Welcome to Week 6 College Football Fans and with the Huskers playing tonight at Rutgers, I've got a special Friday post for my gameday predictions. There was supposed to be a lot of big headline games this week due to offseason drama and early season rankings, but with the chaotic start to the season some of these games have lost their luster. However, that just means the stage is set for more chaos to ensue. I've got all the big games to watch listed below with some keys and who will be victorious. Enjoy!
#8 Tennessee at #25 LSU
The Volunteers are red hot this season and bring the #1 ranked offense into Death Valley to take on an LSU squad who is starting to get their feet underneath them. The Tigers have reeled off 4 straight wins since their opening week fiasco with Florida State, and are hanging tough in the division with two wins over Mississippi State and Auburn. Hendon Hooker could get in the mix of some Heisman talks as he's thrown for nearly 1,200 yards and 8 TDs so far this season. The LSU defense will need to be ready to defend the deep pass as the Vols love to throw down field. On the flip side, Jayden Daniels is just about everything for the Tigers' offense, leading them with 915 pass yards and 321 rushing yards. Tennessee will need to keep pressure and contain on him to force 3rd and long situations. He picks up a lot of third downs with his legs. This is one of the first games of the day on Saturday, so the night factor of Death Valley is taken out. This should be a good one to watch early in the day but I like Tennessee's offense to finish this game off with a statement. Volunteers 31, Tigers 27.
Texas Tech at #7 Oklahoma State
A wild shootout could ensue in Stillwater as the Red Raiders and the Cowboys take the field. Both offenses are two of the best in the Big XII, and the Pokes rank 5th in scoring offense in the nation. Both defenses are better than you'd expect for the Big XII, but this game could open up quick. Spencer Sanders has picked up from his previous seasons, tossing for nearly 1,100 yards with 11 TDs and 2 picks. Donovan Smith leads the Red Raiders, but I'm not sure they'll be able to keep pace in this one. They'll score some points, but like last week their opponent will pull away. Cowboys win this one 44-30.
#11 Utah at #18 UCLA
Easily one of the most interesting matchups of the weekend takes place out West with the Utes and Bruins looking to stay unbeaten. There's no North & South Division in the PAC-12 anymore, so this win really helps boost a team toward the conference championship. Utah has been dominant since their opening week loss to Florida, averaging 42 points per game while giving up just 14.4. UCLA is a sneaky 5-0 this season and could really make a statement with back to back wins over ranked conference foes. Chip Kelley once again has a top tier offense in the nation, ranked 8th with over 500 yards per game and nearly 42 points. Home field advantage isn't going to factor in much due to the crowds at UCLA games, but this game just has a weird feeling about it. I really like both teams and I think there's a good chance they both end up in Vegas for the conference championship. I'll take the Utes and see if UCLA can keep proving me wrong. Great one to watch Saturday afternoon. Utah wins 36-31.
#16 BYU at Notre Dame
An interesting battle between the Mormons and Catholics is set up in South Bend as the Cougars come to town against Notre Dame. The Irish are starting to get back on track and coming out of a BYE week they should be well rested and prepared for this one. BYU QB Jaren Hall has been throwing wild for the Cougars, racking up nearly 1,500 pass yards with 12 TDs and just 1 pick. Notre Dame has struggled a bit against the pass so this could be an interesting game. You never know what BYU team will show up, and in a hostile environment after a BYE week Notre Dame should be prepared. I'll give the Irish the nod this one as they win 30-21.
#20 Kansas State at Iowa State
Everyone has been talking about this Adrian Martinez kid down at K-State and how impressive he's been, so I guess I better get on board. Martinez has boosted the Wildcats' offense with 12 total TDs so far, 9 of which have come on the ground. Combined with the rushing monster of Deuce Vaughn K-State has rolled over their last few opponents. The Cyclones fell to Kansas last week and Baylor the week before. They're quickly falling out of Big XII Title contention and now have a hot team coming to Ames. Luckily, the Cyclones love to upset people at home and I think they're due for one. Iowa State pulls this one out in a close game 26-23.
Washington State at #6 USC
The Cougars are looking to stay in the PAC-12 race as they travel to LA to take on the Trojans. USC has yet to face much of a conference challenge outside of their trip to Corvallis, but don't take the Cougars for granted. They may have given up a double-digit lead at Oregon, but they have some playmakers. However, Wazzu is -3 in the turnover margin and USC leads the nation with a staggering +14 on the season, 5 more than any other team. You don't want to give Lincoln Riley and that offense more opportunities. Trojans light it up 42-28.
