Standings:
1.) Draper 17-3 (1-3 upset)
1.) Schweinfurth 17-3 (0-4 upset)
3.) Seeberg 16-4 (1-3 upset)
4.) Hoying 15-5 (1-3 upset)
Nothing beats the feeling of being undefeated and knowing you'll wake up next week feeling the same way. Other teams around the nation aren't so lucky, as every power conference (except the one nearest and dearest to you) features teams putting their spotless records to the test.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Utah Utes @ Oregon State Beavers
Draper: Utah has been the kings of the Pac12 for the last few years (despite what USC and Oregon say), and while they're undefeated, they've more or less limped to the record. Will Cam Rising ever return? The idea is that the offense could get things going when and if, but the if is still a real question. DJ Ukuklele is having a nice year unleashed from the Dabo shackles, but is it sustainable? He has been solid this year, but came up short in the Pac2 Championship last week. I don't know if the turnover chainsaw is still a thing, but top programs go to Corvallis to die. That being said, I'm sticking with slow and steady Utah to win another close one. Utah: 24--OrSt: 20
Hoying: Both of these teams come off of ranked matchups last week decided within the error margin of home field advantage. But that's where the similarities end. The Utes got half their points off of a pick-six while the Beavers couldn't do anything to slow down WSU QB Cam Ward and the high-flying Cougar passing game. It looks like Cam Rising isn't going to be taking any meaningful snaps for Utah anytime soon, however, and his backup Nate Johnson was horribly lackluster against a decent UCLA defense. I don't feel good about their ability to move the ball against Oregon State. The Beaver passing attack isn't any great shakes either, but they're balanced enough to put another Pac-12 pretender to bed. Viva Pac-2! Utah: 13--OrSt: 21
Hoying: Both of these teams come off of ranked matchups last week decided within the error margin of home field advantage. But that's where the similarities end. The Utes got half their points off of a pick-six while the Beavers couldn't do anything to slow down WSU QB Cam Ward and the high-flying Cougar passing game. It looks like Cam Rising isn't going to be taking any meaningful snaps for Utah anytime soon, however, and his backup Nate Johnson was horribly lackluster against a decent UCLA defense. I don't feel good about their ability to move the ball against Oregon State. The Beaver passing attack isn't any great shakes either, but they're balanced enough to put another Pac-12 pretender to bed. Viva Pac-2! Utah: 13--OrSt: 21
Schweinfurth: Between work, hockey, and scouts, I am slammed this week so I will keep these brief. Utah just finds a way to win. I like Oregon State's story, but I'll take Utah until I'm wrong. Utah: 21--OrSt: 17
Seeberg: Tough to figure out what to make of this game. Utah is still legit up front and stymied a potent UCLA offense last week, but their own offense is still middling without Cam Rising, who reportedly is still not ready to go (then again, he was supposed to be a go last week and we saw how that turned out, but I digress). The Beavers, meanwhile, made it interesting late against WaZoo but were largely outplayed for the first three quarters. When in doubt, picking either the home team or the more desperate team tends to be a good play. The western OSU fits both of those descriptors, so I'm taking the Beavers in a game that may look very similar to the one in South Bend last week. Utah: 13--OrSt: 17
Seeberg: Tough to figure out what to make of this game. Utah is still legit up front and stymied a potent UCLA offense last week, but their own offense is still middling without Cam Rising, who reportedly is still not ready to go (then again, he was supposed to be a go last week and we saw how that turned out, but I digress). The Beavers, meanwhile, made it interesting late against WaZoo but were largely outplayed for the first three quarters. When in doubt, picking either the home team or the more desperate team tends to be a good play. The western OSU fits both of those descriptors, so I'm taking the Beavers in a game that may look very similar to the one in South Bend last week. Utah: 13--OrSt: 17
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Florida Gators @ Kentucky Wildcats
