Instant Analysis
There has
been a lot of talk all around college football this season about the tear
Oregon has been on so far.
Saturday, we can finally get a real gage of how good this Duck team
actually is. Washington went on
the road to Stanford and took, arguably the best team in the Pac-12 to the
brink. The Huskies have a
talented, high power offense and a defense that has quietly become one of the
best in the nation. The question
for Saturday’s game will be how well Washington shakes off the loss to Stanford
and refocuses on what will be their toughest opponent of the season.
Keys to Victory
Oregon
The Ducks
need to get off to a fast start.
Washington is coming off an emotional loss at Stanford last week and a
quick start for the Ducks could completely let the air out of Husky
Stadium. The Huskies defense
stuffed a solid Cardinal offense last week and a dangerous Arizona offense the
week before that. Oregon can’t
mess around with this Husky team, especially on the road. A fast start is critical for the Ducks.
Defensively,
Oregon must pressure Keith Price.
I don’t think the Ducks can stop Bishop Sankey and the Husky ground game
but Price has a history of forcing passes when he’s pressed and there’s a
potential for interceptions.
Washington
Offensively,
Washington has to stick to its formula and run the football. Their up-tempo offense is fine but more
they can control the line of scrimmage and the ground the game down, the better
shot they’ll have at limiting the opportunities of Oregon’s high-powered
offense.
Defensively
Washington must tackle in space.
Oregon will spread the Huskies out and a missed tackle turns into six
points against this offense. The
Huskies have a strong, physical defense and they must disrupt at the point of
attack and get in the Oregon backfield.
Disrupting the timing of Mariota and the Oregon offense will be
critical.
Prediction
We’re going
to find out a lot about Oregon this weekend. A win and it will be hard to argue against them as the most
dangerous team in college football and maybe deserving of the No. 1 overall
spot. A loss and all the
‘I-told-you-so’ folks will be quick to point out the flash without the substance. I think this will be Oregon’s toughest
test of the season. Washington is
as good on defense as anyone in the Pac-12 and just as potent and
multi-dimensional offense. I’m
going to call for the upset here and say Washington, having gotten so close to
a season defining win last week, will be fired up and let it all ride against
the Ducks. Look for Husky
defensive coordinator, Justin Wilcox to have some answers for the Quack Attack
and smack the Ducks right in the beak.
Huskies drop the first big bomb of the college football season.
Our Picks
Jeremy- Washington, 34-31
Nick-
Washington, 48-45
Fun Facts
Since 1994,
Oregon is 14-4 against Washington.
The Ducks
have won nine straight meetings by an average of 43-17.
These teams
have met 105 times starting in 1900, with Washington holding a 58-42-5 series
lead.
#10 LSU vs. #17 Florida
Instant Analysis
A shot at
the SEC title ends here for one of these teams. LSU is coming off a good win against Mississippi State
where, once again the offense looked spectacular. Florida got probably their best win of the season last week
against Arkansas. Heading to
“Death Valley” is never easy and this trip will be no different for the
Gators. The Florida defense is
probably the best in the nation but their offense is still a work in
progress. LSU’s offense has been
impressive this season and their defense seems to be coming along. As always this will be a great SEC
battle and could have a significant effect on the conference.
Keys to Victory
LSU
Offensively,
LSU must smack Florida’s defense in the mouth. The Tigers have a physical ground game and it’s important
for them to get Jeremy Hill and Co. going early. Arkansas actually had some success running the ball on the
Gators last week and I think LSU will be able to do that same at home this
week. Getting the ground game will
help keep the pocket clean for Zach Mettenberger and allow him to work his
talented receivers downfield.
LSU is
slowly coming around on the defensive side of the ball and while Florida a
below average offensive football team, the Tigers defense will still need a
solid effort to hold off the Gators.
Florida has few true weapons and if LSU can keep the Gator ground game
at bay and force Tyler Murphy to throw the football, it should be easy pickin’s
for the Tigers.
Florida
Florida has
to stop the run first of all. I
know LSU’s offense has run more through Zach Mettenberger so far but with the
talent of the Gator secondary, I think forcing Mettenberger to have to throw
will play more to their advantage.
The Gators have, arguably the most talented corners in the country and
if they know LSU must throw, they’ll have a chance to make some game changing
plays.
Offensively,
Florida has to take some chances and get creative to make some plays. LSU’s defense is down from what it’s
been the past few years but this is still a solid unit that will smother
Florida if they try to go straight at it.
Prediction
We what
happened to Florida’s offense against a very talented, athletic defense at
Miami. LSU’s is better and more
athletic than the ‘Canes and I don’t think they’ll have any trouble stuffing
the Gators offense. Add that to
the fact that it’s in ‘Death Valley’ and I don’t see any way LSU doesn’t get a
win.
Our Picks
Jeremy- LSU, 27-17
Nick- LSU
24-21
Fun Facts
Florida and
LSU have met 59 times with Florida holding a 31-25-3 edge.
