"Fansville" is right... This season will be nuts! (2022 CFB season follow-along thread)

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 4 Predictions

Let's just enjoy the moment, as I present my predictions for this week of CFB action (FBS vs. FCS games don't count):

Top 25:
Kent State 7 @ (1)Georgia 59
Vanderbilt 17 @ (2)Alabama 58
Wisconsin 16 @ (3)Ohio State 38
Maryland 21 @ (4)Michigan 35
(5)Clemson 35 @ (21)Wake Forest 28
Kansas State 22 @ (6)Oklahoma 29
(7)USC 28 @ Oregon State 31
Northern Illinois 6 @ (8)Kentucky 37
(23)Texas A&M 24 vs. (10)Arkansas 21
(20)Florida 26 @ (11)Tennessee 41
UConn 9 @ (12)NC State 52
(13)Utah 43 @ Arizona State 27
Central Michigan 10 @ (14)Penn State 48
(15)Oregon 37 @ Washington State 23
Tulsa 18 @ (16)Ole Miss 46
(17)Baylor 35 @ Iowa State 31
Stanford 17 @ (18)Washington 27
Wyoming 13 @ (19)BYU 38
(22)Texas 40 @ Texas Tech 30
Middle Tennessee 17 @ (25)Miami 31

Other big games:
West Virginia 24 @ Virginia Tech 27
Virginia 30 @ Syracuse 25
Minnesota 17 @ Michigan State 28
Notre Dame 27 @ North Carolina 28
Duke 20 @ Kansas 39
TCU 41 @ SMU 34

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy the new Drake Milligan album.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 4- Good and Bad

Clemson 51-45 Wake Forest (Sep 24, 2022) Final Score - ESPN

Game summary of the Clemson Tigers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons NCAAF game, final score 51-45, from September 24, 2022 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

And that takes care of the best game of the week between Clemson and Wake. Now let's see what else happened in my "Good/Bad" segment!

It was a good week for:​

Running backs (Let me list just a couple of fine rushing performances. Jaydn Ott, a newcomer for the Cal Bears, ran for 274 yards and 3 TD's as the Bears defeated Arizona. And Blake Corum starred for Michigan, as he ran for 243 yards to help the Wolverines win a fight over Maryland.)
The state of Kansas (Yes, it was a rare great day for the whole state of Kansas yesterday. Kansas held off Duke to get to 4-0! And Kansas State shocks Oklahoma... IN Norman! AGAIN!)
Southern Cal (More people were betting on USC to lose last night than even some of the big NFL action going on today! Well, thanks to them forcing 4 turnovers against Oregon State, the Trojans made us all look really dumb.
Louisiana-Monroe (Yay! The Warhawks rallied late late night to stun their arch-rivals Louisiana 21-17.)
Hendon Hooker (The QB for Tennessee was nearly perfect, as he got 461 all-purpose yards to lift Tennessee over the very-capable Gators.)
Western Kentucky (Anytime you can shot out your opponent by a score of 73-0, you had a great day.)

It was a bad week for:​

Michigan State (So Michigan was able to bypass Maryland. So what, Spartans?! That's not a good excuse for how you got handled by Minnesota yesterday. For god's sake, Gophers QB Tanner Morgan missed only 3 passes ALL DAY against you guys!)
The ACC Coastal (Take away Pittsburgh, and the ACC Coastal doesn't have much to be happy about right now. Duke and UNC losing? Forgivable. Virginia? Their game with the Orange could have gone either way.
But Virginia Tech's offense sucked against West Virginia. Georgia Tech looked bad against UCF. And Miami just gave Middle Tennessee their first win over a ranked opponent in 25 TRIES!! Come on!)
The Mountain West (Utah State continues to struggle. Hawaii just gave New Mexico State it's first win of the year. Colorado State got humiliated against a FCS school. And Boise State had to fire their offensive coordinator after they got upset by Texas El-Paso.)
Arkansas (After giving up one of the strangest touchdowns you'll ever see, the Razorbacks never recovered and lost to Texas A&M by 2 points.)
Missouri (They had 2 great chances to win at Auburn [one via field goal, and the other via touchdown in OT]. And they blew BOTH of them.)

...Well, that's all I got. Did I forget anything?
Texas vs. Texas Tech - Box Score - September 24, 2022 - ESPN Ah, I'm sure it'll come to me eventually.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 5- Top 10 Games

I wanted to share a funny news story with you guys today. But with 3 head coaches already fired and Ian hammering the Southeast, it's best if I keep things moving. So let's get to...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2022 (Week 5)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Texas A&M @ Mississippi State [4:00, SEC Network] (Hmm... Texas A&M have just survived tough games against Miami and Arkansas. Let's see if the Aggies can keep their resuscitation going as they visit a Mississippi State team that is a slight favorite. And the over/under on this game is only 45? Could the Aggies defense carry the day once again?)

9. Wake Forest @ Florida State [3:30, ABC] (It wasn't a serious drought, but it is good to see Florida State back in the AP rankings. Now let's see how good they really can be when they host the Demon Deacons... who I think is being slighted here. I mean, the Deacons were just a couple of plays away from beating Clemson last week, and now they're a 7-point underdog? If the Seminoles aren't prepared, Sam Hartman could go off here.)

8. LSU @ Auburn [7:00, ESPN] (The sleeper game of the week. Auburn might have gotten lucky against Missouri last week, but they may not need luck to beat their old rivals in Jordan-Hare. Oh sure, they'll have to wake up their offense so that they can break LSU's stout D-line, but I think they can do it.)

7. Oklahoma @ TCU [12:00, ABC] (Jeez. One loss to Kansas State, and people are already poking holes into Brent Venables' coaching resume. Well, we'll see how well Oklahoma can rebound over the next 2 weeks, because this week they're visiting TCU in Fort Worth. And TCU is feeling optimistic with a 3-0 start and a reborn offense. AND, let's not forget that the OU/Texas game is coming up next week.)

