A decent 3-2 performance last week. This week, we choose five games that have implications from National Title to Conference Championship to rivalry win. Here are this weeks picks.
Alabama vs Auburn
The much anticipated Iron Bowl is finally here. Alabama looks to cement another trip to the BCS National Championship while Auburn looks to shake up the National Championship picture entirely and put themselves in a position to play in the big game.
Alabama comes into this game rolling like they have all year long. The defense hasn't allowed a team to score more than 20 points since Texas A&M did it back on Sep 18 while the offense has scored 30 or more in seven out of the last eight games. QB AJ McCarron has been spectacular all season long making big plays and putting his team in position to win each and every single game. While McCarron is a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy, the trophy that matters to him is another BCS Title. McCarron has done a great job all season not only spreading the ball around to many targets but also completing passes at almost a 70% clip. He has a favorable matchup against an Auburn defense that has trouble stopping high powered, balanced offenses like Alabama's. McCarron will look to WR's Amari Cooper and Christion Jones in the open field and Kevin Norwood in the Red Zone as Norwood has scored a touchdown in four straight games. The Crimson Tide also sport a power offensive running attack led by T.J. Yeldon and speed back Kenyan Drake. Yeldon missed the Tide's last game but rushed for over 130+ against LSU and Mississippi St and will be ready to go against Auburn. If Alabama can run the ball effectively early against Auburn and put them in a whole early that forces the Tigers to rely on the pass, than it could be a quick ending to the Iron Bowl.
The Tigers find themselves in BCS Championship talks for the first time since they won it all back in 2010. QB Nick Marshall leads the Tigers run heavy spread attack. Marshall has rushed 123 times this season and is averaging almost seven yards per carry and has nine touchdowns this season. The Tigers will need him to make plays with his feet on designed runs and on passing plays for them to beat the Crimson Tide. Marshall hasn't been relied on to throw the ball much this year, but he will need to throw the ball downfield in this game as the Crimson Tide will more than likely stack the box to stop the run. The Tigers are coming off a bye week, so it will be interesting to see what kinds of wrinkles they put in the passing game to help Marshall out and keep the Crimson Tide on their heels. When Marshall is put in passing downs, expect him to target WR Sammie Coates early and often. Coates has been a big play receiver averaging over 22 yards per catch and has five of Marshall's nine passing touchdowns. The wild card for the Tiger offense is RB Tre Mason. If Mason can run the way he has all year long even against a stacked front, the Tigers will be in contention in this game. Mason is averaging five and a half yards per carry and has 17 touchdowns so far this season. If the Tigers are going to beat Alabama, they will need to put the ball in the end zone rather than settling for field goals.
Key Matchup: The Auburn defense vs the Alabama rushing attack. If Auburn can slow down the Crimson Tide rushing attack and force some third and long opportunities, then they can get themselves in position to force Bama to punt or even intercept McCarron and get their explosive offense back on the field. If the Tigers have trouble containing Yeldon and Drake, than McCarron and company can expose the secondary when the defense is overplaying to stop the run and get the Tigers in a whole early, forcing them to step out of their comfort zone and pass.
Prediction: +Alabama Crimson Tide 34 - +Auburn Athletics 21
Notre Dame vs Stanford
The Fighting Irish look to win for the first time in Palo Alto since 2007 when they take on the Stanford Cardinal. The Irish have had an up and down year, beating the likes of Michigan St and Arizona St while losing to Pitt. Senior QB Tommy Rees looks to go out with a win in his regular season finale as the QB for the Irish. Rees has had a decent season throwing for over 2700 yards and 25 touchdowns, but has also had some trouble with his decision making as shown by his 11 interceptions. Rees will need to be spot on against a tough Stanford defense that ranks 14th in points per game allowed. Rees will need to get the ball in the hands of WR's TJ Jones and DaVaris Daniels. Both Jones and Daniels have gotten the significant majority of Rees' throws and there is no reason why that won't continue against the Cardinal. Notre Dame has struggled mightily running the football, but if it expects to beat Stanford in Palo Alto than the Irish will need to establish some sort of rushing attack. In the three games the Irish have lost, RB Cam McDaniel has averaged only 4 carries per game. While it will be tough sledding against the tough physical front of Stanford, the Irish will need to keep the Cardinal on their heels with a balanced attack or else this will be a pounding delivered by the Cardinal.
The Cardinal look to improve to 6-0 against ranked teams this year when they take on the Irish on Saturday. QB Kevin Hogan, like Rees, has had some good moments this year throwing for over 2000 yards and 18 touchdowns, but has also been too conservative at times. Luckily for Hogan, he has a power back in Tyler Gaffney that he can rely on. Gaffney has been sensational this year rushing 251 times for 1300 yards and 16 touchdowns. He will be called on again on Saturday to be the workhorse of the Cardinal offense. It is a favorable matchup for Gaffney as the Irish allow 168 rushing yards per game. If the Cardinal are forced to throw the ball, Hogan will target WR Ty Montgomery. Montgomery has been the only real threat vertically for the Cardinal and he should have opportunities on Saturday as the Irish will look to stop the run. If the Cardinal can run the ball effectively like they have all year, this game won't be close in the third quarter.
Key Matchup: Stanford defensive line vs Notre Dame offensive line. If the Stanford defensive line can prevent the Irish from running and put pressure on Tommy Rees, than that will bode well for them as Rees has been prone to making mistakes. If the Irish can protect Rees throughout the game and establish a little push up front for the running game, than Notre Dame will be in this the whole way.
Prediction: +Stanford Athletics 31 - +Notre Dame Athletics 14
Clemson vs South Carolina
Tajh Boyd and the Clemson Tigers looks to beat South Carolina for the first time since 2008. Clemson has been phenomenal all year with the exception against Florida St and will look to end their season in style with a win over the Gamecocks. Boyd has had a great senior year, throwing for 3200 yards and 29 touchdowns while also rushing for 260 yards and eight touchdowns. Boyd has occasionally made some poor decisions, but he will need to mistake free for the Tigers to beat the Gamecocks in Columbia. Boyd will no doubt look for future NFL first round WR Sammy Watkins throughout this game. Watkins leads the team with 78 catches to go along with 10 touchdowns. Clemson will need to get the ball to Watkins early and often in order to win this game. WR Martavis Bryant is Boyd's other option and will see plenty of targets as well. RB Roderick McDowell will also need to find some holes to keep the Tiger offense balanced so the Gamecocks defensive line doesn't rush the passer every down. If Boyd can limit his mistakes and the Tigers get some explosive plays out of Watkins, then they will have a great chance at knocking off their rival in Columbia.
The Gamecocks look to continue their defensive dominance over the last few games on Saturday when they take on the best offense they have seen since Georgia in week 2. The Gamecocks have put in a very balanced offensive attack all season long with QB Connor Shaw at the helm. Shaw has thrown for 2000 yards, 20 touchdowns and only one interception. He has also been a lethal runner, averaging just under four yards per carry and four touchdowns. Shaw has done a great job spreading the ball out to multiple receivers all year long and if he can do that on Saturday against a defense that has struggled against the pass, then the Gamecocks will be in good shape to beat their arch rival again. The most important component of the Gamecock offense is the running game led by RB Mike Davis. Davis is averaging over six yards per carry and has rushed for over 100 yards in all but three games this season. If Davis can rush for over 100 against the Tigers and keep the chains moving to keep the explosive Clemson offense on the sidelines, than the Gamecocks will be in control of this game.
Key Matchup: Clemson front seven vs Mike Davis. If the Tigers can slow down the rushing attack of Mike Davis and Connor Shaw and force the Gamecocks to be one dimensional, than they will have a good chance to outscore the Gamecocks. If the Tigers have trouble stopping Davis or containing Shaw, they will be in big trouble as they will not only need to come from behind, but also because the Gamecocks will milk the clock with long touchdown scoring drives.
Prediction: +Clemson Tigers 38 - +South Carolina Gamecocks 31
Texas A&M vs Missouri
Johnny Manziel looks to put himself in position to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner when his Aggies take on the Missouri Tigers on Saturday. Manziel is coming off arguably his worst performance of his career against LSU last week and will look to end the season on a high note by knocking off the Tigers in Columbia. Manziel has been spectacular once again this season, completing almost 70% of his passes for 3500 yards and 32 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 665 yards and eight touchdowns. He will need to make plays with his legs against the stout pass rush of the Missouri Tigers. Manziel will no doubt continue to look deep for big play WR Mike Evans, who is averaging 21 yards per catch and has 13 touchdowns and Malcome Kennedy underneath who is second on the team with 55 catches. The Aggies will use their plethora of running backs including Ben Malena, Trey Williams and Tra Carson along with Manziel to establish the running game early to try and wear down the Missouri defensive line and prevent them from pinning their ears back against Manziel. If the Aggies can neutralize the Missouri pass rush, then the Aggies will be in great position to win this game.
Missouri looks to clinch the SEC East with a win over the Aggies on Saturday. QB James Franklin has led the Tiger charge this year with his dual threat ability, totaling over 2000 yards and 17 touchdowns, despite missing four games to an injured shoulder. Franklin will need to make some plays both through the air and on the ground against a weak Aggy defense to keep Manziel on the sidelines. Franklin has a trio of wideouts that have been reliable all year. L'Damian Washington has been the Tiger deep threat, averaging 19 yards a catch and nine touchdowns, while Dorial Green-Beckham has been the red zone target due to his size and Marcus Lucas has been the possession receiver. All three should be able to find holes in the Aggy secondary that has struggled all year long. The Tigers will need to run the ball as well to prevent the Aggy offense from getting on the field. RB Henry Josey has had a great year, averaging six yards per carry to go along with 12 touchdowns. He will need to run effectively against A&M to secure his team's spot in the SEC Title Game.
Key Matchup: Texas A&M offensive line vs Missouri defensive line. If the Aggies offensive line can keep Manziel upright and prevent him from taking big hits like he did against Auburn and LSU, than the Aggies can win this game. If the Tigers can get to Manziel with just their front four and drop the other seven into coverage, than the Aggies will have a tough time getting an offensive rhythm, which is good news for the Tigers.
Prediction: +Mizzou Athletics 31 - +Texas A&M University 28
Upset Special
USC vs UCLA
The Battle for Los Angeles takes place on Saturday when a resurgent USC takes on a tough UCLA. USC has won six of seven since firing Lane Kiffin and replacing him with Ed Orgeron and will look to continue the momentum on Saturday against UCLA. QB Cody Kessler has thrived since being named the full time starter, throwing for 2500 yards and 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. Kessler hasn't thrown an interception since the Trojans played California at the beginning of November. He will need to play mistake free if the Trojans expect the beat the Bruins on Saturday. Kessler will no doubt look to target future NFL WR Marquise Lee along with Nelson Agholor. The resurgence by USC, however, has been led by their running attack led by Tre Madden and Javorius Allen. The pair are averaging over five yards per carry and have 14 touchdowns between the two. If USC expects to beat UCLA they will need to run between the tackles and score touchdowns rather than settling for field goals.
UCLA looks to rebound after losing to Arizona St last week. QB Brett Hundley leads the Bruins offensive charge against the Trojans. While he has struggled at times this season, Hundley has put together a nice pretty good season, completing 68% of his passes along with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has also been a threat on the ground rushing for 507 yards and seven touchdowns. Hundley will need to take care of the ball and make some plays with his legs on Saturday for the Bruins to beat the Trojans. Hundley will look for WR's Shaq Evans and Devin Fuller will he needs to make a play through the air. Both have 40+ catches on the year and have been the consistent receivers for the Bruins. The Bruins will also try to establish their running game RB's Paul Perkins and RB/LB Miles Jack to go along with Hundley. Both Perkins and Hundley will do the open field running while Jack comes in around the red zone. If the Bruins can stay balanced, they will have a great shot at beating USC. If they struggle to stay balanced like they have in their losses against Stanford and Oregon, than the Bruins will come up on the losing end of this game.
