With rivalry week and conference championship week nearing, this week may seem like a wash as many prominent teams have scheduled cupcake teams this week (no nobody is playing against Kevin Durant University, can you tell I am an OKC fan?). While there may not be too many highly touted games.m, this week does have its fair share of interesting matchups.

Syracuse vs Notre Dame

Analysis:

Syracuse is having one of their best seasons in recent memory. After taking down Louisville 54-23 last week, Syracuse is 8-2. Quarterback Eric Dungey has been leading the way for this team. While he has been shaky at times throwing the ball, Dungey is definitely a threat on the ground as he had two rushing touchdowns against Louisville. Moe Neal is another rushing threat for Syracuse, and put up 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns in their last game. While they may just be known as an offensive team, their defense is capable of putting up good performances as they had six sacks and two interceptions. For this game, Syracuse will need their passing game to develop some against a very talented Notre Dame secondary. Syracuse also needs to make some stops in this game, which their defense has struggled to do against good offenses.

Notre Dame remains undefeated after they beat Florida State 42-13 without their starting quarterback last week. Notre Dame overcame the absence of starting quarterback Ian Book by dominating on the ground. Running back Dexter Williams had 202 rushing yards and quarterback Brandon Wimbush had 68 and two touchdowns. On defense, Julian Love, Jalen Elliott, Alohi Gilman and Notre Dame’s secondary did very well in hindering Florida State’s passing game. Gilman and Love were the team’s leading tacklers on the day as well. More good news for Notre Dame is Ian Book also is expected to play in this game, which will help balance Notre Dame’s offensive attack. Notre Dame’s biggest key to the game will be to slow down Syracuse’s run game. Jerry Tillery, Daelin Hayes, and Notre Dame’s defensive line will have a lot asked of them as well as Te’Von Coney, Drue Tranquil, and Notre Dame’s linebackers

This game is a neutral site game at Yankee Stadium, so there will be no definitive home field advantage. Notre Dame also probably needs to win this game in order to make the playoff.

Prediction:

Notre Dame wins a back and forth game 38-31.

Miami at Virginia Tech

Analysis:

Miami football is falling apart at the seams right now. With four losses in a row, things are not looking good for the Hurricanes as they are 5-5 and on the verge of missing a bowl game. Miami also has not eclipsed 21 points in their last four games either. One good sign is that in their last game is that quarterback N’Kosi Perry put in a passable performance, and they play against a Virginia Tech defense that has been shaky. While Miami’s defense did not do quite as well in their last game, it is hard to gauge a team’s defense when they play an offense as unique as the triple option. Miami’s struggles on offense can be overcome in this game by generating good field position, either by creating turnovers or having success in the return game. If they can do that, victory will come much easier. Also if Miami wants to get somewhere on offense, Virginia Tech has been a bit inept stopping the run, so running backs Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas will be relied on for the success of the offense.

Virginia Tech has not fared much better this season than Miami has. The Hokies have usually been built on defense, but their defense (that is lunch pail and blue collar of course) under defensive coordinator Bud Foster has been underwhelming and has given up 45 or more points four times. Virginia Tech also allowed 494 rushing yards in their last game against Pittsburgh. Thankfully, they play against a Miami offense that has stalled out quite a bit recently. What Virginia Tech should be worried about is finding a way to move the ball on Miami’s defense. Quarterback Ryan Willis will have a pretty small margin of error, and he will need someone to step up in the ground game if they want to win this game.

Both of these teams are in the midst of down season. Miami needs to split their last two games to make a bowl game, while Virginia Tech needs to win both of their last two to make a bowl.

Prediction:

Miami wins a pretty sloppy game 27-20.

West Virginia at Oklahoma State

Analysis:

West Virginia boasts an 8-1 record after their win against TCU last week. The Mountaineers are in the hunt for the Big 12 Championship mainly due to a very prolific offense led by quarterback Will Grier. Against TCU, Grier put up 343 passing yards and three touchdowns. West Virginia may not have a superstar among their group of receivers, but there are many that other teams have to worry about. Last week, it was actually tight end Trevon Wesco who led the team in receiving. Receivers David Sills, Gary Jennings, and Marcus Simms are also staples in West Virginia’s passing attack. Running back Martell Pettaway leads the run game, and can also shine when given his chances (unfortunately like he did against Texas). What West Virginia needs to worry about is finding a way to stop Oklahoma State’s offense that is quite prolific in their own right. If they can get a few key stops, victory will come much easier.

