It's Kickoff Weekend in College Football and I am so excited for football to be back! There are a lot of great games this weekend and some have already been played with Northwestern beating Purdue 31-27, Colorado rolling CSU 45-13 and Sparty edging out the Utah State Aggies 38-31 in the final minutes. This post will focus on my predictions of Saturday's games all the way through Monday. Unfortunately, I'm still working on getting my radio show started up due to the station being under technology renovations. As soon as we get all that worked out I'll let you know all the details because I cannot wait to get back on air. I know you all can't wait to read my predictions, so enjoy!
#23 Texas at Maryland
Last year, everyone was saying "Texas is Back" with the addition of Tom Herman as head coach. Maryland quickly demolished that idea after they won 51-41 in Austin. This year should be a different story though. The Terps should have fewer QB issues with Tyrrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill returning from injuries, but the coaching situation is horrendous. I'm still not sure why DJ Durkin and his staff have jobs right now, but they should be cleaning house any minute now over in College Park. The fallout from OL Jordan McNair's death has exposed a disgusting and degrading culture in the Maryland football program. The off-field issues will destroy this team in 2018 and probably for a couple years after. There's talented kids on the roster, but I doubt anyone has their mind on football right now. Texas on the other hand is looking to hit 2018 with a big stride forward. They had a solid win in their bowl game against Missouri, beating the Tigers 33-16 and return 7 players on each side of the ball from 2017. Sophomore QB Sam Ehlinger will be a force to be reckoned with this year and this should be an easy victory for the Horns. Texas tops Maryland 37-17 and beats the 13.5 point spread.
#6 Washington vs. #9 Auburn
The first top 10 match up of the season will take place down in Atlanta, GA as the Huskies of the Pacific Northwest take on the Tigers of Auburn. This game will be a great opening test to see which of these teams is legit. Washington is an early Playoff favorite and Auburn is pegged as an outside team looking in after their success in 2017. The Tigers have a top notch offense that returns star QB Jarrett Stidham, who threw for 3,158 yards, 18 TDs and 6 picks last season. They'll need to find a new running back now that Kerryon Johnson is off to the NFL, but Gus Malzahn's offense always puts up points. Washington on the other hand, typically does not have any issues preventing points. The Huskies gave up an average of 16.1 points per game last year, ranking 5th in the nation. With 17 returning starters from last year and 9 of them on the defensive side of the ball, I expect Washington to be one of the toughest teams around. On offense, the two headed monster of QB Jake Browning and RB Myles Gaskin will cause headaches for every defense. This should be a close game, but I see the Huskies coming out on top. I'm going past the two point spread and I've got Washington beating Auburn 30-20.
#17 West Virginia vs. Tennessee
My dark horse playoff team starts their season in Charlotte, NC against the mighty (not really) Volunteers of Tennessee. The Vols are under new management with head coach Jeremy Pruitt taking over for the recently removed Butch Jones. There's still a lot of talent on Tennessee's roster, so Pruitt has a lot to work with. The steep learning curve will cause for a rebuilding year on Rocky Top however. West Virginia returns arguably the top offense in the nation, led by Heisman hopeful, Quarterback Will Grier. He has two All-American caliber wideouts in David Sills IV and Gary Jennings Jr., who both had over 1,000 yards last year. Leading rusher Justin Crawford is gone, but Kennedy McKoy had nearly 600 yards on the ground in a backup role last season, so watch for him to have a breakout year. West Virginia should look crisp today and their experience will help them roll Tennessee. They'll smash the 9.5 point spread and beat the Vols 40-21.
#14 Michigan at #12 Notre Dame
The Wolverines and Fightin' Irish renew their rivalry for the first time since 2014 as Michigan travels down to South Bend. Both teams are looking for a big, resume building win to start off their season. Both teams return 9 starters on defense, so expect a tight battle in this one. Offensively, it's all about the QB play. Brandon Wimbush should improve in his second year as a starter, but his completion percentage is still concerning. He was below 50% in 2017, and backup QB Ian Book should be ready to step in if Wimbush still struggles. Michigan's defense will be relentless, especially up front with preseason All-American Rashan Gary. Junior Linebacker Devin Bush is also a force to be reckoned with, so Wimbush will really need to be sharp. On the other side, everyone is anxious to see how Ole Miss transfer QB, Shae Patterson, looks under Jim Harbaugh's pro-style offense. Patterson is a dual-threat QB, so we'll see how Notre Dame handles his ability to move the pocket. Touchdown Jesus and the Golden Domes will be rocking tonight, but I'm going to disappoint my uncle and pick the Wolverines. I think they're an under the radar team and I like the BIG 10 to get a big win this weekend. The Irish keep it tight, but Michigan edges them out 24-20.