Key Matchup: The USC rushing attack vs the UCLA front seven. If USC can run between the tackles and keep drives going, than they will be in this game from beginning to end. If UCLA can stop the USC rushing attack and force Kessler to beat them, then they will be in good position to win as Kessler has shown that he has been turnover prone earlier in the season.
Prediction: +USC Trojans 28 - +UCLA Bruins 24
Last Week: 3-2
2013 Season: 41-24
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Saturday, November 30, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
College Football Week 13 Picks
After a few rough weeks, we finally got back on track last week with a perfect 5-0 record. Lets try and keep the momentum going in this weeks picks.
Texas A&M vs LSU
Johnny Manziel looks to cement his chances at a repeat of the Heisman trophy on Saturday when his Aggies take on LSU in Baton Rouge. Manziel has led the high power Aggie offense to incredible heights this year, including scoring at least 42 points in every single game so far this season. He will look to have his way again with a struggling LSU defense. Manziel has accounted for over 4000 yards and 39 touchdowns so far this season. Manziel will try to get the ball to star WR and touchdown machine Mike Evans early and often. Along with Evans, Manziel will target Malcome Kennedy to stretch the LSU defense and force the Tigers to man up as opposed to double teaming Evans. A&M's running game is nothing to sniff at either, led by Ben Molina and Trey Williams. The pair are averaging six yards per carry and have accounted for 15 rushing touchdowns as well. If the Aggies continue to do what they have done on offense so far this season, this could be a long game for the Tigers.
LSU looks to rebound after getting blasted by Alabama two weeks ago, but it won't get any easier against Texas A&M. QB Zach Mettenberger has played outstanding this year including last week against Alabama. Mettenberger has completed almost 66% of his passes and has more than a two to one ratio when it comes to touchdowns to interceptions. He will need to be on point once again on Saturday if his Tigers are going to keep up with the Aggies on offense. The Aggies defense has some serious holes in it and if Mettenberger can stay on his feet and get the ball into the hands of Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry in space, then the Tigers will be able to stay in the game. If Mettenberger can expose the defensive backs, that will also allow running lanes to be opened for power back Jeremy Hill and could cause some serious trouble for the Aggies. Hill is averaging almost seven yards per carry and has 13 touchdowns, but most importantly for the Tigers is that he accumulates 100+ yards on the ground. Every game Hill has gotten 100+ rushing yards, the Tigers have lost. while every game except against UAB where he has rushed for less than 100 yards, the Tigers have lost. If Hill can move the pile and get large chunks of yards on each carry, this will be a game that comes down to the wire.
Key Matchup: Jeremy Hill vs the Texas A&M front seven. If Hill can rush effectively throughout the game against the Aggies and keep Johnny Manziel on the sidelines, LSU will have a great chance the beat the Aggies. If Texas A&M can slow him down just a little bit and force a couple of three and outs from the LSU offense, this one could get ugly real fast.
Prediction: +Texas A&M University 45 - +LSU Football 35
Missouri vs Ole Miss
James Franklin returns for the Tigers as they look to clinch the SEC East title with a win over the Ole Miss Rebels. Franklin got a little action last week in the Tigers blowout win over Kentucky, but will start in his first game since he was hurt against Georgia. The Tigers fared well without Franklin but will need him to return to form over the next two game stretch against Ole Miss and Texas A&M if they want to make it to the SEC Championship. Franklin had been on quite a tear before his injury throwing for 14 touchdowns to only three interceptions in six games. Franklin will rely on RB Henry Josey early in the game as he continues to get his feet out from under him. Josey saw his carries increase while Franklin was out and didn't disappoint averaging just under seven yards per carry. Josey will look to gash the Rebels who at times have been susceptible to the big play in the run game. At some point, Franklin will need to air it out and that's where WR's Ladamian Washington and Dorial Green-Beckham come into the fold. Both receivers have been big play guys, catching 35+ passes and nine touchdowns. Both Washington and Green-Beckham will look to get behind the Rebel defense to get their quarterback some confidence early in this game.
Ole Miss will look to beat their second top 10 team of the year at home on Saturday when the Tigers come to town. QB Bo Wallace will look to continue the success he has had so far this year both through the air and on the ground. Wallace has accumulated over 2900 yards and 21 touchdowns so far this year. He will need to be shifty and get the ball out quick against the phenomenal pass rush of the Tigers. Wallace will no doubt be looking to get the ball into the hands of WR Donte Moncrief, his deep threat and highly touted freshman Laquon Treadwell, his possession receiver. Both Moncrief and Treadwell have excelled this year feeding off each other as Wallace has taken what the defense has given him and gotten both of these playmakers plenty of opportunities. With Missouri's pass rush however, the Rebels will need to establish the run in order to prevent the Missouri defensive line from pinning their ears back and rushing the passer on every down. RB Jeff Scott returned to the backfield last week after missing the previous three games and will join Jaylen Walton in the backfield to help provide the Rebels with a rushing threat. More importantly for the Rebels, Scott was the team's punt and kick returner in the beginning of the season, so the Rebels might put him back there if they need a big play to break the game open.
Key Matchup: Henry Josey vs Ole Miss front seven. If Josey can gash the Rebels like others have done, than Missouri will be in control for most if not all of the way. If Ole Miss can bundle Josey up and force Franklin to beat them in his first game back, than Ole Miss will have a great chance at another top 10 win.
Prediction: +Mizzou Athletics 31 - +Ole Miss Rebels 24
Baylor vs Oklahoma St
Bryce Petty and the Baylor Bears will look to continue to jockey for position for an outside shot at the BCS National Championship on Saturday when they travel to Stillwater to take on the Oklahoma St Cowboys. Petty will also look to continue to build on his Heisman candidacy as he has been absolutely dominant this season. Petty has thrown 24 touchdowns to only one interception and has thrown for over 300 yards in every game except Oklahoma so far this year. He will need to be just as good on Saturday against the big corners of Oklahoma St and in the hostile environment of Stillwater. Petty has spread the ball around to numerous receivers this year, which will continue on Saturday. WR's Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood will get the bulk of the throws as Baylor will be without speedster Tevin Reese against the Cowboys. While the Bears have an extremely potent passing attack, their running attack is just as good if not better. The Bears sub in multiple backs including lead back Lache Seastrunk, Freshman speedster Shock Linwood and power back Glasco Martin. The Bears are averaging over 300 rushing yards per game and if they expect to win in Stillwater, they will need to run the ball early, often and effectively.
Oklahoma St has been playing some great football of late and will look to extend its winning streak to seven on Saturday against Baylor. QB Clint Chelf has taken the reigns at QB and has improved drastically week by week. Now comes the true test against one of the nations best teams in Baylor at home under the lights of Stillwater. Chelf has done a great job managing the game and not trying to make too much happen. His decision making has improved as well over the last five weeks, which has shown in his QB Rating improving from a 91.8 to a 168.9. Chelf will need to play at the level he did last week against Texas for the Cowboys to stay in the game. Chelf made plays with both his arm and legs and will need to do that against Baylor to prevent the Cowboys from facing deep third and longs. Like Petty, Chelf has a good running game that he can rely on. RB Desmond Roland has been absolutely running over opponents in the last four games, averaging 23 carries a game for 104 yards and he has scored eight times in those four games. If the Cowboys are going to beat Baylor, they will need Roland to run the way he has over the last four weeks to keep the chains moving and keep the Bears offense on the sideline and most importantly put the ball in the end zone.
Key Matchup: Baylor's running game vs Oklahoma St rush defense. If Baylor can have the success it has had running the football against Oklahoma St, this game will heavily be in Baylor's favor. If Oklahoma St can slow them down or even stop the run with their stout front seven, than the Cowboys will more than likely lead this game in the fourth forcing Baylor to beat them through the air.
Prediction: +Baylor Athletics 42 - +Oklahoma State Athletics 41
Wisconsin vs Minnesota
The oldest rivalry in D1 continues on Saturday when the Badgers travel to Minneapolis to take on the surging Minnesota Golden Gophers. Wisconsin looks to keep pace with Ohio St at an outside shot for the Leaders Division Championship. Wisconsin has been tearing it up since losing to Ohio St, winning five in a row. This will be a big test for the Badgers as both their losses have come on the road this year. QB Joel Stave, while not flashy, has done a great job managing the Badger offense and giving his team a great shot to win every game. Stave has not done what most young quarterbacks do, which is lose his team football games. The Badgers were jobbed against Arizona St and the defense was to blame for the Ohio St loss. Stave knows he has an incredible running attack behind him and because of that, doesn't try to force the issue through the air. Instead he takes what the defense gives him and if it means the Badgers have to punt, than that ok but the defense has done very well all season as well. RB's Melvin Gordon and James White have been sensational this year with each averaging seven yards per carry and 12 touchdowns. Both Gordon and White will need to force the issue on the Gophers and pound them early so the Badgers can get off to a good start. If the Badgers can get the Gophers in a hole early, than Wisconsin will be in a great position to get their first win against a ranked team on the road.
Minnesota looks to continue its magical run by winning the Paul Bunyan Axe on Saturday. QB Philip Nelson has done a great job leading the Gophers both through the air and on the ground. Nelson has done a great job managing the game through the air while being a playmaker on the ground with his legs. He will need his dual threat ability on Saturday if the Gophers are to beat the Badgers. Like the Badgers, the Gophers will rely on their running game led by RB David Cobb. Cobb has averaged over five yards a carry along with Nelson who has averaged just over four yards per carry. The Gophers will need their running game to move the chains and keep the Wisconsin offense on the sidelines and the prevent the Gophers from having to rely on Nelson to beat the Badgers through the air. Like the Badgers, the Gophers have built up quite a defensive unit, especially against the run. If the Gophers can run the ball and can slow down the Badger run game, than they will have a great chance to get their ninth win of the season on Saturday.
Key Matchup: Wisconsin's running game vs Minnesota front seven. If Wisconsin can establish the run and impose their will on the Gophers, than the Badgers will have a very good chance at winning the Paul Bunyan axe. If the Gophers can slow down the Badger running game and force Stave to take some shots down the field, the Gophers will have a good shot at winning the Paul Bunyan axe for the first time since 2003.
Prediction: +Wisconsin Badgers 31 - +Minnesota Gophers 21
Upset Special
Arizona St vs UCLA
The Pac-12 South Champion could be decided on Saturday when Arizona St travels to the Coliseum to take on UCLA. Arizona St is coming off a 30-17 victory over Oregon St and has won five in a row coming into Saturday's game. QB Taylor Kelly has struggled over the last two games, but has done a very good job all season getting his team in the right position to win. Over the last two games, Kelly has thrown only one touchdowns and two interceptions along with throwing for less than 200 yards in each game. However, Kelly had been spectacular up until that point and the Sun Devils have increased Marion Grice's workload, which has decreased Kelly's need to throw. Kelly will look to get the ball to WR Jaelen Strong along with RB's D.J. Foster and Marion Grice. Grice has been an absolute workhorse for the Sun Devils, especially the last two weeks rushing 20+ times for over 100 yards in each game. He will get a lot of looks on Saturday as UCLA has struggled to stop the run against good rushing teams this season.
UCLA is on a three game win streak of their own, but will now face the toughest test in last four weeks against Arizona St on Saturday.
Key Matchup: Marion Grice vs UCLA front seven. If Marion Grice can run the way he has all season long and run against an eight man front, then Arizona St could run away with this game by the third quarter with their offensive explosiveness. If UCLA can stop Grice and force Kelly to beat them, then the Bruins can put pressure on a QB that has struggled recently and keep the score low, which improves the Bruins chances of winning.