The average
score of an LSU-Florida game- LSU 16.7, Florida 19.5
Florida won
nine straight over LSU, from 1988-1996, outscoring the Tigers 297-92 in that
stretch. The Gators average
victory margin of victory was 23 points (33-10) during that span.
#24 Virginia Tech vs. PITT
Instant Analysis
It turns out
that there’s a pretty big matchup between two surprising 1 loss ACC teams this
weekend. After Virginia Tech’s
week one loss to Alabama it seemed like they would struggle to score enough
points to beat anybody. Turns out,
their offense is pretty pedestrian but their defense is one of the best in
college football and could just lead them to a Coastal division title. After Pitt got dismantled in their
inaugural ACC game by Florida State, it seemed like it might take a few years
for them to acclimate to ACC play.
However, they’ve ripped off three straight and could be a player in the
Coastal with a win over VaTech.
Keys to Victory
Virginia Tech
The recipe
for winning for the Hokies is pretty simple and it hasn’t changed since Frank
Beamer arrived on campus. Play
great defense, play great special teams and don’t kill yourself on
offense. Tech’s vaunted defense is
only giving up 16 points a game and just over 260 yards per game. The defense is forcing 2.7 turnovers a
game and will need to force a few against what can be an explosive Pitt
offense.
Defensively,
it’s critical that the Hokies, who have 19 sacks (tied for first in the nation)
to pressure Tom Savage. Savage was
sacked seven times two weeks ago against Virginia and threw two picks. When given time, Savage has the ability
to carve up defenses but Virginia Tech can create turnover opportunities with a
ball-hawking secondary (13 INT’s) if they can get good pressure.
Offensively,
Virginia Tech needs to just play smart football. Quarterback Logan Thomas played arguably his best game of
the season last week (293 yds and 3 TD’s) and he just needs to take what the
defense gives him and not put the defense in bad situations.
PITT
The Panthers
must figure out a way to run the football. That’s easier said than done but even the threat of a
running game will make life a lot easier on Tom Savage. If Pitt can at least maintain a threat
of a running game, they can play action and try to catch VaTech off guard.
Defensively,
Pitt has to take advantage of the opportunities Logan Thomas will give them to
make picks. Thomas struggles with
accuracy and will force throws if he’s pressing. Pitt is going to have to come up with some big plays on
defense to win this game.
Prediction
PITT has won
four straight in this series, including a convincing 35-17 win last
season. I think that changes this
year. While Virginia Tech is no
juggernaut on offense, their defense is good enough to win this game for
them. Add that to the fact that
they’re in Blacksburg and I think Tech gets a win in a low scoring affair.
Our Picks
Jeremy- Virginia Tech, 24-17
Nick- Virginia Tech, 27-21
Fun Facts
These teams have met a total of 12 times with VaTech
holding a 7-5 series lead.
Pitt has won
the past four meetings.
The Hokies
last win was a 37-34 win at home in 2000.
No. 25 Missouri @ No. 7 Georgia
Instant Analysis: This should be an interesting game as
surprise 5-0 Missouri takes the trip to Athens to take on a beat up Georgia
team that is coming off a hard fought, but injury ridden victory against
Tennessee. Georgia is going to need to avoid the upset bug against a Missouri
team looking for that statement SEC win.
Keys To Victory: The Dawgs are going to need to rely on
Aaron Murray to keep them on track for an SEC East title. The UGA signal caller
has its offense rolling averaging 530 yards of total offense this season and is
going to need to do that again this game to keep up with an equally high-powered
Tigers offense. Murray has completed nearly three-quarters of his passes this
season with 1500 yards and 14 touchdowns. It looks like Georgia is going to be
without leading-rusher Todd Gurley for the second-consecutive game. The Dawgs
are going to have to rely on their two true freshman running backs to carry the
load with out Gurley and Keith Marshall out. I think the Georgia offense should
be able to move the ball on a Mizzou defense that has yet to play this great of
an offense.
The Missouri offense is equally high powered as the Georgia
offense and with the loss of its weapons the Mizzou offense could give UGA
defense some problems. Quarterback James Franklin is having a great start to
the season completing 114 of his 168 passes for over 1400 yards and 13
touchdowns. The Mizzou offense is
putting up 46 points per game and the young Georgia defense could struggle with
the fast-paced quick hitting Tiger offense. The Tigers will rely on Franklin
and running backs Russell Hansbrough and Henry Josey who have combined for nine
scores this season. Mizzou receivers Dorial Green-Beckham and L’Damian
Washington have each caught 20-plus balls and have also combined for nine
touchdowns.
This should be a fun game to watch with both offenses
seeming to score at will, but I think like the last couple weeks Georgia should
be able to make the plays down the stretch to win this one. I fully expect
Mizzou to be in this game into the fourth quarter and could really give the
Dawgs a scare. I think the Georiga defense will be the unit to make some big
plays down the stretch and force Mizzou into a late turnover that decides the
game.
Fun Facts: Missouri has forced a turnover in 35-consecutive
games. Georgia won 41-20 last season. UGA is playing its four-ranked opponent
of the season.
