Category: College Football

Image Courtesy: Online Athens

CFP Top 6
1.Tennessee 8-0 (4-0) This week: at.3.Georgia
2.Ohio State 8-0 (5-0) This week: at.Northwestern
3.Georgia 8-0 (5-0) This week: 1.Tennessee
4.Clemson 8-0 (6-0) This week: at.Notre Dame
5.Michigan 8-0 (5-0) This week: at.Rutgers
6.Alabama 7-1 (4-1) This week: at.10.LSU

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of CFP Poll)
3.Tennessee at. 1.Georgia (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
6.Alabama at. 10.LSU (Saturday, 7 PM ET, ESPN)
21.Wake Forest at. 22.NC State (Saturday, 8 PM ET, ACCN)

Image Courtesy: PennLive.com

AP Top 6
1.Georgia 7-0 (4-0) This week: Florida (Jacksonville)
2.Ohio State 7-0 (4-0) This week: at.13.Penn State
3.Tennessee 7-0 (3-0) This week: 19.Kentucky
4.Michigan 7-0 (4-0) This week: Michigan State
5.Clemson 8-0 (6-0) This week: Off
6.Alabama 7-1 (4-1) This week: Off

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
2.Ohio State at. 13.Penn State (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FOX)
Ohio State has not faced many tests this season. But, they will seemingly play their first one in an always raucous Happy Valley against Penn State in the early Saturday window. Penn State’s running game will be hard to stop for the Buckeyes but if their offense keeps playing liked it did a week a go-54 points on an “off week” against Iowa, it should be no problem for a win. Projected Score: Ohio State 42, Penn State 24

9.Oklahoma State at. 22.Kansas State (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, FOX)
Oklahoma State keeps finding ways to win games, highlighted by their two touchdown comeback against Texas a week ago. But can they do it on the road against red hot Kansas State, who lost a lead of their own against TCU a week ago? Projected Score: Kansas State 24, Oklahoma State 20

Florida at. 1.Georgia (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
Georgia should handle Florida. But, if Anthony Richardson can make timely passes for the Gators, it could be a quality ball game. Projected Score: Georgia 31, Florida 14

19.Kentucky at. 3.Tennessee (Saturday, 7 PM ET, ESPN)
In the battle for second in the SEC East yet again. Tennessee’s offense has garnered new heights with Hendon Hooker at QB and Jalin Hyatt at receiver so it will have to be the average Kentucky defense getting timely stops to win this key battle. Projected Score: Tennessee 35, Kentucky 24

Michigan State at. 4.Michigan (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
Michigan should be focused after falling to the Spartans last year and the game in the Big House. But, you never know if Mel Tucker and the Spartans have something up their sleeves. Projected Score: Michigan 24, Michigan State 17

Image Courtesy: SBNation

AP Top 6
1.Georgia 7-0 (4-0) This week: Off
2.Ohio State 7-0 (4-0) This week: Iowa
3.Tennessee 6-0 (3-0) This week: UT-Martin
4.Michigan 7-0 (4-0) This week: Off
5.Clemson 7-0 (4-0) This week: 14.Syracuse
6.Alabama 6-1 (3-1) This week: 24.Mississippi State

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
Iowa at. 2.Ohio State (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FOX)
Ohio State should take care of an Iowa offense that is pedestrian at best. If this game was at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, I would give the Hawkeyes a better chance but if CJ Stroud continues to play the way that he is, it should be all Buckeyes. Projected Score: Ohio State 49, Iowa 10

14.Syracuse at. 5.Clemson (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ABC)
Can Syracuse upset Clemson and grab the inside track to being the ACC Atlantic’s representative in the ACC Championship game? If Clemson does what they do at a successful rate, the tigers should be fine at home. But, Syracuse is undefeated and they will pose many challenges for the tigers. Coming off of a win over NC State, the Orange should continue to run the ball and test Clemson. Projected Score: Clemson 35, Syracuse 24

9.UCLA at. 10.Oregon (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, FOX)
ESPN’s College GameDay heads to Chip Kelly’s homecoming in Eugene. UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been terrific for Kelly this season in addition to Zack Charbonnet at running back. Since an opening loss to Georgia, Bo Nix has helped Oregon become a top ten team for the first time this season. Projected Score: Oregon 27, UCLA 17

20.Texas at. 11.Oklahoma State (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
Spencer Sanders and Oklahoma State look to bounce back from their first loss as they host Texas. Quinn Ewers, Bijhan Robinson, and Xavier Worthy have led the Texas offense to terrific heights and they will look to continue their prowess on Saturday afternoon. Projected Score: Oklahoma State 31, Texas 28

