Paul's Picks Week 5
Welcome Back!
I had a decent week, as I went 50-16, or 75.7%. It would have been better if Mizzou and Arkansas had hit their last minute FGs...
Overall I am 247-67, or 78.7%, which is a 0.7% drop from last week. Hopefully, I can improve this week.
There are some very difficult to predict games this week, especially now that we are mostly into conference matchups, but it's also complicated by the approach of Hurricane Ian, but we have only 64 games, the fewest since Week Zero.
On to the picks!
Thursday, September 29
South Carolina State @ South Carolina- This game was moved from noon Saturday to avoid the effects of Hurricane Ian. The Gamecocks are 2-0 all-time against the Bulldogs, and though they couldn't beat those other Dawgs a couple of weeks ago, they shouldn't have any problems with this breed. SC wins easily.
Utah State @ BYU- The Cougars lead this series 50-37-3, and have won the last 2, and 33 of the last 40, dating back to 1975, as they've played almost every year since their 1st meeting in 1922. In fact, they've only missed playing in 1943-45 (for WWII, I presume), 1995, 1998, 2003-05, 2007, and in 2020. The Aggies dominated the early going, with a 6-0-1 record, with BYU winning 4 straight starting in 1929. Up until BYU's run starting in 1975, USU led in the series with a record of 30-17-3. Enough with the history lesson. The Aggies have taken a huge step back this year after winning the MWC last year, and while the Cougars aren't as good as last year either, they're still pretty good. BYU wins.
Friday, September 30
Tulane @ Houston- It seems to be a theme this year that right after a big upset win, the team that does the upsetting stumbles the next week, which is what happened to the Green Wave after their big win over Kansas State 2 weeks ago. So the question is, which is the aberration, their win over KSU or their loss to Southern Miss? The Cougars have been just as baffling, splitting a pair of OT games and losing to Kansas by 18 while eking by Rice by 7. Houston leads the series 19-7, and has won the last 2, but only leads 3-2 over the last 5. Tulane hasn't won in Houston since 2014 (3 straight losses), and though I don't have a lot of confidence in the Cougars, I have less so in Tulane. Houston wins at home.
UTSA @ Middle Tennessee- The Roadrunners lead the series 3-1, having won 3 straight after losing the 1st meeting in 2015. The Blue Raiders scored a massive upset over Miami, Fl last week, and as mentioned above, teams coming off big upsets tend to have a letdown the next week (see also Marshall). This is a big game in the CUSA. UTSA wins a close one, but I won't be surprised if it goes the other way.
San Diego State @ Boise State- The Aztecs are one of the few MWC teams that have handled the Broncos, as they lead the series 4-3, and are actually 2-1 on the blue turf in Boise. BSU is down, and SDSU may be one of only a few decent MWC teams this year. Aztecs win.
Washington @ UCLA- I'm not sure I've bought in on the Huskies, yet, as their win over Michigan State has been exposed as something less than stellar. However, the Bruins haven't been overly impressive- though they've scored 45 points 3 times, none were against a team in the top 104 in my Power Rankings, and they have a 1-point win over a team I have ranked 101. UCLA leads the series 40-33-2, and though they've won 14 of the last 19 meetings, including last year, UW has won 2 of the last 3, and 3 of the last 6, including the last one played in Pasadena. UW wins.
New Mexico @ UNLV- The Rebels lead the series 13-12, winning last year to take the lead, and have won 7 of the last 10. The Lobos have an impressive win over UTEP, which itself has a win by the same score over Boise State, which beat UNM by the same 17 point margin (but by a different score). Got all that? UNLV is off to its best start in many years, and are looking to go 2-0 in the MWC. Rebels win in Las Vegas for the 1st time in the series since 2012.
