Iowa at Purdue
Go figure. I expected Iowa to beat Iowa State and lose to Pittsburgh. They lose to Iowa State and beat Pittsburgh. That's college football for you. Given this, it may be bad news for the Hawkeyes that I'm picking them to beat Purdue. We'll see though. Defense will be the key for them in West Lafayette in the Big 10 opener for both teams.
My Call: Iowa 24, Purdue 17
Northwestern at Penn State
First win of the season for Northwestern came against Western Illinois. Penn State will be looking for its fifth win after they got an easy win against UMass. They'll get it here. Northwestern is just simply far too erratic for me to trust on the road against any semi-decent team.
My Call: Penn State 31, Northwestern 14
North Carolina at Clemson
Like Kansas State, it was a night of missed opportunities for the Clemson Tigers. They had Florida State on the ropes, but a couple missed field goals as well as a fumble in the red zone ultimately did them in during an overtime loss to a Jameis Winston-less Florida State team in Tallahassee. Does that make them vulnerable for an emotional letdown here? Absolutely, but I think their saving grace here will be how bad UNC seems to be defensively. Don't get me wrong, East Carolina has a very good team and Shane Carden may be the best QB in college football who isn't talked about, but giving up 70 points is embarrassing. UNC also gave up 27 and 29 points to San Diego State and Liberty, so this doesn't just appear to be a one time deal. Freshman Deshaun Watson looks like he'll start this game for Clemson, and he should be able to rack up some nice numbers. I think the Heels could show some pride after last week's meltdown, but a bad defense is still a bad defense.
My Call: Clemson 38, North Carolina 31
Vanderbilt at Kentucky
While a loss to a bad looking Florida team may not be a big deal to most, it was a sign of progress for a Kentucky team that's seeking relevance under coach Mark Stoops. Vanderbilt showed a ton of progress in its 48-34 loss to South Carolina. Sure, they still gave up 48 points, but at least they hung tough with a good team after blowout losses at the hands of Temple and Ole Miss and a near bad loss to UMass. I'm not entirely sure where that leaves us in a matchup between these two teams, but I'll take the Wildcats at home. They seem to be a bit further along than Vandy.
My Call: Kentucky 30, Vanderbilt 20
Colorado State at Boston College
Here's a game where I'm not sure how much of it I'll watch, but will at least have an eye on from afar. Boston College had a very surprising win over USC, so I'm interested in seeing how they do against a solid Rams squad under Jim McElwain, who will be looking to make up for a blowout loss at the hands of Boise State on that blue turf. I'll go with the Eagles in this one. They won't play as well as they did against the Trojans, but I expect them to make just enough plays to get by.
My Call: Boston College 27, Colorado State 23
Maryland at Indiana
Two teams that I picked against last week face off in Bloomington in the Big 10 opener for both teams. It'll be the first game period for Maryland as a member of the Big 10 against another Big 10 opponent. And actually, I'm 0 for 2 in picking Terps games the last two weeks. Will the third time be the charm? I don't know, but I do expect a lot of points to be scored in this one as I don't think very highly of either defense. In a throw of the dart, I'll go with Maryland. That may not be a bad thing for Indiana though as my dart throw picks are very rarely a success.
My Call: Maryland 35, Indiana 31
Minnesota at Michigan
Now for a game that I have no feeling for whatsoever. None. These appear to be two bad Big 10 teams who seem to have trouble putting points up on the scoreboard. That leaves it up to me to throw the dart again and hope for the best. Michigan let me down big against Utah last week, I'll give them a chance to redeem themselves. Granted I don't think they'll do it by a lot. Brady Hoke is gonna need a lot more than this though in order to keep his job (that is if he even gets this win, which I consider to be a BIG "if" given this score prediction...
My Call: Michigan 23, Minnesota 20
Wake Forest at Louisville
Bobby Petrino may not have Louisville where he eventually expects them to be in his second stint with them, but the Cards should have very little trouble with a Wake Forest team that can't run, can't pass and can't score. The Demon Deacons are 81st in the FBS passing yards (just under 221 per game), 127th in the FBS in rushing yards (42 yards per game) and 112th in the FBS in points per game at a shade over 20 a game. This one won't be pretty.
