Welcome to Week 7 of College Football and we've got one of the best slates of games in years! The Huskers are on a BYE this week, but there is so much action set to take place in the world of college football today. I've got a full list of predictions for you, but first is my breakdown of the Huskers' victory at home over Rutgers last week. This is a jam packed post, so read on and enjoy your college football Saturday!
The Huskers head into the BYE week victorious as they held off the Scarlet Knights last week in Memorial Stadium. It was not an overly exciting game by any means, but the Blackshirts stood strong to help the struggling offense and the Huskers earned a much needed BIG 10 win. I've got my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD breakdown for this game below.
GOOD: The Blackshirts and Brian Buschini. Starting with the Husker defense, the Goal line stand in the third quarter was incredible, and I had a great view of it from Row 6 in South Stadium. The Blackshirts controlled the line of scrimmage after Rutgers ran well early in the game, and they kept a lot of pressure on QB Athan Kaliakmanis as they sacked him 4 times. They still have yet to give up a rushing touchdown this season and locked up one of the best backs in the nation as Kyle Monangai rushed for just 78 yards. They'll need to keep this up as the back half of the schedule becomes very tough for the Huskers. Now to my MVP of the game, Brian Buschini had a day. The newly crowned BIG 10 Special Teams player of the week showed he is one of the toughest guys on this team after getting hit on the first punt of the game and was visibly injured every time he gingerly walked onto the field. Despite being banged up and having a severe lack of protection, he booted 5 punts for 251 yards (50.2 yard average) with 2 downed inside the 20 yard line and an absolute BOMB to flip the field with 4 minutes left after sending it 69 yards to the Rutgers 11. Last but not least, he completed a 30 yard pass on a beautifully designed fake punt. The pass was the best one of anyone on the field all day and Buschini is the only bright spot in a very dark and dismal special teams room.
EXPECTED: Freshman struggles for Dylan Raiola. The Husker offense looked very sluggish on Saturday, and Dylan Raiola showed some struggles you would expect from a true freshman QB. Greg Schiano is a great defensive coach and was disguising a lot of different coverages which seemed to cause a lot of confusion for Raiola. He completed a season low 48.1% of his passes for just 134 yards and 1 pick. Raiola was also sacked 4 times due to the coverage by Rutgers and overall this was not a great game for him. That's going to happen, this offense still has a lot of growing to do before 30 points per game is a consistent mark. There were a few throws I expect Dylan to learn from though, especially the few where he nearly killed his wideouts by throwing them into a defender over the middle. It didn't seem like he was making the reads as quickly as the first few games of the season, and I'm sure the defensive scheme was not easy to decifer. Unfortunately I doubt this will be his only struggle game, but knowing him from his recruitment, he'll take a lot of notes and build from those mistakes quickly.
BAD: Protection and communication. Both offensively and on special teams, the protection of Raiola and Buschini were atrocious. Dylan had his own issues as mentioned above, but he was sacked 4 times and the run game mustered just 2.3 yards per carry. There was no push up front which really limits this offense. On special teams, it was very clear from my vantage point in the stands when and where the Rutgers defender would be blitzing from on the punts in order to block them, yet I saw no one point, talk or communicate in any way to their teammates that he should be blocked. As a coach, lack of communication on the field from your team is one of the most frustrating things to occur. If the Huskers don't learn to communicate better on special teams and the offensive line, struggles will continue.
Week 6 Record: 12 - 5
Overall Record: 73 - 35
Week 7 Predictions:
South Carolina at #7 Alabama
One of last week's biggest upsets was the mighty Crimson Tide of Bama falling to Vanderbilt. The most unlikely of upsets, but something that you don't want to follow on the schedule. South Carolina got stomped themselves as they mustered just 3 points against the Ole Miss Rebels last week. Now they have to travel to Tuscaloosa to square off a pissed off Alabama? Not ideal, but you've gotta play who is on your schedule. The Gamecocks do have a formidable pass rush though, and Bama gave up a couple sacks to Vandy last week with a solid pass rush. That might be one of the few ways to slow down this offense though, as I expect Alabama to get reset very quickly and bring some firepower on offense. Expect a much better game from Jalen Milroe if he can stay protected. The most important thing for Alabama is to figure out the defensive gaps that have plagued them over the last 6 quarters of football. Since halftime of the Georgia game, Alabama has given up 67 points. I think South Carolina could have some success if Rocket Sanders can break free, but give me the Tide in a bounce back game 31-14.
Washington at Iowa
The Huskies just knocked off Michigan as part of the weekend of upsets, but now travel to the heartland as they square up against the Hawkeyes. Washington has been looked past a bit this season after losing to Wazzu and Rutgers early in the year, but both of those were one score games, and Iowa doesn't score many points. They have a powerful rushing attack with Kaleb Johnson, as he averages 7.9 yards per carry and has 10 TDs on the ground this year. Washington did allow 174 rush yards on the ground to Michigan, but much like the Hawkeyes, they are one dimensional, so the rest of the offense should be limited no matter what. Cade McNamara has really struggled this season, and now faces the 3rd best pass defense in the nation. If the Huskies can slow down Johnson enough and force Iowa to pass, this game will go the way of the Huskies. On the offensive side, they have to navigate a difficult Iowa defense. Will Rogers is an experienced QB from SEC territory, and has 1,625 yards with 12 TDs and just 1 pick on the season. Despite the two time zone travel, even for an 11 AM kickoff, give me the Huskies to win on the road. Bet the under with this matchup, but I'll take Washington 20-14.