Saturday, October 1
Michigan @ Iowa- The Wolverines last year became the 1st team since 2018 to score more than 27 points in a game against the Hawkeyes, as they humiliated Iowa 42-3 in the Big Ten Championship Game. But that's not all; UM has also dominated the Hawkeyes to the tune of a 43-15-4 lead in the series, winning their last 2 matchups. However, Iowa won 5 of 6 from 2009 through 2016, and has won the last 4 in Kinnick Stadium, and 5 of the last 6 played there, so this is definitely not a gimme for the Wolverines. Since 2002, when Iowa holds UM to 28 points or less, they are 7-3 against the Wolverines, with their losses giving up 20, 23, and 10 points, but they are 6-0 when scoring 24 points themselves. I'm not sure Iowa can score 24 this game, but I'm also not sure Michigan can, either. Michigan wins, but it will be close and low scoring.
Oklahoma @ TCU- The Horned Frogs are one of 3 remaining undefeated teams in the Big 12, and only one of those three (Okla St) was somewhat expected. The Sooners lead the series 17-5, winning the last 8, including one in the 2017 Big 12 Championship Game. 2 of TCU's 5 wins came in the 1940s. TCU has only won once in Fort Worth, in 2014, so they are only 1-8 at home in this series. Not good. OU wins.
Kentucky @ Ole Miss- Interestingly, the Wildcats are one of 3 undefeated teams in the SEC East, while the Rebels are one of 2 in the SEC West. However, the West is 3-0 against the East so far this season. Ole Miss leads the series 28-14-1, and has won the last 2, and 9 of the last 12, dating back to 1990. This is one of those SEC rivalries that has an interesting history. They had their 1st meeting in 1944, though they had shared a conference since 1922, first the Southern Conference, and then the SEC. Starting in 1944, they couldn't get enough of each other as they played every year through 1993 (the SEC split into divisions in 1992), and they've played only 8 times since, as UK's permanent crossover has been Mississippi State, and Ole Miss's has been Vandy (sounds like a good deal for both of them...). The last 3 games have been played in Lexington, and the last one played in Oxford, a Rebels win in 2010, was vacated by Mississippi. Kentucky hasn't won in Oxford since 1978, and their only other win there was in 1949, as every other win- and the tie- has been in Lexington, except for 1964; that was in Jackson. Ole Miss also has 5 wins in Jackson, along with 5 in Memphis. Sorry for taking you down that rabbit hole with me, but sometimes these series histories are fascinating. Anyway, UK's big win is over Florida; Ole Miss's big win is over...Tulsa? Troy? Ga Tech? Big Blue wins a close one.
Illinois @ Wisconsin- The Badgers are only 2-2, having lost to the only 2 decent teams they have played. The Illini are 3-1, with wins over Wyoming and Virginia, and a surprising loss to Indiana. UW leads the series 44-38-7, but have dominated recently, winning the last 2, and 18 of the last 22. They 1st played in 1895, and Illinois held the advantage through much of the series until the Badgers seized control starting in 1993 (from 1963-92, the Illini went 18-5-1 against Wisconsin. I'm going out on a limb and picking the upset. Illinois wins.
Texas Tech @ Kansas State- Here is where my theory of teams coming off big wins having letdowns runs into a problem- both teams are coming off big emotional upsets of rivals. So which one will be able to avoid the letdown (or have less of one)? The Wildcats lead the series 13-9, have won the last 6, and have won 10 of the last 11. The main difference I can see between the 2 is that KSU seems to have a good defense while the Red Raiders give up about 30 ppg to FBS foes. Both teams can score, but have one game when they were held to 14 or less. Flip a coin. KSU wins at home
Georgia State @ Army- The Black Knights are coming out of an off week; the Panthers are watching their season of promise quickly slip away. Each team has 1 win in the series, but this is the 1st time it will be played in West Point. I've been riding with GSU the last 2 weeks, but I just can't do it anymore. Army wins a close one.
Purdue @ Minnesota- The Golden Gophers lead the series 41-33-3, and have won the last 4, and 8 of the last 9. They 1st played in 1894, and the series has been fairly even throughout its history, as there have only been 2 prior instances of "dominance": Minnesota won 6 of 7 from 1985-91, and the Boilermakers won 9 of 10 from 1996-2007. Purdue was thought by many to be a dark horse contender for the Big Ten West, but they have started the season just 2-2. The Gophers appear to be the best team in the division, but they need to avoid the upset here. Minnesota has won the last 9 in Minneapolis, so they'll make it 10 in a row. Gophers win big.