Draper: This is near the top of the list for 'who cares' on my list. The Gators showed some life in a nice win over the Vols in Gainsville, but the Wildcats enter with a 0 in the loss column (against the little sisters of the poor). UK got the UF monkey off their back but there is still a disparity of talent. The Gators aren't back, but they'll take a close one in Lexington that is a better win than most will think. UF:27--UK: 24
Hoying: Speaking of not being able to move the ball against Utah, the Gator offense has been a disaster this year, from putting up all of 11 points against the Utes in the opener to settling for 5 field goals and a TD against Charlotte last week. You know it's desperation time when you're importing quarterbacks from Wisconsin. What's next, starting a transfer quarterback from Notre Dame? Or imagine a quarterback transferring from Wisconsin to Notre Dame...what was I talking about...oh yes, Florida is going to have trouble putting up points against the better defenses they face. And Kentucky just gone done taking two interceptions back for TDs and holding Vanderbilt QB AJ Swann to 16-40 for 189 yards. Yes, it's Vanderbilt, and yes, AJ Swann has a QBR of 43 on the season, but again, Graham Mertz. From Wisconsin. Florida does have Baby Etienne at running back, but Kentucky has been stuffing the scrub offenses they've faced on the ground as well. Fla: 17--UK 20
Hoying: Speaking of not being able to move the ball against Utah, the Gator offense has been a disaster this year, from putting up all of 11 points against the Utes in the opener to settling for 5 field goals and a TD against Charlotte last week. You know it's desperation time when you're importing quarterbacks from Wisconsin. What's next, starting a transfer quarterback from Notre Dame? Or imagine a quarterback transferring from Wisconsin to Notre Dame...what was I talking about...oh yes, Florida is going to have trouble putting up points against the better defenses they face. And Kentucky just gone done taking two interceptions back for TDs and holding Vanderbilt QB AJ Swann to 16-40 for 189 yards. Yes, it's Vanderbilt, and yes, AJ Swann has a QBR of 43 on the season, but again, Graham Mertz. From Wisconsin. Florida does have Baby Etienne at running back, but Kentucky has been stuffing the scrub offenses they've faced on the ground as well. Fla: 17--UK 20
Schweinfurth: Florida isn't great, but they are better than the Wildcats. UF: 24--UK: 17
Seeberg: First off, a legitimate kudos to Mark Stoops for taking the Wildcat FOOTBALL team to perennial respectability. With that said, now a sarcastic kudos for their current undefeated record by following the UM blueprint of scheduling a hilarious lot of nobodies in the nonconference slate. Yes, they have a conference win over Vanderbilt, but that barely counts- and they gave up 28 points in the process (they did have 3 picks to their credit, but UK threw two themselves). I don't expect this one to be an aesthetically pleasing tout, but the Gators should have enough to outlast a pesky UK squad. UF: 31--UK: 23
Seeberg: First off, a legitimate kudos to Mark Stoops for taking the Wildcat FOOTBALL team to perennial respectability. With that said, now a sarcastic kudos for their current undefeated record by following the UM blueprint of scheduling a hilarious lot of nobodies in the nonconference slate. Yes, they have a conference win over Vanderbilt, but that barely counts- and they gave up 28 points in the process (they did have 3 picks to their credit, but UK threw two themselves). I don't expect this one to be an aesthetically pleasing tout, but the Gators should have enough to outlast a pesky UK squad. UF: 31--UK: 23
Kansas Jayhawks @ Texas Longhorns
Draper: Rivalry renewed! The undefeated matchup in the Big12 brings a surprising undefeated Jayhawk teams into Austin to play spoiler. The Longhorns are playing well, but I'm not booking my tickets to the CFP yet. There is more to prove, and (can't believe I'm saying this) they're lucky to get Kansas at home. Were this game on the road, we are talking trap game of the year. but in Austin (despite the recent success of the Jayhawks), this more talented team will feed off the crowd and emerge victorious. KU: 20--UT: 34
