Week 2 Predictions – 2018
Last Week: The first week of the season is in the books and as usual, the ‘experts’ around the country are telling us who is going to be in the playoffs. I am not even sure why they don’t just hard code Alabama and Clemson into two slots right now. All you can really tell from week 1 is how well teams played in week 1. There is still plenty of football remaining, let’s just enjoy the ride for the next 12 weeks. Speaking of enjoying the ride, was plenty to love in the Buckeyes 77-31 victory over the Beavers Saturday, and plenty to work on at the same time. And now Coach Meyer will get to return to practice. As for our staff predictions last week, Dave and John were a perfect 4-0, while 8 member when 3-1. For the first week or our ‘Upset Special’ feature, Stefan, Vaughn and Gregg where able to predict the Maryland win over the Longhorns.
This Week’s Game: The Buckeyes will open conference play this week against Rutgers. They have dominated the Scarlet Knight since they entered the conference and it should be no different this weekend. Goal will be to stay healthy, not give up too much of the playbook and dodge the weather …. Clemson and Texas A&M will both have a step up in their schedules this week as they face each other. Neither will be eliminated from the playoff hunt with a loss, but it will certainly be a key victory for the winner. Can Jimbo get the team ready this early in his tenure in College Station? …. Penn State barely survived Appalachian State last week, perhaps the were looking ahead to their game this week against Pitt. Safe to say, they cannot overlook this game and expect to win again. The Panthers will be ready and they are a better opponent …. The playoff path for the Pac-12 may be forged this week as USC goes on the road to take on Stanford. Who will shine in this contest, a freshman quarterback or a Heisman candidate? …. Be sure to also check out our Upset specials and enjoy!
Guest Buckeye: As with the years past, we will continue to include former Buckeye players in our weekly prediction fun and we are thrilled to have Vaughn Broadnax(1980-83) back with us for a fourth straight year.
Here we go once again … our Week 2 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
Rutgers @ (4) Ohio State
Bbaver: Pick: Ohio St – The Scarlet Knights have been beaten 56-17, 49-7. 58-0 & 56-0 by Ohio St since coming into the league. It’s going to be another beatdown, and the Bucks likely score 60+, if there isn’t too much of a look ahead to TCU. The call: Ohio State 63 Rutgers 21.
Cory: Former Ohio State assistant Chris Ash brings his Rutgers team to Columbus for the Big Ten opener. Ash was a defensive assistant in 2014 and 2015 for the Buckeyes before moving to Rutgers as the head coach. The Scarlet Knights won their opener easily, but it was against Texas State. So far Ash has not done well against his old team, with Rutgers losing 56-0 to the Buckeyes last season and 58-0 two years ago. It’s highly unlikely Rutgers is able to pull off the upset here, but expect the Scarlet Knights to finally score points against Ohio State for the first time since 2015. The Buckeyes won comfortably against Oregon State last week, but had some miscues on defensive. There were missed tackles and missed assignments, and with so many new starters in the secondary it’s hard to imagine the Buckeyes get that all cleaned up in a week. Ohio State 42, Rutgers 7
Dave: Ohio State – 48 Rutgers 7
Gregg: An outstanding start for the Buckeyes against Oregon State, and I don’t expect them to slow up this week. They want to show Coach Meyer and the nation that the Bucks are for real this season. So I am not expecting any letdown or look-ahead to the TCU game. They have taken care of business in Rutgers since they entered the conference and this year will be no different. I expect them to open up the passing game even more for Haskins but still not give up too much of the playbook. I also expect we will have two 100 yard rushers, and I hope we will see a more stout defense. As with last week, we should see a heavy diet of substitutions again. Polish some base skills and get ready for the Horn Frogs. Ohio State 58 Rutgers 6