Louisville @ Boston College- The Cardinals lead the series 8-6, and have won 2 of the last 3. They 1st met in 1986, played 6 times through 1998, and have played yearly since 2014. The Eagles are 4-3 in Chestnut Hill in the series, but have not played well so far this year. UL has played much better after getting blown out by Syracuse in their 1st game, and need this win to move to 1-2 in the ACC and get out of the basement. Louisville wins.
Navy @ Air Force- The Falcons lead the Midshipmen in this series by the count of 32-22, and have won the last 2. They 1st played in 1960, but didn't start playing yearly until 1972. There have been 2 long eras of dominance: from 1982-2002, Air Force won 19 of 21, and from 2003-2013, Navy won 9 of 11. Over the last 8 years, AF holds the 5-3 advantage. Navy came out of their off week a new team, beating ECU in OT last week. The Falcons also reverted to form after their upset loss to Wyoming 2 weeks ago. This will be a good game, as it almost always is, but Air Force wins at home, where they are 5-1 the last 6 games in Falcon Stadium in the series.
Temple @ Memphis- The Owls lead the series 4-3, with each team alternating wins, but the Tigers are only 1-2 in Memphis. Temple is 2-2 this year with losses to 2 P5 teams (combined 14-46 score) and wins over UMass and an FCS team (combined 58-14 score). Memphis is 3-1, with wins over Navy, Arkansas State, and North Texas, and a loss to Mississippi State. This should be a surprisingly close game with the Tigers coming out on top.
Texas State @ James Madison- The Dukes are off to a stellar start to their FBS career, as they are 3-0, including 2-0 against FBS teams and 1-0 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Bobcats are 2-2, with blowout losses to Texas and Alabama and wins against an FCS team and in an upset over Louisiana. At some point, JMU is going to lose a game, but this isn't that point. Dukes win.
Oregon State @ Utah- The Beavers lead the Utes 12-11-1, thanks to winning in Corvallis last year and breaking a 5-game Utah winning streak. These teams 1st met in 1931, but didn't play again until 1947, at which point they played 10 times through 1970. During this stretch, OSU was 8-2-1 against the Utes. Once they picked back up in 1991, Utah has been in control, with the Utes holding the 9-4 edge. This could be a good game, but Utah is the better team. Utes win.
UMass @ Eastern Michigan- The Minutemen lead the series 2-1, with wins in 2014 and 2015, but the Eagles won by 14 last year. EMU is another example of a team that scored a big upset having a letdown the following week. UMass seems unlikely to ever be in that position anytime soon. EMU wins big.
Northern Illinois @ Ball State- Both teams are 1-3, with their lone win over an FCS foe. Each have a loss to a P5 team (NIU has 2), but BSU already has a conference loss. The Huskies lead the series 25-22-2, and have won 11 of the last 13, including last year, but the Cardinals have won 2 of the last 3. Most of Ball State's wins came in the period between 1974 and 1998, when they won 16 of 17, as they have only won 6 other times- 1942, 2005, 2007-08, and 2019-20. NIU wins.
East Carolina @ USF- This game has been moved to Boca Raton (FAU is playing in Denton, TX this weekend) due to Hurricane Ian, and is being played at 2:30 instead of 7:00. The Bulls lead the series 9-3, but the Pirates have won the last 2 by a combined 35 points. USF has yet to win a game against FBS competition, and they won't do so here. ECU wins.
Alabama @ Arkansas- The Crimson Tide lead this series 22-8, and have won the last 14, which means this was tied at 14 wins apiece before this current run. Except not really, because 2 Bama wins (2005 and 2007) were vacated, and another (1993) was forfeited. Alabama also owns 2 Sugar Bowl wins, in their 1st 2 meetings in 1962 and 1980. In this current 14-game win streak, only 3 of the wins have been by single digits, including the 7 point win last year. The Razorbacks won't be sneaking up on the Tide this year. Bama wins big.
