Week 7 Predictions

Last week can be described in one word...spectacular. If you can't enjoy College Football after last weekend's games then maybe sports in general just aren't your thing. In a weekend full of upsets and crazy finishes it was not a good weekend to be ranked. #2, #3, #4, #6, #8, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, and #19 were all knocked off. It was the first time EVER that five of the top ten lost in the same weekend. I mean seriously....you know it was an interesting day with Ole Miss and Mississippi State were sitting on top of the world by the time College Gameday Final went on the air. It all started Thursday night when unranked Arizona upset #2 Oregon on the road which was followed up by Utah State taking down #18 BYU Friday night. It started a domino effect that carried into Saturday where we would see #11 Ole Miss take down #3 Alabama, #25 TCU shock #4 Oklahoma, #5 Auburn blowout #15 LSU, #6 Texas A&M fall to #12 Mississippi State, Utah upset #8 UCLA, #9 Notre Dame hold off #14 Stanford, #10 Michigan State survive against #19 Nebraska, #16 USC fall short to Arizona State, and #17 Wisconsin upset by Northwestern. Elsewhere in the nation, Clemson shutout North Carolina State, Florida escaped Neyland Stadium with a win over Tennessee, Georgia handled Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech handed North Carolina its second straight ACC loss, Georgia Tech improved to 5-0 win a win over Miami and Steve Spurrier lost to Kentucky for only the second time ever as the Gamecocks blew another fourth quarter lead. Week 7 has a tough act to follow but lets see whats in store for us college football fans.


#2 Auburn @ #3 Mississippi State

The Tigers, Bulldogs and Rebels are currently in a three way tie for 1st in the SEC-West and this game all of the sudden has become a lot more intriguing than it looked even three weeks ago. Mississippi State is coming off a thrilling win over Texas A&M. Auburn just beat the mess out of LSU. With the season at the midway point, Dan Mullen's crew already has two top ten wins under its belt and if they can do the unthinkable and get past Auburn this week, they don't face another ranked opponent until November 15th when they travel to Alabama. My point is if this team can avoid the letdown the next few eeks and maybe steal one this week, even if they fall to Bama or Ole Miss at the end of the season they would have quite the resume when it comes to deciding who makes the playoffs. Its a long way from here but you gotta have it in the back of your head considering how they are playing. I've been skeptical of the Bulldogs so far this year but these guys are the real deal. Quarterback Dak Prescott is off to a great start and has thrown for 13 touchdowns this year. Auburn had no trouble against LSU last week but Saturday by far will be the biggest test they have faced so far this season. After deciding at the last minute to pick against them last week, I'm buying in and think the Bulldogs find a way to get it done at home. I can hear those cowbells all the way from Clemson, South Carolina.

The Pick: Mississippi State

#3 Ole Miss @ #14 Texas A&M 

The Rebels are feeling good about themselves and rightfully so following last week's victory over Alabama (which I predicted, by the way). The defense rose to the occasion and didn't allow Lane Kiffin's offense to have much success. No time for extended celebrations though as the Rebels now have to hit the road to Texas A&M and face not only Kenny Hill and the Aggies but the 12th man in the Aggies fans in College Station. Make no mistake that home field advantage played a big role in the Rebels success last weekend and I expect Texas A&M to have the same type environment with the now #3 Rebels coming to town. My only concern is that this is the first true road game for the Rebels. Their lone road game so far was a trip to Nashville to take on a terrible Vanderbilt team. Can the Rebels handle the pressure and continue to play at a high level on the road in not only a hostile environment but against a team that knows how to score points and will be eager to bounce back after losing to Mississippi State last week? Ole Miss is a good football team but it'll take more than a win over an Alabama team (at home) that hasn't been overly impressive thus far to convince me.

The Pick: Texas A&M

#6 Norte Dame vs North Carolina 

The Tarheels are desperate for a win after losing their last three games to East Carolina, Clemson and Virginia Tech. And its not like they have had some tough breaks, they have been straight up outplayed in all three contest and just aren't that good of a team, especially on defense where they are giving up over 35 points per game. While Norte Dame's schedule is nothing impressive outside of last week's win over #14 Stanford, on paper they are still a much better team than the Tarheels. Don't look now but that match-up in Tallahassee next week is looking more and more interesting and gameday worthy. Everett Goldson is playing well so far and is completing 64% of his passes averaging 7.7 yards per completion. If North Carolina's defense wasn't so terrible I'd give them a chance here but for a team that has given up 154 points in its last three games and having to face another solid quarterback this week....I just don't see an upset happening here. I think Fighting Irish not only win but cover the 16 point spread.