6. Washington @ UCLA [10:30 tomorrow, ESPN] (A showcase game on the West Coast? I'm down for that anytime! In terms of numbers, the Bruins and Huskies are actually pretty even. This is despite the fact that Washington's passing game looks explosive, while UCLA's running game looks really good. Either way, expect a lot of points to be scored and a division favorite to emerge from the wreckage.)

5. Michigan @ Iowa [12:00, FOX] (Jim Harbaugh recently called Iowa City "a place where Top 5 teams go to die". I guess that means Michigan's guard is up after that tough win over Maryland last week. Now let's see how Michigan handles their first road game of the season. And don't forget: Iowa's offense has shown signs of life over the last 2 weeks. If the Hawkeye defense stands tall...)

4. Oklahoma State @ Baylor [3:30, FOX] (Once the game in Iowa City is over, FOX will then go to Waco for this rematch of last year's Big 12 championship game. And Baylor might have the better defense, but the Cowboys have had a week off to prepare for this. This one should be just plain fun to see.)

3. Alabama @ Arkansas [3:30, CBS] (Of course, you're gonna get the usual storylines when Alabama goes on the road. Bryce Young is great, Nick Saban should get revenge for last year's close call, and so on and so forth.
But remember! The last time these two teams met, Alabama's offense was the only reason why Arkansas didn't win in Tuscaloosa. And had that last-second field goal go through last week, the Razorbacks would be 4-0 right now. K.J. Jefferson needs to be on his A-game this Saturday.)

2. Kentucky @ Ole Miss [12:00, ESPN] (Kentucky and Ole Miss might have had some problems with the "Group of Five" last week, but they're still here and ready for war. This is the first time since 1958 that the Wildcats and Rebels will face off when BOTH of them are ranked, and I'm kinda expecting a low-scoring game. If Kentucky can silence the Rebels' powerful run game, then it WILL be a low-scoring game... and another surprising Kentucky win. Can Jaxson Dart have a breakthrough day as the Rebels' QB?)

1. NC State @ Clemson [7:30, ABC] (If any game in the Top 10 is gonna be affected by Tropical Storm Ian, it's gonna be this one. Not really due to a threat of being cancelled, but because of the conditions that Ian will bring to Clemson this Saturday.
ANYWAY, it's time for Clemson to handle another main-event contest. Expect the critics to come crawling back on DJ Uiagalelei if Clemson loses here. And as for NC State, this is the moment that they have been waiting for since last May; can they shock the nation again and become a national power here?)

Best "mid-major" game: Georgia Southern @ Coastal Carolina (There are a good amount of games from the "Group of Five" worth stopping for. UTSA @ Middle Tennessee, and UNLV @ New Mexico are just a couple. But as for the best, let's see if Georgia Southern will continue their surge upwards or if Coastal Carolina will get to 5-0 on the year.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Georgia @ Missouri (Hey! Georgia is on the road against a division opponent, and... Nope, Georgia has this game covered 1,000%.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Oregon State @ Utah, California @ Washington State, Texas Tech @ Kansas State, and Purdue @ Minnesota.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[navamind]

5. Michigan @ Iowa [12:00, FOX] (Jim Harbaugh recently called Iowa City "a place where Top 5 teams go to die". I guess that means Michigan's guard is up after that tough win over Maryland last week. Now let's see how Michigan handles their first road game of the season. And don't forget: Iowa's offense has shown signs of life over the last 2 weeks. If the Hawkeye defense stands tall...)

Not just top 5 teams, but there's also a couple of #9 wins (#9 Michigan in 2003 and #9 Wisconsin in 2004). And they've got three wins over Michigan teams in the top 10, so it's hard not to be nervous about an Iowa road game. I'm still not a believer in Iowa's offense (they still only managed 27 points and 5.5 yards per play against a bad Nevada defense and they only scored one offensive TD and averaged 5.0 yards per play against Rutgers. I don't think Michigan's defense is as good as the last few times they've played Iowa, but this might be their worst offense yet.

It wouldn't surprise me if McCarthy does struggle, Iowa's defense is still very good and McCarthy is still relatively inexperienced and prone to making some dangerous plays (there were a few against Maryland).

I expect a 19-15 rockfight.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 5 Predictions

Let's look at my prediction record for last week.
Top 25 games: 16-4
Other games: 2-4

...Okay, clearly I need to do better for games outside the rankings. So let's go with my Week 5 picks!

Top 25:
(1)Georgia 46 @ Missouri 10
(2)Alabama 37 @ (20)Arkansas 27
Rutgers 10 @ (3)Ohio State 51
(4)Michigan 24 @ Iowa 17
(10)NC State 22 @ (5)Clemson 28
Arizona State 19 @ (6)USC 40
(7)Kentucky 35 @ (14)Ole Miss 34
(9)Oklahoma State 31 @ (16)Baylor 35
Northwestern 12 @ (11)Penn State 37
Oregon State 25 @ (12)Utah 31
Stanford 20 @ (13)Oregon 44
(15)Washington 35 @ UCLA 42
(17)Texas A&M 23 @ Mississippi State 28
(18)Oklahoma 46 @ TCU 38
Utah State 14 @ (19)BYU 46
Purdue 28 @ (21)Minnesota 24
(22)Wake Forest 38 @ (23)Florida State 27
Georgia Tech 13 @ (24)Pittsburgh 28
Texas Tech 31 @ (25)Kansas State 35

Other big games:
LSU 34 @ Auburn 21
UTSA 42 @ Middle Tennessee 37
Iowa State 32 @ Kansas 28
Virginia Tech 17 @ North Carolina 27
Georgia Southern 31 @ Coastal Carolina 38

My time's up. You've been great. Don't forget to get your flu shot soon!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 5- Good and Bad

Georgia vs. Missouri - Game Summary - October 1, 2022 - ESPN I don't know, guys. What do we wanna make of this game? Was Georgia just sleepwalking, or was there something else? What do you think?

