After two weeks of abbreviated picks, I now finally have the time to get back into the swing of things. An ok performance last week but now it is time to dive into this weeks games.
#22 Clemson vs #1 Florida St
Clemson will look to avenge last year's blowout loss to the Seminoles when they travel to Tallahassee to take on the defending national champions on Saturday. The Tigers will look to replace the loss of some of their stars from last season including receiver Sammy Watkins and quarterback Tajh Boyd with the infusion of new talent.
The Tigers have had a week to prepare for the Seminoles and will look to attack a very impressive defensive unit. Offensively so far this season the Tigers have held up pretty well, despite the losses and are averaging over 335 yards passing a game and just under 180 rushing yards per game as well. The Tigers will need to be very balanced on offense if they expect to go into Tallahassee and beat the Seminoles
Quarterback Cole Stoudt will look to match the efficiency he has put forward in the first two weeks and get the ball out to receivers Artavis Scott and Mike Williams in open space. If Stoudt can make good decision and manage the offense, while the running back by committee can keep the chains moving to keep the Seminole offense on the sideline, then the Tigers could have a shot given that the Seminoles haven't looked all that impressive so far this season and also the fact that Jameis Winston will be suspended for the first half.
The biggest question will be how will the Tiger defense defend the Seminole offense. In week one against the Bulldogs, the Tigers couldn't stop the run and got absolutely shredded. They played the pass pretty well, but just couldn't come up with an answer to Todd Gurley. This week, the Tigers won't be going up against nearly the type of running back Gurley is, however, if they have trouble stopping the run early, then this game will get out of hand earlier than the Georgia game did. If the Tiger defense can come up with some stops on defense and keep the game close or even lead after the first half, then Clemson will be in good position to win on Saturday.
Florida St will look to keep their playoff chances alive when they take on the Tigers on Saturday. The Seminoles will look to get their offense rolling and try and force the Tigers into some early turnovers in an attempt to prevent having to rely on a second half comeback from Jameis Winston, who will be suspended for the first half for acting like an idiot.
Quarterback Sean Maguire will get his first start at the helm and will likely be asked to just keep his team in the game. Florida St will no doubt look to get the run game going early and often to not only take the pressure off of Maguire to start, but also because that is a weakness that was exploited in the Clemson defense. No doubt Maguire will have to make some plays on his own to prevent the Tigers from putting eight in the box and will look to get the ball out wide to Rashad Greene and Nick O'Leary. The Seminoles are still looking for someone to step up at receiver now that Kelvin Benjamin is in the NFL and this would be a great stage for one to show up and provide the playmaking ability that has been lacking so far this season out of the Seminole offense.
The Seminoles will look to create some havoc on the Tiger offense in an effort to shut the door on any possible upset as early as possible. While the Seminoles got somewhat torched by the Oklahoma St offense in the opening game of the year, the Seminoles are giving up less than 350 yards per game and have had a week to prepare for the Tiger offense. If the Seminoles can get some pressure on Stoudt and shut down a relatively inexperienced offense, than the Seminoles will be in good position to win, even without Winston for the first half.
Prediction: This game won't be as ugly as it was last season. This will be a tight game early with Florida St relying heavily on the run to try and take advantage of the porous run defense that Clemson showed in week 1, while the Tigers will look to take the crowd out of it early by throwing it down the field with Stoudt. Clemson will have a slight lead going into half when Jameis Winston will get inserted into the game in the second half. The Seminole offense will start getting better traction with Winston at the helm and will take the lead back going into the fourth quarter. After a defensive stop, Winston will lead the Seminoles down the field again and put the game on ice. A late score by the Tigers will be too little too late.
Update: Jameis Winston has been suspended for the entire game, but Maguire will lead FSU to a last minute victory.
+Florida State Seminoles 31 - +Clemson Tigers 27
Florida vs #3 Alabama
The Florida Gators will look to get a signature win when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide. If Florida can pull of the upset, this would be its first win against a ranked opponent since November 24 2012. To say it will be a challenge is an understatement.
Quarterback Jeff Driskel has shown major improvement from last season, completing over 63% of his passes and most importantly has only turned the ball over one time this season. Driskel will need to be on point with his decision making on Saturday if the Gators are going to have any shot at beating the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Luckily for Driskel, he has one of the nations best rushing attacks behind him with running backs Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor. Both running backs are averaging over six yards per carry and will need to carry the load against the nations best rushing defense in Alabama.
Florida's defense has also been impressive so far this season, ranking third against the run and 20th against the pass. The Gators defensive will need to stop the run early and often and force Blake Sims to beat them through the air. If the Gators can force Sims into a couple of mistakes and put together a couple of scoring drives, then they will have a great chance at beating the Crimson Tide.
Alabama is coming into this game as under the radar as a #3 in the country can. After an impressive, battle tested win over West Virginia, the Crimson Tide are coming off two easy wins and will look to build on those successes against the Gators.
