Week 3 Predictions – 2024
Last Week: Ohio State took care of business in routine fashion against the Broncos last week with a dominating 56-0 win (should have really been 63-0). We continue to see this young team develop and play together well, and we got to see all the quarterbacks for a few snaps. Not sure if the is a good time for an off week but hopefully the coaching staff makes the most of it. After two weeks, Vaughn, Andy and John continue to lead our staff picks with a 9-1 start. Let’s see if they can continue to set the pace this week. Also, a quick shout out to Stefan ‘Trout” Armintrout who will be getting married this Saturday!
This Week’s Games: The Bucks take a week off but we continue to bring our predictions from around the country. Hard to believe the season is 25% over after this week but with the new playoff format, every week is important. We start with Alabama making a rare trip north of the Mason-Dixon line as the go to Madison to play the Badgers. Can the Big Ten get a huge upset over the highly ranked SEC squad? …. Notre Dame goes down the road in-state to take on Purdue. The Boilermakers may be playing with confidence in this one. Can the Irish recover after their upset loss to a MAC school last week? …. Washington State plays Washington this week, but this time it is just a rivalry game, not a conference match-up. Will the Cougars make the Pac-2 proud and pull off the road upset? …. The other Pac-2 rival game is Oregon and Oregon State and they will square off this week as well. Will Oregon pick up their game and start playing like the Big Ten contender that we all expected them to be before the season started? …. Indiana coming off an awesome high scoring win, travels across the country to face UCLA. Are the Hoosiers for real this year or has the early season success been the result of their opponents?
Buckeye Greats: As in 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 tenth straight year.
Here we go with our Week 3 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
(2)Alabama @ Wisconsin
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Imagine what a monumental upset it would be for Wisconsin to upset Alabama. After suffering an upset by Washington State last year, I believe Luke Fickell pulls of the early season upset of Alabama. Luke gets his signature win 31-27 over the Tide.
Andy: Alabama still has one of the best rosters in college football despite losing key players and Nick Saban. Not only that, but everywhere he goes Kalen DeBoer has success and very potent offenses. Alabama’s offense will go as their quarterback Jalen Milroe does. While I’m fan of Fickell and what he has done, I don’t think Wisconsin is anywhere near Alabama’s level and the problem Wisconsin is running into right now is with how their team is built. Offensive coordinator Ray Longo runs the west coast offense which is typically a 4 wide receiver set. When Fickell arrived in Madison the team was built to run the football. For the Badgers roster to turn into a west coast team both on offense and defense will likely take 3 full seasons before they can comfortably compete. Alabama is ready to win now, Wisconsin is at least a year away from that with their current roster. I like Alabama in this one. Alabama 30 Wisconsin 24
Cory: Are there concerns about Alabama? The Crimson Tide only led 14-13 against South Florida last week before pulling away in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide got out-rushed by the Bulls, and Jalen Milroe continues to be OKish. New Head Coach Kalen Deboer is an offensive guy and I believe they’ll get things sorted on that side of the ball, but they can’t start slow this week and expect to walk away with a win. Wisconsin may not be world beaters but the Badgers always put up a fight at home. The Badgers are 2-0 but with small wins over Western Michigan and South Dakota, the offense needs to do a lot better in this game if Wisconsin is to pull the upset. I would not be surprised if this game is low scoring. Alabama 24, Wisconsin 10
Dave: Alabama 28 Wisconsin 14
Gregg: Alabama has not been to Madison since 1928. Wisconsin won that game but not sure they have what it takes to win this one. The crowd will be great, and that might be enough to put them over the top, but I just don’t think so. Alabama had a very rough win last week and they will need to use this game to right the ship before they start their SEC slate. This will be close, I expect it to be low scoring but in the end the Tide will roll. However, I would love to miss on this pick. Alabama 17 Wisconsin 13
Joe-S-U: ‘Bama
John: The Badgers struggled in week one to beat a W. Michigan team 28-14 that Ohio State destroyed one week later, and again to beat FCS S. Dakota in week two 27-13.. While it took a while for the Tide to get on track in week 2, Alabama was never really in danger of losing either of their first two games. Look for the Tide to roll into Camp Randall and leave with a comfortable win. Alabama 38 Wisconsin 10
Josh: Alabama
Steven: Wisconsin looks to be suffering from a bit of the same malaise that a lot of teams are faced with in the NIL era, there aren’t enough great players to go around when NIL has tipped the scales even more towards those at the top. There is only so much a good coach can do with bailing wire and chewing gum when it comes to building a roster. How long will it be until college football is forced to institute a salary cap in order to bring sanity back into the game? I fully expect a pretty solid beat-down of the Badgers by Alabama, and this is certainly not Alabama’s best team, talent-wise over that past 5 years. Second tier programs are just going to be too outmatched by the elite teams. Had this been a night game, I might give the Badgers a little more of a chance. Noon in Madison, it’s a yawner. ‘Bama 37-10.
