Last week we had a few dud predictions but we also were spot on with others. We are back with five more Powerful Predictions heading into week three of the college football season. Just as we did last week, we will start with a recap of our week 2 predictions:
–Alabama defeats Texas by at least 30 points, Bryce Young sits the 4th quarter: This was not even close. We struck out hard on this one. Alabama needed a late field goal to win the game.
– Marshall scares the Fighting Irish, Notre Dame wins by single digits: Marshall won this game. I predicted Notre Dame would still win but I am taking the victory on this one.
– Cameron Ward announces his presence to the country by totaling 5 touchdowns against Wisconsin: Washington State won but only scored 17 points. Ward finished with only one touchdown while throwing two interceptions. We tried but failed on this prediction.
– BYU defeats Baylor, viewed as a legit College Football Playoff candidate: Nailed this one perfectly. BYU is a legitimate threat for the College Football Playoffs.
– Wake Forest and Vanderbilt play the best game of the day: A 20 point victory by Wake Forest would not be classified as the best game of the day. This game would not have ranked in the top 20 best games of the day in week two.
The slate for week three lacks the top tier matchups of the past two weeks. We will be digging deep into our pockets for this week’s predictions. Full conference slates will be starting in the next few weeks which should provide entertaining games on a weekly basis. I have myself at three or four correct predictions depending how you view some of the analysis. I have a feeling we get at least three correct this weekend.
1 – Sean Clifford throws for 350 yards and four total touchdowns against Auburn: Sean Clifford gets a lot of hate from college football fans and analysts. Some of the criticism is deserved but Clifford is an overall good college quarterback. He is unlikely to have much of an NFL career but he has learned how to get the job done in college. He was playing at an above average level last season before he was injured in the Iowa game. Saturday he will return to similar form by lighting up the Auburn defense. The Tiger’s secondary looked questionable at times against San Jose State. The Spartans threw for 275 yards and averaged over 11 yards per completion. Look for Clifford to lead the Nittany Lions to big win over Auburn by throwing for over 350 yards and totaling four touchdowns. Penn State can announce their presence to the college football world with a big win on Saturday afternoon.
2 – Texas Tech upsets NC State, the Red Raiders force four turnovers: Texas Tech is starting to feel like a team who could make some noise in the Big 12. I was high on Houston and the Red Raiders managed to defeat the Cougars even with their starting quarterback throwing three interceptions. The Red Raiders are going on the road to face an NC State team who struggled against ECU this season. Texas Tech has only forced two turnovers through two weeks but the tides change in week three. The Red Raiders will be fired up for this game after defeating Houston in overtime. A few key turnovers early in the game will help put them ahead early and the Red Raiders will not look back. Joey McGuire is doing a phenomenal job at Texas Tech and a win over NC State will help snowball his momentum.
3 – UTSA catches Texas in a hangover game, forces the Longhorns into overtime: Texas is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Alabama. The Longhorns also suffered numerous injuries including starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. Bijan Robinson also received an MRI on his shoulder following the loss. A physical game can cause a hangover effect on a team. UTSA is going to be excited to play Texas. The Roadrunners were one of the surprise teams of the 2021 season finishing 12-2. UTSA returns key players on both side of the ball including starting quarterback Frank Harris. The Roadrunners lost to Houston in the first week but rebounded to defeat Army in overtime in week two. UTSA will hang around all game and force Texas into overtime. We saw numerous upsets last week so is it really unrealistic to think UTSA could force overtime or pull off a victory in week three?
4 – Max Johnson shines in A&M debut, Aggies defeat Hurricanes by 14+: Haynes King was downright awful for Texas A&M last week. Jimbo Fisher made a change at quarterback to start LSU transfer, Max Johnson. Johnson was an efficient quarterback for LSU last season throwing for 27 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Johnson finished the season strong throwing for more than 600 yards and five touchdowns over his last two game. He has been patiently waiting his turn on the bench and his time has arrived. The Aggies have weapons at receiver which will make his job easier. Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart will be two receivers to watch for on Saturday night. Johnson will perform at a high level ending any quarterback discussion while helping the Aggies defeat Miami by at least 14 points. Miami has not been tested yet this season leaving their defense as a possible question mark.
5 – Mickey Joseph and Nebraska upset Oklahoma: This is easily my boldest prediction of the day. The Scott Frost era is over in Lincoln. Mickey Joseph is taking over as the head coach of Nebraska and will also be a candidate for the permeant position. Joseph has the opportunity to make an impression on the administration and the fan base for the rest of the season. Nebraska has lost two games this season but has looked good at times. New leadership will provide the program with energy in an attempt to save the season. Joseph will have the Cornhuskers ready to play on Saturday. He will start his tenure off with a bang by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners at home. Casey Thompson has valuable experience playing against the Sooners which will come in handy. Nebraska may still struggle to become bowl eligible but a win on Saturday will get them one step closer.
The Walk-On Redshirts 