It was a wild week that not only resulted in a major shakeup in the college football world, but also caused a lot of unevenness for my overall record. Going just 17-16 in picking games this past weekend has left me at 142-47. If this coming weekend is just as wild, it could be more of the same.
#1 Florida State at Syracuse
Although the Noles aren't looking as strong as they did a year ago en route to the national title, they're still undefeated up to this point. They get to face a Syracuse team that's basically just a semi-better version of the one they just pounded in Wake Forest. Like in that Wake Forest game, it may take FSU a quarter and a half before they put it all together and figure out that they're the far better team, but it'll happen and then it'll get ugly from there.
My Call: Florida State 38, Syracuse 13
#3 Ole Miss at #14 Texas A&M
How do you follow up that upset over Alabama if you're the Rebels? One thing's for sure, it doesn't get much easier with a trip to College Station to take on an Aggie team that should be smarting from a beating they took at the hands of Ole Miss' Egg Bowl and in-state rival, Mississippi State. My honest opinion here is that the Rebels have the better team, but they're due for a letdown and Kenny Hill can't possibly perform as poorly at home as he did on the road in Starkville. My guess is this will end up being a nail biter where Bo Wallace ultimately comes up a bit short with a costly mistake late in the game. Kenny Hill isn't perfect against a tough Ole Miss defense, but is just good enough. And unlike the last couple weeks, Aggie receivers get over their dropped passes issues.
My Call: Texas A&M 26, Ole Miss 23
#9 TCU at #5 Baylor
Gotta admit I didn't give TCU enough credit. I didn't think much of them given their wins until this past Saturday were against the likes of Samford, Minnesota and SMU. However, they showed me they're real with that home upset over Oklahoma. Trevone Boykin was excellent in that 37-33 victory. Baylor was a little more shaky on the road in Austin against Texas, but good news for them is this one's in Waco. Bryce Petty should be able to have a bounce back performance in front of the home crowd and although my guess is Boykin and that TCU offense should be able to put up some points of their own, it'll be Petty and the Bears who emerge from a shootout victorious.
My Call: Baylor 38, TCU 35
North Carolina at #6 Notre Dame
It's not always pretty, but with Everett Golson under center, the Irish always seem to find a way to win ballgames (with the exception of one blowout loss). They shouldn't need to ugly it up too much against a UNC team that can't play any defense and shouldn't be too much of a threat offensively. My guess is the Irish won't make it as easy as it always should be, but will ultimately cruise.
My Call: Notre Dame 34, North Carolina 17
#7 Alabama at Arkansas
Kind of an interesting game here as an Arkansas team that appears to be much improved will take on a Crimson Tide team smarting from that six point loss in Oxford. Razorback coach Bret Bielema loves the ground and pound, control the clock type of style. Unfortunately for him, Alabama and coach Nick Saban do that better than Bilema and his Hogs do at this point in time. Plus the Tide can always throw to Amari Cooper, another benefit Arkansas doesn't have. I wouldn't be too surprised to see Arkansas hang in this one for a while, but it's tough to see the Tide losing two in a row, especially when this one is against a team that they should match up well with. They should ultimately gain control of this one late in the 3rd or early in the 4th quarter.
My Call: Alabama 27, Arkansas 16
#8 Michigan State at Purdue
Despite a near face plant in the 4th quarter, Michigan State was able to hold on and beat Nebraska by five points and get themselves back in the playoff talk with all the upsets that happened over this past weekend. This coming game against a Purdue team that simply lacks the talent on both sides of the ball to keep up shouldn't be too much of a problem. This time, there won't be any 4th quarter dramatics to deal with either.
My Call: Michigan State 31, Purdue 10
USC at #10 Arizona
Craziness should have been seen by everyone continuing on Saturday after Arizona went into Autzen Stadium and upset Oregon this past Thursday. Now they'll look to avoid a letdown at home against a Trojans team that was stunned at home by Arizona State on a last second hailmary. U of A to me is a little like the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, I just won't believe in them over the long haul until I actually see it. That's my logic for taking USC in a shootout. Logic just doesn't seem to fit in college football this year. U of A had trouble with the likes of UT-San Antonio, Cal and Nevada yet beat Oregon on the road. USC lost at Boston College and at home to ASU yet beat Stanford on the road. That's reason number two why I'm going with Tommy Trojan here.