#8 Miami at #25 LSU (Sunday)
This is arguably a must-win game for both teams down in Arlington as the "U" takes on the Tigers from LSU. The Hurricanes are out to amend the sour end to last season, where they lost their final 3 games after starting 10-0. They bring back 7 starters on both sides of the ball, so look for the Turnover Chain to be broken out again this year with lots of returning experience. LSU on the other hand could be playing to keep their coach. Coach O was a questionable hire in my opinion, but after two scholarship QBs left during the off season, the Tigers are left with Ohio State grad-transfer Joe Burrow. LSU's defense is always tough, but their offensive struggles could be the downfall in this game. I'm not really sure what to expect from either team this year, but I'm standing behind my thoughts on Coach O. Mark Richt of Miami will out coach Ed Orgeron and the Hurricanes knock off the Tigers by 7. Miami wins 27-20.
#20 Virginia Tech at #19 Florida State
Willie Taggart gets a warm welcome into the ACC as the Hokies travel down to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles. Deondre Francois has been named the starting QB for FSU, but Sophomore James Blackman is very well established after playing every game last year after Francois' injury. The key will be to protect the QB this year, as the 'Noles have given up 36 and 32 sacks in each of the past two seasons respectively. Virginia Tech had 32 last season and gave up only 14.8 points per game on average. They return just 5 starters from that defense, but the Hokies are always full of young talent. Speaking of young talent, the player to watch is VA Tech QB, Josh Jackson. He had nearly 3,000 yards passing as a Freshman with a 20:9 TD to INT ratio. He'll have a strong sophomore season and as strong opening game. This one has a 7 point spread, but I've got it closer than that. Hokies spoil Taggart's opening day 34-31.
Akron at Nebraska
The Huskers open their season with the defending Mac East Division Champions. The Zips did not end their season well as they lost to Toledo in the MAC Championship 45-28 and then were blown out in the Boca Raton Bowl by Lane Kiffin and his fighting Owls 50-3. They're walking into what will be the most hyped and rocking stadium in the nation at Memorial Stadium. Husker Nation is ready to start the Scott Frost era and Lincoln will be electric tonight. True Freshman Adrian Martinez is making the start at QB and he has a lot of weapons at his disposal. Wideouts Stanley Morgan Jr. and J.D. Spielman are two of the best in the BIG 10, so look for them to get a lot of looks early as the offense finds its footing. There will be a lot of new faces for Husker fans to watch, so be ready to break out your rosters. Nebraska has a 26 spread in their favor for this game, but with all the first game jitters and inexperience, it'll be a little tighter. Solid win for Nebraska and the Scott Frost era starts off with a 37-20 victory. GO BIG RED!
Quick Hit Predictions
Northern Illinois at Iowa - The Hawkeyes are always a question mark team when facing non-conference opponents, and Northern Illinois is no slouch. They have a tough defensive line that will put a lot of pressure on Nathan Stanley today. Iowa will need to find a ground game quickly, but they should be able to pull this one out. Hawks win it 30-17.
Cincinnati at UCLA - Chip Kelly gets his debut against the Bearcats of Cincy. Wilton Speight is the new QB for the Bruins and will look to lead a high-powered offense in the new era of UCLA. Kelly looks to be ready to be back in football, and there's no way he's losing his opener. UCLA 38, Cincy 20.
Louisville vs. #1 Alabama - The Tide have QB drama all over the place with everyone asking who will start, Tua or Jalen? It doesn't matter. The only QB drama you need to know about is that Louisville does not have Lamar Jackson any more. He would've been their only shot at knocking off the Tide, but without him Bama will roll, no matter who starts under center. The Cardinals can attack Bama deep, but they won't have much time with that fearsome front 7 of Bama. Tide 40, Cardinals 17.
BYU at Arizona - Pac-12 after dark starts the season with a really intriguing match-up for Kevin Sumlin's Wildcat debut. Kahlil Tate will look to torch the record books once again as the Cougars of BYU visit. The Cougars are experienced, bringing back 7 players on each side of the ball, including Senior QB Tanner Mangum. This could be a tight game and will definitely be a fun one to watch. I think the Wildcats are a dangerous team this year, and Kahlil Tate will be the difference maker. Arizona beats BYU 39-28.
Thanks for reading my GAMEDAY predictions and welcome to the 2018 College Football Season! Be sure to subscribe to get updates on future posts and stay tuned for details on my upcoming radio show. It's football time folks, GET HYPED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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