Week 4 Predictions

      Welcome to Week 4 Football fans! Out of respect for myself and all other Husker fans, we're just going to move past the Oklahoma game last week and just say everything was BAD for my analysis. There's not much I can find in that game to talk about, so we will just move into Week 4 where we have a lot of great matchups and the Huskers can't hurt me because they're on BYE. I've got predictions on all the big games for this week, so read on and enjoy your College Football Saturday!

Week 3 Record: 9 - 6

Overall Record: 31 - 21

Maryland at #4 Michigan

     Michigan hosts Maryland for their first BIG 10 game and arguably first challenge of the season. The Terps offense can put up points, but Michigan's defense is likely to stifle that pretty quickly. I wouldn't expect this one to stay close for long. Wolverines 42, Terps 21.

#5 Clemson at #21 Wake Forest

     The Tigers have their first major test of the season as they go on the road to take on a very sneaky Wake Forest team. The Demon Deacons had a scare last week nearly losing to Liberty, but have a big chance to make a statement. Sam Hartman will likely impress, but I like Clemson to get themselves back in the top teams conversations. Tigers 35, Demon Deacons 30.

#17 Baylor at Iowa State

     A tricky road test for the Bears as they travel to Ames to take on the undefeated Cyclones. Iowa State will be up against a tough defense with the Bears and will need to get a ground game established quick. Baylor needs QB Blake Shapen to be accurate as ISU will be looking to force turnovers. These Big XII shootouts are tough to pick but I'll take the Bears close on the road. Baylor wins 28-24.

Minnesota at Michigan State

     Sparty was shellshocked out in Seattle last week and needs a big recovery game. However, the Gophers have very quietly dominated (very bad) opponents so far this season, but will have a big first test with BIG 10 foe Michigan State. Star WR Chris Autman-Bell is the X factor in this one, especially as Sparty gave up nearly 400 yards through the air last week. I'm anxious to see if Minnesota is just looking good on paper or in real life, so I'll take the upset here. Gophers 27-21.

#15 Oregon at Washington State

     The Ducks take their high-powered offense on the road to Pullman as the 3-0 Cougars await. Wazzu's big statement so far this year was a road win against Wisconsin, but the Ducks are riding high after their big win over BYU. I think Bo Nix has a big day and Oregon wins this one 38-21.

#10 Arkansas vs #23 Texas A&M

     A classic Southern rivalry takes place in AT&T Stadium as the Hogs take on the Aggies. Texas A&M had a good win against Miami to bounce back a bit after the loss to App State, but Arkansas' offense is a much bigger challenge. The Hogs' defense has struggled though and they've had to battle the last couple weeks, especially against Missouri State last week. The Aggies are still piecing together that offense, and I had Arkansas as my darkhorse, so I'll stick with the Hogs. Woo Pig Sooie as they win 31-28.

#20 Florida at #11 Tennessee

     The Gators travel to Rocky Top to take on the rival Volunteers in a SEC showdown. Fun fact of the day, Gator QB Anthony Richardson has yet to throw a TD pass this season. The Vols have Hendon Hooker who has 15 straight games with a TD pass and leads one of the top offenses in the nation. They run fast and will keep defenses on their heels. This game will be decided by turnovers and right now the Vols are looking like the team to make it happen. Big day up on Rocky Top as the Vols win 36-31.

#7 USC at Oregon State

     BIG upset watch for this game in Corvallis. The Trojans have looked great thus far, but strange things happen late at night when you play Oregon State. The Beavers love to keep games close and WR Tre'Shaun Harrison has caused a number of issues for opposing secondaries. This will be a big challenge for Lincoln Riley, but I think his offense will be up to the challenge. Good game late night in the PAC-12 as USC survives Corvallis with a 31-24 victory.

Quick Hit Predictions

TCU at SMU - Bounce back for the Mustangs, 38-28.

Duke at Kansas - Undefeated Basketball Blue Bloods do battle in football and I'm all in with the Jayhawks. Rock Chalk 35-28.