Oklahoma State gave their rival Oklahoma all they could handle, but ultimately fell short 48-47. That loss dropped the Cowboys to 5-5 on the season. On the plus side, Oklahoma State has seemed to find their groove on offense these last few games. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius has come into his own a bit more as he threw for 501 yards and three touchdowns against Oklahoma. Cornelius’s improvement has gone hand in hand with the rise of receiver Tylan Wallace who had 220 receiving yards last week. Tyron Johnson added to this with 128 receiving yards. While running back Justice Hill has not quite lived up to his expectations, Chuba Hubbard (awesome name) has stepped up as he had 104 yards rushing against Oklahoma. Now you may be asking yourself how Oklahoma State put up such gaudy offensive numbers and lost. That is because their defense is not good at all and will need to make some stops if they want to win this game.

West Virginia must win this game to keep their small playoff hopes alive. Oklahoma State will secure bowl eligibility with a win in this game.

Prediction:

I am feeling a bit bold, so I am taking Oklahoma State to win 41-38.

Wisconsin at Purdue

Analysis:

To call a spade a spade, Wisconsin has had a down year. 185 rushing yards from Jonathan Taylor were not enough as the Badgers lost to Penn State 22-10. What is also concerning for Wisconsin is that starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook and standout offensive lineman David Edwards are listed as questionable for this game. Backup quarterback Jack Coan struggled heavily in their last game, going just 9/20 passing and only throwing for 60 yards. On defense, they could not handle Miles Sanders and Penn State’s run game, despite 14 total tackles from linebacker TJ Edwards. Wisconsin’s defense has not done as well as expected and their offensive line has struggled some in pass protection. To win this game, Jonathan Taylor will likely have to put the offense on his back yet again. Their offensive line also needs to give the quarterback time, whoever it is at quarterback.

Purdue has begun to take the title of most difficult team to predict in college football. At 5-5, Purdue has two ranked wins over Boston College and Ohio State. Purdue also lost to Eastern Michigan and was just blown out by Minnesota 41-10 last week. Quarterback David Blough three for just four yards per attempt, despite being fairly accurate. Purdue also could not get anything going on the ground as their leading rusher had just 34 yards. Purdue also struggled stopping the run as they allowed 265 rushing yards and 6.5 yards per carry against Minnesota. Purdue can easily get run over against Wisconsin if they do not find a way to slow down their rushing attack. On offense, Purdue needs to find a way to get Rondale Moore involved. Moore, a true freshman, has emerged as Purdue’s top offensive weapon.

Prediction:

Wisconsin runs through Purdue in an ugly 24-21 win.

UAB at Texas A&M

Analysis:

Texas A&M is now 6-4 coming off of a pretty good day on offense, beating Ole Miss 38-24. While 6-4 may not seem like a great record, Texas A&M has payed a very tough schedule. Trayveon Williams led the way for the Aggies with 228 rushing yards. Kellen Mond threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns, and added a rushing touchdown of his own. Texas A&M also was able to stop Ole Miss’s run game. Texas A&M held the Rebels to just 67 rushing yards and 2.2 yards per carry. What Texas A&M should be concerned about is the fact that UAB is boasting one of the best defenses in the country. UAB allows just 13.2 points per game and 262 yards per game. Texas A&M will need Williams and their offense to find some cracks and get yardage and points.

UAB is 9-1, and is one of the best stories in college football seeing so much success in just their second season back from having the program dropped. UAB’s last game was a 26-23 overtime win over Southern Miss. While UAB had a hard time producing too much on offense, with their quarterback throwing three interceptions, their defense was able to keep them in the game. Their defense had seven sacks, including three by Tre Crawford. Darez Diggs also had eight total tackles and an interception. UAB allowed just five rushing yards in the game as well. To win this game, UAB needs to find a way to put up some points, and have their defense set up their offense in good field position.

