College Football Week 2
College Football Week 2
[font=Calibri]Locally:[/font]
[font=Calibri]Penn State vs Buffalo: 7:30 Fox; Penn State –30.5[/font]
[font=Calibri]For some reason, this game got the Primetime Fox slot. It has a lot to do with Fox now putting their marquee games on earlier in the day (probably to avoid competition with marquee games on the other networks). Anyways, this is a semi-intriguing matchup. Buffalo won 10 games last year and lost the MAC by a single point. They did lose some key contributors like QB Tyree Jackson and MLB Khalil Hodge they also brought back 15 starters. So they should once again compete for the MAC. I still don’t think there is enough talent on the field to really stay in this game much past the first 15 minutes or so. Penn State will once again have an opportunity to get some of their younger players some reps and ready to go for the real season which begins next week with Pitt.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My prediction Penn State 48 Buffalo 6[/font]
[font=Calibri]Pitt vs Ohio: 11:00 am ACC Network; Pitt -4[/font]
[font=Calibri]Ohio beat Rhode Island by 21. This is another team that should compete for the MAC. They won nine games last year but they return much of their core including Maxwell watch list QB Nathan Rourke. They received all 24 media votes to win the East Division of the MAC this year. This may be Frank Solich’s best squad in Ohio and he has had some good teams. On the other side, I actually was impressed by Pitt’s first half performance last week. To be breaking in 4 new offensive lineman against what I think is the 2[sup]nd[/sup] best team in the ACC, that was about the best result I could have predicted for Pitt. It is really time for Narduzzi to get some traction at Pitt and a loss to Ohio would make even a bowl game for 2019 a difficult proposition. Pitt has road games against #15 Penn State, #21 Syracuse, and Virginia Tech. The home slate isn’t any better with #18 UCF, Boston College, and Miami. A 0-2 state easily could become 0-4 before they play the only game they will be heavily favored in all year. Pitt lost their second starting defensive lineman this week in Keyshon Camp for the season only after losing top returning pass rusher Rashad Weaver in camp to a similar injury. This defense has to be stingy because I just don’t see this Kenny Pickett led offensive scoring more than about 20 points a game consistently.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Pitt 16 Ohio 14[/font]
[font=Calibri]Other Games I will be watching:[/font]
[font=Calibri]Maryland vs Syracuse: 12:00 ESPN; Maryland -2[/font]
[font=Calibri]Maryland has recruited and on their roster is a #18 and #28 recruiting class. Now they bring in Lockley from Nick Saban’s tree to try to coach them up. I think they can be this season’s Purdue and sneak up on some of the top contenders in the B1G. Syracuse is one of the most over-rated teams in the country in my opinion. They lost the best QB they have had since McNabb with the graduation of Eric Dungy. Syracuse also graduated both tackles and a guard. I just don’t see how Syracuse is just expected to reload in the fashion that the pollsters seem to believe they will.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Maryland 31 Syracuse 16[/font]
[font=Calibri]#1 Clemson vs #12 Texas A&M: 3:30 ABC; Clemson -17.5[/font]
[font=Calibri]I think the storyline here is if (and it is a giant if) Texas A&M were to knock off Clemson where on Clemson’s schedule can you point to a marquee win that will get them back into playoff contention. Jimbo Fisher has always had his teams ready to go against Clemson including last year when he gave them one of their only scares of the year.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Clemson 37 Texas A&M 35[/font]
[font=Calibri]#9 Texas vs #6 LSU: 7:30 ABC; LSU -6.5 [/font]
[font=Calibri]Both of these teams are on the right track to once again becoming perennial powers. The winner of the game will fully be there. Both teams have big games later in the season so I think even the loser has a chance to get back into the playoff picture. It sets up just a good football game to help gauge where these two power 5 conferences are in terms of challengers to their top program (Alabama and Oklahoma). Austin will be a different place than opponents are used to seeing.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Texas 28 LSU 23[/font]
[font=Calibri]Penn State vs Buffalo: 7:30 Fox; Penn State –30.5[/font]
[font=Calibri]For some reason, this game got the Primetime Fox slot. It has a lot to do with Fox now putting their marquee games on earlier in the day (probably to avoid competition with marquee games on the other networks). Anyways, this is a semi-intriguing matchup. Buffalo won 10 games last year and lost the MAC by a single point. They did lose some key contributors like QB Tyree Jackson and MLB Khalil Hodge they also brought back 15 starters. So they should once again compete for the MAC. I still don’t think there is enough talent on the field to really stay in this game much past the first 15 minutes or so. Penn State will once again have an opportunity to get some of their younger players some reps and ready to go for the real season which begins next week with Pitt.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My prediction Penn State 48 Buffalo 6[/font]
[font=Calibri]Pitt vs Ohio: 11:00 am ACC Network; Pitt -4[/font]
