Last Week:  The Buckeyes proved once again to Buckeye Nation that they deserve to be considered among the elite in the country. Of course we already knew that, we just need help convincing the talking heads. It was great to see Ohio State grab a few first place votes in the AP poll, will see what that means moving forward. For our picks last week, Steven was the only one to go 5-0 and it earned him the top spot on our predictions leaderboard. Several are close behind to keep the pressure on him so stay tuned.

This Week’s Games:  Ohio State finally gets to play a conference game at home. After two games on the road in Bloomington and Lincoln, the Buckeyes welcome in Michigan State to the ‘Shoe. They should take care of business as we don’t want a repeat of 1974, 1998, 2013, 2015 …. One of OSU’s earlier opponents, Cincinnati has a huge conference game this week. Their game with UCF will have AAC and national impact. Can the Bearcats pull off the upset will and help the Buckeye SOS?  ….  The other big game in the Big Ten this week will be Iowa and Michigan.  The Hawkeyes travel to Ann Arbor to attempt to keep their unbeaten record in tact, and keep alive hopes of winning the West Division.  Will Harbaugh find a way to win this one, or lose this one?  ….  Probably the biggest game nationally will be Auburn @ Florida.  The Tigers already have two quality wins and if they can find victory in The Swamp, that alone should move them up in the polls.  Is Florida’s perfect record legit or are they really smoke an mirrors?  …. Texas has another big test this week, this time in Morgantown.  On paper, the Longhorns are clearly the better team, but they were last year as well and WVU found a way to go on the road and still a win.  Can they do it again , this time at home?

Buckeye Greats:  As with the past, we will continue to include former Buckeye players in our prediction fun and we are thrilled to have Vaughn Broadnax back with us as a regular participant for the fifth straight year.

Here we go with our Week 6 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg

(25)Michigan State  @  (4)Ohio State

Andy:  A big time match-up against a big time defense. I really like the offense that Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson. They’re going to face one of the better coached defenses in the country. If the Ohio State offense has any doubters, they have the opportunity to prove themselves this weekend against the 22nd best defense in the country this year.

Bbaver:  Pick: Ohio State 

Coach Rick:  The bye week cannot come soon enough for OSU, but stopping them is MSU first.  For the first half of the season OSU has looked great.  They will continue scoring against MSU and they will have trouble scoring against OSU.  

Cory:  It was believed that the Nebraska game would be a test for Ohio State, yet the final score of the game does indicate it was much of a test. The Buckeyes have a tougher opponent this week in No. 25 Michigan State. It might be easy to look at the Spartans’ home loss to Arizona State, or their close win over Indiana at home last week, and say they are not a good a team. Go back a few years and remember Michigan State came into the Horseshoe with their backup quarterback and beat a previously undefeated Ohio State team. For Ohio State, the name of the game is to shut down Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke. Lewerke has 10 touchdowns against just one interception this year, but if you’ve seen him play you know he’s not a great thrower of the football. He’s also dangerous with his legs so the linebackers will have their hands full this week. While Michigan State does have a good secondary, the Indiana game showed they can be beat. Don’t expect another blowout, but Ohio State will put another one in the win column.   Ohio State 35  Michigan State 14

Dr. Mark:  xOSU 28-14    Line play has been outstanding. Teams may be equal
physically but OSU TEAM SPEED SUPERIOR- Pat thinks this could be a
blow outx 

Gregg:  It seems like we hear this from the media every week but “this is a really big test/challenge for the Buckeyes”. We heard it before the Cincinnati game , before Nebraska and now the Spartans.  This time they are right.  This is not big in a sense of how good are the Buckeyes, because everyone knows now that they are for real. The rest of the season they are going to be playing a game of get better each week and advance. Michigan State’s offense is average at best, I expect the Ohio State defense to control them after those first drive adjustments. The real challenge is going to be how Dobbins and crew fare against a rush defense that is for real.  I think they will be fine but let’s see how it plays out. I expect the Buckeyes to win this without too much issue, what I want to see is how the polls treat them.  Both Clemson and Alabama have byes this week and LSU dropped a spot on their off week.  Can the Scarlet and Gray look good enough to get more votes and maybe pass one of those teams?  I am sure Georgia is thinking the same thing. Bottom line, it will be a TCB weekend that the fans enjoy wearing their black.  Ohio State 48  Michigan State 13