UAB has an outside chance to be the G5 representative in an NY6 Bowl if they win, so this game will be huge for them. The oddsmakers are definitely underestimating UAB also as they listed Texas A&M as 17.5 points favorites.

Prediction:

I am feeling like making a bold prediction (or just picking against Texas’s rival) UAB gets the upset win 20-17.

Duke at Clemson

Analysis:

Clemson remained undefeated on the season and clinched the ACC Atlantic after a 27-7 win against Boston College on Saturday night. Clemson won due to their defense shutting down Boston College’s rushing attack, holding their team to just 41 rushing yards. Clemson also held Boston College to just 4.3 yards per pass attempt last week. The one touchdown scored by Boston College was actually in the return game. Despite one bad interception, Trevor Lawrence did well at quarterback and seems to have garnered more trust from Clemson’s coaches. Travis Etienne did not have his best day on the ground, but still had 78 yards and averaged seven yards per carry. For this game, Clemson needs to try and stop Duke quarterback Daniel Jones who is more than capable of picking apart defenses.

Duke moved up to 7-3 on the season after winning their rivalry game with North Carolina in a shootout 42-35. Duke was led offensively by quarterback Daniel Jones (I guess he heard about me questioning why he was a possible first round NFL draft pick and was determined to prove me wrong). Jones threw for 361 yards and ran for another 186, and amassed four total touchdowns. Jones also spread the ball around quite well as Duke has nine players with at least one catch. On the downside Duke struggled stopping the run, allowing 315 rushing yards. Duke will need to do better than that against Clemson, who has pounded teams with the run, if they want to keep this game close.

Prediction:

Clemson runs all over Duke in a 42-17 win.

Stanford at California

Analysis:

California is coming off of a big win last week, beating USC 15-14 and becoming bowl eligible. Their offense did not put up amazing numbers, but their defense had a dominant game, especially in the second half. Evan Weaver came up big for the Golden Bears with 13 total tackles and two sacks. Jordan Kunaszyk had 11 total tackles. On offense, quarterback Chase Garbers may not have generated many big plays throwing the ball, but he did account for both of California’s touchdowns. This team has an offense that can be pretty inept at times, but their defense is possibly the best in the Pac 12. To win this game, they will need to slow down Bryce Love and Stanford’s offense. Slowing down Love will be a key factor in doing so.

While Stanford did just beat Oregon State 48-17, it still has been a down year for the Cardinal as they currently sit at 6-4. Quarterback KJ Costello three for 342 yards and four touchdowns. Bryce Love had 90 rushing yards, which seems small for him, but it was just on 11 carries. Tight end Colby Parkinson was the recipient of all four touchdowns from Costello and had 166 receiving yards. Stanford’s offense fired on all cylinders, but they are playing a much better defense this week. Stanford’s key for victory will be to establish the run game with Bryce Love and backup running back Cameron Scarlett.

This is a rivalry game, so records do not matter quite as much. Stanford will want to try and end this down year with a couple good wins before bowl season. California will want to win yet another game against an in state rival.

Prediction:

California grinds out a win 24-21.

Cincinnati at UCF

Analysis:

At 9-0, UCF is one of four remaining undefeated teams in the country and has won 22 consecutive games. UCF’s most recent win however, was not very convincing. UCF won 35-24 against a 2-8 Navy team. On offense, quarterback McKenzie Milton completed 81% of his passes and threw for two touchdowns. Milton added 62 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown as well. The run game was led by Greg McCrae ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. While Navy went 0/2 passing, (like lost triple option teams, especially service academies, Navy tends to avoids throwing the ball) they did run for 375 yards and six yards per carry. The one upside for their defense was 16 total tackles from defensive back Richie Grant. While total tackles can be inflated when playing triple option teams, 16 total tackles will always be impressive. UCF can win this game by keeping up their recent offensive firepower and winning that battle against Cincinnati’s stout defense.