#22 Texas at Texas Tech - The Red Raiders are in desperate need of a bounce back win. Rival Texas comes to town for a classic Big XII shootout. Too many turnovers gives the victory to the Longhorns though. Hook 'Em as Texas wins 33-24.

Notre Dame at North Carolina - The Irish need to find some offense and need to find it quick. UNC is averaging over 50 points per game on offense but have a difficult time slowing down opposing teams. That's a lot of points to cut though, I've got UNC winning 35-28.

Indiana at Cincy - The Hoosiers have flirted with an L for far too long. Bearcats win 34-21.

Arizona at Cal - Golden Bears at home 36-24.

James Madison at App State - Be careful Mountaineers, James Madison with a surprise 33-21.

Iowa at Rutgers - If you don't like offense, this will be a great dumpster fire for you to watch. This feels like a dumb Iowa victory. Hawkeyes on the road because of a dumb play 17-13.

Wisconsin at #3 Ohio State - Buckeyes BIG 45-21.

K-State at #7 Oklahoma - Boomer Sooner 42-17.

Stanford at Washington - The Huskies are on the CFB map after last week's big win over Sparty. They continue their upward trend with a 38-21.

Thanks for reading my gameday predictions and enjoy all the college football today.

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 3 Predictions

      Good morning football readers! I apologize for the late post but to be completely honest, I'm on a bachelor party weekend and it's going a little too well. Nonetheless, I wanted to make sure you got all my thoughts and opinions on all the big games this weekend. Hope y'all enjoy your College Football Saturday, and I hope I get my voice back soon to cheer on the Huskers.

Week 2 Record: 8 - 8

Overall Record: 22 - 15

#22 Penn State at Auburn

     The Nittany Lions travel down south to take on War Eagle. The Tigers will rely heavily on star RB Tank Bigsby to run the rock. He's the focal point of Auburn's offense, so Penn State will need to tackle well. Offensively, look for Sean Clifford to keep slinging it and test that Auburn defense. He will need to be complimented by Nick Singleton. Penn State's new RB is a star in the making, already racking up 210 yards on just 20 carries. The road atmosphere will be tough, but I don't think Auburn has enough firepower to keep pace. Penn State 28, Auburn 21.

UTSA at #21 Texas

     The Longhorns fell to Bama last week by 1 point at home, and lost their star QB Quinn Ewers in the process. Backup QB Hudson Card also injured his ankle in the game, and has been limited all week. There is a lot of recover just outside the injuries from a loss like last week's, and now they have to host a very dangerous UTSA Roadrunner squad. Look for this one to be close, and if it's close for too long UTSA will take it. The Texas defense looked legit last week though, so I'll give them the nod. Longhorns 33, Roadrunners 24.

#11 Michigan State at Washington

     Sparty takes it on the road to the PNW with a game against the Huskies. Having visited that campus over the summer, I know the UW faithful will be rowdy and ready for this one. Ex-Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. is now with the Huskies and has plenty of experience taking down BIG 10 foes. Both units have yet to be tested so this will show a lot about each team. Sparty's defense is not one to let up though, so look for lots of pressure on Penix Jr. I have always been a big fan of him, especially during his time as a Hoosier. I have a really difficult time picking this game, but I'll take the Spartans due to Mel Tucker's experience. Big test for new HC Kalen DeBoer, but Sparty edges this one out 27-24.

Texas Tech at #16 NC State

     The Red Raiders travel to the East Coast to take on the Wolfpack. Watch out for a shootout in this one, we have two gunslinging QBs in Devin Leary (NC State) and Donovan Smith (TTU). Leary is a veteran and has nearly 450 yards with 5 TDs and just 1 pick so far this season. Smith is a dangerous dual-threat QB that NC State doesn't often see much of in the ACC. This one has sneaky upset written all over it, but I'm not sure TTU is quite to the level of back-to-back upsets in consecutive weeks. Wolfpack hold off the Red Raiders at home, but this one is close. NC STate 38, TTU 35.