Jason:  The Buckeyes coming in rolling and by many of the so called experts considered to be the best team in the nation as of now.  They will get their first true defensive test in the Spartans.  The Michigan State defense has been stifling against the run and is allowing less than two yards per carry.  The only time any team has ran for over 200 against the Mark Dantonio D over the last 21 games is Penn State, who ran for 205 a year ago in the Lion win.  The Spartans win with D and have for nearly the entirety of the Dantonio era.  The offense, led by QB Brian Lewerke has been solid, throwing for over 300 yards per game but let’s be real, the Spartans aren’t winning a shootout.  On the other side, the Spartans haven’t seen a D like the Buckeyes will take to the field on Saturday night.  The Buckeye D line led by future top 5 NFL draft pick Chase Young, has been absolutely a monster.  And let’s not forget a secondary that boasts a potential other top 5 pick in Jeffrey Okudah and the Buckeyes don’t appear to have any holes.  Offensively, the Buckeyes are running like a well-oiled machine.  QB Justin Fields has not turned it over once and has 23 TD’s, including 16 through the air.  Add in a running game led by JK Dobbins that is averaging over 200 yards per game and you have the most complete football team in the country through 5 games.  The Spartans have been a thorn in Ohio State’s side in recent years and don’t think for a minute that Ryan Day hasn’t made them aware of that fact. The home crowd behind them in a ‘black out’ will only add to the difficulty that the Spartans will be facing.  The Buckeyes will once again look like the #1 team in the nation, getting out fast, dominating both sides of the football and rolling to a win to keep the momentum going.   Ohio State 45 Michigan State 10

Joe-S-U:  OSU over MSU – Bucks get a second straight nationally televised opportunity to keep the heat on the pollsters who actually think there are more complete teams in the country right now than us. Still a lot of football to go, but this team is hungry and downright fun to watch

John:  This will be the first defense with a pulse the Bucks face this year.  No so sure about MSU’s offense, however.  I think that MSU keeps  this one competitive into the second half ( I mean, the Bucks can’t blow out everyone, can they?), but in the end, Ohio State just has too much talent on both sides of the ball.  Ohio State 38  Michigan St 17

Pia Pete:  The Buckeyes are focused and bring the hammer to Sparty under the lights. OSU 52 – MSU 13

PJSBuck:  At this point, make a copy of the Nebraska game and change the uniforms.  I expect very similar results against Sparty.  This will be a stiffer test of our defense some maybe Ohio State by 28

Steven:  We’ve all be expecting that the Bucks will see an increasing level of competition as the season progresses, but we’ve been left scratching our heads wondering “Are we really this good, or is everyone else that bad?”  It is logical to ask,  We haven’t seen an Ohio Sate team dominate like they have… certainly not in this manner.  I told Gregg last week that this was not a floor game, but a ceiling game.  It was one where we could go out and show just how good we can be.  Michigan State should be much the same.  Nothing that Sparty brings should give you pause, except we’ve seen too many times the fluky things happen.  This seems like a different ballgame.  As long as Chase Young and the rest of the defense stays healthy we should be OK. The defense is the swizzle stick that allows the offense to flourish, and against MSU, flourish we will.  Bucks lather, rinse, repeat.  OSU 51-13

Trout:  Ohio State should win this game. They are clearly a better team than Michigan State. The one thing that Sparty has going for them is their defense. I think they will slow down Justin Fields and the Buckeye offense. I don’t see the Buckeyes scoring 40+ points this game. Having said that, the Buckeyes’ superior talent will win out. They will be able to score enough to win comfortably. In regards to the Sparty offense, I don’t see them putting up much of a fight. I can see Chase Young having a multiple sack game. As good as the Sparty defense is, Ohio State’s is better. In the end, I see the Buckeyes being slowed down a little by the Spartans, but still winning by a few scores.  (Ohio State, 28-3)

Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83):  OSU vs MSU All I want this Saturday evening is a dry evening. No rainstorms, no early snow, or any other weird nighttime event. The Buckeyes have looked strong both offensively and defensively so far this year. We will see if Mark Dantonio can conjure up some of the same voodoo that occasionally confounded Urban Meyer’s offenses. I see Dantonio blitzing Justin Field early to see if they can rattle him. If Justin passes the test, pun intended, the Buckeyes will have a field day. If not, it might be a test of the trenches and who can control the line of scrimmage. Defensively, the Buckeyes have to continue playing sound assignments and stay disciplined. Dantonio will try some reverses and throwbacks to a wheel route. We play well and we win big. I have the Buckeyes spanking the Spartans 35-10.

Final Score:  Ohio State 34   Michigan State 10

(18)Central Florida @ Cincinnati

Andy:  I find this to be one of the more interesting match ups this week. A Thursday night game, the Bearcats really need a signature win after losing early to Ohio State. After watching UCF vs Pitt last week, it is evident that this UCF team is different from the Scott Frost era. I really like the match-up here. I think the Bearcats offense is underrated putting up two scores against a stingy Ohio State defense this year. And I see UCF is ranked 59th in the country in total defense.

Coach Rick:  Big game for the Bearcats and the Buckeye strength of schedule will go up with a Cincinnati win.  I have Cincinnati winning 28 to 17

Cory:  Following their first loss of the season the UCF Golden Knights rebounded nicely with a 56-21 win over Connecticut last week. Though it would help Ohio State’s strength of schedule if the Bearcats won this game, expect UCF to come out on top. The Golden Knights have a much better offense than Cincinnati. When these two teams met last year UCF walked away with a 38-13 win. The only advantage Cincinnati has going for it this week is that the game is at home, and that may not matter much to UCF as the Golden Knights haven’t lost a regular-season road game since Nov. 26, 2016. Cincinnati might keep it close, but expect UCF’s superior offense to be the difference in this game.  UCF 31  Cincinnati 21

DR. Mark: UCF  35-24  bearcats need a big win over ranked team to prove it

belongs with the better teams. UCF always with a chip on its
shoulderpads!

Gregg:  This may be a ‘turning point’ game for Coach Fickell. The Bearcats are about the quietest 11-2 team from last year and with the exception of the Ohio State loss, has taken care of the rest of their schedule. UCF has not lost an ACC game since the 2016 season, and are clearly the reigning kings of the conference.  But a win in Nippert this week could turn the tide.  I think the Cincinnati defense is solid (granted, I did not see the game in Columbus) and will control the Knights just enough to get the upset win. UCF has scored over 30 points a game for 30 games, that will end this week. The Bearcats win over a ranked opponent for the first time since 2009 and keep their name in the running for a New Year’s Six bowl game.   Cincinnati 20  Central Florida 17

Jason:  Quite possibly the biggest game in the AAC all season takes place in Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium on Friday night as the Bearcats host defending defending conference champion UCF, with the winner having a huge advantage in winning the conference.  Both teams coming off of blowout wins and sporting just one defeat. UCF lost on the road at Pitt by a point while the ‘Cats were obliterated on the road to one of the nation’s top teams in Ohio State.  UCF freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel leads the AAC with 14 touchdown passes with just two picks and his 1,336 passing yards are second in the conference behind only Shane Buechele of SMU.  This may prove to be the toughest test as Cincinnati is allowing just 167.0 passing yards per game and only 4 TD’s, half of which came against the Buckeyes. Cincinnati can and will bring pressure at Gabriel on a UCF group that has allowed nice sacks already on the young season. Cincinnati’s offense has been about balance.  QB Desmond Ridder leads the charge through the air, completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 815 yards and eight touchdowns. The rushing attack has been balance, led by II, who leads the team with 262 yards and four touchdowns, and Tavion Thomas who has added 193 yards and a score. The Bearcats will provide the stiffest challenge in conference to the Knights and will come out firing on all cylinders.  The key for UCF is to stay poised in what will be a raucous environment on the road. UCF will has shown the ability to hit on some explosive and UC will need to limit it from happening early. If they cannot, Cincy can’t win a high scoring shootout, so it could be trouble. Cincy will jump out to an early lead behind their home crowd, but UCF will battle back and this one will be tight well into the fourth quarter, but the Cincinnati defense will come up with a late defensive stand and hold on for a major win for Luke Fickell and his Bearcat program.   Cincinnati 28 UCF 24