Hoying: Yes, Ohio State-Notre Dame was billed as the game of the year, and yes, it totally lived up to the hype, but don't be surprised if an all-time classic pops up down in Austin, TX. The last time the Jayhawks visited Darrell K. Royal, they pulled out a heartstopping overtime victory clinched by a a backup TE's first career reception. Now I have no idea what happened in this series after that but I can only assume that this year will be more of the same. Kansas is ranked going into this game, which is just adorable considering the level of competition they've faced so far. Texas, meanwhile, is a top 3 team any way you slice them, having finally seemingly put all the pieces together to rocket through the Big12 14 and into a Playoff spot. Yeah, the Longhorns sleepwalked through the first half of the Wyoming game a couple of weeks ago, and yes, the biggest Red River Shootout in 15 years is looming next week, but it shouldn't take an A effort to put Kansas away. Closer than Texas would like, but the showdown next week will be set. KU: 24--UT: 31
Hoying: Yes, Ohio State-Notre Dame was billed as the game of the year, and yes, it totally lived up to the hype, but don't be surprised if an all-time classic pops up down in Austin, TX. The last time the Jayhawks visited Darrell K. Royal, they pulled out a heartstopping overtime victory clinched by a a backup TE's first career reception. Now I have no idea what happened in this series after that but I can only assume that this year will be more of the same. Kansas is ranked going into this game, which is just adorable considering the level of competition they've faced so far. Texas, meanwhile, is a top 3 team any way you slice them, having finally seemingly put all the pieces together to rocket through the Big
Schweinfurth: Again, Kansas is a great story, but they just don't have the depth yet. Texas isn't quite back, but they have been tested. KU: 31--UT: 45
Seeberg: Wait, is this a basketball blog now?? Nope, you're reading this right, this is a ranked vs. ranked matchup in 2023. Remarkable. Maryland smokes Virginia by 28 and Michigan State on the road by 3 scores and yet Kansas's 1-score win over Nevada gets them ranked? Sheesh. In all honesty, it's probably a negative for the Jayhawks as now the burnt orange squad isn't likely to overlook them with Oklahoma on the horizon. Well, that and the fact that they hung half a hundred on their defense the last time they visited Austin. The Longhorns also didn't have future Ohio State starting QB Quinn Ewers that day, and that should be enough to keep the Red River Shootout an undefeated clash. KU: 24--UT: 41
Seeberg: Wait, is this a basketball blog now?? Nope, you're reading this right, this is a ranked vs. ranked matchup in 2023. Remarkable. Maryland smokes Virginia by 28 and Michigan State on the road by 3 scores and yet Kansas's 1-score win over Nevada gets them ranked? Sheesh. In all honesty, it's probably a negative for the Jayhawks as now the burnt orange squad isn't likely to overlook them with Oklahoma on the horizon. Well, that and the fact that they hung half a hundred on their defense the last time they visited Austin. The Longhorns also didn't have future Ohio State starting QB Quinn Ewers that day, and that should be enough to keep the Red River Shootout an undefeated clash. KU: 24--UT: 41
Louisiana State Tigers @ Mississippi Rebels
Draper: Is LSU who we thought they were (top 5 contender) or are they just tiktok stars of cringe? Last week was a near miss vs. the Razorbacks, but no one is clearly separating themselves in the SEC West (or in the whole of CFB). Kiffin's crew is the champion of faceplanting in big games, but there is a lot of 'failboat' on both sides. Recent history has shown not to trust Ole Miss in the big games and that LSU can take care of business on the road. I'll stick with the Tigers pulling out the road upset. LSU: 34--Miss: 23
Hoying: Sooooo, perhaps the news of the Tide's demise was a bit premature. Which means that the rest of the teams in the SEC West will be chasing them once again until someone can land the knockout blow. Ole Miss is effectively 2 games back of the Tide after last week's lackluster performance while LSU has a golden opportunity to keep pace atop of the division with Bama for the time being. LSU's crossover games with the SEC East are against Florida (as always) and Missouri, so a win here would put them on a collision course with the Tide at the start of November for the West Crown. As for who wins this game, LSU has basically looked like a better version of Ole Miss, but that might be because LSU hasn't had to play Bama yet. So I'll decide this one based on a fun fact: Lane Kiffin has beaten a total of one Power 5 team that went on to win 9 games that season. In other words, never pick Ole Miss to win the big game (lesson learned from last week). LSU: 31--Miss: 24