Trout: Alabama should win the game. Wisconsin’s defense may keep it close, but the Badger offense is horrendous. They won’t be able to keep up with the Crimson Tide offensively. It may be closer for a little bit, because I don’t believe that this Alabama team is as good as previous teams, but they should pull and win by a few scores. (Alabama, 28-10)
Final Score: Alabama 42 Wisconsin 10
(18)Notre Dame @ Purdue
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Marcus Freeman appears to have a problem with keeping his team focused after big games. Not this week though. Notre Dame wakes up the echoes and throttles Purdue 35-17
Andy: Purdue’s defense is the strength of their team, through two games they have not allowed a single point so far this season. Conversely Notre Dame has only allowed an average of 2 touchdowns per game. Marcus Freeman and the Irish have one of the tougher defenses in the country, with two elite defensive tackles (Riley Mills & Howard Cross), an elite cornerback (Benjamin Morrison) and the best safety in college football (Xavier Watts). I think after such a big upset last week against Northern Illinois, Notre Dame will bounce back and get a win. Notre Dame has to win on the line of scrimmage and they have to be efficient running the football as their quarterback Riley Leonard has struggled at times when he has to sit back and throw the ball a lot. Notre Dame 17 Purdue 14
Cory: Another year, another embarrassing loss to a G5 opponent for Notre Dame. Could the seat under Marcus Freeman be heating up already? The Fighting Irish have recruited well under but so far the big win has eluded Freeman, and losses to Marshall and Northern Illinois don’t help. The biggest thing in this game is that Irish quarterback Riley Leonard has to be better. Two interceptions and just 163 yards is simply not good enough. I think Notre Dame is a much better team than Purdue, but don’t underestimate the Spoilermakers. Quarterback Hudson Card is in his second year with the team after transferring for Texas, and has looked good at times. He only had one incompletion in the team’s opener this season. That said, I expect a rebound from Notre Dame here. Notre Dame 31, Purdue 17
Dave: Notre Dame 24 Purdue 21
Gregg: Purdue had a huge upset over the Buckeyes a few years ago and it cost them a shot in the playoffs. If Purdue can do that again this week against the Irish, that will most certainly knock Notre Dame out of the playoffs this year. Ross-Aide will be rocking, the big Drum will be knocking, but in the end, the Irish will consider this a must win situation. However, I would love to miss this pick. Notre Dame 27 Purdue 17
Joe-S-U: Purdue
John: Last week wasn’t the first time a Marcus Freeman coached Irish team has spit the bit against a non power five conference school. For a school with ND’s pedigree, that doesn’t sit well with the fan base. I see one of two scenarios playing out Saturday: 1) ND rights the ship and pummels The Boilermakers 2) The issues run deeper than originally thought and ND struggles but gets the win. Of these, I think the second scenario is the more likely. While the game is at Purdue, I don’t think the Black and Gold have enough athletes to pull the upset, especially after the egg the Irish laid last week. Notre Dame 27 Purdue 21
Josh: Purdue
Steven: Notre Dame is a bit of a puzzling case. The easy path would be to drop everything at the feet of Riley Leonard and say the Irish just didn’t find a competent QB in the portal this past off-season. In reality, Notre Dame’s woes go much deeper. The third full year of the Marcus Freeman era has yet again seen an inexplicable home loss to a lesser opponent. In last week’s game against Northern Illinois, the Irish just couldn’t sustain drives and looked out of sync, if not disinterested. There is still belief that Freeman can be the guy at Notre Dame, but he has a lot to learn about firing up his team every week, and not just for the big games. This week will be a test of that when the Irish travel south, down route 31 to West Lafayette. The Boilermakers have but one game under their belt, blowing out the Sycamores of Indiana State. Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be divined from the 49-0 score. Purdue could be good, but probably just beat up on an overmatched opponent. Notre Dame has to get their offense figured out or coach Freeman may be in for a long season. Establish the run young man, and things get a lot easier. Notre Dame bounces back… Have Mercy. Domers 24-18.
Trout: Notre Dame wins this game close. The Irish have shown that they are not the top 10 team people thought they would be. Also, Purdue look pretty good offensively last week. Granted, that was against a smaller school. I can see the game coming down to the wire and somehow Notre Dame wins it with some last minute heroics. The Irish win and get their season back on track. (Notre Dame, 24-21)
Final Score: Notre Dame 66 Purdue 7
Washington State @ Washington
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Washington State is playing very well so far this year. Washington has been so so against some patsies. I am going with the upset with what may be the last Apple Cup game. The Cougs beat the Huskies 31-28.