Rutgers @ Ohio State- The Buckeyes lead the series 8-0, with all games being played over the last 8 years, and none being closer than 22 points. The Scarlet Knights just gave up 27 points to Iowa, a team that came in averaging just under 14 ppg. How many points do you think they'll allow to the Buckeyes, who are averaging 49.5 against better competition? OSU wins easily.
Oklahoma State @ Baylor- The Bears got a big win over Iowa State in their Big 12 opener last week while the Cowboys were idle. OSU leads the series 22-19, and has won 2 of the last 3, including during the regular season last year, but Baylor won in the Big 12 Championship Game to clinch the conference crown. The Bears have also won 6 of the last 9, and 4 of the last 5 in Waco. OSU is my pick to win the conference, and so is my pick to win here as well. Cowboys win a close one.
Northwestern @ Penn State- The Nittany Lions lead the series 14-5, and have won 7 of the last 9, including the last meeting in 2017, but the Wildcats have won 2 of the last 3. PSU seems to be awfully good; NW seems to just be awful. Penn State wins big.
Wake Forest @ FSU- The Seminoles lead the series 30-8-1, but the Demon Deacons have won the last 2. The tie came in their very 1st meeting, in 1956, and they played their 1st 9 matchups in Tallahassee. WF hasn't won in Tallahassee since 2008, and the Deacons have only won 3 in a row one other time, from 2006-08. I'm not convinced FSU is "back", but I also think WF may be due for an emotional letdown after coming so close to upsetting Clemson last week. Both teams have been impressive offensively, but leave a lot to be desired defensively. Another coin flip game, but I'm going with Wake until FSU proves they can sustain success. WF wins.
Iowa State @ Kansas- If the Jayhawks win this game, they'll have as many wins this season as they had the last 3 years combined. Kansas actually leads the series 50-45-6, but the Cyclones have closed the gap considerably recently, winning the last 7, and 11 of the last 12. They 1st played in 1898, but not again until 1916. ISU has won the last 3 played in Lawrence, and 4 of the last 5, but KU will get the upset here as they continue their magical season for at least one more week.
Fresno State @ UConn- The Bulldogs won the only other meeting, 45-0, last year. Expect a similar result. FSU routs the Huskies, as it won't be much of a dogfight.
Michigan State @ Maryland- The Spartans lead the series 10-2, with the Terrapins' only wins coming in 2016 and 1950. For some reason, they played twice in 1944, and once each in '46, '49, and '50, and then picked back up when the Terps joined the Big Ten in 2014. Both teams are coming off a loss last week, but for MSU, it was their 2nd consecutive loss. One of then will bounce back into the win column. MSU wins.
Virginia Tech @ North Carolina- The Hokies lead the series 25-12-6, and have won 5 of the last 6, including 17-10 in last season's opener. VT is 7-3 in the last 10 played at Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels suffered their 1st loss of the '22 season last week, but barely squeaked by 2 SBC teams that have a combined record of 2-6. The Hokies are only 2-2, but are 1-2 against FBS teams, with a win over woeful Boston College and losses to WVU and ODU. Neither team is very good, so go with the home team. UNC wins a close one.
SMU @ UCF- The Knights lead the series 8-2, but the Mustangs won last year, 55-28. Though they are 2-2, SMU's 2 losses are to P5 teams. UCF is 3-1 with their loss to a P5 team also, but they also have a win over a P5 team. UCF wins at home.
Central Michigan @ Toledo- The Rockets lead the overall series 27-20-3, and have won 10 of the last 12, but the Chippewas have won 2 of the last 3, including last year, by the score of 26-23. At 2-2, Toledo has one of the better records in the MAC, and will be one of the top teams when the season is over. CMU has a win over an FCS team, but lost to an SBC team. Rockets win.
