Cory:  The Battle for Ohio commences this week as the Bobcats come up to Columbus to face the Buckeyes. Ohio lost their opener by three points to Rutgers, then went on the road last week to upset West Virginia. The Bobcats are led by their senior quarterback, Parker Navarro, who is a true dual-threat. Navarro ran for over 1,000 yards last season and he is averaging 6.7 yards per carry. The problem with Navarro is that he turns the ball over. Last season he had 11 interceptions to just 13 touchdowns, and he’s already got three interceptions this season. We’ve seen how good Ohio State’s pass defense has been this season, so as long as they can keep Navarro’s running in check, Ohio State should cruise to a win here.   Ohio State 42, Ohio 14 

Dave:  Ohio State 42  Ohio 7 

Gregg:  Buckeye fans finally get what they wanted in week 1, a night game.  The atmosphere will be rocking, and the weather will be perfect.  For the first time it will not be white out, it will not be a scarlet out, it will be ‘helmet out’?  If all goes right, the bulk of the fans will be in grey and south stands will add the colors of the Buckeye helmet stripe.  Stay tuned for that.  The starters will likely get more reps than last week, but it will be the same result.  With any luck, we will get to see more of Bo Jackson, he is earning it.  And can someone please tell the Bobcat coach that Caleb Downs is not wide receiver?  Please  … know your opponent!  Buckeyes continue to roll in a big victory before their first bye week.   Ohio State 59  Ohio 3 

Jason:  Ohio has played a pair of power 4 schools to open the season and came within an eyelash of sitting at 2-0. A close 3 point loss at Rutgers preceded a 17-10 win over visiting West Virginia a week ago. This one is a whole different animal for the Bobcats, visiting the #1 and defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, who have allowed just 7 points in two wins, while scoring 84 in wins over then #1 Texas and an outmatched Grambling State. The Cats are led by 5^th year QB Parker Navarro, who comes in with a lot of confidence and can do a lot well. He is converting nearly 70% of his passes and is coming off a season where he rushed for 1,000 yards and 18 tds.  Ohio has to be perfect to even compete in this game, something they weren’t in the West Virginia game. Despite the win, they turned it over 3 times and took 10 penalties. If they duplicate those numbers, Ohio State will run away and hide early. They still might. While it won’t be the walkover as it was last week against Grambling State, this one should be well in hand early in the second half. Buckeye QB Julian Sayin will pick up where he left off last week where other than 1 INT, he was flawless. The Buckeyes will again be able to use depth and roll to 3-0 into their bye week before heading on the road for the first time for a tricky game at Washington.   Ohio State 45 Ohio 10

Joe-S-U:  Ohio State over OU- Looks like Clark Kellogg will be this weekend’s “Before The Victory” Victory Bell ringer.  I think someone needs to find out what Anita Ward is up to, she took “Ring My Bell” to the top of the Hot 100 in 1979 while Earle Bruce was taking the Buckeyes to the top of the Big Ten.  Let’s get her lined up for a game.  Better yet, since A/C D/C’s “Hells Bells” intro has become a ‘Shoe staple, let’s get Angus Young to come ring the bell.  We’ve got real possibilities here, folks

John:  I would expect this game to be a little more competitive than last week.  Ohio has looked good in both their first games, playing Rutgers tough on the road in a close loss, then beating West Virginia in Athens last week.  That said, the talent gap is such that this game shouldn’t be close, but the starters may still be in the game late into the third quarter or early into the fourth.   Ohio State  42  Ohio  14

Josh:  The Buckeyes return home for an all-Ohio matchup after dismantling Grambling 70–0. Julian Sayin looked every bit like a poised leader, completing 18 of 19 passes and showing that the offense can strike deep with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. This week is less about if Ohio State wins and more about building rhythm before Big Ten play. Expect Ryan Day to lean on the run game, get reps for younger backs like Bo Jackson and James Peoples, and rotate heavily on defense. The Bobcats will come in with nothing to lose, but their offensive line will be no match for Arvell Reese and a Buckeye front seven that looks faster and deeper than in years past.   Ohio State 59 – Ohio 10