Cincinnati has had a meteoric rise this season as they are now 9-1. Head coach Luke Fickell has done a quite impressive job rebuilding this program (can you believe Cincinnati was a time expiring Texas field goal away from playing in the National Championship in 2009). Cincinnati has had success this season behind a defense that has allowed over 20 points just four times this season. There are no real standouts on this defense, but linebackers Jarell White and Bryan Wright are two of the top playmakers on that side of the ball. Cincinnati’s last game was a 35-23 win over fellow AAC titan South Florida. Quarterback Desmond Ridder threw for two touchdowns and was the second leading rusher for the Bearcats. Running back Michael Warren put up 151 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground plus a receiving touchdown. For Cincinnati to win this game, they will need to slow down McKenzie Milton and UCF’s offense. For their own offense, they need to try and get Warren going on the ground quickly.

This game is the site for College GameDay so expect an intense atmosphere. The winner of this game will almost surely win the AAC East division and probably the conference as a whole.

Prediction:

UCF wins a back and forth game 34-31. They then claim the National Championship for this season.

Iowa State at Texas

Analysis:

Texas was able to pull off a close victory over Texas Tech late in the game after blowing a 17 point fourth quarter lead (and giving me several heart attacks in the process). With injuries in the secondary, Texas Tech was able to throw all over Texas with a backup quarterback. In the defense, Texas’s secondary was completely depleted with injuries to Davante Davis, Caden Sterns, and Brandon Jones. Injuries piled up so much that linebacker Gary Johnson had to play safety. Thankfully for Texas, Sterns and Davis are expected to play against Iowa State and Jones is considered questionable. Receiver Collin Johnson is also considered likely to play. While Johnson’s return would be very beneficial, Lil’Jordan Humphrey has stepped up in his absence as he had 159 receiving yards against Texas Tech and the game winning touchdown. For this game, Texas will need to find a way to prevent Iowa State receiver Hakeem Butler from destroying their defense. They also will need to try and avoid playing terrible for one stretch of the like the fourth quarter against Texas Tech or the first half against Oklahoma State.

Iowa State has won five straight games after starting off the season 1-3. The Cyclones have been led by a very talent laden offense. Freshman quarterback Brock Purdy has become an efficient passer and a threat in the running game. Hakeem Butler has put himself in the conversation of best receiver in the country. Running back David Montgomery has also lived up to his preseason expectations. Iowa State’s last game was a bit ugly. During their 28-14 win over Baylor, a fight broke out leading to an ejection of multiple players. Because of his participation in the fight, Montgomery is suspended for the first half of this game. Purdy, Butler, and the rest of their offense will have to pick up some slack in that time. They also will need to find a way to get good coverage ok Texas’s big receivers.

The winner of this game will still have a shot at playing in the Big 12 Championship, while the loser will be mathematically eliminated.

Prediction:

Texas wins a tight game 34-31.

Arizona at Washington State

Analysis:

Washington State is 9-1 on the season after a win at Colorado last week. The Cougars won by a comfortable 31-7 margin in what was regarded as a possible trap game. Gardner Minshew three for 335 yards and two touchdowns. As per usual, Minshew spread the ball around nicely but his main target was Dezmon Patmon who had 103 receiving yards. Their offense also was able to easily win the time possession battle and ran 98 offensive plays compared to just 62 from Colorado. Washington State’s defense had one of their better performances of the season holding Colorado scoreless after the first quarter. Their defense will have a big challenge this week as they play against one the country’s best dual threat quarterbacks in Khalil Tate as well as a very good running back in JJ Taylor. If Washington State can prevent those two from making big plays on the ground, they should not have much of a problem in this game.

Arizona has a bye last week, and sits at 5-5 on the season. Their last outing was a 42-34 win over Colorado (I just realized these two teams have the same most recent opponent and I wonder how many times that has happened). Khalil Tate threw for five touchdowns and 350 yards. Tate was also very efficient as he threw for 15.9 yards per attempt. JJ Taylor led the run game with 192 rushing yards. Arizona’s defense did allow 34 points, but they were able to stop Colorado on the ground and held them to just 40 rushing yards. Arizona’s defense also added five sacks on the day. For this game against Washington State, Arizona needs to try and slow down Washington State’s passing attack. The most likely way they will try to do this is to generate a pass rush and force Gardner Minshew to make snap decisions.

Washington State needs this win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Arizona is battling for bowl eligibility and somehow also has a chance to win the Pac 12 South.

Prediction:

Washington State wins a shootout 41-34.

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