December 29th - 31st Bowl Predictions

      Hey Football Fans and welcome to the second week of Bowl Games! Unfortunately Covid-19 has taken another game from us in 2020 as the Music City Bowl between Iowa and Missouri has been cancelled due to an increase in cases amongst the Tigers. There's still a lot of great games to watch though, so here are all my predictions for the upcoming games!

Bowl Prediction Record: 8-2

Cheez-It Bowl

#21 Oklahoma State vs. #18 Miami

     My prediction nemesis Cowboys square off against the Hurricanes in what could be a complete disaster for either team depending on who comes to play and who doesn't. We already know that star Oklahoma State RB, Chuba Hubbard has opted out to prepare for the draft, along with Miami's star defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche. We will have a QB battle though, as D'Eriq King has announced he's returning in 2021 and Spencer Sanders is ready to air it out for the Pokes. The Miami defense fell apart last time we saw them against the Tar Heels, but they'll look to end the season on a positive note. I never have much luck predicting victories for either of these teams, but I'm a sucker of a dual-threat QB like D'Eriq King. Mami wins all the Cheez-Its with a 34-28 victory.

Valero Alamo Bowl

#20 Texas vs. Colorado

     Old Big XII foes meet up at the Alamo as the Longhorns and Buffalo collide. Colorado started out 4-0, but fell to Utah in their final regular season game after giving up nearly 200 yards rushing. Texas ran wild in their final game against Kansas State, so you can see where this one is headed. Colorado has a talented RB of their own in Jarek Broussard, who averages 6.3 yards per carry. However, the key factor of this game is Longhorn QB Sam Ehlinger. The Senior will be playing his final game for the burnt orange and there's no way he's going out a loser. I despise Texas, but Ehlinger has been a tremendous player throughout his career, and I'm sure he'll have another great performance in this one. Texas rolls through Colorado 45-20. Hook 'Em.

Duke's Mayo Bowl

Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin

     Wisconsin and Wake Forest in a very oddly named bowl game, but what bowl doesn't have a weird name I suppose. The Demon Deacons have been up and down this year, especially since losing their final two games against UNC and Louisville, but Sophomore QB Sam Hartman has been solid all season with more than 1,900 yards and an impressive 10 to 1 TD to INT ratio. His counterpart, Graham Mertz started the season hot, but has gone through his Freshman growing pains with 3 straight losses in the middle of Wisconsin's season. The Badgers are still quite solid on defense, giving up just 15.7 points per game, but their offense has really fallen off this season, especially in the run game. They're averaging fewer rushing yards per game than passing yards for the first time since 2015. Nonetheless, they should have enough offense to out last Wake Forest. I like the Badgers for a 27-14 win in this game.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl

#7 Florida vs. #6 Oklahoma

     Our first top 10 matchup of bowl seasons sets the Gators against the Sooners. There should be a lot of points with these dynamic offenses, so the key factor is who can make the stops? Oklahoma's defense has stepped up during the second half of the season, ranking 19th in total defense and giving up just 21.9 points per game on average. The Gators give up 28.6 on average, but that doesn't matter much when you have Kyle Trask and the 9th best offense in the nation. Trask is hoping to get a Hesiman soon as well, but I'm sure he'll have another great performance in this game to add to his 4,125 yards and 43 TDs on the year. OU's Spencer Rattler has done well in his first year as a starter, bouncing back from a rocky start to post impressive numbers with more than 2,700 yards and 25 TDs through the air. There should be quite a few points put up in this one, but few teams can put up points like the Gators this season. Florida wins the Cotton Bowl 45-35.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

#24 Tulsa vs. Mississippi State

     Despite winning just 3 games, the Pirate (Mike Leach) and the Bulldogs have accepted a bowl bid to square off against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricanes gave Cincy a run for their money in the American Conference Championship and will look to end their season on a high note with a bowl victory over an SEC team. The Bulldogs found some offense against Mizzou in the final game of the season, scoring 51 points. They will have a difficult time moving the ball on Tulsa though. The Golden Hurricanes rank 24th in total defense and 14th in the nation for opponents 3rd down conversion rate at 32.8 percent. The Bulldogs rank near the bottom at 116th in third down conversion rates, so this will be the stat to watch. I like Tulsa's defense to keep the straps down and win this on 23-14.

Offerpad Arizona Bowl

Ball State vs. #22 San Jose State

     The Cardinals are coming off their first ever MAC Championship while the Spartans of San Jose State are also celebrating their first Mountain West Conference Title. Both teams have had impressive seasons, and can move the ball well, both averaging around 450 yards of offense per game. Statistically, these teams match up really well, but the key player to watch is ex-Mississippi State Bulldog, QB Nick Starkel for the Spartans. The transfer has thrown for over 1,900 yards with 16 TDs and just 4 picks, bringing alive a Spartan offense that hasn't had the most success in recent years. Ball State has plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball, but Starkel is the difference maker, leading San Jose State to a 34-21 victory.

Autozone Liberty Bowl

West Virginia vs. Army

     The Black Knights were able to find an opponent to take them on in a bowl game, and it will be the Mountaineers of West Virginia to do so. Army has been very impressive this season, going 9-2 and defeating both Navy and Air Force to win the Commander in Chief's Trophy. They'll be up against a stout WVU defense that is giving up just 20.4 points and 297 yards per game on average. The Mountaineers did have their hinges blown off in a 42-6 beat down at the hands of Iowa State in their final regular season game, so they'll be looking to right the ship after a performance like that. Army is always a difficult team to defend, due to the triple option attack, and with their own defense giving up just 14 points per game going up against a lackluster Mountaineer offense, this could be one of those firs to 24 point games. I like Army to take this one, these boys are motivated and they are a good team. Army wins 24-17.

Mercari Texas Bowl

Arkansas vs. TCU

     The Razorbacks and Horned Frogs are two animals you certainly don't want to touch based on their descriptions, but both will have time to shine on Thursday night. Arkansas is trying to stop a 4 game skid that has two blowouts and two close losses mixed in. Ex-Gator QB Feleipe Franks has been good this year, but hasn't quite gotten their offense off the ground. The Hogs are averaging fewer than 400 yars per game. The Horned Frogs have been hot and cold all season long. Dual-threat QB Max Duggan has led the way for them, accounting for 20 total TDs on the season. He'll need to take advantage of this opportunities in this one, as TCU is prone to poor turnovers and penalties. If they can limit the mistakes, the Horned Frogs should be able to walk out with a victory. TCU 31, Arkansas 28.

Thanks for reading my bowl predictions and be sure to watch for a post about all the big games this weekend!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

December 22nd - 26th Bowl Predictions

      Howdy Football Fans, and welcome to Bowl Season! As I mentioned in my reflection post yesterday, Bowl Season came quickly in this odd, 2020 season. We started strong yesterday with a dominating offensive performance in a bit of a chippy game between Appalachian State and North Texas. This post covers all your bowl predictions through Saturday, December 26, so sit back, read on and enjoy!

Overall Season Prediction Record: 79 - 47 (62.7%)

Bowl Prediction Record: 1 - 0

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Tulane vs. Nevada

     An intriguing matchup is set to take place out in Boise as the Green Wave of Tulane take on the Wolfpack of Nevada. Familiar terrain certainly favors Nevada as they know the Smurf Turf well, but don't count out the boys from the Bayou yet. Tulane's 6-5 record may not show it well, but this team is talented and has some impressive wins over good programs like Army and Memphis. They've also won 4 out of their last 5, only falling to Tulsa in double overtime. That was the only game during that stretch were they didn't score at least 35 points, so the Nevada defense will have their hands full. The Wolfpack have been strong on that side of the ball though, holding teams to an average of 22.9 points per game. The story for them is at QB though, with Sophomore standout Carson Strong. Strong has surpassed his 2019 numbers despite playing fewer games and will cause a lot of headaches for Tulane's defense. He's completing just under 70 percent of his passes with more than 2,500 yards and a very impressive 22 to 4 TD to INT ratio. Strong is certainly going to be a QB to watch next year, and NFL scouts will soon take notice of the 6'4 gunslinger, if they haven't already. This could be tight late in the game, but I'm giving the nod to Strong and the Wolfpack. Nevada wins 37-31.

Boca Raton Bowl

UCF vs. #16 BYU

     In what's been referred to as the acronym bowl this year, Boca Raton plays host to two of the most dynamic offensive attacks in the nation. The Golden Knights rank #2 and #8 in total offense and #5 and #6 in scoring offense respectively. Even at 75.5, I would bet the over with these two. They score fast and often with big plays and downfield throws, the QB battle is going to be incredible. Starting with UCF, they're led by Sophomore Dillon Gabriel. He's improved upon all of his numbers from a season ago, apart from passing yards where he's only short 300 yards. That's pretty impressive for playing four fewer games than 2019, but not as impressive has the 30 to 4 TD to INT ratio. However, BYU's Junior QB, Zach Wilson won't be outdone easily. He's got a 30 to 3 TD to INT ratio of his own posted, and has boosted his completion percentage by 11 percent up to 73.2 this season. His roommate, Dax Milne, is his favorite target with 1,118 yards and 8 TDs on the year. Both QBs are dual-threat options as well, so the defenses will be gassed by the end of this game. BYU's defense has good rankings, but not much substance when looking at some of their competition. UCF has proven they can score on any one though, so this should come down to the wire. It's really hard to decide between these great QBs, but I'll go with BYU. Cougars win it in a thriller 54-47.

R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia Southern

     The Bulldogs of LA Tech don't have to travel too far for this one, but they have a tough opponent coming in with the Eagles of GA Southern. Two very different offensive attacks meet as the Bulldogs love to air it out, averaging 227.4 passing yards per game, while the Eagles love to run the ball with 262.5 rushing yards per game. Kind of opposite for the mascots if you think about it, but we should still have a fun game. Both teams are very disciplined, averaging under 5 penalties per game each. However, Georgia Southern has so many different players who can run the ball, with their top 5 rushers all with more than 300 yards and at least a 5 yard per carry average or more. The Bulldogs give up nearly 200 rush yards per game on average, so this does not bode well for them. Georgia Southern wins 30-21.

Montgomery Bowl

Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic

     Florida Atlantic's offensive prowess has certainly taken a hit since Lane Kiffin left for Oxford, but their defense has held strong this season, ranking 15th in the nation statistically and holding teams to under 17 points per game on average. The Owls will have a tough task ahead though as the Tigers are led by Senior QB Brady White. White has had a phenomenal career in Memphis, throwing for more than 10,000 yards and 87 Touchdowns after transferring from Arizona State. This season he's thrown for 3,096 yards and 28 TDs, and will be looking to add a bit more to that against FAU. The Owls' offense again has taken a hit, dropping from 23rd a year ago in total offense, to 111th this season. Memphis has not been impressive on defense however, giving up nearly 450 yards and 30 points per game on average. If the Owls can get in a groove, they have a shot at the upset. However, I'm not going to go against Brady White in his final game. Tigers win this one 38-28.

