College Football Picks: Predictions for Week 1's Top Matchups
Football is back!
Well, college football, at least, with a slew of excellent matchups to open the season. Let's break down the top games on the schedule and offer up some predictions for the opening weekend.
Louisville vs. No. 6 Auburn
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Generally speaking, it's not a great situation for a team when there might be a three-way platoon at quarterback. Such is the case for Louisville, as Reggie Bonnafon, Will Gardner and Kyle Bolin could all potentially play against Auburn.
Yes, head coach Bobby Petrino has picked a starter. And yes, he's being cagey by not naming him, so Auburn doesn't know who to game-plan against. But no, he hasn't guaranteed that the starter will play the entire game, though he'd prefer that was the case.
"That's how you'd like to have it play out," he told reporters, via Steve Jones of the Louisville Courier-Journal. "One guy goes out there, starts and has a great game, throws it all over, makes a lot of plays.. We do feel comfortable with the experience and the depth that we have at the position, but obviously we would just like it to play out that way."
Bonnafon is probably the front-runner, as he has been for most of the summer, but Auburn will have to wait until the game starts to know for sure. No matter who gets the start, Louisville's excellent offensive line should keep him protected.
Auburn's starter at the position will be no surprise, as talented young quarterback Jeremy Johnson will lead the Tigers. He'll have excellent wideout Duke Johnson to throw to, though Auburn might find moving the ball on the ground tough against Louisville's excellent front seven.
Ultimately, Auburn has too much talent for this Louisville team. But expect this game to be a very competitive contest nonetheless.
Prediction: Auburn wins, 31-23
No. 15 Arizona State vs. Texas A&M
Arizona State's offense can score in bunches, led by talented, versatile playmaker D.J. Foster. The Sun Devils will find ways to get him into space, a dangerous proposition for the Aggies.
The Aggies are no slouch on offense themselves, however, with the talented Kyle Allen at quarterback and wideout Ricky Seals-Jones moving the sticks.
Frankly, this one has all the makings of a shootout. Look for the Aggies to win a close, high-scoring affair and make the one or two key stops that the Sun Devils can't come up with.
Prediction: Texas A&M wins, 42-38
Texas vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
Malik Zaire turned a lot of heads when he finally earned the starting gig late last season. Tyrone Swoopes, at times, made Texas fans turn away with his mediocre play. Both quarterbacks will be the key players for their teams this season.
For Texas, though, the key against the more talented Fighting Irish will be running the ball successfully with Johnathan Gray. If they can control the clock and win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball—forcing Zaire to beat them through the air on defense—they'll have a shot to pull off the win.
It's unlikely to happen, however. An inexperienced line will struggle against Notre Dame's solid defense, and Zaire and Notre Dame's solid running attack will make enough plays to get past Texas.
Prediction: Notre Dame wins, 35-21
No. 20 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 Alabama
This is, without question, the game of the week. Nick Saban's unit is as talented as ever, led by a talented front seven on defense and amazing athletes all over the field. Wisconsin will likely need to run the ball successfully this season, as running back Corey Clement looks to replace Melvin Gordon.
He's up for the task—he already has seven games with 100 rushing yards in his career. Whether a patchwork offensive line is up for the task is another matter entirely.
Of course, Derrick Henry is no slouch for Alabama. Henry likely will be the focal point of an offense that thrives when it runs the ball successfully, per the Associated Press via Fox Sports:
"The key stat for Alabama is 140 yards rushing. The Tide are 69-3 since 2008 when rushing for at least that total, with the losses coming against Auburn in 2013, and Mississippi and Ohio State in 2014.
Being able to depend on a strong running game again will be imperative for Alabama, which is still dealing with an unsettled quarterback situation. Saban has yet to name a starter, choosing between Jake Coker, Cooper Batemen and Alec Morris.
"
Win the line of scrimmage and you'll win this game. In that battle, Alabama will be favored over most teams.
Prediction: Alabama wins, 17-13
No. 1 Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech
Ohio State, on paper, is the most talented team in the country. Few people are going to argue otherwise. Ezekiel Elliott is a Heisman front-runner, Braxton Miller gives the Buckeyes one of the most unique offensive weapons in the country, Joey Bosa might be the best player in the country, period, and Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett would start for just about every team in the country.
But...
Ohio State lost exactly one game last year, and that was to Virginia Tech. This time, they go on the road to Blacksburg. Will history repeat itself?
Probably not.
Should the Buckeyes be taking the Hokies very, very seriously?
Absolutely.
Prediction: Ohio State wins, 35-24
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
