College Football Week 4: Quick Picks

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 ~ David ~ Leave a comment

We had some unbelievable games in College Football last week and we’re getting close to the start of conference play for most conferences. Again it’ll be a short preview of some must watch games in CFB but we won’t dive in too deep. 12 games, 12 quick picks, 1 long post on Week 4 of College Football

Last week’s record: 8-3. Not bad, but I look to eclipse that

Jack Coan leads the Irish into Chicago to battle his former team. The Irish have looked shaky, but last week’s win against Purdue silenced any doubters. Wisconsin is looking for a big win to vault them into conference play, and beating the Irish will do just that

PREDICTION: Notre Dame’s defense is the difference in this game. They’re gonna stop the run and force Graham Mertz to throw and he hasn’t been great this season when he has to win games by himself. Notre Dame wins this game in an upset

Bijan Robinson leads the Longhorns into conference play against in-state foe Texas Tech. The Red Raiders can score a lot of points and are playing much better on defense, especially against the run only giving up 54 yards per game on the ground. Texas cannot go to 2-2 to start this season under Steve Sarkisian, but what a win this could be for Texas Tech on the road in Austin

UPSET PREDICTION: Texas Tech will score too many points in Austin and I’m a believer in this Texas Tech defense. Red Raiders go on the road and get the upset

Connor Bazelak is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in College Football, but this is a big test for Missouri before conference play. BC is hosting its first SEC school in almost 35 years and ran the ball extremely well. Two offenses that are strong on different styles of attack will be on display at the Heights this Saturday

PREDICTION: Can’t go against my BC Eagles. I actually do think they’ll win this game. BC can run the football and Mizzou can’t stop the run. Bazelak will have a good game, but BC wins at home

I don’t even know who’s going to win this game. Both defenses are bad, and the offenses are worse. Big game for Utah after losing two in a row after such a high ranking out of the PAC 12 and I don’t think Washington State wants to go to 0-2 in the PAC 12 if they lose this game.

PREDICTION: Tough pick. I’m gonna go with Utah mainly because they’re playing at home

Big game on a big stage when A&M battles Arkansas. Obviously the winner has a good chance to contend in the SEC West, but how big of a win would this be for a program like Arkansas? The Razorbacks were laughingstocks over the last couple seasons but they have a very solid run stopping defense and an offense that can score a lot of points. Jimbo and the Aggies have their work cut out for them with a backup quarterback and their first legitimate test of the season against the Razorbacks

UPSET PREDICTION: A&M is dealing with injuries in some key spots, Arkansas is playing with a lot of firepower. I like the Razorbacks to end the losing streak against A&M. They will shut down the Aggies running attack and win a low scoring game and everyone in the SEC West should be on the lookout for Arkansas

Legit question: DOES ANYONE WANT TO WIN THE ACC? I mean, come on man. Clemson has looked awful against the Power 5 and they’ve only scored 17 points in both Power 5 games this season. One of those games was last week against Georgia Tech and they only won by six against a team they’ve decimated over the last few years. Watch out, Clemson. NC State has kept the last couple games close and can score, so this won’t be a pushover game unless Clemson’s offense can turn things around

UPSET PREDICTION: NC State wins this game. At home, Clemson can’t score, NC State can, and I believe in the Wolfpack defense

The Cyclones look for an all important BIG 12 opening victory in Waco against the undefeated Bears. However, Baylor’s undefeated record is a little misleading considering the Bears three opponents have a combined record of 1-5. The Cyclones bring in ones of the best defenses in all of College Football so look for it to be on display on the Brazos River in a crucial BIG 12 showdown

PREDICTION: I think Baylor’s heading in the right direction but after watching ISU’s offense get back on track last week, I think they’ll pull out the win in Waco. Cyclones defense is the difference. ISU wins on the road but I’d take Baylor +7

Florida’s loss to Alabama confirmed that the Gators will still be in the mix of an SEC title and perhaps even a CFP berth if they keep winning. Dangerous game for Florida against Tennessee who can score some points with Virginia Tech transfer, Hendon Hooker. The Vols lone loss was a seven point defeat to Pittsburgh at home, but I like what I see out of their offense right now. Can Florida get over last week’s loss in time to battle their old Southern rival

PREDICTION: I like Tennessee to cover but the Gators will win. They’ll start slow because of last week, but I think this defense makes a couple plays and Anthony Richardson is healthy and the Gators win at home in a close game

Michigan State did pull the upset and looked fantastic against Miami last week in South Florida, but now after handling all the praise, can they get back down to Earth? Nebraska was a couple miscues away from beating Oklahoma so they have to have gained some confidence from last week. Watch out, Spartans. A possible upset is in play in East Lansing

UPSET PREDICTION: If Nebraska doesn’t turn the ball over, I think they’ll win this game. I was impressed with them last week and I wonder how Mel Tucker’s team will act being in the Top 20 for the first time since 2018. Cornhuskers get the upset

Oklahoma hasn’t looked dominant to start the season. They had three cupcake games to start the schedule (yes Nebraska included) and didn’t look good in two of them. Spencer Rattler’s turnover problems from last year have continued to start this year and this offense can’t get going at times. It took a miraculous interception among other turnovers for them to escape Nebraska. Now I don’t think West Virginia will be a great BIG 12 team this season, but Jarret Doege has played well and Leddie Brown can run the football and I like what I’m seeing from this defense. Oklahoma has to play like they are the #4 team in College Football at home, under the lights and the nation’s eye, on Saturday night to earn back some respect

PREDICTION: This will be the day that Oklahoma finally gets going. They will win by 14 points. WVU’s defense will keep it close for at least three quarters but they don’t have enough offense to win this game. Oklahoma wins but WVU covers

Oregon kicks off PAC 12 play against Arizona. Since Kevin Sumlin was fired last season, the Wildcats still haven’t figured out their issues. Arizona can’t run the ball or stop the run. Oregon is the opposite. They have a lot of speed in their backfield and a quarterback who can run and throw and a good run stopping defense. Not to mention, they’re going to get Kayvon Thibodeaux among others back from injury really soon.

PREDICTION: Charlie just moved into Eugene and he’s at the game. No chance for Arizona. Oregon by 35

Back to the drawing board for both Colorado and Arizona State. What happened to Colorado last week against Minnesota? Minnesota’s defense isn’t good and the Buffaloes got shutout which doesn’t happen very often especially in Boulder. The Buffs have to find an identity in their passing game. ASU did score but lost a heartbreaker in Provo to BYU. The Sun Devils turned the ball over too much despite Jayden Daniels having an efficient day. Good chance to get right against Colorado on a late Saturday night in Tempe

PREDICTION: ASU bounces back if they don’t turn the ball over. Colorado can’t pass the football and can’t stop the pass. ASU wins at home

NFL Week 3 Matchups: Previews, Thoughts, and Predictions

September 23, 2021 ~ David ~ Leave a comment

A great Week 2 is in the books

Lots of great games last week. My Carolina Panthers probably pulled off the stunner of the week by upsetting the Saints. The Patriots beat the Jets behind some great defense. Speaking of great defense, that’s how Tampa and the Rams both pulled off wins. Seattle is the first NFC West team to fall after a loss to Tennessee. And Lamar and the Ravens finally got the Mahomes monkey off their backs

Week 3 should be great. We have some rematches from last year with Tampa and the Rams in LA and the Seahawks visiting the Vikings. Divisional battles with the Bengals and the Steelers in Pittsburgh, the Chargers and Chiefs in Kansas City, the Colts and Titans in Nashville, and the big rivalry game between the Eagles and Cowboys in Arlington. Most importantly we have the Green Bay Packers making their fourth trip in the last three seasons to Levi Stadium to clash with the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara. Makes for a great NFL Sunday

My record was better last week as I went 12-4 after a disappointing Week 1 performance

The Carolina Panthers were probably the most impressive team in the NFL last week. A defense that is all over quarterbacks, a secondary that forces takeaways, and an offense that is starting to find its footing with Sam Darnold. Maybe getting out of the Meadowlands might’ve been the right thing for a guy like Sam Darnold, especially when you have a coach who believes in you in Matt Rhule and a big playmaker like Christian McCaffrey on the other side. The Panthers don’t have to win flashy when you have this kind of defense. Brian Burns and Derrick Brown are superstars on this defensive line and Jaycee Horn, their 1st Round draft pick, is an excellent shutdown corner. The Panthers held the Saints to only 128 yards of total offense in the game which is huge for this defense. Carolina heads to a Texans team that is riddled with offensive injuries, especially to starter Tyrod Taylor who left the game against Cleveland with a hamstring injury. With Deshaun Watson still sidelined, the Texans turn to Stanford rookie Davis Mills to battle the Panthers. But with the way that the Texans can’t run the football, it should be a long night for Houston’s offense

PREDICTION: There’s a good chance that the Panthers will start slow after all the praise they received this week. But no Tyrod Taylor, a bad offensive line on a short week against this defense, no chance for Houston. Close game to start, but the Panthers ride their defense to a win at Houston.