Well, let's look at the other games that took place this week, in my "Good/Bad" segment!

It was a good week for:​

UCLA (Relax, Bruins. I haven't forgotten what you guys did on Friday, when you went and defeated Washington to get to 5-0 for the first time in several years. Hmm, you DO face Utah next week. Could we get a "College Gameday" visit?)
QB Jalen Milroe (When Alabama lost Bryce Young to a shoulder injury AND when Arkansas started a comeback in the 3rd quarter, it looked bleak for them. But then Milroe started cooking, and 'Bama dominated the 4th quarter to win. So even if Bryce Young is down, Alabama should be just fine. F--k.)
Brent Key (Brent Key is the interim head coach for Georgia Tech, and he got the Yellow Jackets to win at Pittsburgh in his very first game. Wow! If he keeps this up, maybe he could be the permanent head coach over in Atlanta.)
The state of Kansas (Yep! The state of Kansas was able to have a great day for the 2nd week in a row, as Kansas State took care of Texas Tech and the Jayhawks starts out 5-0 for the first time since 2009. This year's "Sunflower Showdown" is gonna be AMAZING!)
The Bronze Stalk Trophy (The Bronze Stalk is now the trophy that goes to the winner of the NIU/Ball State rivalry. And Ball State won it yesterday in a 44-38 double-OT thriller.)
Coastal Carolina (It hasn't always been easy, but the Chanticleers are now 5-0 after scoring a last-second TD to defeat Georgia Southern.)

It was a bad week for:​

The Oklahoma Sooners (Good lord. The Sooners lost to TCU by 31 points, their QB Dillon Gabriel goes down with a head injury, and then Oklahoma State won at Baylor later on.)
Kentucky (Well, the Wildcats certainly had their chances to win at Ole Miss yesterday. But those damn late turnovers...)
QB Graham Mertz (This guy just didn't have it yesterday, as he had quite a few turnovers and his team [Wisconsin] lost at home to Illinois. Maybe the Badgers need to switch quarterbacks.)
Fresno State (Hooray for UConn! They shocked Fresno State 19-14 to get a rare win! ...This probably isn't a good look for the Bulldogs, though.)
The Ragin' Cajuns (Louisiana's reign of terror in the Sun Belt looks to be over [for now] as South Alabama beats them in Lafayette 20-17.)

And finally, I wanna say something to NC State after their loss to Clemson. They shouldn't feel so bad; I just think Clemson's defense just wanted the game more.

 

[jwolt92]

Week 5- Good and Bad

Georgia vs. Missouri - Game Summary - October 1, 2022 - ESPN I don't know, guys. What do we wanna make of this game? Was Georgia just sleepwalking, or was there something else? What do you think?

Well, let's look at the other games that took place this week, in my "Good/Bad" segment!

It was a good week for:​

UCLA (Relax, Bruins. I haven't forgotten what you guys did on Friday, when you went and defeated Washington to get to 5-0 for the first time in several years. Hmm, you DO face Utah next week. Could we get a "College Gameday" visit?)
QB Jalen Milroe (When Alabama lost Bryce Young to a shoulder injury AND when Arkansas started a comeback in the 3rd quarter, it looked bleak for them. But then Milroe started cooking, and 'Bama dominated the 4th quarter to win. So even if Bryce Young is down, Alabama should be just fine. F--k.)
Brent Key (Brent Key is the interim head coach for Georgia Tech, and he got the Yellow Jackets to win at Pittsburgh in his very first game. Wow! If he keeps this up, maybe he could be the permanent head coach over in Atlanta.)
The state of Kansas (Yep! The state of Kansas was able to have a great day for the 2nd week in a row, as Kansas State took care of Texas Tech and the Jayhawks starts out 5-0 for the first time since 2009. This year's "Sunflower Showdown" is gonna be AMAZING!)
The Bronze Stalk Trophy (The Bronze Stalk is now the trophy that goes to the winner of the NIU/Ball State rivalry. And Ball State won it yesterday in a 44-38 double-OT thriller.)
Coastal Carolina (It hasn't always been easy, but the Chanticleers are now 5-0 after scoring a last-second TD to defeat Georgia Southern.)

It was a bad week for:​

The Oklahoma Sooners (Good lord. The Sooners lost to TCU by 31 points, their QB Dillon Gabriel goes down with a head injury, and then Oklahoma State won at Baylor later on.)
Kentucky (Well, the Wildcats certainly had their chances to win at Ole Miss yesterday. But those damn late turnovers...)
QB Graham Mertz (This guy just didn't have it yesterday, as he had quite a few turnovers and his team [Wisconsin] lost at home to Illinois. Maybe the Badgers need to switch quarterbacks.)
Fresno State (Hooray for UConn! They shocked Fresno State 19-14 to get a rare win! ...This probably isn't a good look for the Bulldogs, though.)
The Ragin' Cajuns (Louisiana's reign of terror in the Sun Belt looks to be over [for now] as South Alabama beats them in Lafayette 20-17.)

And finally, I wanna say something to NC State after their loss to Clemson. They shouldn't feel so bad; I just think Clemson's defense just wanted the game more.

Already confirmed it's going to Lawrence for KU-TCU

 

[fredsdeadfriend]

It was a bad week for:​

Fresno State (Hooray for UConn! They shocked Fresno State 19-14 to get a rare win! ...This probably isn't a good look for the Bulldogs, though.)

Isn't that the same Fresno St that almost beat Oregon St? I'm just asking because USC fans were trying to tell me that Oregon St is a good team.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6- Top 10 Games

So Aaron Judge was able to get his 62nd homer. Good for him! Can't wait to see his Yankees choke in the postseason... AGAIN!
But that's for another time. Because now (thanks to SMU and UCF facing each other tonight), it's time for...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2022 [Week 6]​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Oklahoma vs. Texas [12:00, ABC] (About the only reason why I kept the OU/Texas game in my Top 10 was because of the last several games in the rivalry. They were great! They were barn-burners! And both of these teams are hoping to win this installment as well. Thing is, everyone is freaking out over Oklahoma and their QB being hurt and their defense sucking. But I don't know if Texas can take advantage of all this and win in Dallas.)