Prediction: +Arizona State University 31 - +UCLA Bruins 28
Last Week: 5-0
2013 Season: 38-22
Texas A&M vs LSU
Johnny Manziel looks to cement his chances at a repeat of the Heisman trophy on Saturday when his Aggies take on LSU in Baton Rouge. Manziel has led the high power Aggie offense to incredible heights this year, including scoring at least 42 points in every single game so far this season. He will look to have his way again with a struggling LSU defense. Manziel has accounted for over 4000 yards and 39 touchdowns so far this season. Manziel will try to get the ball to star WR and touchdown machine Mike Evans early and often. Along with Evans, Manziel will target Malcome Kennedy to stretch the LSU defense and force the Tigers to man up as opposed to double teaming Evans. A&M's running game is nothing to sniff at either, led by Ben Molina and Trey Williams. The pair are averaging six yards per carry and have accounted for 15 rushing touchdowns as well. If the Aggies continue to do what they have done on offense so far this season, this could be a long game for the Tigers.
LSU looks to rebound after getting blasted by Alabama two weeks ago, but it won't get any easier against Texas A&M. QB Zach Mettenberger has played outstanding this year including last week against Alabama. Mettenberger has completed almost 66% of his passes and has more than a two to one ratio when it comes to touchdowns to interceptions. He will need to be on point once again on Saturday if his Tigers are going to keep up with the Aggies on offense. The Aggies defense has some serious holes in it and if Mettenberger can stay on his feet and get the ball into the hands of Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry in space, then the Tigers will be able to stay in the game. If Mettenberger can expose the defensive backs, that will also allow running lanes to be opened for power back Jeremy Hill and could cause some serious trouble for the Aggies. Hill is averaging almost seven yards per carry and has 13 touchdowns, but most importantly for the Tigers is that he accumulates 100+ yards on the ground. Every game Hill has gotten 100+ rushing yards, the Tigers have lost. while every game except against UAB where he has rushed for less than 100 yards, the Tigers have lost. If Hill can move the pile and get large chunks of yards on each carry, this will be a game that comes down to the wire.
Key Matchup: Jeremy Hill vs the Texas A&M front seven. If Hill can rush effectively throughout the game against the Aggies and keep Johnny Manziel on the sidelines, LSU will have a great chance the beat the Aggies. If Texas A&M can slow him down just a little bit and force a couple of three and outs from the LSU offense, this one could get ugly real fast.
Prediction: +Texas A&M University 45 - +LSU Football 35
Missouri vs Ole Miss
James Franklin returns for the Tigers as they look to clinch the SEC East title with a win over the Ole Miss Rebels. Franklin got a little action last week in the Tigers blowout win over Kentucky, but will start in his first game since he was hurt against Georgia. The Tigers fared well without Franklin but will need him to return to form over the next two game stretch against Ole Miss and Texas A&M if they want to make it to the SEC Championship. Franklin had been on quite a tear before his injury throwing for 14 touchdowns to only three interceptions in six games. Franklin will rely on RB Henry Josey early in the game as he continues to get his feet out from under him. Josey saw his carries increase while Franklin was out and didn't disappoint averaging just under seven yards per carry. Josey will look to gash the Rebels who at times have been susceptible to the big play in the run game. At some point, Franklin will need to air it out and that's where WR's Ladamian Washington and Dorial Green-Beckham come into the fold. Both receivers have been big play guys, catching 35+ passes and nine touchdowns. Both Washington and Green-Beckham will look to get behind the Rebel defense to get their quarterback some confidence early in this game.
Ole Miss will look to beat their second top 10 team of the year at home on Saturday when the Tigers come to town. QB Bo Wallace will look to continue the success he has had so far this year both through the air and on the ground. Wallace has accumulated over 2900 yards and 21 touchdowns so far this year. He will need to be shifty and get the ball out quick against the phenomenal pass rush of the Tigers. Wallace will no doubt be looking to get the ball into the hands of WR Donte Moncrief, his deep threat and highly touted freshman Laquon Treadwell, his possession receiver. Both Moncrief and Treadwell have excelled this year feeding off each other as Wallace has taken what the defense has given him and gotten both of these playmakers plenty of opportunities. With Missouri's pass rush however, the Rebels will need to establish the run in order to prevent the Missouri defensive line from pinning their ears back and rushing the passer on every down. RB Jeff Scott returned to the backfield last week after missing the previous three games and will join Jaylen Walton in the backfield to help provide the Rebels with a rushing threat. More importantly for the Rebels, Scott was the team's punt and kick returner in the beginning of the season, so the Rebels might put him back there if they need a big play to break the game open.
Key Matchup: Henry Josey vs Ole Miss front seven. If Josey can gash the Rebels like others have done, than Missouri will be in control for most if not all of the way. If Ole Miss can bundle Josey up and force Franklin to beat them in his first game back, than Ole Miss will have a great chance at another top 10 win.
Prediction: +Mizzou Athletics 31 - +Ole Miss Rebels 24
Baylor vs Oklahoma St
Bryce Petty and the Baylor Bears will look to continue to jockey for position for an outside shot at the BCS National Championship on Saturday when they travel to Stillwater to take on the Oklahoma St Cowboys. Petty will also look to continue to build on his Heisman candidacy as he has been absolutely dominant this season. Petty has thrown 24 touchdowns to only one interception and has thrown for over 300 yards in every game except Oklahoma so far this year. He will need to be just as good on Saturday against the big corners of Oklahoma St and in the hostile environment of Stillwater. Petty has spread the ball around to numerous receivers this year, which will continue on Saturday. WR's Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood will get the bulk of the throws as Baylor will be without speedster Tevin Reese against the Cowboys. While the Bears have an extremely potent passing attack, their running attack is just as good if not better. The Bears sub in multiple backs including lead back Lache Seastrunk, Freshman speedster Shock Linwood and power back Glasco Martin. The Bears are averaging over 300 rushing yards per game and if they expect to win in Stillwater, they will need to run the ball early, often and effectively.
Oklahoma St has been playing some great football of late and will look to extend its winning streak to seven on Saturday against Baylor. QB Clint Chelf has taken the reigns at QB and has improved drastically week by week. Now comes the true test against one of the nations best teams in Baylor at home under the lights of Stillwater. Chelf has done a great job managing the game and not trying to make too much happen. His decision making has improved as well over the last five weeks, which has shown in his QB Rating improving from a 91.8 to a 168.9. Chelf will need to play at the level he did last week against Texas for the Cowboys to stay in the game. Chelf made plays with both his arm and legs and will need to do that against Baylor to prevent the Cowboys from facing deep third and longs. Like Petty, Chelf has a good running game that he can rely on. RB Desmond Roland has been absolutely running over opponents in the last four games, averaging 23 carries a game for 104 yards and he has scored eight times in those four games. If the Cowboys are going to beat Baylor, they will need Roland to run the way he has over the last four weeks to keep the chains moving and keep the Bears offense on the sideline and most importantly put the ball in the end zone.
Key Matchup: Baylor's running game vs Oklahoma St rush defense. If Baylor can have the success it has had running the football against Oklahoma St, this game will heavily be in Baylor's favor. If Oklahoma St can slow them down or even stop the run with their stout front seven, than the Cowboys will more than likely lead this game in the fourth forcing Baylor to beat them through the air.
Prediction: +Baylor Athletics 42 - +Oklahoma State Athletics 41
Wisconsin vs Minnesota
The oldest rivalry in D1 continues on Saturday when the Badgers travel to Minneapolis to take on the surging Minnesota Golden Gophers. Wisconsin looks to keep pace with Ohio St at an outside shot for the Leaders Division Championship. Wisconsin has been tearing it up since losing to Ohio St, winning five in a row. This will be a big test for the Badgers as both their losses have come on the road this year. QB Joel Stave, while not flashy, has done a great job managing the Badger offense and giving his team a great shot to win every game. Stave has not done what most young quarterbacks do, which is lose his team football games. The Badgers were jobbed against Arizona St and the defense was to blame for the Ohio St loss. Stave knows he has an incredible running attack behind him and because of that, doesn't try to force the issue through the air. Instead he takes what the defense gives him and if it means the Badgers have to punt, than that ok but the defense has done very well all season as well. RB's Melvin Gordon and James White have been sensational this year with each averaging seven yards per carry and 12 touchdowns. Both Gordon and White will need to force the issue on the Gophers and pound them early so the Badgers can get off to a good start. If the Badgers can get the Gophers in a hole early, than Wisconsin will be in a great position to get their first win against a ranked team on the road.
Minnesota looks to continue its magical run by winning the Paul Bunyan Axe on Saturday. QB Philip Nelson has done a great job leading the Gophers both through the air and on the ground. Nelson has done a great job managing the game through the air while being a playmaker on the ground with his legs. He will need his dual threat ability on Saturday if the Gophers are to beat the Badgers. Like the Badgers, the Gophers will rely on their running game led by RB David Cobb. Cobb has averaged over five yards a carry along with Nelson who has averaged just over four yards per carry. The Gophers will need their running game to move the chains and keep the Wisconsin offense on the sidelines and the prevent the Gophers from having to rely on Nelson to beat the Badgers through the air. Like the Badgers, the Gophers have built up quite a defensive unit, especially against the run. If the Gophers can run the ball and can slow down the Badger run game, than they will have a great chance to get their ninth win of the season on Saturday.
Key Matchup: Wisconsin's running game vs Minnesota front seven. If Wisconsin can establish the run and impose their will on the Gophers, than the Badgers will have a very good chance at winning the Paul Bunyan axe. If the Gophers can slow down the Badger running game and force Stave to take some shots down the field, the Gophers will have a good shot at winning the Paul Bunyan axe for the first time since 2003.
Prediction: +Wisconsin Badgers 31 - +Minnesota Gophers 21
Upset Special
Arizona St vs UCLA
The Pac-12 South Champion could be decided on Saturday when Arizona St travels to the Coliseum to take on UCLA. Arizona St is coming off a 30-17 victory over Oregon St and has won five in a row coming into Saturday's game. QB Taylor Kelly has struggled over the last two games, but has done a very good job all season getting his team in the right position to win. Over the last two games, Kelly has thrown only one touchdowns and two interceptions along with throwing for less than 200 yards in each game. However, Kelly had been spectacular up until that point and the Sun Devils have increased Marion Grice's workload, which has decreased Kelly's need to throw. Kelly will look to get the ball to WR Jaelen Strong along with RB's D.J. Foster and Marion Grice. Grice has been an absolute workhorse for the Sun Devils, especially the last two weeks rushing 20+ times for over 100 yards in each game. He will get a lot of looks on Saturday as UCLA has struggled to stop the run against good rushing teams this season.
UCLA is on a three game win streak of their own, but will now face the toughest test in last four weeks against Arizona St on Saturday.
Key Matchup: Marion Grice vs UCLA front seven. If Marion Grice can run the way he has all season long and run against an eight man front, then Arizona St could run away with this game by the third quarter with their offensive explosiveness. If UCLA can stop Grice and force Kelly to beat them, then the Bruins can put pressure on a QB that has struggled recently and keep the score low, which improves the Bruins chances of winning.
Prediction: +Arizona State University 31 - +UCLA Bruins 28
Last Week: 5-0
2013 Season: 38-22
Saturday, November 16, 2013
College Football Week 12 Picks
Three weeks in a row we have gone 2-3. I am convinced that will happen the rest of the season. Here are this weeks picks.