My Call: Louisville 41, Wake Forest 13
Colorado at California
Heartbreak hotel for Cal as they blew a 15 point lead with about five minutes remaining in Tucson, losing on a hailmary at the last second to Arizona. How can they bounce back from that? Well, having a team like Colorado that comes into Berkeley giving up about 30 points per game and isn't a juggernaut offensively should get help them even up their Pac 12 record. I'd expect a lot of points to be scored between two teams that aren't very good defensively. The Bears have the better QB though in Goff and the homefield advantage which I think will be enough.
My Call: California 45, Colorado 35
Central Michigan at Toledo
Toledo can't seem to stop anybody, but it shouldn't matter too much against a Central Michigan that they're far superior too offensively and have homefield advantage against. Plus the Chippewas are damn close to the bottom of the FBS in all offensive categories.
My Call: Toledo 30, Central Michigan 10
Boise State at Air Force
Even off their blue turf, the Broncos should be able to handle Air Force without too much of a problem. Next week at Nevada could be tough though.
My Call: Boise State 41, Air Force 24
Duke at Miami (FL)
Normally I would pick the more desperate team... believe it or not, that's Miami. Ten years ago this wouldn't have been a contest, but Duke coach David Cutcliffe sure has made sure Duke is no longer just a basketball school. They may not be winning a conference title in the future, but he seems to have built them into a solid ACC program, which is a nice accomplishment at Duke. I'll go with the Devils in a slight upset. Not sure why, just a gut feeling.
My Call: Duke 34, Miami 31
Washington State at Utah
Even though a win over Michigan in Ann Arbor doesn't hold nearly the same prestige as it once did, I'll give the Utes credit for proving my stupid prediction of Michigan beating them wrong. As for Wazzu, they put forth a great effort against the second ranked Oregon Ducks, but couldn't keep Marcus Mariotta in check and they fell just short in a 38-31 home defeat. This one's in Salt Lake City though, and I can't imagine the Cougs will put forth the same A plus effort against the Utes that they did against the Ducks. Give me Utah.
My Call: Utah 45, Washington State 38
Texas at Kansas
Certainly the Horns haven't fallen to where they'll lose to Kansas, have they? They've certainly fallen to the point where it won't be pretty, but even with all the players Coach Charlie Strong seems to dismiss by the week, the Longhorns should have the talent to get by here. Tyrone Swoopes ought to be able to make a couple big plays with his feet while the Texas defense keeps the Jayhawks offense at bay. Texas by a couple scores.
My Call: Texas 24, Kansas 10
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Top 25 Predictions (Sans Auburn)
A short list of games got me a 15-8 record and moved my record to 98-23 overall on the season. Some surprises this past week for sure! This is why we all love college football. Rankings I use are based on the AP Poll, as always.
#1 Florida State at North Carolina State
Surviving an emotional 23-17 overtime bout against Clemson without suspended Heisman Trophy winning QB Jameis Winston could prove to be beneficial for the Noles in the long run. Here they get Jameis back in a return to the scene of where they lost their last ACC game, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Jameis sat that one out as he got redshirted in his very first collegiate season. The QB for FSU in that one was E.J. Manuel, who is now starting in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills. Even though the Wolfpack look a lot better than they did a year ago, keep in mind that their 4-0 start has come against the likes of Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, South Florida and Presbyterian. The Noles will prove to be a whole different animal. I think NC State could play well for a while, but they'll come back down to earth. FSU by a couple scores.
My Call: Florida State 34, NC State 20
Arkansas vs. #6 Texas A&M (at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas)
Like NC State above, the Razorbacks also look much improved from a year ago. They've clobbered Nicholls State, Texas Tech and Northern Illinois and hung in with Auburn for two and a half quarters before succumbing in a 45-21 loss. We get to see how far they've come from the second half of the Auburn game as they take on the high scoring Aggies. If the Hogs have any chance of winning, they will need to have a masterful day running the ball. They'll have some success for sure, but not enough to take out A&M. Kenny Hill and Co. will prove to be a little much.
My Call: Texas A&M 48, Arkansas 31
#7 Baylor at Iowa State
Gotta think knowing what happened this past Saturday, Baylor didn't mind having the week off. They get back to work against a Cyclones team that won The Battle of Iowa and gave Kansas State all they wanted before losing 32-28. Iowa State is kind of like a worse version of K-State. Neither team has the most talent in the country, but both will give their best efforts. Difference is the Wildcats are a bit more talented and also possess the better coach. I'd expect the Cyclones to give it their all, but to lose. Just too much firepower on that Baylor sideline for ISU to keep up.