Jason: It was business as usual in Ohio Stadium last week as Ohio State demolished another overmatched opponent in a home opener to the tune of 77-31. Dwayne Haskins, starting his first collegiate game, burst onto the scene with over 300 yards passing and 5 TD’s to put his name in the early Heisman conversation. The Buckeye offense was as impressive as advertised, piling up over 700 yards of offense but the defense was gashed for nearly 400 yards and 31 points. Some of that can be excused due to the lack of their most veteran players in the back 7 in Jordan Fuller at Safety and Tuff Borland at LB. The Scarlet Knights had an easy time of it at home against Texas State (Not the Armadillos with Kathy Ireland kicking, but it might as well have been). Rutgers is actually hoping to get on the board against the Buckeyes this year after being outscored by a combined 114-0 over the past two years. The Rutgers defense will be an upgrade over what the Buckeyes saw a week ago, but the Buckeyes have just too many weapons for the Knights to handle. What the Buckeyes will be looking for is a much more efficient effort defensively. While Rutgers is much improved, the Buckeyes have just way too much. I expect the Buckeye defense to clean up some of the mistakes from a week ago and Ohio State continues to roll offensively. Buckeyes big in this one. Ohio State 60 Rutgers 13
Joe-S-U: OSU over Rutgers – Not gonna old my breath for a third shutout in a row against the Knights, the back seven’s gotta figure things out. Amazing what happens when your QB actually throws the ball AND uses all the weapons at his disposal.
John: Ohio State should be able to score as may points as they want. The really interesting thing to watch will be to see if the defense is able to correct the errors that lead to the big plays last week. They say a team improves the most from week one to week two. We’ll see. Ohio State 59 Rutgers 21
Josh: Ohio State has a scary offensive. The running back tandem of Dobbins and Weber seems unfair, and Weber used his opportunity Saturday to try to get back in the first rep rotation after having a career day with 186 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. There is so much praise too to give Haskins after his record-setting 313 yard, 5 touchdown performance. I know, we don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves since it was just Oregon State, but this is a definitely a different offense that we saw Saturday compared to the last 4 years with Barrett at the helm. Defensively, our front 4 are as advertised, and can really cause some havoc throughout the season. Be it the weather delay or Oregon State making some halftime adjustments, the Beavers were able to expose out inexperienced back 7. Its Game One, so as of now it is concerning, but I won’t worry too much about it because I believe we can get it fixed. If we get to TCU or even Penn State and our back 7 is giving up big plays, we might need our offense to carry the team, and I know that wont help when it comes to Playoff hopes. Rutgers won their game this weekend as well, so they are trying to turn the corner in the right direction. Unfortunately for them, Urban will be able to give his input into the game planning this week and based on some of the sound bites from the players, as good as Day did in his first game as the acting head coach, they miss Meyer. Expect a focused and energized team as they take down the Scarlet Knights and prepare for the showdown in Jerry World against TCU. Ohio State 63 – Rutgers 7
Dr. Mark: OSU 44-21 — I thought the play calling was the best in 10 years last week, finally a fun offense to watch using all players and the whole field. Not much to say about this week
PJSBuck: What a great offensive performance – Haskins appears to be the real deal – reminds me of the 2014 play-off offense with Cardale and Tom Herman. BUT, what is going on with our defense? I know there are some new, young starters but our linebacker play in this game and most of last year is VERY SUSPECT. Didn’t Urban say he gave the linebacker coach no raise- only coach on staff to do this with? Anyway, I look for another bloodbath this Saturday against Rutgers. Ohio State by 40
Pia Pete: Buckeyes over Rutgers
Coach Rick: I have OSU winning by a lot in this game. The only problem they will have is the weather that is to be heading their way.