#12 BYU at #25 Oregon

     The Cougars had a big win at home over Baylor last week, but now get on the road to Eugene to take on the Ducks. Oregon has a chance to make a new statement with a victory over BYU, but that won't be very easy. This will be a spicy QB battle once again as Jalen Hall and Bo Nix lead their respective offenses. It's tough to get a read on Oregon's defense, but I'm guessing they'll step it up in this one. I think BYU has something special going on though, so I'm taking to Cougars. BYU wins on the road 31-28.

#13 Miami at #24 Texas A&M

     Texas A&M not only lost $1.5 Million to Appalachian State, but also College Gameday after their loss to the Mountaineers. The Aggies dropped 18 spots in the rankings after last week, and now have to recover against a very motivated Hurricanes squad. Both offenses are still trying to find their rhythm with these teams, but defense will be the focus of tonight. Expect a battle in the trenches and lots of pressure on the QBs. Jimbo Fisher needs a big win quick to erase the App State memory, and Miami needs a big win to establish the Mario Cristobal culture. This is a tough one, but I'll look to the Aggies to bounce back. Another good one in College Station! Texas A&M 35, Miami 31.

Troy at Appalachian State

     When you take $1.5 Million and College Gameday from a Top 10 Team, you get your own game analysis in my predictions! The Mountaineers could easily be 2-0 but lost a shoot out to UNC 63-61 in the opening week. Regardless, they have a high-powered offense with playmakers all across the field. Ex-Clemson QB Chase Brice leads the charge with nearly 500 yards and 7 TDs through the air. He's got a lot of talented receivers to throw to, and watch out for the ground game with Camerun Peoples. This is a team about to flex their muscles. Mountaineers win 42-21.

#6 Oklahoma at Nebraska

     There's not much to say other than this is a big chance for the Huskers to make a statement. New head coach, historic rivalry, and a top 10 team visiting Lincoln all point in the direction of a perfect upset. The Husker offense has proven to be able to put up points, but OU is run by one of the best defensive minds in College Football. They have yet to be tested this year, so this will be a good matchup for the spread attack of the Huskers. On defense, the Blackshirts have been taken away, and until some tackles are made, I don't think they will be given back. As usual, Oklahoma has a lot of speed, so the Huskers will need to wrap up and tackle well. QB pressure on Dillon Gabriel will be crucial for victory. This game has a lot of emtotions wrapped up in it for Husker fans, and I'm excited to see the game management done by Micky Joseph. Huskers will have some fire in this one, but unfortunately the Sooners will be a little too tough to stop. Boomer Sooner as OU wins this one 41-28.

Quick Hit Predictions:

Fresno Stat at #7 USC - Quick home stint against the Bulldogs between PAC-12 Road games to Stanford and Oregon State? Upset watch on this one for sure. I think the Trojans pull it out, but Lincoln Riley better make sure his team isn't asleep. USC 34, Fresno State 24.

Purdue at Syracuse - The Orange and Boilermakers meet up for what is likely to be a gunslinging shootout. Both teams feature QBs that love to air it out. I'll say BoilerUp in this one, and it will be a fun game to watch if you're looking for an interesting one. Purdue 38, Syracuse 35.

Cal at Notre Dame - Marcus Freeman has yet to get his first win as ND's head coach. They host Cal from the PAC-12 in this one who are led by ex-Purdue QB Jack Plummer. Watch out for the air raid over the top of the Irish. They need a win soon to get things back on track. Notre Dame holds them off 30-21.

Tulane at K-State - The Green Wave could catch the Wildcats peeking ahead to Oklahoma in this one, so upset watch is on high alert in Manhattan. Deuce Vaughn running the ball complimented by Adrian Martinez on the ground is the best way to go as K-State can rely on their defense again. I think the Power Cats handle it though and beat the spread. 35-17 K-State.

Kansas at Houston - The Cougars have had back to back OT games and now host a sneaky good KU offense. Rock Chalk on the road as they upset Houston 38-34.