My Call: Baylor 41, Iowa State 20
#8 Notre Dame vs. Syracuse (at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Problems for the Orange are their defense isn't quite strong enough and their QB is a little too one dimensional for them to pull off an upset. Plus you can see the confidence Notre Dame seems to play with when they have Everett Golson under center. It won't always be pretty for the Irish, but they'll come through by forcing a couple Cuse turnovers and getting a couple explosive offensive plays.
My Call: Notre Dame 30, Syracuse 17
Wyoming at #9 Michigan State
Sparty sat around for a week angry about their second half collapse against Oregon and took it out on an in-state school and overmatched Eastern Michigan team. They essentially get to do the same this week against Wyoming. Granted I do think Wyoming will keep it closer than the 73-14 score Eastern Michigan got blown out by, but the Cowboys don't have enough horses to keep up in this one. Connor Cook and Co. will put up more nice numbers.
My Call: Michigan State 55, Wyoming 17
Memphis at #10 Ole Miss
Ole Miss has Alabama coming into Oxford the game after this one. Can Memphis catch the Rebels napping and looking ahead? Perhaps, but only to a certain extent. They could have some confidence they can hang in this one after playing UCLA close in Pasadena, but that Rebel defense will come up big when it needs to and the offense will create plenty of breathing room after a few tense moments in the first half. No real problem for Ole Miss.
My Call: Ole Miss 34, Memphis 13
#11 UCLA at #15 Arizona State
Prime time Thursday night game brings us a real treat as UCLA takes on ASU in Tempe. The Devils will be without QB Taylor Kelly in this one and while I do believe Bruins QB Brett Hundley will play, it doesn't sound like he will be at full strength for this one. Without Kelly, I'd expect ASU to try leaning more on running back D.J. Foster. And with that, I'd expect the Bruins to do their best to neutralize Foster while forcing Mike Bercovici to make plays to win the game. The UCLA offensive line has had issues keeping Hundley from getting hit hard. With all this in mind, I'm predicting a very close game. I'm going to take UCLA since the ASU defense can be scored upon and also because I don't have enough faith in Bercovici.
My Call: UCLA 27, Arizona State 24
Tennessee at #12 Georgia
Remember the game in Norman where Tennessee hung in for most of the first half before youth and depth issues took over and the Sooners blew them out? That's about what I'd expect in this one as well. Maybe in a couple years when Coach Butch Jones is able to get more of his own guys in and build up more depth, the Vols will be able to win a marquee road game like this. Right now though, they'll just have to use it as a learning experience.
My Call: Georgia 41, Tennessee 20
Missouri at #13 South Carolina
Wow is all I can say in regards to both of these teams this past week. Way more for Missouri after they lost at home to an Indiana team that got beat by Bowling Green the week before, but for a while, it looked like South Carolina may have been on their way to joining them in a major upset they'd have been on the wrong side of until putting a game Vanderbilt team away in the fourth quarter. Here we have the battle of two teams that call the city of Columbia (granted in different states) home. These two teams staged an overtime classic in Missouri a year ago, which was a 27-24 OT win for the Gamecocks. My guess is both teams will come out and play better in this one than they did a week ago. I'll take South Carolina in a shootout. Dylan Thompson outguns Matty Mauk.
My Call: South Carolina 35, Missouri 28
#16 Stanford at Washington
It'll be the Pac 12 opener for Washington while Stanford will look to even up its conference record after a tough loss at home to USC. The Huskies have at times, looked surprisingly very average against teams like Hawaii, Eastern Washington and Georgia Southern even with their 4-0 mark. I bet they come out with their best performance of the season against a real team, but that their best just won't be enough. The Cardinal gave one way against USC, they make up for it here in a game that's also decided in the final quarter.
My Call: Stanford 30, Washington 27
New Mexico State at #17 LSU
A furious late 4th quarter rally wasn't enough for LSU in a 34-29 loss to Mississippi State where they got dominated for the first 50 minutes or so. They won't lose two in a row at home, especially not to an awful New Mexico State team. Les Miles can use this game to determine whether he wants to stick with Anthony Jennings or turn to true freshman Brandon Harris to take over under center.