Joe-S-U:  UCF over Cincy – Speaking of the Queen City, it is weird to think I’ll never hear Marty Brennamen call another Reds game on the radio.  I’ve never known anything but Marty behind the mike on WLW in the summer.  Strange feeling….Marty likes where Luke Fickell is heading with the Bearcat program, but told me to pick UCF

John:  My heart wants to go with the Bearcats, but I think UCF has just enough to go on the road and get the win.  This is one I wouldn’t mind too much being wrong on.  UCF  31  Cincinnati 28

Josh:  Friday night in Cincinnati will be wild. The Bearcats have a new field for this matchup, and will be on of the better teams UCF will face this season. Last year, the Bearcats lost in Orlando, but as Pitt had shown, a good defense can slow down the Golden Knights. I think the Bearcat offense will challenge UCF, and this will be a back and forth game, with the Bearcats winning late in the 4th quarter. Cincinnati 38 – UCF 34.

Pia Pete:  Under the lights in the 513 gives the Bearcats every opportunity to pull off the upset.   UC 23 – UCF 20

PJSBuck:  A big game for the Bearcats and the Buckeyes SOS.  Probably a good game to tape.  I expect the Bearcats to prevail by 10. 

Steven:  UCF is ranked, but truthfully, they’ve been feasting on cupcakes. They lost to the only semi-decent team they’ve played (Pitt).  Conversely, Cincinnati has played some won all of their games save for the beat down they received in the ‘Shoe, and I think we know by now that is less of an indictment of their ability and more a testament to how crazy good the Bucks can be.  I have a lot of faith in Coach Fickell and his ability to win the AAC, if not this year, soon.  A win against a (over?)ranked UCF would be a great start.  Bearcats 34-24. 

Trout:  I want the Bearcats to win. Not just because I’m a UC alum, but I also am rooting for Luke Fickell as a head coach. But, I just think UCF might be too much for them. Honestly, UCF should probably jump to a power 5 conference here at some point.  I don”t think the Knight will run away with the game, but they are more talented, and should win the game. I can see it being very close, with the game being decided late into the 4th quarter. However, the Knights’ superior offensive fire power becomes too much for the Bearcats, and UCF pulls off the victory. (UCF, 31-26)

Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83):  I would love for the Bearcats to continue their outstanding play, but UCF is a  great team and has a lot to lose should they lose this game. I am going to go with upset as Luke unleashes the Bearcats and his defense stymies the Knights 28-21.

Final Score:  Cincinnati 27  UCF 24

(14)Iowa  @  (19)Michigan

Andy:  A lot of national media people have said it and I agree.. Jim Harbaugh needs this win to keep off the hot seat. I don’t see Iowa going into the Big House this weekend and walking out winners. I know Michigan is a much more talented team top to bottom, but their offense cannot find any consistency right now. They need to establish a bit of a run game and take pressure off of Shea Patterson who has struggled a lot early this year.