[font=Calibri]Ohio beat Rhode Island by 21. This is another team that should compete for the MAC. They won nine games last year but they return much of their core including Maxwell watch list QB Nathan Rourke. They received all 24 media votes to win the East Division of the MAC this year. This may be Frank Solich’s best squad in Ohio and he has had some good teams. On the other side, I actually was impressed by Pitt’s first half performance last week. To be breaking in 4 new offensive lineman against what I think is the 2[sup]nd[/sup] best team in the ACC, that was about the best result I could have predicted for Pitt. It is really time for Narduzzi to get some traction at Pitt and a loss to Ohio would make even a bowl game for 2019 a difficult proposition. Pitt has road games against #15 Penn State, #21 Syracuse, and Virginia Tech. The home slate isn’t any better with #18 UCF, Boston College, and Miami. A 0-2 state easily could become 0-4 before they play the only game they will be heavily favored in all year. Pitt lost their second starting defensive lineman this week in Keyshon Camp for the season only after losing top returning pass rusher Rashad Weaver in camp to a similar injury. This defense has to be stingy because I just don’t see this Kenny Pickett led offensive scoring more than about 20 points a game consistently.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Pitt 16 Ohio 14[/font]
[font=Calibri]Other Games I will be watching:[/font]
[font=Calibri]Maryland vs Syracuse: 12:00 ESPN; Maryland -2[/font]
[font=Calibri]Maryland has recruited and on their roster is a #18 and #28 recruiting class. Now they bring in Lockley from Nick Saban’s tree to try to coach them up. I think they can be this season’s Purdue and sneak up on some of the top contenders in the B1G. Syracuse is one of the most over-rated teams in the country in my opinion. They lost the best QB they have had since McNabb with the graduation of Eric Dungy. Syracuse also graduated both tackles and a guard. I just don’t see how Syracuse is just expected to reload in the fashion that the pollsters seem to believe they will.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Maryland 31 Syracuse 16[/font]
[font=Calibri]#1 Clemson vs #12 Texas A&M: 3:30 ABC; Clemson -17.5[/font]
[font=Calibri]I think the storyline here is if (and it is a giant if) Texas A&M were to knock off Clemson where on Clemson’s schedule can you point to a marquee win that will get them back into playoff contention. Jimbo Fisher has always had his teams ready to go against Clemson including last year when he gave them one of their only scares of the year.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Clemson 37 Texas A&M 35[/font]
[font=Calibri]#9 Texas vs #6 LSU: 7:30 ABC; LSU -6.5 [/font]
[font=Calibri]Both of these teams are on the right track to once again becoming perennial powers. The winner of the game will fully be there. Both teams have big games later in the season so I think even the loser has a chance to get back into the playoff picture. It sets up just a good football game to help gauge where these two power 5 conferences are in terms of challengers to their top program (Alabama and Oklahoma). Austin will be a different place than opponents are used to seeing.[/font]
[font=Calibri]My Prediction: Texas 28 LSU 23[/font]
Re: College Football Week 2
Nice 60 yard TD throw by PSU's QB Clifford with his team leading by 25 points (need 4 scores by Buffalo to lose the game) with 3 minutes to play.
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EaglealumsGhost
- Official BleacherCoach
- Posts: 395
- Joined: October 28th, 2016, 8:39 pm
Re: College Football Week 2
And the line in Vegas was 32..... house keeps all the $. Kind of makes you think a little bitEl-Moldo wrote:Nice 60 yard TD throw by PSU's QB Clifford with his team leading by 25 points (need 4 scores by Buffalo to lose the game) with 3 minutes to play.
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Colonel Mustard
- Official BleacherCoach
- Posts: 551
- Joined: October 25th, 2011, 9:51 pm
Re: College Football Week 2
Pitt is mediocre at best, again. Narduzzi declines a penalty to set up a 4th and 1 instead of accepting the penalty for a 3rd and 5. Luckily, the defense bailed out this incredibly dumb decision. It's tough to be a Pitt fan.
Mack Brown and UNC are the story so far. This guy takes a 2 win team, and beats S. Carolina and the U so far. Amazing. Coaching matters.
Mack Brown and UNC are the story so far. This guy takes a 2 win team, and beats S. Carolina and the U so far. Amazing. Coaching matters.
Re: College Football Week 2
PSU throwing the BOMB that late in the game with a big lead and their starting QB still in does make you wonder. Not as if it was a 5 yard dump off pass where the receiver then ran for 55 yards, or the second-string QB was in and needed some playing time. Franklin has done this time and again. He's just not a gentleman, like most coaches are. Wonder what the game ending conversation was like when the coaches met at mid-field?
Re: College Football Week 2
The postgame conversation probably went something like this:
Franklin - "Hey coach, good game. Your guys played hard and had us on the ropes early. Good luck , you are going to win some games this year"
Leipold - "You have a nice team too coach, good luck"
Franklin - "Sorry about leaving Clifford in to throw that 55 yard BOMB late......but there is this guy El Moldo on Bleacher Coaches and I just drive him nuts! I cant wait to see what he posts about me tomorrow. You should check it out"
Leipold -(Laughing) "Thanks, I'll take a look at that, might be entertaining"
Franklin - "Hey coach, good game. Your guys played hard and had us on the ropes early. Good luck , you are going to win some games this year"
Leipold - "You have a nice team too coach, good luck"
Franklin - "Sorry about leaving Clifford in to throw that 55 yard BOMB late......but there is this guy El Moldo on Bleacher Coaches and I just drive him nuts! I cant wait to see what he posts about me tomorrow. You should check it out"
Leipold -(Laughing) "Thanks, I'll take a look at that, might be entertaining"
Re: College Football Week 2
Nice try. Guess you have NO explanation why you can win a game by 32 points on your home field, and your second string QB comes in for only ONE play to take a knee with 15 seconds left. Maybe Franklin didn't want to get his starter hurt. Seems reasonable.