Georgia vs Auburn
Aaron Murray looks to beat his third top 10 team of the year on Saturday when the Bulldogs take on the Auburn Tigers. The Bulldogs are on a two game winning streak and will look to end Auburn's chance at an SEC Championship and National Championship. The Bulldogs will rely heavily on the arm of Aaron Murray who will look to make plays down field against a defense that has been vulnerable against the big play this year. Murray will have to spread the ball to multiple targets as he has lost multiple play makers to season ending injuries. The Bulldogs will also need RB Todd Gurley to run over the Tigers defense that has struggled to stop the run, allowing an average of 155 yards per game. Gurley has played well over the last two weeks after missing the previous three weeks with an ankle injury. If Georgia can run the ball with Gurley and protect Aaron Murray in the pocket, than the Bulldogs will have a shot at upsetting the Tigers.
The Auburn Tigers look to set up a Iron Bowl showdown next week with Alabama, but first need to get through the Georgia Bulldogs. The Tigers are coming off a 55-23 whooping of Tennessee in Knoxville and will look to keep their offensive surge going on Saturday. The Tigers have absolutely shredded opponents on the ground this year with their spread offense running attack. The Tigers are third in the country in rushing yards per game and the keys to this rushing efficiency are QB Nick Marshall and RB Tre Mason. Marshall is averaging over seven yards per carry while Mason has scored 16 touchdowns so far this season. Georgia should expect a heavy dose of both Marshall and Mason early and often throughout the game. While Marshall hasn't killed in through the air, the isn't asked to make many plays through the air. He is more of a game manager and has done a very good job of that so far this season. In fact, in the last three games, Marshall has only thrown 16 total passes. Auburn's average margin of victory in those three games was 28 points. Georgia has been tough against the run this year, so Marshall will have to throw some in this game, however, the Georgia secondary has been atrocious this year, which should help prevent Marshall from making mistakes.
Key Matchup: Todd Gurley vs the Tiger front seven. If Gurley can find some holes and move the chains, it will not only benefit the Georgia offense by keeping the chains moving, but it will also keep the explosive Auburn offense off the field. If Auburn can stop the Georgia running game, then it will be in good shape. If Auburn has trouble getting the Georgia offense off the field, then the Tigers might have to rely on Marshall's arm at the end of the game in order to get the win and that is something that they don't want to do.
Prediction: +Auburn Athletics 35 - +Georgia Bulldogs 24
Michigan St vs Nebraska
The Michigan St Spartans will look to effectively clinch the Legends division title with a win over Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday. The Spartans are coming off a dominating win over Arch Rival Michigan and will look to win their sixth game in a row on Saturday. While it hasn't been pretty, the Spartans have found ways to win games this year even with their struggles on offense. The Spartan defense has been absolutely dominant this year. Michigan State ranks #1 in rushing yards allowed per game and #3 in passing yards allowed per game. Safe to say, the opposing offenses have gotten little going against the Spartans all year. The defense will look to continue their dominance against an the Cornhusker offense that will be without QB Taylor Martinez. The Cornhuskers will start a freshman at QB, which is great news for the Spartans. The Spartans offense has been better over the last two weeks and will look to support their defense against the Conrhuskers. QB Connor Cook has been a great game manager for the Spartans throwing for 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions this season. Cook has improved as the year has gone on including completing 93% of his passes against Illinois as well as beating Michigan at home. Cook will need to continue this ball security approach against the Cornhuskers on Saturday. Along with Cook's ball security, the Spartans will rely on RB Jeremy Langford to move the ball down the field and come away with touchdowns in the red zone. Langford has been outstanding lately, rushing for over 100 yards in four straight games and six touchdowns. If Langford can continue this type of production, and Cook can take care of the ball, the Spartans will be on their way to clinching the Legends division.
The Cornhuskers are also looking to get the inside track to winning the Legends division and securing a spot in the Big 10 Championship game. The Cornhuskers are coming off a win over Michigan and will need to play much better offensively against a tough Spartan defense. QB Tommy Armstrong will look to mirror the kind of performance he had against Michigan, in which he had no turnovers and had a QB rating of 139 rather than the performance he had against Northwestern where he threw three interceptions. If Armstrong can take care of the football in obvious passing down situations, the Cornhuskers can stay in the game and try and pound the ball with their running game. RB Ameer Abdullah will try and do what no other running back has been able to do so far this year against the Spartans and that is find room to run. Abdullah will need to move the pile and lead his team into the end zone as opposed to settling for field goals in the red zone, The Conrhuskers defense will also need to stack the box to stop the Spartan running attack. If the Red Shirts can slow Langord down a little bit and pressure Cook into making a mistake or two, than the game will be extremely close coming down the stretch and could come down to the final series.
Key Matchup: Tommy Armstrong vs the Spartan secondary. Armstrong will need to take what the defense gives him and not try and force the ball into tight spots. If Armstrong can move the chains and not turn the ball over, the Cornhuskers can play a field position type game and win. If Armstrong tries to make to many big plays when they are not there, this could be a long day for the freshman QB and Cornhusker offense against an elite defense.
Prediction: +Michigan State Athletics 21 - +Nebraska Cornhuskers 13
Oklahoma St vs Texas
The Big 12 Title will be decided over the next three weeks and the first game to decide it will be between the Cowboys and Longhorns. Oklahoma St comes in on a five game winning streak and will look to beat Texas in Austin for the third time in a row. The Cowboys up tempo offense has taken awhile to get on track this year but now seems to be headed in the right direction with Clint Chelf at the QB helm. Chelf has started the last four games, and has improved on each of his performances. In his last two games, Chelf has totaled seven touchdowns to just two turnovers and has had a QB rating over 110. Chelf will need to be at his best both through the air and on the ground against a much improved Longhorn defense. RB's Desmond Roland and Jeremy Smith will look to keep drives going with their legs as well as punch the ball into the end zone. The pair have combined for 19 touchdowns so far this season and if they can keep the Longhorns on their heels, than the Cowboys will have a great chance to win the game.
The Longhorns have done nothing but win since Case McCoy became the starting QB. The Longhorns have won five in a row with McCoy under the helm and will look to put themselves in great position for a Big 12 title with a win over Oklahoma St on Saturday. While his numbers haven't been great, McCoy knows how to put his teams in position to win and seems to come up with big plays when the Longhorns need it. They will need him to make plays and take care of the ball against the Cowboys on Saturday to prevent Oklahoma St from building up a big lead. McCoy will spread the ball across multiple receivers including possession receiver Jaxon Shipley and the deep threat Mike Davis. McCoy will also be helped out by a running game that has come on of late. RB Malcolm Brown will have to carry the load now after Johnathan Gray tore his Achilles last week against West Virginia. Brown has rushed for over 100 yards in two of the last four games and has scored seven times in those four games as well. RB Joe Bergeron will need to get critical short yardage plays and take care of the football if the Longhorns are to win on Saturday.
Key Matchup: The Texas running game against the Oklahoma St front seven. If Texas can run the ball the way it did against Oklahoma, than Texas will win the game. If the Longhorns struggle to run the ball the way they did against West Virginia, this game will get out of hand by the third quarter.
Prediction: +Oklahoma State Athletics 31 - +Texas Longhorns 21
Houston vs Louisville
The Houston Cougars will look to stay alive for the AAC conference championship when they take on the Louisville Cardinal. The Cougars are coming off a 19-14 loss to UCF last week in a game where their offense couldn't mount any momentum. The Cougars should have an easier time against the Louisville defense on Saturday. The Cougar offense starts and ends with QB John O'Korn. O'Korn has been magnificent as a freshman throwing for over 2300 yards, 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions. O'Korn struggled a bit against the strong UCF secondary last week and will look to get back on track against the Cardinals. O'Korn will almost certainly look to get Deontay Greenberry some more touches against the Cardinals. Greenberry has been the Cougars home run hitter on offense with nine touchdowns as well as their possession receiver as he has doubled the amount of catches as the next receiver. O'Korn will need to get the ball into the hands of Greenberry early and often if the Cougars expect to travel to Louisville and win. The Cougars will also need to get better production out of their running game to beat a team like Louisville. RB's Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson will need to tally way more than 69 yards on the ground if the Cougars are to pull off the upset.
Louisville is also looking to stay in the AAC title chase and needs to beat Houston on Saturday for that to continue. QB Teddy Bridgewater will look to continue rolling against a Cougar defense that ranks 115th against the pass. Bridgewater has been extraordinary this year, throwing for over 2800 yards, 24 touchdowns and only three interceptions while completing 71% of his passes. Bridgewater will spread the ball around to multiple targets including Damian Copeland, the teams leading receiver, and DeVante Parker the touchdown machine. If Houston is playing against the deep ball, Bridgewater has no problem dinking and dunking the Cougar defense to death as long as it moves the chains and puts the Cardinals in position to win. Normally it would be a problem for a team to rely solely on their QB to win the game, but when your QB is a Heisman contender and the defense is absolutely awful against the pass, you can lean on him to make plays and win the game for you without a running game. The good news for Bridgewater is that he has a capable running game that can keep the defense off balance if and when he needs to use it.
Key Matchup: The Houston secondary vs Teddy Brigewater. If the Cougars play the way they have on defense all year against the pass, this game will be over by halftime. If the Cougars can put some pressure on Bridgewater, keep plays in front of them and tackle, then they will have a chance in the fourth quarter with their offense rolling the way it has this season.
Prediction: +Louisville Cardinals Athletics 42 - +University of Houston 28
Upset Special
Miami vs Duke
Miami looks to end a two game losing streak when they travel to Durham to take on the Duke Blue Devils. The Hurricanes haven't looked the same since star RB Duke Johnson was injured against Florida St two weeks ago. The Hurricanes have to rely more on QB Stephen Morris in order to win ball games, which has proven to be a troublesome combination in his time at Miami. Morris has talent as evidenced by his 2000 yards passing on the season and 14 touchdowns. The problem for Morris is his decision making and his accuracy. Morris has thrown 10 interceptions this year and is only completing 59% of his passes. If Miami expects to beat Duke, let alone make it to the ACC title game, Morris will have to make better decision and take care of the football. Morris will no doubt look to throw it to Allen Hurns as much as he can on Saturday. Hurns is averaging 20 yards per catch and is the leading receiver for the Hurricanes on the year. RB Dallas Crawford will look to help Morris out by running over a defense that ranks 67th in FBS in rushing yards allowed. If Miami expects to win, Morris will need to play turnover free football and Crawford will need to run a lot better than he did against Virginia Tech.
Who would of thought that after reaching six wins last year, the Duke Blue Devils would already have eclipsed last year's win total with three games left to play. Head Coach David Cutcliffe has done a masterful job building a program that was literally at rock bottom into a respectable foe. The Blue Devils have won five in a row and will look to beat Miami for the first time, since the Hurricanes joined the ACC. The Blue Devils will bring their balanced, everyone chips in kind of offensive approach into their game on Saturday. Duke has interchanged their QB's throughout the year and it will be interesting to see how that will play out against the Hurricane defense. Brandon Connette has been the better passer and runner throwing for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing for eight touchdowns. Anthony Boone has also seen time at the QB position, but has struggled mightily through the air, especially the last two weeks throwing for zero touchdowns and seven interceptions. Like the QB position, the Blue Devils have a plethora of running backs that will see time on Saturday. Jela Duncan and Josh Snead will see most of the action in the backfield. Each averages over five yards a carry and if they can run that way against Miami, it could get out of hand early for the Hurricanes. While Duke doesn't do anything especially great on offense, they are good enough both through the air and on the ground to make it challenging for defenses to defend their style.
Key Matchup: Stephen Morris vs the Duke secondary. Morris will need to protect the ball and make good decisions throughout the game, but that could prove tough against an opportunistic defense like the Blue Devils that has already accounted for 12 interceptions this season. If Morris can throw the ball downfield without turning it over, the Hurricanes can go into Durham and beat the Blue Devils. If he turns it over the way he has his entire career, it will be tough for the Hurricanes to win.