Bbaver:  Pick: Michigan

Coach Rick:  This is a coin toss for me.  I think that Michigan will win with a late score.  I think the crowd will be in it to help with the late win.  I have the final as 24 to 17

Cory:  If Michigan is to make any kind of push for a playoff spot, it needs to start with a big win at home over No. 14 Iowa this week. The Wolverines have a chance to make a statement this week, but will they be able to capitalize on the opportunity? Even though it came against Rutgers, Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson finally looked like himself as he threw for 276 yards and totaled four touchdowns. Iowa enters this game 4-0 but three of those wins came over cupcakes, and the fourth was a 1-point win over rival Iowa State. If Iowa has any hope of leaving Ann Arbor with a win this week, it lies upon the shoulders of quarterback Nate Stanley. While Stanley isn’t putting up Heisman-caliber stats, he has yet to turn the ball over. The concerns about Iowa’s weak strength of schedule thus far are real.   Michigan 24  Iowa 20

Dr. Mark: Iowa   38-31 this may be a hopeful pic but hawkeyes are stable on both

sides of the ball- Michigan team speed may be too much for iowa but I
think they can overcome that

Gregg:  The Buckeyes win this one! If Iowa wins, it puts them in the drivers seat of the West Division and I don’t want to see the Badgers twice so OSU wins.  If Michigan is victorious, the AD may keep Harbaugh around a little while longer which means more wins over TBGUN for the Buckeyes, so again OSU wins. On the field, I expect the Hawkeye D to handle the pedestrian offense the Wolverines have, the question is can QB Nathan Stanley score enough against to roll out with the win. I think this will be close but Michigan does just enough to win at home.   Michigan 17  Iowa 13

Jason:  A big opportunity for the Wolverines to get their season back on track as the host the Hawkeyes for a noon banger on Saturday.  They will face an Iowa defense that has shut down the run and have a secondary that is as good as there is in the country save Ohio State.  The Hawkeye offense leads the country in fewest turnovers, just one and is disciplined enough to not beat themselves.  Veteran QB Nate Stanley is by far the best QB the Wolverines have faced so far, hitting 64% of his throws for 965 yards with eight scores and no picks.  Add a running attack that has averaged over 200 yards per game behind a stout offensive line and the Hawkeyes are balanced and tough to stop.  The Wolverines had a resurgence of sorts a week ago, albeit against a dreadful Rutgers team. It was good timing for Michigan to play that kind of opponent and quite possibility get a little confidence and swagger back. QB Shea Patterson was on point and had the best game of his season, hitting 17-of-23 passes for 276 yards although the Wolverines still struggled running the ball.  To win this football game, they will have to run it at least a little to avoid being one dimensional against a very good defense.  While Iowa doesn’t have much of a pass rush, it’s much easier to defend the pass when you don’t have to worry about being gashed on the ground.  Iowa, who has the confidence and all the momentum coming in having beaten the Wolverines 5 of the last 6 meetings.  This one looks to be more of the same.  Behind Stanley and a solid defense, Iowa comes away with the win in the Big House as it just continues to get worse in Ann Arbor.   Iowa 24 Michigan 20

Joe-S-U:  Iowa over Michigan – Need TBGUN to figure things out so “The Game” will mean something come Thanksgiving weekend, but Iowa’s a solid club and won’t be intimidated going into Ann Arbor.

John:   Michigan appeared to get healthy last week against Rutgers, but then again Pickerington Central might give Rutgers a good game.  Since the game is in Ann Arbor I give the nod to the Corn and Blue, but an Iowa win would not surprise me.  If Iowa does win, then 7-5  becomes a real possibility for the Wolves.  Michigan   24  Iowa 21 

Josh:  Iowa is one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the country, and have been one of the better defenses so far this season. Michigan found some glimmer of hope last week against Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights are hardly the Crimson Tide. I expect this to be a close game, and a must win game for the Wolverines. I think they get the job done at home, and hand the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. Michigan 24 – Iowa 21.