My Call: LSU 48, New Mexico State 10
Oregon State at #18 USC
Beating Stanford and then following it up with a loss at Boston College? Who are these USC Trojans? We should have a better idea of that answer with this game at home against the Beavers. Sean Mannion will try and sling Oregon State to a win in this one, but he'll come up a bit short. USC should come out more focused in this one being at home and having a couple of weeks to take out their anger over the BC game. It won't be easy, but they'll take it.
My Call: USC 38, Oregon State 27
South Florida at #19 Wisconsin
That week off sure did the Badgers a lot of good. After the emotional letdown of the LSU game and a struggle with Western Illinois, Wisky took it right to Bowling Green in a 68-17 route. I'd expect basically the same to happen here against South Florida. This USF team may well get turned around under the direction of coach Willie Taggart, but it'll take some time. Melvin Gordon could have himself another huge game.
My Call: Wisconsin 52, South Florida 14
Illinois at #21 Nebraska
What a night for Husker running back Ameer Abdullah against Miami. He rushed for 229 yards and a couple scores in a 41-31 Nebraska victory. He'll look to keep it going against Illinois in the conference opener for both of these teams. Sure wish Auburn would have recruited him as a running back since Auburn was his favorite team growing up. They offered him as a defensive back; big mistake! This game should feature plenty of scoring. Big Red will put up quite a few more points on the board than the Illini do.
My Call: Nebraska 45, Illinois 20
Cincinnati at #22 Ohio State
Interesting game in a battle for Ohio as I expect a shootout. Cincinnati is gonna have to play A LOT better here than they did against Miami (Ohio) if they want to beat even a vulnerable looking Buckeye team. My guess is they will and that Bearcats QB Gunner Kiel will put up some gaudy stats, but bad news for him is he doesn't play defense and the Cincinnati defense doesn't look like it can stop anybody. I'll take Ohio State to come out and play better in this one against a 'Power 5' conference team than they did in the loss to Virginia Tech a couple weeks back.
My Call: Ohio State 42, Cincinnati 28
Texas Tech at #24 Oklahoma State
So far so good for Okie State junior QB Daxx Garman as he came on in relief for the injured J.W. Walsh to win the Missouri State and UT-San Antonio games. Now he gets his first conference test against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Red Raiders are just glad they won't have to see that Arkansas rushing attack which ran for 438 yards against their defense. Tech saw their defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt resign. Some sources said Wallerstedt was under the influence of an unknown substance on the Texas Tech campus which led to this, others think he would have been fired. Either way, I doubt it'll be too much of a negative for the Red Raiders. I think this game against Oklahoma State will be though. They may show a little better here than they did against Arkansas, but I'd absolutely take the Cowboys at home against their defense.
My Call: Oklahoma State 48, Texas Tech 24
UTEP at #25 Kansas State
Huge chance to pick up what would have been a great win went by the wayside for Kansas State as they proved to be their own worst enemy in a heartbreaking 20-14 loss to the Auburn Tigers. Three missed field goals and a touchdown catch that slipped through the fingers of WR Tyler Lockett and turned into an interception spoiled what was a career night for WR Curry Sexton and a very inspired effort from their defense which was outstanding against a high powered Auburn rushing attack. For what it's worth though, they did gain a huge amount of respect from this Auburn fan. These Wildcats were tough as nails! They will have to put the last game behind them though and get ready for UTEP. They should do just that. QB Jake Waters and the K-State ground game should find the yards a lot easier to come by than they came against Auburn's fast, athletic defense and Tyler Lockett should also bounce back with a solid effort of his own. I wouldn't be surprised to see them come out of the gates a little slow since an emotional letdown would be understandable after a tough loss, but they'll put it together before long and win with ease.
My Call: Kansas State 38, UTEP 14
#1 Florida State at North Carolina State
Surviving an emotional 23-17 overtime bout against Clemson without suspended Heisman Trophy winning QB Jameis Winston could prove to be beneficial for the Noles in the long run. Here they get Jameis back in a return to the scene of where they lost their last ACC game, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Jameis sat that one out as he got redshirted in his very first collegiate season. The QB for FSU in that one was E.J. Manuel, who is now starting in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills. Even though the Wolfpack look a lot better than they did a year ago, keep in mind that their 4-0 start has come against the likes of Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, South Florida and Presbyterian. The Noles will prove to be a whole different animal. I think NC State could play well for a while, but they'll come back down to earth. FSU by a couple scores.