New Mexico Bowl

Hawai'i vs. Houston

     A battle of the H schools as the Rainbow Warriors and Cougars meet in Frisco, Texas for the New Mexico Bowl. Try not to think about it too much. Also, try not to think of the stats too much in this one either, because they are a mess. Both teams give up more points than they score on average and have each loss 3 out of their last 5 games. Just because I love digging, the Cougars have recorded 22 sacks in their 7 games, while the Rainbow Warriors have given up 26 sacks in their 8 games. For a team who likes to throw as much as Hawai'i does, this is not a good looking statistic. Both of these defenses have been pitiful all season, but if one can step up, that will likely be the difference in the game. I like Houston in this one, and the Cougars will win 41-31.

Camellia Bowl

Marshall vs. Buffalo

     After a two day turnaround at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, the Thundering Herd and Bulls will take the field to battle. This is actually one of my favorite matchups of bowl season. Both teams were red hot and dominating their conferences, but both were also upset last weekend in their conference championship games. Ball State was able to bottle up Buffalo's star RB Jaret Patterson for just 47 yards and 1 TD. Considering the man had over 1,000 and 18 TDs in just 5 games prior to the MAC Championship, that's an impressive feat. As for the Heard, they've struggled to find their rhythm again on offense, turning the ball over 6 times in the past two games and scoring 0 and 13 points respectively. UAB was able to rush for over 260 on the Heard last week, so if Buffalo can get Patterson going again, there won't me much Thundering on Christmas Day. This one should be a battle, but I like the Bulls to rumble out on top in this head to head. Buffalo 30, Marshall 24.

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl

South Carolina vs. UAB

     Speaking of the Blazers, they take on the Gamecocks in Tampa the following day. Despite firing Will Muschamp back in November, South Carolina accepted a bowl invite with a 2-8 record. Shane Beamer has signed a deal to become the new Head Coach next year, but his team has to get through a tough UAB squad first. They've won two out of three C-USA Championships since reviving their program, and have a talented Senior RB in Spencer Brown leading the way. Brown has rushed for 889 yards and 10 TDs so far this season, with a 4.8 yard per carry average. He's only missed the century mark twice in 2020 and is never easy to take down. With the Gamecocks giving up an average of 195.4 rushing yards per game, I expect Brown to have a big day. UAB wins 40-24.

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

#19 Louisiana vs. UTSA

     The Ragin' Cajuns look to cap off an impressive 2020 season with their 10th victory as they take on the Roadrunners from San Antonio. Both teams can move the ball, averaging around 420 yards per game on offense. However, Louisiana has a strong edge on the defensive side of the ball, ranking 31st in total defense and 12th in turnover margin with +9. The Roadrunners aren't far behind with +8, but do give up more yards and points on average. This game will likely come down to fewest mistakes, especially with so much offensive firepower on both sides. Both teams rank high in penalties per game, but the Ragin' Cajuns have played too well all season not to pick them. They win 38-28 and pick up their 10th win of the season.

Lending Tree Bowl

Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State

     There's a not a lot that makes senes when you look at the numbers in this game, but that's where the mystery factor of bowl games comes into play, you never know how teams will play! The Hilltoppers have former Maryland QB Tyrell Pigrome at the head, and he's thrown for over 1,400 yards with 9 TDs and 0 picks. However, their offense still averages under 20 points and 300 yards per game. Luckily, Georgia State's defense has been one of the worst in the nation, ranking 92nd in scoring defense by giving up an average of 32.9 points per game. The Hilltopers give up just 24 points per game while Georgia State averages 32 points on offense. So, we have weakness on weakness and strength on strength. That's where we look for a statistic with a large gap between the teams as a potential difference maker. My difference maker stat in this game is sacks. Georgia State is tied for 9th in the nation, recording 32 sacks so far this season while the Hilltoppers rank near the bottom in sacks allowed, giving up 25 this year. That doesn't bode well for Pigrome and I've got the Panthers winning this one. Georgia State 33, Western Kentucky 21.

FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl

Liberty vs. #12 Coastal Carolina

     Now I believe my (adopted) undefeated Chanticleers deserve more respect and a higher bowl, but it will be interesting to watch the game that had to be replaced by BYU due to Liberty's Covid-19 outbreak. The 9-1 Flames are back on the docket for Coastal Carolina, and this game should be a good one to watch. Hugh Freeze has Liberty rolling through competition this year, averaging 38.3 points per game while giving up just 19.2. The Chanticleers won't be out done though, and their perfect record is a reflection of their impressive averages, scoring 37.5 and giving up just 18.7. The QB battle is the key factor in this game, as Flames' Junior QB Malik Willis and Chanticleer Freshman QB Grayson McCall lead their dynamic offensive attacks. Willis is the leading rusher for Liberty in addition to his passing ability and has racked up more than 2,800 total yards of offense with 30 total TDs. McCall leads one of the most balanced offensive attacks though, and has a number of deadly weapons at this disposal. He's extremely smart with the ball, throwing just 2 picks in 2020 and his favorite target, WR Jaivon Heiligh, already has 10 TDs on the season. Defensively these teams will have to contain the QBs as they both scramble well out of pressure and can pick up key first downs with their legs. The Chanticleers did this well against BYU's Zach Wilson and that's a big reason on why I give them the edge. Easily one of the most entertaining teams to watch in 2020, Coastal Carolina perfects their season with a victory over the Flames to go 12-0. Chanticleers win it 33-28.

Thank you for reading all of my early bowl predictions and watch for upcoming posts for the other bowl games ahead. GO BIG RED (and Chanticleers)!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Conference Championship Week Reflections

      Welcome to Bowl Season football fans... or at least, what's left of Bowl Season. The wacky and crazy 2020 season pushes on with a bowl game this afternoon! Before we get to that prediction though, I must recap a busy Conference Championship weekend and a Husker victory first. Let's do this!

     Despite every effort in the first half to give the game away to Rutgers, Nebraska was able to battle back and actually play better in the second half to win 28-21 on the road in Piscataway. With 620 yards of total offense, the Huskers dominated the line of scrimmage in one of their most impressive performances under Scott Frost, even with 4 turnovers and 9 penalties. This was a much needed high note to end the 2020 season for the Huskers and I've got your full breakdown below with my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories.

GOOD - Dedrick Mills, the offensive line and second half play-calling. These all go hand in hand, but whoever convinced Scott Frost to give the ball to Dedrick Mills in the second half and actually stick with it needs to get a raise, promotion, as many Christmas presents as possible and I will personally bake them cookies. With what looked to be an adjusted play script in the second half, Mills ran absolutely WILD. The "bell-cow" finally was given a chance to live up to the title with 25 carries for 191 yards and a staggering 7.6 yard per carry average. The man was gashing the Scarlet Knights defense in every direction, and this was thanks to a big push up front. A tip of the cap to the offensive line, especially with some new pieces and young guys getting some game action due to injuries and Brenden Jaimes sitting out to prepare for the draft. They Husker O-line had easily one of their best games of the last couple seasons rumbling for 365 yards on the ground. They did give up 3 sacks early in the game, but settled down in the second half to give Martinez time to throw. This is a big piece of the offense that has been missing under Scott Frost, and after a performance like this you have to wonder why Mills wasn't used against Minnesota when he was back last week. The only issue is that he didn't get a touchdown on the night, but that will be discussed in a section below. Good job running the ball Huskers, I hope to see more of that consistency next year.

EXPECTED - The two types of Adrian Martinez and a stout defensive performance. It's well known by now that we may never know which Martinez we'll get to start each game, and that same QB can change before the game ends. The Huskers went into half time with nearly 250 yards of total offense but just 7 points to show for it. Six of the first seven drives by the Huskers were split between a Martinez turnover and a punt. He ran well, but fumbled twice in the opening quarter. He took some hits to cause the fumbles, but if he's going to run like he does, the ball has to be secured. The first interception was a phenomenal catch by Rutgers DB Christian Izien, who would later get another. However, the ball was just a hopeful heave by Martinez who was trying to make something out of nothing after hitting Wan'Dale Robinson for a 38 yard gain just one play before. With so many early mistakes, it felt like another dreadful day for the Husker offense, and Luke McCaffrey wasn't available, standing on the sidelines in street clothes. However, Martinez calmed down and was able to find some rhythm in the second half. He eventually finished the game with 412 total yards and 3 TDs. Martinez was 24/28 with the two picks, but was able to hit open receivers downfield with some nice throws. He showed flashes of his old self with this performance, especially in the second half. I hope we get more of the second half Martinez in 2021, but overall it was nice to see his talent shine through.

Switching to the defense, they've been solid all year and once again put up an impressive performance and stat line. I had serious doubts about this unit coming into 2020, but they proved me (and many others) wrong with an impressive season, keeping the Huskers alive in almost every game. Against Rutgers, they had to deal with a short field for most of the first half, but were able to hold the Scarlet Knights to just 14 points. In the second half, the Blackshirts completely shut down the Rutger offense and created havoc in the backfield, recording 2 sacks and 8 tackles for loss throughout the game. Cam Taylor-Britt was stellar yet again and the defensive line forced Rutgers QB Art Sitkowski to struggle throwing the ball all night long. Great game and even better season by the Blackshirts defense.

BAD - Noah Vedral not being able to play and just about everything the Huskers did in the first half and goalline offense. While I'm glad he didn't have a chance to go crazy and beat the Huskers in a revenge game, it would've been really fun to watch the QB battle between Vedral and Martinez. The Ex-Husker was sidelined with an ankle injury from their game against Maryland, and you could tell how badly he wanted to play. First of all, the injury from the Maryland game was similar to the Colorado ankle twist on Martinez in his freshman year, so that's just terrible all around. Nonetheless, Vedral has been a special spark to the Rutgers offense this season, and I think he and the Scarlet Knights could turn some heads in 2021. I gave Noah one of his first recruiting tours to UNL during the Riley era and it was clear how excited he was just to play college ball. All the best to him in a speedy recovery.