The Pick: Norte Dame


#13 Georgia @ #23 Missouri 

This game now has my attention and probably the attention of many across the nation as news broke yesterday that RB Todd Gurley has been suspended indefinitely due to an investigation that he sold autographs for money. I'll save my rant and how I feel about this act of stupidity for another day but I think his actions and the distraction now this causes for the team can not be overlooked. Gurley has rushed for 773 yards and 8 touchdowns this year averaging over 8 yards per carry and was believed by most to be the front-runner for the Heisman. Now with the release of these new allegations and an ongoing investigation will that Heisman campaign take a hit? History might say no, just ask Manziel, Newton or even Winston...but his season is definitely in Jeopardy. Each case is different and my concern is how will Gurley react on the field if and when he comes back? As for Saturday, this game was already one to keep an eye on for SEC fans but even more so now. Missouri won the division last season and although they are without some of their top receivers from last year, they have proved they could still find ways to win games...just ask South Carolina. I know UGA is loaded with talent in the backfield but right now Gurley is by far the best option and the offense tends to have more struggles when he is on the sideline rather than the field. Missouri's Matty Mauk is a capable QB and has tossed for over 14 touchdowns this season. In a case of probably the worst timing ever...I think Missouri takes advantage of the opportunity and pulls the upset at home.


The Pick: Missouri  

Georgia Tech vs Duke 

Not really sure how I feel about Georgia Tech. Yes, they are 5-0 and seemed to be improved from last year but five weeks into the season and they still haven't had a true test yet. (Sure you can count Virginia Tech and maybe, MAYBE Miami..but lets be real..neither have done much as of late. I've been waiting for the return of "The U" for more than a few years now but it has yet to happen.) The Jackets have yet to even face a ranked team. In fact, as it stands right now, Georgia is the only ranked team left on their schedule. However, one would think that by the time Clemson comes to town in November that the Tigers will be back in the polls. That's really the only possibility though of facing another team that is even halfway decent. North Carolina State is good but after last week I'm not sure if they are overrated or if Clemson was truly just that much better than the Wolfpack. Anyways, Duke should at least provide some decent competition this week for the jackets. The Bluedevils are off to a 4-1 start and look to build on last year's success that almost ended with a win over Texas A&M in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl down in Atlanta. As for Saturday, the key is Duke's defense and how well they are able to defend Paul Johnson's offense that bores you to sleep before hitting you with the big play when you aren't ready. And because I simply do not like Georgia Tech and like what I see coming out of Durham from a football perspective, I'm going with Coach David Cutcliffe and company to get the job done.

The Pick: Duke

Louisville @ Clemson

What a difference two weeks makes. After letting one slip away in Tallahassee in overtime and dropping to 1-2 on the season, Tiger fans were understandably upset. Some of these “fans” were even calling for Swinney and Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris to be fired. Enter true freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson. The 6-2  205 dual-threat gunslinger from Gainesville, Ga has lived up to the hype and truly is a special player. In his first start against North Carolina, he threw for a school record and tied an ACC record with 6 touchdowns in a 50-35 victory. Last week he followed that performance up with another solid day with 267 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 2 more on the ground. He's making it look easy and has the poise of a 5^th year senior in the pocket. Watson has provided a spark to not only this Clemson offense but the entire team and fan base. The Tigers have posted back to back wins and are averaging 45.5 points per game with the freshmen running the show.  Optimism in flying high again around Tigertown and everyone is excited to watch this special player develop and continue what looks to be a very promising career. More importantly, Morris and Swinney’s job security, according to fans, is safe again. 

The offense is coming together better each week under Watson and at times the past two weeks have looked simply unstoppable. But with the nations top defense coming to town this week does that begin to change? Lousiville is ranked in the top ten in basically every defensive category and are giving up around 12 points per game and only four yards per play. But to be fair, they have not faced an explosive high-tempo offense like Clemson yet and just as the Tigers will be tested, so will the Cardinals. Make no mistake about that. Clemson's defense is beginning to live up to the preseason hype and after shutting out the Wolfpack offense last week they are like a Shark that smells blood and is ready to attack. They saw just how dominant they could be and are out there having fun. Vic Beasley is now tied for the all time sack record at 28 with Michael Dean Perry and the late Gaines Adams. He should almost certainly become the new Sack King at some point Saturday and I cannot wait to see it happen...but it won't come easy against Louisville's big and physical offensive line. It will also will be important for Clemson defenders to wrap up on the Cardinals running backs who average about 220 pounds each. Arm tackling is never good but especially in this situation. Wrap up or get ran over...its a simple concept. In addition, the secondary will need to keep tabs on their other playmakers including DeVante Parker who is expected to make his return from a foot injury and is a threat whenever he's on the field. We won't know how effective he will be until Saturday but you have to plan for him being 100%. 

This game is very intriguing for a few reasons but mainly because Louisville is a new member of the ACC and is coming to Death Valley for the first time ever. It will be fun to see how Watson reacts to the Cardinals big and physical defense. That being said, Watson handled himself well for the most part on the road against FSU’s defense and I feel confident in him this weekend. Another key will be Clemson’s offensive line which has been stretched so thin you can almost see through it now. Offensive Coordinator made it clear that was an area of concern but they will find a group of five they are confident in hopefully find a formula that works for them and gives Watson enough time to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers around him. All in all I see this being a much more competitive game than last week’s 41-0 win over North Carolina State. I think we will again look to establish the running game early and have some balance on offense. While I think Louisville will have success moving the ball I think our defense will take over in the second half and make the difference. Add in the mix of Deshaun Watson’s playmaking ability and the Tigers playing at home and I like their chances but this one will be a fight early on. If Louisville can make some plays early and maybe cause a turnover or two and get Watson uncomfortable…watch out. 

The Pick: Clemson 31 Louisville 21