Bowling Green @ Akron- These are 2 of the worst teams, not just in the MAC, but in all of FBS. The Falcons lead the series 18-10, but the Zips have won the last 2, and 3 of the last 5. While BGSU has an FBS win, they lost to an FCS team (in 7 OTs), and were blown out by 2 P5 teams. The Zips have an FCS win, were blown out by 2 P5 schools, but played Liberty within 9 points. Once again go with the home team in a coin flip game. Akron wins a close one.
Miami, Oh @ Buffalo- While the Redhawks lead the series 16-8, the 2 teams have split the last 4. The Bulls have played well the last 2 weeks, after losing to an FCS team, as they came close to beating CCU, and got their 1st MAC win over EMU. Miami is 2-2, with wins over an FCS team and Northwestern, and competitive losses to Kentucky and Cincinnati. This is another instance where a team (Miami) is coming off of a big upset and is in danger of suffering a letdown. I think the fact that it's the 1st MAC game of the season will have the team pumped and ready. Miami wins.
Ohio @ Kent State- The Bobcats lead the series 45-26-2, and have won 6 of the last 7, but the Golden Flashes won 34-27 last year. Both teams have been bludgeoned by P5 teams (as has most of the MAC), but Ohio struggled with their FCS team, while KSU did not. Flashes win.
The Citadel @ Appalachian State- The Mountaineers finally get a break, as they are 29-13 against the Bulldogs. ASU wins big.
Gardner-Webb @ Marshall- The Thundering Herd will move to 2-0 all time against the Bulldogs. Marshall wins easily.
Texas A&M @ Mississippi State- The Bulldogs lead the series 8-7, with the difference coming in MSU's 26-22 victory last year, or I guess you could say the difference was MSU's Independence Bowl win in 2000. The Dogs only hold a 3-2 edge in Starkville, as they have played in Houston, Dallas (twice), and Tyler, TX the 1st 4 times they met- in 1912, 1913, 1915, and 1937 respectively, which was the last time they met before the bowl game in 2000. All the other meetings have been since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. MSU is 3-1 with a loss at LSU and their "signature" win at Arizona. TAMU is also 3-1, with their loss to App State at home and their signature wins over Miami and Arkansas (in Arlington, TX). The Bulldogs were tagged by many pundits as a dark horse in the SEC West, but I never bought into that. But neither have I bought in to the Aggies as being a true contender in the division, or for the CFP. This is a tough one to pick, but I think MSU gets it done at home in a mild upset.
Georgia Southern @ Coastal Carolina- The Eagles have surprised everyone with how well they have done, but it's still early in the season, which means they may or may not be able to continue that success. CFB history is littered with teams that started 3-1 or 4-0 and ended 4-8 or 5-7. The Chanticleers are 1 of 2 remaining unbeaten SBC (and G5) teams- JMU is the other- but although they are 4-0, most of their wins have been close. The Eagles lead the series 5-3, but CCU has won the last 2. I think the Chants make it 3 in a row. CCU wins a close one.
FAU @ North Texas- The Owls lead the series over the Mean Green 8-5, mostly on the strength of winning the 1st 6 meetings from 2004-09, though they've also won 2 of the last 3 (one in the 2017 CUSA Championship Game). However, UNT won last year, and has won 5 of the last 7, including the last 3 in Denton. Both teams are 2-3, both have a near upset against better teams, and both are 1-0 in CUSA play. UNT wins at home.
Wagner @ Syracuse- The Orange will have no problems going 3-0 against the Seahawks as they move to 5-0 for the 1st time since they went 11-0-1 in 1987 (tied Auburn in the Sugar Bowl).
South Alabama @ Louisiana- The Ragin' Cajuns have lost 2 straight, including to recent perennial SBC bottom feeder and rival ULM, but the Jaguars are 3-1 with a 1-point loss to UCLA on their resume'. UL leads the series 8-2, and have won the last 6, but USA gets that turned around this year and pulls off the win.
