Week two gave us loads of excitement plus some noteworthy upsets. We had a better week with our predictions. As is tradition, let’s start off with recapping last week’s predictions:
Texas beats Alabama by two scores – NAILED IT. SPOT ON. NONE OF THE OTHER PREDICTIONS MATTER.
Tulane and Ole Miss combine for 1,000 yards of total offense – 700 is essentially 1,000, right? Michael Pratt did not play in this game, or else this game would have had more scoring. Tulane relying on their backup quarterback was never going to put them in a favorable position.
Dillon Gabriel throws for more than 400 yards and five touchdowns – 176 passing yards and four touchdowns – Gabriel did a great job finding the end zone. The Oklahoma passing attack was not as lethal as the week prior when they faced Arkansas State.
UTSA starts the season 0-2 –Texas State gave UTSA a run for their money. The Roadrunners came out victorious with a 20-13 record. Texas State is probably better than expected, and UTSA might not be as good as we all thought.
Only one of Auburn, Wisconsin and UCF win on Saturday – Wisconsin was dominated by Washington State. UCF needed a field goal as time expired to beat Boise State. Auburn scored a go-ahead touchdown late in the 4th quarter to beat Cal. We were on the right track with this prediction, but Boise State and Cal could not close out a victory.
I was called a lunatic on social media for picking Texas to win by two scores. Remember, these predictions are meant to be bold. If we hit on all five predictions, it means we had an absolutely wild week of college football. We had to dig deep into the bag for these predictions. Remember, if I pick a team to win, they didn’t lose; they just ran out of time to come back.
Wyoming is within 7 points at halftime vs Texas – Texas is coming off one of the biggest wins in the Steve Sarkisian era. They are welcoming a talented Wyoming football team into town this weekend, but they may be overlooking the Cowboys. Craig Bohl has been the coach at Wyoming since 2014 and has led them to bowl games in three of the last four seasons. Wyoming even found a way to beat Texas Tech earlier this season, a team that many considered a dark horse for the Big 12 championship. Wyoming may not be a flashy team, but they consistently find a way to get it done. Texas is likely to struggle out of the gate due to the hangover from last week. However, the Longhorns are expected to pull away in the second half and win by at least three scores. The Cowboys will make it tough early and could be within seven points heading into halftime.
Georgia Tech beats Ole Miss – Georgia Tech has shown significant improvement under Brent Key’s leadership. Key holds a 5-5 record since taking over as the head coach at Georgia Tech. To put this in perspective, Geoff Collins had only secured 10 wins in the previous 38 games. The Yellow Jackets had a strong first half against Louisville, leading 28-13 at halftime, but the Cardinals mounted a comeback in the second half. Haynes King has had an impressive start, throwing seven touchdowns with just one interception. Ole Miss had some struggles against Tulane, even though Tulane was starting their backup quarterback. Tulane was able to exploit the Ole Miss defense through the air, which is a strategy Georgia Tech may also attempt. Keep an eye on receivers Chase Lane, who transferred with King from Texas A&M, and Malik Rutherford, who is in his third season with Georgia Tech. Despite Ole Miss being a double-digit favorite in this game, you believe that the Yellow Jackets have a chance to pull off an upset in Oxford.
Joe Milton Causes Three Turnovers – We all know Joe Milton can throw it over the Smokey Mountains, but the question is, can he put it in a shoebox from 20 yards away? Florida’s secondary has been one of the bright spots thus far this season. The secondary played well against Utah, except for the very first play. The Gator defense has yet to record a turnover this season and will be hungry for multiple turnovers come Saturday. Jaydon Hill recorded multiple interceptions last season and is a player to watch on the Florida defense. Florida will keep this game close due to mistakes made by Milton.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen combine for 250 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns – Last year, Illinois boasted one of the best defenses in the country. However, this year, their defense has not lived up to last year’s standard. Illinois has allowed over 400 yards rushing in their past two games against Kansas and Toledo. It’s worth noting that both of those programs have running quarterbacks who contributed to those rushing numbers. While Drew Allar is mobile, he isn’t considered a dynamic runner. Instead, he will rely on his talented running backs, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Illinois has allowed an average of 6.7 yards per carry to opposing running backs. Penn State, with a strong offensive line and one of the best running back tandems in the country, is expected to take advantage of this vulnerability. Look for the Penn State running back duo to have a big day on Saturday.
Two top 15 teams fall to unranked programs – We have no matchups against ranked opponents this weekend, but it’s often during these quieter weekends when the most unexpected surprises occur. Anticipating a shakeup, we have some intriguing matchups to watch:
-LSU and Kansas State are both hitting the road to potentially hostile environments, facing programs that are 2-0. LSU is traveling to Mississippi State, and Kansas State will take on Missouri.
-Penn State travels to face Illinois, and it’s worth noting that their last encounter resulted in a memorable nine-overtime game.
-Ohio State, which hasn’t looked at its best, will face a potent Western Kentucky team. Tyson Helton has quietly built the Hilltoppers into a consistent contender in Conference USA.
-Washington will travel to face Michigan State, a program currently dealing with distractions. The Spartans’ players may rally together to tune out the outside noise.
-Georgia is hosting South Carolina, a team that has surprised the Bulldogs in the past. Could they pull off another upset?
While these matchups may not involve ranked teams, they certainly have the potential for some exciting and unpredictable outcomes.
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