#1 Texas vs #18 Oklahoma State (Red River Rivalry)
Longhorn QB Quinn Ewers is back from injury as Texas and Oklahoma square off for their annual Red River Rivalry (SEC Version). Oklahoma's offense has been the struggle this year, but defensively under Brent Venables, they've been very strong. They allow just 16.0 points per game on average and have 18 sacks racked up through just 5 games. Last year in the Red River Rivalry, OU sacked Quinn Ewers 5 times, so expect them to bring lots of pressure again today. Speaking of Ewers, as mentioned, he's cleared to play after missing the last couple of games with an oblique injury. He plugs back into an offense that has been firing on all cylinders this season, averaging over 500 yards per game and 45 points per game. Oklahoma will slow them down and this game gets crazy sometimes, but I'm not sure Jackson Arnold and the very limited receiver room can keep pace all game with Texas who will find the endzone eventually. Give me the Horns in a tough battle as they pull away late for a 30-20 win.
#4 Penn State at USC
The Nittany Lions make a cross country trip out to the Coliseum to take on the Trojans who are still adjusting to rugged BIG 10 play following a loss to Minnesota. The Gophers made life very difficult for Miller Moss by controlling the line of scrimmage early and deflecting 8 passes while intercepting 2 others. Penn State has not been extremely dominant in terms of scoreboard victories, but they do control the game and it starts up front. This is one of the more dynamic offenses on their schedule though, and I would expect these two QBs to ball out. Miller Moss has a tremendous amount of weapons Ja'Kobi Lane, Zachariah Branch, Kyron Hudson and many more. Penn State's defense has experience, but this amount of weapons will give anyone headaches. Penn State can win this game with Drew Allar commanding the offense. Nick Singleton will pace things in the run game, but not turning the ball over is where Drew Allar excels. He has just 3 interceptions in his career, and needs to keep that stat in similar shape if they want to win on the road. I think Penn State will out physical USC and win 33-24.
Stanford at #11 Notre Dame
The Trees travel to South Bend as the annual rivalry game against Notre Dame and the Fighting Irish. The Cardinal have been stomped on by Clemson and Virginia Tech in ACC play the last couple of weeks so not great momentum coming into this game. Last year's game on the Farm wasn't particularly close as the Irish won 56-23, but Stanford did win the last battle in South Bend 16-14. I expect Notre Dame to come out running the ball with Riley Leonard and Jeremiyah Love who both average over 6 yards per carry and have combined for 12 TDs so far this season. The Cardinal are strong against the run, ranking 13th in the nation and allowing fewer than 90 yards per game. Should be a fun battle, but give me Notre Dame 28-14.
California at #22 Pitt
The Golden Bears blew a 25 point lead against Miami at home last week and now travel all the way east to take on a Pitt team with one of the most underrated offenses in the nation. The Panthers currently rank 4th in the nation with 522 yards per game on average and put up 45.6 points per week. The Golden Bears were shredded in the second half and especially the 4th quarter by Cam Ward and the Miami offense. I think this Cal team has a lot of potential and can certainly cause upsets, but this one will be tough on the road. The Cal defense has a lot of takeaways and added a couple more last week against Miami. If Pitt QB Eli Holstein can keep control of the rock, he's got a great weapon in Konata Mumpfield who averages 18.5 yards per catch. Give me Pitt to keep winning and move to 6-0 after a 35-27 home win.
Arizona at #14 BYU
Much like Pitt, the BYU Cougars are a surprise unbeaten through the first part of the season and are one of the leaders in the Big XII. Arizona comes into LaVell Edwards Stadium following a home loss to Texas Tech. QB Noah Fifita has looked very much out of rhythm this season, and now faces a BYU team ranking 24th in pass defense, allowing just 171 yards per game. Star wideout Tetairoa McMillan is still a handful to deal with, averaging 17.9 yards per catch. He's about the only weapon on a struggling Arizona offense, so look for the Cougars to key on him. Offensively, all eyes will be on BYU QB Jake Retzlaff, who has thrown for more than 1,200 yards with 12 TDs and 5 picks. He's also the leading rusher on the team, so is just a headache all around for opposing teams. This game will be determined on turnovers, so watch for the defenses to be aggressive in the passing game. I like the Cougars at home for a 23-20 victory.
