Last week was a bad week for predictions. We missed completely on almost every single prediction. I think I am getting too specific with my predictions so we are going to be more vague with this week’s picks and see how we do. As always, we will start with recapping the previous predictions so we can see how bad they were.
Sean Clifford throws for 350 yards and four total touchdowns against Auburn: Clifford only threw for 178 yards. His finished the day with just one touchdown. Penn State’s rushing attack defeated Auburn.
Texas Tech upsets NC State, the Red Raiders force four turnovers: What I meant to say was Texas Tech would turn the ball over four times and lose by 13. Guess I missed the mark on this one.
UTSA catches Texas in a hangover game, forces the Longhorns into overtime: This game may have ended in regulation but UTSA hung with Texas. The game was tied at halftime before Texas pulled away in the second half.
Max Johnson shines in A&M debut, Aggies defeat Hurricanes by 14+: Max Johnson was just average in his first start for the Aggies. Texas A&M also won by only eight points over the Hurricanes.
Mickey Joseph and Nebraska upset Oklahoma: The guy who wrote this is an idiot. You guys actually follow him?
As I said in the beginning, this week is going to be better. We are going to have less details in our picks because trying to predict exacts with five games is obviously not easy. We have a strong slate of games and confidence through the ceiling. Cheers to a 5-0 week!
1: Maryland hangs with Michigan through three quarters – Michigan has won the last six matchups by an average of 33 points. The question for both programs is how good are they. Michigan has played the 127th worst schedule and Maryland has played the 122 worst schedule. Michigan is the better team but Maryland has started to acquire more talented players over the past few seasons. The Maryland offense has legitimate playmakers at wide receiver in Rakim Jarrett, Jacob Copeland and Jeshaun Jones. Taulia Tagovailoa will help keep Maryland in the game through three quarters but eventually Michigan’s talent will win out. The Wolverines lack an elite pass rusher similar to their personnel last season which could be an issue in the long term but not against Maryland. Do not be surprised if Michigan is only winning by two scores when the fourth quarter begins.
2: Arkansas or Texas A&M blows out the other team – Texas A&M let me down last week but we have them on the picks once again. I could not tell you who wins this game. Texas A&M is currently favored over Arkansas by two points and I truly have no clue why. The Aggies cannot move the ball and are allergic to the endzone. The Razorback’s defense could not stop a runny nose if they had a tissue in their hand. One of these teams unfortunately has to win the game. I have no idea which team is going to win but I know the result will be a blowout. My gut tells me Arkansas will be the one to win because of how bad the Texas A&M offense has been but my pick could change by game time. One team is going to end up winning by multiple scores due to failures from their opponent.
Kansas defeats Duke to start 4-0, ranked in the AP Top 25 on Sunday – Kansas might be the most surprising team of the season and it is still September. The Jayhawks win total was set at 2.5. Kansas has been impressive and has an excellent chance to make a bowl game this season. The season includes wins over West Virginia and Houston already. Duke is also 3-0 but Kansas is playing incredible offense. Jalon Daniels is making a name for himself as the Jayhawks quarterback. Daniels has been electric on the ground averaging 8.8 yards per carry and rushing for 237 yards and three touchdowns already this season. Kansas will win on Saturday and the AP will rank them on Sunday. We can all agree College Gameday should have went to Lawrence Kansas over Knoxville Tennessee.
4: James Madison upsets Appalachian State – Appalachian State is coming off two emotional wins. First they defeated Texas A&M in College Station resulting in College Gameday changing their location. Last week the Mountaineers hosted Troy and won on a miracle Hail Mary. Appalachian State is a very good team but I believe they are emotionally drained from the past two weeks. James Madison is making the jump from FCS to FBS and is ready to go. The Dukes were one of the best teams in FCS and have begun to test their ability in the Sun Belt. The offense is averaging over 50 points per game while the defense is only allowing 7 points per game. James Madison played Norfolk State and Middle Tennessee State which are teams who do not match up to Appalachian State’s caliber. Look for James Madison to be up for the test and catch Appalachian State off guard.
5: Vanderbilt scores first, Alabama scores the rest – Vanderbilt is another surprising team this season. The Commodores are 3-1 while averaging 42 points per game. AJ Swann is expected to start after taking the job from Mike Wright. Wright and Swann have combined for 12 passing touchdowns and just one interception. Swann will lead Vanderbilt to a score on their first drive of the game but it will be their only points of the day. Clark Lea has the chance to script the plays for his offense but once the script is complete his day will be over. Alabama’s talent across the field is too much for Vanderbilt to have a chance. Nick Saban has never lost to Vanderbilt. Vegas thinks this game will be a blowout since they are favoring Alabama by 40 points on Saturday. Unfortunately for Vanderbilt they play in the SEC and will struggle to reach a bowl game this season due to their schedule.