Mississippi State at LSU - Mike Leach is looking to spoil Brian Kelley's first SEC game with an unmatched air raid attack. This just feels like a Bulldog upset. Mississippi State wins a stunner 31-27.

SMU at Maryland - Watch out for the Ponies on the road. Maryland has a big road trip to Michigan next week and could easily be sleeping on SMU. Not a wise choice and QB Tanner Mordecai will make them pay. SMU upsets the Terps on the road 36-31.

Thanks for reading my predictions and big shout out to the Appalachian State Chancellor for giving 3 students a year of tuition for the best College Gameday signs. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 2 and Scott Frost Reflections

      There is certainly a lot to reflect on from this past weekend for Husker fans and many others throughout college football. Obviously the big news is the firing of Husker Head Coach Scott Frost. I'll give you all my thoughts on that along with a full break down of Saturday's loss to Georgia Southern. There was plenty of chaos this past Saturday, so read on and let's get caught up before heading into week 4 of the college football season.

     A 45-42 loss at home against Georgia Southern proved to be that final straw to break the camels back. The Huskers had no answer on defense for the Eagle's passing attack, even when simple adjustments would've likely changed the game. Offensive production was good, but once again, poor game management led the Eagles to having the ball last with time. I've got my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD break down for you.

GOOD - Husker offense & Brian Buschini. I do tip my cap to the Husker offense in this one. While not facing a very formidable opponent, Nebraska was able to move the ball consistently throughout the game and racked up 575 yards. That, combined with 42 points, usually wins you the game... usually. Buschini was also a bright spot, punting 4 times with a long of 65 and average of 50.5. He did a fabulous job of flipping the field, forcing Georgia Southern to drive the length of the field all game long. Hopefully he won't be used too much moving forward as Thompson gets into more rhythm with his wideouts and Anthony Grant continues to run the rock hard. Solid performance by the offensive unit. O-line still struggling with protection though.

EXPECTED - Dumb mistakes. This is a common theme with Husker games over the last few years, but particularly in the form of penalties, this game had a lot of dumb mistakes. The Huskers racked up 10 penalties, accounting for 77 total yards. Georgia Southern only had 3 for 15 yards. There were false starts, holdings, pass interference, and the dumbest of them all was an offsides, BY A CORNER BACK! The Huskers have been plagued by penalty issues for years, but they seem to become more and more boneheaded each game. This needs to be cleaned up immediately. Other dumb mistakes come from coaching. No adjustments on defense, throwing the ball to the endzone with 3 minutes left in the game versus bleeding the clock. Game management is absolutely key.

BAD - There's a lot of words I could use to describe the defense in this game, but we'll stick with bad for simplicity. The "blackshirts" gave up 642 (409 Passing) and 45 points to the Sun Belt reps, Georgia Southern Eagles. There were no adjustments made to counter the quick, underneath passing game. There were no signs that anyone on the defense knew how to make an open field tackle. There was no pressure on the QB. There was just nothing with this defense. The GSU game play was simple, Nebraska is going to play 12 yards off the ball with outside shade (closer to the sideline) in the secondary, so we'll just run crossing routes and slants over the middle. Easy pitch and catch for Kyle Vantrease, who nearly doubled his passing total of 224 yards from last year when he played against the Huskers as a member of Buffalo. The solution was simple, press up the secondary and force the receivers to beat you over the top. It was clear that Vantresase could not throw a very accurate deep ball, so make him beat you down field where your safeties can help in coverage and force more picks. This was horrendous coaching despite being a very simple fix to a fairly basic offensive attack.

     Overall it was almost sickening to watch. By the middle of the third quarter you knew the last team to touch the ball would win the game, and you also knew Nebraska would not have the ball last. I tip my cap to Clay Helton and Georgia Southern. They went after it and took full advantage of the loose and lackadaisical defense the Huskers put up. I actually enjoyed the Eagle's offense so much I took some of their plays and implemented them into my offense with the 8th graders I coach. Sometimes the Husker defense shows me exactly how to game plan for 8th grade football. Oh well, onto Oklahoma.

     The shocking announcement on Sunday morning was that Scott Frost had been fired from his head coaching position at Nebraska. I was actually in the middle of coaching my 8th graders to a 21-0 victory, so naturally I've got all my materials ready to apply for the job. My career goals aside though, this firing led me to two tracks of mind. The first track is simply a reflection of the past 4 and 1/4 seasons for Husker Football. I was incredibly excited when Scott Frost was hired at the end of 2017, and could not have ever imagined an end to his tenure like this. After a 16-31 record as Head Coach of the Huskers, the boosters and Athletic Department finally had enough. I still cannot understand how he managed to fail this job in such a horrific fashion. Frost was given every resource imaginable, brought in some talented players and even some talented coaches, had full control of everything that touched Husker Football, had the entire Husker Fanbase drooling over him, yet he still could not deliver. I don't begin to claim understanding on the pressure that falls upon the shoulders of those who don the title of Head Football Coach at Nebraska, but with so much potential it's sad to see the opportunity squandered.

      The second track of mind goes to the wastefulness of the Athletic Department. Not necessarily the extra $7.5 million they're paying Frost to leave 3 weeks early, but more so the waste of the season. I'm excited to see what Mickey Joseph brings to the table, and certainly wish him all the best. However, if you fire Frost in the offseason, like any other program would, you now give your new coach an opportunity to start their culture build and set a baseline with year 1 of their tenure. The Athletic Department was looking to make a statement on Sunday by letting Frost go, but you spent the offseason restructuring his contract so you don't have to pay as much come October 2nd. Again, I know money's not an issue in these situations, but you now wasted the time you spent changing the contract, you waste the $7.5 million and worst of all, you delay the Husker Football program's ability to grow and move on by another year minimum. This is a great power move for Trev Alberts as he'll be able to pick his coach and then stick around to oversee them for a while. Certainly an interesting series of events and more to come as the coaching search begins. I'll have a post soon about who my top candidates are and why.

Other Highlights in College Football:

- Alabama narrowly defeats Texas 20-19 on the road in Austin. The Longhorns' defense was very impressive, but I think the bigger story is how Bama finds offense outside of Bryce Young.

- 3 Top 10 Teams fell on Saturday as Texas A&M lost to Appalachian State at home, Marshall beat Notre Dame in front of Touchdown Jesus, and the Baylor Bears fell to the BYU Cougars on the road in overtime.

- Kentucky went into the Swamp and smashed the Gators with a 26-16 victory. Watch out for this team in the SEC.

- Another SEC dark horse is Arkansas. The Hogs let South Carolina back in the game for a bit, but turned it on wild with a 23 point fourth quarter, sealing the 44-30 win.

- Tennessee pulled a big upset on the road at Pitt in overtime.

- Washington State surprised everyone by knocking off the Badgers in Camp Randle. Maybe there's still hope for the Huskers in the BIG 10 this year.

- Iowa State FINALLY beat Iowa as the Hawkeyes scored their first and only TD of the season thus far. No matter what happens on my CFB Saturdays with the Huskers, when Iowa and Texas lose it's still a good day.

- Kansas State has a very tough defense to watch out for and ex-Husker QB Adrian Martinez played well in rainy conditions versus Mizzou.

- Duke and UNC escape with close victories. Unfortunately the Blue Devils got theirs over Northwestern in Evanston, so that doesn't help the Huskers.

- Lots of close games down to the wire and overtime this past weekend. Watch out for teams like Oregon State, Kansas and Texas Tech for sneaky upsets this year.

- Star QB Sam Hartman returned for Wake Forest this week after dealing with blood clots. It was great to see him back on the field as he threw for 300 yards and 4 TDs to help lead the Demon Deacons to a 45-25 victory.

Thanks for reading my reflections post and watch for my Week 3 Predictions coming soon. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando