We started off last week hitting the first of our predictions but failed to see the rest come through. Remember, these are bold predictions. We do not expect them all to hit every week or we have had a chaotic week of college football.
UCF Gives Oklahoma a Scare – UCF did give Oklahoma a scare. UCF had a chance to tie the game with a 2 point conversion but came up short.
Iowa Wins, Doesn’t score a touchdown – Iowa lost but scored a touchdown (and honestly should have scored two).
Utah forces 4 Caleb Williams’ turnovers – Caleb Williams didn’t play great but he did not turn the ball over.
Ohio State and Penn State combine for 2 special team’s touchdowns – We had zero special teams touchdowns but we did have a fumble on a punt and a missed field goal.
Bo Nix throws for over 400 yards and four touchdowns – Nix had a good day but finished well shy of 400 yards. He finished with 293 yards and two touchdowns.
Now it’s time to jump to our predictions for this weekend. We have a lot of the top teams playing away from home this weekend so we are bound for an upset.
Georgia throttles Florida, wins by 30 – We have the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party this weekend. College football rivalries like this one are what make this sport so special. The game is being played in Jacksonville, as is tradition, and it could be one of the last times this game is played there. Both programs are looking to move the game to campus for recruiting reasons, and rumors suggest there may be traction for the movement. This weekend’s game is going to be dominated by Georgia. The Bulldogs are rolling even without Brock Bowers. Carson Beck has continued to gain more confidence each week with his receivers and should have a strong performance against Florida. The Gators have been one of the most inconsistent teams through eight weeks. We never know if Trevor Etienne is going to run for 150 yards or if Florida will struggle to even score a touchdown. The uncertainty with Florida leads me to pick Georgia to win and win big. The Bulldogs will win this game by more than four scores.
Kansas Takes Oklahoma to overtime – Yes, I know Kansas is missing Jalon Daniels once again, but let’s give Jason Bean some credit. The sixth-year senior has played in plenty of games and is more than capable of being a threat on offense. Kansas is still playing very well despite missing the preseason conference player of the year. Oklahoma has shown they can be vulnerable against lesser competition. Kansas is going to bring everything they’ve got. The team also does not live and die with Daniels. Devin Neal is one of the best running backs in the conference and will be heavily relied upon with Daniels out once again. This same Kansas team beat UCF by 29 points just three weeks ago. Kansas may not win the game, but look for them to keep this close throughout the entire game and force it into overtime.
Joe Milton has his best game of the season against Kentucky – Tennessee lost a heartbreaker to Alabama last weekend. They were up by two scores heading into halftime and ended up losing by two scores to Alabama. With the loss to Alabama, Tennessee is likely out of the hunt for the SEC unless Georgia finds a way to lose two games. Tennessee can still salvage something from this season if they can secure a spot in a New Year’s Day bowl game. Making sure that goal happens starts today with a trip to Kentucky.
Milton was advertised as having a big arm but has yet to throw for 300 yards in a game this season. Kentucky’s pass defense is currently allowing more than 250 yards per game, which should be a perfect matchup for Milton. Look for Tennessee to air it out and try to win this game on Milton’s shoulders. If they win this weekend, the Volunteers get a breather next weekend against UConn before a stretch run against Missouri and Georgia.
Carson Steele runs for 200 yards on Colorado – Colorado has been one of the biggest surprises this season. They still have a ways to go before making a bowl game, and that journey starts with a crucial game against UCLA this weekend. UCLA is one of the most physical teams in the PAC-12, which is strange considering Chip Kelly is known for a fast-paced, spread-style offense. Kelly found a diamond in the rough with Carson Steele, who transferred from Ball State. Steele has already accumulated 599 yards and six touchdowns this season. Although Steele shares carries with TJ Harden, he is clearly the starter, with almost double the number of carries.
Colorado ranks 90th in rush defense, allowing more than 150 yards per game, while UCLA ranks 10th in rushing offense, with over 210 yards per game. The Bruins will heavily rely on their ground attack, especially with a true freshman at quarterback. Colorado will struggle to match the physicality of UCLA.
Maalik Murphy throws three interceptions against BYU – Maalik Murphy is making his first-ever start at home against BYU. BYU doesn’t have a stellar pass defense, but they have been adept at taking the ball away. The Cougars have already collected 11 interceptions and three fumble recoveries. BYU is a better team than people expected this season and is well on their way to a bowl game. While BYU may be outmatched in this game, expect them to keep it close by forcing turnovers against a quarterback with little experience. Jakob Robinson and Eddie Heckard are two players to watch, as they have combined for seven interceptions this season. Murphy is a talented quarterback, but he is making his first start against a tough BYU team without the benefit of a tune-up game. Murphy has the potential to become a really good quarterback in the long run, but I think he may make a few mistakes today. Texas will win this game, and Murphy will learn from those mistakes.
Ohio State holds Wisconsin’s Braedyn Locke to less than 125 yards passing – Wisconsin suffered a blow a few weeks ago when they announced that Tanner Mordecai would miss an extended period of time. Locke’s accuracy has been the biggest issue in the two games he has played an extended portion of the game. He was able to throw for 240 yards against the Illinois defense, but they are not nearly as talented as Ohio State. The Buckeyes boast one of the best pass defenses in the country, as they held Drew Allar to just 191 yards last week. The Buckeyes should also have Denzel Burke back after he left the Purdue game with an injury two weeks ago. Wisconsin will look to get Locke comfortable early in the game, with it being played at home and at night. The atmosphere should be electric in Madison, but inexperienced quarterbacks can find those emotions hard to manage. Look for Ohio State to give Locke a tough challenge.
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