Two teams coming off wins in different ways. Washington used a game winning field goal (and some dropped passes and Giants penalties) to beat New York last Thursday night while the Bills decimated the Dolphins in Miami. That game showed us what this Bills offense is capable of when they’re at their best. The two headed monster of Zack Moss and Devin Singletary combined for 110 yards and three touchdowns and Josh Allen tossed two more TDs. Buffalo’s defense held down the fort as well with a couple turnovers and holding Miami to only 214 yards of total offense. Washington comes in off a little sluggish performance against the Giants but we saw Taylor Heinicke make a statement about why he should be the starter for the Football Team, throwing for over 300 yards and two scores in the win. I still don’t think Washington’s defense has taken that next step up from last year because the Giants still had almost 400 yards of offense and had the game won a couple times. Expect this defense to play a bounce back game in Buffalo in a huge showdown between East division winners

PREDICTION: Washington’s defense will hang around in this game, but too much Josh Allen and this Bills offense that got back on track last week. Bills win, but I like Washington +9

I still don’t know why Matt Nagy loves Andy Dalton more than Justin Fields. Even when Dalton got hurt and is not going to be 100% for the game in Cleveland, he’s still going to start over Fields. It just doesn’t make any sense. I get that Fields didn’t look great last week only throwing for 60 yards and an interception, but if Dalton isn’t 100% who else can you go with? Chicago’s defense got back on track after a debacle against the Rams in Week 1 by forcing four turnovers, but the offense couldn’t score and let the Bengals claw their way back. Chicago’s going to need a lot more than 20 points in Cleveland against the Browns. Cleveland’s defense didn’t look great against Houston but it was a better effort from the Browns offense in a bounce back win over the Texans. I am a little concerned that the Browns are running out of receivers with OBJ and now Jarvis Landry being injured, so they need to find some talent on the receiving core. Another defensive game on Lake Michigan this Sunday

PREDICTION: Whoever runs the ball the best is going to win this game. Andy Dalton won’t be 100% in this game so I’ll take Cleveland to win just because they’re at home and I think the Browns running game pounds it at this Bears defense to get the win

The Saints are going to need their defensive reinforcements quickly if they’re going to beat the Patriots after getting physically dominated by Carolina last week. The Saints only scored seven points on offense, their lowest point total since 2015, and only 128 yards of total offense, their lowest offensive yard total since 2001. To make matters worse, they ran 30 less plays than Carolina as their defense was on the field for almost 40 minutes. We saw the old Jameis Winston last week when he threw two interceptions and was sacked four times. Expect a similar gameplay when the Saints have a another big road test in Foxborough against the Patriots. New England’s offensive line has to get going at some point because they’ve put Mac Jones in a lot of tough spots on late downs and we saw it last week against the Jets. But as we also saw in that game, Mac Jones doesn’t have to play perfect for the Patriots to win because of their great defense. Now you’re not going to count on four interceptions every week and you have to stop kicking field goals in the red zone, so the Patriots offense has to step it up against the Saints this week. But this young Patriots team shouldn’t be peeking ahead… because Tom Brady’s Bucs are on the other side, look for Bill Belichick to keep his troops in line for a big game in Foxborough on Sunday

PREDICTION: The Patriots do a great job of dissecting their next opponent and Bill Belichick loves to take away what the other teams does best. The Patriots defense stops the run, Mac Jones has a big day throwing the football against a beat up Saints defense, and the Pats defense forces some Jameis turnovers and gets the win.

Something has to give when the Giants and Falcons meet in the Meadowlands on Sunday afternoon. I will say this: despite those bad pick sixes that Matt Ryan threw against the Bucs last week, I was really impressed with the Falcons effort. Better offensive performance from Kyle Pitts and Matt Ryan and they ran the ball a lot more effectively against this Bucs defense, and the defense played pretty solid at the end. The Giants defense however, is awful right now. Too many penalties and unforced errors allowed Washington to win that game last Thursday night. Get Saquon going early offensively but get after the quarterback on defense. Loser is in for a tough road at the end of this game

PREDICTION: Everything is pointing to the Giants winning this game: at home, rested off the long week, looking to bounce back off a tough loss in Washington. So because of that I’ll take the Falcons in this game. I liked the way they competed against Tampa and if they don’t turn the ball over, they can beat the Giants in a low scoring game

I don’t even know if this game will be close. Arizona has looked fantastic offensively and this Jacksonville defense is still awful against the pass. Don’t expect this game to be close in Jacksonville on Sunday

PREDICTION: This Jacksonville defense is just flat out bad. Trevor Lawrence will score, but the Jags won’t slow down Kyler Murray and this daunting Arizona offense. The Cards win by at least two scores over Jacksonville

With his first win over Mahomes and the weight of the world off Lamar Jackson’s shoulders, expect the Ravens to be a little sluggish in their next road game against a Lions team that has showed a lot of heart after great efforts against San Francisco and Green Bay. Should be a fun game in Detroit on Sunday

PREDICTION: MUCH CLOSER than the experts think. Detroit’s effort against San Francisco and Green Bay mean they will compete, but too much Lamar Jackson late in the game. Ravens win, but I’ll take the Lions plus the points

Carson Went going down is not good news for the Colts right now. They’ve already last their first two games at home, granted they were against better teams, but this offensive line has been terrible and this defense hasn’t played great either. The Colts are at their best when they can run the football with this offensive line and so far, it hasn’t gotten established with Jonathan Taylor. A team that finally got its running game going was Tennessee in that crazy comeback in Seattle. It’s a huge win for the Titans after a bad defensive performance against Arizona, but they still have to play better against the pass. With Jacob Eason getting the start for Indy in Nashville, this could be a game the Titans defense could use to get back on track

PREDICTION: I don’t trust Jacob Eason to go into Nashville and beat the Titans with a limited offensive line. The Colts defense will keep it close but too much Derrick Henry gives Tennessee a big win at home.

Who would’ve thought the two worst teams in the AFC West would be the Chiefs and the Chargers after two weeks? I mean sure, LA being 1-1 is a disappointment because they shot themselves in the foot against Dallas but the Chiefs? Kansas City’s loss to Baltimore last week confirmed two things: The Chiefs defense is not as good as we all think it is, and this is what happens when you take your foot off the gas at any point in a football game. The Chiefs have been asleep at the wheel at certain points in their last couple games and still don’t know how to keep their foot on the gas for a full game. The Chargers come to town with a good offense, but penalties and poor officiating gave the Cowboys the upset victory in Inglewood. Justin Herbert is playing tremendous and the Chargers defense is playing great too, but they struggled against the run last week. If the Chargers can put the Chiefs in a 1-2 hole to start the season, Kansas City will have to do a lot of work to get back to the Super Bowl. Big game this weekend

PREDICTION: Should be a great game. Both teams losing in heartbreaking fashion means we’re going to see a better effort from the Chargers and the Chiefs. Shootout game and it’s close but Kansas City wins at home. Chargers will cover in a shootout

The Bengals really should’ve won that game last week. They fell in a hole early, continued to turn the ball over, and couldn’t get enough out of their comeback to win that game in Chicago last week. I still believe that this Bengals team can be good if their defense keeps playing like they’ve played the first two weeks and if Joe Burrow doesn’t turn the ball over. We saw Pittsburgh lose a tough one to Las Vegas last week where they looked like the Steelers at the end of last year. Physically unable to run the football and too many injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Big Ben cannot win games by himself and while Najee Harris is a great back, this offensive line is not an offensive line that can dominate up front when it comes to running the football. A big game in the AFC North in the Steel City this weekend with a potential early division lead at stake

PREDICTION: UPSET OF THE WEEK: TJ Watt’s health is a factor and the Steelers offense still can’t run the football. If Joe Burrow doesn’t turn the ball over, he should make some big plays and give the Bengals the upset in Pittsburgh

Zach Wilson with a bad offensive line against this defense? …YIKES

PREDICTION: How can anyone pick the Jets after the first two weeks? Broncos win and cover. Nuff said.

No Tua against this defense might be trouble for the Dolphins and I think the Raiders get some reinforcements on the offensive side of the ball if Josh Jacobs gets healthy. Last year gave us one of the most unbelievable finishes of the season with the Fitzmagic throw at the end of the game, not sure if that’s something we’ll see in this game in LV

PREDICTION: I don’t know about Tua’s health and if he’s going to play. If he does, he won’t be 100%. I think Derek Carr makes some big time throws against this Dolphins defense and the Raiders take care of business at home against Miami. Raiders win and cover

I don’t know how to fix the Minnesota Vikings. I never once believed in Kirk Cousins, the offensive line is disgustingly bad, special teams has been a disaster, and what happened to Minnesota’s defense? Mike Zimmer should be on the hot seat because he hasn’t been able to solve this issue with this football team. The only way the Vikings can be successful on offense is with Dalvin Cook, but even when he does get going they still lose games. Speaking of losing games, I wonder what happened to Seattle last week in their loss to Tennessee. Russell Wilson continues to shine, but this defense doesn’t seem like they got better last year even with Jamal Adams back healthy. Seattle needs to keep running the football with Chris Carson and that will set up everything on offense and they couldn’t do that late in the game against Tennessee last week, especially at home which is extremely disappointing. Minnesota and Seattle have given us three great games over the last few years and it should be just as great on Sunday when US Bank Stadium opens for the first time in two years

PREDICTIONS: Another shootout, but I think Russell Wilson makes a couple more plays than Kirk Cousins and wins this one for the Seahawks. Seattle covers

This is an early game of the year candidate when the Bucs visit the Rams at SoFi. Two of the best defenses in the NFL and two of the best defensive pairs in the NFL going against each other when Devin White and Antoine Winfield take on Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. The Buccaneers haven’t looked like world beaters so far this year after coming from behind to beat Dallas in the opener and then Atlanta hung around last week. As good as Tom Brady and this offense is, I haven’t seen that defense be the same this year. Tampa is playing one of the four teams that beat them last year in the LA Rams who have looked great these first two weeks. Decimating the Bears in Week 1 and then getting a big win over Indy on the road last week. Matthew Stafford looks comfortable in this offense and this defense is for real with Donald and Ramsey. I think we’re in for a defensive slugfest in Los Angeles late Sunday afternoon but again, it could be an early Game of the Year candidate for the NFL.