Steven:   If Julian Sayin can improve his decision-making process to eliminate those pesky turnovers, he might just turn out OK. In all seriousness though, this week does provide a slight step up in competition from Grambling State. Ohio stands about middle of the pack nationally in both offense and defense, but they are coming off what could be a signature win against West Virginia. It remains to be seen how impressive a win that is as the season moves along. With last week’s WVU and Okie State losses, the Big 12 looks sadder than the Pac-whatever.  Once again, the best part of the day, (night actually) will be the bands. The OSU starters may actually play in the second half, but not all of it.   Bucks win 52-10.

Trout:  The Bobcats should be a bigger test than Grambling, but I don’t see the Buckeyes having too much trouble winning this game. Sayin won’t be near perfect like he was last week, but I could see him having a good game through the air. I’d also can see one or maybe even all 3 of the running backs have decent showings. Ohio fights hard, but won’t have enough to stay with the Buckeyes. Ohio State wins comfortably heading into the bye.   (Ohio State, 42-17)

Final Score:  Ohio State 37   Ohio 9 

Cory:  It’s been a rough start to the season for Clemson, which is a team many thought were dark-horse national title contenders. The Tigers lost to LSU in the opener, only scoring 10 points, and then last week they had to pull off a second-half, come-from-behind win over visiting Troy. Cade Klubnik ended up with decent stats, but the offense has continued to stall at inopportune times. Georgia Tech escaped a close win over Colorado before dominating Gardner-Webb last week. The Yellow Jackets may be without quarterback Haynes King, who missed last week due to a lower-body injury. If King can’t play that is a huge blow to Georgia Tech’s chances as he is what makes that offense go. I’m not confident in picking Clemson, though.   Clemson 21, Georgia Tech 17

Dave:  Clemson 32  Georgia Tech 29

Gregg:  Clemson has been way too inconsistent this year to be ranked as high as they find themselves but this week they will drop some more.  I don’t think the Yellow Jackets have enough to win the game, but it will be close.  The Clemson offense is bad and is going to struggle against the Tech defensive line.  I hope I am wrong as I want the Tigers out of the polls and the national narrative but I see a close game where they sneak out a victory.   Clemson 20  Georgia Tech 17

Jason:  #12 Clemson enters its Week 3 ACC showdown against Georgia Tech as the favorite, but the Yellow Jackets present a legitimate upset opportunity, especially with the game being played in Atlanta. Georgia Tech will lean on ball control led by running backs Jamal Haynes and Malachi Hosley to sustain long drives and keep Clemson quarterback Kade Klubnik off the field. If they can move the sticks and take advantage of Clemson’s over aggressiveness, they could create big-play opportunities. If they have any chance of pulling the upset, they must keep their offense on the field and convert on third down. 

For Clemson, the defensive line, must be better than they have looked so far to prevent Georgia Tech’s ground game from controlling the pace of the game and get off the field.. Offensively, injuries have left the offensive line in a state of flux and have to give Klubnik time to throw. If Clemson’s talent plays to their ability, the Tigers will get out of Atlanta with a win, if not, this one will go down to the wire and the Jackets may have a shot at the upset. With the inconsistency for the Tigers on both sides of the ball, look for this one to go the distance and at home, Georgia Tech secures the win and all but eliminates Clemson from the CFP conversation.   Georgia Tech 24 Clemson 21

Joe-S-U: Clemson over Georgia Tech – All right, degenerates, listen up.  According to Phil (Let me pat myself on the back for twisting statistics to make myself look like a college football Nostradamus) Steele, Clemson is 0-5 against the spread in its last 5 true road openers.  Plus Tech has covered 3 straight as a home underdog against ranked teams.  So take Tech and the 2 1/2?  Tempting, but here’s saying Dumbo and Company get a win and keep ESPN salivating for another week on how they’re “back”.