Florida at #8 Tennessee
The Gators and Vols square off in Rocky Top for their annual rivalry. Tennessee is coming off the heels of their loss on the road to Arkansas, and now host a Gators squad they've only beaten twice since 2004. This is a game Tennessee cannot lose, but Florida likely has other plans. They're coming off a solid win against UCF last week and 13 sacks on the season so they still get after QBs. Tennessee has given up 10 sacks this season, and Nico Iamaleava has struggled in the last couple weeks against Oklahoma and Arkansas being sacked 7 times in those two games combined. He's been holding the ball a little bit longer and opposing defenses have taken advantage by applying pressure. This is almost always the game that Tennessee flops in this season, and losing to Florida in this scenario would likely dash their playoff hopes pretty hard. I think they can bounce back from their loss last week, but they need to protect the QB. Give me the Vols with hesitation to win 33-28.
#9 Ole Miss at #13 LSU (Magnolia Bowl)
Ole Miss and LSU meet for a classic SEC rivalry under the lights in Death Valley. Last year's game was a 55-49 shootout between Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels. Daniels is lighting up NFL scoreboards now, but Dart has one more shot at the Tigers. LSU is coming off a BYE week though, and has been able to watch a lot of film from Ole Miss the last couple weeks. The Rebels bounced back quick from their stumble against Kentucky, playing a much faster pace game against South Carolina. I expect another shootout as Garret Nussmeier has taken the offensive lead for the Tigers and has 15 TDs with just 4 picks so far. Whichever defense can force turnovers wins this game. This is a tough pick, but it's almost impossible to win as a road team in Death Valley at night. Give me the Tigers at home in a thriller 37-35 victory.
#11 Iowa State at West Virginia
The Cyclones travel to Coal Country as the Mountaineers will wear a special blackout jersey to honor the coal miners. Iowa State has very quietly formed one of the most balanced teams you'll see in College Football. They have just under 1,000 rush yards on the season, just over 1,200 passing yards and score an average of 31.2 points per game. Defensively, they do struggle against the run which favors West Virginia, but rank 5th in pass defense while also allowing just 10 points per game. West Virginia has bounced back from early season blunders by smacking Oklahoma State 38-14 last week. Both of these teams sit at 2-0 in Big XII Conference play, so a win tonight will be a big boost for the potential Playoff BYE with the conference crown. The Mountaineers will be ruckus tonight and I expect a defensive slug fest as they look to get pressure on Rocco Becht. Oddly enough, Becht's father is a West Virginia football legend and will be honored at tonight's game. His son will be honored after the game though, and I think Becht leads this team to a Big XII win under the lights. Give me the Cyclones to win 24-20.
#18 Kansas State at Colorado
The Buffs are coming off a BYE and now host one of the best rushing teams in the nation. We saw Colorado out physical UCF a couple of weeks ago, but K-State is a different beast. Avery Johnson may struggle at times in the passing game, but his ability to break games open with his legs is unmatched. The key in this game will be if K-State can limit the big plays from Colorado. The Wildcats typically dominate time of possession, but this year rank in the mid-90s, just a couple of spots ahead of Colorado. If they can keep the ball out of the hands of Shedeur Sanders, they have a good chance to grind out this game. However, Travis Hunter is an absolute ball hawk on defense, and will look to force turnovers. I trust K-State to be the more consistent team, so I'll pick the Wildcats to win 27-21 on the road. This could easily fall in favor of the Buffs though.
#2 Ohio State at #3 Oregon
Gameday is set up in Eugene as the Buckeyes and Ducks square off as BIG 10 foes for the first time. Ohio State has not been tested much this season, but Oregon's defense will change that narrative very quickly. Dan Lanning's crew allows just 17.0 points per game and love to create havoc in the backfield by racking up 16 sacks through the season thus far. Ohio State has every weapon imaginable on their offense, but the most dangerous in my opinion is true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith. He's racked up 453 yards on just 23 catches for an average 19.7 yards per catch with 6 TDs. Most of the time he needs just 1 hand to catch these passes and Oregon will have all their hands full with him. Offensively, Oregon has been a bit off pace at times, but their steady hand as been Junior RB Jordan James. He averages 6.3 yards per carry for the Ducks and could be the game breaker for the Ducks' offense. Ohio State has a lot of speed everywhere on the field, but the best way to slow that down is to chew clock with the run game. If Oregon can get James running well early, this could be a long day for the Buckeyes. I like this Oregon team a lot, but they've had struggles in these big games if you look back to when they played Washington last season. Give me the Buckeyes to give them a proper BIG 10 welcome with a 34-28 victory.
Quick Hit Predictions:
#10 Clemson at Wake Forest - Tigers continue to roll 38-10.
Purdue at #23 Illinois - Boilerdown and down bad, Illini 35, Boilermakers 10.
Cincy at UCF - Turnovers for UCF let Cincy win 27-21 on the road.
Syracuse at NC State - Kyle McCord has a very big night, 'Cuse win 40-21.
Louisville at Virginia - Cards are spiraling and Virginia is playing very solid defense. Cavs 28-20.
Washington State at Fresno State - Both teams off a BYE, Coogs bounce back first. 31-23 Wazzu.
Wisconsin at Rutgers - Rutgers needs to run the ball, otherwise they lose. I'll take them at home because I still don't trust Wisconsin. Scarlet Knights 23, Badgers 17.
Thanks for reading my Week 7 Predictions and enjoy this wonderful day of College Football!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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