Hoying: Sooooo, perhaps the news of the Tide's demise was a bit premature. Which means that the rest of the teams in the SEC West will be chasing them once again until someone can land the knockout blow. Ole Miss is effectively 2 games back of the Tide after last week's lackluster performance while LSU has a golden opportunity to keep pace atop of the division with Bama for the time being. LSU's crossover games with the SEC East are against Florida (as always) and Missouri, so a win here would put them on a collision course with the Tide at the start of November for the West Crown. As for who wins this game, LSU has basically looked like a better version of Ole Miss, but that might be because LSU hasn't had to play Bama yet. So I'll decide this one based on a fun fact: Lane Kiffin has beaten a total of one Power 5 team that went on to win 9 games that season. In other words, never pick Ole Miss to win the big game (lesson learned from last week). LSU: 31--Miss: 24
Schweinfurth: Lane got put back in his place last week. I don't see that changing this week either. LSU: 35--Miss: 24
Seeberg: The stat about Lane Kiffin my similarly-named colleague shared above came across my feed last week and it was startling to say the least. 2023 is the year where just about everyone can "get got" as all across the landscape teams have obvious flaws. LSU was exposed by a lights-out Seminole offense that nearly dropped the ball against Clemson weeks later. Ole Miss was shut down by a solid Bama D despite playing admirably on defense themselves. The Tigers' scare against Arkansas (my upset pick) should serve as a wake-up call that gets them on track until the inevitable Bama collision. Tigers late. LSU: 34--Miss: 27
Seeberg: The stat about Lane Kiffin my similarly-named colleague shared above came across my feed last week and it was startling to say the least. 2023 is the year where just about everyone can "get got" as all across the landscape teams have obvious flaws. LSU was exposed by a lights-out Seminole offense that nearly dropped the ball against Clemson weeks later. Ole Miss was shut down by a solid Bama D despite playing admirably on defense themselves. The Tigers' scare against Arkansas (my upset pick) should serve as a wake-up call that gets them on track until the inevitable Bama collision. Tigers late. LSU: 34--Miss: 27
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Duke Blue Devils
Draper: Fun trivia note, this is the first trip of College Gameday to Durham. This was the perfect spot for Gameday....right up until the clock hit 0:00 in South Bend last week. Now, the question is: can the Irish rebound after a crushing loss to their betters from Columbus? Another challenge for the Irish (other than getting up off the mat) is to take this Duke team seriously. Riley Leonard is a legit QB and the defense has been shutting everyone down. The Blue Devils put their name on the board with the win over Clemson, so snake-biting the Irish is unlikely--they'll be ready (if they can emerge from the depths of sadness). My analysis of Notre Dame is that they're a really good team with a major advantage on the offensive line. I expect Estime to have a nice game with Hartman hitting the tight ends over the top on play action. While the Duke D has held opponents to 14 or fewer points, the Irish should be able to take advantage. If the Irish D can slow Leonard (which I think they will), this will be a much-needed bounce back win for ND. ND: 31--Duke: 17
