The best time of the season has arrived as teams get ready to play their rivals. While some games may look to be foregone conclusions, you never know what can happen and who comes to play. Chaos tends to ensure during this week, it is just a matter of when. I also hope you all are not too triggered by some of my picture choices.

Texas at Kansas

Kansas actually had a very good showing in their last game. Against Oklahoma, Kansas scores 40 points on offense. While they gave up 55 points to Oklahoma, I can give them a pass since Oklahoma’s offense has run through just about every team they have played against. Kansas’s best offensive weapon this season has been running back Pooka Williams. Against Oklahoma, Williams had 252 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Williams also threw for a touchdown on a trick play. Running back Khalil Herbert also had two rushing touchdowns on the day. While Kansas still is probably the worst team in the Big 12, there is some fight to this team that there has not been in previous seasons. They played Oklahoma and West Virginia fairly close as they lost to them by 15 and 16 points respectively. Needless to say, I am a bit afraid of this game as a Texas fan. To win this game or at least keep it close, Kansas should try to establish the run game early with Williams. They also need to be sound in coverage of Texas’s big receivers. Cornerback Hasan Defense (perfect name) will have a lot asked of him.

Texas just had their first resounding victory in awhile in their last game, a 24-10 win over Iowa State. Texas’s defense played probably their best game all season, holding Iowa State running back David Montgomery to just 33 rushing yards. Texas also held Iowa State to a 45% completion percentage. Texas was able to get a good pass rush in this game as they had six total sacks. On offense, things looked like they might turn ugly after Sam Ehlinger left the game with an injury, but the offense held strong with Shane Buechele taking the snaps at quarterback. The good news about too is that Ehlinger is expected to play against Kansas. Buechele and Ehlinger combined to complete 22/25 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Tre Watson had one of his best games of the season with 93 rushing yards and 6.6 yards per carry. If Texas can contain Kansas running back Pooka Williams as well as they contained David Montgomery last week, this win should be a breeze.

Texas needs to win this game to make the Big 12 Championship. While this may seem like an easy win for them, Kansas won the last time the Longhorns came to Lawrence.

Prediction:

Texas wins 31-16 in a game where they have a comfortable lead, but never fully separate themselves.

Commonwealth Cup: Virginia at Virginia Tech

Analysis:

Virginia Tech has had a rough season. Their defense went through a lot of attrition and this may be the worst defense they have had under Bud Foster. Their offense also took a hit when quarterback Josh Jackson went out with an injury and has not yet returned. Their last game was a 38-14 loss to Miami. Miami’s offense broke their streak of bad luck and was able to run the ball easily. Virginia Tech also was unable to expose an inexperienced quarterback. On offense, the Hokies has nobody surpass 40 yards rushing, and quarterback Ryan Willis struggled with accuracy. To win this game, they will need a better run defense against Virginia’s dual threat quarterback and rushing attack. They also will need to find some cracks in Virginia’s defense.

Virginia will be looking for a bounce back win after losing their last two ACC games, including a close one in overtime against Georgia Tech 30-27. Virginia shanked a field goal in overtime that would have tied it. One good thing for Virginia has been the recent improvement of Bryce Perkins at quarterback. Perkins went 21/26 passing for 217 yards and a touchdown against Georgia Tech. Perkins also was Virginia’s leading rusher with 73 yards. Olamide Zacchaeus led the Cavaliers with 96 receiving yards. Virginia’s main problem this game was not being able to stop Georgia Tech’s triple option offense. Against Virginia Tech, Virginia needs to find a way to expose Virginia Tech’s defense and give their quarterback trouble.

Virginia Tech needs this win to keep their hopes of making a bowl alive. Virginia will want to snap their steak of 14 straight losses in this game

Prediction:

Virginia wins 27-17 and snaps the streak.

War on I-4: UCF at South Florida

Analysis:

At one point this season, South Florida was 7-0, they are now 7-4. Their most recent loss was last week against Temple. Quarterback Blake Barnett has been injured and also has not played well when healthy. Barnett threw for just 82 yards and two interceptions in their last game against Temple. Their defense did fine against Temple, but their offense could not get going. This game against UCF will be an opportunity to turn their luck around. Their defense will need to get some stops, and their offense will need to capitalize on those chances.

UCF has a season defining win last week against Cincinnati. With College GameDay at UCF, they won 38-13 against a team ranked in the Top 25. UCF was rewarded for this win as they are ranked 9th in the current college football playoff rankings. Quarterback McKenzie Milton threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Milton also added a rushing touchdown. UCF’s defense has a good day, holding Cincinnati to just 4.9 yards per attempt and could hold off Cincinnati’s rushing attack. UCF should win this game pretty easily, but they need to get their offense going. They also need to slow down Blake Barnett and South Florida’s rushing attack, as they have been deadly before.