9. Arkansas @ Mississippi State [12:00, SEC Network] (I know that Texas A&M is facing Alabama this week, but I REALLY don't like the Aggies' chances in Tuscaloosa. So instead, I'll look at this SEC game. Arkansas is a little low after letting their last 2 games [against, ironically, A&M and Alabama], but they're usually a dangerous underdog. So let's see if they can shut down a Mississippi State team that is now in the AP rankings [and has both sides of the ball cooking].)

8. North Carolina @ Miami [4:00, ESPN2] (The sleeper game of the week. UNC wants to lay claim to the lead in the wide-open ACC Coastal, while Miami has had 2 weeks to stew over their loss to Middle Tennessee. The Hurricanes offense will determine who wins this one; QB Tyler Van Dyke REALLY has to get back to the form he showed us last year.)

7. Oregon @ Arizona [9:30, PAC-12 Network] (So Arizona was able to get Colorado's head coach fired last week. Let's see what they're able to do at home against the balanced attack of the Oregon Ducks. We'll also have a QB duel between Jayden de Laura and Bo Nix here. But the X-factor may be the run game. Mainly, can Arizona get their rushing game going, and can they stop Oregon's as well?)

6. Florida State @ NC State [8:00, ACC Network] (Both the Seminoles and the Wolfpack had undefeated campaigns come to an end last week; FSU got outgunned by Wake, and NC State couldn't solve Clemson's defense. Now they'll face each other in Raleigh, where we'll simply see which team can rebound first.
P.S.: A selfish part of me wants NC State to win this one... for the sake of "College Gameday" coming to Syracuse next week.)

5. BYU vs. Notre Dame [From Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas[ {7:30, NBC} (So what is so appealing about this game in Las Vegas? Maybe it's the fact that BYU wants another marquee win. Or that Notre Dame seems to be getting it's act together, or the fact that the Irish secondary will be tested, or that BYU is on primetime and so is their amazing QB Jalen Hall. Or maybe, just maybe, that all of those factors will combine to give us a close, exciting game.)

4. Washington State @ USC [7:30, FOX] (Time for another edition of the USC revival tour, as the Trojans now host a Washington State team that is doing great at 4-1. And the nation wants the USC offense to get churning along and win this. Let's just hope that USC doesn't underestimate Cameron Ward and the Cougars offense... or that they don't get caught looking ahead to the big Utah game next week.)

3. TCU @ Kansas [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (Ranked for the first time since 2009. "College Gameday" in their city for the first time ever. Everyone in Lawrence now believing in them. Life is amazing for the Kansas Jayhawks right now.
Trouble is, once "Gameday" ends, the grind continues for Kansas as they'll host a TCU team that just beat Oklahoma. AND is also back in the AP rankings for the first time in a little while. At least neither starting QB [Max Duggan for TCU, and Jalon Daniels for Kansas] will make any big mistakes.)

2. Tennessee @ LSU [12:00, ESPN] (Much like the A&M/Alabama game, the Auburn/Georgia game will have to take a backseat. Mostly because I know that Georgia will be wide awake for the Auburn game after their close call against Missouri.
So instead, this SEC game will take center stage. Tennessee is ready to prove that they are a Top 10 team, but can they handle "Death Valley" in Baton Rouge? And LSU looks to be back on track with Brian Kelly at the helm; let's see the Tigers swing for the fences and pick apart the Vols secondary.)

1. Utah @ UCLA [3:30, FOX] (In this main-event clash in Pasadena, the Utes face the Bruins for bragging rights in the PAC-12 South. We have Cameron Rising facing Dorian Thompson-Robinson for maybe the last time. We have a Utah team wanting to beat the Bruins and focus on the Trojans next week. And we got a UCLA program that wants to continue their own revival. All of this should combine for a wild ride.)

Best "mid-major" game: UConn @ Florida International (Last week, we had this rarity: UConn and FIU won a game on the same day. So that means that when this game is over, one of these downtrodden programs will have a winning streak! I can't wait for this one!)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Ohio State @ Michigan State (Before the season, this game looked like "can't miss" theatre. Now reality is telling us that Ohio State should just blow by a Michigan State team that looks to have lost their way.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Michigan @ Indiana, Auburn @ Georgia, Texas A&M @ Alabama, and Purdue @ Maryland.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[fredsdeadfriend]

Week 6- Top 10 Games

So Aaron Judge was able to get his 62nd homer. Good for him! Can't wait to see his Yankees choke in the postseason... AGAIN!
But that's for another time. Because now (thanks to SMU and UCF facing each other tonight), it's time for...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2022 [Week 6]​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Oklahoma vs. Texas [12:00, ABC] (About the only reason why I kept the OU/Texas game in my Top 10 was because of the last several games in the rivalry. They were great! They were barn-burners! And both of these teams are hoping to win this installment as well. Thing is, everyone is freaking out over Oklahoma and their QB being hurt and their defense sucking. But I don't know if Texas can take advantage of all this and win in Dallas.)

9. Arkansas @ Mississippi State [12:00, SEC Network] (I know that Texas A&M is facing Alabama this week, but I REALLY don't like the Aggies' chances in Tuscaloosa. So instead, I'll look at this SEC game. Arkansas is a little low after letting their last 2 games [against, ironically, A&M and Alabama], but they're usually a dangerous underdog. So let's see if they can shut down a Mississippi State team that is now in the AP rankings [and has both sides of the ball cooking].)

8. North Carolina @ Miami [4:00, ESPN2] (The sleeper game of the week. UNC wants to lay claim to the lead in the wide-open ACC Coastal, while Miami has had 2 weeks to stew over their loss to Middle Tennessee. The Hurricanes offense will determine who wins this one; QB Tyler Van Dyke REALLY has to get back to the form he showed us last year.)