Pia Pete:  Meatchicken has another solid victory.  UM 34 – Iowa 23

PJSBuck:  Great Game – wish it were played in Iowa.  I think the bad guys pull this one out in the 4th quarter.  TBGUN by 7

Steven:  UM righted the ship last weekend by rolling over a Rutgers team that then used the loss as a catalyst to fire Coach Chris Ash.  Beating up a team as bad as Rutgers is no panacea but it certainly beats getting your teeth kicked in up in Madison.  The Wolverines should have superior talent at most positions over the Hawkeyes, but just have not been able to put it all together.  The Achilles heel seems to be Michigan’s quarterback play.  QB Shea Patterson has been average to downright awful.  Even against the hapless Scarlet Knights Patterson managed to throw a pick.  Look for backups Dylan McCaffery or Joe Milton to be on alert should the need arise.  This all stems from the fact that Michigan has no running game.  They are barely cracking 130 yds./gm.  Iowa could very well exploit this as they are giving up well under a hundred per contest. Look for the Hawkeyes to load the box and force Michigan to throw and throw poorly.  A loss at home could really sink the SS Harbaugh.  Here’s to Jim singing “My Heart Will Go On”.  Iowa 41-33. 

Trout:   I honestly think the Hawkeyes will win this game. Michigan is bad. They’ve played one good team this year, in Wisconsin and were embarrassed. Although Iowa is not a massive powerhouse, they are still a decent team. I don’t think they will doing anything flashy against  Michigan. They should just run it down the field on them, and the Wolverines will not be able to stop it. It will be close, because it’s Iowa. They wont score a lot of points, and Michigan will do just enough to hang around. But by the end of the game, Iowa will have done just enough to give Michigan their second loss of the season. (Iowa, 17-14)

Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83):  Michigan has yet to prove they are the real deal.The quarterback whisperer must be whispering sign language because his QBs must not be able figure whatever it is he is teaching. Iowa has played well at home, but seem to come up short on the road. I guess there’s something to lavender or pink walled locker rooms and waving at kids in the hospital to get your guard down. However, I am going with the overgrown weasels to pull off the upset and beat the Hawkeyes 30-17.

Final Score:  Michigan 10   Iowa 3

(7)Auburn @  (10)Florida

Andy:  I think aside from maybe Minnesota, the biggest remaining poser still in national hopes contention is Florida. Their offensive line has played poorly this year and now they’re without starting quarterback Felipe Franks for the rest of the year. Couple that with a lack of production from their running backs and you have an offense that is getting by because they have a great offensive play caller as their head coach.

Bbaver:  Pick: Florida

Coach Rick:  This is going to be a great game!!  I do not think that Florida has been tested yet this year, so I am leaning towards Auburn because of their schedule.  I think the Auburn wins 24 to 24.

Cory:  Thankfully, this week we have a matchup between two top-10 teams as Auburn travels to the Swamp to play Florida. If you haven’t watched the Tigers yet this year, they are impressive as they finally have a good offense to match their elite defense. True freshman quarterback Bo Nix is legitimate. His numbers may just be so-so but he has the ability to make plays when his team needs it. Aside from an improved offense, the Tigers have already passed two tests this season

in beating Oregon in the opener, and beating Texas A&M on the road two weeks ago. Florida has had to deal with the loss of starting quarterback Feleipe Franks for the season. In the two games without Franks, the Gators combined to go 72-3 in wins over Tennessee and Towson, and backup quarterback Kyle Trask looked like a good replacement in those games. However, playing against the Auburn defense is a different beast entirely, and one Trask likely won’t be ready for.   Auburn 30  Florida 17

Dr. Mark : AUBURN  27-24  I HAVE NOT GIVEN Auburn much credit yet but they are

playing good football with a fun offense- I haven’t seen florida
play but I think Tigers win

Gregg:  Maybe I am looking at this wrong, but I really don’t see any reason to support Florida in this one.  I think Auburn takes care of business, and puts together a performance which says “vote us higher in the polls”. I don’t want to see even more SEC schools climb the polls but at least the Tigers have beaten someone.   Auburn 35  Florida 20