California @ Washington State- The Golden Bears finally got their offense to explode for some points, scoring over 40 against an FBS foe-Arizona- for just the 2nd time since 2018. The Cougars, on the other hand, lost to Oregon to drop to 3-1/0-1, but have very few problems scoring points. Cal leads the series 48-29-5, but have lost the last 2 in Pullman. Wazzu wins.
Liberty @ ODU- The Flames lead the series 2-1, but the home team is 3-0 so far. LU has already beaten one new SBC team (USM), and their only loss so far has been to Wake Forest by 1. The Monarchs have losses to ECU and Virginia, but a win over Va Tech, as they are 2-0 at home and 0-2 on the road. Good enough for me. ODU wins at home.
New Hampshire @ Western Michigan- The Broncos should take care of business against the Wildcats in this 1st ever meeting. WMU wins, but UNH may give them a scare.
UTEP @ Charlotte- The 49ers lead 2-0, but the Miners will get their 1st win in the series. UTEP wins.
LSU @ Auburn- The Tigers lead the series 31-24-1, but the Tigers have won the last 2. That is, the Bayou Bengals lead the series, but the Plainsmen have won the last 2. Or is it the War Eagles? Whatever. Auburn is lucky it won last week against those other Tigers from Missouri, as they should have lost twice- once in regulation and once in OT. LSU just may have figured some things out after their opening loss to FSU (which also looks to be better than anyone thought). AU has won 3 of the last 4 played at home, and this is LSU's 1st true road game (Auburn has yet to go on the road- they do that next week at Georgia), but I'm going with those Louisiana Tigers. LSU wins.
Cincinnati @ Tulsa- This series, played since 1946, is tied at 17-17-2. The Bearcats have won 8 of the last 9, including 3 in a row, but while the last 3 games are over the last 3 years, the other 6 stretch from 1993-2016. These teams played almost every year from 1951-1980, missing only 3 years in that span, and then they picked back up in 1993, played 4 times in the 90s (all Cincy wins), and then in 2015 and 2016 (Tulsa's lone win out of the last 9). Cincinnati is the better team this year as well. Bearcats win.
ULM @ Arkansas State- The Red Wolves lead the series 28-14, and have won the last 12, but they are off to a 1-3 start with only a win over an FCS team to show for their efforts. The Warhawks are 2-2, with an FCS win and an upset over rival Louisiana. However, Here's the letdown situation-again- following a huge upset win for ULM, as they are currently 0-2 on the road this year, and have lost 16 straight road games stretching all the way back to the middle of the 2019 season (which was also their last road conference win- 10 straight losses). Well, streaks have to end sometime. ULM wins in a mild upset.
Troy @ WKU- The Trojans lead the series 9-2-1, but the Hilltoppers have won 2 of the last 3. However, they last played in 2013, so the results aren't really relevant, but I'll talk a little about them anyway. The tie was in their 1st meeting, in 1976. They met 4 times in the 90s, and then every year from 2007-2013, as WKU was a member of the SBC from 2009-2013. WKU has had an outstanding start to the season, and that will continue here. Hilltoppers win.
Georgia @ Missouri- The Bulldogs lead the series 10-1, with only the 1960 Orange Bowl win occurring before the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012. Mizzou's only win was in 2013, in Athens, so the Tigers are 0-5 in Columbia. Make that 0-6. Dawgs win big.
NC State @ Clemson- The Tigers lead the series 59-29-1, and have won 15 of the last 17, but the Wolfpack won last year, 27-21. Which means they won't be sneaking up on the Tigers this year, who certainly won't be overlooking them. Clemson has scored at least 41 points in every game so far this year, after breaking 40 only 3 times last year (against an FCS team, UConn, and WF), but they'll be going against an NC State defense that has yet to allow more than 20 in any game in '22. I expect a close game, but I'd be surprised if the Wolfpack can pull off 2 wins in a row in the series, something they haven't done since 2002-03. Clemson wins.
West Virginia @ Texas- This is a game between, in my opinion at least, 2 middle-of-the-pack Big 12 teams. The Longhorns are 2-2, with victories over SBC and CUSA teams, and close losses to Alabama and Texas Tech. The Mountaineers are 2-2 with an FCS win and a win over a middling Va Tech, plus 2 close losses to Pitt and Kansas. Each has a loss at home and a loss on the road. WVU leads the series 6-5, winning 31-23 last year, but they are 4-2 in Austin. WVU wins.
Indiana @ Nebraska- The Hoosiers lead the series 10-8-3, but only 2 meetings have happened this century, in 2016 and 2019, with each team winning once. They played 4 times in the 30s (N 2-0-2), 8 times in the 40s (IU 7-1), 3 times in the 50s (IU 2-0-1), and 4 times in the 70s (N 4-0). The Cornhuskers are a terrible team, and I will not predict them against an FBS team again, unless it's a bottom feeder like UMass or UConn, until they prove to me they can beat quality teams consistently. Or even mediocre teams. Indiana wins.
Virginia @ Duke- The Cavaliers lead the series 40-33, and have won the last 7, but the Blue Devils have played far better this season, albeit against slightly lesser competition. This should be a close, competitive game between 2 teams that appear to be very equal, and both have new HCs this year. So far, the Wahoos are 0-2 on the road in '22 while Duke is 2-0 at home. That trend ends here. UVA wins in a mild upset.
San Jose State @ Wyoming- The Cowboys lead the series 7-5, but the Spartans have won 4 of the last 5 (from 2013 to present-Wyoming's win being in 2018), including last year. Wyoming won 6 of the 1st 7 played, from 1959-1997, with SJSU's lone win in 1992. Wyoming has started the season well, with wins over Tulsa and Air Force, and their 2 losses to Illinois and BYU, and are 3-2, which is better than I expected. The Spartans have played 2 less games, but lost by only 8 on the road at Auburn. I'm still not fully bought in on the Cowboys yet, though they are 3-0 at home. SJSU wins.
UAB @ Rice- This is a huge game for the Owls if they want to challenge for a spot in the CUSA Championship Game. At 2-2, they're off to a better start than expected, but need to maintain that momentum. The Blazers lead the series 6-4, and have won 4 of the last 5, but Rice won 30-24 last year. UAB has an unexpected loss to Liberty, but is coming out of an off week, so they should be well rested. UAB wins.
Georgia Tech @ Pittsburgh- The Panthers lead the series 11-5, including the last 4, and 6 of the last 7. Pitt won the 1st 3, played in 1918, 1919, and 1920, but they didn't play again until the 1956 Sugar Bowl and the 1956 Gator Bowl, both won by the Yellow Jackets. They also played in 1974 and '76, both won by Pitt, and they've played every year since 2013. the Jackets are a terrible team this year. Pitt wins.
FIU @ New Mexico State- The Panthers just got pounded 73-0 by WKU, and they have been outscored 114-12 in their 2 games against FBS competition. The Aggies are only 1-4, but have a win over an FBS team, Hawaii. NMSU won the only other meeting, in 2004, and they'll win this one, too. Aggies win.
Colorado @ Arizona- The Buffaloes lead the series 16-8, and have won the last 2, but the Wildcats have won 7 of the last 10. Colorado is another terrible team, and Arizona isn't much better, but they are better. Wildcats win.
Arizona State @ USC- The Trojans lead the series 23-14, and have won 5 of the last 7, but the Sun Devils won last year. However, ASU is still in disarray, it seems, after their coaching change 2 weeks ago. USC wins easily.
Stanford @ Oregon- The Cardinal lead the series 50-34-1, and won last year, but the Ducks have won 2 of the last 3. Stanford is off to a rough start, and seems to be in a downward spiral these last few years. Oregon has rebounded in a big way from their opening loss to UGA. Both of those trends continue. Oregon avenges their OT loss to Stanford last year.
Sunday, October 2
Eastern Washington @ Florida- This game was moved from noon Saturday but it won't make a difference, except giving the Gators less time to prepare for Missouri next week. The Gators will win this 1st time meeting with the Eagles quite easily.
Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!
Comments
Post a Comment