PREDICTION: In a game like this you have two options: the team with the best player or the team that has the better defense. Tom Brady is the best player on the field, but he doesn’t play defense. I like the Rams front seven to stop the run and the Rams offense will put up some numbers on this Tampa defense. LA wins and covers

It was a much needed win for the packers after getting clobbered by the Saints in Jacksonville to open the season. Aaron Jones is a force out of the backfield and it seemed like the Packers defense settled in after that first half. But I still think they have a ways to go before their right back on track with Aaron Rodgers and become that team to beat in the NFC North. Green Bay does hit the road for real this time against the 49ers who are right back to their old formula: run game and dominant defense. However, a lot of injuries at the running back position for San Francisco as they enter this Sunday Night showdown and you have to wonder if they’ll get a close-to-100% RB for this game. These two have split the last two matchups in San Francisco in the last two years, so the series will be decided on the Sunday Night stage this weekend

PREDICTION: This is a game where I have to pick between my analysis and my head. My head says “There’s no way the Packers start the season 1-2” and my analysis is telling me “San Francisco is statistically the better team”. I’m going with my analysis. San Francisco wins a close one against the Packers

The Dallas Cowboys can be the best team in the NFC East because of their run game. We saw it last week against the Chargers. When they run the football with Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard, this offense can put up a lot of numbers with Dad Prescott. Not to mention, this Cowboys defense is for real. Micah Parsons is a force up front and the secondary is making plays. What a night to open up Jerry’s World against the Philadelphia Eagles. We learned last week against the 49ers that the Eagles have a couple of weaknesses. Eagle RBs had only 69 yards of rushing offense last week and Jalen Hurts had to win the game singlehanded (obviously they lost). Now a lot of injuries on the defensive side for Philadelphia makes this bounce back game much harder to win, but don’t sleep on Jalen Hurts and what he can do if this run game gets going. A big NFC East tilt wraps up the Week 3 slate on Monday Night

PREDICTION: Should be a great game in Dallas. There’s too many injuries on Philadelphia’s defense. No Brandon Graham in the middle and an offensive lineman is out. Dallas forces a couple turnovers on defense and gets back to running the football to beat the Eagles

College Football Week 3: Quick Picks

September 17, 2021March 9, 2022 ~ David ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been really busy with the show, QBSN, classes, HW, and other things to do a College Football Preview for Week 3 so what I’ll do here is quickly preview 11 big games on the Week 3 slate and give my picks

Oklahoma had a close call against Tulane a couple of weeks ago. Nebraska has won two in a row in convincing fashion. Old rivals take center stage to begin a great Saturday

PREDICTION: Since when has Scott Frost won a big game at Nebraska? Sooners by 30+

Both teams have great defenses and quarterbacks playing outstanding. If the Hokies can dodge the upset trap in Morgantown, they’ll be in great shape to make a run at the ACC Coastal title. West Virginia looks for a big win at home to get them ready for conference play

PREDICTION: West Virginia at home. The Hokies can’t run the ball against this defense and Jarret Doege will have a big game at home. I’ll take West Virginia to win and cover against the Hokies

What an opportunity for Cincinnati to make some noise against a BIG 10 team and look for a CFP bullet point, but the Hoosiers and Mike Penix Jr. have other ideas

PREDICTION: I haven’t seen enough from Indiana’s run game that makes me think that they’ll win this game. The Bearcats go on the road and take care of business in a close game

The Canes have looked really sloppy after that loss to Alabama. They could barely beat Appalachian State at home. If Miami wants to get back on track, beating a 2-0 Spartan team could give the Canes the spark they need going into conference play

UPSET PREDICTION: I just cannot trust Miami’s offense against MSU’s defense and I have no confidence at all in the Canes defense. I think Michigan State goes on the road and gets a huge win in Miami

An excellent BIG 10 vs PAC 12 matchup in Boulder. Colorado should be confident despite losing to Texas A&M last weekend while Minnesota’s defense continues to struggle against the pass

PREDICTION: I basically just told you who’s gonna win. I like the Buffaloes at home because Minnesota cannot play defense. It’s a shootout but I like Colorado at home

Notre Dame has played two games and they haven’t looked good in either one. An overtime win after blowing a lead in Tallahassee two weeks ago followed by coming back to beat Toledo at home. Purdue can score a lot of points on offense and has a very solid defense that is well balanced. Watch out, Irish.

PREDICTION: Only reason that I’m picking Notre Dame to win this game is because they’re at home. If it was in West Lafayette, I would go with Purdue. Notre Dame wins, but the Boilermakers cover

Rematch of last season’s SEC title game but without some notable players on both sides. Most people think Alabama should dominate this game. But this is Bryce Young’s first true road game and it’s in the Swamp against the defending SEC East Champions. Florida does stand a puncher’s chance if they don’t turn the ball over and if they can play solid on offense like they did last week against South Florida

PREDICTION: Shootout like last years’s game. Florida’s going to keep this game close but I think they’ll turn the ball over a couple times and Alabama wins the game, but the Gators will cover at home

With Clay Helton finally out as USC’s head coach, the Trojans gear up for a trip to Pullman and a battle with the Washington State Cougars. Both teams looking for a big conference win, but especially USC after losing to Stanford last week

PREDICTION: I want to take the Cougs because USC is on the road after just firing their head coach but I don’t think the Cougars pass defense has been great so I’ll take Kedon Slovis to bounce back and lead the Trojans to victory over Washington State

Auburn put up a lot of points in its first two games against two of the worst teams in College Football (Akron and Alabama State) and now must embrace its biggest challenge of the season: heading into a raucous whiteout crowd on Saturday Night in Happy Valley against Penn State

PREDICTION: Auburn’s defense will keep this game close, but there’s no chance they can beat this Penn State team in that atmosphere. Penn State wins, but Auburn covers the -5

A good chance for Mike Gundy’s Cowboys to make some noise in the AP Top 25 and in the BIG 12 as they head to the blue turf in Boise, while the Broncos look to earn some respect as a Group of 5 team and redeem themselves after a Week 1 loss to UCF

PREDICTION: I like what I see from Oklahoma State, but this quarterback Hank Bachmeier from Boise State will put up huge numbers against this defense and give the Broncos a big win at home. Boise wins

Both teams looking to make statements in a PAC 12 after dark game in Provo. Arizona State has played phenomenal defense and Jayden Daniels has played excellent in his 3rd year as the Sun Devils quarterback. BYU got its first win over rival Utah in over a decade last week and the emotions are still running high with the Cougars. Should be a great game to cap off Week 3

PREDICTION: I just don’t know if BYU can get over the emotions of a big win last week and for all my SBC pals who are at ASU, I’ll take the Sun Devils on the road in Provo

NFL Week 2 Matchups: Previews, Thoughts, and Predictions

September 17, 2021 ~ David ~ Leave a comment

Just quick note for you readers: we have our own radio show now! You can tune in on Tuesday nights at 9pm on 98.1 WQAQ (Quinnipiac’s On Campus Radio Station) for our weekly show!

Onto Week 2 of NFL. Week1 gave us a lot. Lots of upsets, a great opening night game, battles of young quarterbacks, and the fans are back in the house! Let’s dive into Week 2

Last Week’s record: Don’t wanna talk about it. Let’s just say my Week 1 record was bad.

I don’t know what to make of a really poor Giants offense. Saquon really struggled, Daniel Jones was the leading rusher and he only had 29 yards rushing, and what happened to the Giants defense? They gave up over 160 yards rushing and gave up over 400 yards total against a Denver offense that had some new pieces. I know that Denver’s defense is underrated and it was gonna be tough for the Giants to score points, but I am shocked the Giants defense couldn’t slow Denver down. Kind of the opposite game story for Washington. Fitz getting hurt kinda changed things, but only 13 points against a Chargers defense that was horrendous last season is a little bit disappointing considering how well the defense played. The winner gets a much needed divisional win, the loser is going to have to battle back and string together some wins to get back in the race.

PREDICTION: Washington’s defense looked phenomenal last week and the Giants defense was horrible against Denver. I’ll take the WFT in another low scoring battle in DC

Well, props to the Texans for managing all the offseason controversy to win their first and probably only game of the season. To be fair, it was against Jacksonville so I’m not jumping on the Houston bandwagon just yet. They head to Cleveland this weekend and this is a Browns team that should be high on confidence despite losing in Kansas City. Baker played a great game despite a late turnover, the run game was fabulous, and the defense did their job for the most part but you can’t hold the Chiefs down for four quarters. I still think the Browns will win the North and be the #3 seed and they should easily win this game against Houston… if they can avoid a letdown after the loss last week

PREDICTION: I think the Browns have a lot of confidence despite their 4th Quarter collapse at Arrowhead and it’s a much bigger task for the Texans to protect Tyrod Taylor and stop Nick Chubb. No way the Browns lose their home opener in front of a jacked up Cleveland crowd. Browns win big

I’m not going to put that loss on Mac Jones, but that was a game last week that the Patriots usually win no matter who’s at quarterback. You get a late chance to score and win the game off a turnover, you’ve got to finish the job and the Pats couldn’t do it thanks to a late fumble by Damien Harris. Mac did thrown for 281 and his first career touchdown against Miami’s defense, so he’s definitely the future for the Patriots offense. Zach Wilson is also the future for the New York Jets, but he still needs a few years to bring the Jets back from the dead, especially after what happened last week. The Jets couldn’t get much going offensively in their run game and didn’t score until late in the game against Carolina last week. But it didn’t much matter cause Carolina’s front seven was all over Zach Wilson early and often (Six TFL’s and six sacks by the Panthers defense). Now with another offensive lineman down in Mekhi Becton, arguably their best OL on the depth chart, the Jets have to find a way to crack Coach Belichick’s defense cause it’s gonna take a lot more than 16 points to take down New England this time

PREDICTION: The Patriots defense is the difference in this game. I think they’re going to put a lot of pressure on Zach Wilson and force the Jets offense to be one dimensional on offense. Mac Jones and Damien Harris will both have a bounce back game and the Patriots get their first win of the season in a close game. I do think the Jets will cover

I really don’t know what was more shocking, the Steelers winning in Buffalo or the Raiders coming back to beat Baltimore. I’d say both, but the way Mike Tomlin embraces the underdog role is unlike any other coach in the league. Clearly it took its effect on the Steelers in the 2nd half in their upset win over the Bills. However, I’m still not impressed with the Steelers. They only had 283 total yards of offense in the game last week and had 75 yards on the round. I also don’t think Ben Roethlisberger played very well in the game. But in come the Raiders fresh off a huge win themselves, looking to make a statement for the 2nd week in a row. Derek Carr had a fabulous game along with Darren Waller who is still one of the best tight ends in football, and the Raiders defense made some big plays. Much tougher task for Las Vegas going into Pittsburgh against the Steelers but I think it should be a great game.