Now looking at the issues on the Huskers' sideline, the first half was a disaster. I was able to correctly call 5 out of the first 6 Husker plays the offense ran, and the easiest one was the dreaded swing pass to open the game. I've been saying it all year long, but the offensive playbook is way too predictable. Separate of the 3 first half turnovers, Rutgers forced 3 first half punts by the Huskers. Frost either needs to give up the play-calling duties to Matt Lubick (that's why he was hired) or start re-designing some of his opening drive scripts. Most importantly, the goalline offense needs a complete overhaul. As I mentioned earlier in the post, Dedrick Mills dominated the game with 191 rush yards, but was left without a TD, why and how is that possible? Well that's because whenever he would carry the offense on his back inside the 5 yard line, he would be pulled from the game. Now I understand the need to give a guy a breather for a play or two, but you should not take your "bell-cow" running back out of the game when you are trying to score. The bigger issue was watching 180 pound Wan'Dale Robinson run into the middle of a pile of lineman, getting smashed back for a two yard loss while trying to punch it into the endzone. Why would you not run Dedrick Mills (who's shown his tremendous ability to break tackles and run through defenders) at the goalline? Robinson nearly got a concussion on his first TD as a Linebacker popped him as he fought in for the score. My Tweet from Friday night accurately sums up my feelings (and probably Mills') for the situation, but there has to be a factor of common sense here. It's a bummer he was injured for a good part of the season, but it's even more of a bummer knowing he was healthy last week against Minnesota and wasn't given the opportunity to make an impact, much like other games. If he does decided to come back for a 2021 campaign, this kid needs to be a focal point of the offense, not a compliment. Re-worked play design will certainly help the 2021 Huskers, and it will fix a number of the consistency and penalty issues that continue to plague this team.

Quick hit thoughts from around College Football:

- The Ducks upset previously undefeated USC on Friday night to claim back-to-back PAC-12 Title games, despite not even technically winning their division. With Washington out with Covid-19, Oregon was able to slid in and force Kedon Slovis into 3 costly turnovers for a 31-24 victory.

- In some under the radar games over the weekend, both UAB and Ball State pulled upsets in the C-USA and MAC Conference Championship games over the heavily favored Thundering Herd of Marshall and Bulls of Buffalo.

- In a Saturday full of Playoff implications, we got what we expected. The Final Four Playoff teams remained the same due to some impressive title game performances.

- Ohio State erased a small halftime deficit by doing what Scott Frost learned on Friday night and ran the ball to victory in the second half. Buckeye RB Trey Sermon set a BIG 10 Title game record, rushing for 331 yards and 2 TDs, demolishing what was the 5th best run defense in the nation. Northwestern certainly had their shots to put this game away, but the lack of offensive firepower and bad turnovers by Peyton Ramsey in the second half led to their demise. Ohio State gets into the playoffs with just a 6-0 record after their 4th straight BIG 10 Title.

- Over the in the Big XII, the Cyclones were looking to make a statement for their CFB Playoff push, but had to square off against the Sooners for the second time this season. One of my biggest rules in College Football is that you never want to play a team twice, and with a 24-7 halftime deficit, it was looking like Iowa State was out early. Matt Campbell lost his mind and went ballistic on the refs after a number of unfavorable and questionable calls in the first half. Unfortunately for Campbell, the second half comeback wasn't meant to be as Purdy's late game heave was intercepted to seal the Sooner's 5th straight Big XII Title.

- Texas A&M played a game, but it really didn't matter, no matter how much Jimbo argued about their record, Ohio State was still going to get in despite playing 3 fewer games.

- The game that did cause some hubba was the rematch between Clemson and Notre Dame for the ACC Title. Notre Dame was looking to get their first ever conference title in program history as they are traditionally independent, but Clemson wasn't ready to let their streak die. Trevor Lawrence had some feelings to let out after not being able to play in the first game, and the Tigers rolled the Irish 34-10. Lawrence showed yet again why he's (arguably) the best player in the nation, totaling 412 yards and 3 TDs by himself. The Clemson offense racked up nearly 550 yards of total offense while their defense (back at full strength) held the Irish to just 263 total yards and sacked Ian Book 6 times with 10 total tackles for loss. Despite the beat down, Notre Dame only fell to #4 and hung onto the final playoff spot to face Alabama.

- Speaking of the Tide, they finally faced someone with a top 30 offense and were actually challenged a bit! The Gators put up an impressive fight, especially being doubled up 35-17 in the first half. Their defense came out strong in the second half, but a 17 point 4th quarter by the Tide was too much as Florida lost by 6. Both QBs had Heisman-worthy performances, but Alabama looks unstoppable and the Clemson-Bama saga will likely continue in the Championship game down in Miami.

- Cincy hit a late field goal to seal their American Conference Championship and 11-0 season, but it's been clear the Playoff Committee couldn't care less. There needs to be some changes and this year really highlights some of the issues the CFB Playoff is going to need to look at.

- San Jose State won their first ever conference title behind the arm of Nick Starkel. The ex-Mississippi State Bulldog threw for 453 yards and 3 TDs to help beat the Broncos of Boise State 34-20.

And last but not least, bowl games do start today so I need to make sure I get my prediction out!

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Appalachian State vs. North Texas

     There's not too much to say about this game when the Mountaineers are favored by 21, but if you like offense this could turn into a bit of a shoot out! The Mean Green average just over 35 points per game while App State puts up 31.8. Both teams have solid QBs, but the running back battle will be the key to watch. Camerun Peoples for App State averages over 5.5 yards per carry and UNT will need to find a way to replace their top RB DeAndre Torrey. The Mean Green will also be without wide receiver Jaelon Darden, who's 3rd in the nation with 1,190 yards and leads the nation with 19 TD catches. I would expect a lot of points, and North Texas to cover the spread, but App State gets their 6th straight bowl victory with a 45-35 win.

Thanks for reading my game reflections and Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction! We've got more bowl games all this week so watch for more posts soon. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Conference Championship Week Predictions

      Happy Friday football fans, and welcome to a very unique Conference Championship weekend! In addition to the regular conference championship games, we have a number of conferences playing some extra games for teams, which includes my Huskers! Unfortunately we do have some cancelations, including the Sun Belt Championship rematch between my adopted Chanticleers and the Ragin' Cajuns. Nonetheless, there's still a lot of big games with some playoff implications, so let's get to the predictions!

Week 15(ish) Predictions: 6 - 9

Overall Prediction Record: 72 - 44

UAB vs. Marshall (C-USA Championship)

     The Thundering Herd were upset by rice two weeks ago, ending their unbeaten season. While they won't be pushing for a New Year's Six bowl anymore, they can still claim their first Conference Championship since 2014. They'll be up against the Blazers, who have been to the C-USA Championship for the third year in a row after reviving their program in 2017 and just beat Rice last weekend. They won the 2018 C-USA title on the back of RB Spencer Brown. Brown rushed for 156 yards and 1 TD in the 2018 championship, and will look to better that performance against a tough Marshall defense. The Herd give up just 11.4 points per game on average, and hold opponents to 73 rush yards per game. It could be tough sledding for Brown and the Blazers in this one as I am willing to bet big money Marshall comes out hot after sitting on their only loss of the season for two weeks. The Herd will thunder on to a 28-24 victory.

Ball State vs. Buffalo (MAC Championship)

     The Cardinals narrowly edged out the Broncos of Western Michigan last week to punch their ticket to Detroit. They will meet the Bulls of Buffalo there and the dynamic running attack led by one of the best backs in the nation, Jaret Patterson. Patterson has been phenomenal this season, rushing for 1,025 yards and 18 TDs in just 5 games. His best performance was a NCAA record-tying 8 TD game against Kent State with 406 yards. Patterson is averaging a staggering 8.3 yards per carry and has helped Buffalo to be one of the best offensive attacks in the nation, averaging over 500 yards and 50 points per game. Ball State has played well this year, but no one is stopping Patterson, and he better be taking home the Doak Walker award for best RB or there will be problems. Bulls route the Cardinals 45-20.

Oregon vs. #13 USC (PAC-12 Championship)

     Despite being 5-0 like Ohio State, the Trojans aren't even close to sniffing out a spot in the College Football Playoffs. Originally, the PAC-12 hoped Oregon would be their chance, but after back to back losses to the Beavers and Golden Bears, Oregon fell quickly out of the rankings. USC has been able to win all of their games, but most of them have been pulled out of the fire. This game really has little meaning, especially when you consider Washington was unable to play and replaced by Oregon, those two teams didn't get to play last week because of covid-19 and USC and Colorado never played in the South Division. Nonetheless, this game will come down to the QB battle. Both offenses have been able to put up points this season, averaging around 35 points per game for each team. Kedon Slovis leads USC with 1,601 yards passing and a 15 to 4 TD to INT ratio. Tyler Shough will try to get the Ducks' offense back on track with his 1,389 yards and 11 to 4 TD to INT ratio. Neither team has much on defense, so it will likely be a high-scoring affair. On one hand it would be interesting to see how the committee disregards USC despite a 6-0 win, but it would also be entertaining to watch the Ducks pull the upset. I really don't think either team is that great this year, but I'll take the Trojans since they're +7 in turnover margin while the Ducks are -7. Fight on as USC wins 38-28.

Boise State vs. #24 San Jose State (Mountain West Conference Championship)

     The Broncos are making their fourth straight appearance in the Mountain West Conference Championship game while the Spartans will be making their first. While Boise State has been here plenty of times, they haven't been quite as dynamic as usual this season. Sophomore QB Hank Bachmeier is still trying to find his rhythm as QB1, throwing for just 929 yards, 6 TDs and 2 picks so far this season. He'll need some help from his defense in this game as the opposing QB has been tremendous this season. Ex-Mississippi State Bulldog Nick Starkel has provided a big spark to the West Coast Spartans' offense with nearly 1,500 passing yards and 13 TDs compared to just 4 picks. He's supported by a defense that ranks 34th in the nation. The Spartans give up just an average of 17.5 points per game, and have 9 takeaways on the season. I like the Spartans to continue their undefeated season in this one and they will win their first ever Mountain West Championship behind the arm of Nick Starkel. San Jose State 34, Boise State 24.

#23 Tulsa vs. #9 Cincinnati (American Athletic Conference Championship)

     Cincy has been getting screwed by the CFB Playoff Committee over the past month, and also screwed by covid-19, having their last two games canceled over that time period. I still think they're one of the better teams in the nation and deserve a shot against some of the bigger teams. If only the BIG 10 wasn't so dumb and Cincy and Ohio State could've played a game last week with a very simple travel plan to get both teams a big resume boost. Nonetheless, the Bearcats finally get a chance to flex their muscles again and it will be against the Golden Hurricanes of Tulsa. The 6-1 Hurricanes have pulled off numerous 4th quarter comebacks this season, but Cincy is a different monster. We should see some rugged defenses in this one as both teams give up fewer than 20 points per game on average. The Bearcats have been nearly impossible to move the ball on, ranking 9th in total defense with just over 300 yards per game on average given up to opposing offenses. As for the Tulsa defense, they have been able to hold down some dynamic offenses this season, but they have yet to see anything like Desmond Ridder and the Bearcats. I've got Cincy rolling big in this game and hopefully moving ahead of Florida and Georgia (where they should be) in the rankings. Bearcats 42, Golden Hurricanes 20.