Steven: Oh how bad we think Oregon State was/is, Rutgers is just the Big Ten answer. The Scarlet Knights will be better than the Beavers, but then again Ohio State’s defense should be improved from last week as well. This being the week prior to TCU my expectation is that we’ll see a vanilla game plan that leans on the run. Run! Mike! Run! In deference to Rutgers coach Chris Ash and his ties to the Buckeye program the dogs should be called off by early in the 2nd half, and therefore the scoring will be down a bit. OSU 55-17
Trout: This game shouldn’t be much of a challenge. Rutgers is not a good team. They might be slightly better than Oregon State, but I don’t think that will enough to stop the Buckeye offense. Haskins showed that was the real deal and Weber is running angry this year. I see the Buckeyes scoring early and often. OSU in a blowout. (Ohio State, 63-10)
Vaughn: The Scarlet Knights have experienced nothing less than a slaying from the Buckeyes since joining the Big Ten Conference. With that being said Buckeyes are again a “Knightmare” for the Scarlet Knights winning 48-10.
Final Score: Ohio State 0 Rutgers 0
(2)Clemson @ Texas A&M
Bbaver: Pick: Clemson – I think Clemson takes care of business here, winning by double digits. Gonna take Jimbo a year or more to get settled in.
Cory: The game of the week is Clemson at Texas A&M. Clemson continues to roll in the post-DeShaun Watson era, with a nice 48-7 win over Furman last week. While Clemson is among the nation’s elite, Texas A&M hopes to join that rank someday. The Aggies signed head coach Jimbo Fisher, formerly of Florida State, to a 10-year, $75-million deal. You don’t spend that kind of money unless you’re expecting national championships. The Aggies looked good in a Week 1 win over Northwestern State, but face a stiff challenge in Clemson this week. Realistically speaking, though the Aggies might be improved they are still not on Clemson’s level. The Tigers have two excellent quarterbacks that give their offense multiple dimensions, and that will make it very hard for Texas A&M to play defense. Clemson 35, Texas A&M 20
Dave: Clemson 32 Texas A&M 28
Gregg: This game features two of the four active coaches that own a national title. On one hand I think that a Fisher coached Aggie team has got to be better than Syracuse so they should have a chance. On the other hand, A&M is nowhere deep enough to compete with the Tigers this year. It should be close early on but expect Clemson to pull away for a solid victory. Dabo and Jimbo are 4-4 against each other but that tie will be broken today. Clemson 31 Texas A&M 17
Jason: Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher has an opportunity to get the Aggie program on the map if he can pull off the upset of potentially the best team in the country. If anything, he will be able to use the game as a measuring stick for his program. A&M brings in a talented running game, but they will face potentially the best front four in college football. The Aggies went off for over 500 yards on the ground a week ago against Northwestern State but against this defense, they will have to go to the air to be able to compete. The one weakness on defense for the Tigers is their secondary, but it’s still very good. The Aggies bring in a very talented front line defensively as well and being able to get into the backfield and make things difficult for Kelly Bryant and the Clemson offense. The Aggies should be able to create some negative plays to force Clemson to convert some long downs and distances. The bottom line is the Clemson D Line will just be too much for A&M and even though they will have varying levels of success early, I expect that Tiger front to wear on the Aggies and Clemson will create scoring opportunities with their defense and pull away in the 3rd quarter for a comfortable win. Clemson 45 Texas A&M 10
Joe-S-U: Clemson over Texas A&M- A top-ranked team that actually plays a decent non-conference foe on that team’s home field? Maybe someone should work on that instead of being a “tough” guy with female sideline reporters.
John: Clemson looks to be picking up right where they left off, and look to be a strong contended to make the CFB playoffs. The Tigers will just be too much for the Aggies. Clemson 35 Texas A&M 14
Josh: Clemson took a while to get started against Furman, finally being able to turn on the jets in the second quarter and stretch the game. Kelly Bryant got the nod as the starter, but my guess is that it wont be long until Trevor Lawrence is the starter. When he came in to finish up the game, you could tell he had control of the offense, and bring a pocket presence that helps spread the ball with the skills players surrounding him. The Tiger defense held strong and kept the shut out up until garbage time. Texas A&M also had the luxury of the tune up game before hosting the number 2 team in the country, defeating Northwestern State soundly while developing their running game. If the Aggies are able to get running back Trayveon Williams going in the running game, they might have a chance against the Clemson defense, but unfortunately, I think Dabo has the edge talentwise and coaching staff wise against Jimbo Fisher. Clemson wins this one by more than 2 touchdowns, and keep their focus as the ACC King. Clemson 42 – Texas A&M 28
Dr. Mark: Clemson 35-17 – Dabo’s Boys have Dabo’s swagger until someone beats them in the regular season. Aggies have a lot to prove- their record over the last 10 years is around .500.