Prediction: +Duke Athletics 24 - +Miami Hurricanes 14
Last Week: 2-3
2013 Season: 33-22
Georgia vs Auburn
Aaron Murray looks to beat his third top 10 team of the year on Saturday when the Bulldogs take on the Auburn Tigers. The Bulldogs are on a two game winning streak and will look to end Auburn's chance at an SEC Championship and National Championship. The Bulldogs will rely heavily on the arm of Aaron Murray who will look to make plays down field against a defense that has been vulnerable against the big play this year. Murray will have to spread the ball to multiple targets as he has lost multiple play makers to season ending injuries. The Bulldogs will also need RB Todd Gurley to run over the Tigers defense that has struggled to stop the run, allowing an average of 155 yards per game. Gurley has played well over the last two weeks after missing the previous three weeks with an ankle injury. If Georgia can run the ball with Gurley and protect Aaron Murray in the pocket, than the Bulldogs will have a shot at upsetting the Tigers.
The Auburn Tigers look to set up a Iron Bowl showdown next week with Alabama, but first need to get through the Georgia Bulldogs. The Tigers are coming off a 55-23 whooping of Tennessee in Knoxville and will look to keep their offensive surge going on Saturday. The Tigers have absolutely shredded opponents on the ground this year with their spread offense running attack. The Tigers are third in the country in rushing yards per game and the keys to this rushing efficiency are QB Nick Marshall and RB Tre Mason. Marshall is averaging over seven yards per carry while Mason has scored 16 touchdowns so far this season. Georgia should expect a heavy dose of both Marshall and Mason early and often throughout the game. While Marshall hasn't killed in through the air, the isn't asked to make many plays through the air. He is more of a game manager and has done a very good job of that so far this season. In fact, in the last three games, Marshall has only thrown 16 total passes. Auburn's average margin of victory in those three games was 28 points. Georgia has been tough against the run this year, so Marshall will have to throw some in this game, however, the Georgia secondary has been atrocious this year, which should help prevent Marshall from making mistakes.
Key Matchup: Todd Gurley vs the Tiger front seven. If Gurley can find some holes and move the chains, it will not only benefit the Georgia offense by keeping the chains moving, but it will also keep the explosive Auburn offense off the field. If Auburn can stop the Georgia running game, then it will be in good shape. If Auburn has trouble getting the Georgia offense off the field, then the Tigers might have to rely on Marshall's arm at the end of the game in order to get the win and that is something that they don't want to do.
Prediction: +Auburn Athletics 35 - +Georgia Bulldogs 24
Michigan St vs Nebraska
The Michigan St Spartans will look to effectively clinch the Legends division title with a win over Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday. The Spartans are coming off a dominating win over Arch Rival Michigan and will look to win their sixth game in a row on Saturday. While it hasn't been pretty, the Spartans have found ways to win games this year even with their struggles on offense. The Spartan defense has been absolutely dominant this year. Michigan State ranks #1 in rushing yards allowed per game and #3 in passing yards allowed per game. Safe to say, the opposing offenses have gotten little going against the Spartans all year. The defense will look to continue their dominance against an the Cornhusker offense that will be without QB Taylor Martinez. The Cornhuskers will start a freshman at QB, which is great news for the Spartans. The Spartans offense has been better over the last two weeks and will look to support their defense against the Conrhuskers. QB Connor Cook has been a great game manager for the Spartans throwing for 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions this season. Cook has improved as the year has gone on including completing 93% of his passes against Illinois as well as beating Michigan at home. Cook will need to continue this ball security approach against the Cornhuskers on Saturday. Along with Cook's ball security, the Spartans will rely on RB Jeremy Langford to move the ball down the field and come away with touchdowns in the red zone. Langford has been outstanding lately, rushing for over 100 yards in four straight games and six touchdowns. If Langford can continue this type of production, and Cook can take care of the ball, the Spartans will be on their way to clinching the Legends division.
The Cornhuskers are also looking to get the inside track to winning the Legends division and securing a spot in the Big 10 Championship game. The Cornhuskers are coming off a win over Michigan and will need to play much better offensively against a tough Spartan defense. QB Tommy Armstrong will look to mirror the kind of performance he had against Michigan, in which he had no turnovers and had a QB rating of 139 rather than the performance he had against Northwestern where he threw three interceptions. If Armstrong can take care of the football in obvious passing down situations, the Cornhuskers can stay in the game and try and pound the ball with their running game. RB Ameer Abdullah will try and do what no other running back has been able to do so far this year against the Spartans and that is find room to run. Abdullah will need to move the pile and lead his team into the end zone as opposed to settling for field goals in the red zone, The Conrhuskers defense will also need to stack the box to stop the Spartan running attack. If the Red Shirts can slow Langord down a little bit and pressure Cook into making a mistake or two, than the game will be extremely close coming down the stretch and could come down to the final series.
Key Matchup: Tommy Armstrong vs the Spartan secondary. Armstrong will need to take what the defense gives him and not try and force the ball into tight spots. If Armstrong can move the chains and not turn the ball over, the Cornhuskers can play a field position type game and win. If Armstrong tries to make to many big plays when they are not there, this could be a long day for the freshman QB and Cornhusker offense against an elite defense.
Prediction: +Michigan State Athletics 21 - +Nebraska Cornhuskers 13
Oklahoma St vs Texas
The Big 12 Title will be decided over the next three weeks and the first game to decide it will be between the Cowboys and Longhorns. Oklahoma St comes in on a five game winning streak and will look to beat Texas in Austin for the third time in a row. The Cowboys up tempo offense has taken awhile to get on track this year but now seems to be headed in the right direction with Clint Chelf at the QB helm. Chelf has started the last four games, and has improved on each of his performances. In his last two games, Chelf has totaled seven touchdowns to just two turnovers and has had a QB rating over 110. Chelf will need to be at his best both through the air and on the ground against a much improved Longhorn defense. RB's Desmond Roland and Jeremy Smith will look to keep drives going with their legs as well as punch the ball into the end zone. The pair have combined for 19 touchdowns so far this season and if they can keep the Longhorns on their heels, than the Cowboys will have a great chance to win the game.
The Longhorns have done nothing but win since Case McCoy became the starting QB. The Longhorns have won five in a row with McCoy under the helm and will look to put themselves in great position for a Big 12 title with a win over Oklahoma St on Saturday. While his numbers haven't been great, McCoy knows how to put his teams in position to win and seems to come up with big plays when the Longhorns need it. They will need him to make plays and take care of the ball against the Cowboys on Saturday to prevent Oklahoma St from building up a big lead. McCoy will spread the ball across multiple receivers including possession receiver Jaxon Shipley and the deep threat Mike Davis. McCoy will also be helped out by a running game that has come on of late. RB Malcolm Brown will have to carry the load now after Johnathan Gray tore his Achilles last week against West Virginia. Brown has rushed for over 100 yards in two of the last four games and has scored seven times in those four games as well. RB Joe Bergeron will need to get critical short yardage plays and take care of the football if the Longhorns are to win on Saturday.
Key Matchup: The Texas running game against the Oklahoma St front seven. If Texas can run the ball the way it did against Oklahoma, than Texas will win the game. If the Longhorns struggle to run the ball the way they did against West Virginia, this game will get out of hand by the third quarter.
Prediction: +Oklahoma State Athletics 31 - +Texas Longhorns 21
Houston vs Louisville
The Houston Cougars will look to stay alive for the AAC conference championship when they take on the Louisville Cardinal. The Cougars are coming off a 19-14 loss to UCF last week in a game where their offense couldn't mount any momentum. The Cougars should have an easier time against the Louisville defense on Saturday. The Cougar offense starts and ends with QB John O'Korn. O'Korn has been magnificent as a freshman throwing for over 2300 yards, 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions. O'Korn struggled a bit against the strong UCF secondary last week and will look to get back on track against the Cardinals. O'Korn will almost certainly look to get Deontay Greenberry some more touches against the Cardinals. Greenberry has been the Cougars home run hitter on offense with nine touchdowns as well as their possession receiver as he has doubled the amount of catches as the next receiver. O'Korn will need to get the ball into the hands of Greenberry early and often if the Cougars expect to travel to Louisville and win. The Cougars will also need to get better production out of their running game to beat a team like Louisville. RB's Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson will need to tally way more than 69 yards on the ground if the Cougars are to pull off the upset.
Louisville is also looking to stay in the AAC title chase and needs to beat Houston on Saturday for that to continue. QB Teddy Bridgewater will look to continue rolling against a Cougar defense that ranks 115th against the pass. Bridgewater has been extraordinary this year, throwing for over 2800 yards, 24 touchdowns and only three interceptions while completing 71% of his passes. Bridgewater will spread the ball around to multiple targets including Damian Copeland, the teams leading receiver, and DeVante Parker the touchdown machine. If Houston is playing against the deep ball, Bridgewater has no problem dinking and dunking the Cougar defense to death as long as it moves the chains and puts the Cardinals in position to win. Normally it would be a problem for a team to rely solely on their QB to win the game, but when your QB is a Heisman contender and the defense is absolutely awful against the pass, you can lean on him to make plays and win the game for you without a running game. The good news for Bridgewater is that he has a capable running game that can keep the defense off balance if and when he needs to use it.
Key Matchup: The Houston secondary vs Teddy Brigewater. If the Cougars play the way they have on defense all year against the pass, this game will be over by halftime. If the Cougars can put some pressure on Bridgewater, keep plays in front of them and tackle, then they will have a chance in the fourth quarter with their offense rolling the way it has this season.
Prediction: +Louisville Cardinals Athletics 42 - +University of Houston 28
Upset Special
Miami vs Duke
Miami looks to end a two game losing streak when they travel to Durham to take on the Duke Blue Devils. The Hurricanes haven't looked the same since star RB Duke Johnson was injured against Florida St two weeks ago. The Hurricanes have to rely more on QB Stephen Morris in order to win ball games, which has proven to be a troublesome combination in his time at Miami. Morris has talent as evidenced by his 2000 yards passing on the season and 14 touchdowns. The problem for Morris is his decision making and his accuracy. Morris has thrown 10 interceptions this year and is only completing 59% of his passes. If Miami expects to beat Duke, let alone make it to the ACC title game, Morris will have to make better decision and take care of the football. Morris will no doubt look to throw it to Allen Hurns as much as he can on Saturday. Hurns is averaging 20 yards per catch and is the leading receiver for the Hurricanes on the year. RB Dallas Crawford will look to help Morris out by running over a defense that ranks 67th in FBS in rushing yards allowed. If Miami expects to win, Morris will need to play turnover free football and Crawford will need to run a lot better than he did against Virginia Tech.
Who would of thought that after reaching six wins last year, the Duke Blue Devils would already have eclipsed last year's win total with three games left to play. Head Coach David Cutcliffe has done a masterful job building a program that was literally at rock bottom into a respectable foe. The Blue Devils have won five in a row and will look to beat Miami for the first time, since the Hurricanes joined the ACC. The Blue Devils will bring their balanced, everyone chips in kind of offensive approach into their game on Saturday. Duke has interchanged their QB's throughout the year and it will be interesting to see how that will play out against the Hurricane defense. Brandon Connette has been the better passer and runner throwing for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing for eight touchdowns. Anthony Boone has also seen time at the QB position, but has struggled mightily through the air, especially the last two weeks throwing for zero touchdowns and seven interceptions. Like the QB position, the Blue Devils have a plethora of running backs that will see time on Saturday. Jela Duncan and Josh Snead will see most of the action in the backfield. Each averages over five yards a carry and if they can run that way against Miami, it could get out of hand early for the Hurricanes. While Duke doesn't do anything especially great on offense, they are good enough both through the air and on the ground to make it challenging for defenses to defend their style.