7. Oregon @ Arizona [9:30, PAC-12 Network] (So Arizona was able to get Colorado's head coach fired last week. Let's see what they're able to do at home against the balanced attack of the Oregon Ducks. We'll also have a QB duel between Jayden de Laura and Bo Nix here. But the X-factor may be the run game. Mainly, can Arizona get their rushing game going, and can they stop Oregon's as well?)

6. Florida State @ NC State [8:00, ACC Network] (Both the Seminoles and the Wolfpack had undefeated campaigns come to an end last week; FSU got outgunned by Wake, and NC State couldn't solve Clemson's defense. Now they'll face each other in Raleigh, where we'll simply see which team can rebound first.
P.S.: A selfish part of me wants NC State to win this one... for the sake of "College Gameday" coming to Syracuse next week.)

5. BYU vs. Notre Dame [From Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas[ {7:30, NBC} (So what is so appealing about this game in Las Vegas? Maybe it's the fact that BYU wants another marquee win. Or that Notre Dame seems to be getting it's act together, or the fact that the Irish secondary will be tested, or that BYU is on primetime and so is their amazing QB Jalen Hall. Or maybe, just maybe, that all of those factors will combine to give us a close, exciting game.)

4. Washington State @ USC [7:30, FOX] (Time for another edition of the USC revival tour, as the Trojans now host a Washington State team that is doing great at 4-1. And the nation wants the USC offense to get churning along and win this. Let's just hope that USC doesn't underestimate Cameron Ward and the Cougars offense... or that they don't get caught looking ahead to the big Utah game next week.)

3. TCU @ Kansas [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (Ranked for the first time since 2009. "College Gameday" in their city for the first time ever. Everyone in Lawrence now believing in them. Life is amazing for the Kansas Jayhawks right now.
Trouble is, once "Gameday" ends, the grind continues for Kansas as they'll host a TCU team that just beat Oklahoma. AND is also back in the AP rankings for the first time in a little while. At least neither starting QB [Max Duggan for TCU, and Jalon Daniels for Kansas] will make any big mistakes.)

2. Tennessee @ LSU [12:00, ESPN] (Much like the A&M/Alabama game, the Auburn/Georgia game will have to take a backseat. Mostly because I know that Georgia will be wide awake for the Auburn game after their close call against Missouri.
So instead, this SEC game will take center stage. Tennessee is ready to prove that they are a Top 10 team, but can they handle "Death Valley" in Baton Rouge? And LSU looks to be back on track with Brian Kelly at the helm; let's see the Tigers swing for the fences and pick apart the Vols secondary.)

1. Utah @ UCLA [3:30, FOX] (In this main-event clash in Pasadena, the Utes face the Bruins for bragging rights in the PAC-12 South. We have Cameron Rising facing Dorian Thompson-Robinson for maybe the last time. We have a Utah team wanting to beat the Bruins and focus on the Trojans next week. And we got a UCLA program that wants to continue their own revival. All of this should combine for a wild ride.)

Best "mid-major" game: UConn @ Florida International (Last week, we had this rarity: UConn and FIU won a game on the same day. So that means that when this game is over, one of these downtrodden programs will have a winning streak! I can't wait for this one!)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Ohio State @ Michigan State (Before the season, this game looked like "can't miss" theatre. Now reality is telling us that Ohio State should just blow by a Michigan State team that looks to have lost their way.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Michigan @ Indiana, Auburn @ Georgia, Texas A&M @ Alabama, and Purdue @ Maryland.

My prediction segment is next!

TCU @ Kansas will be the one I most want to watch. Ark @ Miss St will also be a good one to watch, I think,

Your #10 game, for me could be the matchup of the long time perpetually overrated, lol.

 

[jwolt92]

P.S.: A selfish part of me wants NC State to win this one... for the sake of "College Gameday" coming to Syracuse next week.

You had me in the first half here, but I understand the second part so no hard feelings

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6 Predictions

So on Facebook, I have my mom revealing that she is a fan of Roger Maris. And over here, I have someone calling both Oklahoma AND Texas overrated. Let's see if I can unite those 2 groups with my predictions for the week:

Top 25:
Texas A&M 17 @ (1)Alabama 33
Auburn 13 @ (2)Georgia 38
(3)Ohio State 47 @ Michigan State 17
(4)Michigan 39 @ Indiana 20
(5)Clemson 37 @ Boston College 7
Washington State 27 @ (6)USC 34
Texas Tech 23 @ (7)Oklahoma State 31
(8)Tennessee 39 @ (25)LSU 31
(9)Ole Miss 43 @ Vanderbilt 24
(11)Utah 34 @ (18)UCLA 31
(12)Oregon 41 @ Arizona 29
South Carolina 16 @ (13)Kentucky 23
Florida State 36 @ (14)NC State 31
Army 20 @ (15)Wake Forest 34
(16)BYU 38 vs. Notre Dame 35
(17)TCU 40 @ (19)Kansas 30
(20)Kansas State 30 @ Iowa State 33
(21)Washington 48 @ Arizona State 27
Arkansas 24 @ (23)Mississippi State 28
South Florida 10 @ (24)Cincinnati 40

Other big games:
Texas 39 @ Oklahoma 35
UConn 18 @ Florida International 28
Nebraska 24 @ Rutgers 27
Purdue 39 @ Maryland 34
North Carolina 23 @ Miami 27

My time's up. You've been great. Keep making your donations to hurricane relief!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6- Good and Bad

Alabama 24-20 Texas A&M (Oct 8, 2022) Final Score - ESPN

Game summary of the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Texas A&M Aggies NCAAF game, final score 24-20, from October 8, 2022 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Wait, did Alabama really get caught looking ahead to the Tennessee game next week? It certainly looked like it last night.