#14 Northwestern vs. #4 Ohio State (BIG 10 Conference Championship)

     Thanks to a quick eraser and re-writing of the rules, Ohio State has made it into the BIG 10 Championship despite only playing 5 games. They will take on the Wildcats who are making their second conference championship appearance in just three years. The Buckeyes are heavily favored, but don't count out Northwestern too quickly. This team took Ohio State to the wire two years ago in Indianapolis, and their defense in 2018 ranked 64th in the nation compared to 13th this season. Pat Fitzgerald always seems to have his teams ready to play. The Wildcats will be lead by graduate-transfer QB Peyton Ramsey, who's struggled at times, throwing for just 1,218 yards with 9 TDs and 6 picks. The lack of a rushing attack has limited the Northwestern's offense to just over 350 yards per game on average and 25.3 points per game. Luckily, their stout defense makes up for it well with just 14.6 points per game given up and dominating all areas of the field with veteran linebackers and secondary players. Look for them to lock up the run game and really make life difficult for Justin Fields. Northwestern has 12 interceptions on the season, and Fields will be pressured by LBs Paddy Fisher, Chris Bergin & Blake Gallagher all day. They Buckeyes trust Fields though, and there's good reason for it. The Hesiman hopeful has accounted for 20 total TDs already in this short season. One stat to watch is the sacks though, because Northwestern will certainly bring pressure. Fields has been sacked 15 times in the 5 games played by the Buckeyes, and the ground game hasn't been very dynamic for Ohio State. It would be amazing to see Northwestern pull this upset and show the CFB Playoff Committee how dumb it is to rank Ohio State #4 with minimal data to go off of, but I fear they don't quite have the offense to make it happen. Defense doesn't quite win championships anymore, and when you're playing Ohio State you need to score points. Should be a tighter game than the experts think, but much like the 2018 BIG 10 Championship, I don't think the Wildcats will pull off the victory. Ohio State moves onto the CFB Playoffs with a 30-17 victory.

#10 Oklahoma vs. #6 Iowa State (Big XII Championship)

     The Cyclones are likely the biggest Notre Dame and Northwestern fans around this weekend as they look for a chance to hurdle Texas A&M and get into the CFB Playoff mix. But first, they must get through Oklahoma for the second time this season, this time for a Big XII Championship. The Sooners are familiar to this setting, looking for their 4th straight title in their 12th overall appearance. This is Iowa State's first appearance, but Matt Campbell has some thing special cooking in Ames. Senior QB Brock Purdy has been great this year with 2,272 yards and a 17 to 6 TD to INT ratio. He's complimented by one of the best running backs in the nation with Breece Hall. Hall has 17 TDs of his own to go along with 1,357 yards rushing and a 6.1 yard per carry average. The Sooner defense has really turned things around since losing to the Cyclones back in October, now ranking 16th in total defense. Both teams match up really well statistically, which means it comes down to playmakers making plays. Spencer Rattler has been dynamic for the Sooners and is completing 68.5 percent of his passes. I would expect a full shootout, and I'm going to go against my heart and follow one of my major rules in college football. You never want to play a team twice, and that favors the Sooners in this case. I really hope Iowa State can beat them twice, they have the talent to do so and I would expect a fun game down in Arlington. However, if I'm going to follow the rule I have to say Boomer Sooner in this one. Oklahoma avenges their loss in the form of a 35-30 victory for yet another Big XII Title. Hoping for Matt Campbell and the Cyclones to prove me wrong in this one!

#1 Alabama vs. #7 Florida (SEC Championship)

     Despite losing to the unranked LSU Tigers thanks to a shoe throw and last second field goal last week, the CFB Playoff Committee showed their SEC bias yet again by sliding Florida down just 1 spot to #7. We'll have a battle of Heisman candidates in Atlanta as Kyle Trask and Mac Jones look to throw bombs all game long. The SEC defense mantra will be challenged in this game as both teams average more than 40 points per game and over 500 yards of total offense. Starting with the Gators, they'll be looking to get back into the playoff picture with a big win. Trask has the arm to get them there as he's thrown for 3,717 yards with 40 TDs and just 5 picks. He's hoping to have start TE Kyle Pitts back for this game who's missed time with an injury. He's a nightmare for every defense and a favorite target of Trask, especially in the redzone with 11 TDs thrown his way already. Bama has plenty of playmakers on their sideline though, and it all starts with the QB-WR duo of Mac Jones and Davonta Smith. While Jones only has 27 TD passes this season, 15 of them are to Smith who's averaging a staggering 16 yards per catch. Complimented by another 22 TDs and nearly 6 yards per carry by Najee Harris on the ground, the Tide have rolled everyone on their schedule. This should be an entertaining game to watch, but the nod always goes to Bama. Roll Tide as they win 49-42 in a wild shootout.

#3 Clemson vs. #2 Notre Dame (ACC Championship)

     The much anticipated re-match of the Tigers & the Irish will take place in Charlotte, NC for the ACC Championship. This is Notre Dame's first ever chance at a conference title as they are traditionally an Independent school. They joined the ACC for this season due to covid-19 and knocked off the Tigers in South Bend back in early November. Clemson was without star QB Trevor Lawence and 3 key players on defense during that game though, so this rematch will be a different game. Starting with the Irish, they have been one of the most complete teams all season long. Ian Book has been tremendous at QB, throwing for 2,382 yards with 15 TDs and just 2 picks. He's added another 3 TDs on the ground and has been an incredible leader for this team. Kyren Williams has provided a strong boost on the ground with over 1,000 yards and 12 TDs. Williams ran wild against the Tigers in November, racking up 140 yards and 3 TDs. He'll have some of their best defenders tracking him down in this one since James Skalski, Mike Jones Jr. and Tyler Davis return to the field. As for the Tiger offense, they had no issues moving the ball in round one of this matchup, where backup QB DJ Uiagalelei threw for 439 yards and 2 TDs, adding a third on the ground. The big achilles heel was Travis Etienne being bottled up for just 28 yards. Even with Trevor Lawrence back, Etienne must be part of this offense for the Tigers to get the win. I'm still resisting the bandwagon despite my Uncle's attempts, but I have to follow my rule of never wanting to play a team twice in one season. With a Clemson victory in the ACC Championship we may even get a third matchup of these two teams in the Playoffs! Tigers win the rematch and their 6th straight ACC Title with a 38-34 victory.

Nebraska at Rutgers

     Obviously the biggest game of the weekend takes place out in Piscataway, NJ on Friday night as the Scarlet Knights host the Scarlet & Cream Huskers. Scott Frost will try to end the season on a high note as the Huskers face their fourth straight losing season. This sets up to be an interesting game as the Scarlet Knights and Nebraska both have a rotating system at QB. Ex-Husker QB Noah Vedral has split time with Artur Sitkowski, but leads the team with 1,253 passing yards. (Un)Surprisingly that is only 13 yards short of the combined passing yards for Husker QBs Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey on the season. The TD to INT ratio isn't much better. Vedral has 9 TDs and 8 Picks while the Husker duo has just 4 TDs and 7 picks combined. Forgive me if I take a little bit of pleasure in these numbers as it shows the glaring issue of the abysmal Husker passing attack. I've said it all season long, but Nebraska won't be winning games without a downfield passing attack, and it looks like the QB who is semi-capable of it plays for their opponent tonight. Regardless, looking at this game it all sits on the Husker offense. This is a game where the teams' combined wins is only half of their combined losses, so it's all about who cares more to be here. The Husker defense has shown they can keep Nebraska in just about every game on the schedule, but the offense has not lived up to the hype. I hate bringing out this statistic, but the 2009 Zac Lee-led Husker offense is statistically better than the 2020 squad. They averaged 3 more points per game, which is horrifically mind-blowing. If the Huskers want to show any sort of improvement and momentum toward 2021, they need to score points. Rutgers' defense ranks 84th nationally and has been vulnerable against the run. Without the ability to pass the ball, Nebraska needs to rely heavily on the run game with Martinez, McCaffrey and Mills. Jet sweeps with Wan'Dale Robinson and Betts mixed into an option attack out of the backfield would be chaotic for the defense and nearly impossible to stop with the ball in any of those five players' hands. I doubt that will happen, but hopefully we'll see a little more emphasis on the run. I just pray the Husker defense can get a touchdown and make life a little easier. I'll take the Huskers since it's the final game of the season, but don't be surprised if Vedral has a breakout night and the Nebraska offense looks even more incompetent. Please just keep it simple tonight Huskers. Nebraska 28, Rutgers 23. GO BIG RED!

Thank you for reading all of my predictions and I hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend of football!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 15(ish) Reflections

     Well, here we are yet again football fans. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but the Huskers have yet again put a dismal performance on tape as they fall at home to the covid-stricken Gophers 24-17, ultimately losing the Broken Chair Trophy for the second straight year. There are a number of family members and friends who texted me during and after this game, all with a similar thought... Is this one of the worst coaching performances we've ever seen? I'll break down all of that along with the highlights from a wild weekend in College Football below. Read on!

     After bouncing back from yet another sluggish start, the Huskers looked primed to take this game over and were ready to turn that proverbial corner everyone in Nebraska hears so much about. Unfortunately, the offense still lacks the ability to move the ball (or score) in any form of consistency, resulting in a second half that didn't really feature a collapse, but more just a mundane routine of going through the motions of what looks like a football team, but never yielding any results. The undermanned Golden Gophers walk out of Memorial Stadium with the Broken Chair in hand while the Huskers are still trying to figure out how to make their opening play of the game a positive gain rather than a loss. I've got the full breakdown with my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories below, enjoy!

GOOD - Husker Defense and batted balls. These two go together, but the Blackshirts stepped up against Minnesota, despite every attempt by the Husker offense and special teams to make life hard on them. Late the in the game Minnesota ran away with it thanks to momentum and a strong push up front, but if the defense for Nebraska can consistently hold teams to 24 or fewer points, they should win most games. The Huskers were able to slow down the Gopher passing attack with 7 batted balls on Saturday, 3 of which came from the d-line. This does highlight the lack of pressure on the QB from the front seven (just 2 QB hurries), but at least they were able to make an impact on the play. The front seven did play well against the run early on, ultimately recording 6 tackles for loss in the game. Coverage in the secondary was good for the most part, even with Cam Taylor-Britt out for the second half due to targeting. Overall, the defense has improved quite well since last season and while they're far from what is needed to win championships at Nebraska, they are much closer than the offense. A hat tip for the Blackshirts and their performance on Saturday.

EXPECTED - Mohammed Ibrahim and Adrian Martinez. The star running back for the Gophers didn't disappoint, despite being limited in the game with an injury. Ibrahim bested his total from a year ago with 108 rushing yards and 2 TDs against Nebraska on Saturday, helping the Gophers for over 200 yards on the ground for the third time all year (Maryland & Illinois). The potential All-BIG 10 RB has 925 yards and 15 TDs so far this season. He'll be a headache to deal with during his senior year.