Key Matchup: Stephen Morris vs the Duke secondary. Morris will need to protect the ball and make good decisions throughout the game, but that could prove tough against an opportunistic defense like the Blue Devils that has already accounted for 12 interceptions this season. If Morris can throw the ball downfield without turning it over, the Hurricanes can go into Durham and beat the Blue Devils. If he turns it over the way he has his entire career, it will be tough for the Hurricanes to win.
Prediction: +Duke Athletics 24 - +Miami Hurricanes 14
Last Week: 2-3
2013 Season: 33-22
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
College Football Week 11 Picks
Another disappointing 2-3 performance for the second week in a row. Enough messing around. This week we bring out the big boys and pick games that have both conference and national title implications.
Ohio vs Buffalo
The MAC East's top two teams square off in a matchup that is likely to decide one half of the MAC Championship game. Both Ohio and Buffalo are coming off bye weeks after crushing each of their opponents the week before. This should be an interesting Tuesday night game.
Ohio will look to advance to the MAC championship for the first time since 2011 when it lost to Northern Illinois after being up 20 points at halftime. The Bobcats are led by QB Tyler Tettleton who has thrown for over 300 yards in three straight games to go along with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Tettleton will look to get the ball into WR Donte Foster's hands early and often as Foster has caught 28 passes over the last three games. Tettleton will also rely on RB's Beau Blankenship and Ryan Boykin to help run the Bobcat spread offensive attack against a Bull's defense that only gives up 140 rushing yards per game. Blankenship and Boykin will need to find some creases to help Tettleton run the offense to prevent the Bulls from double teaming Foster on the outside.
The Bulls are off to their best start since Turner Gill took them to the MAC championship in 2008. The Bulls are a strong defensive team and have only allowed 12 points per game since their losses to Ohio State and Baylor. Along with their strong defense, the Bulls have a powerful running attack led by Branden Oliver. Oliver has rushed for over 100 yards in four straight games and will need to do the same tonight if the Bulls expect to beat the Bobcats. The Bulls aerial attack, while not deadly, has proven to be very efficient so far this season. QB Joe Licata has thrown for a little over 1500 yards to along with 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions. The Bulls will look to beat the Bobcats down with their running attack and have Licata manage the game for them.
Key Matchup: Oliver versus the Ohio front seven will be the key matchup in this game. If Oliver game run for big chunks like he has the last four games, the Bulls will be in good shape. If the Bobcats can hold Oliver in check and force Licata to beat them, the Bobcats will feel pretty good about their chances.
Prediction: +Ohio University 24 - +University at Buffalo (UB), Office of Admissions 21
Oklahoma vs Baylor
The Oklahoma Sooners travel to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears in a game that has Big 12 Title implications. The Sooners are coming off a bye week after beating Texas Tech in the previous week. The Sooners will look to continue their chase for another Big 12 Title on Saturday. The Sooners gameplan should be simple enough, run the ball. The Sooners average 234 yards of rushing per game and will look to continue that success against Baylor on Saturday. Not only will the Sooners look to do that as it is their bread and butter, but also because if they can run the ball successfully, it will keep the high octane Baylor offense on the sidelines and force them to score on all of their possessions. The Sooners will rely on a bevy of runners including QB Blake Bell along with RB's Brennan Clay, Damien Williams and Roy Finch. Expect anywhere between 35 to 50+ carries on the night for the Sooner offense. When Bell looks to throw, he will undoubtedly looks for WR's Jalen Saunders and Sterling Shephard. The pair have combined for 50% of the Sooners receptions and have built a good rapport with Bell. If the Sooners have to rely on Bell to beat the Bears through the air, it will be a long night for the Sooner faithful.
The Bears are coming into this top 10 showdown white hot on offense scoring almost 64 points per game. The Bears will look to continue this scoring pace on Saturday when they host the Sooners at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears have been lights out on offense both through the air and on the ground. QB Bryce Petty has thrown for almost 2500 yards, 24 touchdowns and only one interception so far this season. Petty has spread the ball around to a plethora of receivers including Antwan Goodley and speedster Tevin Reese. On the ground, like the Sooners, the Bears spread the rock across multiple backs including Lache Seastrunk, Shock Linwood and Glasco Martin. Seastrunk who professed his Heisman candidacy in the preseason has been excellent so far this season averaging nine yards per carry to along with 11 touchdowns. Expect the Bears to continue their offensive balance and adjust according to what the defense gives them.
Key Matchup: The matchup in this game will be the Baylor front seven against the Oklahoma running game. If the Bears can keep the Sooners in check for the most part, then their offense can take over from their and it will be a good night in Waco. If the defense has trouble stopping the Sooners running game leading to long drives, than it could be a long night in Waco.
Prediction: +Baylor Athletics 42 - +The University of Oklahoma 38
Oregon vs Stanford
Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks travel to Palo Alto to take on the Stanford Cardinal. The Ducks have revenge on their mind after missing out on the National Title last year thanks to their loss to Stanford in Eugene. Nothing would make the Ducks happier than to not only beat the Cardinal and return to the National Championship, but also to do it in impressive fashion and solidify Mariota's Heisman candidacy. Mariota has been electric so far this season, tallying up over 2800 total yards and 29 touchdowns with no interceptions. Mariota leads an explosive spread option offensive attack that has a speed and weapons all over the field. Joining Mariota in the backfield is a stable of running backs including Byron Marshall, Thomas Tyner and De'Anthony Thomas. All three have the ability to go 80 yards in a split second, which has proven to cause nightmares for opposing defenses this year. With the stable of running backs along with Mariota dual threat capability, the Ducks have embarrassed every team on their schedule so far. If the Cardinal can't stop the Oregon rushing attack early with their physicality, then the Cardinal will get run out of the stadium before it can realize what happened.
The Cardinal look to keep their National Championship hopes alive while ending their new found rival's as well on Saturday. The Cardinal have had a week to prepare for the Ducks offense after beating Oregon St in Corvallis the previous week. Stanford will no doubt look to impose their will both offensively and defensively in the trenches against the Ducks. RB Tyler Gaffney has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last three games and it is wise to assume the Cardinal will ride Gaffney on Saturday. Expect Gaffney to carry the rock at least 30 times as the Cardinal will look to move the chains and keep the Ducks offense on the sidelines and the best way to do that is through Gaffney. QB Kevin Hogan will look to prevent the Ducks from stacking the box by getting the ball out to WR Ty Montgomery as well as with his legs. If Hogan can manage the game by moving the chains and not turn the ball over, the Cardinal will have a good shot at ending the Ducks championship hopes again.
Key Matchup: RB Tyler Gaffney against the Oregon front seven. If Gaffney can shred the Ducks defense the way he has opposing defenses all season the Cardinal will have a chance at the upset. If the Oregon front seven can play physical and not get beat off the ball, then this game could get out of hand real quick.
Prediction: +University of Oregon Ducks 30 - +Stanford Athletics 24
LSU vs Alabama
The LSU Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide in what is a major stepping stone for Alabama. The Tigers are coming off a bye week after trouncing Furman 48-16 the week before. The Tigers have been a tough team to figure out so far this season. One week the offense will play very well, but the defense will struggle and vice versa the following week. The Tigers have yet to play a complete game and now would be the time to do it against Alabama. QB Zach Mettenberger will lead an improved passing attack into Tuscaloosa, something the Tigers haven't had for quite a while, and will look to avenge last season's home loss to the Crimson Tide. Mettenberger has played great all year with the exception of the Ole Miss game and will look to take advantage of an Alabama defense that has struggled a bit against the spread offense this year. Mettenberger will look to get the ball to Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry on the outside, especially in short yardage situations when the Crimson Tide will stack the box to defend against the run. The Tigers will also rely heavily on RB Jeremy Hill, who has rushed for 120+ yards in three of the last four games. Expect Hill to get between 25 and 30 carries against the Crimson Tide on Saturday. If the Tigers can run the ball efficiently and Mettenberger can get the ball out to Beckham and Landry in tight press coverage, then the Tigers will go into Tuscaloosa and upset the Crimson Tide.
Alabama will look to keep rolling towards another national championship on Saturday when it takes on LSU. Alabama is also coming off a bye week after demolishing Tennessee the week before. Alabama has been dominant on both sides of the ball of late scoring 45 of more in four straight games as well as holding opponents to 10 points or less in all four of those games as well. The Crimson Tide offense starts with QB AJ McCarron. McCarron has been brilliant all year not only in his decision making, but also in his ability to manage the game and take what the defense gives him. McCarron has completed almost 70% of his passes and has thrown 16 touchdowns to only three interceptions. In the biggest game of the season, McCarron throw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns against Texas A&M on the road in College Station. McCarron will look to keep his efficiency by spreading the ball around the WR's Kevin Norwood, Christion Jones, Amari Coopers and DeAndrew White. The Tide will also lean on the legs of T.J. Yeldon, who has been racking up lots of yards and touchdowns while sharing time with Kenyan Drake. Like McCarron, Yeldon was at his best when it counted the most against Texas A&M and it will be interesting to see how those two play come Saturday against LSU.
Key Matchup: Jeremy Hill against the Crimson Tide front seven. Alabama is one of the best in the country against the run and if Hill can't get anything going against them, then that puts more pressure on Mettenberger to make plays on his own, which is not a recipe for success against Alabama. If Hill can get some first downs are the ground and keep drives going the Tigers will be in it to the end. If he can't get any traction on the ground, then the Tigers will be out of it by the end of the third quarter.
Prediction: +Alabama Crimson Tide 27 - +LSU Football 14
Upset Special
Houston vs UCF
The American Athletic Championship could very well likely be decided on Saturday in Orlando when the Houston Cougars take on the UCF Knights. UCF has already beaten Louisville, so a win over Houston would all but seal up the conference title for the Knights. The Cougars are coming off an unimpressive win over South Florida in a game that wasn't decided until the final minute of the game. QB John O'Korn looks to lead his team past the Knights and give Houston their first regular season win over a ranked opponent since 2009 when the Cougars beat the Oklahoma St Cowboys in Stillwater. O'Korn has been nothing short of magnificent so far this season, throwing for over 2100 yards, 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He will need to be on his a game on Saturday against a very good defensive unit. O'Korn will look to get the ball to Deontay Greenberry and Daniel Spencer, two of his playmaking wide receivers. While the Cougars don't run that often, O'Korn will need help from RB's to prevent the UCF defense from pinning their ears back and rushing the passer early and often. RB's Ryan Jackson and Kenneth Farrow both average over 5 yards a carry but neither has gone over 100 yards since the second game of the season. It will be tough sledding against the Knights defense, but Jackson and Farrow will need to scratch and claw for every yard to keep the chains moving and wear out the Knight defense.
The UCF Knights are coming off a bye week after destroying UCONN 62-17 and it will be interesting to see what the Knights gameplan will be for the Cougars. The Knights are a very good team across the board that can run, pass and play great defense. The Knights are led by QB Blake Bortles who has completed 67% of his passes for over 1800 yards, 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Bortles has been on a tear the last two games throwing for six touchdowns and one interception while averaging a QB rating of 192. Bortles is also helped out with a pretty decent rushing attack led by Storm Johnson. Despite a rough outing in his last appearance, Johnson has averaged over 4.6 yards per carry over his last four games including games against Louisville and South Carolina. Johnson should have some running lanes as the Cougars give up 144 rushing yards per game. The Knights will look to play stout defense and attack with a balanced offensive approach that keeps the chains moving and the explosive Houston Cougar offense on the sidelines.