John:  How good is Clemson, really?  Lose to LSU at home, then squeak by FCS Troy by 11 in a game they were a 30 point favorite and trailed at halftime.  Tech is 2-0, beating Colorado on the road, then beating up on Little Sisters of the Poor, excuse me, Gardner-Webb, at home last week.  This feels like a fulcrum game for Clemson.  They either right the ship and are back in the playoff conversation, or the season goes off the rails.  Having watched parts of both Tiger games, my eyeballs tell me this team has issues that I don’t know if Dabo can fix in a week of practice.  Georgia Tech  24  Clemson 21

Josh:  Clemson enters this game with pressure after dropping an early one to LSU, and the margin for error is slim in the ACC. Georgia Tech, on the other hand, has quietly improved under Brent Key, with an offense that can put up points in bunches if given the chance. Clemson’s defense will be tested by Tech’s tempo, but the Tigers’ depth should eventually take over. Expect quarterback Aaron Philo to settle in after early jitters, while Cade Klubnik and the Tigers will be desperate to prove they can still make noise nationally. This one may be tighter than expected through halftime before Clemson’s defense clamps down.   Clemson 31 – Georgia Tech 20

Steven:  The sharps have Clemson a 2.5 point favorite, but yet ESPN’s matchup predictor has Clemson an underdog. Tech is moving the ball all over the place, moving them into the top 10 of total offense, but very on brand, they can’t convert all of their drives into points. It’s mind-boggling to me that Clemson is currently outside of the top 100 in scoring. This one comes down to defense. Who can force their opponent into empty drives?  Tech and Clemson are neck and neck in defensive stats. I’m stumped, so I’ll trust Vegas more than ESPN, but it would be wild to see Dab Swinney take 2 losses in the first 4 weeks of the season. Pulling for the Jackets but taking the Tigers.   Clemson 24-20

Trout:  Georgia Tech will keep it close, but Clemson pulls off the win. I think after the first 2 weeks, it’s clear that Dabo and the Clemson Tigers are not as advertised. They may still win the ACC, but I expect them to  have another first round exit in the playoffs. They’ll have enough offense to get past the Yellow Jackets, but it won’t be pretty. I can even see Clemson winning on a last second field goal. They’ll game is going to be very sloppy and low scoring. Clemson is able to hang on and squeak out a win.   (Clemson, 17-14)

Final Score:  Georgia Tech 24   Clemson 21 

Cory:  The afternoon game that most people will be watching this Saturday features Georgia visiting Tennessee. Neither team has really been tested yet, as Georgia has wins over Marshall and Austin Peay, and Tennessee has wins over Syracuse and Eastern Tennessee. The Bulldogs have not looked dominant in their wins so far, and they are really running the ball well. The Volunteers seemed to have lost nothing with the departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava, as Joey Aguilar has been terrific so far. Aguilar is completed 66 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no interceptions. Georgia enters this game as a seven-point favorite but I am calling for the upset in Knoxville.   Tennessee 28, Georgia 24

Dave:  Georgia 28  Tennessee 24 

Gregg:  Sadly, I don’t really know how good either one of these teams are this year, so maybe we will get some answers revealed this week.  Vols have not won over the Dawgs in Knoxville since 2015. Georgia knows how important it is to win this game.  As they were picked to be a top SEC, can’t afford to lose this game, even on the road.  The one good thing is this will be a game that starts up all the cannibalization that will begin the ESPN’s favorite conference.  Georgia  38  Tennessee 17