PREDICTION: The Raiders winning last week against Baltimore makes me want to take the upset. But it’s revenge for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. I think he gets this team back down to Earth after a big win in Buffalo last week and they take care of business at home against Gruden and the Raiders. Steelers win big

Gonna make this one really quick. I said at the beginning of the season, when the Jags defense gets right they will be a contender in the AFC South. They gave up 37 points and 450 yards of offense last week against Houston. It doesn’t matter what Trevor Lawrence does if the defense continues to play poorly. The Broncos defense should be a little more healthier heading to Jacksonville looking to spoil T-Law’s home opener in front of the Jags faithful

PREDICTION: It’s an 0-2 start for Jacksonville because Denver’s defense is 5x better than the Jaguars defense. Broncos win big

How about those Bengals last week? Joe Burrow only missed seven passes, threw for 261 yards, and tossed two touchdowns. In addition, got them in field goal range for rookie Evan McPherson to win the Bengals the game against Minnesota with that beautiful touch pass to CJ Uzomah on 4th and 1. This Bengals team could be a team to watch out for in the AFC North if they keep playing like they played last week. A team that played atrocious last week was the Bears. What happened to this great defense? They gave up 321 passing yards and three TDs against the Rams offense and only sacked Matthew Stafford once. Until Matt Nagy turns to Justin Fields to become the starting quarterback instead of Andy Dalton, this team will not go anywhere. Watch out, Chicago. You’re getting a younger, more confident version of the Rams this Sunday

PREDICTION: I was leaning Bears all week and then I rewatched the Sunday Night game on Tuesday before the show started and was very disappointed in the Bears secondary. I’m taking the Bengals on the road to win this game.

Sneaky good game when Matt Stafford and the Rams travel to Indy fresh off a Sunday night beatdown of the Bears last week. This Rams defense might be the best in football BUT, let’s not overreact because they played Andy Dalton’s offense and not Justin Fields’s offense. Still, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are a force on defense and the Rams offense put up some big numbers. The Colts are coming off a tough loss against Seattle where they really struggled stopping the Seahawks running game, giving up almost 150 yards rushing in the lost to the Seahawks last week. I still don’t think Carson Wentz is 100% coming off his foot injury and Indy is banged up on defense. This offensive line has a major task blocking a Rams pass rush that had three sacks and five TFL’s last week. Good luck with that, Indy.

PREDICTION: I’m taking the Rams and their defense to go into Indianapolis and win. I think this Colts offensive line will struggle against the Rams front seven and the secondary forces some turnovers against Wentz and company. Rams go on the road and take down Indy

Eagles fans were all over Twitter after their win last week about how good Jalen Hurts was and Devonta Smith is great and this defense is awesome…… Let’s not overreact. Philadelphia played a Falcons team that is going to finish dead last in the division and quite possibly the NFC this season. They beat the Falcons on talent, but I will say they did play a great game. Much tougher task this week against the 49ers on Broad Street. SF looked dominant in the 1st Half and most of the 2nd half against Detroit, but almost collapsed at the end as it took a 4th down stop with less than a minute left to beat the Lions. It’s great to see the 49ers defense healthy and Nick Bosa back, but imagine how good this offense would be if Trey Lance started. A big blow to San Francisco earlier this week as Raheem Mostert is out for the season with an injury, and they’re gonna have to rely on a strong run game in order to beat the Eagles in Philly

PREDICTION: This is another one where if I had any guts I would take the Philadelphia Eagles to win this game, but I can’t pick against that 49ers defense. I do think this will be shootout and Jalen Hurts and Philly will come out swinging, but the 49ers defense has a bounce back game and wins a close, high scoring game on Broad Street

The Saints were the 2nd best team last week. Jameis Winston played a tremendous game and this defense held the Packers to 43 yards rushing and 230 yards of total offense last Sunday in a neutral site game. However the Saints come into Charlotte with some COVID-19 complications as six coaches will be out for this game and some secondary injuries on defense, especially Marshon Lattimore who is by far their best cornerback. The Panthers got an ugly win over the Jets last week as their red-zone problems from last year persisted. A fumble inside the ten yard line and Sam Darnold overthrowing a wide open target in last week’s win proved it. But this defense was pretty good last week with six sacks and six TFL’s (again it was against the Jets) so now it’s time to keep that momentum going. Big things from the defensive line and maybe a couple turnovers might be the difference maker when the Saints march into Charlotte

PREDICTION: I am a diehard Carolina Panthers fan and I think this defense, knowing how to beat Jameis Winston, has what it takes to pull off an upset at home. I think 3.5 points as a spread is a joke for this game. I will be rooting hard for the Panthers to win this game but I can’t pull the trigger cause this offense still struggled against a Jets defense that was very limited. Close game for four quarters, but New Orleans finds a way to win at the end.

A new leader in the AFC East clubhouse: the Miami Dolphins. Miami’s 17-16 win over New England coupled with losses by the Jets and the Bills means Miami has the early division lead, but it’s back up for grabs when the Bills are coming to town. I was impressed with Miami’s defense despite missing some key guys from last year, being able to shutdown a New England offense that played very well. Tua Tagovailoa had some good and some bad plays in the game, but the Dolphins problem last year has come into play again this year: their poor run game. Only 74 yards on the ground for the Dolphins last week and only scoring 17 points. Not good stats coming into this week against the Bills. Buffalo looked lost in the 2nd Half of their game last week against Pittsburgh. Overly aggressive on 4th Down, special teams breakdowns, and defense couldn’t make key plays to win. Josh Allen can still be an MVP winner and the Bills can still win the division, but if they lose in Miami, it

PREDICTION: Another game where if I had the guts to take Miami, I would. I just can’t do it. The Bills defense has a bounce back game along with Josh Allen. He’ll have a big day throwing the ball. Buffalo gets the win

If there was a best team from last week, it was most certainly NOT the Minnesota Vikings. You would think that with five sacks and seven TFL’s on defense that the Vikings would beat Cincinnati last week. It didn’t happen. Minnesota’s run game was atrocious with only 61 yards for Dalvin Cook and a fumble in overtime that cost the Vikings the game and a really poor performance from the offensive line. Speaking of best teams, that’s what the Cardinals were last week. A big performance from Chandler Jones with five sacks (three in one quarter) and a huge day from Kyler Murray gave the Cardinals a massive opening win in Nashville against the Titans. This is exactly what Arizona needs to rely on moving forward, a solid performance by Kyler Murray and this defense to play exactly like they did last week. Good news for the Cardinals, they basically get the same offense from last week at home with a bad offensive line and a quarterback that is not playing very good right now in Kirk Cousins and the Vikings

PREDICTION: Minnesota’s offensive line was atrocious last week against a mediocre at best Bengals defense and there are questions at linebacker because of injuries. The Cardinals will hopefully not have a letdown after all the praise this past week and be able to take care of business at home

I don’t think this will be close but I will say, I’m expecting a much better performance from Tampa Bay. They have to find a way to bring that explosive pass rush back against the Falcons cause it was nonexistent against Dallas last week.

PREDICTION: If the Bucs don’t win this game by more than 20 points, then there’s something wrong with the world. Atlanta’s offensive line is a mismatch against that Bucs front, Tom Brady will have a big game, and the Bucs handily win this game

PREDICTION: UPSET OF THE WEEK: As much as I love Justin Herbert and still believe in the LA Chargers, the Cowboys have the better, faster defense. Dak makes plays and the defense comes up with some turnovers and take down the Chargers in a very close game

PREDICTION: Again, another game where if I really wanted to take the underdog, it would do it. I do think Derrick Henry has a bounce back game with over 100 yards rushing and a few touchdowns, but I like the Seahawks with the return of the 12th man and Russell Wilson leading them to victory in another Seahawks shootout win

PREDICTION: I really, really, really want to take Baltimore because of how bad Kansas City looked in the 1st half in last week’s win over Cleveland and this is a huge opportunity for the Ravens to exercise their demons, but I just can’t pick against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. I know I’m going to regret it, but I like the Chiefs by three in Baltimore

Another quick preview. Green Bay was absolutely embarrassed in that neutral site game against New Orleans

PREDICTION: Last week was then, this is now. Packers win big over Detroit and it will

Just quick note for you readers: we have our own radio show now! You can tune in on Tuesday nights at 9pm on 98.1 WQAQ (Quinnipiac’s On Campus Radio Station) for our weekly show!

Onto Week 2 of NFL. Week1 gave us a lot. Lots of upsets, a great opening night game, battles of young quarterbacks, and the fans are back in the house! Let’s dive into Week 2

Last Week’s record: Don’t wanna talk about it. Let’s just say my Week 1 record was bad.