For the Huskers, we saw the bad Adrian again. It seems almost inevitable that once the confidence starts to build for this team and most importantly the QB, it's cut away twice as fast. AM2 had a rough outing, completing just 59 percent of his passes for 111 yards and 1 TD. Martinez did rush for 96 and another score, but I've said it all year long, the Huskers won't win without a downfield passing attack. Now we've established that Martinez is the better passer between him and Luke, but weeks like this show that's not much of a compliment. Inaccurate passes are a given with him and it cripples the offense into a handoff and QB draw corner that they can never seem to get out of. I like Martinez a lot, and he's had a couple of good games throwing the ball, but there needs to be someone else under center (in the shotgun) next year. Move Martinez to running back since apparently someone doesn't think Mills is enough and find a QB who can accurately throw a 15 yard pass. This has been an issue all year and will continue to be an issue until the Huskers have a QB who can throw the ball. Adrian is a fantastic runner and will continue to be QB, but the Huskers will not improve with him throwing passes.

BAD - Play-calling, play design and the Scott Frost 2 minute drill. These all go hand in hand yet again, but there's a few issues of play calling and design separate of the 2 minute drill. I might as well start with the opening play of the game because the Huskers refuse to start with positive yardage. Once again, opening the game with a ill-advised bubble screen resulted in a near turnover and set the Huskers up with 2nd and 19. I understand the desire to get a "quick and easy" completion, but there has to be another play that actually moves the ball forward. I honestly think the best version of the bubble screen in the last 3 seasons has gotten Nebraska -2 yards rather than the typical -6 to -12 yards. There's no excuse for play calls like this any more. I can script this offense in my sleep and it's completely obvious what plays are working and not working. The lack of a downfield passing attack cripples this offense into short yardage routs, basic handoffs and QB draw, we've known this for a while. The bigger issue is how those plays are being run. It's not ideal, but with how well the defense has played this season, Nebraska could have won a couple more games even with the limited play script I just mentioned. This is where the design flaws come into effect. If you're going to run the ball on 3rd & 2, looking for a push up the middle, it should be given to Dedrick Mills, the 220 lbs. Senior running back who has no issues running through any defender who steps in front of him. The ball should NOT be given to the 185 lbs. speedster in Wan'Dale Robinson who is better suited for making defenders miss in space. At the very least Frost can call a QB Power with Martinez following Mills through the hole. Another example of poor play design leads into the horrific 2 minute drill we see every couple weeks. Running a 4 yard crossing route to start a two minute drive when you only have 1 timeout isn't the best option, but if you're going to run that play it should most certainly be with your aforementioned speedster, Wan'Dale Robinson. The 4 yard crossing route should NOT be run with Kade Warner as he is extremely unlikely to make defenders miss if he does catch the ball (which we've seen can be a big IF). Getting your ball to your playmakers is key, but getting your ball to playmakers in position to make plays is actually unlocking the door with said key. The two minute drive before the half where the Huskers had 1:16 seconds to drive down the field against the 2nd worst defense in the conference and score some points to gain momentum into halftime was terrible. It resulted in a 5 play drive that gained just 13 yards, and due to poor clock management ended with a punt that gave the ball back to Minnesota with a few seconds remaining. Despite the Gophers taking a knee (knowing they would receive the second half kickoff thanks to Frost always taking the ball to start the game), the Huskers weren't even good enough to run out the clock on a failed two minute drive. Minnesota shouldn't have gotten the ball back for those few seconds, but due to poor play calling and design Nebraska wasted yet another opportunity to score points. This offense lacks a lot more than consistency, and those issues will need to be addressed along with everything else.

     In today's age of College Football, and especially in the BIG 10, the team who scores 30-35 points first wins a majority of the time. I'll have to run some numbers to get a solid percentage, but unless you're competing against the likes of Ohio State, almost every BIG 10 Conference games can be won if a team scores 30-35 points. The Huskers have fallen to 104th in the nation this year, averaging just 22.4 points per game. This is a downward trend from 30 points per game in 2018 and 28 points per game last season in 2019. During the Scott Frost Era, Nebraska has averaged 26.8 points per game each season. Now I was one of the first to admit that Frost would need to be ready for a shift in the BIG 10 coming from UCF where they led the nation with 48.2 points per game in 2017, but a 20+ point drop is not due just to the tougher competition. This offense has talent and it has play makers, it needs better play design and smarter play calls.

Quick hit thoughts from around CFB:

- Kicking off the weekend on Friday night, the Sun Devils won the Duel in the Dessert by demolishing the Arizona Wildcats 70-7. Arizona fired Kevin Sumlin the next day, but the true highlight of this game was Junior RB Jackson He scoring a TD by driving his legs to run over the defender into the goal line late in the 4th. Jackson He is believed to be the only Chinese born football player in the FBS and the first to score a TD.

- Also making history (again) was Sarah Fuller from Vanderbilt, becoming the first woman to score for a Power 5 football team in a game with 2 extra points in their game against Tennessee.

- Bama had no issues with Arkansas and Georgia rolled Missouri.

- My adopted Chanticleers had a scare against Troy, but another great performance by Freshman QB Grayson McCall keeps them unbeaten at 11-0. Someone get them AND Cincy into New Year's Six Bowl.

- The Hawkeyes have continued their winning streak after romping Wisconsin 28-7 to win all of their trophy games in 2020.

- Utah upsets Colorado on the road with a dominating 28 point second half. This ruined our chances to see how the PAC-12 screwed up their conference, but oh well, they were never really relevant this season.

- I once again was bested by Oklahoma State as they rubbed my Baylor prediction in my face with a 42-3 beat down. I can never figure out the Pokes.

- Penn State and Jahan Dotson turned on the jets in the second half with 21 unanswered points to beat Sparty 39-24.

- A (narrow) forward lateral negated one of the wildest finishes you will ever see as Western Michigan tossed the ball all around the field and Ball State failed to fully recover a fumble that led to a premature rushing of the field by the team while the play was still going! The Mustangs eventually got the ball to the endzone amongst all the confusion, but Ball State maintained the victory after finding the forward lateral. Still, it's worth the watch if you haven't seen it yet!

- Army beat Navy 15-0 in their first meeting at West Point in 77 years. Great uniforms, great game and a special rivalry.

- Memphis knocked through a game-winning 47 yard field goal to defeat Houston.

- Auburn defeated Mississippi State to finish 6-4, yet still decided to fire Gus Malzahn to the tune of a 21.4 million dollar buyout.

- Lovie Smith is also out at Illinois, meaning his final victory as Head Coach of the Illini was against my Huskers. Ugh.

- UCLA nearly pulled the upset with a 43 yard field goal with less than a minute left, but the Trojans weren't going to let the Bruins spoil another undefeated season. After returning the following kickoff out past the 50, a couple of big passes from Kedon Slovis led to a USC touchdown and 43-38 victory. Great game, but again, the PAC-12 was out before we even started.

- My sincerest apologies to UNC for picking Miami. They also rubbed that prediction in my face with a 62-26 victory over the 'Canes which featured 554 yards rushing by the Tar Heels, mostly done by Michael Carter (308 yards 3 TDs) and Javonte Williams (236 yards 2 TDs).

- The best thing I saw in College Football this past weekend was Florida DB Marco Wilson throwing the shoe of an LSU player after stopping them on 3rd down when the game was tied at 34. The shoe throw prompted a penalty that gave LSU a 1st down and led to a 57 yard field goal (in the fog). Florida was able to get into field goal range to try a walk-off kick of their own, but the kick sailed left and the Gators have thrown themselves out of a Playoff possibility. HE THREW A SHOE!! LOL

Thanks for reading all of my week 15(ish) Reflections and be sure to look for my predictions post coming on Friday this week!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 15(ish) Predictions

      Welcome to the final week of a very crazy regular season of College Football! For the most part we've made it here in one piece, and I think that's something to celebrate. There's a great slate of games to watch this weekend, but the big news of the week is obviously the BIG 10 conference changing their rules yet again to allow Ohio State to play in the Conference Championship game despite not having played the originally required 6 games. I'll discuss this and all the games to watch this week below, enjoy!

Week 14(ish) Record: 11 - 6

Overall Record: 66 - 35

BIG 10 Rule Change Decision

     We were all expecting it, so it was of no surprise when the BIG 10 Conference decided to change its rules to allow Ohio State to play in the BIG 10 Championship against Northwestern next week on December 19th. This change was made since Ohio State was unable to play six games during the horribly planned BIG 10 football season due to three cancelations, leaving the Buckeyes at 5-0. First of all, yes the Buckeyes are the best team in the BIG 10 East since they were able to hold off Indiana in their head to head matchup. Secondly, this (like most everything else in CFB) is a financial decision where Ohio State would bring in more money for the conference rather than the Hoosiers. I'm not necessarily upset or disputing either of these characteristics of the situation. My grievances are with the BIG 10 Conference as a whole and their handling of everything during the 2020 season. The revised and adjusted scheduled created back in August, which I was a big fan of, had a number of well planned out protocols and helpful features for what would've been probably the safest version of a 2020 season short of cancelling everything all together. Then, six days later, they did just that, expecting the rest of CFB to follow suit. This was not an easy decision by any means, but what makes the situation so bad is the fact they did not stick with it. The conference realized how much they were missing out on financially and decided to smash an 8 week football season into the middle of an ongoing CFB season that did not originally include them. Now to continue changing the rules only to favor themselves when needed is just flat out pathetic, especially when ridiculing Nebraska for simply wanting to play when the game against Wisconsin cancelled. And separate of wanting to play, the Huskers (and everyone else) just wanted to know what the plan was when things inevitably went sideways. The BIG 10 wasn't prepared then, and they certainly aren't now, but it doesn't matter when you can change the rules to fix whatever problem you created in the first place. Again, I'm not surprised or even that upset with the decision, I'm more upset with the incompetent planning and forward thinking abilities of the "leaders" in the BIG 10.

#9 Georgia at #25 Missouri

     The Bulldogs travel to Columbia to take on the Tigers this weekend in one of the few ranked v. ranked matchups we have. Mizzou has a balanced offense, but senior RB Larry Roundtree III has been hot lately with back to back games of 160+ yards and 3 TDs in each. He averages 5 yards per carry, but will face a tougher task running against the Bulldogs defense. Georgia's defense has struggled at times this year, but they've always been good against the run, giving up just an average of 75 yards per game on the ground. I still think UGA is ranked too high at #9, but they're playing much better in recent weeks with the QB change to JT Daniels, so I'll give them the nod in this game. UGA beats Mizzou 34-21.

Illinois at #14 Northwestern

     The Wildcats have a slated date with the Buckeyes for the second time in three years at the BIG 10 Championship, but in-state rival Illinois is never one to shy away from causing an upset. The Illini have struggled to slow down opposing offenses, but Northwestern has struggled to put up points. The Wildcat defense however is one of the best in the nation, and I think Pat Fitzgerald will have this team ready to play before they look ahead to Ohio State. Peyton Ramsey and this offense get a chance to get some reps in against a lackluster defense before facing off against the Buckeyes. Wildcats 24, Illinois 10.