Jason:  The biggest game of the weekend takes place in Knoxville, Tennessee as the 15^th ranked Vols welcome the 6^th ranked Georgia Bulldogs. The Dawgs have won the last 8 games between the two, all by double digits. Although the opponents haven’t been strong, the Vols offense looks to have re-loaded and a win in this game will likely propel them directly into the CFP conversation. While Georgia sits in a good spot, they are coming off a sleepy 28-6 home win over Austin Peay. While the defense has looked good against outmatched opponents, the offense has struggled. The ground game hasn’t been explosive and there are still questions around QB Gunner Stockton. Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar has taken over for Nico Iamaleava admirably so far, but this will be a test against a very good front. This has the makings of a defensive struggle. Both teams will hit on a couple of explosive plays and the outcome won’t likely be decided until the fourth quarter, where behind the huge, rowdy home crowd in Neyland Stadium, Tennessee will come up with a huge win and break their losing streak against Georgia.   Tennessee 27 Georgia 24

Joe-S-U:  Georgia over Tennessee- Bulldogs are flying under the radar.  For some reason, they’ve taken a back seat to LSU as ESPN’s darling SEC squeeze.  Explains how this game gets relegated to 3:30 on ABC while Florida/LSU gets the prime time lovefest.  Don’t worry, though, a certain AP numbnut will move the Vols up two spots on their ballot ’cause, hey, it doesn’t really matter, right?

John:  First big game for either team.  The Vol’s D gave up 26 to what appears to be a fairly average Syracuse offense in week one and 17 FCS East Tennessee State last week but the offense put up a ton of points.  Georgia’s D took care of business in their first two games, giving up 7 and 6 respectively.  It feels like the only way Tennessee wins is in a high scoring shoot out.  Not sure the Dawg D will let that happen.   Georgia  31  Tennessee 24

Josh:  This SEC East clash is always circled, but Tennessee hasn’t been able to get over the hump against Georgia in recent years. Gunner Stockton has been steady for the Bulldogs, and the defense remains loaded with future NFL talent, making them tough to crack. Tennessee will try to push the tempo behind Joey Aguilar, leaning on receivers to stress Georgia vertically, but Kirby Smart’s defense doesn’t usually give up explosive plays. If the Vols’ offensive line struggles, this could get out of hand. Still, Neyland Stadium at night is one of the toughest places to play, and it’ll keep things interesting for a while before Georgia pulls away.   Georgia 34 – Tennessee 21

Steven:  Last season’s pantsing of the Vols in the ‘Shoe drove former QB Nico Iamaleava all the way out west to UCLA. When a team gets exposed like the Vols did, it is tough to bounce back. I’m sorry, but beating a depleted Syracuse team and routing East Tennessee State doesn’t impress me much. While Georgia is not the team they have been in the past 5 years, I have faith in coach Kirby Smart’s defensive acumen. They will be forced to rely on the defense because the Bulldogs unfortunately do not have the luxury of having a changer on offense. This looks to be a slugfest, and honestly, it probably won’t be pretty.   UGA 28-24

Trout:  I think the game will be close, but the Vols take the game. From what it seems, the Bulldogs are still trying to find their footing with Gunner Stockton and they don’t see like the dominant team they once were. While Tennessee has looked pretty good after their divorce with Nico. Granted, they’ve played weaker teams. I see the game being close, with multiple lead changes. However Tennessee pulls a head towards the end of the game and hangs on to win.   (Tennessee, 24-21)  

Final Score:  Georgia 44   Tennessee 41  OT  

Cory:  The big night game this week goes to Texas A&M against Notre Dame, and I’m not sure it will be much of a game. Texas A&M enters 2-0 but those wins are over UTSA and Utah State, and the Aggies allowed their opponents to score over 20 points in both of those games. The Irish lost a close one in the opener on the road to Miami, and then had a bye week to get things right. The Irish struggled offensively in the first half of that game but once CJ Carr got going in the second half Notre Dame looked like a good team. The only concern I have for Notre Dame in this game is how well they will be able to defend Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed is also the team’s top rusher, and player that dynamic can feast against a team that plays a lot of man defense, like Notre Dame does.   Notre Dame 31, Texas A&M 28