My Call: Florida State 34, NC State 20
Arkansas vs. #6 Texas A&M (at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas)
Like NC State above, the Razorbacks also look much improved from a year ago. They've clobbered Nicholls State, Texas Tech and Northern Illinois and hung in with Auburn for two and a half quarters before succumbing in a 45-21 loss. We get to see how far they've come from the second half of the Auburn game as they take on the high scoring Aggies. If the Hogs have any chance of winning, they will need to have a masterful day running the ball. They'll have some success for sure, but not enough to take out A&M. Kenny Hill and Co. will prove to be a little much.
My Call: Texas A&M 48, Arkansas 31
#7 Baylor at Iowa State
Gotta think knowing what happened this past Saturday, Baylor didn't mind having the week off. They get back to work against a Cyclones team that won The Battle of Iowa and gave Kansas State all they wanted before losing 32-28. Iowa State is kind of like a worse version of K-State. Neither team has the most talent in the country, but both will give their best efforts. Difference is the Wildcats are a bit more talented and also possess the better coach. I'd expect the Cyclones to give it their all, but to lose. Just too much firepower on that Baylor sideline for ISU to keep up.
My Call: Baylor 41, Iowa State 20
#8 Notre Dame vs. Syracuse (at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Problems for the Orange are their defense isn't quite strong enough and their QB is a little too one dimensional for them to pull off an upset. Plus you can see the confidence Notre Dame seems to play with when they have Everett Golson under center. It won't always be pretty for the Irish, but they'll come through by forcing a couple Cuse turnovers and getting a couple explosive offensive plays.
My Call: Notre Dame 30, Syracuse 17
Wyoming at #9 Michigan State
Sparty sat around for a week angry about their second half collapse against Oregon and took it out on an in-state school and overmatched Eastern Michigan team. They essentially get to do the same this week against Wyoming. Granted I do think Wyoming will keep it closer than the 73-14 score Eastern Michigan got blown out by, but the Cowboys don't have enough horses to keep up in this one. Connor Cook and Co. will put up more nice numbers.
My Call: Michigan State 55, Wyoming 17
Memphis at #10 Ole Miss
Ole Miss has Alabama coming into Oxford the game after this one. Can Memphis catch the Rebels napping and looking ahead? Perhaps, but only to a certain extent. They could have some confidence they can hang in this one after playing UCLA close in Pasadena, but that Rebel defense will come up big when it needs to and the offense will create plenty of breathing room after a few tense moments in the first half. No real problem for Ole Miss.
My Call: Ole Miss 34, Memphis 13
#11 UCLA at #15 Arizona State
Prime time Thursday night game brings us a real treat as UCLA takes on ASU in Tempe. The Devils will be without QB Taylor Kelly in this one and while I do believe Bruins QB Brett Hundley will play, it doesn't sound like he will be at full strength for this one. Without Kelly, I'd expect ASU to try leaning more on running back D.J. Foster. And with that, I'd expect the Bruins to do their best to neutralize Foster while forcing Mike Bercovici to make plays to win the game. The UCLA offensive line has had issues keeping Hundley from getting hit hard. With all this in mind, I'm predicting a very close game. I'm going to take UCLA since the ASU defense can be scored upon and also because I don't have enough faith in Bercovici.
My Call: UCLA 27, Arizona State 24
Tennessee at #12 Georgia
Remember the game in Norman where Tennessee hung in for most of the first half before youth and depth issues took over and the Sooners blew them out? That's about what I'd expect in this one as well. Maybe in a couple years when Coach Butch Jones is able to get more of his own guys in and build up more depth, the Vols will be able to win a marquee road game like this. Right now though, they'll just have to use it as a learning experience.