Utah at #21 Colorado

     The PAC-12 is a complete mess with so many games cancelled in their short season, but the Buffs could finish with a 4-0 record in this crazy year. Crazier yet, if the Bruins are able to upset the Trojans in the Battle of LA, Colorado would be the PAC-12 South Division winner. Unfortunately due to having their game against Arizona State cancelled from Covid-19, they do have to rely on UCLA winning because somehow the PAC-12 was able to screw up their conference rules even more than the BIG 10. Regardless, there's a game to be played and the Utes are never an easy win. Ex-Gamecock QB Jake Bently hasn't panned out for Kyle Whittingham, but maybe they'll have some confidence after their first win. Defensively though, they have to deal with Buff's RB Jarek Broussard who's averaging 6.4 yards per carry. I'll take Colorado in this one but it will be entertaining to watch them go undefeated and still possibly not win the division. Buffaloes 30-24.

Wisconsin at #16 Iowa

     The Bronze Cow is up for grabs this weekend as the Hawkeyes host the Badgers. Wisconsin has fallen off quick after early success, and Graham Mertz is going through all the kinks of starting as a Freshman. Iowa has won 5 straight games since losing their first two and should win some sort of award for being the only BIG 10 team to not have a game cancelled due to covid. This should be a classic BIG 10 slugfest with rugged defense and a ground & pound attack from both offenses. I certainly would look to the under on this money line, as the Badgers give up just 12.3 points per game and the Hawkeyes give up 17.3. I have one key factor to watch in this game, but it's very specific. I think QB play on 3rd down will be the difference maker in this one. The winning team must be able to convert third downs and they'll likely be third and long with stout defenses stopping the run. Wisconsin's defense is 1st in the nation in opponent third down conversions under 24 percent and their offense converts third downs at a rate 10 percent higher than the Hawkeyes, so the nod goes to Wisconsin. Badgers win the cow 16-10.

#17 North Carolina at #10 Miami

     The Tar Heels and Hurricanes square off in what should be a really interesting game to watch down in South Beach. Both offenses bring a lot of firepower, so I would expect a lot of big plays and points in this one. It's all about the QB battle here as Sophomore Sam Howell and Senior D'Eriq King duel it out. Both of these QBs rank in the top 20 for passer rating in the nation, so I'm expecting a show. Starting with Howell, I've been saying it since I saw him play last year, he's a baller. He's thrown for more than 3,100 yards this season with 26 TDs and just 6 picks. Complimented by Michael Carter's dominance on the ground, Howell has this Tar Heel offense averaging 41.1 points per game. His counterpart, D'Eriq King has been one of the most under the radar players in the nation on a team that has gone completely unnoticed since their loss to Clemson back in early October. King has been tough for opposing defenses to slow down this year, throwing for 2,334 yards and 20 TDs while adding another 467 and 4 TDs on the ground. He extends plays out of the pocket as well as anyone in College Football and will be a steal of a draft pick next April in my opinion. For now though, he's going to ball out in college, and I'm giving him the nod. Sam Howell is certainly on his way, but I think this game will show you why some attention should be given to D'Eriq King. Canes 37, Tar Heels 34.

Appalachian State at Georgia Southern

     This may not be one of the highlight games of the day, but never discount two 7-win Sun Belt teams looking to finish the season strong. Both squads have lost two of their last three, so a win in this game would be a lot of confidence heading into bowl season. The Eagles of Georgia Southern love to run the ball, but haven't been quite as dominant as usual in that category. They do take very good care of the ball though, ranking 24th in the nation with a +7 turnover margin. The Mountaineers have struggled with turnovers lately, and I think that will be their demise in this one. I'll take the Eagles in a 28-21 upset.

#15 USC at UCLA

     The Trojans and Bruins meet up in the Rose Bowl for the annual Battle for LA game. There are some high stakes in this one as the Trojans need a win (or a Colorado loss) to confirm their spot in the PAC-12 Title game. UCLA is on the rise though, as Chip Kelly and his QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR) have this very balanced offense averaging 430 yards and 32.6 points per game. The Trojans have been playing solid defense lately, but I would expect some points in this one. Especially with USC's Kedon Slovis throwing the ball all around the field with 10 TDs and just 2 picks on the season. This should be a really interesting one to watch, but I honestly like the Bruins in this game. I can feel an upset brewing and I think Chip Kelly and UCLA are going to start making some noise around CFB. UCLA beats USC in the Battle for LA 33-28.

Virginia at Virginia Tech (Battle for the Commonwealth Cup)

     Not much as gone well for the Hokies as of late, losing their last four games after starting 4-2, but just about everything has clicked for the Cavaliers who have won their last four games after starting 1-4. I wouldn't expect much (if any) defense in this game, so first team to 35 points probably wins it. UVA is lead by dual-threat QB Brandon Armstrong, who's accounted for more than 2,300 total yards and 16 TDs this season. The Hokies best option on offense is running back Khalil Herbert, with 1,020 yards and 7 TDs on the ground. The Cavaliers ended a 15 year drought in the rivalry a year ago, and I think they'll start building a streak of their own. Virginia beats Virginia Tech for the Commonwealth Cup 40-35.

Navy at Army

     For the first time in 77 years, the Black Knights of Army will host Navy in West Point due to Covid-19. On paper this looks to be a lopsided game, but never underestimate the competitiveness in this rivalry. Neither team throws the ball much, so it's all about who can stop the ground game and who can get it going. Army has played really well this year, and ranks 7th in scoring defense. Navy has experience though, with Seniors Dalen Morris (QB) and Nelson Smith (RB) leading the way for the Midshipmen on offense. One thing is for sure when you get this rivalry, the uniforms will be badass! Anyways, I've got the Black Knights with a 24-14 victory. GO ARMY BEAT NAVY!

Minnesota at Nebraska (Battle for the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy)

     One of the greatest sports trophies in the history of the world is up for grabs today in Lincoln as my favorite Huskers take on the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. For those who don't know the legend of how the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy came to be, the now Team Jack Foundation & University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital sponsored trophy originally came to be due to a Twitter argument between the Golden Gopher Mascot (Goldy) and the fake account of ex-Husker Head Coach Bo Pelini. The two suggested a wager be made in order to up the ante on the Nebraska-Minnesota rivalry, and the suggestion of breaking a chair over the loser's back was made, thus prompting the creation of this magnificent trophy. It now serves as a great reminder to donate and support the research being done to fight against childhood cancer, so you really couldn't ask for a better trophy!

     Now as we look to the game, Nebraska comes back home for Senior Day on an upswing after defeating Purdue 37-27 in what was easily their best performance of the season. Minnesota hasn't played football since before Thanksgiving due to a covid-19 outbreak, and will be missing 20 players due to BIG 10 protocols along with star receiver Rashod Bateman who has opted out (again) to declare and prepare for the NFL draft. This gives the Huskers a prime opportunity against an opponent on a downswing to record back to back conference victories for just the second time in three years. Despite not having Batement, the Gopher offense will still feature a lot of RB Mohamed Ibrahim, who rushed for 84 yards and 3 TDs on the Huskers last season... as the #3 running back for Minnesota. Ibrahim is now the feature back, and has done well in that roll, rushing for 817 yards and 13 TDs while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He's easily the most talented back the Blackshirts will face this season, and won't be easy to slowdown, no matter how well the Husker front seven is playing. This means the Husker offense will need to capitalize on their possessions, because Minnesota is going to control the clock with Ibrahim and the run game. Adrian Martinez is playing with a confidence that we haven't seen in roughly two years, so hopefully that carries through today. Mills will hopefully find some holes on the ground, but I've been saying it all season long, Nebraska won't win without a downfield passing attack. There were some great throws downfield against Purdue which stretched the defense back out, allowing for more rushing lanes. There's plenty of opportunities to do that against the Gophers who rank 106th in total defense this year. A balanced attack with some creative play calls from Coach Frost would really put this game away, so hopefully that's what we see. I'm going with my Huskers in this one, because we certainly need that broken chair back in Lincoln. Nebraska 24, Minnesota 21. GO BIG RED!

Quick Hit Predictions:

Michigan State at Penn State - The Battle for the Land Grant Trophy features two teams who's seasons ultimately crashed and burned after the first couple of weeks. Penn State has finally broken into the win column after defeating Michigan and Rutgers the past two weeks while Sparty beat Michigan and upset Northwestern but basically got pummeled by everyone else. Nittany Lions are getting back in the groove and they win this one 23-13 behind a big day from Sean Clifford.

#13 Coastal Carolina at Troy - My adopted Chanticleers proved me wrong by beating BYU in a phenomenal game last week and I was perfectly okay with it! The Chants now take on Troy, who's never a simple pushover. However, the Chanticleer defense is playing some incredible football right now, along with Freshman QB Grayson McCall who has 20 passing TDs and just one pick. Another good day a the office and the Chanticleers win 35-17.

#22 Oklahoma State at Baylor - I really don't know why I'm trying to predict another Oklahoma State game, but I guess I just love the challenge. The Pokes are falling apart and the Bears have been oh-so-close in nearly every game this season. It's always the opposite of what i pick when it comes to the Cowboys, but I'll take the Bears in a tight upset 28-24.

Houston at Memphis - The Tigers let me down last week by falling to the Green Wave of Tulane. This week, they face a defense that's practically as bad as their own with the Cougars of Houston. Again, first one to 35 probably wins it, and I will again ride with Tiger QB Brady White. This kid is a winner and won't be going out on a losing note. Memphis 40, Houston 34.

Cal at Washington State - Wazzu is working out some kinks with freshman QB Jayden de Laura, but the ground game with Deon McCintosh has helped with some of those issues. Cal has struggled to run the ball, which has led to Chase Garbers being sacked 15 times in just 4 games. Both teams have been close in tight games this year, but I'm picking Cal to win 30-28.

LSU at #6 Florida - This isn't really going to be much of a game, but there's still some things to discuss with this matchup. One of the first things is to see if the Gators can match the jaw-dropping performance by Mac Jones and the Tide las week on the Tigers in Death Valley. Playing in the Swamp, I would expect some big numbers form Heisman frontrunner Kyle Trask in this game. Gators chomp the reigning champions 48-21.

Thank you for reading all of my Gameday predictions and I hope you're all excited to kick back and watch some football this weekend. GO BIG RED and win the chair!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 14(ish) Reflections

      Hey Football Friends! I hope you're all doing well and still riding high after a great weekend of College Football and most importantly, a Husker victory! Yes, the Huskers in fact looked like a competent football team for a majority of the day on Saturday, and were able to hold off the Boilermakers for a 37-27 victory. They proved me wrong in my prediction, but I couldn't be happier. I've got your full analysis of the game along with all the other happenings around the nation from a fabulous weekend of football action. Let's get to it!