Dave:  Notre Dame 28  Texas A&M 14

Gregg:  Texas A&M is simple riding the SEC hype train and does not deserve the love and attention they are receiving.  Meanwhile, the Irish are coming off two weeks to prepare for this one and they also realize that a two-loss Notre Dame team is probably not in the playoffs. Coach Freeman will be treating this like a first-round playoff game,  Since the Domers still refuse to join a conference, they can probably not afford a second loss. Expect the crowd to be rocking for this one.   Notre Dame 27  Texas A&M 10

Jason:  The next biggest game nationally happens in South Bend, where the Irish welcome the Texas A&M Aggies to town. Last year’s 23-13 win by the Irish in College Station, overcame an early loss and ultimately propelled Notre Dame into the playoffs and eventually into the National Title game. This year is the same after Notre Dame lost an early battle at Miami so the bottom line for the Irish is win this one or most likely be on the outside looking in when the CFP is announced in December. A&M QB Marcel Reed is back in the lineup and has been very good when healthy so the Irish D will be tested. Notre Dame will try to establish the run and try to sustain long drives on the ground. Irish QB, CJ Carr is good, but their best player is RB Jeremiyah Love and they will feed him early and often against a defense that allowed UTSA to rush for over 6 yards per carry. At home this year, the Irish will duplicate last year’s result, behind a solid ground game and hit a few over the top to pull away and send the Aggies home with their first defeat of the season.  Notre Dame 38 Texas A&M 21

Joe-S-U: Domers over Texas A&M – The Fighting Marcus Freemans take care of yet another SEC team that’s probably about 6 spots higher in the polls than they need to be.  Something tells me Jeremyiah Love’s gonna get the rock more than 10 times in this one

John:  This game may define the remainder of Notre Dame’s season, as the schedule gets much softer after this (currently no ranked teams on the future schedule).  If the Irish lose this one, they will have a hard time convincing the committee to include them ahead of another bubble team.  Win, and they are quite possibly a top 5 team going into the play off.   For A&M, this is their first real test after beating up on two lesser teams to start the season.  This will be a tough test for the Aggies, going on the road to play a team that has both had two weeks to prepare and has their backs against the wall.  I won’t be stunned by an A&M win, but don’t think that happens.   Notre Dame 31  Texas A&M  21

Josh:  This is a sneaky good non-conference matchup, with A&M off to a strong start behind quarterback Marcel Reed and wideout Mario Craver, while Notre Dame is still trying to rebound after a close loss to Miami. The Aggies’ defensive front is athletic enough to challenge Notre Dame’s run game, putting pressure on CJ Carr to make plays through the air. South Bend will be rocking, and Marcus Freeman’s squad should come out with urgency. Still, A&M has the balance and depth to hang around, and this one may come down to a late turnover or red-zone stop.   Notre Dame 28 – Texas A&M 24

Steven:  There’s not a lot of recent tape to look at to make a determination about either of these teams. Notre Dame and new QB CJ Carr did not look in sync in their loss to Miami in week 1, so with a bye week in between, I expect much better play out of the Irish offense. On the Texas A&M side, I’m not putting a lot of stock in the Aggies wins over Utah State and UTSA.. This one is an enigma. Vegas has the domers as about a touchdown favorite. This one feels like it could be closer than that to me. The Aggies are slinging it around, but yet, they have not faced a Marcus Freeman led defense. I don’t think Notre Dame goes 0-2, so, I’ll take the Irish 27-23.   

