What a great day! The first Saturday of college football! For college football nerds like Jeremy and I this is basically Christmas day. It starts 16 weeks of one of the most compelling games in the world. Welcome back college football!
Here is a little more analysis on six games we pick. As always let us know what you think tweet us @307CollegeFB. Enjoy!
No. 5 Georgia at No. 8 Clemson
Instant Analysis:
This is sure to be one of the best games of the weekend. Senior quarterbacks
Tajh Boyd and Aaron Murray lead two of the best offenses in the country in a
game that has week-one national title implications. This game will meet the
instant classic status. It is very rare that we get to see a game with such
implications so early in the season. I give Clemson a slight edge in this one
just because of being in Death Valley.
Key’s to Victory:
Georgia: The keys
for Georgia to come out of this game victorious is to get Murray, Todd Gurley
and its offense rolling early and manage the insane atmosphere of Death Valley.
If Murray and Gurley and the offense get rolling early the Dawgs could be on
their way in this one. Defensively the Dawgs need to create some pressure early
and make Boyd uncomfortable and hurry him as much as possible throughout the
game.
Clemson: The keys
for Clemson are much like they are for Georgia get an early big play from Boyd
to Sammy Watkins and get its offense rolling. The Tigers need to put the Dawgs
down early and make them play from behind all game. The earlier the Tigers
score the better they will do at keeping the sellout crowd in Death Valley
insane. The defensive key for the Tigers, has to be hurry Murray and make sure
is jersey is green at the end of the game. They also need to slow down Gurley,
they can let Gurley get his yards because you cannot fully stop him, but they
need to limit the big play and not allow big runs.
Fun Facts:
Georgia: This is
the first time in Georgia history that both it and its opponent will begin the
season in the top 10. The Dawgs are 10-2 in season openers under Mark Richt.
Clemson: The
Tigers are looking for the second-consecutive victory over a top-10 SEC team
after beating LSU in the Chick-fil-a Bowl to end the 2012 season. This will be
the 63rd meeting between the two schools that dates back to 1897
(UGA leads 41-17-4).
No. 19 Boise State at Washington
Instant Analysis: This is a major game for both squads.
Boise State is looking to replace some major pieces this season, but still has
the talent to make a BCS run. Washington is opening its brand new Husky Stadium
and there are really high expectations in Seattle this season.
Key’s to Victory:
Boise State: The
key for the Broncos in this game is to handle the environment and keep
quarterback Joe Southwick off his back. Southwick to receiver Matt Miller will
be big in this game, but running back Jay Ajayi will be the key for the Bronco
offense against a Husky defense that allow over 160 yards per game on the
ground last year.
Washington: The
key for the Huskies is going to be senior signal-caller Keith Price who had a
down year in 2012 and is looking to rebound strong. Price will be looking to
use some serious weapons in receiver Kasen Williams and tight end Austin
Seferian-Jenkins against a Boise State defense that lost a lot of key players
at linebacker and in the secondary. If the Huskies can use the crazy atmosphere
of the new Husky Stadium, they have a great chance to knock the Broncos off.
Fun Fact:
Boise State: This
is a rematch of the 2012 Macco Bowl Las Vegas that Boise State won 28-26 in a
closely contested game. The Broncos are 6-1 in season openers under head coach
Chris Peterson.
Washington:
Washington will be looking for its second-consecutive 1-0 start after defeating
San Diego State 21-12 last season. After $281 million in renovations the
Huskies will be looking to open its new stadium with a victory over a top-20
team.
No. 1 Alabama vs. Virginia Tech
Instant Analysis: This
is going to be a tough one for the Hokies. The Tide comes in as the two-time
defending national champions and has just as good of a team as it has had in
the last two seasons. I think this game will be close for the first quarter but
that is about it. The Tide led by quarterback AJ McCarron and running back TJ
Yeldon, as well as a defense that boast All-America caliber players all over
the field should have a pretty easy time against a reasonably inexperienced
Hokie team.
Key’s to Victory:
Alabama: This one
is pretty easy. Just do what you do. Pound the ball on the ground with Yeldon
and co., wear down the Hokie front seven and run away with this game. Let the
ground game open up the passing game for McCarron. Use the unreal defensive
talent to blitz Hokie quarterback Logan Thomas and make sure he is on his back
every time he drops back to throw the ball.
Virginia Tech: The
best advice I can offer for this team is to keep the ball in the hands of your
playmaker Thomas. The Hokies are going to have to with stand punch after punch
from the Tide. If they can withstand the big plays and the power running game
they could have a chance to keep this close (notice I said close not win). The
good thing for the Va Tech is it returns a log of players on the defensive
front seven that can hold their own for the first quarter or so of this game.
The defensive line is the biggest key for the Hokies as the Tide is breaking in
some new players on the offensive line and they should do their best to take
advantage of that.
Fun Fact:
Alabama: The Tide
is looking for a historic third-consecutive national title run. Bama is also 5-0
in domes since 2008 and 6-2 under head coach Nick Saban. The Tide was No. 1 in
three of four major defensive categories last season.
Virginia Tech:
Tech is looking for its first-ever win against a top-ranked team as it is 0-7
all time. Head coach Frank Beamer enters his 27th season with the
Hokies.