My Call: USC 37, Arizona 34
Texas vs. #11 Oklahoma (at Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas)
Despite a strong effort defensively against a very good Baylor offense, it just wasn't enough for a Texas offense that was only able to muster up seven points in a 28-7 defeat. I see more of the same this week for the Longhorns. Their offense just doesn't have the talent/stability TCU's has to make Oklahoma sweat and their defense will only be able to do so much.
My Call: Oklahoma 28, Texas 13
#12 Oregon at #18 UCLA
Mirror images of each other will go at it in Pasadena. Both teams are coming off surprising home losses. The Ducks got handled at home by Arizona while UCLA took a 30-28 defeat at the hands of the Utah Utes. These teams are mirror images in the sense that they both have terrific QBs under center, but neither has a very good offensive line in front of them. Both teams also have okay but not great defensive squads. UCLA seems like a team that plays up or down to the level of the competition. They crushed their toughest test in ASU, squeaked by in wins over Virginia, Texas and Memphis and lost to Utah. I'll say they rise to the challenge and win a shootout. We'll wonder why the Bruins can't perform this way every week afterwards.
My Call: UCLA 44, Oregon 41
#13 Georgia at #23 Missouri
Change to this prediction as Georgia will be without the services of do-it-all star running back Todd Gurley. Allegations are that Gurley autographed some memorabilia and sold it for a profit. These actions have gotten him suspended indefinitely, and obviously out of this game at least. Without him, Georgia will turn to true freshman running back Nick Chubb. He's gonna have to be the do-it-all guy, especially since the Dawgs will also be without their second and third running backs. Chubb is no slouch, I certainly expect he'll have himself a very good college career, but you just don't replace a Todd Gurley, who many thought may have been the Heisman Trophy frontrunner up to this point. Now I still don't trust Mizzou that much; and could see Georgia pulling it off, but I trust them a bit more than I trust a Gurley-less Georgia squad.
My Call: Missouri 31, Georgia 27
#16 Oklahoma State at Kansas
Conference games are very rarely a gimme, but this is as close as it gets to one. This isn't one of Mike Gundy's better Okie State teams, but they shouldn't have a problem with a Kansas team that shouldn't be much of a threat to score even against a fairly average Pokes defense.
My Call: Oklahoma State 44, Kansas 20
#19 East Carolina at South Florida
ECU is one of those teams that you'd like to see play some real teams more frequently. Not that they'd necessarily be a threat to the best of the best in college football, but Shane Carden is a terrific QB and he leads an exciting offense that put up points in bunches. It should be more of the same for Shane and the Pirates against a USF team that isn't very good at all in any one facet of the game.
My Call: East Carolina 37, South Florida 17
Duke at #22 Georgia Tech
Raise your hand if you thought Georgia Tech would be 5-0 going into this matchup with Duke. I didn't, but maybe that shows how little I know about college football. I'm not sure how for real they are, but we'll certainly find out. My guess is Duke's solid defense will keep them in this one, but I'm gonna roll with the Yellow Jackets here. Their offense led by the duo of QB Justin Thomas and WR DeAndre Smelter does just enough to get them by.
My Call: Georgia Tech 23, Duke 17
Washington State at #25 Stanford
Wazzu QB Connor Halliday set a FBS record by throwing for 734 yards in the Cougars' loss at home to California, 60-59. Halliday also threw for six touchdown passes. It's obvious where the issues were for the Cougs, right? Exactly. Connor won't be putting up those type of numbers against this tough Stanford defense and while the Cardinal may not light up the scoreboard, they'll put up plenty on a bad Cougar defense to win comfortably.
My Call: Stanford 38, Washington State 24
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