     Scott Frost has cleared the Purdue hurdle in his young tenure at Nebraska, beating the Boilermakers for the first time as the Huskers' head coach. Nebraska started off hot with impressive defensive stands, some big special teams plays and short fields for an offense that finally put some things together. Purdue made a push late in the game, even pulling to within 7. The Blackshirts stood tall though and the Huskers now have an outside shot at finishing with a 4-4 record. I've got the full break down of the game in my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories below.

GOOD - Adrian Martinez and Cam Taylor-Britt. There were a lot of good things about the Huskers' win on Saturday, but Martinez and Taylor-Britt really stood out and made some key plays on their respective sides of the ball to clinch the second win of the season. Starting with Martinez, it's clear his benching helped him reset, and Frost's QB1 looks back to his Freshman self. I am still very much excited by the potential with Luke McCaffrey, but I'm never opposed to a confident AM2 slinging it for the Huskers. He's gained his confidence back, which has helped in his decision making. There were flashes of it against Iowa, but against the Boilermakers, Martinez was lights out. He completed 23/30 passes for 242 yards and a TD while rushing for another 45 and 2 more TDs on the ground. Martinez managed the game extremely well and didn't force many throws he didn't need to make. He used his legs to move up and out of the pocket when necessary, and hit some very nice routes to the open receiver down the field. It's been a while since we've seen him play this smooth, and I hope it's here to stay. Great game Adrian!

Onto the defensive side of the ball, the star is Cam Taylor-Britt. Everyone will remember his leaping pass deflection to stop a Purdue 3rd & 13 conversion with just over 5 minutes left in the game, ultimately keeping the Huskers' 10-point lead intact. However, there were a number of plays Taylor-Britt made throughout the course of the game, and overall he's been great all season. Opposing teams rarely throw to his side due to his tremendous coverage, but if they dare, he's got great awareness to locate the ball and knock it down. Outside of Quarterback, corner is arguably the most difficult position to play in football. Corners are often lined up against some of the best athletes the other team has on their roster and in many cases are left alone on an island to cover them, having to read and react off of a number of keys such as route patterns, WR footwork, QB eyes, the ball and more, all without touching the receiver before the last possible second in order to avoid a costly penalty. Cam Taylor-Britt has sneakily become one of the best corners in the conference in the past couple seasons. It's been great watching him lead this defense and be the spark that fires them up.

EXPECTED - Purdue comeback & solid defense from the Blackshirts. My two expected takeaways from the game may seem like opposites, but there's a reasoning behind both. Starting with Purdue, they're a talented and well-coached team. The have probably the best receiving corps in the BIG 10 West and one of the best in the conference overall with a QB who can throw the ball with few mistakes. Jack Plummer torched the Blackshirts for the second straight year, tossing the pigskin for 334 yards and 3 TDs. They have an experienced defense and shut down the Husker offense for a majority of the second half. Zander Horvath is a problem at RB, but luckily the Huskers were able to keep their lead big enough and limit Purdue's attempts at running. Nebraska can never be trusted to fully close out a game (at least not yet), so it was no surprise when the Boilermakers pulled within 7 mid-way through the 4th. Besides, all of their losses prior to Nebraska were by 7 points or less and often came down to the wire. This game will be a battle again next year.

Looking at the Blackshirts, they played extremely well in this game. There was a bit of bend don't break due to the passing attack catching fire for Purdue, but the Huskers held the Boilermakers to -2 in the rushing column. This was the first time all season the Huskers were able to get consistent pressure. While no turnovers were gained, the Huskers held Purdue to just 3/13 on third down conversions. The defense has played solid all year apart from the Illinois game and a few other quarters, but this time the offense stepped up to take advantage of the defensive effort. The Blackshirts played well and are starting to earn those jerseys back.

BAD - Penalties and more penalties. The Huskers continue to be one of the most penalized teams, ranking 105th in the nation with an average of 66 yards per game from penalties. Nebraska racked up 9 penalties for 107 yards. For context, this is nearly as many rushing yards the Huskers had on Saturday. This continues to be an issue, on both sides of the ball. Luckily, Purdue ranks 91st in the nation and actually bested the Huskers in the yellow flag category with 11 for 126. This was a big factor in the Husker victory as Purdue hurt themselves more than Nebraska did. Most Husker fans were freaking out last week because of a stat that was released saying that there was something like 340+ plays since the last time an opponent was called for holding against Nebraska. Yeah, that's ridiculous and there were probably a number of missed holding calls. WHO CARES?! There's missed holding calls and others in every game. Yes, penalties on the other team is always a benefit for the Huskers, but a bigger benefit is not having penalties of their own, especially those that shut down drives before they even get started. Nebraska needs to fix their own issues before they complain about other teams, and the penalties are one of the biggest issues plaguing this team.

Quick hit thoughts from the rest of CFB:

- The fun kicked off on Friday night when #25 Louisiana defeated Appalachian State for the first time in program history in a very odd way. The Ragin' Cajuns took an intentional safety with 1:46 left in the game, trusting in their defense to hold onto what then became a 3 point lead. App State had a chance to tie it with a field goal in the end but the kick was wide left. The funny thing is that the Ragin' Cajuns had a 4th & 1 from near midfield when they took the safety.

- After a slow start for both Notre Dame & Clemson, they turned on the jets in the second half to demolish Syracuse and Virginia Tech respectively. Both teams now have a week off to prepare for the (sure to be wild) rematch in Charlotte.

- Absolutely nothing was slow about DaVonta Smith and Bama as the Tide Rolled LSU in Death Valley 55-17. Smith only had 8 catches on the night, but that was more than enough as he racked up 231 yards and 3 TDs. The SEC Championship is looking to be a high scoring affair.

- Sparty was nothing more than a bug on a windshield against the Buckeyes Saturday, even without Ryan Day. I think something about not being worthy of their playoff rankings may have upset Ohio State.

- Kyle Trask is making that Heisman push loud and clear with another 400+, 4 TD passing performance against the Vols.

- Iowa State was in no mood for an upset, absolutely demolishing the Mountaineers of WVU 42-6. Look out for Matt Campbell's squad.

- Miami is the quietest 1-loss team I've ever seen, but that's not going to matter much with 2020. Either way, D'Eriq King is ballin'.

- The Sooners locked up a rematch with the Cyclones for the Big XII Title by holding off a late push from the Baylor Bears.

- Who said Indiana was done with Michael Penix Jr. out?? I certainly didn't and the Hoosiers showed why. They locked down the Badgers offense in a rugged 14-6 win. Don't sleep on the Hoosiers and don't sleep on new QB Jack Tuttle.

- TCU pulled a second half upset and I still can never predict Oklahoma State correctly. Oh well, I like the Horned Frogs better anyways.

- Eastern Michigan got their first win of the season by handing Western Michigan their first loss of the season. Gotta love #MACtion.

- Texas ran the ball like K-State wasn't even on the field, racking up 334 yards on the ground and 69 points on the scoreboard.

- The PAC-12 continues to be a disaster as the Ducks were upset by Cal and Stanford rocked the Huskies. UCLA and Arizona State provided some late night entertainment, but at least USC is still unbeaten??

- Penn State apparently likes to win again and dominated Rutgers 23-7.

- Last but not least I close with the best game of the weekend. The Cougars of BYU and the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina met for a battle of the unbeatens with College Gameday after Liberty backed out due to covid-19. This game was put together on Thursday and was absolutely fantastic to watch. My adopted Chanticleers pulled off the victory by puling BYU wide receiver Dax Milne away from the goalline after he caught the ball at the two yard line and fought to win the game on the final play. It was an incredible finish, an incredible game and watch out for my adopted Chanticleers!

Thank you for reading my Week 14(ish) Reflections post and watch for my predictions later this week. It's CHAIR Week for the Huskers as they take on Minnesota in the Battle for the Broken Chair Trophy!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 14(ish) Predictions

      Good morning Football Fans and welcome to regular season College Football in December! Because of Covid-19 we have an extended regular season into the first couple weeks of December before we get to crown conference champions and find out who is going to the playoffs for real. There's a lot of discussion on if Ohio State should be the #4 team or not and it's well warranted due to only playing 4 games. They'll be back to action along with a great slate of games, so let's get onto the predictions!

Week 13(ish) Record: 10 - 6

Overall Record: 55 - 29

#4 Ohio State at Michigan State

     Starting with the aforementioned Buckeyes, they look to shut-up the haters as they travel to East Lansing, MI for just their fifth game of the season. Last week's tilt against the Illini was scrapped due to a small covid outbreak on the Buckeye squad which included Head Coach Ryan Day. He will not be with the team against Michigan State, who is coming off of an upset win against previously undefeated Northwestern. Sparty took advantage of an uncharacteristic 4 turnovers by the Wildcats and QB Rocky Lombardi played one of his best games of the year. That won't be easy to repeat against Ohio State and Justin Fields though. They're itching to get back on the field since their last performance against Indiana wasn't as stellar as some of the analysts would like. They will be out for blood in this game, and I bet they find it. Even short-handed, Ohio State flexes their muscles for the CFB Playoff Committee with a big victory in East Lansing. Buckeyes 38, Spartans 17.

#5 Texas A&M at Auburn

     The Aggies are sitting right behind the Buckeyes and just outside of the CFB Playoff at #5. They have plenty to prove as well after a lackluster performance against the other SEC West Tigers (LSU) last weekend. They take on the Auburn Tigers this week, who are looking to bounce back after being demolished in the Iron Bowl by Mac Jones and his 5 TD passes. Bo Nix has really struggled in 2020, and against a rugged Aggie defense he could be in for another rough outing. The Aggies defense ranks 20th in total defense and will be looking to cause more havoc in the backfield as the Tigers have given up 17 sacks so far this season compared to A&M who have only given up 3. I think Kellen Mond will bounce back with a big game and the Aggies will win this one on the road 34-17.

#15 Oklahoma State at TCU

     The Pokes proved me wrong last week by holding off the Red Raiders, but will still need help from others to get a spot in the Big XII Championship. First of all, they'll need to continue to win out and then have Oklahoma lose a game. TCU stands in the way of the first piece, as the Horned Frogs are always ready for an upset. They've had an up and down 2020 campaign, but Sophomore QB Max Duggan has been solid all the way through. In addition to his 1,370 yards through the air, he's also the team's leading rusher with 409 yards and a combined 15 TDs. The good and bad news for the Frogs is that he's playing well, but he's the vast majority of their offense. This means the Cowboys have one man to focus on to ultimately shut down TCU's offense. For Oklahoma State, their offense sparked up last week behind 236 rushing yards from Junior RB Dezmon Jackson. If they can get that rolling again they should be able to keep Duggan on the sidelines for most of the game. This one could go either way, but I'll take a close win by the Pokes. Oklahoma State 31, TCU 28.