Prediction:

UCF runs away with the game 45-27.

Oklahoma at West Virginia

Analysis:

Oklahoma looked good offense in their last game, but their defense did them no favors in their 55-40 win over Kansas. Kyler Murray did his thing, throwing for 272 yards and two touchdowns as well as running for 99 yards and three touchdowns. Kennedy Brooks stepped up at running back with 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Their defense struggled however, allowing 348 rushing yards from Kansas. Their defense struggled putting the game away, and let Kansas hang around for too long. This game will be tougher on their defense. To win this game against West Virginia, they either need their offense to consistently score touchdowns or have their defense make a few key stops. Kyler Murray will have a lot of pressure on him, as will receivers Hollywood Brown and CeeDee Lamb.

West Virginia’s slim chance at the playoff was erased last week as they lost to Oklahoma State. Their defense allowed 21 points in the fourth quarter and could not do well enough to win the game. Oklahoma State quarterback Taylor Cornelius ran all over their defense on top of throwing for 338 yards and five touchdowns. West Virginia’s defense plays against a quarterback this week that is more then capable of running all over them in Kyler Murray. On offense, Will Grier threw for 364 yards and two touchdowns, and added another touchdown on the ground. Running back Kennedy McKoy led the rushing attack with 148 rushing yards. For this game, West. Virginia just needs to make some stops on defense and their offense will need to bail them out.

The winner of this game will make the Big 12 Championship, and the loser will be out. Oklahoma also wants to keep their playoff hopes alive by winning this game.

Prediction:

Oklahoma wins 52-45 in a full blown shootout.

Apple Cup: Washington at Washington State

Analysis:

Washington State kept the train rolling last week as they beat Arizona 69-28 after putting up 55 points in the first half. Washington State was led by 473 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns from Gardner Minshew. Minshew spread the ball around well, with eleven different receivers getting a catch and six getting a touchdown. Davontavean Martin led receivers with 124 receiving yards, followed by Calvin Jackson with 85. Max Borghi and James Williams led the rushing attack with 50 yards and a touchdown each. Washington State’s defense did well, containing Arizona’s rushing attack. Washington State’s defense has been a surprisingly good unit this season. The key to this game for the Cougars will be to keep their passing game going against Washington’s elite secondary. On defense, they need to slow down Myles Gaskin and Washington’s run game.

Washington had a bit of a tough time in their last game. Their 42-23 win over Oregon State was good, but they did not quite separate themselves like they should have. The Huskies were up 28-3 after the first quarter, but did little after that. Their defense struggled a bit more than I believe they should have. Oregon State did better throwing the ball than they should have against Washington’s secondary, and Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson ran for 115 yards. The good news was that on offense, Washington had very little trouble. Jake Browning threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns, and Myles Gaskin ran for 135 yards. To win this game, Washington will need a good offensive performance, and they will need to try and neutralize Washington State’s passing game. They can do that by shutting down their receivers with Taylor Rapp, Byron Murphy, and Jojo McIntosh. They also need a good pass rush from Greg Gaines, Jalen Johnson and their defensive line.

This game will decide the Pac 12 North. Washington State will look to snap a five game losing streak against Washington. Washington State also still has a small chance at making the playoff, and will want to hold onto that.

Prediction:

Washington State wins it in a tight game 31-27.

The Game: Michigan at Ohio State

Analysis:

Ohio State survived by the skin of their teeth last week against Maryland. A bad throw by Maryland’s backup quarterback on a potential game winning two point conversion gave Ohio State a 52-51 win. Dwayne Haskins led the offense with 405 passing yards and three touchdowns. Haskins also ran for three touchdowns. The leading rusher for the Buckeyes was JK Dobbins with 203 yards. In the receiving game, Terry McLaurin had 118 yards and Johnnie Dixon had 102 yards. Their success on offense unfortunately did not translate to defense. Ohio State allowed 298 rushing yards from Maryland running back Anthony McFarland. They also were not able to fully take advantage of a backup quarterback. If they want to beat Michigan, their run defense will have to be much better. On offense, they just need to use their talent well, and find cracks in Michigan’s defense.

Michigan got off to a pretty slow start against Indiana, as they were behind 17-15 at halftime. Thankfully for Michigan, they were able to rally and get the win 31-20. Their defense did not do very well defending the run as Indiana running back Stevie Scott ran for 139 yards. Their pass defense was a bit better, and that kept their defense from falling apart. Bad news for their defense is that defensive end Chase Winovich is listed as questionable for this game. On offense, Shea Patterson was not too efficient, but still threw for a touchdown, and added 68 yards on the ground. The main factor in their offense was Karan Higdon running for 101 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Jake Moody (who is actually a backup) came up big as well making all six of his field goal attempts. The keys to the game for Michigan will be to minimize mistakes on offense and to slow down Ohio State. If Winovich does not play, Rashan Gary will need to do even more at defensive end.

The winner of this game will take the Big 10 East. Michigan will want to snap their streak of six straight losses. Michigan will also be one step closer to the playoff, and this win can be a career defining win for Jim Harbaugh.

Prediction:

Michigan wins 27-24 in a game where their defense does quite a few favors for them.

Iron Bowl: Auburn at Alabama

Analysis:

Auburn has had a pretty rough season. Auburn is 7-4 on the season, and has taken a couple of rough losses. Auburn has had some struggles on offense this season. They have not really found anybody that can be a weapon on offense to help out quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Their offensive line has also been quite lacking, and has prevented Stidham from reaching his full potential in the passing game. Auburn’s last game against Liberty, a 53-0 win, can hopefully be a step in the right direction. Stidham completed 12/18 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Kam Martin stepped up in the run game with 116 yards, and Seth Williams had 109 receiving yards. If Auburn wants to prevent this game from getting ugly, they need to find some signs of life on their offense. Auburn’s defense is good enough to not get blasted by Alabama, but their offense needs to help them out some.

Alabama survived a bit of a scare last week as they were tied 10-10 at the half with The Citadel. Alabama pulled it together in the second half and won the game 50-17. Tua Tagovailoa kept up his recent form, completing 18/22 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns. Tua added another touchdown on the ground as well. Damien Harris led all running backs with 83 rushing yards. Henry Ruggs led receivers with 114 receiving yards, and Jaylen Waddle had 90 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama did struggle with the triple option offense that The Citadel ran, but many teams struggle with it. I would not be very concerned about it. While this game should be an easy victory for Alabama, they need to prevent Auburn’s defensive line from getting to Tua.

Prediction:

Alabama wins a pretty ugly game 41-13.

Palmetto Bowl: South Carolina at Clemson

Analysis:

South Carolina had a much needed easy game against Chattanooga last week as they won 49-9. Before last week, South Carolina played in five straight games decided by four or fewer points. Against Chattanooga, Jake Bentley did quite well, completing 25/29 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns. Deebo Samuel showed flashes of what he was hyped up to be in the preseason with 112 receiving yards and a touchdown. Deshaun Fenwick led the rushing attack with 112 yards. While those numbers are good to see, they did play against an FCS team. Clemson has far more talent across the board than any team South Carolina has played with the exception of Georgia. South Carolina needs their offensive line to play the game of their lives, so thy can give Bentley time to throw, and help the ground game.

Clemson had a bit of a slow start last week against Duke as they trailed 6-0 at the end of the first quarter. Thankfully for Clemson, they ripped off 35 straight points to win 35-6. Trevor Lawrence was a bit inaccurate, but still threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Travis Etienne has just 81 rushing yards, but had two touchdowns and it was on just nine carries. Clemson also completely shut down Duke’s passing game, holding them to just 3.7 yards per attempt. As whole, Clemson’s defense held Duke to just 3.3 yards per play and had a pretty dominant game. Clemson should win this game easily, but it is not a given. Travis Etienne will need to be a security blanket for the offense as it is hard to trust a true freshman quarterback in a big game. Their defense will also need to keep Deebo Samuel from making big plays. South Carolina’s experience in close games also means a close game will not phase them, and Clemson has only had one close game this season.

Prediction:

Clemson wins pretty easily 38-14.

LSU at Texas A&M

Analysis:

Texas A&M had a solid win last week against un underrated UAB team by a score of 41-20. Trayveon Williams led thy way, running wild for 167 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Jace Sternberger had a good day as well as quarterback Kellen Mond’s security blanket with 85 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Mond only completed 11/20 passes, but he did throw for 192 yards and two touchdowns. UAB has a very good defense, and it is a good sign for the Aggies that they were able to score on them. On defense, Texas A&M had three sacks and two interceptions. In the game against LSU, Mond will need to throw the ball well against an elite secondary. Williams also needs a big day on the ground.