Key Matchup: How will the UCF defense stack up against O'Korn and the Cougar passing attack? If the Knights can keep plays in front of them and get the Cougar offense off the field early, than it will be a good night for UCF. If the Cougar can string together some drives and beat the Knights deep, it will be a good night for the Cougars. In this day and age, offense seems to get the better of the defense more often than not.
Prediction: +University of Houston 31 - +UCF Knights 24
Last Week: 2-3
2013 Season: 31-19
Saturday, November 2, 2013
College Football Week 10 Picks
Yikes. It had been a long time, but we finally had a losing week to the ledger after multiple successful weeks. We will look to improve on last week's 2-3 performance. Here are this weeks picks.
Michigan vs Michigan St
The Michigan Wolverines travel to East Lansing to take on their in state rival Michigan St Spartans in a top 25 match up. The Wolverines are coming off a bye week after putting up 63 on Indiana and will look to continue their offensive explosiveness against an extremely tough Spartan defense. QB Devin Gardner will look to keep the Spartan defense off balance with his arm and legs on Saturday. While Garner has been a little turnover prone this season, he also has the ability to make some huge plays as his 580+ yard, five touchdown performance against Indiana and 121 yards rushing against Penn St would indicate. Garner will have to be accurate, but careful in his decision making against one of the best defenses in the country. Garner will need some help from RB Fitzgerald Toussaint on Saturday if the Wolverines expect to go into East Lansing and win. Toussaint is averaging almost 4 yards a carry and has 11 touchdowns so far this season, however, he struggled mightily against the Penn St Nittany Lions in Happy Valley averaging just one yard per carry. Toussaint will need to put on the type of performance he did against Connecticut or Indiana to prevent the Spartans from pinning their ears back and bringing pressure against Gardner.
The Spartans are looking to essentially clinch the Legends division with a win over Michigan on Saturday. Michigan State is coming off a 42-3 win over Illinois and will need that offensive output to continue to beat the Wolverines on Saturday. QB Connor Cook has done a great job over the last four games throwing for seven touchdowns and only two interceptions while averaging a quarterback rating of 155.63. The Spartans will need Cook to continue this type of production against a weak Michigan defense that has struggled badly at times. Along with Cook, RB Jeremy Langord has been huge over the last three games, rushing for over 100 yards in all three and scoring five times. Both Cook and Langford need to play well if the Spartan offense plans to move the ball.
The match up to watch in this one will be the Spartans will be their defense against Michigan QB Devin Gardner. If the Spartans can get pressure, they can force Gardner into some bad throws and get their offense a short field.
Prediction: Both teams have something to prove on Saturday with Michigan needing to win if it wants to have any shot of winning the Legends division, while the Spartans want to avenge last years loss. This will be a physical contest with each team having trouble getting any offensive momentum early. Gardner will try and get the ball moving but will throw an interception leading to the Spartans first touchdown. With the Spartans having the lead, Michigan's offense will try to get out of the hole by relying on Gardner, which is exactly what the Spartans want. In the end the Spartans force four Wolverine turnovers and avenge last seasons loss with an incredible defensive performance.
+Michigan State Athletics 17 - +University of Michigan 7
Oklahoma St vs Texas Tech
The Cowboys travel to Lubbock to take on the Red Raiders in the marquee game of the week for the Big 12. Oklahoma St is coming off a 58-27 win over Iowa St in which Clint Chelf took over the starting QB spot from JW Walsh and RB Desmond Roland rushed for over 200 yards. Chelf struggled in his first start of the season throwing for only 78 yards on 10 completions. Chelf will need to play much better in the hostile Lubbock environment if the Cowboys expect to win this Saturday. Roland had struggled himself up until the Iowa St game. Before the game against the Cyclones, Roland was only averaging 24.5 yards per game on the ground. If Chelf can keep the Red Raider defense honest by being able to throw the ball down field consistently and Roland can find some holes in the Raider defense, it could be a good day for the Cowboys.
Texas Tech is looking to rebound after losing to Oklahoma 38-30 in Norman last week. QB Davis Webb was great at times, throwing for 385 yards and two touchdowns, but also cost his team badly with two huge interceptions. Webb will need to take care of the ball better as the Cowboys defense has already amassed seven interceptions so far this season. WR's Jace Amaro and Eric Ward will need to create some separation from the Cowboy defensive backs to help Webb out. The Red Raiders have struggled running the ball consistently and it won't get any easier on Saturday as the Cowboys only give up 120 rushing yards per game. RB Deandre Washington will need to make the most of his opportunities and prevent himself from losing yardage.
The match up to watch is the Texas Tech run defense against Roland. The Red Raiders have struggled stopping the run and Roland is coming off a monstrous performance in his last game. Whoever wins this match up will win the game.
Prediction: The Red Raiders will come out clicking on offense like they have essentially all year. The Cowboys will continue to establish their running game and not rely on Chelf to win the game as of yet. After another Raider touchdown, the Cowboys find themselves down 14 in the third and decide they need to rely on Chelf to get them back in the game. After a successful drive and defensive stop, the Cowboys get the ball back and tie the game with three minutes to go. The Raiders get a big kick return and start with great field position. After a couple of first downs, the Raiders get a big play from Eric Ward and on the ensuing play Washington takes it in with little time left to secure the win.
+Texas Tech University 35 - +Oklahoma State Athletics 28
Miami vs Florida St
The Hurricanes travel to Tallahassee to renew one of the best rivalries in college sports. After a few years of struggles, this rivalry has all the makings of a great game on Saturday. The Hurricanes have been doing just enough to win this year including last week beating Wake Forest 24-21 in a game that the Hurricanes escaped in the final seconds. QB Stephen Morris has struggled at times this year and will need to play much better than he has this year for Miami to have a shot against Florida St. Morris has thrown for 10 touchdowns, but has thrown eight interceptions as well and will need to have a clean game to keep Florida St from piling up the points. RB Duke Johnson will need to put the team on his back and chug forward for first downs to keep the Seminoles offense off the field. Johnson has been unstoppable at times this year for the Hurricanes so expect 25+ carries for Johnson and long methodical drives to keep the Hurricanes in this one.
Florida St has been nothing short of electrifying so far this season. The Seminoles have scored at least 41 points in every single game this season including a 63-0 trouncing of then #25 Maryland and 51-14 demolishing of then #3 Clemson at Clemson. Heisman hopeful QB Jameis Winston has led the charge completing 70% of his passes for close to 2200 yards, 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Winston has been phenomenal not only in his play making ability but also in his decision making. Winston will be going up against the best defense he has faced this season, but if he plays at the level he has been playing at, it won't be much of a problem for him or Florida St. RB Devonta Freeman has been gashing opponents for an average of six and half yards per carry and will look to continue the balanced success the Seminoles have had on offense this season.
The match up to watch in this game will be Winston against the Hurricane corners. If the Seminoles can prevent pressure on Winston, it will be a long day for the Hurricane defense.
Prediction: This game will be close in the early going with Miami having success with the running game of Johnson mixed in with some play action for Morris, while the Seminoles will be chucking it down field early and often with Winston. After an explosive first half, the Seminoles will take a commanding lead forcing the Hurricanes to rely on Morris as opposed to Johnson. After a costly turnover from Morris, the Seminoles put this one away before the third quarter is over.
+Florida State Seminoles 42 - +Miami Hurricanes 21
Boise St vs Colorado St
Boise St looks get to back on the winning side after being destroyed by BYU 37-20 last week in Provo. The Broncos have three regular season losses for the first time since 2005. The Broncos have tried to find a solution at QB but have juggled between Joe Southwick and Grant Hedrick. Hedrick started last weeks game against the Cougars and was inefficient to say the least. He will need to play the way he did against Nevada if the Broncos expect to go to Fort Collins and win. RB Jay Ajayi has also been a conundrum so far this season. Ajayi has led a power running attack for the Broncos with 12 touchdowns and an average of six yards per carry, but can't seem to hold onto the football. In the Broncos three losses this season, the team has turned the ball over seven times to their opponents one. If the Broncos can take care of the ball, they should be in contention to win on Saturday.
The Rams have won two in a row, both on the road, and will look to beat Boise St to stay in contention for the Division lead. The Rams are led by a balanced offense that is middle of the road in both the run and pass. QB Garret Grayson has improved tremendously from the first two games of the season and the Rams have won four of the six games since. Grayson has taken good care of the ball, but has also shown the ability to be a play maker down the field in his games against UTEP and San Jose St. Grayson will need to take care of the ball, but also throw the ball down the field successfully if the Rams expect to beat the Broncos. RB Kapri Bibbs will look to take some of the load off of Grayson by running the ball down the Broncos throats. In three of the last four games, Bibbs has rushed for over 135+ yards. In those three games, the Rams were 3-0. Expect the Rams to give Bibbs a heavy load against the Broncos in this one.
The match up to watch will be the Colorado St defensive front against the Boise St running game. If the Rams can stop Ajayi and even force a fumble or two, then they will be in this one till the end.
Prediction: Both teams will come out and try to establish the run game against their opponent with much success. Both teams will march down the field and score in the beginning stages of the game. The Rams will force another Ajayi fumble giving them the lead late in the first half. With the lead, the Rams give a nice mix of Bibbs and Grayson leading to another touchdown drive. The Rams will now force Hedrick to prove he can beat them. Hedrick will lead a touchdown drive, but the Broncos will be down a touchdown deep in the fourth quarter. The Broncos force a Rams punt, but have no timeouts and only a couple of minutes to drive down the field and score. The Broncos get into Rams territory, but a deflected pass leads to an interception and the Rams pull off the victory at home.
+Colorado State University 24 - +Boise State University 17
Upset Special
Wisconsin vs Iowa
The Badgers travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes in a match up that hasn't been played since 2010. Wisconsin is coming off a bye week after throttling Illinois 56-32 the previous week. The Badgers offense has been clicking on all cylinders, winning their last two games by 26.5 points. RB's Melvin Gordon and James White have been the catalysts of the offensive surge the last two games. Wisconsin has pounded the ball the last two games rushing for 280+ yards each game. Look for the Badgers to try and do this against the Hawkeyes on Saturday. QB Joel Stave has played better the last two games as well throwing for five touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 68% of his passes. In the two games the Badgers have lost, Stave was extremely inaccurate, so look for the Hawkeyes to try to get after Stave early and often in passing situations.
The Hawkeyes are looking to become bowl eligible after not making a bowl last year and can do that with a win over the Badgers on Saturday. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 17-10 overtime win over the Northwestern Wildcats last week. The Hawkeyes have struggled a bit running the football the last two weeks, which is the Hawkeyes forte so RB's Mark Weisman and Damon Bullock will need to find some holes early and often against the tough Badger defense it the Hawkeyes expect to win. Despite the Hawkeyes struggles to run the football of late, QB Jake Rudock has played well the last two weeks in the win against Northwestern and keeping the Hawkeyes in the game against the Buckeyes two weeks ago. Rudock will try and help his RB's out by keeping the Badger defense honest and prevent them from stacking the box.
The matchup to watch in this game though is the Iowa run defense against the Badger rush offense. If the Hawkeyes can slow the Badger rushing attack a little bit, then they will have a chance at the upset.
Prediction: Both teams will come out and try to impose their will on each other with the run game. Both teams will stack the box early and force the opposing QB to make plays to beat them. After falling down early, QB Jake Rudock will get his team back in the game with a touchdown right before the half. Down going into half time, the Hawkeyes come out and score on a long drive and time consuming drive to take the lead. Wisconsin answers the call with a drive of their own to take the lead again. After a Iowa field goal, the Hawkeyes need a stop to get the ball back with time left on the clock to drive down the field. The Hawkeyes get the stop they desperately needed and force punt. After a fourth down conversion from Rudock, Weisman breaks a nice run up the Badger defense. After a few more runs, the Hawkeyes attempt the game winning field goal and convert pulling off the upset and becoming bowl eligible.