Quarterback Blake Sims has done everything that the Crimson Tide ask of its quarterback, which is to keep drives alive and take care of the football. Sims has done a great job of both of those and will look to continue to do that against a very good defense. Like Driskel, Sims has a very good running game that he can rely on with running backs T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake as well as Sims himself have helped the Crimson Tide average over 270 yards per game. Look for the Crimson Tide to continue relying on its running game, but expect Lane Kiffin to open to playbook a little and to take advantage with Sims on some 1 on 1 match ups on the outside.
Alabama's defense has been clinical up to this point of the season. The Crimson Tide are giving up less than 267 yards per game and are allowing only 11.7 points per game. If the Crimson Tide can stop the Florida rushing attack and force Driskel to beat them through the air, Alabama will be in an great position to win. If Alabama has trouble stopping the Florida rushing attack, then this game could get very interesting down the stretch.
Prediction: Both teams will try to establish the run game early and often. Each team will force the opposing offense to beat them through the air. This will be a closer game than the final score will show as this will be a tough, gritty kind of game for three quarters. In the end Alabama's defense will be too much for Florida's offense to overcome and will seal the deal with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
+Alabama Crimson Tide 30 - +Florida Gators 14
#4 Oklahoma vs West Virginia
Trevor Knight and the Sooners will look to get another impressive win after blowing out Tennessee last week. Oklahoma has one of the top five defenses in the country to go along with a very balanced up tempo offense that has imposed its will on opponents so far this season and will look to do so against the Mountaineers on Saturday.
Trevor Knight has played well in his first full year as a starter, completing just under 60% of his passes and has done a good job managing the Sooner offense. Knight has the ability to rely on a very good running game behind him, which will be a bit depleted on Saturday with the loss of Keith Ford to injury. If Knight can continue to manage the offense and make the plays when he asked, then OU will cruise to victory.
The most impressive area of the Sooners team is the defense. The front seven is absolutely loaded with talent and it will be interesting to see how the unit holds up against a high flying offense like the Mountaineers. The Sooners already have amassed nine sacks, to go along with six interceptions, two fumbles and two defensive touchdowns. If the Sooners can continue to play at a high level like they have done all season and pressure and force Trickett into some mistakes, then OU could make an impressive statement on Saturday to the college football committee.
The Mountaineers will look to prove their close game against Alabama wasn't a fluke when they take on Oklahoma in Morgantown on Saturday. West Virginia is coming off a 40-37 win against Maryland in which the Mountaineers blew a 22 point lead and had to rely on a game winning field goal at the buzzer to win. The Mountaineers will need to play much better defensively if they expect to beat the Sooners on Saturday
Quarterback Clint Trickett has been spectacular this season, completing 75% of his passes and has thrown for seven touchdowns and only one interception. Trickett will need to continue that efficiency against one of the nations best defense if the Mountaineers are going to win. Trickett has done a good job of spreading the ball around to receivers including Kevin White, Mario Alford and Wendell Smallwood. If Trickett can continue to play as well as he has so far this season and keep the up tempo Mountaineer offense rolling, then West Virginia will have a great shot at pulling off the upset.
West Virginia has been getting torched on defense this year, allowing an average of almost 400 yards of total offense a game. The Mountaineers have struggled to force takeaways and will need to get a takeaway or two on Saturday in order to beat the Sooners. Oklahoma brings in a very balanced offensive attack and the Mountaineers will need to stop the run early and often and force Terrence Knight to beat them if they expect to stay in the game. If the Mountaineers can force a turnover or two and limit Oklahoma's big play ability, then the Mountaineers will have a great shot at pulling off the upset.
Prediction: This will be the most exciting game of the weekend. Each team will come out and put up some early point with their up tempo offenses. The atmosphere of Morgantown will cause some early jitters for Knight who will settle down after a couple drives. West Virginia will lead through most of this game but after a defensive stop by the OU defense, Knight will lead a touchdown drive with only a few minutes left. A valiant comeback attempt by Trickett will fall short and the OU defense will prove to be the defense, stopping the West Virginia offense three times in a row to close out the game.
+The University of Oklahoma 31 - +West Virginia University 27
Virginia vs #21 BYU
The Cavaliers are coming off an impressive upset win over Louisville last week and will look to ride that momentum into Provo on Saturday when they take on the Cougars. The Cavaliers also played very well earlier in the season against UCLA and will come into the Cougar matchup battle tested.
The Cavaliers have had a quarterback by committee with Greyson Lambert and Matt Johns each having received snaps and lead the offense down the field in the first three games. Lambert has been the more efficient passer but looked very uncomfortable in the first game against UCLA. Johns has led the team in the UCLA matchup, but hasn't done too much since that game. Whoever is under the helm for the Cavaliers on Saturday will need to control the offense and most importantly rely on the run game and take care of the football against a very tough BYU defense.
The Cavalier defense has been incredibly impressive so far to start the year and will look to mirror those performances against the Cougars. Against UCLA, the Cavaliers held preseason Heisman contender Brett Hundley without a touchdown and made him uncomfortable throughout the game. Last week, the Cavs held a Louisville offense that averaged over 48 points per game to 21 points. The Cavaliers will need to replicate the game plan they had against UCLA against Brett Hundley because they will be dealing with another dual threat quarterback in Taysom Hill. If the Cavs can stop the run and limit Hill's scrambling or big play ability, then they will be in position to win on Saturday.