Jason:  The biggest game of the week takes place in Gainesville as Auburn invades Florida, with both teams coming in unbeaten and ranked in the top 10.  The Tiger run game has been the story, averaging over 250 yards per game and freshman QB Bo Nix exploded for 335 yards through the air a week ago against Mississippi State.  Defensively, the Tiger D line is dominating, allowing just three yards per carry.  Florida, which doesn’t run it particularly well anyway, will have to lean on the backup QB Kyle Trask, who took over when Feleipe Franks went down with a season ending injury and has done well, but this will be a different beast altogether.  The Gator D has been flat dominant, allowing just under 9 points per game thanks in large part by a ridiculous pass rush. Nix will have to remain poised for Auburn to escape with a win.  Expect a low scoring, defensive battle and the Gators make just enough to slow down the Auburn offense and win by creating field position with their defense.  The Gators send the home folks home happy.   Florida 20 Auburn 17

Joe-S-U:  Auburn over Florida – Is there anyway they can both lose?  

John:  The SEC begins to eat their own, which will just reinforce in Heather Dinich’s mind how strong the SEC is.  After this week, maybe she can squeeze five SEC teams into the playoffs.  Auburn 30  Florida 28 

Josh:   College GameDay chose this match-up as the game of the week. Florida is back down to their 2nd string quarterback, with Franks out for the season, and Auburn comes in with confidence in their offense, but still being led by a freshman who was lucky to win the 2 games against ranked teams that they have played. Florida is not that strong, but their preseason ranking and their wins have helped them stay atop the polls, but I expect the Tigers to get the better of the Gators, and remain undefeated.   Auburn 31 – Florida 24.

Pia Pete:  Florida is fake good.  Auburn secures a win.   Tigers 28 – Gators 17

PJSBuck:  Auburn

Steven:  Auburn Freshman QB Bo Nix has shown a lot of grit this season.  He has brought the Tigers from the brink of defeat in College Station and looked like a veteran.  The kid has Moxie.  Florida QB Kyle Trask has… well, he’s tall (6’5″).  He’s taken over for Feleipe Franks who suffered a season ending broken and dislocated ankle in the Gators road win at Kentucky.  While both of these teams are 5-0, Auburn just seems to be better tested with wins at Texas A&M and one over Oregon.  Let round one of the SEC battle of unbeaten death match begin!   Auburn 34-21. 

Trout: I don’t know how good Auburn is, but I’m pretty sure Florida isn’t that good. I don’t see the Gators winning this game. Since Urban left those many years ago, the program has been a shell of its former self. And although the book is still out on how good the Tigers are, I still think they will be able to outplay the Gators. I think it will be a relatively close game. Both teams will put up less than 30 points. I see the game being a somewhat tight race, going into the last few minutes of the game,  But just like they did with Oregon, the Tigers win the game with some last minute heroics.  Auburn wins this game and continues Florida’s journey to irrelevancy. (Auburn, 24-17)

Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83):  I am so tired of the SEC that I could care less about this game because whoever loses is not guaranteed to fall out of the top 10. Until the SEC is exposed for the fraud it is we will have to deal with this early season B.S. from pollsters. Anyway, I am picking Auburn to gore the Gators 31-10.

Final Score:  Florida 24   Auburn 13

(11)Texas  @  West Virginia

Andy:  I believe this is one of the easier games on Texas’ schedule. This Longhorns team is really resilient, if you need proof of that just watch their game against LSU earlier this season. Quarterback Sam Elhinger remains a Heisman hopeful. Despite being on the road, I expect Texas to walk away with a big win. West Virginia is still trying to find their identity after their former head coach Dana Holgerson left last year for Houston.

Bbaver:  Pick: Texas

Coach Rick:  I am thinking that Texas will win big in this game.  They are playing a very competitive schedule and done real well.  I have them winning by at least 24 points.  