+University of Iowa 23 - +Wisconsin Badgers 20
Last Week: 2-3
2013 Season: 29-16
Michigan vs Michigan St
The Michigan Wolverines travel to East Lansing to take on their in state rival Michigan St Spartans in a top 25 match up. The Wolverines are coming off a bye week after putting up 63 on Indiana and will look to continue their offensive explosiveness against an extremely tough Spartan defense. QB Devin Gardner will look to keep the Spartan defense off balance with his arm and legs on Saturday. While Garner has been a little turnover prone this season, he also has the ability to make some huge plays as his 580+ yard, five touchdown performance against Indiana and 121 yards rushing against Penn St would indicate. Garner will have to be accurate, but careful in his decision making against one of the best defenses in the country. Garner will need some help from RB Fitzgerald Toussaint on Saturday if the Wolverines expect to go into East Lansing and win. Toussaint is averaging almost 4 yards a carry and has 11 touchdowns so far this season, however, he struggled mightily against the Penn St Nittany Lions in Happy Valley averaging just one yard per carry. Toussaint will need to put on the type of performance he did against Connecticut or Indiana to prevent the Spartans from pinning their ears back and bringing pressure against Gardner.
The Spartans are looking to essentially clinch the Legends division with a win over Michigan on Saturday. Michigan State is coming off a 42-3 win over Illinois and will need that offensive output to continue to beat the Wolverines on Saturday. QB Connor Cook has done a great job over the last four games throwing for seven touchdowns and only two interceptions while averaging a quarterback rating of 155.63. The Spartans will need Cook to continue this type of production against a weak Michigan defense that has struggled badly at times. Along with Cook, RB Jeremy Langord has been huge over the last three games, rushing for over 100 yards in all three and scoring five times. Both Cook and Langford need to play well if the Spartan offense plans to move the ball.
The match up to watch in this one will be the Spartans will be their defense against Michigan QB Devin Gardner. If the Spartans can get pressure, they can force Gardner into some bad throws and get their offense a short field.
Prediction: Both teams have something to prove on Saturday with Michigan needing to win if it wants to have any shot of winning the Legends division, while the Spartans want to avenge last years loss. This will be a physical contest with each team having trouble getting any offensive momentum early. Gardner will try and get the ball moving but will throw an interception leading to the Spartans first touchdown. With the Spartans having the lead, Michigan's offense will try to get out of the hole by relying on Gardner, which is exactly what the Spartans want. In the end the Spartans force four Wolverine turnovers and avenge last seasons loss with an incredible defensive performance.
+Michigan State Athletics 17 - +University of Michigan 7
Oklahoma St vs Texas Tech
The Cowboys travel to Lubbock to take on the Red Raiders in the marquee game of the week for the Big 12. Oklahoma St is coming off a 58-27 win over Iowa St in which Clint Chelf took over the starting QB spot from JW Walsh and RB Desmond Roland rushed for over 200 yards. Chelf struggled in his first start of the season throwing for only 78 yards on 10 completions. Chelf will need to play much better in the hostile Lubbock environment if the Cowboys expect to win this Saturday. Roland had struggled himself up until the Iowa St game. Before the game against the Cyclones, Roland was only averaging 24.5 yards per game on the ground. If Chelf can keep the Red Raider defense honest by being able to throw the ball down field consistently and Roland can find some holes in the Raider defense, it could be a good day for the Cowboys.
Texas Tech is looking to rebound after losing to Oklahoma 38-30 in Norman last week. QB Davis Webb was great at times, throwing for 385 yards and two touchdowns, but also cost his team badly with two huge interceptions. Webb will need to take care of the ball better as the Cowboys defense has already amassed seven interceptions so far this season. WR's Jace Amaro and Eric Ward will need to create some separation from the Cowboy defensive backs to help Webb out. The Red Raiders have struggled running the ball consistently and it won't get any easier on Saturday as the Cowboys only give up 120 rushing yards per game. RB Deandre Washington will need to make the most of his opportunities and prevent himself from losing yardage.
The match up to watch is the Texas Tech run defense against Roland. The Red Raiders have struggled stopping the run and Roland is coming off a monstrous performance in his last game. Whoever wins this match up will win the game.
Prediction: The Red Raiders will come out clicking on offense like they have essentially all year. The Cowboys will continue to establish their running game and not rely on Chelf to win the game as of yet. After another Raider touchdown, the Cowboys find themselves down 14 in the third and decide they need to rely on Chelf to get them back in the game. After a successful drive and defensive stop, the Cowboys get the ball back and tie the game with three minutes to go. The Raiders get a big kick return and start with great field position. After a couple of first downs, the Raiders get a big play from Eric Ward and on the ensuing play Washington takes it in with little time left to secure the win.
+Texas Tech University 35 - +Oklahoma State Athletics 28
Miami vs Florida St
The Hurricanes travel to Tallahassee to renew one of the best rivalries in college sports. After a few years of struggles, this rivalry has all the makings of a great game on Saturday. The Hurricanes have been doing just enough to win this year including last week beating Wake Forest 24-21 in a game that the Hurricanes escaped in the final seconds. QB Stephen Morris has struggled at times this year and will need to play much better than he has this year for Miami to have a shot against Florida St. Morris has thrown for 10 touchdowns, but has thrown eight interceptions as well and will need to have a clean game to keep Florida St from piling up the points. RB Duke Johnson will need to put the team on his back and chug forward for first downs to keep the Seminoles offense off the field. Johnson has been unstoppable at times this year for the Hurricanes so expect 25+ carries for Johnson and long methodical drives to keep the Hurricanes in this one.
Florida St has been nothing short of electrifying so far this season. The Seminoles have scored at least 41 points in every single game this season including a 63-0 trouncing of then #25 Maryland and 51-14 demolishing of then #3 Clemson at Clemson. Heisman hopeful QB Jameis Winston has led the charge completing 70% of his passes for close to 2200 yards, 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Winston has been phenomenal not only in his play making ability but also in his decision making. Winston will be going up against the best defense he has faced this season, but if he plays at the level he has been playing at, it won't be much of a problem for him or Florida St. RB Devonta Freeman has been gashing opponents for an average of six and half yards per carry and will look to continue the balanced success the Seminoles have had on offense this season.
The match up to watch in this game will be Winston against the Hurricane corners. If the Seminoles can prevent pressure on Winston, it will be a long day for the Hurricane defense.
Prediction: This game will be close in the early going with Miami having success with the running game of Johnson mixed in with some play action for Morris, while the Seminoles will be chucking it down field early and often with Winston. After an explosive first half, the Seminoles will take a commanding lead forcing the Hurricanes to rely on Morris as opposed to Johnson. After a costly turnover from Morris, the Seminoles put this one away before the third quarter is over.
+Florida State Seminoles 42 - +Miami Hurricanes 21
Boise St vs Colorado St
Boise St looks get to back on the winning side after being destroyed by BYU 37-20 last week in Provo. The Broncos have three regular season losses for the first time since 2005. The Broncos have tried to find a solution at QB but have juggled between Joe Southwick and Grant Hedrick. Hedrick started last weeks game against the Cougars and was inefficient to say the least. He will need to play the way he did against Nevada if the Broncos expect to go to Fort Collins and win. RB Jay Ajayi has also been a conundrum so far this season. Ajayi has led a power running attack for the Broncos with 12 touchdowns and an average of six yards per carry, but can't seem to hold onto the football. In the Broncos three losses this season, the team has turned the ball over seven times to their opponents one. If the Broncos can take care of the ball, they should be in contention to win on Saturday.
The Rams have won two in a row, both on the road, and will look to beat Boise St to stay in contention for the Division lead. The Rams are led by a balanced offense that is middle of the road in both the run and pass. QB Garret Grayson has improved tremendously from the first two games of the season and the Rams have won four of the six games since. Grayson has taken good care of the ball, but has also shown the ability to be a play maker down the field in his games against UTEP and San Jose St. Grayson will need to take care of the ball, but also throw the ball down the field successfully if the Rams expect to beat the Broncos. RB Kapri Bibbs will look to take some of the load off of Grayson by running the ball down the Broncos throats. In three of the last four games, Bibbs has rushed for over 135+ yards. In those three games, the Rams were 3-0. Expect the Rams to give Bibbs a heavy load against the Broncos in this one.
The match up to watch will be the Colorado St defensive front against the Boise St running game. If the Rams can stop Ajayi and even force a fumble or two, then they will be in this one till the end.
Prediction: Both teams will come out and try to establish the run game against their opponent with much success. Both teams will march down the field and score in the beginning stages of the game. The Rams will force another Ajayi fumble giving them the lead late in the first half. With the lead, the Rams give a nice mix of Bibbs and Grayson leading to another touchdown drive. The Rams will now force Hedrick to prove he can beat them. Hedrick will lead a touchdown drive, but the Broncos will be down a touchdown deep in the fourth quarter. The Broncos force a Rams punt, but have no timeouts and only a couple of minutes to drive down the field and score. The Broncos get into Rams territory, but a deflected pass leads to an interception and the Rams pull off the victory at home.
+Colorado State University 24 - +Boise State University 17
Upset Special
Wisconsin vs Iowa
The Badgers travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes in a match up that hasn't been played since 2010. Wisconsin is coming off a bye week after throttling Illinois 56-32 the previous week. The Badgers offense has been clicking on all cylinders, winning their last two games by 26.5 points. RB's Melvin Gordon and James White have been the catalysts of the offensive surge the last two games. Wisconsin has pounded the ball the last two games rushing for 280+ yards each game. Look for the Badgers to try and do this against the Hawkeyes on Saturday. QB Joel Stave has played better the last two games as well throwing for five touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 68% of his passes. In the two games the Badgers have lost, Stave was extremely inaccurate, so look for the Hawkeyes to try to get after Stave early and often in passing situations.
The Hawkeyes are looking to become bowl eligible after not making a bowl last year and can do that with a win over the Badgers on Saturday. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 17-10 overtime win over the Northwestern Wildcats last week. The Hawkeyes have struggled a bit running the football the last two weeks, which is the Hawkeyes forte so RB's Mark Weisman and Damon Bullock will need to find some holes early and often against the tough Badger defense it the Hawkeyes expect to win. Despite the Hawkeyes struggles to run the football of late, QB Jake Rudock has played well the last two weeks in the win against Northwestern and keeping the Hawkeyes in the game against the Buckeyes two weeks ago. Rudock will try and help his RB's out by keeping the Badger defense honest and prevent them from stacking the box.
The matchup to watch in this game though is the Iowa run defense against the Badger rush offense. If the Hawkeyes can slow the Badger rushing attack a little bit, then they will have a chance at the upset.
Prediction: Both teams will come out and try to impose their will on each other with the run game. Both teams will stack the box early and force the opposing QB to make plays to beat them. After falling down early, QB Jake Rudock will get his team back in the game with a touchdown right before the half. Down going into half time, the Hawkeyes come out and score on a long drive and time consuming drive to take the lead. Wisconsin answers the call with a drive of their own to take the lead again. After a Iowa field goal, the Hawkeyes need a stop to get the ball back with time left on the clock to drive down the field. The Hawkeyes get the stop they desperately needed and force punt. After a fourth down conversion from Rudock, Weisman breaks a nice run up the Badger defense. After a few more runs, the Hawkeyes attempt the game winning field goal and convert pulling off the upset and becoming bowl eligible.
+University of Iowa 23 - +Wisconsin Badgers 20
Last Week: 2-3
2013 Season: 29-16
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