My Call: Georgia 41, Tennessee 20
Missouri at #13 South Carolina
Wow is all I can say in regards to both of these teams this past week. Way more for Missouri after they lost at home to an Indiana team that got beat by Bowling Green the week before, but for a while, it looked like South Carolina may have been on their way to joining them in a major upset they'd have been on the wrong side of until putting a game Vanderbilt team away in the fourth quarter. Here we have the battle of two teams that call the city of Columbia (granted in different states) home. These two teams staged an overtime classic in Missouri a year ago, which was a 27-24 OT win for the Gamecocks. My guess is both teams will come out and play better in this one than they did a week ago. I'll take South Carolina in a shootout. Dylan Thompson outguns Matty Mauk.
My Call: South Carolina 35, Missouri 28
#16 Stanford at Washington
It'll be the Pac 12 opener for Washington while Stanford will look to even up its conference record after a tough loss at home to USC. The Huskies have at times, looked surprisingly very average against teams like Hawaii, Eastern Washington and Georgia Southern even with their 4-0 mark. I bet they come out with their best performance of the season against a real team, but that their best just won't be enough. The Cardinal gave one way against USC, they make up for it here in a game that's also decided in the final quarter.
My Call: Stanford 30, Washington 27
New Mexico State at #17 LSU
A furious late 4th quarter rally wasn't enough for LSU in a 34-29 loss to Mississippi State where they got dominated for the first 50 minutes or so. They won't lose two in a row at home, especially not to an awful New Mexico State team. Les Miles can use this game to determine whether he wants to stick with Anthony Jennings or turn to true freshman Brandon Harris to take over under center.
My Call: LSU 48, New Mexico State 10
Oregon State at #18 USC
Beating Stanford and then following it up with a loss at Boston College? Who are these USC Trojans? We should have a better idea of that answer with this game at home against the Beavers. Sean Mannion will try and sling Oregon State to a win in this one, but he'll come up a bit short. USC should come out more focused in this one being at home and having a couple of weeks to take out their anger over the BC game. It won't be easy, but they'll take it.
My Call: USC 38, Oregon State 27
South Florida at #19 Wisconsin
That week off sure did the Badgers a lot of good. After the emotional letdown of the LSU game and a struggle with Western Illinois, Wisky took it right to Bowling Green in a 68-17 route. I'd expect basically the same to happen here against South Florida. This USF team may well get turned around under the direction of coach Willie Taggart, but it'll take some time. Melvin Gordon could have himself another huge game.
My Call: Wisconsin 52, South Florida 14
Illinois at #21 Nebraska
What a night for Husker running back Ameer Abdullah against Miami. He rushed for 229 yards and a couple scores in a 41-31 Nebraska victory. He'll look to keep it going against Illinois in the conference opener for both of these teams. Sure wish Auburn would have recruited him as a running back since Auburn was his favorite team growing up. They offered him as a defensive back; big mistake! This game should feature plenty of scoring. Big Red will put up quite a few more points on the board than the Illini do.
My Call: Nebraska 45, Illinois 20
Cincinnati at #22 Ohio State
Interesting game in a battle for Ohio as I expect a shootout. Cincinnati is gonna have to play A LOT better here than they did against Miami (Ohio) if they want to beat even a vulnerable looking Buckeye team. My guess is they will and that Bearcats QB Gunner Kiel will put up some gaudy stats, but bad news for him is he doesn't play defense and the Cincinnati defense doesn't look like it can stop anybody. I'll take Ohio State to come out and play better in this one against a 'Power 5' conference team than they did in the loss to Virginia Tech a couple weeks back.
My Call: Ohio State 42, Cincinnati 28
Texas Tech at #24 Oklahoma State
So far so good for Okie State junior QB Daxx Garman as he came on in relief for the injured J.W. Walsh to win the Missouri State and UT-San Antonio games. Now he gets his first conference test against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Red Raiders are just glad they won't have to see that Arkansas rushing attack which ran for 438 yards against their defense. Tech saw their defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt resign. Some sources said Wallerstedt was under the influence of an unknown substance on the Texas Tech campus which led to this, others think he would have been fired. Either way, I doubt it'll be too much of a negative for the Red Raiders. I think this game against Oklahoma State will be though. They may show a little better here than they did against Arkansas, but I'd absolutely take the Cowboys at home against their defense.