Cory:  Just because Texas and West Virginia have identical records does not mean this will be much of a game. Texas has already played two quality opponents in LSU and Oklahoma State, whereas West Virginia’s best win came over North Carolina State. Last week, the Mountaineers struggled to beat Kansas. Texas also features a much better offense. Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger is completing 72.9 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and just one interception. With the game being in Morgantown there is a slight home-field advantage, however, that won’t be enough for West Virginia to pull off the upset this week.   Texas 42  West Virginia 13

 DR. Mark Texas 40-27  Longhorns still building program but I think their

offense prevails WVU not quite as strong as in previous years

Gregg:  I really want the Mountaineers to  pull off the upset but I don’t see it happening.  Texas has no wiggle room left after their September loss to LSU.  A conference loss and they may not even make the championship game.  And I believe they will be reminded a time or two about the 42-41 loss to WVU last year in Austin. They only way they fall is if they are caught looking ahead to the game at the Texas State fair next week.  Texas 31  West Virginia 24

Jason:  The 11^th ranked Longhorns hit the road to Morgantown to play an improving West Virginia ballclub in a very difficult environment.  The Mountaineers have begun to run the football which has helped QB Austin Kendall and the West Virginia offense turn somewhat of a corner.  Unable to rush for more than 35 yards the first couple of games, the Mountaineers have been able to have a little more balance, which will be important against a Texas defense who can be thrown on.  Texas has allowed 250 yards or more in three of the last four games, and over eight yards per throw. If the Mountaineers are able to control things enough on the ground, they can dictate the tempo and have a shot to pull the upset.  On the flip side, they won’t be able to keep up if Texas gets out to a big lead.  QB Sam Ehlinger who has been known for his ability to use his legs, has shown more accuracy throwing the football this year, hitting 73% of his passes with four touchdowns in three of his four games and has shown he can hit the deep ball.  While the Mountaineers have a solid pass rush, their secondary has been thrown on and if Texas gets the ball down field with any kind of consistency, the Longhorns could make it a long day for the home faithful. West Virginia will look to ball control to try to make this a four quarter game, but the Longhorns have just too much for the Big 12’s worst offense.  The ‘Horns get out early and roll to a road win.   Texas 38 WVU 17

Joe-S-U:  Texas over WV – ‘Horns take care of the ‘Neers and keep an eye towards Hurts and Co. 

John:  Texas might be looking ahead to the Red River Shootout next week (yes, I know that’s not PC, I just don’t care)  even if they are, I think they a good enough to get by WVU.  Texas  34  WVU  24 

Josh:   A unique showdown as West Virginia is looking to earn a quality win. Sam Ehlinger is trying to get more attention for his Heisman hopes, and both teams are going to attack they very porous defenses. This wont be as bad as the Oklahoma – West Virginia game from 2018, but there will be a lot of points on the board. I expect the Longhorns win this one on the road as they prepare fo the Red River Rivalry next week. Texas 42 – West Virginia 35.

Pia Pete:  Texas will have their hands full in the Mountains but still comes out on top.   Texas 27 – WVU 21

PJSBuck:  Texas by 20 or more.

Steven:  Texas better get their defense in order… I guess you could say that for all of the Big 12, I guess.  The Longhorns are giving up 436 yards a game.  I think most of those came from Joe Burrow… but I digress.  I have full confidence in Texas coach Tom Herman’s ability to motivate his  team.  They will need to be perfect from here on to get back in the national conversation knowing that even a Big 12 Championship may not be enough to get to the CFP.  At trip to Morgantown should be a good start as the ‘eers are in a rebuilding mode and just don’t have the horses to corral Bevo and the Longhorns.  TX 45-31

Trout:  The Longhorns should win this game, they are the better team. Granted, both teams come into this game with the same record, but West Virginia has not looked great.  They barely beat James Madison and Kansas, and also lost  to a rebuilding Mizzou team. Having said that, I don’t think Texas is fully back to what they were. So there will be some miscues and issues by the Longhorns in this game. This may allow the Mountaineers to stay competitive longer.  I think it will be close initially, but as the game goes on, I think Texas takes control . By the end of the game, Texas should win with a sizable lead. (Texas, 35-17)

Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83):  Texas beats West Virginia 31-14   

Final:  Texas 42  West Virginia 31