7.Ole Miss at. LSU (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
With Ole Miss undefeated and LSU having one loss in the SEC, there is a lot at stake in the division in this one. With the game being played in Baton Rouge, the crowd will be hostile and something hard to deal with for Lane Kiffin’s Rebels whose offense has been humming up to this point. It’s always a good one between the Rebels and Tigers. Projected Score: Ole Miss 27, LSU 24

24.Mississippi State at. 6.Alabama (Saturday, 7 PM ET, ESPN)
Alabama is going to bounce back. Nick Saban does not lose after a loss. Projected Score: Alabama 38, Mississippi State 13

17.Kansas State at. 8.TCU (Saturday, 8 PM ET, TBD)

Image Courtesy: Clarksville Online

AP Top 6
1.Georgia 6-0 (3-0) This week: Vanderbilt
2.Ohio State 6-0 (3-0) This week: Off
3.Alabama 6-0 (3-0) This week: at.6.Tennessee
4.Clemson 6-0 (3-0) This week: at.Florida State
5.Michigan 6-0 (3-0) This week: 10.Penn State
6.Tennessee 5-0 (2-0) This week: 3.Alabama

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
10.Penn State at. 4.Michigan (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FOX) Projected Score: Penn State 24, Michigan 21
15.NC State at. 18.Syracuse (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ACCN) Projected Score: Syracuse 31, NC State 24
3.Alabama at. 6.Tennessee (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS) Projected Score: Tennessee 45, Alabama 42
4.Clemson at. Florida State (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC) Projected Score: Clemson 34, Florida State 24
20.Utah at. 7.USC (Saturday, 8 PM ET, FOX) Projected Score: Utah 27, USC 20

Image Courtesy: The Topeka Capital-Journal

AP Top 6
1.Alabama 5-0 (2-0) This week: Texas A&M
2.Georgia 5-0 (2-0) This week: Auburn
3.Ohio State 5-0 (2-0) This week: at.Michigan State
4.Michigan 5-0 (2-0) This week: at.Indiana
5.Clemson 5-0 (2-0) This week: at.Boston College
6.USC 5-0 (3-0) This week: Washington State

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
17.TCU at. 19.Kansas (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FS1)
TCU and Kansas are the surprises of the Big 12 this year as both have gone undefeated. Kansas is in the AP top twenty-five for the first time since 2009 and will look to continue their winning ways with QB Jalon Daniels at the helm. Expect the atmosphere to be crazy in Lawrence as ESPN’s College GameDay heads there for the first time ever. Projected Score: Kansas 34, TCU 31

8.Tennessee at. 25.LSU (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ESPN)
LSU gets to host red-hot Tennessee in Death Valley tomorrow. LSU has gone undefeated since their season opening loss at the hands of Florida State. Jayden Daniels has been the pioneer at QB for the tigers but they will have a tough task at hand dealing with Heisman favorite Hendon Hooker and the Vols. Tennessee’s defense has looked okay throughout the season but in a hostile road environment like Tiger Stadium, they will have to string multiple stops together. While LSU does have home field advantage here, it is tough for me to go against the Volunteers. Projected Score: Tennessee 31, LSU 24

Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas) (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ABC)
With Quinn Ewers expected to start tomorrow, Texas should have a much better chance to defeat the reeling Oklahoma Sooners, who have lost their last two games. Brent Venables’ defense has looked atrocious during losses to Kansas State and TCU and will look to get going against an offense getting their star signal-caller back. With Ewers back, expect the Longhorns to air it out to star receiver Xavier Worthy while keeping the Sooners honest with arguably the best running back in the country in Bijhan Robinson. The game is always phenomenal in the Cotton Bowl ever year, who will be the star of this one? Projected Score: Texas 27, Oklahoma 21

11.Utah at. 18.UCLA (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, FOX)
Utah has looked terrific since their season-opening loss to Florida. The Utes will go into the Rose Bowl and defeat the Bruins. Projected Score: Utah 35, UCLA 20

Texas A&M at. 1.Alabama (Saturday, 8 PM ET, CBS)
Before the season started, the Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher and Alabama head man Nick Saban were in the headlines because of Saban calling out Fisher’s recruiting tactics in attaining the best recruiting class ever. A&M has since been upset by Appalachian State, bounced back against Miami and Arkansas, and then fallen to Mississippi State. After hurting his shoulder during a win over Arkansas last Saturday, last season’s Heisman winner Bryce Young will be a game-time decision tomorrow (Update:He has been ruled out by a source). In his place would be Jalen Milroe, who had a relatively pedestrian game against Arkansas, outside of a terrific fourth quarter where the Razorbacks defense fell apart. For the Aggies, starter Max Johnson has been ruled out so former starter Haynes King will be taking snaps. King’s lack of ability to get the ball down field worries me about their chances in the game. Even if Young does not play, Alabama is surely not to lose to a team that upset them last season at Kyle Field. Projected Score: Alabama 49, Texas A&M 28

