It's another BYE week for the Huskers football fans, but there are plenty of good games to watch regardless! Let's be real anyways, Nebraska has not provided us with much to watch as of late anyways, so maybe a break isn't the worst thing. Anyhow, welcome to Week 11 in College Football, which means we're in the heart of November Football. This is when some of the best games of the year are played in my opinion, and we've got a great slate of games to watch this weekend. This post has all of my predictions on the big games to watch, so let's see if I can turn my record around from the past couple weeks. Enjoy!
Week 10 Prediction Results: 7-6
Overall Prediction Results: 80-44
#4 Penn State at #17 Minnesota
We start in the BIG 10 where unbeaten cross conference foes meet in the Twin Cities as the Gophers take on the Nittany Lions. Yes, the Gophers are unbeaten and are looking to upset Penn State's hopes of admittance into the College Football Playoffs. Both teams are off BYEs and had extra time to prepare for this one. Minnesota has a very balanced attack on offense, but it's highlighted by their three-headed rushing monster. Rodney Smith leads a stacked backfield with 889 yards and 7 TDs, but don't be shocked when Mohamed Ibrahim and Shannon Brooks break a couple loose. They will put Penn State's second ranked rush defense to the test. On the outside, look for Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson to give the Nittany Lion secondary some headaches. Both of these Gophers are deep threat receivers and love to go up and get it with their size (Bateman: 6'2 210 lbs, Johnson: 6'2 205 lbs). They've combined for 13 TDs on the season thus far, and Penn State gives up an average of 211 yards per game through the air. Penn State's offense is led by Sophomore QB, Sean Clifford. Clifford is completing 62% of his passes this season with just under 2,000 yards and a 20 to 3 TD to INT ratio. He's added another 280 and 3 TDs on the ground as well. This game will show the Gophers true colors, and while they are a very capable team, I don't think they'll quite keep up with the Nittany Lions in this one. They have the advantage of playing at home, but I like Penn State to win this one. A lot can be learned in this game! Nittany Lions 35, Minnesota 17.
#19 Wake Forest at Virginia Tech
The Demon Deacons take their red hot offense into Blacksburg to take on the Hokies. Virginia Tech is looking to fight their way back into the ACC Coastal Division, but they have to try to slow down the 7th best offense in the nation to do so. Wake is averaging 510 yards per game to go along with their 38 points. Junior QB Jamie Newman has more than 2,000 yards passing this season with 20 TDs and just 5 picks. His star wideout, Sage Surratt, has accounted for nearly half of that with 948 yards and 9 TDs, ranking 4th in the nation in receiving. Virginia Tech is traditionally known as "DBU", but they're giving up an average of 244 yards through the air. On offense, the Hokies haven't had much to lean on. The experts are predicting this one close, but I think Wake is going to open it up as the head toward their game with Clemson. Demon Deacons win on the road 37-21.
#12 Baylor at TCU
One of the few true Texas rivalries left, we have the Bears and the Horned Frogs. Baylor has yet to lose this season, but TCU always loves to play spoiler. The Horned Frogs can still put up points, and they're led by Freshman QB Max Duggan. He's been solid in his first year on campus, throwing for more than 1,400 yards with 12 TDs and 4 picks. Senior RB Darius Anderson and Junior WR Jalen Reagor are big plays waiting to happen, but the Baylor defense is stingy this year. They rank 32nd overall, but 20th in scoring defense, giving up just 18.5 points per game. On offense, Charlie Brewer will lead the way, throwing for 2,143 yards along with 14 TDs and 3 picks this season. With Oklahoma and Texas looming in the next couple weeks, many have pegged this as a trap game for the Bears. However, I doubt Matt Rhule has let his team look past the Horned Frogs, and Baylor's unbeaten season should continue in Fort Worth. Tough game against the rival Frogs, but Bears edge them out 27-24. Sic 'Em!
#16 Kansas State at Texas
The Longhorns are looking to become bowl eligible as they host the rising Wildcats of K-State. Texas did not have a very good month of October, and are coming off of a BYE week to get their heads right as they make a late season push to get back into the Big XII Title picture. The Horns have really struggled on defense, giving up 465 yards per game and 31.5 points on average. They will have to deal with a pesky rushing attack from the Wildcats that averages 217 yards per game and ranks 3rd in time of possession. Texas likely won't have the ball much in this game, but Sam Ehlinger usually does well with what he gets. The Junior has 2,378 yards through the air this season with another 361 on the ground. He's accounted for 28 total TDs this season, and I think he'll be the difference maker in this one. K-State will play tough, but I like the Longhorns to win at home. Texas 30, K-State 26. Hook 'Em!