And with that game done with, let's look at what else was good (and bad) from this week!

It was a good week for:​

The Texas Longhorns (I know you guys wanna throw more shade on Brent Venables and Oklahoma for what happened in Dallas. Me, I'm focusing on the positives; what a proud win that was for the Longhorns! QB Quinn Ewers is back and better than ever, RB Bijan Robinson was awesome, and how about that Texas defense?!)
Notre Dame (Ah ha! NOW Marcus Freeman is cooking with gas for Notre Dame; his team just beat #16 BYU in Vegas for their 3rd straight win.)
My mother (Her favorite team [Michigan] handled their business. South Carolina was able to upset Kentucky in Lexington. And of course, there is the above game.)
Arizona State (So the Sun Devils upset Washington yesterday. Finally, SOMETHING goes right for this bedeviled program [no pun intended].)
Pittsburgh RB Israel Abanikanda (This guy just broke Tony Dorsett's single game rushing record at Pitt, as he ran for 320 yards in a win against Virginia Tech.)

It was a bad week for:​

Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (I'm not going back to throwing shade on Kansas football, OK? But it WAS a bad day yesterday for Jalon for these 3 reasons. One, he got hurt. Two, his backup Jason Bean looked great as he threw 4 TD's. And third, Kansas lost to TCU by 7.)
My playoff predictions (Alabama had a close call yesterday, and their schedule is only gonna get harder. But that's not the worst part; my beloved Utah Utes lost to UCLA!)
Seth "Freakin" Rollins (Poor Seth. He lost his main-event "Fight Pit" match against Matt Riddle at "Extreme Rules" last night, then he learned that his Iowa Hawkeyes lost to Illinois. By a score of 9-6! For crying out loud, we got more points than that in the Seattle/Toronto baseball game!)
Air Force (First, Fresno State gets off to a 1-5 start. And now Air Force gets upset by Utah State? Great. Now I have NO CLUE who's gonna win the Mountain West this year!)

And finally, my predictions for the week were a big off (16-9 overall). Such a shame...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7- Top 10 Games

Let me get this over with quickly, so that you guys can get back to your Harry Styles news. Yep, since Louisiana and Marshall are having a game today, it's now time for...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2022 (Week 7)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Minnesota @ Illinois [12:00, Big 10 Network] (This game is all about the Illinois Fighting Illini; one week after Kansas returns to the AP rankings, Illinois gets it's first ranking since 2011. Let's see if they can hang on to that honor when they host a not-bad Minnesota team... who [by the way] is getting it's top runner back in Mohamed Ibrahim.)

9. LSU @ Florida [7:00, ESPN] (For the Florida Gators, they know that this game is gonna be a low-scoring slugfest. And they're hoping that their QB Anthony Richardson will be up to the task. As for LSU, they had a golden opportunity last week against Tennessee to show their stuff. And they failed... miserably. Now can they clean up their mistakes in this trip to "The Swamp"?)

8. Kansas @ Oklahoma [12:00, ESPN2] (In 2022, Oklahoma fans never DREAMED that Kansas would have a ranking. And they REALLY didn't think they would be unranked at this time in the season. But now after a disastrously bad "Red River Rivalry" game, we have this anomoly in the universe: Ranked Kansas coming to visit an UNRANKED Sooners squad. It's very clear that we'll learn something about both teams here; can Kansas pull off a shocker in Norman without QB Jalon Daniels? And does Oklahoma have ANY pride left?)

7. Clemson @ Florida State [7:30, ABC] (Jeez. A couple more good plays, and Florida State could have beaten NC State last week. Now let's see the fightback in the Seminoles as an old nemesis comes to see them in primetime. And I actually think that FSU can find a way to slow down Clemson's offense. Thing is, can the Seminoles figure out how to break the Tigers' D?)

6. Mississippi State @ Kentucky [7:30, SEC Network] (The sleeper game of the week. Kentucky got a BIG dose of reality over their last 2 games, as mistakes and a raft of injuries costed them games against Ole Miss and South Carolina. As for Mississippi State, Mike Leach doesn't want his team getting too arrogant, since the Bulldogs must face Alabama after this. Can Miss. State keep the ship steady against a Kentucky trying to get it's offense going?)

5. NC State @ Syracuse [3:30, ACC Network] (So "College Gameday" decided to stiff the Orange, as they're going back to Knoxville this week. Maybe ESPN is just waiting to see how Syracuse does here, as the Orange's little "death march" begins. First comes NC State, who showed us last week that they will scratch, claw, and fight to win in the ACC. Most importantly, they won't quit; hopefully the Orange will remember that.)

4. USC @ Utah [8:00, FOX] (I'll bet that if Utah defeated UCLA last week, "College Gameday" would be in Salt Lake City right now. But they didn't, so now the Utes must pick up the pieces of their shattered playoff push and move on. However, Utah can get back into everyone's good graces if they silence the USC hype train. As for the Trojans, this is the game where we'll truly find out how resilient and tough this rag-tag group can be; staying on the positive side of the turnover game will help them out a lot.)

3. Oklahoma State @ TCU [3:30, ABC] (Man, this week is just FULL of awesome ranked vs. ranked games! For the game in Fort Worth, this is just a showdown game between Oklahoma State [who are starting to prove the doubters wrong] and TCU [who is already in the black for the 2022 season]. It's also a QB duel between Spencer Sanders vs. Max Duggan, and I think the team that stops the other team's QB first will be the winner.)

2. Penn State @ Michigan [12:00, FOX] (ANOTHER noon game for the Wolverines?! Oh well. at least this one will be an epic Top-10 contest. Oh, and we have a QB duel between Cade McNamara and Sean Clifford. Oh, and Michigan Stadium will be sold out for a game that will help shape the Big 10 East race.)

1. Alabama @ Tennessee [3:30, CBS] (Oh, man! This is SO tempting. This is Tennessee's biggest game in many, MANY years. AND they got the firepower needed to turn back the Tide. Do I dare pick against Nick Saban here? Or is the Tide defense [and whoever will be the starting QB for them] ready to disappoint the Vols faithful once again?)