Image Courtesy: Lexington Herald Leader

AP Top 6
1.Georgia 4-0 (1-0) This week: at.Missouri
2.Alabama 4-0 (1-0) This week: at.20.Arkansas
3.Ohio State 4-0 (1-0) This week: Rutgers
4.Michigan 4-0 (1-0) This week: at.Iowa
5.Clemson 4-0 (1-0) This week: 10.NC State
6.USC 4-0 (2-0) This week: Arizona State

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
16.Ole Miss at. 8.Kentucky (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ESPN)
Jaxson Dart has now been named the starter for Ole Miss at quarterback for their game in Lexington against red hot Kentucky. Will Levis has had a tremendous season thus far and with last season’s SEC rushing leader Chris Rodriguez coming back. If Kentucky’s defense continues to play the way it has, they have a great shot to win this game. Projected Score: Kentucky 27, Ole Miss 20

9.Oklahoma State at. 16.Baylor (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, FOX)
Spencer Sanders (OSU) and Blake Shapen (Baylor) have both looked good at quarterback for their respective teams but not phenomenal. The Cowboys and Bears are both known to rely on their defense more than other Big 12 teams and one of them will make a big stop to help their team win the game. Projected Score: Baylor 28, Oklahoma State 20

2.Alabama at. 20.Arkansas (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
Arkansas struggled after their successful first quarter against Texas A&M, resulting in their first loss of the season. Alabama has not looked as dominant as expected but Nick Saban’s team is 4-0 going into October yet again. Arkansas’ secondary looked better last week with Myles Slusher back in the fold but it will be tested even more against Bryce Young and the Alabama offense. Arkansas has to play a complete game, something they have not done yet, to win this game. Projected Score: Alabama 49, Arkansas 31

10.NC State at. 5.Clemson (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
ESPN’s College Gameday heads to Clemson for a huge ACC showdown between the Tigers and the Wolfpack. Clemson’s DJ Uagalelei looked terrific in last Saturday’s double overtime win over Wake Forest, 51-45. NC State has struggled from time to time this season but quarterback Devin Leary has kept them going offensively. NC State upset the tigers last year but something tells me Dabo Swinney will have his team ready to beat the Wolfpack in prime time even if Clemson is coming off a tough test at Wake Forest. Projected Score: Clemson 35, NC State 24

Image Courtesy: Greenville Online

AP Top 6
1.Georgia 3-0 (1-0) This week: Kent State
2.Alabama 3-0 (0-0) This week: Vanderbilt
3.Ohio State 3-0 (0-0) This week: Wisconsin
4.Michigan 3-0 (0-0) This week: Maryland
5.Clemson 3-0 (0-0) This week: at.Wake Forest
6.Oklahoma 3-0 (0-0) This week: Kansas State

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
5.Clemson at. 21.Wake Forest (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ABC)
In a huge ranked match up in the ACC, Clemson goes for another win at Wake Forest headed by their quarterback Sam Hartman. It will be up to Clemson’s offense, led by running back Will Shipley and quarterback DJ Uagalelei to dismantle a weak Wake Forest defense. Projected Score: Clemson 31, Wake Forest 27

20.Florida at. 11.Tennessee (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
Florida has struggled some since their opening win over then top ten ranked Utah in the Swamp. They lost to Kentucky at home but then struggled to a 31-28 win over South Florida. Highly praised QB Anthony Richardson posts a low QBR of 35.9, which is 104th in the country. Tennessee on the other hand is riding high with a 3-0 record, including a win over Pittsburgh. It is not surprising that GameDay chose to go to Knoxville with the Vols’ play but with the way Florida has played, the Gators should hope to be in this one by the fourth quarter

10.Arkansas vs. 23.Texas A&M (Arlington) (Saturday, 7 PM ET, ESPN)
Arkansas was almost upset by their former coach, Bobby Petrino and his team, Missouri State last Saturday. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said that he was out-coached but something tells me Arkansas needed to go through that game to be more prepared for their trip to Arlington, their first game outside of Fayetteville this season. Texas A&M bounced back from their loss to Appalachian Sate by defeating then top fifteen Miami by a score of 17 to 9. Max Johnson, the new quarterback for the Aggies, looked better than Haynes King. With Arkansas’ struggling secondary being Johnson’s next opponent, viewers should expect A&M to air it out to star receiver Anias Smith and others. This game is a toss-up for me definitely. Projected Score: Arkansas 24, Texas A&M 21

Wisconsin at. 3.Ohio State (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin’s running back, will be the lone proponent going for the Badgers on Saturday night in Columbus. Ohio State’s offense, led by QB CJ Stroud and injured receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, has not had the numbers we have expected just yet, but this could very well be their coming out party. With Smith-Njigba and fellow standout receiver Julian Fleming back on the field, this game could be a blowout. Projected Score: Ohio State 42, Wisconsin 20

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AP Top 6
1.Georgia 2-0 (0-0) This week: at.South Carolina
2.Alabama 2-0 (0-0) This week: UL-Monroe
3.Ohio State 2-0 (0-0) This week: Toledo
4.Michigan 2-0 (0-0) This week: Connecticut
5.Clemson 2-0 (0-0) This week: Louisiana Tech
6.Oklahoma 2-0 (0-0) This week: at.Nebraska

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
6.Oklahoma at. Nebraska (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FOX)
Oklahoma defeated Nebraska in Norman last season in their first meeting since the Corn Huskers exited the Big 12. But, things are different now in Norman. Brent Venables replaced Lincoln Riley (who left for the same job at USC) as the team’s head coach. The Sooners added Central Florida transfer QB Dillon Gabriel to pair with what was left from the skill position players that did not join Riley in Los Angeles. Nebraska head coach Scott Frost was fired following a 1-2 record to open the season. Nebraska will hope to get a season-defining win at home over their old rivals on Saturday with interim coach Mickey Joseph. Projected Score: Oklahoma 38, Nebraska 21

1.Georgia at. South Carolina (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ESPN)
With Georgia’s success in their opening game against Oregon and Samford, they ascended to number one in the AP Poll this week after Alabama struggled to defeat Texas on Saturday. Their defense looks (almost) as good as it did a season ago and QB Stetson Bennett has become less of a game manager but a “real” quarterback in many people’s eyes. South Carolina defeated a tough Georgia State team and then lost their SEC opener at Arkansas on Saturday. South Carolina was dominated on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football and will have to be much better there if they want to upset the Bulldogs. Projected Score: Georgia 42, South Carolina 21

12.BYU at. 25.Oregon (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, FOX)
BYU defeated Baylor in overtime last Saturday and Oregon rebounded from their loss to Georgia. If this game was in Provo, it would be easy to pick the Cougars but it is in Eugene so it makes it more difficult to pick who the winner will be. BYU QB Jaren Hall and receiver Chase Roberts were spectacular last week and they will outshine Oregon QB Bo Nix and his weapons to get a second consecutive top 25 win. Projected Score: BYU 24, Oregon 20

22.Penn State at. Auburn (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
Penn State defeated Auburn last season in Happy Valley but will have to travel to “The Plains” to face Auburn, who handily beat Mercer in week 1 and then struggled to defeat San Jose State in week 2. Penn State beat Purdue to open their season and then easily took care of Ohio on Saturday. The winner of the line of scrimmage in this game wins it I think so it will be up to Auburn running back Tank Bigsby and his offensive defensive lines and Penn State running back Keyvone Lee and his offensive and defensive lines. Projected Score: Penn State 21, Auburn 17

13.Miami at. 24.Texas A&M (Saturday, 8 PM ET, ESPN)
Texas A&M’s upset loss to respected Sun Belt program Appalachian State is probably why ESPN College GameDay didn’t choose to go to College Station this weekend. Jimbo Fisher’s team and his quarterback Haynes King will look to bounce back against a Miami team with lots of expectations going into the season. Oregon coach Mario Cristobal came back to his alma mater to take over at “The U” and will look to give A&M a second consecutive loss. His quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has led dominant wins over Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss but will have to lead his troops into a much better environment and face a much better team in College Station and Texas A&M.

Image Courtesy: Sports Illustrated

AP Top 6
1.Alabama 1-0 (0-0) This week: at.Texas
2.Georgia 1-0 (0-0) This week: Samford
3.Ohio State 1-0 (0-0) This week: Arkansas State
4.Michigan 1-0 (0-0) This week: Hawaii
5.Clemson 1-0 (0-0) This week: Furman
6.Texas A&M 1-0 (0-0) This week: Appalachian State

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
South Carolina at. 16.Arkansas (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ESPN)
Arkansas and South Carolina had their fair share of struggles in week 1. South Carolina was down 14-12 at one point during their win last Saturday against respected Sun Belt program Georgia State. Despite secondary injuries and struggles, Arkansas gave Cincinnati its first non-Bowl game loss since 2019. There is some familiarity between the coaching staffs as former Arkansas receivers coach Justin Stepp has now been the South Carolina receivers coach the last few seasons. Former Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler made his debut with the Gamecocks last weekend and KJ Jefferson, the signal-caller for the hogs has become faster but is still inaccurate on some throws. This game comes down to who is going to make big plays down the stretch and it could be either one of these teams. Projected Score: Arkansas 30, South Carolina 27

1.Alabama at. Texas (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FOX)
Texas’ offense, led by QB Quinn Ewers, running back Bijan Robinson, and receiver Xavier Worthy will look to help the Longhorns defeat Alabama on Saturday afternoon. The Longhorns will have to deal with arguably the two best players in college football on Alabama’s side including linebacker Will Anderson and Heisman-winning QB Bryce Young. ESPN’s College GameDay will make the rare trip to a FOX covered game and hope to see a more competitive game than Texas’ 40-21 loss a season ago to Arkansas when they face the Crimson Tide. Projected Score: Alabama 45, Texas 28

24.Tennessee at. 17.Pittsburgh (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
Pittsburgh defeated Tennessee in Knoxville a season ago but Tennessee would like to return the favor in Pittsburgh tomorrow. Kedon Slovis led the Panthers to a win over West Virginia but playing Hendon Hooker and the Vols is a different test. The aforementioned QB Hooker and their running attack will give Pitt problems and get the win. Projected Score: Tennessee 35, Pittsburgh 24

20.Kentucky at. 12.Florida (Saturday, 7 PM ET, ESPN)
Kentucky crushed Miami (OH) and Florida upset top ten Utah. Florida QB Anthony Richardson was terrific and the defense made plays when it needed to become 1-0. Kentucky did what they needed to do with QB Will Levis throwing three touchdowns and an interception. He will have to avoid making mistakes like he did last week, as going into “The Swamp” will “eat you up”. Projected Score: Florida 21, Kentucky 17

10.USC at. Stanford (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
While Stanford coach David Shaw is terrific, his teams at Stanford have not been as good as they used to be in the early to mid 2010s. USC, based off of their tremendous week 1 performance, even if it was a 66-14 win over Rice, should handle their first road test (or test overall) this season in the Pac-12. Projected Score: USC 31, Stanford 20

9.Baylor at. 21.BYU (Saturday, 10:15 PM ET, ESPN)
Baylor crushed Albany 69-10 while BYU did the same to South Florida 50-21. The Blake Shapen-Jaren Hall battle at QB is what will win the game for both sides. BYU’s defense and atmosphere at home could be the difference in the game too. Projected Score: Baylor 28, BYU 24

Image Courtesy: CBS Sports

ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich confirmed on Friday that the College Football Playoff’s board of managers unanimously voted to expand the event to 12-teams by 2026 but are encouraging the format by 2024. Although, it is doubtful the CFP 12-team field will make its debut until 2026 according to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. It was described as a “historic day for college football” last summer when conversations were made public.

According to the CFP news release, the playoff will include the six-highest ranked conference champions and six at-large teams. “The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye. The other eight teams will play in the first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher seed. The quarterfinal and semifinal games will be at played at bowl sites with a national championship location announced annually ahead of the next season”.

First Round

Left side
No. 8 Seed
No. 9 Seed

No. 5 Seed
No. 12 Seed

Right side
No. 6 Seed
No. 11 Seed

No. 7 Seed
No. 10 Seed

Quarterfinals

Left side
No. 1 Seed
No. 8 Seed/No. 9 Seed

No. 4 Seed
No. 5 Seed/No. 12 Seed

Right side
No. 3 Seed
No. 6 Seed

No. 2 Seed
No. 7 Seed/No. 10 Seed

Semifinals

Winner
Winner

Winner
Winner

Final

Winner
Winner

Image Courtesy: Saturday Blitz

AP Top 6
1.Alabama 0-0 (0-0) This week: Utah State
2.Ohio State 0-0 (0-0) This week: 5.Notre Dame
3.Georgia 0-0 (0-0) This week: 11.Oregon (Atlanta)
4.Clemson 0-0 (0-0) This week: at.Georgia Tech
5.Notre Dame 0-0 (0-0) This week: at.2.Ohio State
6.Texas A&M 0-0 (0-0) This week: Sam Houston State

Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
West Virginia at. Pittsburgh (Thursday 7 PM ET, ESPN)
The last time the former Big East rivals met was in 2011, when the Mountaineers defeated the Panthers 21-20 over Thanksgiving weekend that year. Pitt lost last season’s Bilitnekoff Award Winner (nation’s top receiver), Jordan Addison, who transferred to USC. Pat Narduzzi, the experienced Pittsburgh coach, will have to figure out how to stop former USC and Georgia QB JT Daniels, who will start at QB for the Mountaineers. In the same way, QB Kedon Slovis, who replaced Daniels at USC but then left the program, will start for Pitt and West Virginia coach Neal Brown will have to get his defense ready to stop that offense. Projected Score: Pittsburgh 24, West Virginia 20

23.Cincinnati at. 19.Arkansas (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN)
Despite losing All-American receiver Treylon Burks to the NFL, Arkansas has regrouped by adding former Oklahoma receiver Jadon Haselwood and by developing the group already on the team. KJ Jefferson returns at QB along with three other running backs, namely “Rocket” Sanders who is expected to start in place of Dominique Johnson, who has been hurt through fall camp. Arkansas’ defense got stronger through the transfer portal and should help the hogs win this game. Cincinnati made the College Football Playoff last year and will look to do it again without QB Desmond Ridder and defensive backs Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant, who headed to the NFL. The replacement for Ridder will either be Evan Prater or Ben Bryant and Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell has recruited well enough for defensive replacements to be good for the program. Projected Score: Arkansas 28, Cincinnati 24

11.Oregon vs. 3.Georgia (Atlanta) (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
Georgia looks to defend its national championship in a home away from home game in Atlanta against Oregon, led by former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning. Without Lanning and the multiple draft picks from that defense in this year’s NFL Draft, their defense will look human compared to last season. But, with the best tight end room in the country and Stetson Bennett back at QB, Georgia should be fine in this game. Former Auburn QB Bo Nix is likely to start for the Ducks and knows the Bulldogs well but expect a young Georgia defense to step up and get the opening season win. Projected Score: Georgia 31, Oregon 20

7.Utah at. Florida (Saturday, 7 PM ET, ESPN)
Utah, the reigning Pac-12 champions have high expectations this season but will be tested this Saturday in “The Swamp” when they take on Florida. Florida QB Anthony Richardson was good last year, backing up Emory Jones part of the year and starting a few games but the Florida defense will have to stop Utah’s offense led by QB Cam Rising. Projected Score: Utah 27, Florida 24

5.Notre Dame at. 2.Ohio State (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
In a top five match-up to open the season, number two Ohio State and number five Notre Dame face off. Ohio State’s offense is tremendous with returning QB CJ Stroud and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba catching passes. New Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman played football for Ohio State during his playing career but will hope for star tight end Matthew Mayer to lead the Irish to an upset win. Projected Score: Ohio State 45, Notre Dame 31

Florida State at. LSU (Sunday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
Former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly makes his debut in New Orleans against Florida State, the same team his Irish faced in week 1 a season ago. The Seminoles are coached by Mike Norvell, who needs to win to keep his job. Kelly named former Arizona State signal-caller Jayden Daniels the starter and Jordan Travis will play QB for the Seminoles. FSU defeated Duquense in their week 0 game but facing LSU, led by receiver Kayshon Boutte will be a different beast. Projected Score: LSU 24, Florida State 14

4.Clemson at. Georgia Tech (Monday, 8 PM ET, ESPN)
Despite Clemson’s struggles at QB last season, it is hard to believe that Clemson will lose to bottom-dweller Georgia Tech. Clemson’s defense is spectacular even if they lost defensive coordinator Brent Venables to Oklahoma and their offense returns its backfield, DJ Uiagaelelie and Will Shipley, will be beneficial for the tigers. Projected Score: Clemson 38, Georgia Tech 13

Image Courtesy: Hogs Haven

2022-2023 Power 5 Projected Conference Standings:

ACC
Atlantic
Clemson 10-2 (6-2)
NC State 9-3 (5-3)
Louisville 8-4 (5-3)
Wake Forest 7-5 (3-5)
Florida State 7-5 (3-5)
Boston College 5-7 (2-6)
Syracuse 4-8 (1-7)

Coastal
Miami 9-3 (5-3)
Pittsburgh 8-4 (4-4)
North Carolina 7-5 (4-4)
Virginia 7-5 (3-5)
Virginia Tech 6-6 (2-6)
Georgia Tech 5-7 (1-7)
Duke 4-8 (0-8)

Big 12
Oklahoma 10-2 (7-2)
Oklahoma State 9-3 (6-3)
Baylor 8-4 (6-3)
Texas 7-5 (5-4)
TCU 7-5 (4-5)
Kansas State 7-5 (4-5)
West Virginia 6-6 (3-6)
Iowa State 5-7 (2-7)
Texas Tech 4-8 (1-8)
Kansas 3-9 (0-9)

Big Ten
East
Ohio State 12-0 (9-0)
Michigan 10-2 (7-2)
Michigan State 9-3 (6-3)
Penn State 7-5 (5-4)
Maryland 7-5 (4-5)
Indiana 6-6 (4-5)
Rutgers 6-6 (3-6)

West
Wisconsin 9-3 (6-3)
Purdue 8-4 (6-3)
Minnesota 8-4 (5-4)
Iowa 8-4 (5-4)
Nebraska 7-5 (4-5)
Northwestern 7-5 (4-5)
Illinois 5-7 (2-7)

Independents (Top 2)
Notre Dame 11-1 (N/A)
BYU 10-2 (N/A)

Pac-12
North
Oregon 9-3 (7-2)
Oregon State 7-5 (6-3)
Washington 6-6 (5-4)
Washington State 6-6 (4-5)
Stanford 6-6 (4-5)
California 5-7 (3-6)

South
Utah 11-1 (9-0)
USC 9-3 (7-2)
UCLA 8-4 (6-3)
Arizona 6-6 (4-5)
Colorado 5-7 (3-6)
Arizona State 4-8 (2-7)

SEC
East
Georgia 11-1 (7-1)
Kentucky 9-3 (5-3)
Tennessee 8-4 (4-4)
Florida 7-5 (3-5)
South Carolina 6-6 (3-5)
Missouri 5-7 (1-7)
Vanderbilt 3-9 (0-8)

West
Alabama 12-0 (8-0)
Texas A&M 10-2 (6-2)
Arkansas 9-3 (5-3)
Ole Miss 8-4 (4-4)
LSU 7-5 (3-5)
Mississippi State 6-6 (2-6)
Auburn 6-6 (2-6)

Top 5 conference Match-Ups:
1.Michigan at. Ohio State (November 26, 12 PM ET, FOX)
2.Texas A&M at. Alabama (October 8, TBD, TBD)
3.Georgia at. Kentucky (November 19, TBD, TBD)
4.USC at. Utah (October 15, TBD, TBD)
5.Miami at. Clemson (November 19, TBD, TBD)

Top 5 interconference Match-Ups:
1.Notre Dame at. Ohio State (September 3, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
2.Oregon vs. Georgia (Atlanta) (September 3, 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
3.Clemson at. Notre Dame (November 5, 7:30 PM ET, NBC)
4.Miami at. Texas A&M (September 17, 8 PM ET, ESPN)
5.Alabama at. Texas (September 10, 12 PM ET, FOX)

CFP and New Year’s 6 Projections:
Capital One Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Notre Dame (December 30, TBD, TBD)
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma (December 31, TBD, TBD)
CFP Semifinal at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: 1.Alabama vs. 4.Utah (December 31, TBD, TBD)
CFP Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl: 2.Ohio State vs. 3.Georgia (December 31, TBD, TBD)
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: USC vs. Cincinnati (January 2, TBD, TBD)
Rose Bowl Game: Michigan vs. Oregon (January 2, TBD, TBD)
CFP National Championship Game: 1.Alabama vs. 2.Ohio State (January 9, TBD, TBD)
Winner: 1.Alabama

Check out the top 25 incoming recruits to college football in 2022 (per 247sports composite).

Image Courtesy: The Clarion-Ledger

November 12
LSU
Neither offense was very successful in last season’s installment for Battle for the Golden Boot. New LSU head coach Brian Kelley has four QBs to choose from in senior Myles Brennan, tbd Jayden Daniels, tbd, and tbd. Many expect Brennan to start as this is his sixth year in the program. Receiver Kayshon Boutte may be the best player for the tigers as he was given the heralded number seven jersey number, in honor of the team’s top player from the state of Louisiana. Boutte and fellow receiver Jack Bech are the only returning starters on the offensive side while defensively the tigers return two starters at defensive end in BJ Ojulari and safety Jay Ward. Another interesting tidbit entering the Battle for the Boot this year is the transfer portal. Veteran Arkansas defensive backs Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks transferred back to their home state of Louisiana to play for the tigers for a season while relatively young LSU defensive end Landon Jackson and defensive back Dwight McGlothern made their way from Baton Rouge to Fayetteville. In his SEC Media Days press conference, Tigers coach Brian Kelley commented that he does not love players transferring to schools within the same conference let alone division but since they’re both from Louisiana, he would take Foucha and Brooks in for a season. Come November, viewers of this game should expect Arkansas to rely on the ground game similarly to last season’s meeting with the tigers and pull out a close win.
Projected Score: Arkansas 31, LSU 24