Hoying: I'm sick of hearing about it, but we need to bring it up again: toughness. No, not for our beloved Scarlet and Gray, but for the Gold and Blue (Green?). How do you pick yourself up off the turf after losing in such an agonizing fashion? Buckeye Nation is used to having the whole offseason to stew over a loss like that, but the Irish have to immediately hit the road to visit what may be the hottest team in the ACC. Nobody but Justin Fields (OK, and Notre Dame) blows out Clemson in the Late Dabo era, and while the Blue Devils didn't play the cleanest game against the Tigers, Clemson looked completely lost in the second half. Does Notre Dame have the mental toughness to bring their A-game under the lights in Durham? Last year the Irish followed up their season opening loss to Ohio State by faceplanting against a much worse Marshall team. Forget Lou Holtz's trolling of Ryan Day; what can we say about Notre Dame's performance in big games in the Marcus Freeman era? Can a team that put up 14 at home last week do anything against a Blue Devil defense giving up 8.8 points per game? Don't forget, Sam Hartman made an appearance at Wallace Wade last year, too, and Duke managed to match him score for score and 3 points more. On the flip side, however, can Duke handle success? The Blue Devils haven't hosted a ranked team as a ranked team since 1994, and that set off a streak of 45 straight losses against ranked opponents. I'm betting on the Irish to come out with an edge and try to prove to the world that they still belong in the Playoff conversation. Sorry, Duke. You suck. ND: 24--Duke: 20
Hoying: I'm sick of hearing about it, but we need to bring it up again: toughness. No, not for our beloved Scarlet and Gray, but for the Gold and Blue (Green?). How do you pick yourself up off the turf after losing in such an agonizing fashion? Buckeye Nation is used to having the whole offseason to stew over a loss like that, but the Irish have to immediately hit the road to visit what may be the hottest team in the ACC. Nobody but Justin Fields (OK, and Notre Dame) blows out Clemson in the Late Dabo era, and while the Blue Devils didn't play the cleanest game against the Tigers, Clemson looked completely lost in the second half. Does Notre Dame have the mental toughness to bring their A-game under the lights in Durham? Last year the Irish followed up their season opening loss to Ohio State by faceplanting against a much worse Marshall team. Forget Lou Holtz's trolling of Ryan Day; what can we say about Notre Dame's performance in big games in the Marcus Freeman era? Can a team that put up 14 at home last week do anything against a Blue Devil defense giving up 8.8 points per game? Don't forget, Sam Hartman made an appearance at Wallace Wade last year, too, and Duke managed to match him score for score and 3 points more. On the flip side, however, can Duke handle success? The Blue Devils haven't hosted a ranked team as a ranked team since 1994, and that set off a streak of 45 straight losses against ranked opponents. I'm betting on the Irish to come out with an edge and try to prove to the world that they still belong in the Playoff conversation. Sorry, Duke. You suck. ND: 24--Duke: 20
Schweinfurth: Teams that play Ohio State usually struggle the next week. We see it every year. That was a physical game last week in South Bend and I'm sure the Irish are a little beat up. This should be low scoring and I do like the Irish's stable of running backs. ND: 21--Duke: 10
Seeberg: Yet another "wait, this is a ranked matchup?" matchup. Sam Hartman knows a thing or two about lighting up ACC opponents, having done so for years- with the skill talent at Wake Forest, no less. Amazingly, his WRs at Notre Dame may not be much better, but his TEs and RBs certainly are. The Dookies, meanwhile, shutdown a not-revamped Clemson offense but it's hard to picture them getting enough stops to keep this one competitive late. The Irish fight on (see what I did there?) with an intriguing date with the Trojans looming in mid-October. ND: 38--Duke: 17
Seeberg: Yet another "wait, this is a ranked matchup?" matchup. Sam Hartman knows a thing or two about lighting up ACC opponents, having done so for years- with the skill talent at Wake Forest, no less. Amazingly, his WRs at Notre Dame may not be much better, but his TEs and RBs certainly are. The Dookies, meanwhile, shutdown a not-revamped Clemson offense but it's hard to picture them getting enough stops to keep this one competitive late. The Irish fight on (see what I did there?) with an intriguing date with the Trojans looming in mid-October. ND: 38--Duke: 17
Upset Special
Draper: Mississippi State over Bama (CLANGA)
Hoying: Colorado over USC
Schweinfurth: Arizona over Washington
Seeberg: Vanderbilt over Missouri