Texas at K-State

     The Longhorns won't have a shot at the Big XII Title, but don't for a minute think Sam Ehlinger won't have his squad ready to ball out against the Wildcats. The do-it-all Senior has accounted for 31 TDs so far this season and is also the leading rusher for the Horns. He'll be up against a typically stingy K-State defense that's had the hinges blown off in recent weeks. The Wildcats will be looking to stop a 4-game skid, and there's always a chance for an upset when you play in Manhattan. I do like Texas in this game though, and I think Ehlinger will have a big day. Don't sleep on the Texas defense either, they're not great by any standards, but they've been playing a lot better in the second half of the season and could be the difference maker in this one. Texas 33, K-State 21. Hook 'Em.

Memphis at Tulane

     If you like offense, this is the game to watch. Both the Tigers and the Green Wave average around 35 points per game with not much defense. Tulane's still trying to figure out how they lost their last game two weeks ago to Tulsa after a game-tying Hail Mary and then game-winning pick-6 in double overtime won it for the Golden Hurricanes. They'll need to be ready to defend the pass again as Senior QB Brady White and the Tigers will look to continue their dominance through the air. White has thrown for 2,602 yards so far this season, with an impressive 24:6 TD to INT ratio. Tulane has the edge in the run game with the two-headed rushing attack of Senior RB Stephon Huderson and Sophomore Cameron Carroll. The duo have combined for more than 1,200 yards and 14 TDs on the season. They're both averaging around 6 yards per carry and are not easy to bring down. Memphis will have their hands full, but I like Brady White to get it done on the road. He's been great his entire career at Memphis and he'll finish the year great. Tigers win this one 34-28 over the Green Wave.

West Virginia at #9 Iowa State

     The Cyclones can celebrate about locking up a spot in the Big XII Championship game, but there are still two regular season games left on the schedule for one of the newest top 10 members of the CFB Playoff Rankings. West Virginia is primed for an upset though, quietly boasting the 4th best defense in the nation and number 1 in pass defense. The Mountaineers give up just 274 yards and 17.8 points per game on average, while creating a lot of havoc in the backfield with 22 sacks so far on the season. Iowa State has protected Brock Purdy well, giving up just 10 sacks this year. The Cyclones also have Breece Hall, the impressive Sophomore averages 6.3 yards per carry and has 16 TDs on the season so far, so WVU's defense will certainly be tested. This has some major upset potential for the weekend, but I think Matt Campbell has something special with the Cyclones this year. They've got good leadership with Brock Purdy and a stingy defense of their own. Iowa State wins a dangerous one at home 27-23.

#1 Alabama at LSU

     One of the best rivalries in football has one of the biggest point spreads we've ever seen for a defending national champion, and not in a good way. LSU comes in as a nearly 30 point underdog in what looks to be another easy outing for Mac Jones and the Rolling Crimson Tide. The Tigers stepped up a bit on defense last week, locking down Kellen Mond and the A&M offense apart from just a couple of plays. Unfortunately they were unable to get their own offense working, and that doesn't bode well when facing Bama. The Tide rank 3rd in the nation for scoring offense with an average of 48.5 points per game. And even though they lost star receiver Jaylen Waddle for the season a few weeks back, Mac Jones and crew haven't missed a beat. Jones is in the thick of the Heisman race with 2,728 yards and 23 TDs through the air, compared to just 3 interceptions. Senior RB Najee Harris has 17 TDs so far on the ground, and averages 6 yards per carry. LSU's defense is playing a bit better, but no where near good enough to hang around in this game. Tide Roll big over the defending champs, 52-17.

#3 Clemson at Virginia Tech

     The Tigers are looking to punch another ticket to the ACC Championship with a win on Saturday, but the VT Hokies stand in their way. It's never easy to win in Blacksburg, especially at night. The Hokies haven't been great this year, but Senior RB Kahlil Herbert and his staggering 8.2 yards per carry average are always a handful. Unfortunately for Herbert, he doesn't have much help around him, unlike the Clemson offense. With Trevor Lawrence and multiple defensive starters back, the Tigers are prepared to show everyone they are the best team in the nation, and they won't let anyone or anything stand in their way of another showdown with Notre Dame. They will start hot and never look back in this game. Clemson 56, Virginia Tech 10.

#12 Indiana at #16 Wisconsin

     One of only two ranked v. ranked match-ups this weekend takes place up in Madison as the Badgers take on the Hoosiers in a unique BIG 10 Battle. With yet another cancellation last week due to a covid out break on the Gopher squad, we still don't know much about Wisconsin since they've only played in 3 games. Graham Mertz will look to bounce back from his horrendous performance against the Wildcats while the Hoosiers will have to figure out a new QB after their star Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL against Maryland last week. Both defenses will be the true measuring stick in this one, more specifically on which defense will crack. Both are two fo the best in the conference and love to wear down their opponents. Everyone is leaning toward Wisconsin, but I'm sticking with the Hoosiers. They were my dark horse team to start the year, and I think they have enough talent and firepower to overcome the Penix injury. Look out for Indiana, they're not done yet! Hoosiers win a big one on the road 23-16.

#13 BYU at #18 Coastal Carolina

     College Gameday visits Coastal Carolina this week as my adopted Chanticleers take on the unbeaten Cougars of BYU rather than the Flames of Liberty who canceled due to a covid outbreak. The ability to save this game in the first place was phenomenal in itself, but to set up a ranked v. ranked match-up between two unbeaten teams is even better. Both teams are looking for more respect from the College Football Playoff Committee and their rankings, so this game has some major implications. I've been on board the Chanticleer bandwagon all season, and with the current state of my Huskers it's been nice to have a winning team to root for! Freshman QB Grayson McCall has been spectacular in 2020, throwing for 1,747 yards with 20 TDs compared to just 1 pick. He's complimented by a strong rushing attack in one of the most balanced offenses in the nation. On the other side, BYU QB Zach Wilson is looking to boost his Heisman stock with another big performance. The Cougars haven't played the best competition this year, but Wilson has looked impressive nonetheless with a 74.3 percent completion rating, 2,724 yards through the air and 26 TDs with a couple more on the ground. Both teams are looking to prove something, and as much as I love the Chanticleers, I think BYU is being underrated by the Playoff Committee. I'll be happy either way in this one, and I think this could be one of the best games of the day. BYU wins a fun one 34-30.

Nebraska at Purdue

     A game that was originally slated to be the opener for both teams now opens the month of December as the Huskers travel to West Lafayette rather than hosting the Boilermakers in Lincoln. Jack Plummer is in to start for the injured Aiden O'Connel, but no matter what QB trots out there for Purdue they're bound to have success. Both QBs combined for 304 passing yards a year ago against the Blackshirts and their passing attack is better this year. That's aided by the return of All-American WR Rondale Moore and Sophomore Stud David Bell. Bell has been the new star as Moore still battles injuries, catching passes for nearly 500 yards this season and 7 TDs. He's been nearly impossible for opposing DBs to cover, which does not bode well for the Huskers who have struggled in pass coverage this year. The other threat from the Boilermaker offense is RB Zander Horvath, a 6'3, 230 lbs. monster who's nearly impossible to bring down on the first hit. They don't run him as much as they should in my opinion, but he makes the most of it with a 5.1 yard per carry average. The front 7 of the Huskers need to be ready and wrap hard on their tackles. Switching over to the Husker offense, we're likely to see Adrian Martinez back in the starting roll. He played well at Iowa last week, despite his offensive line doing just about everything possible to get him killed, and I'm excited to watch him. I will again be a major advocate for running both Martinez and McCaffrey in the backfield at the same time. With the lack of support at the RB position, I think it could really open up the offense to have these two running the ball together. Looking to the air attack, there's not much outside of Austin Allen and Wandale Robinson. Robinson needs to touch the ball as much as possible, but predictable play calling and bad snaps to throw off the timing of predictable play calls is likely to occur with Cam Jurgens back at Center. Frost doubled-down on his decision to go with Jurgens, but that could mean we see a number of snaps going haywire again. As always, avoiding turnovers and dumb mistakes are the keys to victory for the Huskers. Look for an emphasis on play fakes in this one, Purdue has struggled against the play action this season. Also look for 3rd Down Conversion rates and TOP, the winner of those, especially in the second half will likely have the victory. I really don't know what to expect from Nebraska any more outside of poor performances, so I'll go with Purdue and pray the Huskers surprise me and prove me wrong. I just want to see some progress and for the head coach to take some responsibility for his team. Purdue 31, Nebraska 27. BoilerUp, but please Go Big Red.

Quick Hit Predictions:

#6 Florida at Tennessee - The Gators are nearly to the SEC Championship, but have a couple more games to get through first. The Vols are always looking for an upset in a rivalry like this, but I doubt they'll be able to keep up with Heisman front-runner Kyle Trask and the Gator's air raid. Gators Chomp again behind another big day from Trask. Florida 44, Tennessee 20.

#19 Iowa at Illinois - The Hawkeyes are on a roll after dropping their first two games of the season, and the Illini are ready to get back to football after having their bout with Ohio State cancelled a week ago. Nothing would be better to watch Iowa be upset by Illinois, and they might have the offense to do it. The Illini run defense is the key to victory though, because Tyler Goodsen is planning to have a big day. I think he will and the Hawkeyes return home with a 34-21 victory.

Penn State at Rutgers - Hanging around in the BIG 10, we've got a game that could possibly determine who squares off against Nebraska in the extra week of the season (Michigan is also in the hunt for that coveted spot). The Scarlet Knights have been playing well in Greg Schiano's first year back, but Penn State just won their first game of 2020 and doesn't want to stop there. The Nittany Lions may have found their rushing attack with Freshman RB Keyvone Lee, so I'll take them in this game. Neither team is very good, so expect this to be a messy one. Penn State wins 26-21.

Boston College at Virginia - Nothing outside of Notre Dame and Clemson really matter in the ACC, but this is an interesting game. The Eagles are looking to restart their offense while the Cavaliers are riding a three game win-streak. Neither team runs the ball very well, so this will be a battle of the QBs. BC's Jurkovec and UVA's Armstrong. Jurkovec has more yards, TDs and fewer picks, so I'll give him the nod. Eagles 35, Cavaliers 27.

Stanford at #22 Washington - With the Ducks losing last week, Washington is looking to represent the North in the PAC-12 Championship yet again. The could be looking ahead to their meeting with Oregon next week, but I don't think David Shaw and Stanford quite have the firepower to break through the Husky defense. Washington 28, Sanford 21.

Baylor at #11 Oklahoma - The Sooners have been red hot since their 1-2 start to the season, but Baylor just ended their losing streak of close games and is ready to upset. The Bears have a solid QB-WR duo between Brewer and Sneed, but I think Spencer Rattler should be okay in this one. Sooners win big behind Rattler 44-21.

Thank you for reading my Gameday predictions and I hope you all enjoy the fantastic CFB Saturday we have before us. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando