Week 1 Predictions

     Welcome to the first full weekend of College Football my friends! We had a couple games last weekend, but now it's time for the real deal. Nebraska opens their season on Saturday against South Alabama and everyone else around the nation will be playing as well. This post will have all my predictions for week 1 of the 2019 season and my thoughts on all the big games along with some quick hits on other games to watch. Be sure to let me know what you think with any comments and get hyped, because it's GAME WEEK! Enjoy!

     One quick note I'd like to add is about my mother. This is the first football season I will be starting without her here on Earth with me. Words could never describe our combined excitement for Husker and College Football Season to start every year, but now the words cannot describe my pain of starting a football season without her. We connected with each other on so many things in this world, but football was our most special bond. There's no one else I wanted to spend my Saturdays in the fall with, and bringing her to the Colorado game last fall for my last season as a student is something I'll never forget. The smile on her face and the way she cheered louder than all the students standing around us reminds me every moment of every day how special my mom truly was. I will miss our calls immediately following the Husker game to discuss our thoughts as I fought the crowd to Lazlo's. I will miss our Saturday evening texts while watching other games from our respective homes, discussing all the happenings in the CFB world that day while complaining about what the teams we were currently watching were doing wrong. But most of all, I'll miss being at home with her to watch the Huskers play on TV and listening to her jump and scream at every play. There was no one with more passion for this game than her, and I'm so thankful she shared that passion with me. If you want to truly see what her fandom was like, be sure to check out my featured post: "The Biggest Husker Fan" on my blog page. Love you Mom, GO BIG RED!


2018 Prediction Results: 104-77 (57.5%)
Week 0 Prediction Results: 1-1
Overall Prediction Results: 1-1


Georgia Tech at #1 Clemson

     The reigning CFB Playoff Champion Tigers will start 2019 with a conference game, putting the pressure on early. The Yellow Jackets return just 9 starters from last year's 7-6 squad that gave up nearly 30 points per game. We all know how this one is going to go. Clemson's offense is completely loaded for a repeat in 2019, and everyone is anxious to see how much better Trevor Lawrence Year 2 is. I cannot wait to see this offense run this year, and Clemson is going to be a very fun team to watch. Tigers win with a big opening statement for 2019 by taking care of GT 40-17.


#14 Utah at BYU The Holy War (Battle for the Beehive Boot)

     One of my favorite rivalries out west renews as the Utes travel down to Provo to take on the Cougars. BYU went 7-6 last year, but bring back 17 starters from 2018. They should improve this year with the returning experience. Their defense was solid for most of last season, but offensive struggles and injuries slowed this team down. Looking at their counterpart, the Utes are primed for a big run in 2019. They're my dark horse out west and could take the PAC-12 from Oregon or Washington. They get star QB-RB duo of Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss back from injury, and return 7 starters from a defense that ranked 14th last year in total defense and 16th in scoring, giving up just 19.4 points per game. With the Cougars struggles on offense a year ago, and the rivalry factored in, this could be a tight game. I like Utah pulling away late and if they're going to be my dark horse, they better act like it. Utah beats BYU for the Beehive Boot by a score of 24-13.


Northwestern at #25 Stanford

     This is one of the more intriguing games of the weekend in my opinion as the BIG 10 and PAC-12 clash out on the Farm. Pat Fitzgerald and his Wildcats won the BIG 10 West Division last season, and have a new star at QB taking over for 4-year starter, Clayton Thorson. Hunter Johnson is my pick for the Wildcats QB, but there could be a two-man system with TJ Green. Fitzgerald has run a two-man system before, so I'm not surprised at him trying this again. As for Stanford, they return their QB, KJ Costello, but that's about it. Bryce Love is gone, along with top wideout, JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Even with all the talent loss, David Shaw is never a coach to underestimate. Especially since they're playing at home, Stanford could be very difficult to overthrow. I do like the Wildcats though, and I think their experience on defense will separate them in this game. Star Linebacker Paddy Fisher leads a tough group on that side of the ball, and I think they'll make some key plays to flip this game. Northwestern wins 27-17.


Fresno State at USC

     The Bulldogs have been tough to beat over the past few seasons, but return just 9 players from their 12-2 season a year ago. There will likely be some drop off from 2018, but their defense will still be tough. That unit gave up just 14.1 points per game last year, good enough for 3rd in the nation. USC ranked 91st in scoring offense last year, so JT Daniels has is work cut out for him. He brings back some talent, but all eyes will be on Southern Cal this year, to see if Clay Helton can really move this team forward. I like the Trojans, but this one could be closer than most people think. USC wins a tough one, 24-20.


