Week 2 Predictions

Coach Dabo Swinney and his Clemson Tigers stole the show in opening weekend as they knocked off (then) #5 Georgia, 38-35 (the exact score I predicted, might I add) in front of a full capacity and electric crowd in Death Valley Saturday night. The win propelled Clemson to the #4 spot in the polls and has Tiger nation buzzing about making a run for a BCS title. In other tidbits from the weekend, South Carolina took care of business Thursday night against North Carolina (27-10). Alabama had a far from impressive showing against VT in the Georgia dome and new signal caller Jameis Winston showed that he's the real deal in FSU's 41-13 win over Pittsburgh. Overall it was a great opening weekend of college football. Now lets see if Week 2 can can top it! Not sure I can nail a score like I did last weekend but here goes nothing....

Week 2 Predictions: Take Your Pick 

#14 Notre Dame @ #17 Michigan 

For only the 2nd time ever, Michigan will be playing under the lights in the Big House. We all remember how exciting the first game was back in 2011. The Wolverines won an exciting high scoring battle 35-31. Hopefully this one will shape up to be just as good. ESPN's College Gameday will be there to watch it all unfold. Death Valley was rocking last weekend and now Michigan will get another chance to show the nation just how loud it gets in the Big House at night. 

The Pick: Michigan 

#2 Oregon vs Virginia 

Oregon has one of the best offenses in the country and when it comes to speed, they take things to another level. Virginia barely had 200 yards of total offense last week in their win over BYU. No need to sugarcoat this one or even begin to say the Oregon could get knocked off. The Ducks are stacked on offense and will score early and often on this Caviler defense. This one is going to get ugly, folks. No way around it. 

The Pick: Oregon 

#12 Florida @ Miami 

This should be a good one. Another old classic rivalry in the Sunshine State. Duke Johnson is set for monster year for the Hurricanes as he rushed for 186 yards on 18 carries last weekend. If Miami is ready to make its comeback they'll need to keep pounding the ball with #8. Florida is hoping to make some noise this year in the SEC. They showed signs of promise last season finishing 11-2 highlighted by wins against Texas A&M, LSU, South Carolina and Florida State. The ACC could use another big win over the SEC. However, I don't think it happens here.

The Pick: Florida

#4 Clemson vs SC State

The Tigers answered a lot of questions Saturday night in their win over Georgia. Although the defense gave up a few big plays, they made stops when they had to and put the pressure on Aaron Murray when it mattered most. The offense didn't disappoint either and it appears that the Tigers running game will be just fine this year without Andre Ellington. With a bye week and a Thursday night road trip to NC State looming, Clemson just needs to pour it on early, get the reserves into the game as soon as possible and head into their bye week healthy. No need to even entertain the idea of an upset here, the Tigers are 26-0 against Division 1-AA teams since 1978. 

The Pick: Clemson 

**Bonus Pick of the Week**

Presbyterian vs Brevard

The Blue Hose drew first blood against Wake Forest Thursday night but the lead was short lived as they fell 31-7 to the ACC foe. This week PC should be on the other side of a rout and notch their first win of the 2013 season. Look for them to get an early lead and cruise through the second half with relative ease.

The Pick: Presbyterian 

And last but not least......

Christopher's Game of the Week

#11 UGA vs #6 South Carolina

Preview: 

Georgia finds itself in yet another huge showdown in week 2 when they welcome in Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks Saturday afternoon "Between the hedges". South Carolina has had Georgia's number as of late, winning the last three meetings. Last season South Carolina dominated the game in nearly every aspect and send the Dawgs back home to Athens with a 35-7 loss. This year's game should be much closer and more entertaining. With the best defensive player in college football going up against one of the best quarterbacks, this game, like the Clemson-UGA game last week, should be one for the ages. This game has become quite the rivalry matchup. The winner will be in the drivers seat in the Eastern division while the loser will have to play catch-up. 

Players to Watch: 

Georgia- QB Aaron Murray, RB Todd Gurley, RB Keith Marshall, FB Quayvon Hicks

South Carolina- QB Conner Shaw, RB Mike Davis, WR Bruce Ellington, WR Shaq Roland

My Thoughts: 

Georgia fans have gone into deep depression and panic mode following their loss to Clemson. But they have to move on. The Dawgs can still technically make it to the BCS title game if they win out and get some help along the way. However, the road won't be an easy one. South Carolina took control of this game last season and put the pressure on Aaron Murray. The UGA offense couldn't do much of anything, especially in the running game. Luckily this game isn't on the road so the Bulldogs will have the crowd on their side this time around. Georgia desperately needs this win if nothing more from a morale standpoint. This time last week, UGA fans were calling for a BCS title. But if South Carolina can come to Athens and leave with a win, that puts the Dawgs out of the BCS title talk, puts SEC title dreams on hold and could be the last straw for head coach Mark Richt. There will be more guys like this calling into radio shows Monday morning (or Saturday night) with their heads hanging low. 

Bottom Line: 

Although Clemson's defense is still a bit suspect, they won the battle up front for the majority of the night and recorded four sacks on Aaron Murray. If Clowney comes ready to play (which I'm sure he will) UGA could be in trouble. I'm looking for a low scoring affair in Athens this weekend and it'll come down to who can step up and make that one play to make a difference. As good as Georiga's offense is, South Carolina's defense still might have the upper hand. This one will go down to the wire with a defensive stand or last minute drive making the difference. At the end of the day, I gotta go with my gut on this one. Sorry, Georgia fans. 

The Pick: South Carolina