my key positions this week because they will need to hit the edges hard to knock Oregon off thier track. Virginia did a fabulous job early in the game of really hitting up the edges and knocking the jet sweeps back for a loss. On offense, Nebraska needs to stay ahead of the chains. Keeping third down manageable is the most important asset to any football team. A steady run game will be very helpful for Nebraska, and with the Duck's young front 7, there's great potential for a lot of rushing yards today for Nebraska.
My second key is two players Tommy & Royce. Good Tommy = Husker Win, Bad Tommy = Oregon Win. Pretty simple and familiar equation for Nebraska. Both offenses will move the ball and score points, but Tommy and Nebraska CANNOT fall off during the 2nd & 3rd Quarters. I think Nebraska needs to average roughly 10 points per Quarter if they want to come out with this one. Having the ground game will be important because that allows Tommy to use his legs as well. He still throws into very small windows without going through all of his progressions though, so I don't want more than 30 passes. That will work against Fresno & Wyoming, but Oregon and BIG 10 teams will be a step faster and they will pick those passes off. For Royce, its going to be up to Nebraska's front 7 to hold him down. Most people think of speed with Oregon, which they do have, but when I see Royce Freeman, all I see is power. The 230 lb. Junior lives between the tackles and that's what allows Oregon to utilize thier jet sweep. Since he is so effective in the middle, defenses cheat inside and load the box. That's when Oregon goes outside and up and around for a TD. Nebraska's run defense has been impressive under Coach Riley, so we'll see how they contain Freeman.
My final key to victory is the turnover battle. Nebraska has won their last 17 games when they win the turnover battle. When they lose the turnover battle, their record is unspeakable. So far the Huskers are +7 in the turnover margin so far this year. This is a great opportunity to really test Nebraska's secondary. Dakota Prukop has completed 68.8% of his passes so far this year, so getting an interception will be tough. Luckily the Huskers got to practice that 5 times last game!
My final thoughts on this game are on the atmosphere. Memorial Stadium will be rockin' today, especially since this is the 350th consecutive sellout. There's a reason that this is the toughest place to play in the BIG 10 and one of the toughest in the nation. We'll see how the Ducks handle the noise in the Sea of Red! Look for me on the sidelines in the North East corner of the field. Huskers go Duck hunting and win a big one at home in a shoot out! Nebraska 48, Oregon 38. GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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