Week two of college football begins on Friday, and the weekend’s games expect to be exciting.
College Gameday
As the Crimson Tide face the Longhorns, ESPN College Gameday is broadcast live from Austin, Texas. Texas hasn’t defeated an SEC team during the regular season since beating Ole Miss 66-31 in 2012. Since then, the Longhorns have dropped three straight nonconference games against the SEC. With losses in 25 of their previous 27 games, Nick Saban’s former assistants have not fared well against him previously. Although Alabama lost to Texas A&M (Jimbo Fisher) in the regular season and Georgia (Kirby Smart) in the College Football Playoff National Championship, the two victories came in the previous campaign. Sark and the Longhorns are aiming to defeat Alabama and make it three wins in a row.
Texas’ victory over Louisiana-Monroe wasn’t particularly impressive, but we’ll see if Ewers’ production improves with more experience. Early on, he attempted too much, but he calmed down and played well. Texas has plenty of weapons, but the two best players on either team in this game are running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Xavier Worthy. The issue is that Texas’ front line is still developing, and the Horns won’t be able to handle the combination of edge players Will Anderson and Dallas Turner. This game may be much more competitive if Texas can find a way to give Ewers some breathing room to throw and give Robinson some run room.
Prediction: Alabama wins this game, and also hits the spread. Ewers can’t handle the pressure of the big stage, in my opinion. Alabama’s stifling front 7 pressures Ewers and prevents Bijan Robinson from gaining more than 70 rushing yards. The offense of Alabama takes care of business and destroys the Longhorns’ secondary. Alabama wins 45–17.
#24 Tennessee @ #17 Pittsburgh
For Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers, this is a critical game. after defeating the Ball State Cardinals by a score of 49 at home. The Vols hope to improve on that performance in Pittsburgh by defeating a top-20 team. The quick-footed Tennessee offense, led by Hendon Hooker, is attempting to throw the Pittsburgh defense off its game. The Pittsburgh offense, led by Kedon Slovis, managed to defeat West Virginia last week. The Panthers were able to win the game because of some costly mistakes. I think Tennessee will start strong when they enter the game.
Prediction: It’ll be close, but I think the Volunteers will start strong and manage to eke out the victory. Tennessee wins the Panthers 34–27.
South Carolina @ #16 Arkansas
The South Carolina Gamecocks are the Razorbacks’ next challenging at-home opponent. Following a significant win over Cincinnati, Arkansas has everything going their way. The Arkansas defense has looked fantastic, and KJ Jefferson reflects a young Cam Newton. For South Carolina, quarterback Spencer Rattler, a transfer, will face his first challenge as a Gamecock. It will be fascinating to watch Rattler perform in front of a hostile SEC home crowd. To defeat Arkansas, South Carolina will need big things from him and the running game.
Prediction: Arkansas wins this one and the offense will flourish. Arkansas wins 35-20.
Appalachian State @ #6 Texas A&M
The Appalachian State Mountaineers recently suffered a devastating loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Mountaineers put up a 40-point fourth-quarter effort in the high-scoring game. On the offensive end of the field, App State is blazing hot. The Aggies, meanwhile, just defeated Sam Houston State Bearcats in a shutout game. The performance of the blazing-hot Appalachian State offense against one of the SEC’s top defenses will be interesting to watch, as will the Aggies’ ability to score against the App State defense.
Prediction: I think this game is a little closer than some expect. I got the Aggies winning 30-17.
#20 Kentucky @ #12 Florida
Anthony Richardson, a way-too-early Heisman candidate, is the offensive leader for the Gators, who just defeated the #7 ranked Utah Utes. The Gators are on a roll after this victory. Kentucky struggled a bit against Miami (Ohio) last weekend, and Chris Rodriguez, the team’s top rusher from last season, is out for this game. In a 27-16 victory over the Florida Gators four years prior, Kentucky entered the swamp and played upset. This year is different because the Billy Napier era has begun and will recommence when the Wildcats enter the swamp. Florida handles business in an orderly manner, and Anthony Richardson is the real deal.
Prediction: Never underestimate a Kentucky team led by Mark Stoops. They play aggressively, fast, and intensely. But I believe the Gators will start strong because of the home crowd advantage. They will look to Anthony Richardson to help them win, and he will. The Gators win 31-20.
#9 Baylor @ #21 BYU
For these two programs, this is an extremely important game. This victory is essential for BYU if they are to have any chance of reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals. I think quarterback Jaren Hall is a great athlete and has a lot of potential as a passer, so I really like the way he played. Gunner Romney and Puka Nacua, two of BYU’s top wide receivers, won’t be available for the offense. The Baylor Bears are a top-tier Big 12 defense, so the Cougars will suffer as a result of this. The Bears’ offense was the big question heading into the season, and it answered it by scoring 69 points in the opening game. Will it be different against a team better than Albany? Probably but for right now it’s good enough for me to go with the Bears to win this one.
Prediction: It’s gonna be a close and sloppy game for both offenses. I think the Baylor defense puts enough pressure on the Cougars offense and they lose the turnover battle. I think it’s a close win but nevertheless a win for the Bears. Baylor wins this one 27-21.
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