Pia Pete: Clemson over A&M
PJSBuck: SHOULD be a decent game. Clemson is just too strong – Tigers by 25
Coach Rick: I see Clemson making a statement in this game. I see them winning by 24 points for try and get more 1st place votes their way.
Steven: Jimbo and Dabo, Dabo and Jimbo. Sounds like a great Vaudeville, lounge act or radio show right? Maybe they can go out on the road when their coaching careers are over. This will be a huge tilt with national implications, especially if the Aggies pull off a win. While a loss won’t derail Clemson’s chances at the playoff, it narrows the margin considerably. Despite the pressure Clemson should come away with a win. They have the best defense in college football and the Aggies will have a tough time getting to 14 points. Clemson 35-10.
Trout: The Tigers should win this game. I think Jimbo Fisher is a good coach and he will do well with the Aggies, but it’s still early on in his tenure and I don’t think the team is there yet. It should be close. A&M is still decent team. I see this a a 1 score game. Clemson pulls off the victory in a close fought battle. (Clemson, 24-17)
Vaughn: It’s the Dabo and Jimbo show in Texas during week two in this highly anticipated SEC v ACC matchup. Do the Aggies try to run away from Clemson monster defensive line or do they try and poke the bear? Does Clemson unleash their ballyhooed freshman QB Trevor Lawrence early and send Mr. Bryant out to pasture? Well, I’m not sure what Texas A&M has, but I know what Clemson has. Clemson wins 35-20.
Final Score: Clemson 0 Texas A&M 0
(13)Penn State @ Pittsburgh
Bbaver: Pick: Penn State – I don’t think I am overreacting to week 1….I think this PSU clearly looks downgraded from a year ago, and Pitt has a great shot of pulling the upset here.
Cory: In one of the more surprising games of Week 1, Penn State struggled to beat visiting Appalachian State. The Nittany Lions needed a last-minute touchdown just to force overtime, and then won in overtime on an interception. Heisman candidate Trace McSorley was off his game until the fourth quarter. Obviously, losing Saquon Barkley is a huge deal for this offense so perhaps the Nittany Lions need a little more time to figure things out. They won’t have much time to do that, however, as they travel to rival Pitt this Saturday. Pitt is not an elite team, but the Panthers have a lot of fight in them. Last season they ruined Miami’s perfect season, and two years ago they were the only team to defeat Clemson. Playing in Pittsburgh will make things even more difficult for Penn State. Pitt 24, Penn State 21
Dave: Penn State 21 – Pittsburgh 14
Gregg: Usually the end of the season features the rivalry games, we get a few this week. Iowa and Iowa State, Nebraska and Colorado, and this game, the 99th meeting of PSU and Pitt. The Panthers may remember some of Coach Franklin’s comments and play with emotion. The Lions really struggled last week against the Mountaineers, this week we will find out if they were looking ahead or if they just miss Saquon Barkley more than they are willing to admit. I think this game will go down to the last drive, but the experience of PSU QB Trace McSorley proves to be the difference. But there will be more questions ahead for the Lions when this is over. Penn State 24 Pittsburgh 22
Jason: Penn State saw a big lead evaporate at home versus Appalachian State, who scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to take the lead, only to see the Lions pull out the late win. Penn State struggled through the air until Trace McSorley led a late drive but the running game was solid. Pitt looked dominant against Albany, led by QB Kenny Pickett, who threw for 154 yards and 2 scores on 16 of 22 passing. The Panthers were solid defensively, getting to Albany for 5 sacks, but they allowed over 250 yards through the air. If they allow the same kind of efficiency through the air against the Nittany Lions, they could be in trouble. If they are able to put pressure on McSorley, he is more than capable of throwing it to the wrong team and if Pitt can get a lead early, the young Nittany Lion squad may find itself questioning itself coming off the scare last week. In a rivalry game like this, expect hard hitting and a game won in the trenches. Both running games will struggle, but in a game like this, the better QB usually shines and Penn State has the clear advantage behind center. McSorley will lead a late drive to give the Lions a lead and the defense will make enough plays to survive a Heinz Field upset. Penn State 24 Pitt 20
Joe-S-U: Penn State over Pitt – Not too sure on this one. I guess I’ll save the Pitt pick for the spot card where there’s points involved. Panthers have a great shot, but selfishly I want the 29th to be BIG.