Taysom Hill will look to keep the Cougars playoff hopes rolling when he and the Cougars welcome the Cavaliers into Provo. The Cougars are coming off a less than impressive win over Houston in which Houston was able to contain Hill through the air and cause a couple of turnovers. Hill will need to use both his legs and arm against the Cavaliers as we have already seen the Cavs wreak havoc against a dual threat quarterback in Nick Hundley. Luckily for Hill, he will have smash mouth running back Jamal Williams in the backfield to help loosen up the Cavalier defense and open up some lanes for Hill to not only throw over the top of the defense, but also get himself out into space and run.
The Cougars defense has also been very formidable this year as they have only given up an average of 14 points per game to go along with a very physical front seven that has already amassed eight sax this season. If the Cougars can get some pressure on the Cavalier quarterback and force the Cavs to become one dimensional, than BYU will keep its hopes alive to be a spoiler in the playoff.
Prediction: This is going to be a very physical, intense battle in which each team will struggle to score points early. After forcing a couple of turnovers, BYU will finally start to impose their will on a tired Cavalier defense with Hill and Williams gashing them up the gut. A late comeback attempt by the Cavaliers will fall short and the Cougars will improve to 4-0
+BYU 27 - Virginia 14
Upset Special
#5 Auburn vs #20 Kansas St
Auburn and Kansas St enter this ball game each having come off a bye week, looking to get a signature non conference win before conference play gears up.
Auburn comes into this game clicking on all cylinders on offense, averaging 330 yards rushing and 52 points per game while also allowing only 109 rushing yards per game. The Tigers will need to run the ball effectively and stop the Kansas St rushing attack if they expect to beat the Wildcats in Manhattan.
Quarterback Nick Marshall has played well up to this point both on the ground and through the air, but most importantly has taken care of the football. Running backs Curtis Artis-Payne and Corey Grant have gashed opposing defenses, averaging over seven and a half yards per game between the two. The Tigers are still looking for someone to step up at wide receiver but with the rushing attack that the Tigers feature, as long as they can get any sort of contribution, they will put themselves in great shape to win any game.
This will be the toughest test of the season as of yet for the Auburn defense, which has been very opportunistic through the first two games of the year. The Tigers already have four interceptions on the year, as well as a defensive touchdown, and if they can get the Wildcats to turn the ball over, then this game could get ugly in a hurry.
If Auburn can run the ball as effectively as they have to start the year and force the Wildcats into some turnovers, this game will be over in the third quarter. If the Tigers have trouble stopping the Wildcat rushing attack, then this game will be interesting down the stretch.
The Wildcats will look to get back on track after a come from behind victory against Iowa St two weeks ago. The Wildcats will need to play much better defensively in this game as they did against Iowa St if they expect to have any shot to win this game.
Quarterback Jake Waters has led a well balanced offensive attack that has averages around 238 yards rushing and passing so far through two games this season. Waters has been very impressive on the ground, averaging more than five yards a carry to go along with running back Charles Jones six yards per carry average. Waters has also done a good job through the air completing over 61% of his passes and spreading the ball across multiple receivers. He will need to not only make plays with his feet, but also take care of the football if the Wildcats want to win this game.
Waters will have an elite wide receiver at his disposal in Tyler Lockett. Lockett is averaging over 20 yards per catch this season and tallied 11 touchdowns last season. Lockett is also a dangerous return man and has been used in the past as a rushing threat on the outside. If Lockett can use his speed to stretch the defense vertically and get himself open for Waters, then the Wildcats will have a very good chance at pulling off the upset.
The biggest question mark is how will the Bill Snyder defense attack the Auburn offense. Both teams have had two weeks to prepare and attack each other's weaknesses on the opposite side of the ball. A lot of the Auburn offense has to deal with misdirection and motion and if the Kansas St defenders get taken out of position, then this game will be over in a hurry because the Wildcats don't have the speed to keep up with the Tigers. If Snyder can get his team to maintain gap responsibility, then this will be a very tight game late in the fourth.
Prediction: Both teams will come out and try to establish the run early and often. Auburn will have a couple of long play short drives that will lead to touchdowns while Kansas St will have a couple of long, methodical drives that will lead to some points. The first half will end with the Tigers up going into the half. Both teams will make their halftime adjustments with Kansas St looking to attack the Tigers through the air while maintaining gap responsibility and not following the motion/misdirection play. The third quarter will be a defensive stand by both teams with neither scoring due to the adjustments. After a Kansas St field goal, Auburn will drive down the field and score a touchdown to go up four with under five minutes to play. Needing a touchdown to win, the Wildcats will get a couple of big plays from Lockett, as well as from Waters' feet that culminates in a touchdown with under a minute to go. Marshall tries to get his team in field goal position but there is not enough time and the Wildcats pull of the upset
+Kansas State University 31 - +Auburn University 28
Last Week: 4-1
2014 Season: 9-6
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