Best "mid-major" game: James Madison @ Georgia Southern (Wait. Their first year in the FBS, and the Dukes are already in the AP Top 25?! Wow! Great job, guys! Let's see if you guys can handle that honor right away in this big road conference game.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Auburn @ Ole Miss (Come on, Auburn Tigers! If you can't get your offense going, you're gonna suffer yet another bad loss in the SEC here.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Nebraska @ Purdue, Washington State @ Oregon State, Arkansas @ BYU, and South Dakota State @ North Dakota State.

Yep, the Jackrabbits and the Bison are gonna face each other this week! My prediction on that game (and many others) is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7 Predictions

Time to get to work; after getting 9 picks wrong last week, I NEED to do better. Here's what I see happening in Week 7:

Top 25:
Vanderbilt 7 @ (1)Georgia 48
(3)Alabama 40 @ (6)Tennessee 38
(4)Clemson 39 @ Florida State 27
(10)Penn State 27 @ (5)Michigan 31
(7)USC 28 @ (20)Utah 31
(8)Oklahoma State 23 @ (13)TCU 27
Auburn 17 @ (9)Ole Miss 38
(15)NC State 30 @ (18)Syracuse 27
(16)Mississippi State 31 @ (T-22)Kentucky 17
(19)Kansas 33 @ Oklahoma 38
Iowa State 20 @ (T-22)Texas 27
Minnesota 23 @ (24)Illinois 20
(25)James Madison 34 @ Georgia Southern 28

Other big games:
South Dakota State 20 @ North Dakota State 27
Arkansas 28 @ BYU 25
LSU 17 @ Florida 23
Nebraska 23 @ Purdue 41
North Carolina 42 @ Duke 21

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy "Hocus Pocus 2".

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

USC vs. Utah

I'll get to the big result in Knoxville later on, but first let's take a look at THIS game.
USC handed first loss of season in Utah shootout Yep, it's a game where Utah showed a great amount of pride in winning this thriller.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Oklahoma State vs. TCU

TCU 43-40 Oklahoma State (Oct 15, 2022) Final Score - ESPN

Game summary of the TCU Horned Frogs vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys NCAAF game, final score 43-40, from October 15, 2022 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Such a shame. With Tennessee and Utah taking all the headlines, a lot of people forgot about THIS contest. Well, TCU certainly won't forget this win, that's for sure.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7- Good and Bad

All right! I'm on a roll, so let's just get to the "Good/Bad" segment for Week 7!

It was a good week for:​

Syracuse's defense (The Orange held NC State to only 3 field goals in their win. Hey! If Syracuse's defense performs like that next week against Clemson, we might have a chance!)
Peyton Manning (I'm not sure about the exact picks that Peyton made during "College Gameday" yesterday, but I'll bet that he did well. At the very least, he saw his alma-mater win that thriller over the Crimson Tide.)
South Dakota State (They beat North Dakota State again! In the Fargodome! And with that, the "Dakota Marker" rivalry gets another wrinkle.)
Illinois (Hmm... they just won against Minnesota to keep their national ranking. Bret Bielema must REALLY know what's he doing over there.)
Colorado (Finally! The Buffaloes join us for the 2022 season, as they defeated Cal in OT for their first win of the year.)

It was a bad week for:​

Penn State (Another big game for Penn State, another bad loss as Michigan just ran all over them in the 2nd half. And about the only reason why Penn State was in the game entering halftime was that bizarre helmet-bounce "Pick-6" that they got.)
Sun Belt unbeatens (James Madison's stay in the Top 25 will only last one week, as Georgia Southern got them in a 45-38 slugfest. And Coastal Carolina's luck ran out as they lost at home to Old Dominion.)
Maryland (Yes, they won against Indiana. But Taulia Tagovailoa went down to a leg injury... Such a shame.)
Notre Dame (...And the Irish are back under the 8-ball, as they lose at home to Stanford.)
Memphis (The Tigers lost the best "under-the-radar" game of the week, as East Carolina beat them in 4 overtimes.)

And finally, a programming update. Next week, I'll start looking at action from the FCS level. If the best "mid-major" games won't come to me, I'll come to them.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 8- Best "mid-major" games

I looked at my predictions record from a week ago, and I went 11-7 overall. But I DID pick Alabama, NC State, and North Dakota State to win last Saturday. So I'm not TOO mad at that record.

Now on to business. I said I would start looking at the FCS level last Sunday. And lo and behold, I now have enough to do a "mid-major" Top 10 for the first time this season! So let's get to...

The Best "mid-major" games of Week 8!​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Sacred Heart @ Merrimack [1:00, check local listings] (To start it off, I'm gonna throw a bone to the Northeast Conference. Here, we have Sacred Heart [who's been to the FCS playoffs before] taking on the Merrimack Warriors... who were just promoted to the FCS level a few years ago. I would love to see Merrimack win this and continue their push to their first-eve NEC title.)

T-8. Weber State @ Montana State [3:00, ESPN+] (On the West Coast, we'll have a BIG doubleheader in the Big Sky this Saturday. First, we'll have an undefeated Weber State team [who defeated Utah State in early September] taking on Montana State in Bozeman. It's the rushing attack of the Bobcats vs. QB Bronson Barron and the Wildcats passing attack.)

T-8. Montana @ Sacramento State [11:00, ESPN2] (Then in the nightcap, we'll have a Sacramento State team who is unbeaten [and who defeated Colorado State last month] hosting Montana. However, Montana suffered an upset loss to Idaho last week; can they recover and stop the Hornets' rushing attack?)

7. South Dakota State @ North Dakota [4:00, ESPN+] (This is the top game in the FCS level this week, for one big reason. Last week, we saw the Jackrabbits beat North Dakota State. But they're STILL in the state of North Dakota, as they must now go to visit the other football team from that state. Can SDSU avoid the hangover after their "Dakota Marker" win; it's as simple as that.)