Andy: The Apple Cup in September? This used to be one of the bigger rivalries in college football that was reserved for the final regular season game for both of these teams. Washington State has a really good offense this year scoring an average of 53 points in each game so far this season, while the Huskies on the other hand have an elite defense that has only allowed an average of 6 points scored against them in their two games this season. Washington has a good offense, where as the Cougars don’t have a particularly strong defense allowing an average of 23 points per game. Truth be told this is a fairly close matchup and the margins on this game should be pretty slim, with this being a historic rivalry I expect this game to be competitive and close. Washington 34 Washington State 31
Cory: When was the last time the Apple Cup happened when the teams were in different conferences? It still feels weird. Nonetheless, rivalry games are always fun to watch. Both teams enter 2-0 after beating up on cupcakes in the first two weeks, so it’s hard to glean too much information about either one so far. Washington State is led by their do-it-all quarterback John Mateer, who leads the team in both passing and rushing. Washington counters with quarterback Will Rogers, who once looked like a promising young quarterback at Mississippi State before he took a big step back last season. Though the Huskies lost a lot of talent to the NFL, I still think they have the overall talent advantage in this matchup. Combine that with playing at one of the loudest stadiums in the country, and I see Washington winning a close one. Washington 35, Washington State 28
Dave: Washington 28 Washington State
Gregg: I think the Beavers play with an attitude and get the surprise victory. However, I would love to miss this pick Washington State 34 Wasington 31
Joe-S-U: Washington
John: Another casualty of conference realignment. This game should be being played in late November, not September. While few will mourn OSU/ILL not playing for the Illibuck every year (heck, they didn’t play every year before realignment) I, for one, will miss the Apple Cup game every year.It was usually an entertaining rivalry that produced the occasional upset. Not this year, though. Washington 31 Washington St 27
Josh: Washington
Steven: Ah, the Apple Cup. This matchup is so huge that the powers that be put it on Peacock. The oddsmakers have the Huskies favored, but I kinda like the Cougars. Their offense is scoring at a good clip, and the Cougs have at least played and beaten a Power 4 program in Texas Tech while Washington has beaten, albeit handily, Eastern Michigan and Weber State. This is not last year’s Husky team. I have a tough time expecting either U-Dub or Wazzu making a playoff run this year. Wazzu with the slight upset 31-27.
Trout: I don’t really know about either team. If I had to pick, I will go with Washington. Although they lost their quarterback to the draft, and their head coach to Alabama, they were just in the national championship last year. The team should have some talent left. However, Washington State has been a disruptor in the past. So I can see it being very close with the Huskies squeaking by with the victory. The Huskies win the Apple Cup in a close, hard fought battle. (Washington, 31-28)
Final Score: Washington State 24 Washington 19
(9)Oregon @ Oregon State
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): I am rooting for the Ducks with hopes they will be undefeated when the Buckeyes invade Autzen stadium in October. Oregon edges Oregon State 27-24.
Andy: If you had told me two weeks ago that this matchup might be an upset alert, I would have told you no way. But through two games so far Oregon has struggled with their offensive line and with their defense. On offense, they cannot pass protect at all and they’re having a hard time run blocking as well. When an offense is impaired by bad performances from their offensive line, it shortens each play because the defense is getting to the quarterback faster and easier. The result of this is short quick pass plays and not much in the way of running the football. Oregon as a team is averaging 3.0 yards per carry and has only run the ball for 216 yards in two games, conversely their defense has allowed nearly 300 yards rushing through two games. What shocked me was that Oregon State’s defense is only allowing an average of 7.5 points per game on average through two games. I think Oregon has a much better roster overall and that will carry them through this rivalry game, but it won’t be easy as Oregon State has two really good running backs both of whom have run for over 200 yards each as well as 3 rushing touchdowns each. The matchup to watch here is Oregon’s front seven against this tough rushing attack from Oregon State. Oregon 24 Oregon State 21
Cory: Yet another rivalry that is no longer connected by a conference – we will get to see Oregon and Oregon State play this week. Normally, the Civil War is pretty hype but the matchup this year feels a bit muted. Oregon is the number 9 team in the country, but they’ve not played anywhere close to that level yet. The Ducks needed late scores to beat Idaho and Boise State. Their running game is nonexistent – just 216 total rushing yards so far. Oregon State, on the other hand, lost quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who transferred to Florida State, as well as head coach Jonathan Smith, who went to Michigan State. Watching Oregon so far this season you start to realize just how much they relied on Bo Nix to make plays. He just managed to make things happen on third down. How drastic of a difference? The Ducks converted 50 percent of their third downs last season, compared to just 39 percent so far this season. I like the Beavers to pull the upset. Oregon State 30, Oregon 24
Dave: Oregon 32 Oregon State 28
Gregg: Oregon has not looked like the team they were expected to be this season. This would be a great week for them to start getting things in order. And I still look at this as the biggest opponent for the Buckeyes so let them get better so that when Ohio State beats them, they will get more respect. Oregon 40 Oregon State 27
Joe-S-U: Oregon
John: Another Pac 12, in state rivalry that looks to be going the way of the dodo. The Ducks are just plain better than the Beavers. Even though they have struggled in multiple facets this season, look for them to right the ship in this rivalry game. Oregon 38 Oregon St 17
Josh: Oregon
Steven: Can we still call this one the Civil War? If you’re going to fight a civil war, I guess the Pacific Northwest isn’t the worst place in the world to have it. Could this the week that Oregon’s defense comes to play? So far, the Ducks have been entirely un-ducklike. For a team that was touted to be a legitimate national championship contender, Oregon has sputtered out of the gate. This is the week they right the ship. Ducks 27-12.