PREDICTION: Washington’s defense looked phenomenal last week and the Giants defense was horrible against Denver. I’ll take the WFT in another low scoring battle in DC

PREDICTION: It’s an 0-2 start for Jacksonville because Denver’s defense is 5x better than the Jaguars defense. Broncos win big

PREDICTION: Another game where if I had the guts to take Miami, I would. I just can’t do it. If Buffalo won last week I would’ve taken the Dolphins. The Bills defense has a bounce back game along with Josh Allen. He’ll have a big day throwing the ball. Buffalo gets the win

This should be a great game when Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys visit Justin Herbert and the LA Chargers with both teams coming off impressive performances but different results. Herbert led the Chargers to a come from behind win over Washington last week. Dak and the Cowboys were a Tom Brady late 4th Quarter drive away from pulling off the upset in Tampa last Thursday night. Both Dallas and the Chargers have a couple things to work on for this game. Despite the big win last week in Washington, the Chargers turned the ball over a couple times in the redone that allowed the Football Team to mount a comeback so taking care of the football should be a priority for LA in this game. The Cowboys have got to start running the football more, but I loved what I saw from their defense and from Dak Prescott coming back from his injury. Quick passes up the field to his playmakers and some good protection inside helped Dallas’s offense hit the ground running. Quarterback play will be the difference in this game, but I think whoever’s pass rush makes the bigger impact may decide the game in the long run.

That was a disaster of a game for Tennessee last week against Arizona. The Titans couldn’t get Derrick Henry going, the offensive line constantly broke down, and the defense was atrocious. Julio Jones and AJ Brown were also held in check for most of the game. Mike Vrabel was definitely unhappy with the performance and hopes to put it behind him and his team as the head to Seattle. The Seahawks used a strong defensive performance and a balanced attack on offense to defeat the Colts last week. That is Pete Carroll’s winning formula when it comes to getting the best out of the Seahawks because Russell Wilson can do anything at anytime, but if the Seahawks balance it out with a great run game then this offense will be explosive.

The Ravens have a lot of questions to answer after what happened on Monday in Las Vegas. Lamar Jackson was under siege against the Raiders defense, turned the ball over a couple times, and what happened to this defense? Obviously losing Matthew Judon didn’t help, but this wasn’t the performance I was expecting out of Baltimore last week. They have got to get it together against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday Night. Sometimes I wonder that if Kansas City could ever play a full four quarters on offense they could be unstoppable on offense. That wasn’t the case in their comeback win over Cleveland. The Browns dominated the first half of the game and it took another Patrick Mahomes comeback and a late turnover to help the Chiefs take the game. This offense is explosive with Mahomes and all his weapons, but they can’t fall into an early hole or quit when their up three scored in the 2nd Half because eventually, they’ll lose. Lamar has never beaten Mahomes in three tries in his career and with Baltimore taking center stage on Sunday Night Football with the return of the Ravens fans, now might be the perfect time for Lamar to defeat his rival

Another quick preview. Green Bay was absolutely embarrassed in that neutral site game against New Orleans and have got to figure it out offensively. Getting the Lions on Monday night despite their almost comeback over San Francisco should help

PREDICTION: Last week was then, this is now. Packers win big over Detroit and it will not be close

Notable College Football Matchups: Week 2

September 11, 2021November 5, 2021 ~ David ~ Leave a comment

College Football gives us a little bit of everything in Week 1 and we’re ready to go for Week 2

Not many good games on the schedule, but a New England rivalry, a CFP final rematch, in state rivalries, and arguably the biggest CyHawk Trophy game in the history of the rivalry bring us a solid slate for Week 2

For this week because of the lack of good games on the schedule, I’ll preview 10/12 games this week (couldn’t get to all of them because of schoolwork and QBSN stuff)

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 9 wins 5 losses
AGAINST THE SPREAD: 5 wins 8 losses 1 push

Rematch of the first ever College Football Playoff Final when Cardale Jones led Ohio State to a 22 point win over Marcus Mariota and the Ducks. Oregon’s offense had better balance with Anthony Brown at quarterback, but it took a late touchdown to beat Fresno State at home last week. Ohio State however, picked up right where they left off by decimating Minnesota in the 2nd half last Thursday night. CJ Stroud’s 2nd half performance was stellar and it helps when Ohio State’s defense makes a big play to boost that big lead. Chris Olave continues to put up big numbers for the Bucks and as my dark horse Heisman candidate. The big concern in this game is Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux’s health after missing most of last week with an ankle injury. That’ll have a big impact on Oregon’s defense for sure if he’s out or limited. We’re in for an excellent game to kick off Week 2 of College Football.

PREDICTION: Coin flip because my brother Charlie starts his freshman year at Oregon next week and I picked Ohio State to win the National Championship. Close game for four quarters, but I gotta go with the Buckeyes. I just think Oregon’s offense still needs to take that next step and Thibodeaux’s health is a concern. Buckeyes win but the Ducks will cover in what should be a great game.

PREDICTION: Should be a gritty, tough game. But I like Tennessee at home with Joe Milton making plays. Pitt’s defense has to contain a much improved offense and it’ll be too tough. Vols get the upset

Watch out for Boston College’s offense. After struggling in the first quarter against Colgate last week, the Eagles offense ran away with the game by putting up 51 points (yes I know it’s just Colgate) at home. Phil Jurkovec and Zay Flowers had big games and the Eagles tight ends put up some numbers too. The Eagles head down the Mass Pike to visit poor old UMass. UMass can’t score, and can barely play defense. What’s to like about this game? It’s a New England College Football Fall Classic… that and BC might hang 70+ on this team.

PREDICTION: You see the throwback helmets for UMass? They don’t stand a chance. BC wins and covers. Just too much offense and UMass’s defense is terrible

PREDICTION: TCU can score a lot of points and Cal’s offense can’t. The Golden Bears play excellent on defense, but eventually the Horned Frogs wear them down and win this game. TCU wins and covers

This is not just the first round of the Commander in Chief’s trophy. This is a game about remembering who we lost on that fateful day 20 years ago. Both teams will be honoring those we lost and those who sacrificed themselves on 9/11 before the game begins in different ways. We mustn’t forget those who gave their lives for us during those attacks and we will remember those who are still fighting for us each and every day for the good of our country. Navy was embarrassed last week against Marshall so I think Coach Ken’s team will look for a bounce back game against an Air Force team that looked really good at home last week.

PREDICTION: I know more people in the Navy than in the Air Force but I was really impressed with the Falcons rushing attack last week. I think they’ll keep the momentum going and beat Navy in a close and very emotional game.

This has got to be the biggest CyHawk Trophy game in the history of the rivalry. Two top ten programs looking for a bullet on their CFP resume in a game where the winner takes home not just the bullet point, but a meaningful trophy. Last week, Iowa State played poorly against Northern Iowa because Breece Hall got stuffed early and often and they couldn’t throw the football against UNI’s defense. If they have any chance to snap their five game losing streak against Iowa, they’ve got to establish a run game. This is the first time Iowa has been ranked in the Top 10 since losing the Rose Bowl in 2015 to Stanford. I really liked what I saw from Iowa last week. They bring a run game and defense style that is elite. Spencer Petras has become a great quarterback with some good talent on the outside and Riley Moss had two pick sixes in the win against Indiana. If Iowa can come back down to Earth after playing their best football last week, they’ll be in good shape. What a game in Ames this weekend with not just the trophy and a streak on the line, but perhaps the start of a CFP resume

PREDICTION: Another tough pick because how can anyone look at what Iowa did last week and what Iowa State did last week and say that the Cyclones are going to win. The fact that everyone thinks the Cyclones will win because everyone’s all over the Hawkeyes means I should go with ISU. But I can’t. I got the Hawks in the upset over the clones because of a more healthier defense.

**Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-0)**

PREDICTION: Miami is going to win this game, but App State will keep it close. This is a very good team in the Sun Belt Conference with a veteran offense. It’s a shootout, but Miami wins a close one

PREDICTION: Michigan wins big. How can anyone pick Washington after the way they played last week. Statement game for Michigan. They win by at least four touchdowns

PREDICTION: BYU had a better win last week, but Utah has the better team. I think Charlie Brewer makes some plays in the passing game and the Utes go to Provo and take down the Cougars in a close one. BYU covers

PREDICTION: Stanford’s defense keeps this close for a half, but they have no identity on offense to keep up with the high powered Trojans. USC wins by 18 over Stanford.

NFL Week 1 Matchups: Previews, Thoughts, and Predictions

September 9, 2021September 10, 2021 ~ David ~ Leave a comment

The NFL returns this week and we’re in for a phenomenal season

With preseason over and quarterback competitions decided, the 2021 NFL Season is finally going to get underway. Unlike previous Week 1’s, we have some terrific matchups to kickstart the season. The new and improved Cowboys visit Tampa Bay to open the season while previous AFC Playoff teams from last year collide and we have some great interconference games as well.