6. Toledo @ Buffalo [1:00, ESPN+] (As we reenter the FBS level, we see this good-looking game in the MAC. Toledo looks like the best team in the conference, but now they'll visit the Buffalo Bulls. And how about the Bulls; they started the season 0-3 [with a L against Holy Cross thrown in], but has now won 4 straight thanks to the work of QB Cole Snyder. This one should be fun.)

5. North Texas @ UTSA [3:30, fubo Sports Network] (Yes... fubo really does have their own sports network [apparently]. Anyway, on to serious business; both UTSA and UNT are unbeaten in Conference USA, and now they're facing each other again. And don't forget; last year UTSA came to Denton with an 11-0 record... and got crushed. You just know that revenge is gonna be on their minds.)

4. Boise State @ Air Force [7:00, CBS Sports Network] (Things have been a bit tumultuous at Boise State recently, but yet they're still doing OK as they lead the Mountain division. Now the Broncos are looking to keep going as they seek revenge against Air Force. And if Boise is able to win at Fort Collins, the Falcons could be eliminated from the Mountain West title race...)

3. Troy @ South Alabama [7:30 Thursday, ESPNU] (I was very close to putting this game in my "big-boy" Top 10 list. "Why", you ask? Because it's an in-state rivalry, and because both of these teams are fighting for the Sun Belt West division. I don't know how this game will go, but if Troy can wake up their running game it would REALLY help them out.

2. Cincinnati @ SMU (...You'll have to wait for my "big-boy" Top 10 to know more about this game. Sorry!)

1. Memphis @ Tulane (...Ditto!)

And so... tune in tomorrow to see where the Top 2 games on this list ends up on my real Top 10.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 8- Top 10 Games

With the Brantley Gilbert song "The Worst Country Song of All Time" ringing in my ears, I prepare another busy week of football as I present...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2022 (Week 8)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Iowa @ Ohio State [12:00, FOX] (So Michigan has the week off, and Ohio State now has to sit on the 12:00 time slot on FOX this week. Other than that, there's nothing too interesting about this game... unless Iowa can somehow find a way to slow down C.J. Stroud and the Buckeye offense.)

9. Cincinnati @ SMU [12:00, ESPN] (This is just a simple AAC game where SMU has to face another tough opponent in Cincinnati. The Bearcats had the week off, so QB Ben Bryant and his team should be ready to beat on the Mustangs' porous defense... and hopefully not get caught looking ahead to their big game against UCF next week.)

8. Minnesota @ Penn State [7:30, ABC] (Elsewhere in the Big 10, Penn State will try to repair their national reputation when they host infrequent rival Minnesota. In terms of yardage, the Gophers may have the Nittany Lions beat. But they need to get their offense moving if Minnesota wants to win in "Happy Valley".)

7. Memphis @ Tulane [3:30, ESPN2] (Why is this game up to the #7 spot? Blame it on the Green Wave; one year after going 2-10, Tulane is now in the national rankings! Hooray! Now let's see if they can handle the spotlight, as Memphis comes to Yulman Stadium. And the Tigers are still angry over losing their last 2 games by a total of 3 points; if they keep their focus, they can get the job done this time.)

6. Ole Miss @ LSU [3:30, CBS] (Ah! Finally! We're now getting to the REALLY good games. Here, we have the 110th installment of "The Battle of Magnolia Lane" rivalry as Ole Miss looks to have a winning streak in this series since 2008-09. And of course, the Rebels are looking to get to 8-0 on the season. As for LSU, Brian Kelly and his Tigers are getting there [thanks to that "Swamp Bowl" win over Florida last week]. But now can they stop the Rebels running game?)

5. Texas @ Oklahoma State [3:30, ABC] (This week, the Big 12 will play host to a HUGE doubleheader that should help in deciding who will go to the Big 12 title game this season. First will come this game in Stillwater, where Oklahoma State will try to get over that heartbreaking loss to TCU from a week ago. As for Texas, they avoided an upset trap against Iowa State last week, and now let's see how they do in a tough road environment like this.)

4. Mississippi State @ Alabama [7:00, ESPN] (Whenever Alabama loses a game, it's the same ol' thing. "What can they do to right the ship?", "Can they stop shooting themselves in the foot?", and so on and so forth. Well, they get to go home for this rebound game against... Mike Leach and Miss. State? Who has the offense that can drive Alabama's crappy secondary crazy?! Hmmm... if the Bulldogs can stop the Tide offense, could another shocker be in the works?)

3. Kansas State @ TCU [8:00, FOX Sports 1] (Here is the 2nd half of that great Big 12 doubleheader: Two conference leaders, about to collide here. And everybody is throwing praise at TCU after they rose up to #8 in the AP rankings and loving that new offense of theirs. Thing is, K-State has had a week off to get themselves ready for this visit to Fort Worth, and if they can slow down the pace I think the Wildcats can win this.)

2. UCLA @ Oregon [3:30, FOX] (A Top-10 matchup in the PAC-12... You just knew that "College Gameday" was gonna be all over this one. The storylines in this game are plentiful; you got the revival of UCLA football. You got the great recovery of Oregon from that Week 1 debacle, and you got a QB duel between Bo Nix and DTR [that's what the Bruins faithful call Dorian Thompson-Robinson now-a-days]. And when this game is all over, we'll have one team that'll be the PAC-12's new favorite to make the playoff.)

1. Syracuse @ Clemson [12:00, ABC] (Aw, man! I REALLY didn't want to make this my "Game of the Week" and put more pressure on Syracuse for this scary visit to "Death Valley". But both teams are undefeated [while UCLA vs. Oregon doesn't have that], and the Orange's defense looks really good, so there we are. Here's hoping that QB Garrett Shrader finds a way around Clemson's stout D...)

My prediction segment is next!