Trout: The Ducks win this game, but the Beavers keep it close. The past 2 weeks have shown that Oregon has some issues offensively. They are undefeated, but the way in which they beat those teams, has been lackluster to say the least. Oregon State has never been a great team, but they have had the random decent team here and there. They keep it close, making it very unnerving for the Ducks. Oregon however, is more talented, and talent usually wins out. The Ducks pull away late, and win the game. (Oregon, 35-24)
Final Score: Oregon 49 Oregon State 14
Indiana @ UCLA
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Curt Cignetti is displaying an offense the likes that Indiana has never seen. UCLA on the other hand, struggled offensively in their opener against Hawaii. With two new first year coaches, I am going with Indiana over UCLA 42-17.
Andy: Indiana is not a team that I took very seriously coming into this year as they have an entirely new coaching staff and previous coach Tom Allen did a poor job with maintaining the Hoosier roster. UCLA also has a new coaching staff, but the difference is their head coach is a first time head coach. New Hoosier head coach Curt Cignetti has the Hoosiers rolling on both offense and defense, they are on the highest scoring offenses in the country through two games averaging 54 points per game and one of the best defenses in college football allowing only an average of 5 points scored against them through 2 games. I don’t see a favorable matchup for UCLA, but they do have a better roster than the teams IU has played through 2 games so far. Indiana 34 UCLA 10
Cory: The Curt Cignetti era in Bloomington is off to a good start. Indiana is 2-0 and is coming off their best-ever offensive performance, a 77-3 thrashing of Western Illinois last week. Yes, Western Illinois is not a great measuring stick but the Hoosier offense looked significantly better than they did at any point last season. There is a balance there that was not present. How balanced is the Hoosier offense? They’ve got 558 passing yards and 557 rushing yards. On the other side of this matchup is UCLA, which is led by first-year Head Coach DeShaun Foster. Foster is a former Bruin himself, but prior to this job he only ever coached running backs. The results thus far are mixed. The Bruins are 1-0, however, their win was 16-13 dud over Hawaii that saw UCLA average just 3.6 rushing yards per carry. Take out quarterback Ethan Garbers from the rushing totals and the Bruins ran 13 times for 24 yards. We’ll see just how good the Hoosiers are in their first road test, but the balance they possess on offense combined with UCLA’s lack of an offense has me liking Indiana in this one. Indiana 35, UCLA 20
Dave: Indiana 21 UCLA 14
Gregg: Indiana has been waiting a long time to play in the Rose Bowl. Of course they wanted it to be a bowl game, not a regular season conference game. But Indiana has looked great so for so color me still drinking the Hoosier Kool-Aid. Indiana 35 UCLA 28
Joe-S-U: Indiana
John: Who isn’t eagerly anticipating this match up of traditional Big Ten powers….not. When this a basketball game, the two programs’ histories will make this a little more interesting (but not a lot). Hard to get too worked up over a September game that looks like it settle who will finish ninth or tenth in the even more ironically named Big Ten. Someone has to win, so…. UCLA 31 Indiana 28
Josh: Indiana
Steven: Wow, this matchup is strange. This is one that would almost never have happened if it weren’t for the Bruins joining the Big Ten. This one will be interesting solely to see if Indiana’s offense is for real. They have scored 108 points in 2 games this year, beating FIU and one of the lesser directional Illinois schools, (Western). UCLA has one game under their belt, having beaten Hawaii in a barnburner 16-13 tile back on the 31st of August. The layoff probably won’t help. IU goes into LA and boat races the Bruins 44-20.
Trout: I have to go with the Hoosiers. They have never been a great team, but they have been more consistent than the Bruins in the last decade. UCLA seems to alway get the hype, but never leave up to it. I do think this will be another close game. I think Indiana is better, but not by much. I also see the game being relatively low scoring. The Hoosiers pull off the narrow victory, and welcome UCLA to the Big Ten with a loss. (Indiana, 17-14)