John: Boy to be a fly on the wall at practice in Happy Valley this week. If ever a win felt like a loss, an overtime win over a Sunbelt conference foe is it. Did PSU just overlook Appalachian State or are they really that suspect. We’ll know a lot more after this week. I’ll be rooting for Pitt in the one, but I’m picking Penn State. Penn State 38 Pitt 28
Josh: Penn State didn’t look great their first game, having to fend off Appalachian State, who had upset on the mind. The Nittany Lions were able to get the win in overtime, but they showed how much they relied on Saquon Barkley. Pittsburgh will be up for this rivalry, and Narduzzi is going to use his defensive creativity to cause some issues for McSorley. I think this one will be another close game but Penn State finds a way to win this one late in the fourth, but slip in the polls. Penn State 24 – Piitsburgh 21
Dr. Mark: PSU 35-17 – don’t know that much about Pitt but I will be pulling for them.
Pia Pete: PSU over Pitt
PJSBuck: My weekly who gives a sh%^# t game. Penn State by 7
Coach Rick: I think Penn State got a huge wake up call from a very talent team. PSU take care of business in this game winning by 21 points.
Steven: After last week’s Nittany Lion performance, having to come back and win in OT against Appalachian State, Penn State has a lot of room for improvement. It is strange with all offensive talent Penn State lost to graduation it was the defense that looked horrible. Giving up 38 to App State at home is surprising to say the least. Tails were certainly kicked at practice this week. PSU has to be on upset alert, but they should squeak by Pitt. PSU 44-42.
Trout: I don’t think it will be a nail biter like it was against App State, but I do see this game being close. Penn State should win with their superior talent and their experienced quarterback, but the Nittany Lions have historically had trouble with Pitt. I see them doing just enough to get past the painters in a tough, sloppy, low scoring game. (Penn State, 16-13)
Vaughn: If you would have asked me two weeks ago who was going win in a match-up between Penn State and Pittsburgh, I would have slapped you for even asking me knowing Pittsburgh does have a chance. However, I am going with the upset this week for a couple of reasons. PSU’s offense looked horrible and they won’t have 100K+ cheering them on. Pittsburgh upsets Penn State 28-21.