Trout:  It’s hard to know how good or bad these teams are. Notre Dame is definitely rebuilding this year. While the Aggies always seem to get a lot preseason hype, but never live up to it. I feel like this game is a toss up. I’ll give the slight edge to the Irish since its in South Bend. This game will go down to the wire. The Irish do just enough to get a lead late in the game and keep that lead until the clock hits zero. Notre Dame gets their first victory this season.   (Notre Dame, 23-21) 

Final Score:  Texas A&M 41 Notre Dame 40 

Cory:  Just how good is South Florida? The Bulls stunned Boise State in the opener, then last week they went to Gainesville and upset Florida in the Swamp. That’s two big wins against ranked opponents. South Florida is led by its dynamic quarterback, Bryum Brown, who has 76 percent of the team’s total yardage this season. On the other side of the field is Carson Beck, who was outstanding in the team’s week-one upset over Notre Dame. While I don’t want to underestimate the fight of South Florida, I just really like the way Miami is playing right now.   Miami 35, South Florida 21 

Dave:  Miami 28  South Florida 21 

Gregg:  South Florida had a huge upset win last week over the Gators last week, of course we still need to find out if Florida is worth anything or just another overrated SEC team.  Miami opened with the big win over the Irish, so the do have some fire power for sure.  I think the Bulls will give them a game but not have enough juice to pull off the upset.   Miami 31  South Florida 20 

Jason:  A huge matchup in the battle of ranked Florida teams as 18th ranked South Florida heads to sunny Miami to take on the big, bad 5th ranked Hurricanes. Miami has a dominant defensive line, led by Rueben Bane Jr., and a deep receiving corps powered by transfer CJ Daniels along with Georgia transfer QB Carson Beck, who seems to have found his mojo again after a tough year in Athens a year ago. The Canes hold a clear physical advantage on both sides of the ball in the trenches. While USF’s up-tempo offense and physical quarterback Byrum Brown could challenge Miami defensively, the Bulls’ offensive line is unlikely to withstand Miami’s pass rush over 4 quarters. On the other side of the ball, Bulls are a physical team that flies to the ball on defense and will test Miami and keep it close for awhile. With home-field advantage, in addition to the interior advantage on both sides of the football, Miami will wear down USF and pull away late in the 3rd quarter and coast to the finish.   Miami 35  USF 17

Joe-S-U:  Miami, FL over S. Fla – Good grief, ABC should’ve put this game in prime time.  Instead, it’s a 4:30 kick on the CW…sandwiched between a “Dukes Of Hazzard” rerun and an infomercial for hair removal off your back

John:  Don’t overlook South Florida just because they play in the American Conference.  This is a good football team, and I expect them to be in the game going into the fourth quarter.  However, the talent gap is just too large, and while the Hard Rock isn’t the best home field advantage ( and this may feel more like a neutral field game with USF being in Tampa) I think Miami is just a better team.   Miami  38  South Florida 31

Josh:  South Florida is the feel-good story of the early season after upsetting Florida in Week 2, but now they get Miami — a team that looks locked in and loaded with NFL-caliber speed at every position. Carson Beck has been distributing the ball efficiently, and running back Mark Fletcher Jr. is pounding defenses with authority. For USF, Byrum Brown gives them a shot with his dual-threat ability, but Miami’s defensive line should live in the backfield and make life miserable. This is one of those games where the Hurricanes want to make a statement that the Florida win was no fluke — they are very much in the playoff conversation.   Miami 41 – South Florida 17

Steven:  Ohio State has a habit of killing programs. After the 2002 National Championship loss to OSU, it took over 20 years for Miami to recover.  But like they say at the beginning of each year, this could be Miami’s year!  Funny enough, they might finally be right. Both Vegas and ESPN have Miami as an overwhelming favorite. I don’t think this hits the 17-point spread, but Miami probably will win. I like USF to make it a game into the 4th quarter, and I’ll be pulling for the upset.   The U (is FINALLY back?) 37-28.

Trout:  I think the Bulls put up a fight against the Hurricanes, but come up a little short. The Hurricanes have definitely looked better in this early season, but it’s hard to judge if they are for real. On the other side, the Bulls just showed they can hang with the big team and even play spoiler. I think Miami wins this game, but South Florida keeps it interesting. It will be dangerously close for a while, but Miami pulls away towards the end the game.   (Miami, 33-21)

Final Score:  Miami 49   South Florida 12