Nick’s Pick: Georgia, 45-42
Jeremy’s Pick: Georgia, 42-35
Texas vs. No. 12 Oklahoma
Instant Analysis: It is funny to think that the underdog in
this game, Texas, has more pressure on it than the favorite, Oklahoma.
Although, unlike many of the other pundits out there I do not think this game
will force the Texas administration’s hand with Mack Brown. Now to the game, I
don’t expect this game to be very close at all the Oklahoma offense has found a
new gear with Blake Bell under center and the young Sooner defense is improving
on a weekly basis. The Longhorns are on a different page as their defense
cannot tackle anyone and its offense is going to be without quarterback David
Ash.
Key’s To Victory: All Oklahoma needs to do to win this game
is control the ball on offense. If the Sooner offense and Bell get to their
average of 455 yards and 31 points I think they will win by three touchdowns.
Bell is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes and has tossed six
touchdowns without and interception. Running back Brennan Clay can run the ball
all over the place with 450 yards and three scores so far this season and
against a poor tackling UT defense he should have a field day. The Longhorn
defense is allowing nearly 30 points per game and the Sooner offense should
have no trouble putting that up. Defensively, Oklahoma should have no trouble
handling the Longhorn offense that is without quarterback David Ash and is now
relying on Case McCoy. The Sooner defense is allowing only 13 points per
contest and UT is going to be lucky to get two scores on this defense.
For Texas to win this game it is going to have to move the
ball and keep the rock away from the Sooner offense. McCoy and Johnathan Gray
are going really going to have to move the ball in this game. Gray has had a
good season so far with 439 yards rushing and four scores and has done that
with a below-average offensive line. I don’t know if the Longhorn offensive
line can hold up to the strength and quickness of the Sooner front seven. On
defense, the Longhorns need to force Blake Bell to hurry throws and force some
turnovers and give their offense some short fields. Also what it comes down to
for the Texas defense is tackle, tackle, tackle. This has been one of the worst
tackling defenses this season and that needs to change quickly against the
Sooners.
I think Oklahoma will control the line of scrimmage on
offense in this game and Bell and Co. should have a great game running all over
this bad Texas defense. Gray and the Longhorn offense should be able to get
some yards but don’t expect them to get a lot of points on this quickly
improving Sooner defense. Oklahoma wins this one by two touchdowns.
Fun Facts: OU has won three consecutive games in this series
including a 63-21 drubbing last year. Texas leads the Red River Shootout (Yes
that’s right I don’t believe in the politically correct Red River Rivalry)
all-time 59-43-5. The Sooners are seeking their seventh 6-0 start under Bob
Stoops.
Nick’s Pick: Oklahoma, 38-24
Jeremy’s Pick: Oklahoma, 51-20
No. 9 Texas A&M @ Ole Miss
Instant Analysis: We chose this game this week because it
could be a very interesting one as Ole Miss is coming off back-to-back losses
after a 3-0 start and Texas A&M is coming off a bye week with its trip to
Oxford. The Rebels are upset minded, but can they handle the offense that is
Johnny Manziel.
Keys To Victory: For the Aggies in this game they just need
to keep Manziel hot. He has had a great start to this season leading them in
passing and rushing. He has completed 100-140 passes for nearly 1500 yards and
14 touchdowns, while rushing for 341 yards and another three scores. If Manziel
and his offense get hot to start this game and put up some early scores the
Aggies should have no trouble with the young Ole Miss defense. Defensively,
A&M need to force turnovers and slow down the Ole Miss offense that has
sputtered over the past couple weeks. The Aggies are not as talented on defense
as offense and that could be a problem in this game.
For the Rebels to win this game they need to keep it from
being a shootout. The A&M offense is averaging nearly 50 points per game
and the Rebel offense cannot put that many points up to win. To win this one
the Rebel offense needs to play takeaway from Manziel and keep the A&M offense
off the field. Bo Wallace has had a solid start to the season at quarterback,
but the key for the Rebels is going to be running back Jeff Scott who has
rushed for 424 yards thus far. If the Rebels can control the ground game with
the combo of Scott and Wallace they could have a chance. On defense, the Rebels
need to stop Manziel, which no other team has done yet and put constant
pressure on him. If this young defensive line can put some pressure on Manziel
it could make for an interesting game, however the Alabama defense did that but
could not stop Manziel.
I think Ole Miss will keep this game close and should give
A&M everything it can handle in Oxford, but I think Manziel is just too
good for the Rebels to stop. Manziel should have a huge game again in this one
and lead the Aggies to victory.
Fun Facts: This is the sixth meeting in this all-time series
that dates back to 1911 with Texas A&M leading 5-0. Ole Miss has not
defeated a ranked team since downing Miss St in late November of last season.
Texas A&M is fourth in the country averaging 42.9 points per game.
Nick’s Pick: Texas A&M, 49-35
Jeremy’s
Pick: Texas A&M, 45-38
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