Florida State at #14 NC State
The ‘Noles fell to Wake Forest last week and the Wolfpack were bitten by the Tigers of Clemson, both for their first losses of the season. This is a big bounce back game for both teams as they look to keep pace in the ACC. NC State coming back home will look to use the crowd to their advantage and fire up their defense. FSU will need to hang onto the ball in this one because the Wolfpack defense is hungry for turnovers after last week. I’ll take the home team 31-17.
#17 TCU at #19 Kansas
We finally got it folks, College GAMEDAY is headed to Lawerence, KS. The undefeated Jayhawks are hosting the undefeated Horned Frogs. TCU is coming off their demolishing off the Sooners and will look to blow the top off of KU’s defense with their high powered offense and downfield passing attack. TCU has blown their opponents out of the water all season long, averaging 48.5 points per game. Senior QB Max Duggan has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards so far this season with 11 TDs and no interceptions. Kansas has found a way to win a lot of close games and make key stands on defense at just the right time. TCU has not been in many close games yet this season and if they don’t build an early lead quickly I’m not sure how they’ll handle that situation. With the Gameday atmosphere and all the hype in Lawrence, I like Kansas to step up to the challenge. Rock Chalk as the Jayhawks remain unbeaten and win a thriller at home 29-24.
Nebraska at Rutgers
The Friday night feature of the week takes place in Piscataway, NJ as my Huskers take on the Scarlet Knights. Nebraska has its first road test under interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph and while this is a very winnable game, Rutgers is more than capable of causing dismay among Husker Fans. They have the 18th ranked rush defense in the nation, which poses a threat to Nebraska’s offensive game with Anthony Grant. Don’t get me wrong, Grant still needs the rock, but it could be tough sledding. Converting 3rd downs will be a big key in this one, and they could be with some distance to them. Expect Rutgers to put a lot of pressure on Casey Thompson and press the Husker receivers. Opponents are averaging just over 30% on third down against Rutgers' defense, and the Husker offense ranks 13th in the nation in converting third downs with nearly 51%. Offensively, the Scarlet Knights have not been impressive in any way, shape or form, so if the Husker defense can muster up a performance similar to last week then we could see a solid win by the Huskers. They haven’t played well on the road in years, but I’m feeling good about this one. Despite Rutgers being favored, I think the Huskers put together back-to-back wins and beat the Scarlet Knights 34-30 on the road.
Quick Hit Predictions:
Arkansas at #23 Mississippi State - The Hogs have fallen from the high ranks over the last couple weeks and their defense has been spiraling. Never a good thing when you're about to face the Pirate and his high-powered air attack. Bulldogs win 37-27.
Auburn at #2 Georgia - The Bulldogs had a scare with Missouri last week but don't think they'll let that happen again. Auburn has had a few close ones but I fear this could get ugly. UGA wins it 40-17.
Purdue at Maryland - An under the radar game in the BIG 10 takes place out East as the Boilermakers take on the Terps. Both squads have a dynamic passing attack, so we could see some points in this one. Purdue never seems to step up when I make predictions on them to win, but I don't trust Maryland. BoilerUP as they win on the road for the second week in a row 38-31.
Texas at Oklahoma - The Red River Rivalry (I still refuse to call it showdown) features an unranked matchup for the first time in a quarter of a century. Both teams have been up and down, but the horns do get QB Quinn Ewers back. We'll see if he can provide a spark, but the Texas defense is the key. If they step up, they could keep Oklahoma spiraling. I really don't know who to pick for this one, but I'll say the Husker curse sticks and OU keeps losing. Hook 'Em as Texas wins the Golden Hat 33-28.
Iowa at Illinois - This BIG 10 West features an Illinois team that just held Wisconsin to 2 total rushing yards and an Iowa team that still has their defense score most of their points. Watch out for Bret Bielema's squad in this one. Fighting Illini win an important divisional game at home 20-14.
Texas A&M at #1 Alabama - This game was supposed to be one of the best of the season after the offseason drama with coaches talking back and forth about the money paid to recruits. However, the Aggies have fallen off quickly with out much of an offensive attack and the Tide are starting to wake up after a sluggish start to the season. Roll Tide as Bama makes this one ugly in prime time. Alabama 44, Texas A&M 14.
Thanks for reading my Gameday predictions and enjoy your weekend of College Football. GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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