Good morning and happy GAMEDAY Football fans! We're into Week 2 of College Football and while there aren't as many big games this weekend, we've still got some fun matchups to watch. I've got all your predictions here and will break down the keys to victory for the Huskers as they take on the Bulls from Buffalo today. There is likely to be a number of special celebrations around the nation today as we honor the 20 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Should be a very special day and there's no better way than to celebrate with football, enjoy!
Week 1 Record: 14 - 7
Overall Record: 17 - 8
#12 Oregon at #3 Ohio State
Week 2 opens up with a big non-conference matchup between BIG 10 and PAC 12 Powerhouses with Ohio State hosting Oregon. Both teams survived a bit of a scare in Week 1, but the stakes are much higher for anyone looking to get to the playoffs. Oregon comes into the game a bit hobbled as their star player, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, sprained his ankle in the win against Fresno State. Thibodeaux is projected to be one of the top draft picks and even make a run for the Heisman, so not having his pass rushing presence could be detrimental to the upset-minded Ducks. He's currently questionable for the game. What's not questionable is the talent of the Buckeye receivers. This is easily one of the best receiving corps in the nation, so even if Stroud is still going through some growing pains at QB, he has plenty of help to lean on. The Buckeye defense struggled to stop the run against the Gophers in Week 1, so this could be a high scoring affair. I'll take Ohio State at home though, Buckeyes beat the Ducks 45-24.
#5 Texas A&M at Colorado
The Aggies travel to Boulder to face an old Big XII foe in the Buffaloes. Colorado's best shot in this game is to get their ground game going in a hurry. A&M can put up points quickly, but are still rebuilding the pieces to their offense. Defensively the Aggies could be one of the best in the nation this year. They struggled in their first outing against the run, so if the Buffs can create some holes they could keep this one close. I think the Aggies will start to flex their muscles before they head into conference play though. Texas A&M 38, Colorado 21.
#10 Iowa at #9 Iowa State (Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy)
The Battle for the Cy-Hawk is more heated than ever as both teams are ranked in the top 10. The Cyclones are looking to make a run in the Big XII and possibly push for a spot in the CFB Playoffs. Iowa is looking to do the same in the BIG 10 West, and after a strong showing against Indiana in Week 1, they look like they could be tough to beat this season. Iowa rarely makes mistakes, and has a stout defense that defends the pass well. Matt Campbell will need a really good game plan to move the ball and put points up on a team that ranked 8th in total defense last season. Both teams will rely heavily on their ground game with RBs Tyler Goodsen and Breece Hall going head to head for their respective squads. ISU definitely has the edge in QB play with Brock Purdy Looking ready to make some elite throws. This is always a tough fought game, but the Cyclones seem to always make a crucial mistake or two. Iowa loves to capitalize on those, and although my heart wants the Cyclones, my head says stick with the Hawkeyes. This one should be a very fun game to watch. Iowa 27, Iowa State 24.
#15 Texas at Arkansas
The Longhorns handled a tricky game with the Ragin' Cajuns at home, but now travel to Arkansas to take on their future SEC foe. The Razorbacks have looked better in the first year under Sam Pitman, but theres still a long way to go before they're causing any upsets. The defense is young in the secondary, but they will challenge the Texas run game. Plus hearing that Woo Pig Sooie cheer all day can really get in your head. Texas needs to ground it out with Bijan Robinson again as Hudson Card gets used to the QB1 spot. I'll take the Longhorns with a 30-21 victory.