My Call: Oklahoma State 48, Texas Tech 24
UTEP at #25 Kansas State
Huge chance to pick up what would have been a great win went by the wayside for Kansas State as they proved to be their own worst enemy in a heartbreaking 20-14 loss to the Auburn Tigers. Three missed field goals and a touchdown catch that slipped through the fingers of WR Tyler Lockett and turned into an interception spoiled what was a career night for WR Curry Sexton and a very inspired effort from their defense which was outstanding against a high powered Auburn rushing attack. For what it's worth though, they did gain a huge amount of respect from this Auburn fan. These Wildcats were tough as nails! They will have to put the last game behind them though and get ready for UTEP. They should do just that. QB Jake Waters and the K-State ground game should find the yards a lot easier to come by than they came against Auburn's fast, athletic defense and Tyler Lockett should also bounce back with a solid effort of his own. I wouldn't be surprised to see them come out of the gates a little slow since an emotional letdown would be understandable after a tough loss, but they'll put it together before long and win with ease.
My Call: Kansas State 38, UTEP 14
Auburn vs. Louisiana Tech (Game Preview and Prediction)
It sure wasn't pretty a lot of the time, but Auburn used some timely catches from D'haquille Williams, a solid performance defensively and Kansas State made a few key mistakes along the way (3 missed field goals and what should have been a TD catch turning into an interception immediately come to mind) as the Tigers escaped Manhattan, Kansas with a 20-14 Thursday night win. Auburn will look to get the offense back on track this week as they take on Louisiana Tech from Conference USA. They will need to correct some things as after this game with Louisiana Tech, Auburn faces nothing but top 25 teams the rest of the way with the exception of a visit from the Samford Bulldogs on November 22nd. That game is sandwiched by road games at Georgia and Alabama. We can't worry about any of those yet though, the focus has to be on the Bulldogs from Ruston, Louisiana.
Now to talk about the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. They enter this game at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a 2-2 record, 1-0 in Conference USA play. They began the season with a loss on the road to Oklahoma, but then proceeded to bounce back with strong road performances against Louisiana Lafayette and North Texas. They routed the Rajin' Cajuns by a 48-20 score and the Mean Green 42-21. Their most recent game was a home loss to FCS Northwestern State by a final of 30-27. Five turnovers ended up doing in the Bulldogs as they blew a 27-17 lead with about eight and a half minutes remaining in that game. Louisiana Tech was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 2001 through 2012 before conference realignment took over and they wound up in Conference USA. They are coached by Skip Holtz. Yes, Skip is the son of former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz. Prior to taking the job at Louisiana Tech, Skip had successful stops at UConn (before the Huskies were a FBS program) and East Carolina. He coached at South Florida for three years where he had a nice first year, but then the bottom fell out in 2011 and 2012 where he and the Bulls when a combined 8-16 and he lost his job. Skip is in his second season as the head coach at the helm of the Louisiana Tech program where he is hoping to get back on his feet and win some games in Ruston.
The Bulldogs starting QB is Cody Sokol, who has an interesting story. He began his college career out here in Scottsdale at Scottsdale Community College. He was all-region as a freshman before truly taking off as a sophomore where he was the Regional Player of the Year. Cody threw for 3807 yards to go along with 43 TD passes against just 10 interceptions. That got attention from FBS programs across the country. Cody decided the Iowa Hawkeyes were the team he wanted to play for. He redshirted in 2012 and didn't really play at all last year for Iowa. He only got into one game and had no stats. He decided things weren't working out for him in Iowa City and transferred to Louisiana Tech where he had immediate eligibility. His stats don't look too bad through four games as he's thrown for 1009 yards and has a 2 to 1 TD to interception ratio (10 TDs, 5 INTS). He had a clunker of a game against Northwestern State where he threw three interceptions. Cody doesn't seem to be much of a threat as a runner as he has only rushed for 57 yards through four games. Running back Kenneth Dixon has had a solid start to the season as he has rushed for 404 yards and 5 touchdowns and has also caught 8 balls for 63 yards and a couple scores. They have a balanced wide receiving core. Paul Turner, Hunter Lee, Sterling Griffin and Trent Taylor have all caught at least 14 balls, have at least 150 yards receiving and they've split the TD catches nicely amongst themselves (Griffin has 1 TD catch while Turner, Lee and Taylor have two apiece). Looking at their website, I'm honestly not too sure what to expect out of them defensively. I'm sure they'll try and slow down Auburn's rushing attack in hopes of making Nick Marshall a passer like Kansas State did.