LSU had an easy 42-10 win against Rice last week in a cupcake game. Joe Burrow has one of his best games completing 20/28 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns. There were no standouts in the backfield, but LSU had four rushing touchdowns as a team. The leading receiver for LSU was Stephen Sullivan (who is a very large human being at 6’7”) with 94 receiving yards and a touchdown. On defense, LSU stifled Rice’s run game holding them to just 2.3 yards per carry. This game was an all around drubbing for LSU, but Texas A&M will be a much more difficult opponent. LSU will need Burrow to make some plays through the air, and their defense to slow down Trayveon Williams if they want to win this game.

Prediction:

LSU wins a defensive struggle 20-17.

Battle for the Gold Shillelagh: Notre Dame at USC

Analysis:

USC is coming off of a pretty backbreaking 34-27 loss to rival UCLA last week. USC gave up 13 fourth quarter points in this loss. USC could not stop UCLA running back Josh Kelley who ran for 289 yards in the game. USC did fine against the pass, but Kelley’s dominance on the ground badly hurt USC’s chances. JT Daniels threw two interceptions, but did throw for 337 yards and 10 yards per attempt. USC’s ground game was not great but it was serviceable compared to their other performances. When it came down to it, USC lost because they could not stop the run. To even have a chance this game, they need to change that. Their offensive line also needs to step up and give Daniels time to throw.

Notre Dame seemed to be out for blood in their 36-3 win over Syracuse. This was a test for Notre Dame and they knew they had to perform well. Ian Book did not have his best day at quarterback, but he got the job done with 292 passing yards and two touchdowns. Chase Claypool was a Book’s main target with 98 receiving yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame really shined on defense in this game. Their defense did extremely well in the passing game with seven sacks and three interceptions. The two defensive stars were Drue Tranquil with seven tackles and two sacks, and Alohi Gilman with eight tackles and two interceptions. Notre Dame allowed just 3.3 yards per pass attempt as Gilman, Julian Love and Jalen Elliott stepped up big time. To ensure victory against USC, Notre Dame needs to bring the heat defensively again and this game should be a cakewalk.

Notre Dame is still undefeated and needs to win this final game to virtually ensure a playoff berth. USC is fighting for bowl eligibility and Clay Helton is possibly coaching for his job.

Prediction:

Notre Dame runs through this game 41-20.

Because I am this cool, I decided to do a lightning round of previews for games that are not quite marquee matchups on the national scale.

The Civil War: Oregon at Oregon State

Prediction:

Oregon State can not stop Oregon and they lose 45-27.

Syracuse at Boston College

Prediction:

Syracuse will struggle heavily with slowing down AJ Dillon as they lose 34-24 as they are still reeling from Notre Dame.

Clean Old Fashioned Hate: Georgia Tech at Georgia

Prediction:

Georgia Tech keeps it close for a bit with the triple option but is just unable to stop Georgia as Georgia wins 45-24.

Texas Tech at Baylor

Prediction:

This battle for bowl eligibility will turn into a shootout that Texas Tech pulls out 38-35.

Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket: Purdue at Indiana

Prediction:

This battle for bowl eligibility results in a 35-31 win for Purdue as they play up in what could be Jeff Brohm’s last game coaching there.

Sunshine Showdown: Florida at Florida State

Prediction:

Florida wins 24-14 in this very ugly game, keeping Florida State out of a bowl.

Stanford at UCLA

Prediction:

Bryce Love runs through UCLA in a 35-17 Stanford win.

Troy at Appalachian State

Prediction:

Quarterback Zac Thomas comes up big for Appalachian State as they win 28-24.

Pittsburgh at Miami

Prediction:

Miami gets a bit of momentum going as they win 27-17.

Illinois at Northwestern

Prediction:

Northwestern starts slow but wins 31-23.

Territorial Cup: Arizona State at Arizona

Prediction:

Arizona secures bowl eligibility by winning this shootout 42-41.

Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe: Minnesota at Wisconsin

Prediction:

Wisconsin makes it 15 straight wins in this game as Jonathan Taylor runs wild in a 31-24 win.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt

Prediction:

Vanderbilt comes to play in this battle for bowl eligibility as they win 28-24.

Farmageddon: Kansas State at Iowa State

Prediction:

Iowa State wins this awesomely named rivalry 28-14.

TCU at Oklahoma State

Prediction:

TCU comes up big to secure bowl eligibility in a 27-20 win.

Holy War: BYU at Utah

Prediction:

Utah grinds out a 27-20 win.

Utah State at Boise State

Prediction:

Boise State’s experience leads to a good game for the Broncos and a 38-35 win.

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