Final Score: Penn State 0 Pittsburgh 0
(17)USC @ (10)Stanford
Bbaver: Pick: Stanford – Not sure what to expect here and these Pac-12 games often are hard to figure out. I have to go with Stanford at home
Cory: USC beat UNLV 43-21 last week, but the score was not indicative of the game. The Rebels were neck and neck with the Trojans into the second half before eventually pulling away. USC has a freshman starting at quarterback, and defensively the Trojans had a hard time stopping the run against UNLV as the Rebels put 308 rushing yards. That doesn’t bode well for USC as they have to face one of the best running backs in the country this week – Stanford’s Bryce Love. Love managed just 29 yards last week, but don’t expect that to be the norm. Love ran for 2,118 yards last season, including going for 125 yards and a touchdown against USC. I expect USC to continue to struggle as they figure things out on both sides of the ball, while Love gets his Heisman campaign rolling with a big effort this week. Stanford 31, USC 20
Dave: USC 21 – Stanford 32
Gregg: For what I have seen, Washington is still the best team in the Pac-12 this year. Unfortunately they had to face one of the best SEC teams on what amounted to a road game. Once you get past the Huskies, there is USC and Stanford. Heisman hopeful Bryce Love was held in check last week so I think he will have a huge day on the Trojan defense that gave up over 300 years of rushing in week one. The loser is not out of the playoff race but will miss an opportunity to pock up a quality win. Stanford 38 USC 24
Jason: A big one in the Pac 12 on Saturday as the Trojans venture up the road to take on a Stanford team it beat twice a year ago. Stanford won six of eight meetings with USC heading into last season, but a regular season Trojan win along with a win the Pac-12 Championship Game, ended that streak. This game could be an early preview of this season’s Pac 12 Title game once again. USC is coming off a lackluster performance in a 43-21 win over UNLV, while Stanford took care of San Diego State rather easily, winning 31-10. The Trojans are led by freshman QB JT Daniels, who threw for 282 yards and a TD, while a trio of backs led the Trojans to 201 yards on the ground a week ago. The Cardinal, despite Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Love being held to just 29 yards on 18 carries, were able to gain 382 total yards, primarily through the air on the back of QB KJ Costello who hit on 21 of 31 throws for 332 yards and four touchdowns. The Stanford D was lights out all day, allowing just 11 first downs, while the Trojan D gave up 308 yards on the ground. That could bode well for Love. Despite struggling in the opener, he is still the most talented back in America and it’s a matter of time before he explodes. This week very well could be the game. The struggling run D of the Trojans combined with playing a true freshman QB and all the signs point to the host Cardinal having their way in this one. Look for Stanford to get a little payback from the two losses a year ago. The Cardinal fans go home happy as Stanford dispatches the men of Troy this time around. Stanford 37 USC 21
Joe-S-U: USC over Stanford – I think there’s something brewing in L.A.
John: Vegas likes the home team here. Stanford avoided peeking ahead last week (that was my upset special – oops), and I like the Cardinal to defend Palo Alto from the invasion of the Men from Try. Stanford 31 USC 28
Josh: USC is still breaking in their quarterback who looked good this Saturday, and Stanford showed it still could win a game without Bryce Love. I think this will be similar to the PAC-12 Championship in that both teams will be fighting for each yard. I think the difference this season though is the experience for Stanford, and this will help propel them to win this one by a touchdown. Bryce Love shakes off the game 1 cobwebs, and starts his true Heisman campaign this game. Stanford 28 – USC 21
Dr. Mark: USC- 27-21 Love held to 30 yards rushing against a lessor team that loaded the box- have to go with the Trojans- they looked good last week
Pia Pete: USC over Stanford
PJSBuck: Excellent early season game. Stanford by 10
Coach Rick: This is going to be one of the better games of this weekend. I will have to go with the home team, Stanford, to win by 7.
Steven: – In another decade this might be a game with huge national significance. This week the game seems a little bit of an afterthought with the Pac-12 conference being in a bit of a slump. USC is starting freshman QB J.T. Daniels and even if they shut Bryce Love down like San Diego State did last week, the Cardinal has an experienced QB in K.J. Costello that is more than capable of picking apart the Trojan secondary. Stanford wins the battle of the initialed quarterbacks, 31-21.
Trout: This game is a bit of a toss up. USC AND Stanford have both been good, but not great in the more recent years. I think I will give the edge to the Trojans. I think they might have a slightly better offense this year. I think it will Close game that’s probably one on a last second field goal. USC squeaks out the victory. (USC, 20-17)
Vaughn: Forgive me for not being impressed with Stanford, but I am not. USC just has too many “dudes” on their squad and enough speed to keep Bryce Love in check. USC opens up a can and beats Stanford 35-14.
Final Score: USC 0 Stanford 0
UPSET SPECIAL PICKS!