#11 Oregon vs. #16 Auburn

     Our only ranked versus ranked match-up of the weekend takes place down in Jerry-World as the Ducks take on the Tigers in a rematch from the 2011 BCS Championship. The players have changed, but this should still be an entertaining game. Auburn is breaking in a Freshman QB, but return a lot of talent for him to work with. Bo Nix will be running Gus Malzhan's offense now, and lucky for him, he has a defense to lean on while he learns the ropes. Auburn has one of the most formidable defensive fronts in the nation, led by Nick Coe and Derrick Brown. They will be looking to put lots of pressure on potential Heisman finalist, Oregon QB, Justin Herbert. Herbert turned down the NFL for his senior season with the Ducks, and I believe he has a good reason for it. The webfoots return a whopping 17 starters including Herbert, and won four of their last 5 games in 2018. This team has talent and will prove it on Saturday. I've got the Ducks winning 33-21.


Houston at #4 Oklahoma

     Jalen Hurts now takes over for Lincoln Riley and his high-powered offense, which means more video game numbers and a likely invitation to New York lie ahead. I honestly don't think this game will be very close, but I want to bring everyone's attention to Oklahoma's improvements. They return 8 starters on defense and have a new man running that squad with the hiring of Alex Grinch. Grinch is a turnover minded guy, so look for lots of pressure and tactics to force their opponents into mistakes. Houston QB D'Eriq King is quite the talent, so he'll give the Sooners new defense a test early. Watch out for Oklahoma this year, they could be better than last year. Boomer Sooner, 48-33.


South Alabama at #24 Nebraska

     The Cornhuskers should start 2019 with a win as the Jaguars come to Lincoln, but there will still be growing pains. As discussed on my podcast (The 2nd String), the Huskers are talented, but very young and inexperienced on offense. Adrian Martinez is a dark horse Heisman candidate, and he'll have to prove it game in and out until the offense fully clicks and his weapons are ready to fire on command. The o-line is not very deep, but there are a few familiar faces with Jamis and Farniok at the Tackle positions. On the defense, the energy flows through Linebacker Mohammed Barry. Mo is the unquestioned leader on the defense, but is about the only experience the Blackshirts have at the linebacker position. The D-line has depth, but needs someone to break out into a star. Lastly, the Huskers gave up nearly 240 yards per game through the air in 2018, and with the deadly QB duo of Montez and Shenault Jr. awaiting in Boulder next week, the secondary better get some reps in quick. This should be a good tune up game for the Huskers, but next week will truly tell what this team is going to look like. Nebraska handles South Alabama 42-17.


Quick Hit Predictions:

UCLA at Cincinnati- The Bearcats finished last season with an impressive 11-2 record a year ago and return 14 players including star QB, Desmond Ridder. The Bruins are moving in the right direction under Chip Kelley, but have a brutal schedule ahead of them. Their year will be tough, and it starts with a loss. Bearcats beat the Bruins 37-20.


Purdue at Nevada- The Boilermakers have some talent to replace, but with Rondale Moore, it seems anything is possible. I like this game because Nevada can be a tricky place to win. The Wolfpack should provide a challenging yet beatable test for Purdue to start the year, but I've got the Boilermakers. Rondale Moore is too much to stop and the stud Sophomore leads them to a 34-21 victory.


Colorado State vs. Colorado- This one is more about wanting to see what the Buffaloes look like under new Head Coach Mel Tucker, and there's no better way to do that than to kick it off with a rivalry game. Tucker's team is lead by the deadly QB-WR duo of Steven Montez and Laviska Shenault Jr. They're both healthy and they're both going to be tough to slow down. Buffs win big against their in-state rival, 37-13.


Boise State at Florida State- A bit of an under the radar game, but the Broncos are trying to schedule some upper level competition without anyone noticing. They have to replace QB Brett Rypien and RB Alexander Mattison, but never doubt the boys from the smurf-turf. On the flip, 'Noles fans are anxious to see what Willie Taggert has for year two. QB James Blackmon has experience, and hopefully his line does too. I like the Seminoles at home, but this one will be interesting, could go either way. FSU 33, Boise State 27.


#3 Georgia at Vanderbilt- The SEC East division champs will travel to Nashville to take on conference foe Vanderbilt for their opening weekend. Georgia is still loaded and still favored in the East, so this game shouldn't be too much of a headache. Vandy needs to break in a new QB and that's never fun against the Bulldogs. Georgia starts 2019 strong with a 34-14 victory.

Thank you for reading all of my Week 1 Predictions and welcome to the 2019 College Football Season! Be sure to follow my CFB Podcast, The 2nd String, as well. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando