It’s early–only Week 2–but seven key games are on tap. How will they turn out? Here’s my take.
#11 Mississippi State @ Kansas State
Courtesy: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Fitzgerald is back just in time to lead the Bulldogs into a hostile environment against a non-conference opponent. But Fitzgerald hasn’t made a collegiate start in ten months and K-State always seems to do better than people expect.
So don’t let the line (-9.5 MSU) fool you!
KSU’s lackluster performance against South Dakota isn’t the first time the Wildcats started a season poorly.
This contest has “trap game” written all over it.
#3 Georgia @ #20 South Carolina
Call me crazy but. y’know, I think the Fightin’ Muschamp’s actually have a shot in this one. They have a promising QB in Jake Bentley and Georgia’s young defense will be tested.
Pounding the rock against the Gamecocks won’t be enough. Yes, D’Andre Swift is a solid back, but the kid’s only a sophomore who’s never made a start against a Power 5 opponent. Also, keep in mind USC has come out on top in three out of the last four games played at Williams-Brice–even during years when Georgia’s seemed to be the better team on paper.
Still, though, will Carolina be able to pull off an upset?
#13 Penn State @ Pittsburgh
Courtesy: HERO Sports
Last Saturday, Appalachian State almost did to Penn State what it had done to Michigan in ‘07. Now PSU gets the pleasure of going into a hostile environment against rival Pitt.
There’s a talent gap between the two teams (in PSU’s favor, of course), but Pat Narduzzi has a knack of winning big games that he’s supposed to lose (remember Clemson?).
A loss to the Panthers will put the Lions’ in a serious state of hurt.
Kentucky @ #21 Florida
Dan Mullen’s first conference game has his Gators facing a team they have owned for three decades. No pressure, Dan! But let’s face it: UF has almost every advantage imaginable–talent, venue, and coaching–against a team that barely beat Central Michigan last week.
Still, though, Florida is an unknown. This game will give us a better idea of what to expect from Florida.
#23 USC @ #8 Stanford
It took a lot of time for the Trojans to put away also-ran UNLV last Saturday. It’s perplexing, too, because USC is supposed to be a Top 15 team. As always, this team is talented, but the reality is that you never know what to expect from these Men of Troy.
Courtesy: Stanford Daily
And now they face a Cardinal team with a tried-and-true offense and stingy defense–and on the road, no less.
I think one of two things will happen: 1) USC will win, emerging as the team we expected it to be; or 2) Stanford will show that it’s one of the best teams in the PAC-12. (That would elevate the status of the November 3 match-up with UW.)
It will also be fun to see if Bryce Love still has the same capacity to tear apart defenses as he had last season. (He didn’t show much against SDSU last week.)
#12 Michigan State @ Arizona State
Speaking of trap games, MSU is in a prime position to take a tumble in Tempe. ASU has hopes of a rebirth under feisty Herm Edwards. And the Devils started out just fine, thrashing FBS UTSA last week–thanks to senior QB Manny Wilkins and breakout WR N’Keal Harry. This week they’ll get the Spartans in another one of those “Pac-12 Late at Night” games (10:45 kick, Eastern Time).
For their part, the Spartans didn’t look like a B1G title contender against Utah State. If not for a late drive, the Aggies–not Spartans–would have come out victorious.
Don’t be surprised if ASU wins and jumps back into the Top 25.
GAME OF THE WEEK: #2 Clemson @ Texas A&M
This game tops the list this week! It’s a night game in Aggieland. It’s a visiting playoff-caliber team vs. a young team shrouded in mystery. And it’s Dabo v. Jimbo. What’s not to love?
Courtesy: College Football News
The icing on this cake would be a crazy, mind-bending A&M win in Jimbo’s second game. Impossible? Well, Clemson’s QB situation is clouded. We’ll see how using a two-QB system works. On the other side of the field, Aggie QB Kellen Mond will have yet another opportunity to show his wares against a rock-solid defense.
But what I’m most excited to see is how Mike Elko’s defense fares against Clemson’s work-in-progress offense.
Perhaps more than anything else this game is an opportunity to see if the Aggies are close to becoming FSU 2.0.
