Good morning football fans and welcome to week 10(ish) of college football! Husker Football is back again this weekend (THANK GOD) and we have a great slate of games for predictions. Last week was a bit rough, so I'm hoping to bounce back today. There are a lot of games to predict, so I'll get right to it, read on and enjoy!
Week 9(ish) Record: 8 - 6
Overall Record: 18 - 10
#23 Michigan at #17 Indiana
A spicy BIG 10 East match-up kicks off our Saturday as the Wolverines travel to Bloomington to take on the Hoosiers. Indiana has come out hot this season, upsetting Penn State in the opener and holding off a sneaky Rutgers team on the road. They now take on Michigan who's coming off a brutal loss to their "Little Brother" Michigan State. Jim Harbaugh is now 1-5 against Sparty and the Buckeyes. This is an important game for Harbaugh to cool off his seat while Indiana is looking to turn some more heads across the conference. I'm a big Hoosier fan this year, and I really like how Tom Allen has this defense smashing teams in the mouth. Michael Penix Jr. is a dangerous dual-threat QB which was a major problem for the Wolverines last week. However, Harbaugh usually bounces back quick after a loss and will be looking to prove a point in this one. This is a tricky game, but I can't bring myself to join the Harbaugh wagon again. Michigan may come out strong, but I refuse to back down on my Indiana dark horse pick and the Hoosiers squeak this one out 27-23.
Arizona State at #20 USC
One of the first PAC-12 showdowns we get features the South Division favorite Trojans hosting the Sun Devils. There's not much to say about these games as we haven't seen them play yet and have very little information to go off of. However, USC's Sophomore star QB, Kedon Slovis, threw for over 3,500 yards with 30 TDs and just 9 picks last season. Arizona State's pass defense ranked 115th a year ago, so I think we can see where this is going. USC lights of the scoreboard with a great performance from Slovis for a 37-21 victory.
#8 Florida vs. #6 Georgia
The Gators and Bulldogs meet in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Rivalry with an inside track to the SEC East crown on the line. Georgia has won the last 3 meetings, including a 7 point victory last year. This year however, the Gators are lead by a red hot offense scoring 42 points per game on average. They could hit a wall with the Bulldog defense that gives up just 16.2 points per game. UGA did give up over 400 yards and 4 TDs through the air against Alabama a couple of weeks ago though, so Kyle Trask and star wideout Kyle Pitts will be salivating at this one. I think Trask is better than Mac Jones at Bama and I think Florida is better than Georgia. Gators chomp the Bulldogs 36-20.
#14 Oklahoma State at Kansas State
Both the Pokes and the Wildcats were leading the Big XII Conference, and luckily they both lost last week so this game still gives the winner a leg up. Unfortunately, the loss by Oklahoma State to Texas likely knocks the Big XII out of Playoff contention. Nonetheless, this is an important game for an inside track on winning the conference and both teams have the talent to bounce back quick. K-State is a very balanced team that doesn't make mistakes often and loves to keep opposing QBs on the sidelines with long drives. Oklahoma State has a lot of speed though and Sophomore QB Spencer Sanders should bounce back quick after a rough showing against Texas. K-State also gives up nearly 275 yards through the air per game on average and the Pokes have a lot of talent on the edge. Oklahoma State 31, K-State 17.
Stanford at #12 Oregon
Stanford and Oregon are the prime-time game for the PAC-12 and the always deliver in this rivalry. The Cardinal will look to knock off the Ducks once again as Oregon looks to jump into some Playoff consideration. The Ducks will have to replace star QB Justin Herbert while David Shaw and crew will be looking to bounce back from a uncharacteristic 4-win season from a year ago. Oregon will likely give the ball to Junior RB, CJ Verdell, who averaged 6.2 yards per carry a year ago. Ducks win 34-21.
#1 Clemson at #4 Notre Dame
The game of the week is a top 4 match-up set to take place in South Bend, Indiana. The Fightin' Irish host the top ranked Tigers in a major ACC tilt with heavy Playoff implications. Clemson will again be without star QB Trevor Lawrence, so the massive freshman, DJ Uiagalelei will get his second start. He performed well against Boston College last week, throwing for 342 yards with 2 TDs and adding a third one on the ground. The defense of Clemson did not play very well last week however, and that won't end well if they have a similar performance against the Irish. Notre Dame hasn't impressed too much until the last couple weeks when they've blown out Pitt and Georgia Tech. Senior QB Ian Book has thrown for more than 1,200 yards with 7 TDs and just 1 pick while sophomore RB Kyren Williams averages 5.7 yards per carry out of the backfield. The Tiger defense will need to shut down the run and get pressure on Ian Book early in the game. On the other side, Notre Dame's defense is no slouch, but hasn't faced much offensive prowess yet this season. They will be up against one of the most dynamic and talented offenses in the nation with the Tigers in this one. Amari Rodgers on the edge is a coverage nightmare for any defense, and Travis Etienne is the best running back in the nation in my opinion. He can run and catch out of the backfield and has the breakaway speed to make a defense look like they're running in wet cement. My Uncle Joe isn't going to be happy about this, but Etienne and the Tigers will have a big night in this game and Clemson wins 31-21.
Nebraska at Northwestern
The Huskers are back in action after an unexpected BYE week and travel to Chicago to square off against their BIG 10 West rival, Northwestern. The Battle of the NUs is one of my favorite rivalry series in the BIG 10 for the Huskers as it's always a great game. Northwestern is looking to continue their strong start to the season and take a commanding 3-0 conference record. The Wildcats are heavy on the run this year, but ex-Hoosier QB Peyton Rdamsey knows how to spin it, especially against the Huskers. Ramsey racked up more than 350 and 2 TDs through the air in Lincoln last year when playing with Indiana, and I think Pat Fitzgerald could look to take advantage of that early in this game. With the Husker secondary depleted due to targeting suspensions, I think Northwestern will come out throwing the ball early in the game a bit more than they have been previously. Nebraska will need to stop the run when it comes though, because the Wildcats won't shy too far away from pounding the rock. On the offensive side for the Huskers, rhythm and execution are the key components to victory. Adrian Martinez and the Husker offense will look to run early, but against Northwestern's stout defense they will have to develop a passing attack at some point. Star wideout recruit Omar Manning will be suited up for his first game as a Husker, and hopefully we'll be able to see at least 1 deep ball and maybe a couple passes longer than 7 yards throughout the game. My biggest issues with the Husker offense during Frost's tenure is the lack of downfield passing and the predictability of plays. Northwestern is not a team that makes many mistakes and they will come out and smash you in the mouth when you play them. The Wildcat defense is giving up just 70 rush yards on average after 2 games. Scott Frost says the Huskers are ready to turn a corner this week, but I need to see proof. I hope they prove me wrong in this one, but I'm taking the Wildcats in a 24-17 win. The team with the fewest penalties and last possession of the ball will likely win this game. Let's see it happen Huskers, I don't want to be right on this one!
Quick Hit Predictions:
West Virginia at #22 Texas - Both teams are coming of big wins against the top teams in the Big XII conference, and now square off against one another in Austin, TX. The Mountaineers are a a sneaky 4-2, and the winner of this game would have an inside track to fight back into the conference championship picture. I hate Texas, and I think WVU could make this interesting, but QB Sam Ehlinger is the difference maker in this game. Hook 'Em for a 35-28 victory.
Michigan State at Iowa - The Hawkeyes are looking to avoid a brutal 0-3 start as Mel Tucker and the Spartans look to continue momentum from their big win at the Big House. Two teams with traditionally stout defenses and bruising rushing attacks have been anything but this season. Iowa's offense has been atrocious with new QB Spencer Petras, and their running game is nonexistent. Michigan State is still figuring out who they are with Mel Tucker at the helm, but they have experience under center with Junior QB Rocky Lombardi, and I think that's the difference. Sparty beats the Hawkeyes 27-21.
Maryland at Penn State - The Nittany Lions have fallen out of the rankings after their 0-2 start but will look to bounce back against Maryland. The Terps have momentum after their comeback win against Minnesota last week, led by Tauila Tagovailoa. He's a very talented QB, but so is Sean Clifford. It's been a roughs start to the season, but with the help of star WR Jahan Dotson I think the Nittany Lions outplay the Terps and win this game 45-21. Look for DE Shaka Toney to have a big night.
#25 Liberty at Virginia Tech - The Flames are ranked #25 after their 6-0 start but this should be short-lived. They have not played much talent and the Hokies should take care of business in this one. Senior RB Khali Herbert will be the player to watch in this one as he leads the VT rushing attack with 803 yards and 6 TDs so far this year. Hokies 42, Flames 17.
South Alabama at #15 Coastal Carolina - If you haven't jumped on the Chanticleer Bandwagon with me yet, you better hurry up because seats are filling up fast. These fighting roosters were projected to finish last in the Sun Belt and near the very bottom of FPS as a whole to start the season. Now they're unbeaten and looking to make a crack at a big bowl game. Sophomore Jaguar QB Desmond Trotter is a dangerous dual-threat, but won't have much help against a defense that gives up just 305 yards and 18 points per game on average. Chanticleers win big 48-17.
Thank you for reading my Gameday predictions and hopefully we can celebrate a Husker victory later today! Enjoy your football Saturday and as always... GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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