Washington at Michigan
It's not often you get a night game at the Big House, but when we do the Wolverines have the spotlight. Washington comes to town for another interesting BIG 10 vs. PAC 12 matchup. The Huskies stumbled big time in their season opener, falling to Montana 13-7. The offense has fallen off quite a bit since the Jake Browning-Myles Gaskin days, but that was a tough performance to watch for Husky fans. Dylan Morris threw 3 picks, matching his total from the covid season in 2020. Michigan is breaking in a lot of new talent, including a young QB of their own in Cade MacNamara. He's got plenty of weapons to his disposal on offense, but the Huskies do still have a stout defense. This could be a tricky game for Michigan, and Jim Harbaugh has a habit of losing games he shouldn't. I'd like to see the Wolverines stand out a bit in this one, as I don't think Washington is quite up to snuff. That season opener could be a fluke for the Huskies, but I like the Wolverines to get it done at home. Michigan wins it under the lights 31-20.
#21 Utah at BYU (Battle for the Beehive Boot)
The Holy War is renewed as the Cougars and the Utes meet for the first time since 2019, looking to extend their win streak in this rivalry to 10 games. Charlie Brewer looked good in red as he threw for 233 yards, 2 TDs and 1 pick in his first game as a Ute. He'll look to take advantage of a BYU secondary that gave up nearly 350 yards through the air in the opening week against Arizona. The Cougars are breaking in a new QB to replace the #2 Overall Draft Pick, Zach Wilson. Sophomore Jaren Hall has the reigns and threw the ball fairly well in the first game. He'll be facing a much tougher defense with Utah though, as Kyle Whittingham's crew usually doesn't give up many points. I think BYU has a few too many holes to replace from last season to keep up with Utah. This one is always a battle, but I'll take the Utes with a 34-28 victory over BYU.
Stanford at #14 USC
Traditionally this is always one of the feature games in the PAC 12 Conference. The Cardinal travel to the Coliseum to take on the Trojans after falling flat in Manhattan, Kansas against the Wildcats last week. USC had a strong performance against a tricky San Jose State, but Stanford is always a different challenge. David Shaw usually has his team primed for an upset, but this one favors USC well. Kedon Slovis is out to prove he's an elite QB in the PAC 12 and has a lot of weapons to help him. Stanford really struggled to get their ground game going last week, and the Trojans gave up just 68 yards on the ground. I like USC to make a statement in this game, 36-14.
Buffalo at Nebraska
The Huskers host the Bulls of Buffalo for their second non-conference game, and this one carries a bit more weight than Fordham last week. The Rams were a good confidence boost, but Buffalo is not an easy team to host. The Bulls have a new head coach, but a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Quian Williams is a difficult wideout to cover, and with a veteran QB at the helm, the Husker secondary will be tested again. The Blackshirts have a great opportunity to make a statement in this game, but creating pressure with a pass rush will be key. That was missing a lot last week against Fordham. Defensively for the Bulls, they pose a big threat to the Huskers at the line of scrimmage. Their D-line is big and love to plug up running lanes. This will force Nebraska to try and get the ball to the edges, which has not been very successful under Scott Frost. The O-line needs to give Adrian Martinez protection today and open up some rushing lanes. If Nebraska can get a few turnovers with a short field, that will help tremendously so the offense doesn't have to put together a long drive against this tough front of Buffalo. Hopefully the execution continues to improve and the Huskers can win this one at home 33-21.
Quick Hit Predictions from around CFB:
- Missouri at Kentucky: An SEC East Battle that probably won't mean much at the end of the year, but could still be a fun game to watch in the mix today. Based on last week with these teams, this should be a high scoring affair. Ex-Penn State QB Will Levis is settling in nicely to the Wildcats' system, so I'll take them over the Tigers 41-35.
- Pitt at Tennessee: Kenny Pickett is somehow still the QB at Pitt, and throwing the ball all over the place. Josh Heupel now runs the show for the Vols as Head Coach, and has a lot of young talent to build up. Both teams looked good in the opening games against weaker opponents, but I'll go with the experience. Pitt 31, Tennessee 24.
- Cal at TCU: The Golden Bears still can't get their offense going and Chase Garbers has not been able to improve much at QB. The Horned Frogs are looking to rebuild back, but Max Duggan should get things done at home. TCU 34, Cal 17.
Thank you for reading all my Gameday Predictions and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
No comments:
Post a Comment