No. 12 LSU vs. No. 20 TCU
Instant Analysis:
Here is the 1A or 1B for best games of the week however you
want to look at it. I am really looking forward to this game as you all know I
have been a major buyer of the Horned Frogs stock this season. The Frogs are
going to play the two-quarterback system to start the season, but I am pretty
sure Casey Pachall will win out in the end. The Frogs have one of the best
defenses in the country and should be able to showcase it in this game. LSU is a young but really talented
team, quarterback Zach Mettenberger is going to have to lead this inexperienced
team past a really solid Frogs team if the Tigers want to start the season with
a victory. I think TCU will come away with a close hard fought victory in this
one and continue down the road in their bear of a schedule. All-in-all this
should be a close fought game and I expect less than 40 total points in this
one.
Key’s to Victory:
TCU: With the
indecision at the quarterback position for the Frogs they are going to have to
rely on their solid running game led by Waymon James and three returning
offensive linemen. On defense TCU
just needs to let its playmakers like Jason Verrett make big plays. This
defense is unreal good and I think will show it against the Tigers.
LSU: For the
Tigers to win this game they are going to have to slow down the TCU rushing
attack and make whoever is in at quarterback for the Frogs throw the ball down
the field. Mettenberger is going to have to have a great game get the ball to
standout receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to make plays. The Tigers are also going to
have to control the clock with their ground game in Alfred Blue and J.C.
Copeland.
Fun Fact:
TCU: This is the
first neutral site meeting between TCU and LSU since the 1936 Sugar Bowl when
TCU won 3-2 and its first national championship. The Frogs are 9-3 in openers
under head coach Gary Patterson.
LSU: The Tigers
have won 10-consecutive openers going into tomorrow’s game. Head coach Les Miles
is 8-0 in season openers at LSU.
Nevada at No. 24 UCLA
Instant Analysis: Most
people probably don’t see this as one of the more intriguing games of the
weekend, but it could mean a lot for both teams. The Bruins are looking to
continue their early success under second-year headman Jim Mora and Nevada is
looking to start off well under first-year head coach Brian Polian. This game
should be a battle of two solid quarterbacks in UNR’s Cody Fajardo and UCLA’s
Brett Hudley. This could be a shootout in the Rose Bowl with both teams looking
to make a statement. The Bruins are looking to live up to the bill as the
third-best team in the Pac-12 and Nevada is looking to show it can lose
longtime head coach Chris Ault and still be a force in college football. All
that being said I am gong out on a limb and calling for the Wolf Pack to go
into the Rose Bowl and knock off the Bruins.
Key’s to Victory:
Nevada: The key
for Nevada is quarterback Cody Fajardo. Fajardo is what makes this pistol
offense go and he has to be able to spread the ball around to some weapons at
receiver and tight end. With only two linemen returning on the line it is going
to be tough for him to get the time he needs to throw the ball. That being said
it think Fajardo can make so much happen with his feet that he should be able
to use his legs and find the time to get the ball to his experienced receiving
corps.
UCLA: The key for
UCLA is going to be the defensive front. The senior-laden defensive line is
going to have to keep contain on Fajardo and put him on his back to make sure
he cannot get the ball down the field. Brett Hundley is also a key to this
matchup for the Bruins. He is going to have to make some plays behind a very
experienced offensive line. Running back Jordon James is also going to need to
have a good game on the ground to keep Fajardo and the Nevada offense off the
field.
Fun Fact:
Nevada: This is
the first meeting between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins. Nevada will be playing
22 freshman or sophomores to start the season and have the 18th-most
freshman playing of any team in the country with 15 playing.
UCLA: UCLA has won
61 season openers and will open its 32nd season in the Rose Bowl.
The Bruins are looking to repeat as Pac-12 South Champs.
Wyoming at No. 18 Nebraska
Instant Analysis:
As we have said before we know that this may not be as interesting to anyone
else as it is to Jeremy and I, but too bad this is actually a pretty
interesting matchup. It is a battle of very high-powered offenses and solid
quarterbacks. Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez is as elusive a quarterback in the
country and can run all over the field. Wyoming’s Brett Smith is one of the
most underrated quarterbacks in the country and has the ability to toss five
touchdowns in any game. Both of these teams are suspect on defense so expect
this to be a high-scoring affair. I think the Pokes will keep this one close,
but it is tough to win in Lincoln and they will find that one out.
Key’s to Victory:
Wyoming: For the
Pokes to win this one they are going to have score a lot of points and Smith is
going to have to have a huge game. The Cowboys have weapons for Smith to throw
the ball to, but a relatively inexperienced offensive line is going to have to
keep him clean for him to toss the ball around. If Smith and the UW offense can
strike early and put some pressure on the Huskers they could have a chance to
pull off a major upset. Wyoming is also going to need some big plays from its
defense. It’s D is not going to stop the Huskers, but if it can force some
turnovers in big situations it has a chance to win.
Nebraska: Like the
Pokes, the Huskers need a big game from Martinez and they should get it.
Martinez is going to need to run the ball well against a poor tackling Wyoming
defense. Another key for the Huskers is running back Ameer Abdullah, he ran for
over 1,000 yards last season and he should get a good start against the Pokes.
The Huskers defense is only going to need to make enough plays to slow the
Pokes. If its D allows Smith and the UW offense to makes plays this could be a
little closer than Husker fans are expecting.
Fun Fact:
Wyoming: The Pokes
are seeking the first win against Nebraska in program history as they are 0-7
all-time against the Huskers.
Nebraska: The Huskers
have won 27-consecutive season openers including 10 in a row in Memorial
Stadium.
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