For Louisiana Tech to have a shot in this one, they're gonna need to slow the game down to a snail's pace. Their best defense will be to keep Auburn's offense on the sidelines. I just can't see it happening. While it might make sense that Auburn could be looking slightly ahead to their matchup with LSU the following week, there's no doubt head coach Gus Malzahn will want to make sure to work out the kinks from the last game so he feels good about the offense going into the rest of the season. Cameron Artis-Payne, Nick Marshall and Corey Grant should put on a show while Sammy Coates and D'haquille Williams also get into the act. The defense will be mostly solid, forcing Cody Sokol into a couple bad throws while keeping Kenneth Dixon at bay. Auburn wins in a rout.
My Call: Auburn 55, Louisiana Tech 17
Now to talk about the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. They enter this game at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a 2-2 record, 1-0 in Conference USA play. They began the season with a loss on the road to Oklahoma, but then proceeded to bounce back with strong road performances against Louisiana Lafayette and North Texas. They routed the Rajin' Cajuns by a 48-20 score and the Mean Green 42-21. Their most recent game was a home loss to FCS Northwestern State by a final of 30-27. Five turnovers ended up doing in the Bulldogs as they blew a 27-17 lead with about eight and a half minutes remaining in that game. Louisiana Tech was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 2001 through 2012 before conference realignment took over and they wound up in Conference USA. They are coached by Skip Holtz. Yes, Skip is the son of former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz. Prior to taking the job at Louisiana Tech, Skip had successful stops at UConn (before the Huskies were a FBS program) and East Carolina. He coached at South Florida for three years where he had a nice first year, but then the bottom fell out in 2011 and 2012 where he and the Bulls when a combined 8-16 and he lost his job. Skip is in his second season as the head coach at the helm of the Louisiana Tech program where he is hoping to get back on his feet and win some games in Ruston.
The Bulldogs starting QB is Cody Sokol, who has an interesting story. He began his college career out here in Scottsdale at Scottsdale Community College. He was all-region as a freshman before truly taking off as a sophomore where he was the Regional Player of the Year. Cody threw for 3807 yards to go along with 43 TD passes against just 10 interceptions. That got attention from FBS programs across the country. Cody decided the Iowa Hawkeyes were the team he wanted to play for. He redshirted in 2012 and didn't really play at all last year for Iowa. He only got into one game and had no stats. He decided things weren't working out for him in Iowa City and transferred to Louisiana Tech where he had immediate eligibility. His stats don't look too bad through four games as he's thrown for 1009 yards and has a 2 to 1 TD to interception ratio (10 TDs, 5 INTS). He had a clunker of a game against Northwestern State where he threw three interceptions. Cody doesn't seem to be much of a threat as a runner as he has only rushed for 57 yards through four games. Running back Kenneth Dixon has had a solid start to the season as he has rushed for 404 yards and 5 touchdowns and has also caught 8 balls for 63 yards and a couple scores. They have a balanced wide receiving core. Paul Turner, Hunter Lee, Sterling Griffin and Trent Taylor have all caught at least 14 balls, have at least 150 yards receiving and they've split the TD catches nicely amongst themselves (Griffin has 1 TD catch while Turner, Lee and Taylor have two apiece). Looking at their website, I'm honestly not too sure what to expect out of them defensively. I'm sure they'll try and slow down Auburn's rushing attack in hopes of making Nick Marshall a passer like Kansas State did.
For Louisiana Tech to have a shot in this one, they're gonna need to slow the game down to a snail's pace. Their best defense will be to keep Auburn's offense on the sidelines. I just can't see it happening. While it might make sense that Auburn could be looking slightly ahead to their matchup with LSU the following week, there's no doubt head coach Gus Malzahn will want to make sure to work out the kinks from the last game so he feels good about the offense going into the rest of the season. Cameron Artis-Payne, Nick Marshall and Corey Grant should put on a show while Sammy Coates and D'haquille Williams also get into the act. The defense will be mostly solid, forcing Cody Sokol into a couple bad throws while keeping Kenneth Dixon at bay. Auburn wins in a rout.
My Call: Auburn 55, Louisiana Tech 17
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