Like College Football, I’ll post a record of games I get right and if I correctly guessed the spread. We’ll start this week with primary logos and I will get throwbacks in over Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas weekend, and Week 18. Team records are from last season

Tampa Bay raising their first banner since 2002 shouldn’t be the main focus of attention in the kickoff game. Dak Prescott is back on the field after suffering that horrible ankle injury last season and all eyes will be back on the Cowboys. Lots of experts like the Cowboys in the East because of their improved defense and strength of schedule, now their stock goes up with Prescott back on the field. Dallas does suffer a major loss on their offensive line as Zack Martin is out on the COVID list, which will shorten the Cowboys protection. Tampa Bay’s chances of repeating as Super Bowl Champions are as good as any. Mainly because EVERYONE is coming back. Brady, Gronk, Evans, Jones, Brown, White, Suh to name a few. I think there’s not going to be any hangover for the Buccaneers after their SB win, but I don’t think this is an easy game for the Bucs out of the gate. It should be a great game to set up the next NFL season

PREDICTION: Defensive game, low scoring. Dallas’s defense is too young to keep up with all those weapons that Brady has. I think it’s closer than 8, but the Bucs raise the banner and win the game in a close one

Trevor Lawrence and Urban Meyer on the same NFL field. How about that? Lawrence and the Jags are my dark horse candidate to make the playoffs in the AFC South, but the loss of rookie RB Travis Etienne for the season will be huge for Jacksonville. My concern for the Jags is their defense; I don’t think it improved from last season. Houston has gone through a tough offseason with a lot of front office concerns and all the Deshaun Watson controversy over the last couple months. Tyrod Taylor will start for a Houston team that I think will finish dead last in the AFC. But I want to see how Jacksonville does with T-Law at the quarterback position in his first game under Coach Meyer

PREDICTION: It’s not gonna be pretty, but the Jags do get the win over a Houston team that is embroiled in controversy. I think Houston will score, but Jacksonville’s offense will outscore them and cover.

I think a lot of people are excited about the new and improved LA Chargers with OROTY Justin Herbert now the full time starter. The Chargers added a new head coach, pieces on the offensive line, and they get back S Derwin James who missed all of last season with an achilles injury. The Chargers have a tough task going to Landover against Chase Young and Washington’s defense. I really think Washington’s defensive line is the best in the NFL with Young back, but I dunno who Washington will start at QB. I think going with Fitz might be the best scenario, but Heinicke has playoff experience and the team believes in him. Should be a great game featuring two great defensive lines.

PREDICTION: I like the Chargers in this game. I think Herbert will throw three touchdown passes and the Chargers defense creates some turnovers and gets the win. Washington’s run game is also a question mark so I like the Chargers to win and cover

All eyes should be on Buffalo for this early week showdown. Pittsburgh’s rough playoff exit at the hands of the Browns left them with some holes to fill. The Steelers drafted Najee Harris to fill the hole in the run game and also Quincy Roche to fill the hole at the linebacker position left by Bud Dupree. But the bigger story is TJ Watt. The Steelers haven’t acquiesced to his request of a new contract so he has been absent at practice. His status for the game in Buffalo in uncertain. Meanwhile, the Bills wrapped up one of their best seasons as a franchise and a lot of experts believe they can get to the Super Bowl this year with Josh Allen in his 3rd year. Buffalo reloaded their defense and has an offense that could do a lot of damage this season. The Bills have a lot of expectations, the Steelers have some questions to answer, but what they both need is a big opening day victory.

PREDICTION: I think this will be a great game. Buffalo is going to win because I think Josh Allen is a better quarterback than Ben Roethlisberger and Buffalo’s defense will stop the run to take home the victory. Bills win and cover

Might be the more underrated game of the week because I think Arizona is a contender. The Cardinals did win the offseason when they acquired JJ Watt, AJ Green, and James Conner to add onto a good defense and an improved offense. I think Kyler Murray is due for a breakout season after a really poor ending to last year. Hopefully Kliff Kingsbury opens his offense up a little more and gets this defense to get after the quarterback. Tennessee’s season came to a sudden halt at the hands of Baltimore last season but did a good job by going out and getting pass rushers like Bud Dupree from Pittsburgh. I think getting Julio Jones to replace Corey Davis on the outside was a big move and that can help Ryan Tannehill. Definitely expect a great year for Derrick Henry and a Titans team that I think will repeat as division champs. With both teams winning the offseason, we’re about to find out who takes a big step forward in Nashville on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Should be a shootout in Nashville with the Cards and Titans offenses capable of scoring a lot of points. I am really tempted to pick Arizona. I think they’ll go out and play a great game, but this Tennessee team has too much firepower on offense and a much improved defense and, of course, Derrick Henry. He’ll have a big game. Titans win and cover.

I do not have high expectations for the Panthers this season because I know how it goes: They get off to a great start, I think they’ll make the playoffs, and then they completely self destruct. The fact that the Panthers might be the 2nd best team in this division doesn’t change my opinion. Carolina has a very solid defense with the addition of Jaycee Horn at CB and added some weapons onto their offense now quarterbacked by Sam Darnold, who gets a shot at defeating his old team in Week 1. I have pretty low expectations for the Jets. New coach, new quarterback, inexperience offensive line, and a defense that really struggled in the secondary makes this another down year for New York. Surprisingly, this should be a pretty competitive game in Charlotte this weekend

PREDICTION: Despite the fact I said a lot of bad things about the Panthers, I do think they’ll get the win over the Jets. Darnold should be more than motivated enough to go out there, use his weapons and be able to score some points and I think the Panthers defense gets after Zach Wilson and forces turnovers. Panthers win a close one, but the Jets will cover

This version of battle of the birds features two of the NFC’s worst teams from last year. The Falcons and Eagles each won four games last season and come into this season with two unimproved defenses. The Eagles made the steal at the draft by trading up with Dallas to get Heisman WR Devonta Smith adding to a mediocre offense, but I think this is a year that Jalen Hurts steps up. Philly still has one of the easiest schedules in the NFL and could compete with the Cowboys to win the East. I think Atlanta’s time with Matt Ryan is running out. Sooner or later they’re gonna have to move on from him or vise versa and not improving their defense at the draft didn’t help. Atlanta is doomed for another four or five win season

PREDICTION: No big compelling reason but I just think the Eagles are the better team. Eagles go on the road and get the upset in the ATL

Joe Burrow is back on the field for Cincinnati after that gruesome ACL injury he suffered last season. While it’ll be great to see Burrow back on the field, He is gonna need to stay upright against Minnesota’s defense. Cincy’s offensive line hasn’t improved since last year despite adding a few more weapons at the draft, and the Bengals defense also didn’t improve. That being said, they get a chance to start strong against a Minnesota team that has a lot of questions. Many important offensive players like Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook have not been vaccinated against the virus, will the Vikings defense be better this year than last year, will Cousins shine in his fourth year at the helm. This game against Cincinnati should answer a lot of those questions

PREDICTION: I think there’s too many questions about this Vikings team and Joe Burrow is back with a lot of weapons and he’ll lead the Bengals to a big home win. He’ll have a big day throwing the football against a Vikings secondary that struggles against the pass

This is about more than Sunday for San Francisco. The 49ers get all their star players back like George Kittle, Nick Bosa, and Deebo Samuel who all missed last year with injuries. My question is the QB competition. No question that Jimmy Garropolo will win the starting job for SF, but I think Trey Lance perfectly fits Kyle Shanahan’s system more than Jimmy G. The 49ers get an easy game out of the gate in Detroit. First year head coach, lots of changes on both sides of the ball, and a new quarterback with Jared Goff. With the 49ers on a mission to get back to the Super Bowl with a full roster, this game has blowout written all over it

PREDICTION: Detroit competes for a half, but the 49ers dominate this game. 49ers win big

Another great early matchup in Indy with two solid defenses ready to take the field. Seattle’s mantra changed in the middle of the season last year from “Let Russ Cook” to “Run game and defense”, which ultimately lead to their early round exit against the Rams. Russell Wilson is back despite some early controversy in the offseason, and Jamal Adams is back on defense. Seattle needs to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball if they’re expected to repeat as division champs. The Colts already have one of the NFL’s top defenses with Darius Leonard and Deforest Buckner up front and a great secondary. Combine that with an excellent run game spearheaded by Jonathan Taylor and the best offensive line in football, Indy is expected to make it back to the playoffs. QB Carson Wentz is expected to start despite suffering a knee injury, so there are some questions on who Frank Reich will go with at QB. If he goes with Wentz, it’ll test that knee a little bit prematurely but it makes this a much more fun game to watch

PREDICTION: I don’t think Wentz is 100% if he does start in this game, so because of that I’m taking the Seahawks in a close game. Russell makes enough throws to win and the Seahawks D forces turnovers and gets the win

Best game in the NFC field in Week 1. This sounds like a make it or break it season for the Packers based off all of the Aaron Rodgers talk and the fact that Green Bay is 0-2 in the last two NFC Championships. Green Bay does return all of their defensive starters from last season and of course that great offense with Rodgers and Aaron Jones and Davante Adams. The Packers focus has to be other offensive productivity cause I don’t think they can lean on Jones or Adams forever. Meanwhile it’s the dawn of a new era in New Orleans. The Saints turn to Jameis Winston as their new quarterback, but they have all the skill players for him to be successful. The problem is, he’s too turnover prone and I don’t trust him to make smart decisions. I think both defenses be key and turn their pass rushers loose, but which pass rush wins the battle in this heavyweight showdown

PREDICTION: I have two quarterbacks, a turnover prone Jameis Winston or a determined Aaron Rodgers. Who do I trust more? Aaron Rodgers. Packers defense also is much more trustworthy than the Saints defense. Packers win, but the Saints will cover in a high scoring game

Remember the 2011 regular season meeting between Alabama and LSU where LSU won the game 9-6 in overtime? That score is coming into play this week when the Broncos travel to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants. Two teams with extremely talented defenses but very young and inexperienced offenses. The big question in this game is the Giants after the Eagles snatched any chance at a divisional title by losing to Washington at the end of last season. Will the Giants and Daniel Jones be motivated to get back on that field? How will the Giants offense improve from last year? Saquon Barkley is back along with former Detroit Lion Kenny Golladay, but this is a tough challenge going up against Denver’s defense. This defense, in my eyes, is extremely underrated because they play in Kansas City’s division, so it’s easy to overlook this Broncos team. Patrick Surtain will be a DROTY candidate and Bradley Chubb and Von Miller will cause a lot of disruption up front. But I want to see Denver’s offense take a step up with all their young talent on the outside and now under former Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater. Expect a very low scoring game in the Meadowlands on Sunday

PREDICTION: I think the Giants have the advantage in the running game and Saquon is due for a breakout season. I’ll take the Giants in a low scoring game like a 13-10 or 17-13 kinda game. Denver’s defense will keep it close but I can’t trust their young offense

This should be a great game. I think the Browns are going to have a season to remember with the fact they now have one of the best offensive and defensive lines in the NFL, the best one-two punch running attack, a very good secondary, and Baker Mayfield back at the helm. Kevin Stefanski’s group looks to continue the momentum from last season into this season and what better way to start of 2021 than avenging their playoff loss to Kansas City? The Chiefs offensive line is a question mark with some veteran tackles gone going against a much improved Browns pass rush and defensively some losses at linebacker. But they still have Patrick Mahomes and his crew of Kelce, Hill, Hardman, Edwards-Helaire, and others. Kansas City has such a tough road to begin their season, and this is not the same old Browns they faced back in the playoffs. This is the new and improved Cleveland Browns team that is going to go in guns blazing looking to hand the Chiefs their first season opening loss since 2014

PREDICTION: UPSET OF THE WEEK: I think Cleveland will dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, force some turnovers on defense, and Baker Mayfield will make some plays and the Browns get the upset in Kansas City in a high scoring game

The reason that this is the game of the weeks is because the winner of this game is going to compete with the Bills in the AFC East. Not to mention, the first of what hopes to be many battles between the two recent Alabama quarterbacks in Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones. The Patriots made a lot of offseason moves on defense acquiring Matthew Judon, Kyle Van Noy, and Jalen Mills to help boost an already talented defense. Acquiring Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Kendrick Bourne gives Mac Jones some experienced weapons. Bill Belichick has talked about how confident he and his coaching staff are in Jones and a lot of experts believe that Mac is the most NFL ready quarterback. But what makes a team dangerous is everyone overlooking them, and that should give Miami a big opportunity to make their mark. Tua is back with his old friend, speedy WR Jaylen Waddle, but Mike Gesicki being out on the COVID list could make it tough sledding for the Dolphins offense. Miami’s defense has a talented defensive line and the best safety in the AFC in Xavien Howard so they’ve got a punchers chance to beat the Patriots in Foxboro.

PREDICTION: This is going to be a great game. I think the Patriots defense is just a little better than the Dolphins defense and Mac will outduel Tua in a close game. I’m taking New England at home in a very close game

Sunday Night Football is back at SoFi Stadium for the 2nd straight opening week. But this time, we’re getting a much lower scoring game than last year’s game as the Bears and Rams face off for the fourth straight year. Both teams feature excellent defenses headed by Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald, but two offenses with some question marks around them. I think Matt Stafford is an excellent quarterback for Sean McVay’s system, but with Sony Michel as their new RB and some young weapons on the outside, the Rams have to work out some things if they’re going to win a competitive NFC West this year. Chicago drafted Justin Fields, but they’re still sticking with the veteran Andy Dalton. In my opinion, Fields won the starting job in the preseason and can take the Bears back to the playoffs so I don’t know what Matt Nagy is thinking. Maybe it’s the learning curve or maybe it’s something else. The Bears offense has to pick up where it left off at the end of the regular season last year. So we’re in for a defensive slugfest on the first Sunday night of the season

PREDICTION: Defensive game with not a lot of points, but I would take Matt Stafford over Andy Dalton any day of the week. Stafford and the Rams defense will pick up a close win at home but the Bears will cover.

Lamar Jackson in Las Vegas. The superstar quarterback takes the high powered Ravens into the Death Star for the first Monday Night Football game of the season. This is a little bit of a mental game for John Harbaugh’s flock. Las Vegas is better that most people think (myself included) and they have Kansas City next week for their home opener. Can’t look past these Raiders. The Ravens run game was one of the best in the NFL last year, but I wanna see the 2019 MVP version of Lamar Jackson where he was running and throwing the ball all over the place. Also, how will the Ravens defense be without their leader Matthew Judon? This is a boom or bust season for Gruden’s Raiders. Las Vegas has had two strong starts over the last two seasons just to fall apart at the end and miss the playoffs (sounds a lot like the Carolina Panthers). We’re gonna find out if this Raiders team is legit and see if Derek Carr should still be the quarterback for this Raiders offense that I think needs to move on from him. He’s too inconsistent throwing the ball and his offensive line doesn’t give him help. We’ll see where everything lies on Monday night under the lights in Vegas

PREDICTION: Last year, the Raiders opened their home half of the schedule with a win over the Saints. That’s not gonna happen two years in a row. I think Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense runs for over 300 yards and dominates the Raiders in Las Vegas

Let the season begin!

Notable College Football Matchups: Week 1

September 1, 2021 ~ David ~ Leave a comment

Yes, Week 1 of the College Football season is finally here. Not like last week where we had basically nothing on the schedule

With the 2021 CFB Season about to get underway, I think it’s time to dive back into the field of previewing and predicting 14 of the most notable College Football matchups. Yes, I will also be previewing NFL matchups this season as well. That edition will come later next week

We’ve got some pretty good matchups all week long to kick off the season which include some BIG 10 clashes, a Top 5 showdown in Charlotte, Alabama and Miami in the ATL, and some Power 5 interconference battles as teams look to make opening statements and kick off their seasons on a high note (AKA not Nebraska as we learned last week)

For predictions, I’ll keep a record of games I get right AND if I was correct on the spread.

This is a game that I think most College Football experts have been looking forward to since UCF went on the rise in 2017 and 2018. UCF and Boise State are arguably the two most successful Group of 5 teams in the last five years with multiple conference championships and a few NY6 bowl appearances. BSU returns QB Hank Bachmeier, who had a tremendous freshman year before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the 2019 season and 2020 season, and they picked up Oregon RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio in the transfer portal. The Broncos offense is very balanced and along with a strong defense, can make some noise in the Mountain West. For UCF, it’s a redemption season after Cincinnati won the AAC for the second time in school history. Former Auburn HC Gus Malzahn takes over for Josh Heupel and has a great amount of talent in this Knights team. QB Dillon Gabriel is back and has a lot of explosive weapons at his disposal, but the Knights defense has to turn it around this year. They lost a lot of games last year because the defense continued to fall apart. Two GO5 teams under the lights in Downtown Orlando on Friday night is a perfect way to kickoff the 2021 season.

PREDICTION: Because it’s in Florida, I like UCF. Dillon Gabriel is poised for a fantastic season with some of his offensive weapons back, and the Knights defense makes plays. Knights win and cover

I picked Ohio State to win the National Championship this year, but the opening game in Minneapolis against PJ Fleck and the Golden Gophers might be a trap for the Buckeyes. Mainly because CJ Strout will get his first start in a Buckeye uniform and it’ll be curious to see how he’ll perform on the road against a talented Minnesota team. Regardless, Ohio State has too much thump on offense with guys like Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson at WR, Jeremy Ruckert at TE (coming off a monster game against Clemson in the playoff), and Master Teague in the backfield. One of the things I’m interested to watch with this Ohio State team is their defense. Lots of young talent on the defensive line and in the linebacker position, and that’ll play a factor in this game as the Buckeyes are going up against one of the best offensive lines in all of College Football. Minnesota’s offensive line is one of the best in the country, they return starting QB Tanner Morgan and RB Mohammed Ibrahim, who is expected to have an amazing season. The Gophers receiving core, after their Outback Bowl winning season, is completely depleted and they lost a lot of games on defense. Failing to stop the run was one of the problems for Minnesota last year and with not a lot of returning talent on defense, that’s a problem going into Thursday’s game. Two conference teams looking to make statements up North on Thursday night makes for an excellent College Football game

PREDICTION: Minnesota has talent, but not enough to keep pace with a talented Buckeyes offense. Ohio State takes care of business in Minneapolis in a very close game. I think Minnesota will cover the -14 spread

UNC might be the best team in the Coastal this season for a couple reasons. Sam Howell is back and is a Heisman contender this season, lots of talent around him on offense, a defense that is great at rushing the passer and covering in the secondary, and Mack Brown bringing back a winning culture in Chapel Hill. I do think UNC has the best chance to win the Coastal and potentially beat Clemson in the ACC Championship Game in December. In Blacksburg, I just wonder what the state of the Hokie offense will be without their starting quarterback and running back. Virginia Tech is starting over on offense and the defense has some question marks. I think Justin Fuente is another coach on the hot seat and this feels like a game he needs to win to get some confidence for him and his team. Should be an excellent ACC opener in Blacksburg on Friday

PREDICTION: The Hokies have question marks at QB and at RB to begin the season so I think North Carolina and Sam Howell start the season with a big win. Tar Heels win and they will cover

One of Northwestern’s only losses in its dream Covid season last year was a loss in East Lansing to the Spartans. Not that the game mattered in terms of Northwestern’s chances of reaching the BIG 10 title game, but I think it’s a game the Wildcats would’ve wanted to have back. Northwestern isn’t expected to have the team they had last year, but I still think they’re a contender in the West with what they have coming back on offense. Michigan State had a poor year last year and I don’t think they really improved this year. Landing Temple transfer Anthony Russo will help them at quarterback, but there’s still too many unanswered questions about Michigan State going into this season.

PREDICTION: It’s a toss up but because Northwestern is at home and was more consistent last year as far as winning goes, I think they’ll win and cover against Michigan State

Both teams could make life very difficult for their division/conference rivals this year. Kansas State was a player in the BIG 12 last year because of Deuce Vaughn and Skylar Thompson leading the offense, but injuries and Cover limited the manpower for the Wildcats as they lost five straight games after starting 4-1. Thompson and Vaughn are back this year and if K-State stays healthy, they can do some damage in the BIG 12. Meanwhile, Stanford has to replace a lot of talent on offense and most people are wondering when their defense will get back to normal. This is also a game Stanford needs to win with teams like USC, Oregon, Washington, and Notre Dame on their schedule if they want to prove they’re a division and PAC 12 contender.

PREDICTION: Low scoring game, but I think K-State prevails. Simply because they’ll have a stronger run game and defense than Stanford. Wildcats win and cover

Penn State battled back and won four in a row at the end of last season to cap off an otherwise disappointing season. The Nittany Lions square off with Wisconsin in the first Big Noon Kickoff game on FOX this season and I think this’ll be a great matchup. Penn State has the offense to compete in this game, but losing a lot of talent on defense, including a lot of guys up front, might be costly against Graham Mertz and the Wisconsin offense. The mystery for Wisconsin is if they’re gonna bounce back from a frustrating season last year. They lost some games because of their offense. With Mertz back, it’ll be interesting to see which team keeps the momentum on their side and becomes an early division front runner.

Prediction: Another defensive game, but I think Wisconsin at home is the difference. I think both teams are evenly matched but Graham Mertz should be more improved this year for the Badgers. Wisconsin wins but Penn State will cover

Watch out, Big Blue. Western Michigan is a MAC team that you don’t want to mess with. Michigan is entering a make it or break it year with Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines have had their good seasons with Harbaugh, but the last couple have been extremely frustrating. Mainly because Michigan doesn’t start the season off very well. Michigan has three very winnable non conference games before their conference slate kicks off. Western Michigan brings back a loaded offense but a defense that needs some improvement after losing its last two games last season. Michigan is gonna have to bring their A game if they’re gonna dodge the upset trap in the Big House.

PREDICTION: Western Michigan will come out guns blazing, but Michigan will survive. I hate that I’m picking Michigan since I wanted Harbaugh fired after last year, but I’m doing it. The Wolverines win a close one. The Broncos will cover. 17 points is too many.

Two very historic programs meeting in Atlanta for a kickoff game. Alabama is a favorite to repeat, but there’s a lot to replace on offense. QB Bryce Young now becomes the driver of the corvette, but let’s see how Alabama adapts to life without no Devonta Smith, Najee Harris, Jaylen Waddle, and Mac Jones. Miami has a good chance to compete with North Carolina for the division with the addition of WR Charleston Rambo from Oklahoma and the return of transfer QB D’Eriq King. However the Hurricanes dropped their last two games of 2020 due to a lack of run game, so finding that identity on offense is going to be the key for a successful 2021 season. Both Alabama and Miami return a lot of talent on defense, but I think the winner of this game is going to have to put up 40+ points to win. So which offense will have more success in this game and which offense makes the fewest mistakes? We are set for a great game in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon

PREDICTION: This is going to be a shootout. Miami has the offense to contend with the Tide, but I think Nick Saban’s new offense finds a way to win a close one. Both teams are contenders in their conference, but Alabama is the better coached team. Alabama wins, but 18.5 is too many points. Miami covers

Both Iowa and Indiana have to be in pretty good spots based off how their seasons ended last year. Iowa finished 2020 with six straight wins after starting 0-2, including beating Wisconsin for the first time in five years. Iowa returns a lot of talent on both sides of the ball: a great group of backs, a talented QB, and a very loaded defense. Who knows at this point, but I think Iowa could run the table in the BIG 10 West and make it to the BIG 10 title game if they’re able to stay healthy and win games that they normally don’t win. Indiana had an excellent season last year, but lost their bowl game to Ole Miss to end the season. QB Michael Penix is back for the Hoosiers, but I have questions about their defense. Not to mention, I don’t know what to make of their receiving core and offensive line. This is definitely a statement game on Saturday in Iowa City, but which team will keep their momentum going in Iowa City?

PREDICTION: Should be a great game, but Iowa is much better than they were last year even after their impressive finish and I think it’s a regression season for Indiana. Hawkeyes get the win and cover in this one

Talking about Texas football is like talking about Florida Panthers hockey. Every year, the Panthers think it’s their year and they just can’t win the games they need to win to look like contenders. It’s been the same with Texas. Since Sam Ehlinger said “WE’RE BAAAAAAACK” after their Sugar Bowl win against Georgia in 2018, Texas is 13-8 in their last two regular seasons and 10-7 against the BIG 12. Granted the Longhorns did win both bowl games in 2019 and 2020, but they could’ve been so much better. A lot of people think Texas can reach their potential with Steve Sarkisian as their head coach and freshman Hudson Card as their new quarterback. A lot of CFB experts are excited about Texas’s star RB Bijan Robinson, who had an excellent season last year. But in comes Louisiana, a Group of 5 team that went into Ames and upset the Iowa State Cyclones last year to open the season and return a lot of talent, especially offensively with QB Levi Lewis returning. The Ragin Cajuns went 10-1 last year and lost to Coastal Carolina (who dominated last season) by only three points. As much as everyone’s paying attention to Texas and how they’re gonna start off the season, I’m looking forward to seeing if Louisiana comes to play and springs the upset.

PREDICTION: Louisiana went into Ames last season and upset the Cyclones to begin the season. This is my upset. I think the Ragin Cajuns go into Austin and shock Texas. A lot of eyes are on Texas, Louisiana has lots of offensive talent and I’m not sold on the Texas defense with a new head coach. Louisiana wins

I think this is an underrated game. USC is coming off a solid year that ended with a loss in the PAC 12 title game to Oregon. The Trojans return a lot of their offensive talent and a balanced defense. BUT, San Jose State is coming off one of their greatest years in program history and has one of the best offenses in the conference. The Spartans return everyone on offense and bring back a very solid defense. This is going to be a shootout and it’s definitely anyone’s game in LA.

PREDICTION: Watch out for the Spartans. They have a lot of confidence and talent and USC’s defense and receiving core is a little depleted. I still think Kedon Slovis is the best player on the field and leads the Trojans to a win, but SJ State covers

It’s really hard to not put a Top 5 game between the SEC and ACC as the first Game of the Week on Marvel Sports. Clemson and Georgia are definitely conference contenders and are two of the grittiest, physical teams in College Football and it sets up an exciting opening game in Charlotte. This matchup features two young quarterbacks in JT Daniels for Georgia and DJ Uiagaleilei (God that’s hard to pronounce) for Clemson and two of the best defenses in the nation. To me, this is a matchup where both teams have to find an identity in their passing game. Georgia and Clemson both have #1 receivers in George Pickens and Justyn Ross, respectively, but we don’t know much about the other receivers. Not to mention, Clemson is breaking in a new running back to fill Travis Etienne’s shoes. This is a whole new squad for Dabo Swinney, but Clemson is still the team to beat in the ACC until someone else proves it. As for Georgia, a lot of people think that they’ll meet Bama in the SEC title game, so Kirby Smart has some high expectations to meet in Athens. Two Top 5 teams in two powerhouse conferences meeting under the lights in Charlotte. What more could you ask for to open the first Saturday Night game on ABC?

PREDICTION: Both teams have question marks in different areas. Clemson has a young QB and a new RB while Georgia looks to build off their receiving core. I really wanna see Clemson lose in the regular season, but I don’t think Georgia can do it. Clemson wins a close one and covers

The Fighting Irish might be the most balanced team in College Football. Landing Wisconsin transfer QB Jack Coan certainly helps, but when you have a solid run game with Kyren Williams, great receivers, and one of the most talented safeties in Kyle Hamilton on defense, Notre Dame certainly has everything it needs to run it back to the College Football Playoff. Interesting first matchup when Notre Dame visits a Florida State team that might catch the ACC by surprise. UCF transfer McKenzie Milton is going to have a tremendous season if he can get back to what he was at UCF and Mike Norvell has some talent on both sides of the ball. If FSU’s offensive line can improve, the Seminoles can be a dark horse in the ACC. This is also a personal game for Florida State football as longtime head coach Bobby Bowden passed away a few weeks ago, so Florida State is also playing for him in this game which could make it much more intense if the Noles come out guns blazing. Should be a great game on Sunday night as FSU honors one of the greatest coaches the school, and the nation, have ever seen.

PREDICTION: I’m excited to see what McKenzie Milton will bring to the Seminoles this season, I think he’s got some talent around him, but Notre Dame is just the better team. The Irish win, but Florida State will keep it close and cover

You can look at both teams on paper and say Ole Miss is the better team. Better QB, better head coach, better defense, and oh yeah they’re in the SEC. But this Louisville team has improved under Scott Satterfield. Offensively led by Malik Cunningham who is back after missing the last half of last year due to a leg injury, the Cardinals offense is expected to improve this season. The question for the Cardinals is their defense. It hasn’t been improved over the last few seasons and it was the main reason they couldn’t win a lot of games last year. It was an impressive first season for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels last season. The Rebels gave Alabama a game, got their revenge against Mississippi State, and won a bowl game against Indiana. Good chance that Ole Miss could be improved this season with a veteran coach, quarterback, and a much improved defense. You wanna find out which dark horse gets off to a good start? Tune in on Monday night.

PREDICTION: Quarterbacks will steal the show and it’s gonna come down to turnovers and defense, but I think Ole Miss prevails in a shootout. The Rebels defense is just a bit better than the Cardinals defense. Ole Miss wins but Louisville covers.

Welcome back, College Football

	Charlie Maher on NFL Week 1 Picks
	John G on The Good and Bad of NFL Week…
	Discord on Thanksgiving Football Returns…
	J Gilliam on Notable College Football Match…
	Chris Peers on 2019 College Football Pre…

Marvel Sports

Sports Blog by David Maher

Month: September 2021