November 19
Ole Miss
The growing Arkansas-Ole Miss rivalry has had some crazy finishes over the last decade including last season’s one point win by the Rebels in Oxford last season. Ole Miss will have to replace QB Matt Corrall who’s now with the Carolina Panthers in the NFL. They added USC transfer Jaxson Dart and returning QB Luke Altmyer as potential options at signal-caller. Ole Miss lost both of their top assistants, including offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby (new Oklahoma offensive coordinator) and defensive coordinator Chris Kiffin (new Cleveland Browns assistant). It will be up to head coach Lane Kiffin to take control of the team and have another winning season in Oxford. Dart or Altmyer will be joined by TCU running back transfer Zach Evans in the backfield, a former five-star recruit. The Rebels will depend on returning receiver targets Jonathan Mingo and tight end Casey Kelley to produce with three returning starters along the offensive line. With a new defensive coordinator and more than half of the Rebels’ defense returning from last season, it is unreasonable to expect greatness from an Ole Miss defense that was better last season. That being said, expect a shootout in Fayetteville the Saturday before Thanksgiving as KJ Jefferson and Jaxson Dart battle it out. Projected Score: Arkansas 45, Ole Miss 42

November 25
at.Missouri
Missouri defeated Arkansas five consecutive times from 2016-2020. That long streak ended in 2021 with a dominant effort from then Razorbacks receiver Treylon Burks with the help of his quarterback KJ Jefferson. Missouri is losing lots of offensive production including tremendous running back Tyler Badie as they only return four starters on that side of the ball. Incoming freshman receiver Luther Burden is expected to start immediately as a true freshman. He was a highly recruited five-star recruit as a homegrown talent in the state of Missouri that will need to make it easier on new starting QB Brady Cook, who replaces experienced QB Connor Bazelak, who transferred to Indiana. Defensively, it is better for the tigers as they return seven of eleven defensive starters. For Arkansas to continue on an upward trajectory, they must win this game annually against an opponent like Missouri, who is not having as much success as they want, with their tough schedules annually. When Black Friday comes around, the game will be close for a half or three quarters because the hogs are on the road at Faurot Field but expect the Arkansas offense to be successful the entire day in Columbia, helping them pull out an end of season win. Projected Score: Arkansas 38, Missouri 21

Image Courtesy: The Clarion-Ledger

October 1
Alabama
After suffering two losses last season, Alabama has returned Heisman-winning QB Bryce Young and extremely talented pass rusher Will Anderson in addition to the number two ranked class, they have coming in. The Tide have to replace receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie who headed off to the NFL with Georgia transfer Jermaine Burton, sophomore Ja’Corey Brooks, and junior Tyler Harrell. The defense, with Will Anderson and six other starters returning will make Alabama the scariest its been at least since 2020-2021, when they won their last national championship. Arkansas lost by just a touchdown last season to Alabama in Tuscaloosa. But, I would expect the Crimson Tide to be more prepared for the likes of Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson and the hogs talented running game. Former Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders will play his former team in this game for the first time. He and experienced linebacker Bumper Pool will have to help stop new full-time starter at running back for Alabama, Trey Sanders. Projected Score: Alabama 49, Arkansas 31

October 8
at.Mississippi State
After losing to Arkansas because of three missed field goal tries, Mississippi State will be out for revenge against the hogs. Actually, its been two seasons since the Bulldogs defeated Arkansas and talented Mississippi State QB Will Rogers thrives at home, especially with two returning starters at receiver in Austin Williams and Jaden Walley. Mississippi State returns seven defensive starters and to me, this game is an old fashioned shootout and will be up to the playmakers on both defenses to win this game. Projected Score: Arkansas 48, Mississippi State 45

October 29
Auburn
Auburn has not lost to Arkansas in a long time. However, in their 2020 meeting, Arkansas should have won the game. A backwards spike by then Auburn QB Bo Nix was recovered by former Arkansas defensive back Joe Foucha. But, the officials did not see it that way and Auburn won on a game-winning field goal. A year later and last season Bo Nix had a phenomenal performance and Arkansas took a loss at home to the tigers. Now, former Texas A&M QB Zach Calzada takes over the reigns on the Plains. Talented running back Tank Bigsy and receiver Shedrick Jackson return in addition to three other offensive starters. Auburn’s defense is underrated this year with seven returning starters headlined by pass rushers Derick Hall and Owen Pappoe. A combined performance by Arkansas’ running game and defense will have the hogs defeating Auburn for the first time in a long time. Projected Score: Arkansas 31, Auburn 21