#18 Iowa at #13 Wisconsin (Battle for the Heartland Trophy)
A bronze bull is on the line as the Hawkeyes and Badgers meet for the 93rd time in this BIG 10 Rivalry. Iowa and Wisconsin are going to be battling for more than just the bull however, as both are looking to take a big step forward in a race for the BIG 10 West Division title. The Gophers lead the West with a 5-0 conference record, but still have to play both Iowa and Wisconsin, which means the winner of this game will likely battle the Gophers for the top spot (depending on if they win or lose against Penn State). Anyways, looking at the game in Madison, the Badgers are heavily favored. They've fallen off a bit the last couple weeks, but Wisconsin is still a dominating force on both sides of the ball. They boast the nation's number one defense while giving up just 11.4 points per game. On offense, it all runs through Jonathan Taylor... or more accurately, Taylor runs through you. The Junior running back has over 1,000 yards for the third straight season along with 15 TDs and a 5.7 yard per carry average. He's been bottled up the last couple of weeks, but is rested after a BYE week and is ready to roll. He'll be tested though, as the Hawkeyes give up just 87.8 rush yards per game on average, ranking 8th in the nation. The defense is stout, but offensively Iowa has struggled this year. Losing their two best offensive weapons (TEs Noah Fant and TJ Hockenson) to the NFL draft can do that to a team, and the Hawks are averaging just 24 points per game. This will be a true BIG 10 grinder, so I wouldn't expect a lot of points. I'm giving the edge to Wisconsin though. Playing at home and having a playmaker like Jonathan Taylor will be too much for Iowa. Badgers win an important divisional game at home 23-10.
#2 LSU at #3 Alabama
This is always one of the best games of the year in College Football, and I'm never upset watching LSU and Bama get together. The Tide and the Tigers meet again for the 84th time, with Alabama winning the previous 8. LSU is the hot team this year however, and Heisman candidate Joe Burrow is the catalyst. Burrow has exploded with the Tigers offense this year, throwing for more than 2,800 yards with 30 TDs and just 4 picks. Across the field, Bama has their own Heisman caliber QB, Tua Tagovailoa. The Bama star has thrown for 2,166 yards with 27 TDs and 2 picks so far this season, but will be a game time decision after a small ankle surgery a couple of weeks ago. This won't be like the Bama-LSU games of old where it's 10-3 at the final buzzer. Both of these offense average close to 50 points per game and well over 500 yards. This is arguably one of the best collection of wideouts on one field in the nation, and both teams have backs who average just under 6 yards per carry. I've become a bit of an LSU fan this year, watching them roll through a majority of their schedule has been a big surprise from last year. However, this is their first big road test since Texas in September, and Bama is nearly unbeatable in all facets, especially at home. I'm rooting for the Tigers (we need some new blood in the playoffs), but I think Alabama will take this at home. The loser of this game definitely takes a hit, but is in no way out of the Playoff hunt! Crimson Tide 38, Tigers 33. Roll Tide.
Now for some quick hit predictions on other interesting games:
Louisville at Miami- The Cardinal and the Canes meet down in South Beach as they fight for bowl eligibility. Both teams have been up and down this season, but one thing has been fairly consistent, the Miami defense. Apart from Virginia Tech, the Hurricanes have held opponents to 28 points or less, giving up just 22 in their last two games combined. They rank 4th in the nation with 76 tackles for loss and 3rd with 34 sacks on the season. Look for them to cause havoc for the Louisville backfield. Miami 30, Louisville 14.
USC at Arizona State- USC needs a little help, but they're still a contender in the PAC-12 South division. The last part of their schedule starts with a trip down to the desert to take on the Sun Devils. Both teams have talent, but my key factor is ASU running back Eno Benjamin. The Junior needs more carries in my opinion, but averages 4.4 yards per carry and has 7 TDs on the season. USC gives up 184 on the ground per game and if the Sun Devils get Benjamin rolling, he'll be tough to stop. Arizona State edges out the Trojans 36-34.
Illinois at Michigan State- This is not a headline game in the BIG 10 by any means, but an intriguing one nonetheless. Sparty has lost their previous three games, getting blown out in each one (Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State). The Illini are on a three game win streak, but have faced slightly easier competition (Wisconsin, Purdue and Rutgers). Lovie Smith has his team on the brink of bowl eligibility, and they've been playing very good defense lately. Michigan State should get back on track in this game, but the spread might be a bit closer. Spartans 28, Illini 20.
Iowa State at #9 Oklahoma- Last time Matt Campbell and the Cyclones were in Norman, they upset the Sooners 38-31 with backup, walk-on QB Kyle Kempt. Brock Purdy has been decent this year, but Oklahoma has too many weapons and already had their dumb loss of the season. They need statement wins to get back into the Playoff picture and this should be a blowout. Sooners 47, Cyclones 21.
Thank you for reading all of my Week 11 Predictions and enjoy the games! Also, don't forget to listen to the latest episode of my podcast with Nate Muhlbach, The 2nd String!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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