Bbaver: (13)Penn State (-7 1/2) @ Pittsburgh I know….this doesn’t jive with my PSU pick above, but Pitt’s got a good shot here and I like there chances more than any other non-top-25 team in beating a top-25 team this week. Pittsburgh over Penn State.
Gregg: (18)Mississippi State (6 1/2) @ Kansas State – I don’t want to say I am going chalk this week, but none of the games with ranked teams really screamed upset to me. I was thinking about the PSU-Pitt game but I just think the Lions had a scare last week and they will go 100% for 60 minutes and take care of business. But I am tired of hearing about the SEC strength and how great Mississippi State is going to be. Kansas State did not look very solid last week but Coach Snyder always seems to have at least one game like this a year. The Wildcats are still trying to figure out who their starting QB will be but I expect big strides between week’s 1 and 2. I am going to go with the team that has a statue of their coach out in front of the stadium, a stadium named after that coach! Kansas State 31 Mississippi State 28
Jason: (15)Michigan State (-4 1/2) @ Arizona State The Herm Edwards era started with a bang a week ago as the Sun Devils pounded UTSA 49-7, while the Spartans struggled in their home opener, edging out Utah State with a late TD. Arizona State had an easy time getting to the QB a week ago, recording nine sacks in the ball game, but they will be tested by a run first Spartan club this week, who gained 165 on the ground last week. With second year starting QB Brian Lewerke, the Spartans can fling it around some as well. Michigan State will attempt to control the tempo on the ground and then strike through the air to keep balanced. Arizona State has a balanced offensive attack as well led by talented back in Eno Benjamin, who toted the ball for 131 yards and a TD last week. The Devils can throw the ball effectively as well and will test the Spartan secondary who gave up 319 yards through the air against Utah State. The Spartans will have to take care of the football better this week than they did in the opener and hope to control the tempo offensively, but their weak secondary will be exploited once again this week and the Sun Devils have more athletes than Michigan State saw last week and it will ultimately cost them on the road in the desert as the Sun Devils pull the upset. Arizona State 27 Michigan State 24
John: Kentucky @ (25)Florida (13 1/2) Last week teased us with a couple of near upsets (I’m looking at you Michigan Stata and Penn State). However, only Texas managed to spit the bit against an unranked opponent, which in hindsight shouldn’t have been that surprising (and given his role in the Urban Meyer saga, the Buckeye fan in me really enjoyed watching coach Mensa go down). This week looks to be another week where the ranked teams should hold serve against the unranked masses, but there is something about Kentucky that makes me think they have a shot against #25 Florida, so that’s my upset pick this week.
Josh: Georgia @ (24)South Carolina (-9 1/2) With week 2, there aren’t a lot of choices that would seem like a strong candidate for this week’s upset picks, but I am going to go with South Carolina over Georgia. I think this will be a high scoring game, but I think Georgia isn’t as strong at the running back position, having 2 running backs drafted in this years NFL draft. South Carolina is going into this rivalry game with SEC East aspirations, and will want to knock down the title hopes for the Bulldogs. South Carolina 42 – Georgia 35
Dr. Mark: Kentucky @ (25)Florida (13 1/2) KY over Florida 21-17
Pia Pete: (15)Michigan State (-4 1/2) @ Arizona State Arizona State over Michigan State
Coach Rick: Kentucky @ (25)Florida (13 1/2) I see Kentucky beating Florida this weekend.
Steven: (15)Michigan State (-4 1/2) @ Arizona State – ASU over Michigan State
Trout: (15)Michigan State (-4 1/2) @ Arizona State – I think in the long term, Sparty is the better team. But they have shown to get off to slow starts in the early parts of the season. Also the Sun Devils have showed that they can score a lot of points. Although Sparty should win, I think this might be a game that gets away from them. (Arizona State, 24-22)
Vaughn: Western Michigan @ (21)Michigan (-28 1/2) My upset watch of the week is Western Michigan and Michigan. Michigan better come ready to score some points and play defense. That South Bend disappoint might carry into this week. The Cowboys with the huge upset over Michigan 28-24.