Another good College Football Saturday is in the books and we now are beginning to get some answers to our preseason questions. While there weren’t a lot of big time ranked vs ranked matchups, as always there was a few games that did entertain, and pretenders and contenders are beginning to reveal themselves. The best player in the country debate is heating up, but there is one player in the BIG 10 who has pretty much taken over that title. As for those questions and answers..
Is the SEC really this trash?
So maybe I was early on this but I have said for at least the last 2 or 3 years that I see the SEC sliding, and MANY have argued with me but I doubt anyone can do that now. As usual, Alabama is still dominant. But how dominant are you when you continue to smash terrible teams. Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee have all looked worse than they did a few years ago. ALOT worse. Georgia seems to be the only team in the SEC East worth watching, and the SEC West is a joke. I mean did Alabama just beat Ole Miss by 63 points? It’s really incredible when you look at it. We’re only 5 weeks into the year so this conference still has time to turn it around, but I would truly be STUNNED. Alabama is great but the best team in the nation still resides in the ACC.
Who is the most overrated player in the county?
There are definitely a few players who could be considered here. My vote is easily Sam Darnold of USC. He has been getting passes every week of the year for his inconsistent play. I’ve seen some analysts blame his O-Line, or his young receivers but it comes down to him just having to play better. He throws interceptions, and while a few have been tipped balls, a few have have also just been bad throws. He became the media darling after USC finished the year strong last year and came in as the heisman favorite. But he doesn’t seem to be that guy. Is he a top 3 quarterback in the PAC 12? Maybe not. While he has time to change this perception, as of now he is NOT who we thought he was and scouts are starting to notice.
What, if anything, can prevent Clemson V.S. Alabama Part 3?
Right now, doesn’t look like much. These 2 teams have been the class of the country so far. They have great defenses and offenses that get the job done, not to mention 2 outstanding coaches. When you look to see what could stop the Alabama train from making another championship appearance, there are only 2 games that could possibly trip them up. The Iron Bowl is always tough and takes place in Auburn this year.While Auburn does have a very stout defense, I don’t see them being able to score against Alabama. The only other competition may be Georgia in a potential SEC Championship, but as I said previously, Alabama is in a league of their own.
As far as Clemson, I don’t see a single game on their schedule that they should lose. Maybe the ACC Championship game against a team like Miami. But that’s really it. Even if you catch Clemson on a day where their offense is subpar, that defense is dominating and likely won’t let you score. These 2 teams are the most balanced, talented, deep, and well coached teams in the country. It’s likely nothing will prevent the 3-peat.
Week 6 Picks
Another week, and unfortunately not a ton of glamourous games on the schedule. There are some marquee names playing each other, but sadly the teams don’t mean as much as they normally would. However, I’ve picked 5 games that I’ll have my eye on.
West Virginia VS TCU
I am looking forward to this game. TCU has surprised some as they’ve been impressive on offense and that defense looks a lot better than it did a year ago. That defense will be put to the test this week against a team in West Virginia that has scored over 50 points in 3 consecutive games. Kenny Trill leads a TCU offense that can move the ball well in their own right as he has plenty of weapons and has been a lot more patient to make the right throw this season. I think this may be one of the best games of the weekend that will come down to the wire. In the end though, I’m going with the home team.
TCU 40
West Virginia 31
Miami VS Florida State
As previously stated, I am a Miami fan but I will take all biases out of this prediction. Miami comes in looking really good. The defense seems to be elite and the offense also looks great. Star Running Back Mark Walton appears to be healthy and is said to “look good” in this week’s practices. Miami is simply a better team and I don’t think this game will be too close. The 7 game losing streak likely comes to an end this Saturday. This is a statement game opportunity for Coach Mark Richt and the Hurricanes. Florida State is playing a true freshman at quarterback who despite a game winning touchdown pass last week to beat Wake Forest, has looked awful for much of the young season. Miami has had equal or better teams than Florida State the last few years but had their hearts broken mainly due to former FSU star Dalvin Cook who’s no longer there. I think Miami comes into this game with a point to prove, and shows that their trying to get back to Miami in the early 2000’s days.
Miami 27
Florida State 17
Oregon VS Washington State
2 weeks ago, I was REALLY looking forward to this game, but now that Oregon’s star quarterback Justin Herbert is injured, it loses some of its luster. Washington State has their bigtime quarterback in Luke Falk and come in full of confidence after beating USC.Oregon will likely rely on the legs of Royce Freeman who is definitely one of the best backs in the country, but I’m not sure it will be enough. Washington State has proven that they can win a shootout, or a physical grinding game. Due to the absence of Herbert, I’m inclined to lean the other way.
Washington State 35
Oregon 24
Michigan State VS Michigan
A bigtime rivalry game with both teams still having a lot to prove. While Michigan is ranked number 7 in the country, I genuinely don’t think they’re that good, primarily offensively. The O-Line isn’t great, and the quarterback situation could be a lot better. If not for that dynamic defense, they would surely have a couple of L’s next to their name. Michigan State is a team that’s clearly flying under the radar and prime for an upset. They also have a tough defense and struggle offensively. In the end it will come down to who can make a stop.
Michigan 20
Michigan State 17
LSU VS Florida
In years past, this may have been a game that people set their calendar too, but as of now, it’s nothing more than a regular game Saturday in Gainesville. LSU comes in looking terrible and not anything like we expected. Some analysts and even myself thought they had 2 of the best coordinators and whether it’s them or the players themselves, it hasn’t shown. They have a hard time scoring, and even their defense has been suspect this year. Of course it hasn’t helped that star running back Darius Guice has spent much of this year banged up. Florida is dealing with issues of their own, as several key players are suspended. This is a game that LSU needs, and Florida as well if they want to contend with Georgia for the SEC East. I genuinely don’t know what team will show up for either one of these programs.
LSU 19
Florida 17
So as you can see, not the most exciting games to watch this week but as I always say, this is when we have gotten some GREAT games in the past. I am looking forward to seeing my Canes end that 7 game losing streak, and if they don’t I will surely be depressed next week!
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